A Plan to Fleece the Royal Family

Just as Rhine Green was settling into the expectation of uneventfully completing his four-ring construct, trouble, with an almost uncanny predictability, found its way to him.

“Mr. Rhine, Lord Philip requests your presence in his office for a discussion.”

‘Was this an early interview, or merely an inquiry into his recent activities?’

‘Surely, the esteemed third master wouldn’t be so idle as to personally oversee the arrangements of a mere young male servant, would he?’

Such extensive pondering proved fruitless.

Rhine Green could only acquiesce, knocking promptly on the door of Philip’s office at the appointed time.

“Come in.”

Upon entering, a faint, refreshing scent of mint permeated the room.

The interior was simply and unpretentiously furnished; aside from essential tables and chairs, it was devoid of ornamentation.

Only a grand landscape oil painting adorned the wall behind the spacious desk, yet it exuded an air of magnanimous elegance.

Before the solid wood desk, the gentle and refined Philip offered a welcoming smile and a gesture to sit.

Rhine Green politely followed the invitation, taking a seat before the desk.

It was only then that he noticed another person standing by the table.

‘Chris?’

‘Well, that made sense.’

‘As the family’s eldest son, he would inevitably need to take charge of various matters.’

‘Gaining practical experience was crucial, which explained his frequent presence beside the desk.’

‘Presumably, Philip’s invitation this time was also related to business matters.’

“Oh, there’s no need to be formal.”

“I’m not here to interview you on your servant skills.”

“Finding an attendant for my difficult-to-please daughter is truly a challenge.”

“It’s a blessing if she doesn’t chase someone away, so your ability to stay is truly wonderful.”

‘A poignant scent of a father’s struggle…’

‘His standards must have been lowered repeatedly by his daughter, hitting rock bottom.’

“Actually, the matter we are discussing now has a direct connection to you.”

“Thanks to you and Audrey, crayfish farming has flourished as an emerging industry in Lanburg County.”

“However, when any new industry is established, it invariably requires the formulation of standardized regulations.”

“Recently, numerous complications have arisen concerning crayfish affairs throughout the territory—”

As the conversation turned to the main topic, Rhine Green’s spirits immediately lifted.

“Just a month ago, farmers considered crayfish pests; their price was negligible, and they would have gladly given them away for free.”

“Who would have thought the market direction would shift so rapidly?”

“Before, we complained about the crayfish’s proliferation, but now, even more growth wouldn’t be enough.”

“This has led to a trend of ‘abandoning cultivation for shrimp farming’.”

“People always enjoy trying new things when they first emerge.”

“Here in Lanburg County, the local price for crayfish is one copper Koller per kilogram.”

“However, in outer counties, particularly more remote regions, the price is two copper Kollers per pound.”

“This nearly fourfold exorbitant profit has prompted merchants from all industries to switch to transporting crayfish, leading to the abandonment of vast rice paddies.”

“While this might bring us immense economic gains in the short term, it may not necessarily be a good thing from a long-term perspective.”

“As a major grain-producing county, Lanburg County is required to regularly submit large quantities of grain to the Imperial Court each autumn for reserves.”

“If this trend continues, and assuming 40% of our arable land is abandoned, I estimate that once we’ve paid our grain tribute, ensuring our local populace’s basic sustenance will become a significant problem by winter.”

‘Ah… another problem of market supply and demand.’

‘Simply put, local supply exceeds demand, while external supply falls short.’

‘Poor information flow has led merchants to switch professions to profit from price differences, leaving local farmlands abandoned and creating enormous grain issues.’

“Is there any way to drive down the prices in the outer counties?”

Philip shook his head regretfully.

“While the Cavendish family’s influence is strong, we cannot directly dictate pricing in the outer counties.”

“Local lords hold the most sway over prices, and deploying our leverage solely for this purpose would undoubtedly be a waste of resources.”

Chris, standing nearby, ventured to speak.

“Uncle, perhaps we should simply revert to the first plan: raise the price of rice and increase taxes on crayfish merchants.”

“That should at least curb the current trend somewhat, compelling those farmers and merchants to exercise restraint.”

Philip silently perused a stack of ledgers on his desk.

“This is the most common and straightforward solution, yet its drawbacks are equally evident.”

“Raising grain prices is an unjust act; if even Lanburg County elevates the baseline, what will become of the grain-deficient outer counties?”

