Chapter 158: Cut Off the Seeds

Ten percent?

Zelen looked at the earl named Donahue with quite surprised eyes. Compared with everyone's traditional impression, today's nobles in the Crurod Empire have long maintained their family businesses in the form of business groups or chambers of commerce.

Just like Paula.

It's just that because Queen Paula is the descendant of an illegitimate child, and because she is a woman, there is no way to inherit her noble status under the primogeniture law of the Crurod Empire.

Of course, Paula herself didn't value this.

Because she is a queen, her status is much higher than that of many nobles.

Donahue: "Your Majesty, the most important thing when dealing with the Dark Elves is intelligence. As long as there is enough intelligence, the Dark Elves' caravan will not be able to significantly increase the price for us."

Zelen: "To give you your secret so quickly... Oh, I understand. But you also know that I have delegated a lot of power to Congress. And as you can see now, the most I can provide you with is some light salt water. , plus a small amount of candy as a treat, even if I sign it for you, it won’t be of much practical significance.”

Donahue: "I just hope that your Majesty can tell the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs my name and the name of the Shiokan Chamber of Commerce. I will take care of all other matters."

Zelen: "That's it?"

Donahue: "I know that Your Majesty doesn't like red tape, and I know even more that Your Majesty has never been stingy in your condolences to the soldiers. Therefore, I will not ask you for any investment funds. After all, your introduction is far more valuable than all the wealth in the world." precious."

clever!

If anyone wants to know who has the most money in an empire, then the emperor of this empire must be the most likely one.

And even if the emperor has no money now, it does not mean that the emperor will never have money in his life.

Especially under the premise that the emperor Zelen and the Lymington Arms Company are almost a state-owned arsenal and have a unique dual system of design, development and mass production of firearms and ammunition in the country.

Zelen: "That's good. But Lord Earl, you can guess that I won't put all my eggs in the same basket."

Donahue: "Understood. So I will have a good fight with President Mike."

Although it was a bit embarrassing to do this to Mike, in Zelen's own opinion, it actually didn't matter.

He is very aware of the dangers of monopoly, so this is why there is competition in this world.

So after writing the letter of introduction, asking Nathalie to take it to the Congress, and sending away the Earl named Donahue, Zelen stared at Jane with a depressed face.

Jane: "He is my fifth uncle."

Zelen: "Oh, I can guess why you don't dare to raise your head, you can't even look at him head-on. But he is just your fifth uncle, do you need to be so afraid?"

Jane: "Because I'm not the first wife's child."

Zelen: "It's this thing again...Are all nobles like this?"

In fact, Zelen had the answer in his heart, but he was not willing to face the answer.

After the establishment of the Krolod Empire, the system of eldest son inheritance was legally implemented, and on this basis, a five-level aristocratic system of dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, and barons was established.

Therefore, in the eyes of traditional aristocrats, the aristocratic system is like a monument that demonstrates their identity. But he counted and found that the total number of nobles today did not even amount to one hundred thousand.

And this still includes the number of female dependents.

In short, Zelen is the least able to address the issue of the low status of the children in the concubine. After all, he is the emperor and the leader of the nobles.

Of course, this was also one of the important reasons why Senagu and the others were able to form a republican force and launch a coup to overthrow the royal family and implement a republican system.

There are too many descendants of nobles like Jane in the Krolod Empire who are born without any status recognition.

Jane: "Let's put it this way... As long as you are a noble, you will basically have this problem. In fact, Zelen, you yourself also have a similar problem."

Zelen: "I am the leader of the nobles, and I have the obligation to maintain this aristocratic system that everyone implements. However, nobles...well, although this is not a good thing to say from my mouth, I still have to say it. Nobles, Maybe they are the culprits who want this country to be as chaotic as possible.”

Jane: "Isn't that too harsh to say?"

Zelen: "In the past, our royal family appointed nobles as officials to manage the Krorod Empire. As a result, we couldn't even solve the education problem, and even concealed the population. So, for Senna, These republicans in ancient times, I keep them alive because I don’t want the nobles to It's too much to do whatever you want. Of course, I also know that now our nobles in the Crurod Empire are no longer the kind of local overlords who sit on a territory and have considerable administrative power. Just like your fifth uncle, he is the Chamber of Commerce. President, this shows that our nobles still know how to develop their own family business. "

In fact, when it comes to this, Zelen is quite happy in his heart.

As long as the nobles are not greedy for power, then everything is easy to say.

As for aristocratic families that have turned into big companies, or even big conglomerates, Zelen himself has ways to deal with them.

Anyway, after receiving the Count Donahue, Zelen was thinking about another thing while having lunch.

How should the nobles be as unselfish as possible, remain sincere, and work diligently for the development of the Crurod Empire?

Paula: "Still thinking about that count just now?"

Zelen: "I don't want to, it's impossible. In the past, the purpose of our royal family in promoting nobles... To put it more clearly, it was to divide and rule. The separation between classes has considerable benefits for the imperial power, that is, the rule of His Majesty the Emperor. . However, it is precisely for this reason that the classes are paying more attention to their own personal interests and ignoring the overall interests of the country. Of course, I do not deny that my grandfather's methods are very bad. War, I want the country to undergo a small reform."

If you want to ask who in the world least wants the Krorod Empire to sink and step into the abyss called destruction step by step, then Zelen, as the Emperor of the Krorod Empire, is the most obvious one. .

Paula: "But you won't abolish the aristocracy."

Zelen: "Abolition, no, it certainly can't be abolished, and Senagu and the others have already practiced it. Therefore, my idea is to make the nobility honorary and continue to exist simply as a title. After all, they have money in their pockets, and if they have money, they will They can do a lot of things. What’s more, they don’t like to show off often.”

Upon hearing this, Paula and other wives couldn't help but nodded slightly.

In the past, it was the nobles' habit of showing off their faces and enjoying the attention of thousands of people that made the common people feel disgusted, which led to the cruel result that the Akijin Empire now lists them as key targets for killing.

Marietta: "But if you want them to obey, Zelen, you can only rely on interests to tie them up."

Zelen: "That's why you're here to have dinner with me. Isn't it? But that's okay. At least you look beautiful and I feel comfortable. Of course, I'm not ready to sleep with you yet."

Miao Jie: "Come on. We won't eat you."

Zelen: "Especially you, Miao Jie, I don't have the courage. After all, your ability to move objects out of thin air and break chairs with your thoughts is scary enough."

Miao Jie: "Then don't you expect our children to have such abilities?"

Although Miao Jie's words were full of charm, and he could actually enjoy Miao Jie's "special service", he knew it in his heart.

Nowadays, when everyone has to restrict their diet and control their food consumption, one more mouth means one more portion consumed. By then, everyone will not have enough to eat, and there can only be one result.

Collective starvation.

What's more, he is His Majesty the Emperor, and he is the person who should not be extravagant or wasteful in any way in the Crurod Empire. If he relaxes his demands on himself, the people of the entire empire will show signs of extravagance and waste...