Louis the Great really needed officials who were good enough to sort out the fragmented finances of the Roman Empire for him... Since the death of the capable Kirk Bell 17 years ago, the Roman Empire has gradually fallen into the quagmire of debt. And it got deeper and deeper, and owed more and more. Even after changing several financial directors, there was no way to get the Roman Empire out of the quagmire of debt.
Of course, the financial crisis encountered by the Roman Empire cannot be blamed entirely on the incompetence of the finance minister, but on the fault of the empire itself!
I don’t know what’s wrong with the Roman Empire. No matter how “mercantile” it is, it just can’t attract or even retain industry and commerce.
The industry and commerce that can bring huge financial resources to the empire have been continuously outflowing for more than twenty years.
It flowed from the native provinces of the Roman Empire to vassal states, friendly states, and neutral states... Most of it went to friendly states and neutral states, and a small part went to tributary states.
Among them, England, Portugal and Austria were the three countries that absorbed the most “Roman capital”.
The handicraft industries of West Netherland and the Rhineland moved to England in large numbers, and the shipping industry of the Roman Empire continued to move to Portugal.
The financial industry that directly controls funds flows to the Grand Duchy of Austria - Vienna has now become a well-deserved European financial center!
At the same time, the five native provinces of the Roman Empire were becoming increasingly desolate, and it seemed that only agriculture, military industry and service industries were left...
Louis the Great and his finance ministers were helpless.
Because they could not place a particularly high priority on encouraging industry and commerce in the Roman Empire.
As emperors and ministers of the Roman Empire, their primary goal was to create a unified Roman Empire!
Therefore, they cannot use high tariffs or other barriers to drive away goods from vassal, friendly and neutral countries.
To maintain and promote the unity of the Roman Empire, Louis the Great could not do without the support of the Catholic Church!
A Rome can only have one state religion!
Therefore, Rome's exclusion of Protestants, Jews and Tianfang believers is still inevitable...
In addition, in order to win over the nobility of the empire, Louis generously distributed tax-free privileges - this situation is very similar to the earlier Ming Dynasty, but it seems to be necessary for Rome now.
But as a result, there are a lot of nobles who do not need to pay taxes, and they also control a large amount of agricultural real estate!
As a result, the wealth that the Roman Empire could obtain from agricultural production was quite limited.
But the expenses of this empire are very huge!
Louis had an army of hundreds of thousands, a huge naval fleet, and a huge bureaucracy. And he himself is also a very extravagant and wasteful person. Not only did they build the Palace of Versailles on the outskirts of Paris, they also built the Palatine Palace in Rome. Countless gold louis were spent on these two palaces alone.
In order to raise enough funds to meet the huge expenses, Louis' finance ministers had to impose heavy taxes on those industrial and commercial leaders with little background.
Heavy taxes put these industrial and commercial owners at a disadvantage in competition with their foreign counterparts, and they eventually had to move abroad.
After such a terrible vicious cycle has been maintained for more than 20 years, one can only imagine what the financial situation of the Roman Empire was like!
After the three bachelors in charge of the imperial examinations left the Bull's Eye Hall, Chamial, the finance minister of the Roman Empire, was taken into the Bull's Eye Hall by the emperor's attendants.
Seeing the slightly frowning brow of the finance minister, who was wearing a wig and dressed up like a parrot, Louis XIV felt a little depressed.
Louis asked: "My minister, have you spoken to Henry about Rome's debt?"
Henry of Austria also came to Versailles in the past two days. He came to deal with his father-in-law's financial problems and to avoid a financial crisis in his Grand Duchy.
"Your Majesty, I had an in-depth discussion with Archduke Henry," Chamial said. "He hopes to have an interview with you. He said that he can raise another fund for Rome... He is now waiting for you in the antechamber. Summoned.”
"Okay...then I'll meet him!" Emperor Louis also frowned.
Emperor Louis the Great frowned at the thought of meeting his son-in-law, the God of Wealth. If there was anyone who could really give Louis the Great a headache, it was definitely not Zhu Cixiang far away in the east, let alone the Ottoman Sultan of Istanbul. and the Grand Vizier, but his good son-in-law Henry de Mancini.
Because Henry de Mancini didn't know how, he became the leader of the Vienna Banking Federation - this banking federation is composed of dozens of major European banks with their head offices in Vienna.
Shortly after the death of Colbert, the financial director Louis relied on, the Vienna Banking Association took advantage of a financial crisis encountered by Louis the Great and obtained the exclusive underwriting rights for the public debt of the Roman Empire.
From then on, without the consent of this banking federation, Louis the Great could not get money from European financial markets... get it, not borrow it!
Because Louis knew that he would never be able to repay so much debt in his lifetime, and his stupid son, little Louis, had no hope of repaying this mountain of debt!
So he felt that he could only rely on his good son-in-law Henry to deceive the extremely cunning banker in Vienna, so that he could get more new debts to repay the old debts he owed... And in order to let The Roman Empire's balance sheet can still be looked at, and it cannot afford to pay too high an interest rate. Otherwise, the empire's balance sheet will "explode" soon, and it will be difficult to defraud money by then.
Henry de Mancini came with his chief minister Francois Eugen, who was the historical Prince Eugen. Now that there is no Holy Roman Empire, his prince is probably in ruins. But he was Henry's cousin and brother-in-law (he was the illegitimate son of Louis the Great), and he was extremely smart. He performed well in the Army Military Academy of the Roman Empire. Of course, he could get an important position in Henry's Grand Duchy.
After Henry and Eugen bowed to Louis the Great, they sat down on two sofa chairs, smiling, waiting for the Emperor to ask the first question.
"Henry, how is your grandfather? Is he in good health?" Louis XIV asked.
"It's not very good," Henry De Mancini shook his head. "He is 89 years old this year... At this age, it can't be very good."
Emperor Louis nodded and said with a smile: "How many years has he been the emperor?"
"Fifty-two years," Henry laughed. "He was so lucky... he enjoyed more than fifty years of happiness and gave birth to more than a hundred sons."
"How enviable!" Louis laughed, "If I want a capable son who can take over the important responsibilities, it would be great if I could also be the Supreme Emperor!"
Louis the Great came to the throne in 1643 and has been king and emperor for 57 years now!
After hearing what his father-in-law said, Henry couldn't help but glance at the short Francois Eugen next to him - isn't this the most capable son of Louis the Great?
Louis also glanced at Francois Eugen, then sighed and turned his gaze back to Henry, "My financial director told me that you can raise another huge sum of money for my empire?"
"Yes," Henry laughed, "That would be a lot of money! Enough for you to launch a war against the Ottoman Empire after the death of Carlos II!"
"Really?" Louis' eyes lit up, "Henry, how much interest do those profiteers in Vienna need this time?"
Louis also glanced at Francois Eugen, then sighed and turned his gaze back to Henry, "My financial director told me that you can raise another huge sum of money for my empire?"
"Interest?" Henry seemed stunned, then smiled and shook his head, "Your Majesty, I don't think you ever planned to really pay off all the debts, right?"
Emperor Louis was a little embarrassed and coughed a few times: "Henry, I am very trustworthy because I faithfully believe in God... How could I not repay my debt?"
