"Mr. Crandoff, alcohol itself is not guilty; those guilty are the ones who abuse it, not those who drink it.

If you want no one in the world to drink alcohol and for there to be no drunks, what you need to do is not to prohibit drinking.

Instead, you should transform their minds, correct their thoughts, and replace alcohol with healthy drinks, rather than enforce a prohibition.

In doing so, you also restrict the freedom given by the Holy Father to the believers."

Crandoff lowered his head but said nothing, unsure whether he agreed or not.

As for the opposite side, Horn also spoke up: "You are attacking the 'Prohibition Order' trying to open up the grain market, but the problem is, once opened, what if the nobility makes a comeback?"

In essence, the bloodlines and continuity of noble families are still too strong.

The Imperial Nobility has ruled for more than a thousand years, with some families having operated locally for seven or eight hundred years.

Their social prestige and traditional loyalty provide too much cultural soil for these hidden nobles under the guise of 'gentry.'

The monopoly on grain is to separate the gentry from farmers to prevent forming a harmful national monopoly.

Currently, these gentry are meek, but should they ever truly revive the 'glory of the ancestors,' would they remain so meek?

What's fearful isn't them stepping up to compete but rather pulling strings behind their own people.

For instance, this time it appears to be an attack on the 'Prohibition Order,' yet it subtly ties into the strategy of grain monopoly.

There might be someone causing trouble behind the scenes.

Saying someone has planned for a long time might be empty talk, but 'piecemeal attacks, eventually one succeeds' isn't an unusual method.

"However, Your Majesty." A Workshop Master cautiously stepped forward, "The grain prices are too high, and the cost of living for workers is too high; they might collectively return to the countryside to farm."

"Maintaining relatively low grain prices is indeed necessary."

Before the faces of farmer representatives changed drastically, Horn continued : "But this does not mean that farmers' living standards cannot improve."

This left the representatives confused; if the grain purchase price isn't raised, how can farmers' income increase?

"Firstly, since grain production has overflowed, we'll switch to growing cash crops. The Saintess Bank and the Saint Scythe Monastery are about to establish a new agricultural inclusive bank.

This inclusive bank will provide farmers with loans to transition into cash crop cultivation..."

While Horn explained the policy, Duke Rabon sitting in the viewing gallery laughed wryly, pointing below at the Saint's Grandson: "He's daydreaming."

"How do you see it?"

"Firstly, farmers are so ignorant you can't expect them to achieve anything. Most, indeed most farmers are just that ignorant."

Thinking of the Saint's Grandson below, Duke Rabon adjusted his tone for precision.

"Secondly, can they grow cash crops more than us in Falan? Who will they sell to?"

"Are you sure those shareholders of 'Spice Company' won't step in?" Casani countered.

Rabon's smile froze on his face.

"Secondly, the Central Citizen Bank will become the sole Central Bank, independent of all other banks.

I will grant them the power to issue paper currency. This year, we will issue 100,000 devout bills with 100,000 gold pounds in reserve.

The denominations will be Half Dinar, 1 Dinar, 5 Dinar, 10 Dinar, and 20 Dinar."

As Horn spoke, the Secret Monks had already handed out original paper notes of various denominations to the representatives.

Touching the rough yet smooth paper surface, the representatives flipped the palm-sized paper back and forth but still couldn't understand how such a thing could replace silvery bright, golden coins.

Holding the paper currency above their heads, aimed at the sun, the intricate Gothic patterns reflected a greenish hue under the sunlight.

The paper's front printed with denominations, the back printed with images of workers, soldiers, farmers, with gears and the sun on the border.

"This is just a piece of paper?" Representatives still puzzled.

But Horn laughed: "Yes, it is just a piece of paper, but no one can counterfeit it; it's issued completely according to gold pounds.

As much gold as the Holy Treasury has, as much paper currency will be printed, you can always exchange paper currency for gold at the bank.

