When the directors of Northwest Industries (that is, the gang of lords) learned that there was going to be a big business worth millions of silver coins on their heads, they went crazy with joy.

When Paul proposed the establishment of Northwest Industries, the lords participated in it with the mentality of earning some extra money for fun. No one expected that it would become their important source of income now.

They all drove to Huxin Town from their respective territories, vying to see the mysterious client who paid a fortune.

It turned out that he was from the Horn Bay League, and he was the eldest son of the Foster family, which was a big deal.

In the past few years, because Arda has led the tide of foreign trade, the previously closed Northwest Gulf has gradually come into contact with all aspects of the outside world. The lords know the status of the Foster family in the Horn Bay Alliance.

Flattering, fawning, hospitable lords held round after round of banquets to entertain the two Foster brothers.

In Earl Price Parker's newly built mansion in Lake Town, a lively dinner party was just finished. After the guests dispersed, the mansion fell silent.

In the bridge room on the second floor, several people were still playing cards around the table and chatting quietly.

They are Paul Greiman, Earl of Arda, Myron Garnard, Earl of Bairding, Winifred Heller, Earl of Portree, Henry Ferdinand, Duke of Northwest, and the Earl of Larnaca. That is, the owner of the mansion, Earl Price Parker.

These five people are also the five most influential directors in Northwest Industries.

Another person in the room was Earl Heller's son Derrick Heller, but instead of playing at the table, he stood by and waited on his handicapped father.

Paul straightened his poker and said, "Everyone, with the continuous increase of foreign trade, I think the plan for the customs union can't just stay on paper... Haha, I'm lucky tonight."

He threw out several consecutive cards at once.

"I think so too!" Macron echoed, of course everyone knew that he and Paul wore a pair of pants.

The expressions on the faces of the others vary.

"Hey! I agree too."

Duke Henry Ferdinand said with a smile, "It should have been done long ago."

The territory directly under the Ferdinand family is Manda, and its dominant products are all kinds of agricultural products, while the dominant products of Arda and Berdin are all kinds of manufacturing products, and the two sides do not conflict with each other, and the cheap salt and cheap iron agricultural tools produced by Arda Inland and agricultural territories like Manda are in great demand, and there is no toll on large and small territories along the way, so these things sold to Manda will be cheaper. Of course, if each other cancels tariffs, they will not be able to collect tolls on their own land. It is really painful to think about it, but there are gains and losses, and we must take a long-term view.

Seriously speaking, Henry's current position in the aristocratic circle of the Northwest Gulf is a bit awkward. According to tradition, the Ferdinand family should have been the head of the lords of the Northwest Gulf, but they let their vassals control them in the war of usurpers. Losing, the current Patriarch still relied on the support of outsiders to ascend to the Duke position, which dealt a big blow to the family's prestige, and the Duke's brand was not so bright anymore.

The one who has risen the fastest in the past few years is Paul Gleiman, who was still unknown before. Not to mention the powerful force shown in the Usurper War, but the establishment of the Northwest Industry after the war, so that those who participated in it Everyone has made a lot of money, which has already made many people have a good impression of him. Prestige cannot be established with a stick alone without a carrot.

Coupled with the fact that his superiority mainly depends on the strength of Arda's army, Henry feels weird every time he and Paul are on the same occasion. Fortunately, Paul gave him a lot of face. Every time he met, he would salute respectfully first, and he would call himself on any good things, and he would communicate with himself in advance about big moves like the customs union. So Henry was also happy to use the remaining prestige of the family to cooperate with Paul.

It was Earl Parker and Earl Heller. They looked at each other, and the expressions on their faces were indescribable.

The two had previously promised to support the establishment of a customs union, but encountered great resistance in the actual operation.

Paul looked at them like I understood.

"I know what you are worried about, so you all come here and listen to me."

The five stood up, their heads forming a circle on the small card table.

"Ah, do this? Is it okay?"

"Why are you still hesitating, if those country bumpkins don't know how to advance or retreat, they will all click."

"I'll see if I can try it."

…

"Okay, that's it, let's advance and retreat together."

After the discussion, the five lords sat down again.

Parker hesitated and said, "That...Earl Malcolm has never been interested in our plan. Do you want to persuade him again? There are so many people."

Paul and Henry Ferdinand looked sour and said nothing.

Earl Molly Malcolm, one of the initiators of the opposition to the Kent family at the time.

If you want to say who contributed the most in the Usurper War at that time, everyone may disagree, but if you want to say who danced the most after the war, it should be the Earl of Malcolm.

What made Paul unbearable the most was that Earl Malcolm always acted like a senior in front of him... "remind" him.

In short, according to some people who don't know the truth, Paul's current achievements are thanks to the support of the elder, Malcolm.

And for the current Northwest Duke Henry Ferdinand, Malcolm is a bit disrespectful.

Before the others could speak, Derrick, who had been standing silently behind his father, expressed his objection first. "It would definitely be a mistake to bring that guy Malkan in? He is a greedy and mean guy."

Earl Heller's face darkened, and he reprimanded his son: "Shut up, you don't have a place to talk here, and you still talk about others, and stand aside."

Derrick was unconvinced: "I'm not talking absurdly. Ever since Malcolm joined Northwest Industries, he saw that it was profitable. My surname is Malcolm."

"Oh!" Earl Parker shook his head, he had also heard about Malcolm.

It's better not to contact Malkan yet, and the lords silently made such a decision.

The next step is the most critical, the distribution of external tariffs.

In the so-called customs union, everyone in the alliance circle exempts tolls from each other, but for the entry and exit charges of goods outside the alliance, it is not less than a penny.

However, due to geographical reasons, some territories can collect a large amount of external tariffs, such as Arda, which has an outlet to the sea, while some territories cannot.

Therefore, under Paul's suggestion, the tax collected from external goods is used as the alliance's public treasury ~lightnovelpub.net~ to be used for the expenditure of the alliance's public affairs, such as paying the salaries of the staff, or supporting the foundation of the transportation backward areas Facilities construction, if there is a surplus, is distributed in proportion to the population of each member realm - and then it is up to the respective lords to decide how to use it.

Whoever has a territory with as many people as possible will come if they can't open their mouths.

But apart from Paul's rough statistics in his own jurisdiction, the lords of this era only had a rough estimate of the number of their own people.

So again under Paul's proposal, the customs union needs to set up a statistics committee.

In addition to counting the population and providing a basis for the distribution of public treasury, the Statistical Committee also counts the economic and trade data of the alliance, such as the quantity and value of imported and exported goods, etc., which provide the basis for the alliance to formulate trade policies.

It may take on more statistical responsibilities in the future.

Who will be in charge of running this statistical committee?

"I propose that Brother Macron be the chairman of the committee."

Henry Ferdinand made his opinion loudly.

"This...is still for everyone to discuss." Myron stood up and gave way with embarrassment.

"Brother Mellon is impartial, rigorous, and serious in his work. It will be no problem for the committee to be handed over to him."

His Excellency the Duke insisted on his opinion.

"I second!"

Paul also expressed his opinion.

Then Henry, Paul, and McLone stared at the remaining two together.

"I...I...I have no objection in principle." Earl Heller whispered with some hesitation.

"That... well, I also believe in Earl Garnard."

Earl Parker had no choice but to agree.

Anyway, no matter who is in charge of the committee, each collar will arrange its own people to play the role of mutual supervision.

In this way, the long-delayed customs union was finally formally decided to be established.