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Text Chapter 1 The Whip of Ten Thousand Arms (3)

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    (iii¡¯)

    ***The time and location are still unknown***

    Being in a prison is not the scariest thing, being in a maze is.

    After walking out of the room, the world outside is unfathomable.

    From the structural analysis, this is obviously a tower.  The bottomless spiral stairwell gave away the secret.

    Raising your head, you can see the blue sky not far away.  This proves that the building is not underground.

    "The princess in the tower? Will there be a prince from afar?"

    Of course it¡¯s just a joke.  The emotion of joking came from nowhere, maybe it was hidden in the disappeared memory.

    ??I can never remember the memory of "myself", only knowledge barely exists.

    Judging by knowledge, this building is much more than a tower.

    The area of ??each floor is different, and it is far larger than the area of ??a tower built by ordinary magicians.

    A castle-like prison, or a prison-like castle.

    There are no traces of other people living here.  Although there are many rooms, one can only feel the inanimate creation moving back and forth.

    Carefully avoid unknown threats and sneak past the golems carefully.

    The first thing discovered was other static fields.

    Another similar bed was found in a nearby room. There seemed to be someone inside, but the occupants could not be seen through it.

    "It's probably better not to wake up."

    In fact, I don¡¯t know how to wake it up.

    The bed is surrounded by dangerous defensive magic, and my instincts are screaming "stay away".

    He shrugged his shoulders, gave up the investigation, and continued on the road of exploration.

    Going down the stairs, you can find the library and the locker room, each occupying several floors.

    The library¡¯s collection of books is of high quality.  Most of the works themselves can pull the magic net, declaring their extremely powerful magic power.

    Curiously, I picked up a book and read the contents inside.

    The magic part is extremely subtle, but it can barely be understood.

    ¡°Compared to the content of the book, the instructions written between the lines are more eye-catching.

    Is the person who wrote these instructions the owner of this building?  It can be seen that the standard of the conductor is higher than these famous works.

    Wei Wei feels a little scared about her too quick understanding.

    This is not a good omen.  The stronger the ability in one's memory, the more dangerous the situation he will face.

    "Maybe it's not a princess, but a sealed demon king or something?"

    I put down the book, took a deep breath, and walked out of the door. I still wanted to solve the dressing problem first.

    The dressing room is filled with luxurious women's clothing, kept in a dust-free wardrobe, spotless.

    After choosing underwear, I randomly picked a short dress that is convenient for movement.

    "No matter who the owner of this place is, the design is quite convenient for life"

    Maybe it's his "original body" - but this is also not a good sign for him who has no memory.

    As soon as I walked out of the door, suddenly all the walls around me turned red.

    ¡°Alarm?! Is it because of my clothes?!¡±

    Turning around to go back upstairs, he stepped into the automatic capture net in front of the stairs.

    The ankle was twisted by the rope, and it was too late to react with magic - and there was no preparation at all.

    The catching net suddenly started to move rapidly like a pendulum.

    When I raised my head and looked up, I realized that the net bag used to catch intruders was hung on a metal track.

    Then the net bag flew into an iron cage.

    Both hands subconsciously grasped the railings of the iron cage tightly to resist the panic caused by flying at high speed in the air.

    The iron cage rushed through the slide, fell in the air, and smashed into a large circle of gel, like a giant slime.

    Holding the realization that my hands were burned by the acid, I touched the soft gel.

    It¡¯s just a buffer.  There was no feeling of malice.

    After being wrapped into a ball shape, the net bag, iron cage and gel all began to rotate rapidly, running towards the bottom of the tower along a dark garbage channel.

    Until it hit the ground hard.

    There are a few sharp eyes projected in the darkness, faintly shining.

    It looks like a legendary monster that chooses people to eat in the depths of the maze.

    But I didn¡¯t feel a trace of fear.

    "If the owner of this place really wanted to kill someone, he could have killed him long before he set the trap."

      Maybe we can finally meet the person who designed this place.

