Pirate Kingship-Chapter 699 - 472: Begging on My Knees? Mad Hunt Goes Live (6200)!

To be honest, Byron is feeling quite numb right now.

Just when he was proud of Rhine Metal Company for tricking the Royalist Party out of military funds, the Royalist Party shifted the war expenses onto his shoulders?

The colonial tax you speak of is essentially my money, isn't it?!

Not only are they collecting tax, they are doing it all at once and collecting three years in advance!

A picture immediately pops into Byron's head: "The tax in Goose City is collected up to ninety years later, to Western Calendar 2010, the people have become paupers, with nothing left to squeeze."

This isn't some "honor" nonsense which doesn't matter to the pirate nation, this is all about heavy money.

"Boss, is there a possibility that although one or two years down the line things may be uncertain, three years from now the likelihood of this place belonging to you is quite slim.

You take my land and population to collect your tax, then use this money, which should belong to me in the future, to buy my current military supplies.

The war profits that originally seemed delightful ultimately become... me buying myself?

Even across the entire 'First Circulation Zone,' your calculations almost hit me in the face!"

The most frustrating part is, when the "Magna Carta" was born, there were no colonies.

The King's power to impose taxes is restricted domestically, whereas here, it's unrestricted.

Plus, now that the Earl's Party has withdrawn from the Royal Capital, leaving even the Parliament to the Royalist Party, passing a formal "Stamp Act" is a piece of cake.

Yet Byron has been a loyalist for so long, just shy of the final stretch, he can't afford to fall out with Edward IV over this.

After a brief pause, he immediately pays respect:

"Your Majesty, as you wish.

I will make every effort to gather the military funds in the shortest time, ensuring the Royalist Party achieves the final victory."

Upon hearing this assurance, a trace of smile finally appears on Edward IV's stern face:

"Very good, Lord Tudor.

I have always trusted your loyalty, and more so your capability. With you overseeing the colony, there's absolutely no need for me to worry."

Then suddenly shifting the topic, he brings up another matter:

"By the way, Duke Richard already spoke to me, your Standard Whale Oil Company needs substantial investment for infrastructure, right.

Just by coincidence, I am giving you the first installment of investment."

But before Byron could get happy, a cold splash follows:

"I permit you... to keep one-tenth from this tax revenue as my investment in Standard Whale Oil Company, this should be fine, right?

I know that returns on heavy assets are slow. It's acceptable for me if the dividends arrive a year later."

Upon hearing this, Byron's mood instantly worsens.

'You mean treating that ten percent tax as my commission to motivate me to work more and earn more?

And it's not even cash directly given to me, but using my money to invest in my industry, thereby generating more money for you?

Which one of us is the principal here?

Is this a game of getting something for nothing?

Fine, fine, this is how you're playing with me?'

Byron actually knows this group isn't short of money.

They took advantage of the downfall of the Lancaster Party's nobility, each filling their belly.

Yet excessively greedy, wanting to win the civil war while not spending their own money.

It's uncertain whether Edward IV realizes that Queen Elizabeth's Woodville Family is plotting to use marriage alliances to swallow the industries of Torrentfort Earldom and Grenville Earldom.

It's likely that this couple each have their own schemes, and combined with [Devil Duke] Richard, the whole family is full of sly calculators, bubbling with mischievous plots.

Luckily, Byron's stomach is even more treacherous than theirs!

He agrees without hesitation:

"Your Majesty, that is no problem."

He sends off the satisfied Edward IV with a flawless loyalist demeanor.

Byron exits his study, leans on the railing on the second floor of the Governor's Mansion, gazes at the increasingly bustling Jamestown Royal Harbor since he took charge, lost in thought.

Currently, the colonies' tax revenue is mainly divided into two parts.

One part is the Church's tithe.

After Byron won exemption for the Kingdom of Hightins, the tax collection standard remained unchanged, identical to before.

Actually, since that moment, Edward harbored ulterior motives.

As long as Byron diligently collects taxes, he can't win over people's hearts, even if he has extensive estates in the colony, it's improbable to face a situation where tails wag the dog.

If audited by church clerics stationed in the colony, he would inevitably become the scapegoat, just like Marshal Marquis of Norwich York once was.

The money belongs to Edward IV, while the infamy sticks to Byron.

If it weren't for Byron's mastery of 'Sister Miss, you don't want the public funds scandal exposed, right' skill, he'd have long become Edward IV's fall guy.

Byron even colluded with Sister Teresa to revise the revenue ratio using false accounts.

The Church, Edward IV, Byron, and Teresa each receive six, two, one, one respectively, snatching some wool along the way.

Additionally, to support Byron's Southern Continent expansion initiative, the Royal Family's latter half of "three percent" tithe has already been handed over to Byron (Chapter 351).

The other part is secular taxation.

Besides the 10% spoil tax charged by the Maritime Court, which legitimizes privateering gains, there are property taxes, head taxes, customs duties, consumption taxes, etc., affecting people's livelihood in various aspects.

However, the [Royal Iron Law] has been castrated, once domestically, and again overseas, its power extremely weak, and the colony's customs particularly fierce, unaware which commoner tilling the soil back home turns out to be a vicious criminal.