"Bud, do you know why it is said that capital smells of blood from the moment it is born in this world?"
Otto looked at his beautiful signature on the document confirming the expenditure, and became more and more satisfied with his signature skills. He took out his seal and stamped it, and asked with a smile.
Bud looked at Otto with a blank expression and shook his head. He couldn't understand what Otto was saying at all.
"Because, the process of primitive accumulation is inherently bloody, cruel and full of oppression. If you don't oppress your own people, you have to oppress others. It's very difficult to do, and I don't want to."
Otto didn't expect Bud to understand. He just wanted to find someone to talk to. What he wants is for Bud to not understand. If it were anyone else, Otto wouldn't be able to speak.
Looking at the confused Bud, Otto smiled even more happily, stood up and handed the signed and stamped document to Bud.
This has been Otto's requirement since he came to power. Any large-scale expenditures and affairs must be approved by him before they can be acted upon or take effect. Although the territory is still small and there is nothing worth dealing with, the establishment of the system does not happen overnight. From now on, cultivate a good habit for your subordinates, which will be conducive to the management of the territory after its expansion.
Otto never thought that he would always stay in this three-acre land in Argauland.
Watching Bard scratch his head and leave in confusion, Otto shook his head. The cost of repairing Eagle Castle was much more than he imagined.
The main reason is that Otto planned a small town based on Eagle Castle. This is not Paris or London, which were full of feces at the same time, but a small city with a complete drainage system.
Aargauling is located on a plateau, making construction difficult and costing a lot of money. Fortunately, labor in this period was free of charge, and it was enough to take care of the food. Otherwise, Otto would not be able to afford such a project amount now.
However, due to the large amount of work and the fact that it is the busy autumn farming season, Otto does not want to delay the autumn harvest, so the current construction progress of the castle is relatively slow. According to the estimated amount of work, Otto will be able to move out of Lafite Manor in two years at most. , moved into Eagle Castle.
"Master, the matter is done." Wade knocked on the door and entered the room to report to Otto.
"Oh, it took so long. Have you dealt with it completely?" Otto nodded.
"Well, everything has been solved and the goods have been shipped back."
"Thank you for your hard work. Go get some money from Steward Simon and distribute it to the soldiers. Tell them to keep their mouths shut and stop talking nonsense. I don't want to hear any random rumors. Do you understand?"
"Don't worry, young master, it's not our first time. Everyone knows what to do."
"That's best. Speaking of which, shouldn't we change our approach?" Otto looked at Wade and expressed his thoughts.
"For example, find some people to pretend to be bandits and attack the caravan, and our army will rescue the caravan?"
"Master, I don't understand the meaning of this."
"What I mean is, should we save the caravan or something, so that no one will suspect that it was us."
"Master, the place where we started is no longer part of the Argau Territory. What does the bandits in that place have to do with us in the Argau Territory?"
For a moment, Otto was asked, "It makes sense. The caravan didn't happen in Allgäu, so what does it have to do with him?"
"Okay, that's it. Oh, by the way, send some furs to the old castle, just say they are my gifts to Mrs. Caylin."
After the autumn harvest, it was time for farmers to pay taxes.
When taxes are collected, Otto can no longer stay in Lafite Manor and enjoy the pastoral leisure time. He has to go to various manors or castles in the territory to collect taxes.
According to custom, the annual tax collection is a rare opportunity for most of the people to see the lord. It is also one of the few opportunities for the people to petition the lord.
At this time of year, the people would hand over most of the harvest they had worked hard for a year to the lord as taxes. Since taxes are paid in kind, it is easy to distinguish between good and bad, and the lord will give rewards to some people based on the quality of the taxes each person turns in.
For example, whoever offers a fatter chicken, who offers sweeter apples, who delivers finer-ground flour, etc.
Some additional "small gifts", such as hare, wild boar or wild animal furs, etc., can usually be exchanged for the lord's favor and receive rewards.
Generally, a hard-working lord would come forward to collect taxes in person, and while laughingly taking away most of the harvest of his subjects for a year's hard work, he would exaggerate the hard work of his subjects and encourage his subjects to continue to work hard for him in the coming year.
Occasionally, he would give some insignificant things, and he would receive words of gratitude and even tears from his subjects.
At this time, the lord will ask everyone if they need help and what needs they have.
Usually at this time, the people would express their wishes. Some houses needed to be repaired, and they would ask the lord for permission to go to the forest to obtain materials. Some families are short of salt or rice, or they want to eat meat, and want to exchange other things with the lord.
But most of them are trivial matters such as neighborhood disputes.
As long as the harvest is good, the lords will usually not refuse their requests, and everyone can have a reasonably happy New Year.
As for the lazy lord, he will send his own steward to do it for him, which has the same effect.
Although Otto has not yet officially succeeded to the position of earl, judging from the current situation of earl Aargau, he is almost the same.
As this was the first time he met the people under his rule, Otto would naturally not slack off and let the butler do the work for him.
The overall weather this year has been smooth and the harvest is quite good. In addition, Otto has significantly reduced taxes, so the citizens who come to pay taxes have happy smiles on their faces.
The harvest is good, taxes are low, and there is a chance to get your own land. Is there anything more joyful than this? Master Otto, what a good lord.
Especially when Otto gave a small bag of salt as a gift to every family that paid taxes, the residents almost praised Otto as a saint.
Salt, during this period, was as hard currency as gold and silver, especially for ordinary citizens. No one expected that Otto would give salt to them for no reason.
After Otto drastically reduced taxes, the value of what they handed over was not much higher than this small bag of salt.
It’s not that Otto had too much money. The main reason was that a caravan selling salt was accidentally attacked by bandits. It happened that Otto’s Knight Wade saw this scene and beat away the bandits. The salt was shipped back.
Everyone in the caravan was dead, and no one claimed the salt, so Otto reluctantly accepted it. But with so much salt, I would probably not be able to finish it until I die. Besides, salt requires certain storage conditions. If I sell it, I am afraid that others will misunderstand it. Fortunately, it will benefit the residents.
After all, it is the greatest honor to be his Otto's subject.
These words were not what Otto was boasting about, but what he said in excitement when Otto agreed to help him and several nearby families build a new mill after getting the salt.
Indeed, Otto also thinks so. A lord who loves his people like his own son should be the only one in the world, not to mention Europe.
That being the case, why not let more people enjoy this honor?