    I hope the owner is not a pervert who likes to watch ferocious beasts tear apart beautiful prey.

    iii

    *********

    September 13, 1666

    Private room on the second floor of the "Luxury Hotel" on Robert Eyre's War Preparation Road

    *********

    Three men sat around a round, carved Regency-style table.

    There is a senior senator from Intre in his sixties, an Eastern naval marshal in his early fifties, and an army military police major who is barely twenty years old.

    There is a pot of green tea on the table.  The mere fact that the pot contained green tea instead of black tea was a testament to the taste of the group around the table.  The export volume of black tea and green tea is almost thousands of times different. Even the Mulleman people have abandoned their ancestral habit of drinking green tea. Only true Orientals drink green tea.

    "You have proven that you can be a good military police commander, but you have not proven that you can be a good military governor."

    Before Naimen could sit down at the table, the Admiral poured himself a bowl of tea and expressed his basic attitude.

    The young major looked at him with slight surprise, wondering if the other party really had this attitude or if he was just joking.

    The commander of the Seventh Fleet grabbed the teacup and drank it all in one gulp, then poured another cup from the teapot without any intention of changing his mind.

    "The Overlord of Intre will face tremendous pressure. In future wars, Intre's strength will be more than one regular division, one militia division, and two fleets. As the most economically developed republic, Intre will bear the responsibilities of  Most of the funds for the counterattack. Whether it is borrowing money or raising taxes, this is not something a young person can be responsible for, nor can it be solved by hanging you. Just bring up any case, you free  All the heroes of the army will be destroyed."

    For a time, the atmosphere in the lounge was very stiff.

    The silent magic that isolates the inside and outside only exacerbates this problem. Only the sound of hot water bubbling in the kettle can be heard.

    "I understand your concerns, Marshal Wei. I personally think that generally speaking, an officer who holds such an important position should have deeper qualifications. I think we should consider this issue based on reality. Although qualifications  It's not enough, but Major Thorleyton's merits are enough. As for whether he can hold such a stressful position as a governor, I think it needs to be considered comprehensively. Of course, I'm not saying that he can or cannot hold it. It's just that we  We simply cannot afford to take any more risks now. We must have an excellent collection and logistics system, a whole large fleet and three new army divisions to form"

    Congressman Webster went around and said a lot of things, but none of them represented his opinions.  Naimen didn't know what issue he was discussing with Wei Taiping before, but the senator obviously didn't want to take a stand on the issue of "who should serve as the Intre Overseer."

    He doesn't look like an ally of Wei Taiping either - if the commander of the fleet in the far east can form an alliance with the MP from Intre across half a year's voyage, then they must be for some interests that are far greater than the real world.  Great goal in progress.

    Naimen yawned, holding the appointment letter in his arms that had not yet been sent out with his right hand, recalling Senator Webster's information.

    After being appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the Intre, he knew that sooner or later he would have to deal with the former lieutenant general and the number one congressman of the Intre.

    After the dissolution of the United Parliament, Sam Webster is no longer a member of the United Parliament and the temporary speaker, but he still represents the Republic's Phase Port and the Double Port Provincial Constituency in the Parliament of the Republic of Entre.  The Military and Political Council cannot completely change the previous government system. All they can do is add new impetus to the previous system.

    Phase Harbor has been at peace for a hundred years, and this area accounts for more than one-third of the entire Intre economy and population.

    The loud bang of the tea bowl hitting the table interrupted Naimen's thoughts.

    "Stop your tricks of politicians trying to please both sides, Congressman, I want to know your opinion, not this nonsense that everyone knows."

    Naimen stared dumbfoundedly as the tea bowl in Marshal Wei Taiping's hand hit the table.

    He watched as all the tea inside bounced up and spilled all over the table.

    Although he had previously judged that Wei Taiping and Webster would not be allies, this attitude

    That is far more than just "not an ally".

    Wei Taiping mercilessly ridiculed the senior congressman: "This 'art form' of speaking tactfully is called 'being a good person' in the Eastern Empire, and is?It is the most important of all skills.  This art has developed in the Far East to such an extent that if you don't know the craft, you can't accomplish anything worth mentioning.  But a person's ability has its limits; if he is too good at being a person, it must prove that he does not pay too much attention to other aspects that really require ability.  Just because a person is able to make ends meet does not mean he has outstanding abilities, in most cases it is even the opposite.  "

    Congressman Webster¡¯s lips were trembling slightly, and he couldn¡¯t say anything.

