Mr. Coggero is still a little resistant. In his opinion, printing a bunch of waste paper and then having the government recognize its validity is like a child playing house:
"What's the use of such a banknote? I mean, it's not exchangeable for gold and silver coins, and it doesn't have any guaranteed purchasing power. Even if the Ministry of Finance recognized it as the official currency of Corsica, no one would
It’s taken seriously.”
"Its greatest use, Mr. Cogello, is to silence these greedy and shameless landowners."
Lawrence pressed the report that compiled the funding requests and said in a deep voice:
"Don't they want money? We will give them money. We will print as much money as they want. Even... more than that, enough to buy all their land."
"You mean...?!"
Mr. Coggello had an electric current running through his body and looked at Lawrence in shock. Only then did he finally understand what Lawrence meant:
"You want to use this pile of waste paper to buy back the land from the landlords?! Oh my god, this is just like robbery. How can they accept such a request?!"
The only difference between Lawrence's approach and the Ming Dynasty robbery was that he went through a process, grabbing the landlords' land with one hand and giving them a pile of waste paper that they couldn't even use to wipe their butts.
"They do not have the right to choose to accept or not accept it. This is the reality that must be accepted." Lawrence ignored the shocked Coggero and said stubbornly.
"You...you may be right, but..." Cojero gestured at a loss for a long time, and then said incoherently:
"I mean, no matter what, the landowners are also citizens of Corsica, right? In this case, their property is also protected by law. Isn't it morally imprudent for us to do this?"
"Mr. Coggello, we are the government, and we are the government of the Corsican people. As long as it is beneficial to the Corsican people, we will do it."
Lawrence looked at Mr. Coggello incredulously, raised his eyebrows and said:
"If you want to discuss moral issues, you should try your luck in the church. The government never talks about morality. By the way, there are probably not many people discussing morality in the church today."
"I...I understand." Mr. Coggello wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and nodded quickly.
He knew that if he continued to object in front of this tough governor, he would really be able to find a monastery to spend the rest of his life.
Lawrence looked at the obedient Mr. Coggello and nodded with satisfaction.
This is not because Lawrence does not listen to advice, but on the land issue, which is a major issue related to the foundation of Corsica, Lawrence must use his power to overcome all resistance, whether internal or external.
And for the most important functional department like the Ministry of Finance, Lawrence is more willing to see a Ministry of Finance that has been domesticated by himself.
Seeing that Mr. Coggello no longer had any objections, Lawrence finally concluded and ordered:
"Very good, you will start printing these banknotes after you go down. In addition, the trial scope of the land tax system will be expanded to the entire Ajaccio administrative region and surrounding towns."
"The whole Ajaccio area... I understand."
Mr. Coggello felt another thump in his heart. The administrative district of Ajaccio and its surrounding towns were equivalent to the entire central Corsica. This meant that the establishment of the land tax system was about to take a big step forward.
At the same time, Mr. Coggero can also foresee that the expansion of the trial area will inevitably encounter strong resistance from local landowners and those southern landowners who are worried about their own harm.
After confirming Lawrence's orders, Mr. Coggello walked out of the Governor's Palace in an uneasy mood.
Just like the last time he learned about Lawrence's plan to reform agricultural taxes, Mr. Coggello once again felt that he was at a critical point in Corsica's destiny.
If all Lawrence's reforms can be successfully completed, then this will be the most dazzling achievement of the Ministry of Finance in more than ten years, and even no descendants can surpass it in the following decades.
However, if Lawrence ultimately loses to the entrenched local forces, then Mr. Coggello also knows that in the worst case scenario, it will be time for a new owner in the Governor's Mansion.
"The tide of the times...I am just a slightly bigger splash in this wave."
Mr. Coggero clutched the memo in his hand and said to himself with a wry smile:
"Governor Bonaparte is the one standing on the crest of the wave... rather he is the wave itself..."
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...
In the Governor's Palace, after Mr. Coggello left for a long time, Lawrence was still sitting in the study with his eyebrows covered in thought.
Although he acted so tough in front of the Treasury Department, Lawrence did not underestimate his enemies.
It is not without reason that these powerful local landlords can continue to exist in Corsica to this day, and even make Poly fear them.
Lawrence's attempt to eradicate the landlord class can be regarded as taking a wrong approach to a certain extent. If he is not careful, he will play with fire and burn himself, causing the Governor's Palace, the highest symbol of power, to have a new owner in just a few months.
However, this does not mean that Lawrence's move is a complete suicide.
In Lawrence's eyes, although the landlord class is huge in terms of human, financial and political influence and is a behemoth in front of the Corsican government, they still have a fatal weakness.
This weakness is deeply rooted within the landlord class, and it is also the landlords' greatest reliance - the thousands of serfs imprisoned by land leases and leases.
It can be said that these serfs are the biggest source of power of the landlord class. The one percent landlords control the 99 percent of serfs, occupy the fruits of their labor, drive their labor force, and
In order to satisfy their endless greed and build their own small kingdom.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! These serfs themselves are the group in Corsica who most want freedom and their own land. As long as Lawrence can mobilize the power of the masses, even if it means overthrowing the entire landlord class through force
It’s not empty talk anymore.
And this is why Lawrence insisted on solving the land issue as soon as possible in the early days of his coming to power.
Because once the government of any country has been in power for a long time, the ruling class itself will be assimilated by the traditional landlord class, just like the nobles and kings of various countries. They themselves are the largest landlords in the country, and naturally it is impossible to attack themselves.
In terms of the source of power, the current Corsican government is essentially a military government.
Although Lawrence was also supported by the Corsican people, what enabled him to sit on the governor's chair and firmly sit on it was the support of the army and soldiers in his hands.
