Chapter 382 The Bitter Vassals

Most of the people participating in this round table meeting were territorial nobles from various parts of the empire.

After hearing what Gale said, all the territorial nobles' faces suddenly turned pale.

Then the meeting room "exploded" again——

"Wait, wait! Your Highness Gale! Do you want to increase the annual tribute?! This, this is too difficult!"

"Your Highness Gale! Don't you know that the lives of us people are actually very difficult? The current tribute rate is already very high! If it is raised again, our family will really have to borrow money from businessmen. It’s day!”

"Your Highness Gale! Please understand our difficulties!"

"For the future of the empire, we also want to do our part, but we really can't afford a higher tribute rate!"

"Your Highness Gale! We really can't bear the current 40% tribute rate! Please don't raise it any further!"

…

The territorial nobles complained and argued with Gale.

Although the Britannia Empire has territorial nobles like other countries, and these territorial nobles control a lot of territory, they control nearly 1/3 of the empire's territory.

However, the strength of the territorial nobles of the Britannia Empire was particularly weak.

The Britannia Empire is the country with the greatest disparity in power between the central government and its vassals in the entire continent.

For these territorial nobles, the center of the Britannia Empire has always carried out various suppressions.

The so-called "tribute rate" refers to the amount of tribute that these territorial nobles have to pay to the center of the Britannia Empire every year.

The tribute rate of these territorial nobles is now 40%, that is, for every 100 pounds they earn, they must hand over 40 pounds to the central government.

The astonishingly high tribute rate made the lives of these territorial nobles in the Britannia Empire not particularly luxurious.

Those nobles with larger fiefdoms or richer fiefdoms lived a relatively decent life.

For example - the Dukedom of Connaught and the Dukedom of North Munster are relatively wealthy fiefdoms.

As for the nobles with smaller fiefdoms or poorer fiefdoms, life is much miserable.

Many nobles are so poor that they need to borrow money from other nobles or some wealthy businessmen to survive.

Even after suffering such inhumane "exploitation" from the central government, these territorial nobles could only endure it silently.

Because they are simply unable to resist the central government.

Although these territorial nobles have the right to form their own tribes, the military strength they can possess is also strictly controlled by the central government.

Anyone who can become a territorial noble, no matter how low the title is, is still an earl.

According to the central regulations of the Britannian Empire, vassals at the duke level can only have a maximum of 2,000 troops, 1,000 at the marquis level, and 500 at the earl level.

And because of the high tribute rate, the military strength owned by almost all nobles is far from the upper limit. Some very poor nobles did not even recruit private troops in order to save a little more money.

The total strength of all the territorial nobles is only over 10,000.

Compared with the central government, which has three major knights and will soon have four knights in the future, with a standing army of more than one million troops, the combat power of these territorial nobles is simply not worth mentioning.

Even if all the territorial nobles unite to launch a rebellion, the central government will not be too panicked. After all, the difference in combat power between the enemy and ourselves is too great. Among the three major knights, if you pull out any army, there will be 20,000 The strength of the troops, and the training level of the knights' soldiers must be higher than those of these vassal tribes who have rarely been on the battlefield.

Because the difference in combat power between the central government and the vassals was too great, no matter how much the central government bullied them, these territorial nobles could only swallow their anger and obey the central government's orders.

In addition to the frighteningly high tribute rate, the central government also bullied and suppressed these territorial nobles in various ways.

For example: vassals and their tribes cannot leave the fiefdom without permission from the central government.

Once the central government discovers that you and your troops have left your fiefdom without permission from the central government, you will be sentenced to the crime of rebellion.

Confiscating all your property and taking back your fiefdom is considered a minor matter. The most serious case would be to behead you directly, then embalm your head and circulate it to other territorial nobles for other vassals to see. Don’t see what will happen if you listen to the central government’s orders.

In the nearly 300-year history of the Britannian Empire, there have been several cases where vassals left their fiefdoms seeking death, and were then directly arrested by the central government and sentenced to death for treason.