    Naimen saw him repeatedly wiping the tea stains on his dress with a handkerchief, even though these stains could not be wiped off at all.

    Wei Taiping certainly felt the embarrassment of the congressman, but the sarcasm in the navy marshal's mouth did not stop at all.

    "Of course, I'm not saying that it's not good for you, Congressman. Free countries should really be grateful for this art of language. Without an environment that is suppressed by this art of language, there would be no Lingyangmen and the Seventh Fleet.  On the sea, we only pay attention to reality. Maybe you have been in politics for too long and have forgotten how to behave as a soldier!"

    Naimen was dumbfounded.  This is Wei Taiping, the commander-in-chief of the Far East Seventh Fleet, the most capable of the seven active naval marshals and the largest fleet under his command.

    He had already vaguely guessed how Kezmi Stilhouse became a captain of the Seventh Fleet.

    There will be the same kind of subordinates as there are bosses.  Since Wei Taiping is not as "elegant" as he looks - this sentence seems to be inaccurate - then a pirate can certainly become a captain of the Free Navy.

    After about thirty breaths of adjustment, Webster finally spoke.  His tone was almost as calm as before, and Naimen couldn't help but secretly admire his self-control.

    "It's good to have such a straightforward conversation. Then let me tell you my opinion: it is inappropriate for you to deny the appointment of the Military Council, Admiral Wayne."

    The navy marshal laughed loudly after hearing this: "Is this right, former Lieutenant General? Only by discussing with such efficiency can we reach a conclusion before those bastards below burn down the entire building.  ."

    Webster snorted.  Now he really has the attitude of a teacher, Naimen thought.

    Wei Taiping continued: "Do you really think it is feasible for the Military and Political Council to appoint such a young man to oversee the collection and distribution of supplies on the east and west islands? You should know that we are going to use those two large islands  How many armies can we support with trade and taxes?¡±

    "The Military Council wants to recruit three new Free Divisions and National Guard Divisions in Entre, as well as raise funds for two new Phates Divisions and two new Itemea Divisions. Of course, the cost of the Seventh Fleet also  It has to come out of the Entre Maritime Trade Commission. This is the news I heard, and Major Soleton can confirm the authenticity of this plan."

    Sam Webster seemed to be deliberately trying to draw Naymen into this conversation.  Naimen was taken aback for a moment and quickly answered the question.

    "According to the new plan, Intre will support eight divisions, including the 2nd 'Intre' Division. Previously, the two islands were responsible for the funding and equipment of four divisions. The scale of the Seventh Fleet is also larger than that of the Fifth Fleet.  The total cost may be two to three times what it was before.¡±

    "Two to three times. Yes, yes, the tax plan of the Military and Political Council is really precise. It is as precise as the tax account book of the Ministry of Accounts of the Eastern Empire."

    Wei Taiping touched his short beard on his chin and sneered.

    "In other words, it's nonsense, just talk on paper! What these ten million pounds mean, Congressman Webster probably knows better than I do. Webster Reinsurance is also a well-known big business in Intre.  You can¡¯t even calculate the accounts wrong, right?¡±

    Councilor Webster sighed: "It is difficult, but it is not impossible, as long as it is collected by the Seventh Fleet. I know your great achievements in Lingyangmen Port."

    The Admiral raised his eyebrows, showing the implicit surprise of an Oriental.

    "Are you going to propose a general trade tax in the Intre Parliament, Councilor Webster? This is beyond my expectation. Lingyang Gate implements this tax system because there are not many of our merchant ships there. Phase Port can  It¡¯s completely different, the wealthy merchants in the entire port will rise up and riot.¡±

    "Not just a general trade tax. I have also considered a temporary property and real estate tax. In exchange, we could sell tax rights and privateering warrants, and issue bonds. These bonds and taxes are secured by the unclaimed land of Jurocco  . With the strength of the banks in Interre, they should be able to support us until we take back the entire Jurocco. Although the solutions are difficult, they are all ready-made. There is no need to fall out with the military and political council."

