The numerous taxes in the Kingdom of Sealand are roughly divided into two categories. One category is the taxes paid directly to the kingdom's treasury by the provinces and independent/directly-affiliated cities. It includes head tax for urban citizens and land tax and commercial tax for rural residents. One category is the special products/donations contributed by noble territories to the royal family.
The former is mainly collected by a huge system of tax officials and tax collectors at the four levels of the kingdom's provinces, prefectures and towns, independent cities and towns under the leadership of the Minister of Finance, who is second to the State Council. However, in some special or controversial areas, additional tax collectors will be appointed.
However, in the eyes of most people in these places, these tax collectors are the cancer of the kingdom, and they are even more terrifying than those tax collectors who are like wolves and tigers. Because in order to make extra profits, they have raised private soldiers and are even more unscrupulous in order to collect taxes.
On the other hand, if there are hundreds of large and small aristocratic territories and knightly fiefs in the kingdom, if they fail to regularly contribute corresponding specialties and donations to the royal family, they will also be held accountable and pursued by the Kingdom’s Council of Cardinals; they may even be ordered to confiscate their territories. , sentenced to a series of punishments including deprivation of title.
Therefore, many middle- and lower-class nobles whose territorial output cannot keep up with rising prices, and even knight fiefs whose families have fallen into decline, have to borrow heavily and build up debts; they are even forced to marry into the emerging wealthy class to solve their financial crisis, and even As a result, the family name and inheritance were lost in disguise.
Therefore, since the constitutional movement promoted by the royalists failed in the capital, and the deposed king, who had failed to escape three times, was forced to abdicate, most of the senior officials of the southern provinces, the governor of the Maritime District, and the diocesan bishops announced that they would no longer Accept any orders from the new government of the royal capital.
As a local high-ranking official, on the grounds of expanding the city garrison and recruiting local volunteer groups, he legitimately kept all the taxes that should have been paid, together with the royal tribute, in the provincial capital for his own use; on the other hand, Many additional taxes were levied on citizens and farmers.
However, when the chief accountant of the tax bureau fled from the provincial capital, he also had the idea of making a final profit from the public treasury. However, when he led people to pry open the treasury in the provincial capital, he found that it had been emptied out, leaving only a few piles of centimes/copper coins scattered on the floor.
"Gene Era"
Therefore, as many officials and wealthy families in the provincial capital fled here to take refuge, he also secretly had some speculation; whether the treasury of the provincial capital had also been secretly transferred to the place. Therefore, he has privately explored most corners of this large monastery.
However, his wife and sister disappeared; and he was drugged and indulged in an extremely sensory-stimulating ritual. It was not until more than half a year later that he was completely out of shape, and was forcibly awakened from a pile of filth, and was forced to accept reality again.
However, this confession was an excellent reference and elimination method for Jiang Tian. Then he stood up and found that he was sitting on the shrine. With so many people present, no one even dared to raise objections to this. ; As if all this is a matter of course.
Then, Jiang Tian walked to the area below the gorgeous ceiling depicting the creation of the Creator. There were various trophies piled up in categories, among the weapons and armors that were simply stacked. He picked out a huge moon-blade ax from it, and then returned to the main altar in the innermost part of the chapel.
The main altar of this cathedral obviously imitates the style of the Eastern altar; that is, the model of the large altar that is several stories high in the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, the Eastern Empire. Precious walnut and cedar wood are used to create a stepped three-story platform.
Although as a large chapel for escapism and asceticism, the main altar does not have any other too luxurious decorations except for being extraordinarily tall. Above, it is darkened by candles that burn all day and night.
As a result, most of the three-story altar has been soaked by dripping wax for many years, and the original texture and color of the wood can no longer be seen. Except for a small and inconspicuous corner, the area covered by the melted candle seemed to be lighter in color and thinner.
The next moment, in full view of everyone, Jiang Tian suddenly slashed at the corner with an axe; Samael, the "angel of death" who was almost half a man tall, was holding a gallbladder-tipped spear and trampled on the three heads of hell. The sculptures of the dog's purgatory group were cut off in pieces amidst the screams of exclamation.
However, as the sacred sculpture easily cracked, an obvious gap appeared in the corner of the altar; then the gap turned into a gush like spring water, and a yellow-white metallic luster burst out; that was what was sealed inside. The gold and silver coins were scattered with a crisp sound.
Now Jiang Tian finally knows that the taxes and other royal tributes that have been intercepted by the province over the years have not been used to expand the city garrison and organize local volunteers as military expenditures, but have been used by the upper-class people to change their lives. Afterwards, they were all transferred and stored here one after another.
And this stepped three-level altar has at least two floors of internal space, so you can imagine the number of people it can accommodate. Now, all this is under the control of Jiang Tian, who accidentally captured this place, and the Southern Free Army. At this moment, everyone cheered in unison.