However, Lawrence also knew in his heart that this military dictatorship would not last long, and the Corsican government would eventually return to a normal democratic government.
That's why Lawrence wanted to use this period of time to attack the landlords immediately. Once time passes and the landlord class infiltrates and integrates into the new government, it will not be so easy to reform inwards.
"In the final analysis, this must be done as soon as possible, but not too hastily. If you miss the mark, you will be doomed."
Lawrence squeezed his slightly sweaty palms, looked at the map of Corsica hanging in the study and murmured softly.
Although he has now decided to take a tough stance against the landowners, it does not mean that Lawrence will unreasonably plunder their land directly like a robber.
Although what Lawrence wanted to do was essentially no different from plundering, since it was in the name of the government, it naturally could not be so direct, and the external reputation had to be taken into consideration.
That's why Lawrence asked the Treasury to print a batch of banknotes, at least in name, to appear to be the government acquiring land from landlords.
However, such a name still seems too thin, and I am afraid that even immature children cannot be deceived.
"No, I still need an excuse to attack the landlords, or... a claim."
Lawrence in the study focused his eyes, suddenly had an idea, and shouted loudly to the door:
"Anna, I need Xadia to come see me immediately!"
Since he was going to do something shady, Lawrence naturally immediately thought of Xadia, who he had designated as the future head of the secret police.
...
After almost an hour, the thin girl in a linen robe quietly slipped into Lawrence's study. Her footsteps were so light that Lawrence wouldn't even notice it if it weren't for the creak of the door.
her arrival.
"You are looking for me, Monsignor Bonaparte." Xia Diya said with care. She had not changed much from a few months ago, but her body was finally no longer as skinny as before.
Lawrence nodded slightly, looked at Xadia, pointed to the chair in front of the desk and said:
"Sit down, how are you and your Bread Club doing lately?"
Xia Diya struggled to sit on the armchair that was half her height, and then said calmly:
"Everything is going well. The Bread Society is growing day by day, thanks to your funding. We are already considering expanding our influence beyond Ajaccio."
After that, Xia Diya looked at Lawrence and added:
"Of course, everything will be according to your wishes, sir. We will always be your most loyal eyes and most concealed daggers."
Since Xia Diya swore loyalty to Lawrence, with the financial support of the Corsican government and the secret help of the Ajaccio patrol, coupled with Xia Diya, a capable leader, this original civilian intelligence organization has also welcomed
There has been a period of rapid development.
And Lawrence also needs the existence of such an intelligence agency that is directly responsible for him.
"What's going on in Ajaccio during this period? Is there anything special about public opinion?" Lawrence nodded and asked.
Although Mr. Coggello and Major Trifalli had briefly reported to him the current situation in Ajaccio and Corsica, Lawrence still had to hear the specific details from intelligence personnel like Xia Dia who were personally rooted in the people.
Xia Diya nodded lightly and responded skillfully:
"In the past few months, the most discussed issue among the public has been the establishment of the Kingdom of Corsica. People have accepted this fact, but many people still have a resistant attitude. But don't worry, people from the Bread Society have been manipulating public opinion.
, now the vast majority of people have accepted that this is the price of peace, and there are only a handful of people who are extremely opposed to the monarchy."
"Yes, I can also see your results."
Lawrence nodded approvingly and said that on his way back to the Governor's Palace, he did hear many citizens praising him for bringing peace. It seems that this is inseparable from the work of Xadia and the others.
Initially, Lawrence was a little worried about whether his surrender to Louis XV would be understood by most Corsicans.
After all, the people are also ignorant to a certain extent. Most of them are not interested in knowing what kind of powerful enemies are surrounding Corsica. They will only be extremely resistant to a king who rides on their head out of thin air.
It may even set off a troublesome turmoil.
But now it seems that with Shadia's work, Lawrence's worries can be put aside.
"Besides that, you founded the Corsican National Silver Company in Paris." Xiadia continued:
"The citizens are very supportive of this, and we have also slightly contributed to the situation, further beautifying the benefits you have brought to the Corsican people. But this is not the most important thing... The important thing is that since the news came to Corsica,
After Siga, there were more people in Ajaccione..."
"Are there more people?" Lawrence asked with a frown.
"Yes, they all came to Ajaccio from the countryside of Corsica. They were obviously dressed in the countryside, and they naturally moved into some vacant houses. I suspect..."
Xadia's eyes were calm and sharp, and she said slowly:
"This is not normal farmers going to the city. There should be someone behind them."
"In the countryside...it should be the spies sent by the major landowners in the south to Ajaccio to find out the news." Lawrence nodded without surprise.
"Landlord...?" Xia Diya asked with some confusion. Although this girl was very talented in intelligence, Xia Diya's knowledge in politics was much weaker. She still didn't know why those landlords suddenly sent people to station there.
Coming to Ajaccio.
Lawrence didn’t know how to explain it clearly to Xadia, so he simply said:
"A group of people are about to become enemies, and soon we will be fighting them to the death."
"Really? Do we need to take action against these spies, sir?"
A cold light flashed in Xia Dia's eyes, she lowered her head and asked:
"Most of the people inside are under our surveillance and can be arrested at any time."
"No, do these people have any criminal intentions?" Lawrence suddenly asked.
"The crime... has not been discovered yet. They are inquiring and exchanging information every day." Shadia thought about it for a moment, shook his head and said.
"In this case, we have to first put a hat on them and the masters behind them."
Lawrence looked at Xia Dia and asked in a deep voice:
"The Bread Club should be able to lay out some crimes, right?"
"No problem at all, sir." Xadia said without hesitation:
"What kind of crime do you need to weave into those people?"
"Hmm... then let's take the most serious one. For example... attack on the Governor of Corsica?"