    The old politician is coldAs he spoke, he raised his fingers one by one.  His statement was as organized as submitting a bill in parliament, ignoring the provocations of the Orientals.

    Wei Taiping couldn't help but ask: "What if we can't recapture Julok within a few years? I don't know much about the situation of the Free Army, but if even someone admits defeat and ceases fire, the opponent will definitely not be easy to deal with.  "

    Webster remained silent.

    "By then, it won't be your and my problem, right?"

    Wei Taiping leaned back heavily, his arrogance somewhat restrained.

    "Anyway, these things cannot be done with courage alone. Does this 'battle hero' know what it means to impose a general trade tax? He knows who controls the Eastern Sea Route and how big they are.  Power? Does he know how much more money you want to extract from the poor people all over Intre?"

    The Admiral did not expect Neimen to answer these questions, he gave the answers himself.

    "That means that all ships using the Intre Sea Port will be subject to our inspection. In this sea area, all merchant ships belonging to the elves, the empire, and the Taiping Dao countries will become our enemies. All  There will be people trying to make a fortune through smuggling lurking in our private ports and autonomous cities. They will be our enemies at all costs. The pressure here will be at least several times that of the waters near China. If I want my fleet to do so at the same time  I need a solid rear to fight against the alliance of the Empire, Shengsen and Taipingdao. Can this young man give me a solid rear?"

    Naimen took a deep breath.  This is not only a negotiation, but also a test.  The cards in the opponent's hand are much higher than his.  Whether it is the tycoons in the Intre Parliament or the powerful maritime tycoons across the Far East, they all have more resources than him.

    But Naimen didn¡¯t intend to surrender.

    "I will do my best, Your Excellency. This is the order I received and the decision of the Military Council. If you feel that my appointment is inappropriate, you should propose it to the Military Council instead of refusing to accept it. I will try my best to ensure that  All logistics are handled by me and my military police."

    "You don't need to tell me, I will go to the Military and Political Council. I know who made this appointment. It's not from Old Fox, he is not so radical." Wei Taiping leaned back and changed his tone, seeming to  To quote someone, "'If the free nations are regarded as a giant, then the navy is his horse, the army is his sword. The collector is his scabbard, and the gendarmerie is his whip.' It's so true.  It¡¯s obvious.¡±

    Nai Men suddenly jumped up from his seat.

    "You also know this passage?"

    "Yes, I told Luo Ruide this passage. At that time, we were discussing the official system of the Eastern Empire in the past, just like history buffs everywhere."

    Senator Webster frowned: "Who is this Oriental?"

    "He is not from the East." Wei Taiping replied calmly, "He uses his real name here, Claude Lopez, and he is now the marshal. He is always very lucky."

    Naimen asked: "Did you work with him back then?"

    "Strictly speaking, no. It's just that when he helped the warlords of the Eastern Empire to conquer the east and west, I established and defended the Lingyang Gate Fortress. I have to know whether the collaborator Luo Ruide arranged for me is suitable.  I¡¯ve seen too many people who claim to be heroes, and most of them are difficult to work with.¡±

    "I¡­¡­"

    After Naimen said one word, he was interrupted by the Oriental again.

    "When I say cooperation, I don't mean your ability to command troops. I have seen your ability to command troops and resolve crises, which is above average. When I say cooperation, I mean your ability to execute at critical moments. Look at the room.  These people. What will happen if we really get to that point?"

    The Admiral stood up and pointed to the crowd in the room.

    "Those imperial nuns will become garrison priests who cooperate with the imperial fleet to loot your fleet. They claim that they are going to tour the southern holy land according to the religious understanding agreement during the ceasefire period, but if the empire and the elven fleets are in trouble,  They probably don¡¯t care about looting our tax ship either.¡±

    The mute magic blocked Wei Taiping's words.  If these words of the Marine Marshal spread outside, Naimen felt that a fierce battle would break out immediately.  Those armed nuns of the Empire don't look like religious men.

