Lord Harland

Chapter 483 Kingdom Finance

After the establishment of the Kingdom of Harland, Richard successively established departments directly under the cabinet such as foreign affairs and finance. As time went by, each department was gradually streamlined. In January 3282 of the Dawn Calendar, the financial situation of the Kingdom of Harland was sent to Richard. in hand.

Now Richard has three territories under his name, distributed in different regions and even planes. The territory is geographically separated into different areas, so it is naturally very difficult to manage, and it is obviously centrifugal.

Only a founding monarch like Richard could have the prestige to suppress local forces and unify the three territories into one kingdom.

The first is the Kingdom of Harland itself, which covers an area of ​​1.26 million square kilometers and has a total population of 17 million including its vassals.

The local population is 17 million, and there are 14.6 million free people. The land tax alone can collect 4.9 million gold coins a year, which is equivalent to 80% of the level of the Grant royal family.

Haaland collected only one-third of the agricultural tax, while the Grant royal family could collect 80% of the agricultural tax. In terms of the area of ​​cultivated farmland, the Grant royal family controls slightly more land than the Harland Territory.

However, the Harland Territory's agricultural income has exceeded that of the Grant royal family. The agricultural income is equivalent to 1.5 times that of the royal family. A very important reason is that the Harland Territory officials have clear governance, and Richard's deterrence to the bureaucrats is far greater than that of the Roger Kingdom. Heavy, the tax collector's corruption is far less serious than that of the Grant Kingdom.

Another important reason is that the Harland Territory’s agricultural cultivation technology is higher, far exceeding the average level of the Grant Kingdom.

The first is the large-scale use of potash fertilizer mines. Now Harland produces 150,000 tons of potassium fertilizer every year, which can be used to fertilize 10 million acres of land.

According to statistics from the agricultural department, one pound of fertilizer applied to wheat planting can increase production by four pounds, and releasing 150,000 tons of potassium fertilizer can increase grain production by 600,000 tons.

The second is the large-scale use of farmyard manure, which has increased Harland's average yield per mu from 140 kilograms to 240 kilograms, one acre to 100 kilograms, and five acres to 500 kilograms. If the land allocated to one person increases by 500 jins of grain, Harland will be able to collect 160 jins of taxes. An increase in tax revenue of two silver coins for one person may seem small, but when enlarged to 14.6 million free people, it can increase tax revenue by 2.3 million gold coins, which plays a huge role in the finance.

In addition, Leader Harland also likes to build water conservancy projects and cultivate improved seeds. The average yield per mu still has room to increase. In a few years, the southern province of Rex will be merged into the headquarters' finances, and the agricultural tax alone can collect tens of millions of gold coins. funds.

Over the years, local steel production increased to 450,000 tons.

As the supply of steel increased, the price of iron became lower and lower. Due to the construction of railways, logistics costs were greatly reduced. Relying on railway transportation, a large amount of steel flowed into friendly countries such as Grant and Stanik. The iron mines and blacksmith shops run by the traditional nobles are simply unable to compete with the large industries of the Harland Kingdom. In recent years, they have basically gone bankrupt, and the steel markets of the two countries have basically fallen under the control of the Harland Kingdom.

Although the profit from smelting one ton of steel is only 15 silver coins now, which does not seem high, but if the total amount is enlarged to 450,000, it can still bring Harland a profit of 560,000 gold coins.

The reduction in steel prices can not only limit inflation and improve the living standards of the people under the rule, but also reduce the cost of infrastructure construction, which will also greatly promote the development of industry.

If Richard monopolizes the supply of steel and raises the price of iron products, although he can earn a lot of gold coins, it will push up the cost of infrastructure and hinder industrial development. Even if he earns a lot of gold coins, they can only be stored in the warehouse.

Although gold coins are good, they cannot be eaten or worn. If they are not circulated, they will be of no use to the development of the territory.

The production of brown sugar has also increased significantly, reaching 40,000 tons last year. As brown sugar production increased, Leader Harland once again lowered the retail price of brown sugar to four copper coins per kilogram. Harland has been receiving grain prices for 30 years, which have been relatively stable. The price of wheat this year is still one copper coin for three kilograms. The price ratio of grain to brown sugar has dropped to twelve to one, which is equivalent to the level of Richard's previous life, the Ming Dynasty.

The price of brown sugar has been reduced to this ratio, and it has entered thousands of households. Even the indentured slave department of Harland will allocate some brown sugar to slaves.

Although the price of sugar has dropped a lot, the net profit from producing one ton of brown sugar is still more than seven gold coins. Forty thousand tons of brown sugar can bring Harland a profit of 280,000 gold coins.

