“No way! This tax needs to be changed too. Northern Border merchants coming to the Central Region should be taxed normally!”
Lilith was spirited and even started pointing at the treaty.
Beside her, Nora saw Lilith becoming increasingly audacious and continuously reminded her softly, “Your Majesty! Mind your attitude! After all, the other party is the Northern Border Governor, and it is reasonable for us to concede some interests!”
Although Nora knew that Lilith seemed to have struck a nerve with this Northern Border Governor, the Royal Capital still depended on the power of the Northern Border, so Nora was anxious at Lilith’s bold behavior.
Not to mention that they still needed the other party’s military support. What if the other party, in a fit of rage, disregarded everything and flattened the Royal Capital? How did the Queen become so unstable? Although the other party is the Queen’s former brother-in-law, he is not truly the Queen’s brother. An alliance is the most unreliable.
At the same time, Nora immediately stood up and explained, “Lord Governor, Her Majesty did not mean that; what she means is that this place is still up for negotiation, and we can discuss it more thoroughly.”
However, Lind helplessly picked up the treaty that Lilith was pointing at, examined it closely, and said, “Your Majesty makes a valid point, but the tax cannot be collected by the Royal Capital. Regarding the taxes of the Northern Border, a separate agency should be established to handle the collection, and the personnel can be decided by Your Majesty.”
Upon hearing this, Lilith wore a proud expression, as if saying: let me hear you call me Your Majesty a couple more times.
When Nora saw Lind honestly amend the treaty and relinquish the Northern Border’s interests while turning the profits over to Her Majesty, her expression management nearly broke down.
What on earth did those people discuss? Why did the normally calm Your Majesty become so uninhibited after the talk, while the previously imposing Northern Border Governor, who exuded a sense of oppression, became as docile as a frostbitten eggplant, even a bit… naggy.
Nevertheless, Nora continued to faithfully fulfill her duties as Chancellor, looking at the agreement, she said, “Your Majesty, if we set up a separate agency to collect taxes from the people of the Northern Border, how will that be explained to the Royal Capital?”
Nora could even imagine why the nobility of the Royal Capital would fight tooth and nail over this treaty. The tax revenue from Northern Border goods is a huge wealth, a big cake.
The officials originally responsible for taxes in the Royal Capital would surely oppose it vigorously.
However, upon hearing Nora’s remarks, Lind seemed to revert to the cold and severe demeanor of the Northern Border Governor from the first half, speaking with a chilling tone, “If anyone opposes, let them come speak with me!”
“If they really want to oppose, then they shouldn’t bother; according to the previous treaty, we Northerners will manage these merchants specifically, and the Royal Capital will not collect taxes at all. Our Northern Border merchants only need to pay me an exit tax!”
The room was very warm, but Nora felt a sudden drop in temperature, looking at the Northern Border Governor’s gaze; the other party was serious.
Nora wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. Although she was a top graduate from the Royal Capital Academy, she could increasingly not understand this negotiation.
On the other hand, Judith nodded repeatedly after observing Lind’s actions, further confirming her guesses.
Lilith’s smile was harder to suppress than those old-fashioned firearms from the Royal Capital with tremendous recoil; it was too exhilarating.
As long as the agency to manage the taxes of Northern Border merchants could be established separately, then Lilith would have a stable and massive income, and because this agency would be fully staffed from her choices, the collected tax funds would nearly all flow into Lilith’s personal pocket.
Of course, Lilith couldn’t monopolize such a large cake; those nobles from the Royal Capital would surely fight to secure some benefits from her fingertips, all vying for positions in the new agency.
And Lilith just needed to sit on the throne, observing who wagged their tail the hardest to let them into the new agency.
After all, the treaty clearly stated that the agency would be managed entirely by Her Majesty, and anyone who opposed it would have to negotiate with the Northern Border Governor.
Next, Lind took out another treaty and said, “Also regarding the issue of military support, although we still hope the Royal Capital will exchange population with us, we also understand the difficulties Your Majesty faces.”
Lind wrote and sketched on the treaty while saying, “Indeed, compelling Her Majesty to conscript the population from those noble territories is not feasible, so we plan to issue some trade certificates to those nobles as compensation.”
“Nobles holding trade certificates can use these to engage in trade between the Northern Border and the Royal Capital. Although there will be fewer people, we believe the profits from trade can quickly make up for those nobles’ losses in this regard.”
Nora took the treaty and examined it carefully; indeed, the issuance of trade certificates would be entirely decided by Her Majesty.
It should be known that currently, it is Northern Border commodities that are being dumped onto the Royal Capital and Central Region. Northern Border merchants are unilaterally harvesting from the Royal Capital, which has no capacity to resist, and the biggest issue with this harvest is that those nobles cannot participate themselves. With this trade certificate, the nobles can become Northern Border merchants, sourcing from the Northern Border and joining this lavish feast.
The revenue brought by this trade certificate is not merely about population; it would entice those crazy nobles to sell their land in a heartbeat.
Moreover, with this trade certificate, they could establish direct connections with the Northern Border Governor.
A truly priceless treasure.
Looking at this certificate, it wasn’t just Nora; even Judith, who had always felt that things were proceeding as she anticipated, swallowed her saliva. Were these just siblings? They were practically blood siblings!
Judith’s eagerness for the trade certificate was evident as she gazed at Lind with a sincere look, thinking, as a descendant of the Old Empire too, she should be included in this opportunity.
But a very frustrated Lind did not notice Judith’s earnest gaze; instead, he was pondering which treaties needed modification and which could ensure his younger sister’s absolute power and safety in the Royal Capital.
Lilith took the treaty from Nora’s hands, glanced at it, and nodded in satisfaction. Truly a capable older brother; he has turned the treaty that had pitted Lilith against the Central nobles into one that gave Lilith absolute power.
Now Lilith felt invigorated, not to mention that the feelings of being pulled back and forth by the Northern Border had vanished. With these amendments, upon returning to the Royal Capital, Lilith would possess absolute power, even rendering her independent from the royal family; it should be the royal family relying on her now.
After all, the only proponents of these treaties are Lilith; if Lilith does not sit on the queen’s throne, all of these treaties would become null and void.
Once back in the Royal Capital, probably “Old Party” and “New Party” would no longer matter; only the radical Queen faction and those who feel the radical faction is too conservative would remain, playing balance due to insufficient strength.
Finally, everyone stayed in the room for most of the day until Lind completed all the treaty revisions. At this point, all Nora felt was a cold sweat; the conditions given by the Northern Border were far too generous, far exceeding her expectations.
At this moment, Lind stood up, “I have prepared a small dinner, and I sincerely invite Your Majesty to grace us.”
“No need.”
Lilith stood up, gently placed her hand by her mouth, and said with a hint of mockery, “Lord Governor, I did not clearly hear that; could you please repeat it for me?”
It became tense; Lind’s fist hardened.