    The marshal¡¯s fingers continued to move, moving to Rear Admiral Darrow Salami who was cowering aside.

    "This guy in the Fifth Fleet looks very docile now, because as long as he doesn't die here or be punished by military justice, he can retire from the Navy and become his wealthy businessman. But if we impose universal tradeIf he pays taxes, he will find a way to hire the Feng Jian Gangma who is chatting with him and join the vigorous smuggling business.  "

    Wei Taiping shrugged and pointed to the group of civilians and officers trapped on the second floor.

    "Some of these guys are Entres, some are not. However, as long as we implement the general trade tax, most of them will join our enemies, either overtly or covertly. Even this guy  In front of you, Congressman Sam Webster, who is trying to build a good relationship with you, will become your enemy¡ªunless you give him some benefits."

    Webster finally showed his anger and slammed his fist on the table.

    Naimen noticed that although the congressman's punch was not very powerful, his movements were extremely precise, without any unnecessary movement. His fist did not even bounce back when it landed on the table, but the table shook violently for a while.  Only certain factions of magicians pay so much attention to controlling redundant movements.

    "This is a naked slander, Peace Wayne! Take back what you said."

    "Okay, indirect benefits. Do you dare to swear that you will never take advantage of this young man? I don't believe that the most powerful member of the Intere Republic would say such a thing."

    The Oriental didn¡¯t give the senior congressman a chance to continue to refute, and pointed the finger at himself.

    "Of course, I am also likely to become an enemy of you two. You will represent potential smugglers across the UK. You will supervise supplies for eight army divisions. My naval fleet will be responsible for inspecting this area.  Smuggling on the sea. I don¡¯t need to continue analyzing the potential risks involved."

    The Admiral¡¯s fingers almost stayed on the bridge of Naimen¡¯s nose.

    "Then, Major Gendarmerie, the question is very simple. Do you have the consciousness to be the enemy of everyone in this room and to serve as the Overseer of Interre? Your real friends are not on this floor, but on the burning people below.  Among the murderers and looters. Do you have the consciousness to join them in killing so many perhaps innocent people?"

    Naimen wanted to say "yes", but he couldn't.  He knew he couldn't do it.

    "If you don't have this consciousness, you won't be able to collect three times the tax. I can only go to Marshal Lopez and ask for a replacement."

    "There are always other ways." Naimen replied dully, "We have to collect the money and then distribute it. There is always a way."

    "It's really not difficult to just collect the money. But to collect the extra double tax, it becomes a completely different problem. There is a saying in the Eastern Empire: 'Destroying a person's wealth is like killing his parents'. You  Is there any other way to raise ten million pounds?"

    The young major fell silent.  This number is so large that it exceeds the understanding and calculation capabilities of ordinary people.  A major's annual salary is only a few dozen gold pounds a year, which is a small number worth mentioning compared to 10 million gold pounds.

    It is not that there is no money in Intrey, and there may not be a richer area in the entire civilized world than the twin islands of Intray.  But every gold coin will be stained with blood.  To expand the tax to three times in a short period of time, it can only be collected with blood.

    "I will not accept the appointment you brought, young man. I will still make a request to the Military Council to appoint more Intre Warlords as a condition for the Seventh Fleet to take over the defense. You have talent, but you are not that  A person who is determined to get his hands stained with blood. You are not suitable for this position." Wei Taiping concluded calmly, "In addition, I will also request to the Military and Political Council at the same time to pardon the mutinous remnants of the Fifth Fleet and form a frigate.  fleet to enrich the combat power of the West Intre Sea. With the management ability of the major general, he should be able to afford the remaining ships. He also needs a fleet commander, and I believe Luo Ruide can find one that is not under my control.  candidate. In this way, we will solve this mutiny."

    "I still have reservations. But since I can't convince you, I won't stop you. That's it for today."

    Councilor Sam Webster stood up and walked out of the range of the silent magic.

    "What an interesting person. He didn't really get angry until the end." The marshal played with the teacup in his hand and directly expressed his conclusion, "What about you? Do you still have any questions, young man?"