As of this year, Harland has been running the brown sugar industry for 30 years. He has cultivated more than 500,000 acres of brown sugar plantations. The yield of brown sugar per acre is about 80 kilograms. There are brown sugar trees along the way from Fort William to Fort Depot and Losar Basin. traces. Nowadays, brown sugar planting industry is already a very important industry.

With the development of the economy, sugar prices continue to decrease, and the market is still expanding greatly.

Harland led the development of the brown sugar industry thirty years in advance, and no other nobles could compete with him. After careful consideration, Richard decided to give up all control of the brown sugar industry. After the brown sugar trees are matured and bred in the magic plantation, they will be sold to the poor in the Eagle Mountains.

Through detailed calculations, the output value of planting brown sugar trees on one acre of land is eight times that of growing food. The cultivated land in mountainous areas is barren and it is difficult for industry to develop successfully. Planting brown sugar trees can increase the income of mountain people, which is a good thing for economic development.

Although the brown sugar planting department strongly opposed it, Richard made up his mind and did not care about the interests of the department at all. The spread of brown sugar saplings was inevitable.

In addition to steel and brown sugar, the Harland Kingdom's bulk income includes arms trade, coal and medicine. The arms trade, in particular, can bring Harland a profit of millions of gold coins a year.

Coal and medicine are also bulk industries, and together they can bring Harland a net profit of 600,000 gold coins a year.

The two important industries of flour and textiles are larger than coal and pharmaceuticals, and can bring Harland a profit of 700,000 gold coins a year.

Coupled with soaps, soaps, four-wheeled carriages, coinage income, bank income and other miscellaneous income, the financial income of the Harland Kingdom last year was as high as 9.3 million gold coins.

This fiscal revenue is 3.6 million gold coins more than that of the Grant Kingdom, ranking first among the more than 20 kingdoms in the east.

The headquarters of the Harland Kingdom has very high finances, and the southern province of Rex is also a prosperous place. Last year, the land tax alone collected 1.6 million gold coins in taxes. This was because Richard pardoned rural farming and animal husbandry. Indentured servants reduced the proportion of taxes collected from the countryside. Otherwise, according to the old rules of the United Kingdom of the East Coast, the Duke of Rex could collect agricultural taxes of two million gold coins.

The province of Rex has been owned by the Harland family for a year and a half. During the past year and a half, Richard has transferred tens of thousands of bureaucrats to the province of Rex.

With this bureaucratic team of tens of thousands of people, Lord Harland has completely brought the province of Rex under his control. A large number of prospectors began to enter the Rex Province to explore the mineral veins. Some manufacturing factories also moved to the Duchy of Rex, such as shipyards, soap factories, and textile factories. Brick kiln factory and so on.

It’s just that in the first few years, the industry needed investment and had not yet made profits.

In addition, the railway department also sent surveyors to prepare for the construction of railways in Rex Province to facilitate the deployment of troops.

The last territory was the Red Moon Plane. As the forces of the Kingdom of Harland entered the Red Moon Plane, about 1.8 million square kilometers of land was sealed to Richard. There are approximately 5.6 million people in this territory. This population density is far less than that of the three wealthy provinces of Heihe, Central, and Rex. It can only be equated with desolate places like the East Coast Province and Puliland Province.

In addition, the territory of the Red Moon Plane is not popular among the people. Although it is vast, it does not tax much. Last year, it only collected less than 600,000 gold coins, which was not enough to maintain the cost of maintaining an 80,000 garrison.

The only good news is that the Red Moon Plane can now provide Harland Territory with a large amount of magic crystals. As the frequency of opening of plane channels decreases, the Red Moon Plane can provide Harland Territory with 18,000 magic crystals a year. The pure profit, plus these eighteen thousand magic crystals, allowed Richard to reduce some losses.

The three territories combined have a total fiscal revenue of 11.5 million gold coins, which is about twice the level of the Grant Kingdom.

In addition, the three territories combined can provide Richard with 130,000 magic crystals. Since the hidden danger in the princess mausoleum was resolved, Harland leader added a large magic well. After adding the sunglasses charging array, it can charge 24,000 magic crystals in a year.

Today, the Harland Territory owns the princess's mausoleum, two large magic wells at the bottom of the snowy lake, the giant dragon's lair, two medium-sized magic wells at Kanas Magic Academy, the ogre's lair, the Tower of Flame, the Tower of Lightning, the Tower of Petrification, and the Giant Dragon's Lair. There are five small magic wells in the Dragon Canyon plane channel. These magic wells can charge 80,000 magic crystals in a year.