Immediately, some people rushed forward, waving weapons to further widen the gap; some people deliberately rushed to the fountain of money, opening their arms to accept the baptism of money; and some were like the legendary dragon that loves money. , rolled among the coins on the ground...
Even Andrew, the ascetic as a record-keeper, is no exception. He involuntarily walked to the piles of money scattered on the ground, knelt on the ground and muttered confessions and prayers; while the stormtrooper leader Raphael also had a flushed face and stared at the scattered money.
In contrast, the most calm one is Jiang Tian. Therefore, when most of the people in the chapel had almost vented their emotions and calmed down a little, Jiang Tiancai crossed his weapons and focused everyone's attention with a harsh roar.
Then he announced in public that all soldiers who participated in this operation would receive an additional share of fifty crowns; and those who performed outstandingly and made achievements would receive double the reward. For a moment, the large chapel was once again flooded with deafening cheers and praises.
Although he immediately promised to go out, at least 50,000 ecu in money. But the lessons of so many cases throughout the ages have made Jiang Tian understand better than others that in such matters involving a large amount of money, the price of being stingy and stingy for a while as a person in power will be particularly heavy.
So next, with the morale and motivation boosted by Kang Gai's financial incentives, the searching soldiers once again brought another good news to Jiang Tian. It seems that the hiding place of food and materials collected and transferred from cities across the province has also been found.
But it is not hidden in the main monastery, but hidden under a tower on the side city wall; because the stair opening of an ordinary city building is a bit too big and wide, it can't help but arouse suspicion. Plus finding deep ruts hidden among the weeds.
And just behind the upward spiral staircase that blocks the view from the front, there is a spacious enough space and a hollow brick wall. After being forcibly broken open with tools, a natural cave inside was exposed. Not far along the cave, you came to a huge cave space.
After a while, Jiang Tian also led people into this huge cave located in the mountain. Inside this naturally formed cave, the temperature is obviously more than ten degrees lower than the outside, and there is actually a faint sound of air flowing, making it extremely cool, dry and ventilated.
Therefore, under the light of the lit torches, there were grain bags piled up like hills, and wine barrels like high walls; hams, bacon, and sausages were densely hung on the shelves, piled one after another. Up in the sky; there were even baked bread and cakes.
And various square and prototype dry cheeses were simply used as the foundation stone to raise the building... With such a large amount of food reserves, plus the money stored in the main altar; coupled with the dangerous location of the castle, it was indeed Enough for the owner to organize an army here.
However, when searching deep into the large cave, there were sudden screams of surprise; it turned out that a soldier was attacked by an unknown creature hiding in the darkness; his face was covered with blood and he was helped out by his companions. However, this instead aroused the hatred of the Free Army soldiers who regarded it as their own.
Jiang Tian didn't even need to take action again. The white soldiers and strike squadrons who quickly mobilized for reinforcements formed several fan-shaped encirclement nets to block them. The attackers in the darkness finally revealed their true bodies; they turned out to be several hairless and clawed ones. A ghoul as sharp as a large dog.
Even though they were flying between rocks and cargo, trying their best to dodge the siege of the Free Army soldiers; in the end, it was still difficult to resist the human soldiers who formed a battle formation, and the power of their usual swords, guns, firecrackers, and crossbows, and their livers and brains were wiped out or It was a scene of fragmented drinking and hatred.
However, on the remains of the eliminated ghouls, collars with metal plates were found one after another, with Latin numbers on them: the last number was XCV, which represented ninety-six. Obviously, someone has been creating and raising such low-level aliens for a long time.
And as these corpses caused damage to the interior of the cave, a shaded staircase on the upper stone wall was once again exposed from the cover of the cargo; and personally taking people up this long-used staircase was somewhat Along the smooth stairs, Jiang Tian discovered more small caves.
Most of them were empty, leaving only broken bones and dried excrement on the floor, as well as chains fixed to the walls. Only after searching the innermost part, a humanoid blood demon was suddenly discovered. The moment it saw someone coming, it suddenly swooped out from the corner.
It just made it a short distance before it suddenly fell to the ground. But it was restrained by chains and shackles, and could only howl helplessly and furiously, leaving traces of saliva; obviously, this is what Ajax said, although it can still maintain its human form, only the beast is left. Instinctively half-blood demon.
And in the corner of the cave where the half-blood demon, still wearing the tattered strips of clothes in front of him, suddenly appeared, there was an exit sealed by a metal grid. But unlike the common steel fences that are black and blue or rusty, this metal fence is as bright as new and silver-white.
This is a bit interesting. What kind of special existence needs to be guarded by this half-blood demon and the corpses hiding outside? It is also necessary to set up special silver-covered fences and small doors to prevent these aliens who rely only on instinct from harming them. What about the possible special existence inside?