    Naimen felt waves of discomfort, as if he had lost a battle.  Wei Taiping's negotiation style was different from all the generals he had seen. This man would force everyone except his subordinates to walk on the gangplank like a pirate.

    But it¡¯s really very efficient.  In the hands of those with power and intelligence, this method of negotiation is extremely efficient.

    It only took such a short time for Wei Taiping to impose the policy he prepared on his two negotiating opponents.

    If Naimen also agrees to this plan, the subsequent Intre affairs will beEverything is controlled by the Seventh Fleet.  In fact, he had to agree to these conditions, otherwise he would not be able to resolve the mutiny.

    But he didn¡¯t want to retreat in such an ugly way.

    "Since Mr. Wei Taiping likes straightforward conversations, I have one last straightforward question to ask you"

    Naimen took a deep breath.

    "A mutiny of this scale cannot be spontaneous, nor can it be organized by the major general. I want to know who is behind all this."

    He directly put the most pointed question he could think of on the table.

    "If you have to find someone behind the scenes, it would be me."

    Naimen stared at the man behind the scenes who frankly admitted his identity. His eyes seemed to be seeing a two-headed troll spitting out acid.

    Wei Taiping continued calmly: "It is precisely because of the arrival of my fleet that the anger in these people's hearts has been triggered. This anger has been there for a long time, and they will definitely vent it in some form. The arrival of the Seventh Fleet is that  A quarrel in a bar is the ignition point. The military is inherently organized, so it is particularly easy for it to chain into a huge riot."

    Naimen nodded silently.

    "But having said that, it is not a bad thing to mutiny once in a while and kill some people. The bad elements are there, and there is no use pretending not to see them or pretending to be harmonious. It is better for sailors to launch a mutiny on land than to wait.  They got the fleet and then launched a mutiny. In this sense, you can say that I organized the mutiny. From the time we were transferred to deal with the Imperial fleet, this mutiny was already doomed. It even  It might not even be the last one.¡±

    ¡°There is no evidence for any of this.¡± Naimen muttered, ¡°I still want to know, did you actually instruct people to launch this mutiny?¡±

    "Does that really matter?"

    A chill ran up Naimen¡¯s back.  He stood up and fled from the table.

    *********

    With the personal assurance of the Admiral of the Navy, it is very easy to persuade the mutinous sailors.

    Naimen didn¡¯t remember what promises he made, but Major General Darrow had been following him step by step, with tears in his eyes, and he would always call him ¡°my lord¡± when he spoke.

    The sailors dragged their injured companions, with their hands behind their heads, and were escorted by strong operators, one by one, out of the building and out of the square.

    Naimen stood in front of the gate and watched the prisoners leave.

    Just watching.

    His mind was still filled with the frustrating negotiation just now.

    The scariest thing was not that he was belittled by that naval marshal, but that he knew that what Wei Taiping said was absolutely right.

    ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

    Money, fleets and armies.  Logistics, Economics and Taxation.

    In comparison, combat heroes are indeed much easier to do.

    So many people have died just for the Seventh Fleet to take over the defense.  How many more people would die if taxes were tripled?  This number is unimaginable.

    The nuns from the Orthodox Church expressed their gratitude in front of him, and Naimen nodded to them and listened patiently to their requests.

    I was just listening, not thinking.

    The nuns talked about their plans to go on a pilgrimage to Intre and communicate with important Protestant religious orders.  Naimen just nodded in agreement, and then passed the matter to Major General Darrow, promising that he would find a way to get them to Interre.

    Logically speaking, he shouldn¡¯t have agreed so readily, but there were two reasons why he agreed.  First, his mind was still filled with money issues and he had no time to think about anything else.  Secondly, these envoys had complete formalities and were all women. Naimen also smelled the scent of powder that he seemed to have smelled somewhere.

    ¡°It would be great if there was still the Orthodox Church in Intre with huge land and wealth like in the past, Naimen thought bitterly, that would also solve the military expenditure problem.

    Regrettably, those churches were liquidated long ago when the southern countries revolted, leaving only some former holy places that were transformed into tourist spots to barely survive.  Even so, these tourist spots are also an important source of revenue for various Protestant religious orders.