Among the three territories, there are a total of nine magic crystal mines, which can mine 22,000 magic crystals a year. The red moon plane also controls a demiplane rich in magic crystals, which can add 10,000 magic crystals every year. crystal. In addition to selling potions and alchemy props, the Harland Mage Association can also earn a profit of 18,000 magic crystals a year.

Although the financial revenue of the Harland Kingdom has exceeded ten million gold coins, its annual revenue and expenditure have also increased significantly in recent years.

The Kingdom of Harland now has 270,000 troops, including 80,000 troops stationed in the Red Moon plane, 40,000 troops stationed in Rex Province, and the remaining 140,000 troops, 100,000, stationed in the Harland territory itself. , the remaining 40,000 people were guest troops, stationed in Earl Philip of Grant Kingdom.

Richard is preparing to slowly transfer these 40,000 guest troops back to Harland. If not for the strong request of the Roger Kingdom, the 40,000 Harland Army would have withdrawn last year.

With the demise of the United Kingdom on the East Coast, Delong and Lane were also a little frightened.

The results of this war made it clear to the two kings Anton and Thomas that the military strength of the alliance between Grant and Haaland had exceeded that of the Three Kingdoms Alliance on the East Coast. Now that the east coast is destroyed and without 600,000 troops to contain it, Lane and DeLong cannot defeat the Grant and Haaland alliance.

Under the auspices of the Holy Glory Empire, Delong and Lane signed a peace contract with the Kingdom of Grant. As long as the kings of the three countries are alive, they will not be able to initiate a war.

As for the Kingdom of Harland, since it does not border Delon and Lane, Richard naturally does not need to sign.

The number of troops increased to 270,000, and military pay alone cost nearly three million gold coins every year.

To support an army of 270,000, it would cost nearly 600,000 gold coins every year in logistics.

The maintenance cost of the 270,000 troops alone would cost 3.6 million gold coins a year.

The army not only needs maintenance costs, but also needs to invest huge sums of money to replenish equipment. Building a magic crystal cannon costs 2,000 gold coins, a magic airship costs 5,000 gold coins, and refining a seventh-level steel golem costs 40,000 gold coins. Huge amounts of gold coins. Even the cheapest individual armor will cost several gold coins per set.

On average, Harland's annual investment in equipment is approximately one million gold coins.

Among the three territories, the total number of people who rely on the fiscal system is nearly 500,000, of which 80,000 are government civil servants and 420,000 are employees of official enterprises.

The combined salaries of 500,000 people would cost 2.8 million gold coins a year.

In addition to the education and medical facilities, it costs 500,000 gold coins per year, and the scientific research institutes and magic research departments also need 800,000 gold coins per year.

Although Harland's income is as high as 11.5 million, he actually only has a balance of less than 2 million gold coins after one year.

These 2.2 million gold coins will also be invested in a large number of infrastructure and industrial projects.

Last year, Harland led the construction of more than 300 kilometers of railways, which cost more than 400,000 gold coins. More than 200 kilometers of roads were built at a cost of 80,000 gold coins. A dozen small reservoirs were built at a cost of hundreds of thousands of gold coins. In addition to some miscellaneous projects, the infrastructure cost alone was 870,000. Gold coins are roughly equivalent to 7.5% of fiscal revenue.

Richard will not store the remaining more than one million gold coins in the vault, but invest them in industrial projects.

Richard's treasury in Fort William only had less than 600,000 gold coins in stock. Compared with the territory that likes to store gold coins in the treasury, Richard prefers to let money run and circulate in the territory.

The main reason why the finances of the Kingdom of Harland are so tight is the heavy military expenses. The annual investment in military expenditure alone reaches 4.6 million gold coins, which is far beyond the standards of the Grant royal family.

The Grant royal family has a total of eleven legions of regular troops and six legions of auxiliary troops. The royal family directly supports 300,000 troops. Including logistical supplies, the annual cost is 3.4 million gold coins.

The cost of raising an army was huge. Although it made the Kingdom of Harland seem a little embarrassed, it also helped Richard gain a great reputation, help him wear the crown, drive away the orcs, and win peace.

According to Richard's estimation, Harland will usher in a period of peace in a short period of time. As technical equipment is gradually full, Harland has gradually reduced weapons and equipment expenses in recent years. Even though Richard is still preparing to expand the army by 30,000, The amount of military spending will not increase significantly. The province of Rex will also gradually pardon indentured servants, greatly increasing the domestic demand market.

As the domestic demand market increases, local industries will naturally increase production capacity, and fiscal revenue will continue to grow. By then, fiscal pressure will gradually ease.

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