Meanwhile, you can also take gold pounds to the bank to exchange for paper currency."

"So this is equivalent to fixed-denomination anonymous bank checks?" A banker representative quickly realized, "The denomination is just too small."

As this banker chuckled, some of his keen colleagues were already sweating.

The 'exchange anytime with paper currency at banks' banks Horn spoke of might still include their small banks?

Done for, the Saint's Grandson has targeted the wealthy, just like when he hanged those merchants in Joan of Arc Castle!

Seeing the bankers shaken, ready to leave, Horn couldn't help but laugh heartily: "Do I look like a robber?"

Relax, you small banks can also use paper currency at our Central Saintess Bank to exchange for precious metal currency."

Hearing Horn's assurance, the merchants and bankers finally relaxed collectively.

Horn nodded towards Qianqian beside him, and as the Saint Vault Master, Qianqian stood up again: "Devout Bills, equivalent to fixed-denomination anonymous checks, each 1 Dinar denomination corresponds to 1 Dinar Silver Coins, all can be exchanged for the equivalent silver coins.

If farmers are willing to accept these devout bills, we will purchase at higher prices."

"With Dinar?"

"With Devout Bills." Qianqian shook her head, "These devout bills can be used to shop at the Favor Market, can be used in state-owned workshops, and any chamber or workshop with Holy Alliance investment cannot refuse devout bills."

As other representatives pondered the implications, a farmer representative couldn't hold back.

Stepped out, nodding, bowing, asking the question all farmers wanted to ask: "Can I exchange paper currency for money?"

"Paper currency is money, you can definitely exchange it for precious metal currency, the Favor Market has exchange spots." Qianqian smiled at him.

The farmer representative retreated into the crowd, nodding, but his face was smiling.

If it can be exchanged for money at the Favor Market, then it's definitely worth choosing paper currency.

Just takes some effort, once you get the paper currency, just go to the Favor Market and exchange it for money, equivalent to free dozens of Dinars.

This befuddled many representatives completely.

Isn't this doing things the hard way?

If there are gold pounds, use gold pounds, going in circles with paper has any meaning?

Many merchants and vendors sensitively grasp the key—the paper is much lighter than gold pounds.

Every time they go out to sell, they must carry a big box of money.

It's not that they don't want to carry gold pounds, just who can break gold pounds?

So they have to bring lots of copper coins, Dinars running around, and just the money occupies a large transport weight.

But if this space-occupying, weight-occupying metal turns into light paper currency?

How much space and weight would that free up, even encountering bandits, hard to lose much.

Moreover, the different types of Dinars have varied exchange rates, like the Duke privately minted dog coins, winter coins, the exchange rate varies.

Arguing with those money exchangers every time gives big headaches, and in the end, counting, money all earned by exchangers based on exchange rates.

Well now, paper currency is presumably the same right?

As for a few bankers, they thought even further.

With large-scale commodity circulation, a money shortage began to appear among the populace, this drastically reduces deflation due to money shortage.

Most importantly, the Holy Alliance Government can gather enough precious metal currency from the populace to conduct international trade!

If international precious metal currency volatility happens, it might not even affect the Holy Alliance domestically!

Most important of all, does 100,000 gold pounds paper currency need 100,000 gold pound reserves?

What if it's 70,000 gold pound reserves? Even 50,000 gold pound reserves?

Issuing 100,000 gold pounds with 50,000 pound reserves means wealth doubled!

Mad, indeed the Saint's Grandson knows how to generate money.

Holy War Bonds, industrial bonds, joint companies, stocks, Favor Markets...

Think carefully, His Majesty Saint Sun never seemed to lack money from start to finish, he spends like water, also earns (makes) money like water.

But such matters, of course, cannot be publicly discussed openly.

They exchanged glances, all prepared to invite Her Highness Catherine to dinner.

The only bank with independent currency issuing power, haven't even heard who the bank director is!