    He knew that the Empire's military expenditures depended greatly on the Church and the sacred bonds issued by the Church.  There seems to be some way, but I can't find it at the moment.

    The nun who gave off a familiar smell wanted to talk to him several times, but was held back by the people around her.  The tall nun and the black-haired nun argued hard.

    It¡¯s a bit noisy, Naimen thought irritably, grabbing his hair and walking into the warehouse again.

    The sailors are almost gone.  The military police chaplains were carefully cleaning the fuel on the ground, and representatives from the Seventh Fleet were also among them.

    Before Kezmi Stilhouse left, he came over to talk to Naimen.

    I can¡¯t remember what we talked about.  They vaguely remembered some friendly conversations, and both of them also remembered that they had met each other several times.  Afterwards, they routinely exchanged each other¡¯s military resumes.

    What he heard in his ears was that the former great pirate experienced a series of naval battles in the far east, and he knew that there was a place where a powerful fleet could be lawless.  Even the official navy of the Eastern Empire often raised the pirate flag and robbed innocent merchant ships.

    The current situation is still swirling in Naimen¡¯s mind.

    A fleet, like an army, needs a lot of supplies, docks, sailors, and military pay.  This is a problem that pirates cannot solve, but that the Navy must.  If the navy cannot completely solve it, it will turn into pirates.

    The flow of money has such a magical power: it can turn a piece of white land into the largest free port in the Far Eastern Sea within twenty years, and use it to support the world's largest armed fleet.

    Nemen and Kezmi said goodbye to each other, and then watched him leave with the Admiral from the East.

    "I never thought that military spending would cause such a serious problem. Money, money, what on earth are you? Why is there greater magic than magic?"

    This sigh accurately hits the keyword.  The sapphire necklace that was always mistimed appeared in Naimen's mind again.

    "What you want to know is money - redirected to 'money'. Money is a tool used for transactions, a store of value and a unit of account. It is a special commodity that serves as an equivalent in the exchange of goods and services.  Usually, each country uses only one currency, issued and controlled by the central bank"

    This time, Naimen heard something that interested him.  He took off his necklace, held it tightly in his left hand, and asked the question.

    "Wait a minute, Anne. What is a central bank?"

    "I'm not forget it." The voice seemed to want to say something at first, but finally gave up, "The central bank is the 'bank of all banks'. Its responsibility is to maintain currency stability and supply for the government, and to formulate and implement  Monetary policy, and often also the treasury, is the final settler and borrower of last resort in the banking sector¡­¡±

    This is it.  This is what he wants to know.

    There were many details in it that he didn¡¯t quite understand, but he understood the original motivation for the establishment of this organization.  Even after all the years of development and polish, that motive is still obvious.

    The focus of that definition is of course not "maintaining currency stability" but "maintaining money supply."

    Intre is the richest republic. The problem is that we do not have enough troops and officials to mobilize the potential of this land.

    "Your Excellency Wei Taiping, please stay!"

    Naimen quickly caught up with the naval marshal who was leading his men to the military and political meeting.

    "Since it is difficult for us to use force to control all trade, why can't we think the other way around? We don't have to chase smuggling ships across the entire ocean, we can force smuggling ships to come to us. Why don't we set up a mandatory settlement  What about banks so that we can seize and mobilize Intre¡¯s resources?¡±

    The Oriental man stopped and turned around.

    "A compulsory settlement bank? Similar to a bank no, an institution of the Bank of China? This idea is interesting."

    "We can establish a compulsory bank. A bank responsible for settling the bills of all banks, marine insurance companies, tax and trading houses. The bills issued by this bank will be used to pay our taxes and military pay."

    Kezmi muttered: "What's the difference?"

    "There is a big difference."

    Hearing this, the former pirate hurriedly shut his mouth knowingly - because the person who answered this question was Admiral Wei Taiping himself.  The navy marshal walked up to Naimen and looked at the young man in front of him with serious eyes.

    ¡°Do you know ¡®party whip¡¯, Major?¡±

    The Admiral suddenly changed the subject.

