After waiting for the carriage to move for a while, Alfonso put his arms around his chest and said to Huggins: "Let's talk about it, what's the matter?"

　　 "Before you leave Twilight City, you should know that there is a textile brand in the city called Lilière, right?"

　　 "I know, it is the brand created by Queen Mary. What does it have to do with the ones I see?"

　　 Harkins shrugged: "Don't worry, I haven't talked to the point yet. The success of Lilier's brand has allowed a large number of businessmen in West Side to see the business opportunities."

"Business?"

"You don't know? Lilier brand textiles, whether it is in the north, the holy city in the east, or the southern empire, have become in demand." Harkins pointed to the tailoring on his body. Fitted clothes: "A men's suit with Liujinxu listed in Lilière's shop, delivered to the Pope, can be sold for the price of twelve Jinxu."

　　 Alfonso asked without understanding, "How could this be?"

　　 "Do you remember the paintings that your Majesty once presented to Queen Mary? Those paintings from heaven."

"I remember that."

"It is those paintings that set off a wave of Renaissance in the city. Artists of different styles and genres found inspiration in this city and applied these inspirations to actual business and life, including textiles. ...So, on the one hand, the success of the Lilière brand, on the other hand, the added value of commodities brought by the Renaissance, making the textile industry a major pillar industry in Twilight.

　　 Alfonso was a little impatient: "You have said so much, but still haven't said, how can people go to the streets to beg."

"My friend, be patient." Huggins smiled and said, "I continue to explain... Before, the Knights of Twilight repelled the southern empire and ensured the safety of the western route. Merchants were able to expand their business scope by shipping. The combination of all these factors has directly led to the rapid rise of the clothing and textile industry; the rise of the industry has created a shortage of textile raw materials, such as flax, ramie, jute, and wool; and the demand for these raw materials directly leads to The lack of a scarce resource-land."

　　 Alfonso frowned and repeated: "The land?"

Huggins leaned back and sighed softly: "Yes, there is not enough land, and naturally there is no way to grow hemp plants or raise sheep... But because Muxicheng is near the sea, there is no such thing. How much free land is available, so the businessmen in the city turned their attention to the farmers who owned arable land."

　　 Alfonso shook his head: "The merchants seized the peasants' land?"

"The word seizure is inaccurate. It should be said to be a purchase. Because of the previous decree issued by your Majesty, as long as you have been engaged in agriculture for a certain number of years outside the city, you can not only obtain citizenship, but also permanently own the right to use the land. Therefore, farmers have the right to land. A person with absolute control. "Huggins opened the curtains and looked at a group of men and women in gorgeous costumes. They gathered together to talk and talk: "In order to obtain land from farmers, businessmen rely on business alliances and trade associations. The prices of seeds, livestock, fertilizers, and tools have been increased, and the selling prices of traditional crops have been lowered."

"During the wheat harvest last year, the purchase price of a ton of third-grade wheat in Twilight was less than four silver months. Listen, four silver months! In exchange for the Silver Ring City during the war. , This little money can't even buy a bag of wheat bran!"

　　 Alfonso frowned, "What did the farmers do later?"

"Some farmers think that the price is too low, and they would rather store their agricultural products at home than sell them. As a result, the stored agricultural products slowly rot and become worthless. Some farmers unite and want to contract a boat or a fleet of The respective products were shipped out and sold, but the ports and post stations controlled by the major chambers of commerce rejected the peasants’ requests one after another; some people were finally forced to have no alternative but to sell their land to the merchants.

　　 Hearing what Harkins said, Alfonso gritted his teeth and asked, "Does the cabinet ignore these things?"

Huggins replied with a wry smile: "The cabinet has tried to intervene, including actively purchasing agricultural products, building temporary agricultural products storage points, warning and punishing merchants who purchase land. The cabinet has done all these things. When the conflict was the most serious, Cabinet Prime Minister Emerson even tried to enact a bill prohibiting the sale of land."

"Then what?"

　　" The decree was not passed at the cabinet meeting and the enlarged meeting of the knights. For this matter, Prime Minister Emerson was furious in his office and later became seriously ill.

　　 Alfonso felt strange: "Master Emerson has been empowered by His Majesty. How could the bill he proposed fail?"

"Before the Twilight Knights sent troops to Guyan City, the Prime Minister set aside all cabinet members and used the method of the war cabinet to forcibly pass the war bill. This incident caused dissatisfaction with the vast majority of cabinet members and the honorary knights. Many people were behind. He accused Emerson of practicing dictatorship and seizing royal power. After that, the Prime Minister became extra careful in handling affairs and he no longer dared to make decisions on his own. Therefore, this time the bill prohibiting the sale of land, he He didn't dare to make any claims, and chose to listen to the opinions of cabinet members and the honorary knights."

　　 Alfonso clenched a fist with his right hand, smashed it under the seat under him, and said angrily: "Then watch those businessmen seize the land?!"

Huggins sighed: "Academicists need financial support from businessmen to help publish their own publications when publishing works; researchers who conduct experiments need to seek funding from businessmen to purchase experimental supplies and pay assistant salaries; artists need Businessmen pay to build studios and open solo exhibitions; even the cabinet's expenditure on public finances depends on the taxes paid by the businessmen."

"Not only that, cabinet members, honorary knights, and nine out of ten of these people’s families operate more or less industries. Just check their positions, vice president of the Chamber of Commerce, director of the Maritime Alliance, and industry. The Standing Consultant of the Raw Material Association...There may be more than a dozen or even twenty such titles..."

Huggins shrugged ~lightnovelpub.net~ and said helplessly towards Alfonso: "What's more, compared with those dull farmers, the merchants are indeed better at persuading... You know that the sale of land is prohibited. How did the representatives of the business alliance defend themselves at the Cavaliers hearing?"

　　 "What did they say?"

"They took out a three-hundred-page analysis report and told everyone on the scene whether an ordinary piece of land is used to grow wheat or to breed sheep, and how big the difference between the two is. Consider the product comprehensively. Value, employment rate, tax payment, national competitiveness, population drainage and other factors, the contribution of land used to harvest woolen raw materials is tens or even a hundred times that of farmland!"

Huggins closed his eyes and said slowly: "So, the merchants merged the peasants' land and gained the support of most people. The latter had to sell their land to the merchants at the so-called "assessed price." If money leaves the high-priced Twilight City, it may be able to sustain it for a while, but if it stays, any farmer’s family will spend it all in less than half a year... So, the beggars you saw before, They are farmers who have spent all their money and lost their livelihoods."

　　 Alfonso was motionless there. After a long time, he scratched his forehead in distress: "I don't understand some things, but I always feel that something is wrong."

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