“Political rivals would undoubtedly seize upon this to create difficulties for your father in the council.”

“Indiscriminately increasing taxes on crayfish merchants would allow large trade guilds to exploit the opportunity for monopolies and illicit profits, while small merchants would be forced to harbor resentment towards us…”

Philip spoke eloquently, his arguments logical and sound.

Though his words were approachable and persuasive, a profound aura of strategic command naturally emanated from him.

Rhine Green couldn’t help but nod covertly.

Audrey’s father was indeed a benevolent man, which explained why he would raise… No, wait!

‘How could such a man raise a little hellion like that?!’

The atmosphere within the office grew somber.

Chris proposed one solution after another, each invariably rejected by Philip.

The conversation between the two couldn’t help but remind Rhine Green of a timeless adage.

‘For every policy from above, there’s a countermeasure from below.’

‘Capital is inherently profit-driven, making regulation extraordinarily difficult, let alone balancing it with the moral obligations towards the common populace.’

Of course, Rhine Green was merely a sorcerer, possessing scant knowledge of the intricacies of the commercial world.

‘To know what you know, and to know what you don’t know, is true wisdom.’

‘An amateur shouldn’t pretend expertise; otherwise, they’re like a novice alchemist mistaking fool’s gold for true treasure, or a hedge-wizard claiming mastery over the cosmic arts.’

‘Flaunting one’s limited skills before a master would only make an already barren mind appear even more withered.’

As he pondered, an inspiration unique to sorcerers suddenly struck him.

“I have a plan.”

“Please elaborate.”

“The breeding cycle of crayfish… I believe both of you are already aware that it takes six to eight months for a crayfish to grow from hatching to maturity.”

“Currently, at least 40% of the crayfish on the market are still immature.”

“First, we can start with market regulation, deploying personnel to reject unqualified crayfish.”

“This would also provide an opportunity to suppress prices from the bottom up.”

“The second step concerns the farmers.”

“It’s unrealistic to simply order those common folk who have switched to crayfish farming to revert to growing rice.”

“Firstly, they’ve already made the change, so it’s inconvenient.”

“Secondly, the rice has already missed its optimal planting season, and the result would still be a poor harvest.”

Rhine Green, brimming with enthusiasm, boldly proposed.

“So, my plan is this: the grain tribute due to the Imperial Court this autumn can be discounted.”

“The missing portion, we can simply substitute with fully-grown crayfish… after all, crayfish command a higher price, so it’ll be a bargain for them.”

Philip and Chris fell silent after hearing his proposal.

‘A bargain for them?’

‘Indeed, it would be a bargain for them!’

‘The Imperial Court wasn’t lacking for a bit of grain, and the Imperial City was, after all, an outer county.’

‘Instead of relying on trade guilds to speculate, it would be better for their family to use the grain as collateral at a “friendly price” under official auspices, leaving both sides smiling in the end.’

‘Who was the genius, so utterly devoid of virtue, who conceived of a plan to fleece the Norman Royal Family?!’

“Rhine Green—”

“My Lord.”

“Why don’t you simply become my attendant as well?”

“Audrey won’t get jealous, hmm… probably.”

Philip gazed tenderly at the young boy, while a certain individual felt a sudden clenching sensation from head to toe.

“This… My Lord, this wouldn’t be appropriate, it’s not quite in accordance with the rules…”

“What’s ‘appropriate’ or ‘not appropriate’ about it?”

“Aren’t rules meant to be changed as one sees fit?”

“I’ll give you more money, and there will be ample benefits.”

“During the day, you’ll come to my office, and at night, you’ll accompany Audrey—wouldn’t that be splendid?”

Philip’s refined and handsome face was filled with genuine expectation.

‘It seems… being caught between this father-daughter pair would be… interesting. Bah! Who am I kidding!’

‘The Cavendish family are all old foxes; he must have grand schemes, coveting my astonishing, peerless talent!’

‘Hmph, after all, the renowned Mr. Green is not someone who can be hired for any amount of money!’

“Please forgive my refusal; I am already the young lady’s attendant.”

“Ah, what an impeccable answer, it leaves me feeling quite inadequate.”

“Originally, when I invited you here, there was indeed an element of interviewing you.”

“However, it now appears that is no longer necessary.”

Philip rose to his feet, satisfied, and solemnly handed Rhine Green an ornate letter of appointment.

“With you by her side, Audrey… will surely smile more often.”