    Naimen replied cautiously: "I've heard a little bit about it. It is a position responsible for supervising and implementing party discipline in parliaments at all levels. It is the voting supervisor of the party. It is generally regarded as the second-ranking figure below the party chairman."

    ¡°Then do you know how the party whip was born?¡±

    ¡°I heard it evolved from young councilors who kept records of their attendance and votes. These councilors would allocate salaries and political expenses to their colleagues based on their attendance and votes.Aid funds.  "

    Wei Taiping nodded: "When the free country was first established, there were no political parties in the strict sense. There were only some relatively influential members of Congress, just like the elven nobles, who intrigued each other and changed orders day and night. It is from this simplest  Starting from the idea of ??'counting members' votes', we established a strong decision-making system, which provides us with power, efficiency and money."

    Naimen vaguely guessed what Wei Taiping meant.  Based on his knowledge of the Admiral, this man would express his conclusion directly.

    "And what you're proposing now is that simple idea. A bank that settles all banks. It would change our entire system of taxation and debt. If we're going to build such an institution, we can't have many overseers. Freedom.  What countries need is not ordinary military police or logistics staff, but someone who can integrate all potential war resources. Go ahead and take your fleet with you. If necessary, take my fleet with you.  "

    Naimen suppressed the excitement in his heart and saluted with a military salute.  "Thank you, Your Excellency."

    "But remember, your idea does not mean that there will be less bloodshed. Most of the early party whips died in various accidents. Someone once proposed an idea similar to yours. In everyone's opinion,  That gentleman died in a duel when he became Speaker. You may not have much better luck than he did."

    "I'm prepared." Naimen held his left hand tightly.  Only he knew that this idea came from the future, which gave him a lot of confidence.  "I believe there will be much, much less blood shed."

    Wei Taiping glanced at his left hand and opened his palm towards Naimen.

    "Give me the appointment letter you brought."

    Naimen put away the necklace in a panic, took out the sealed appointment letter from his arms, and handed it over.

    Wei Taiping took the appointment letter from Naimen.  His movements were not fast at all, but he had an aura that was hard to resist.  He tore off the seal and signed it with his ring.

    "From now on, the Seventh Fleet will take over the defense of the West Intre Sea as ordered. Colonel Fengmi, go and convey the order and let every ship know this. They can start buying houses here."

    The Oriental man chuckled twice and patted Naimen on the shoulder.

    "As for youif you succeed, you will become the whip that rules all armies. If you fail, you will die without a burial place. Twenty years ago, after Luo Ruide and I escaped from the Taiping Kingdoms and set foot on  Luo Ruide also said this to me when we were on the land of Lingyang Gate. Mr. Young Governor, let¡¯s meet in Hong Kong.¡±

    p.s.Party systems in free countries

    In the early party politics of free countries, there were no stable parties.  Due to the vast economic, demographic, and class differences among the republics, any attempt to form stable transnational parties failed, and most of the time parties were just another name for "electoral interest groups."

    The parliamentary system of the republics is very loose, and their alliances and hostilities are just a mixture of local interests, policy interests and personal interests.  The parliamentarians of free countries are quite similar to the nobles of the empire. They have obvious local vision, strong personal interests and "fiefdoms", which are completely different from the bureaucrats of the Eastern Empire.

    In order to restrain these excessive individualistic MPs, in the one hundred years since the founding of the free countries, various quasi-parties gradually developed a position system to restrain excessive liberal MPs.

    Party treasury (treasury of the party): The party treasury is responsible for collecting and raising party funds, and covers the behavior of "buying votes" with the halo of party interests.

    Party bell (belloftheparty): The party bell is responsible for formulating and announcing the party's principles and voting policies.  This position is usually held by the de facto central figures of the party.

    Whip of the party: The party whip is responsible for supervising and implementing the party's discipline and execution.  There is usually a correlation between the party whip and the party treasury.

    So Naimen Solayton¡¯s new position will be called ¡°whip of the force¡± by Wei Taiping.

    p.s.2

    ??A certain holidaypay attention to the word count.
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