However, these territorial nobles are also human beings, and they will still resist when the central government issues some excessive orders.

For example - now.

After learning that the already high tribute rate would be further raised, these territorial nobles immediately argued aggressively with Gael, the crown prince.

Some nobles whose lives were already very difficult were now even crying to Gale about their difficulties.

Looking at the aggressive vassals, Gale turned his head and looked at his father with a wry smile on his face.

And Ge Zewen just looked at Gale with a wry smile.

"It seems..." Gale whispered to Gozevin, "We are going to have a hard battle..."

"Yes." Ge Zewen nodded with a wry smile, "I knew these vassals would not simply agree to increase the tribute rate..."

…

…

"Today's roundtable meeting is finally over."

Albert said to Isel beside him.

"Well." Iser, who looked a little tired, pinched his temples, "I have been discussing the tribute rate of the vassals almost all day today..."

At this time, it was approaching dusk, and the first day of the roundtable meeting was finally over.

Albert and Iser left the royal meeting room together and walked outside Baiyang Palace.

Outside the Baiyang Palace, there were carriages specially designed to pick up and drop off the participants, as well as elite guards escorting them back to their residences.

The first day of the meeting was basically about discussing the tribute rates of the vassals.

The discussion lasted from morning to noon, and after a brief lunch together, the discussion continued, and the discussion continued from noon... No, it should be said that the quarrel finally came to a result at dusk, when the meeting was about to end.

The reason why the tribute rate was discussed for a whole day was because neither the vassals nor the central government were willing to give in.

The vassals insisted on maintaining the current 40% tribute rate.

The central government, that is, Gozevin, Gale, Jacob and others also had a tough attitude, saying that it must be raised.

The two sides argued for a full day, from morning until just now. The central government even used force to deter them, and finally came to a conclusion.

In the end, both sides made concessions, and it was finally decided that the tribute rate of the vassals would be raised to 45% in the future.

This number is already the bottom line of the central government.

After the vassals obtained this number, they all kept their mouths shut.

"45%..." Albert muttered, "It is not impossible to increase the tribute rate of vassals to 45%, coupled with the fiscal revenue that has been improving over the years, to support 850,000 knights. It’s here…”

"Well, yes." Iser answered from the side, "The central government has made up its mind to strengthen its military strength. With the national strength of the empire, it can also support a standing army of more than one million. "

Speaking of this, Isel paused.

After a thoughtful look flashed across his face, he then said in a deep voice:

"Tomorrow will be the focus of this roundtable meeting."

"Ah..." Albert said, "Tomorrow... we will probably discuss who should be chosen as the new leader of the Michael Knights... Since His Highness Gale has said it today, we will rebuild the Michael Knights in the future. Knights of Caleb, then electing a new and reliable leader of the Knights of Michael is the most urgent matter. Tomorrow there may be a debate like today... no, even more 'tragic' than today. Already..."

"The roundtable meeting 8 years ago is still fresh in my memory." Iser smiled. "The roundtable meeting 8 years ago lasted for three days before we finally decided that you would be the new leader. Leader of the Knights of Jier.”

"Haha..." Albert chuckled a few times, "I really don't know how many days it will take to select the new leader of the Michael Knights this time..."

"Albert, who do you think will become the new leader of the Knights of Michael?"

"How do I know..." Albert said angrily, "Only three people, His Majesty, His Highness Gale, and that guy Jacob, know about the candidates for the head of the Michael Knights. It won't officially start until At the time of the discussion, no one knew who was vying for the position of leader this time.”

"..." Iser sighed lightly, "I really don't know who could be so lucky and so unlucky to become the leader of the Knights..."

"...I just hope that the new leader of the Michael Knights will be a reliable person with good psychological quality." Albert said with an expressionless face, "Without good ability to withstand stress and a good psychological quality Quality, being the leader of the Knights will be painful..."