From Corsica to the Fourth Rome

"But."

Mr. Coggero is still somewhat resistant. To him, printing a bunch of waste paper and then having the government recognize its validity is like a child playing house:

"What's the use of such a banknote? I mean, it's not exchangeable for gold and silver coins, and it doesn't have any guaranteed purchasing power. Even if the Ministry of Finance recognized it as the official currency of Corsica, no one would It’s taken seriously.”

"Its greatest use, Mr. Cogello, is to shut the mouths of these greedy and shameless landowners."

Lawrence pressed the report that compiled the funding requests and said in a deep voice:

"Don't they want money? We will give them money. We will print as much money as they want. Even more than that, enough to buy all their land."

"You mean?!"

Mr. Coggello had an electric current running through his body and looked at Lawrence in shock. Only then did he finally understand what Lawrence meant:

"You want to use this pile of waste paper to buy back the land from the landlords?! Oh my god, this is just like robbery. How can they accept such a request?!"

The only difference between Lawrence's approach and the Ming Dynasty robbery was that he went through a process, grabbing the landlords' land with one hand and giving them a pile of waste paper that was not even useful for wiping their butts.

"They do not have the right to choose to accept or not accept it. This is the reality that must be accepted." Lawrence said stubbornly, ignoring the shocked Coggero.

"You may be right, but..." Cojero gestured at a loss for a long time, and then said incoherently:

"I mean, no matter what, the landowners are also citizens of Corsica, right? In this case, their property is also protected by law. Isn't it morally imprudent for us to do this?"

"Mr. Coggero, we are the government, and we are the government of the Corsican people. As long as it is beneficial to the Corsican people, we will do it."

Lawrence looked at Mr. Coggello incredulously, raised his eyebrows and said:

"If you want to discuss moral issues, you should try your luck in the church. The government never talks about morality. By the way, I'm afraid not many people discuss morality in the church today."

"I understand." Mr. Coggero wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and nodded quickly.

He knew that if he continued to object in front of this tough governor, then he could really spend the rest of his life in a monastery.

Lawrence looked at the obedient Mr. Coggello and nodded with satisfaction.

This is not because Lawrence does not listen to advice, but on the land issue, a major issue related to the foundation of Corsica, Lawrence must use his power to overcome all resistance, whether internal or external.

And for the most important functional department like the Ministry of Finance, Lawrence is also more willing to see a Ministry of Finance that has been domesticated by himself.

Seeing that Mr. Coggello no longer had any objections, Lawrence finally concluded and ordered:

"Very good, you will start printing this batch of banknotes after you go down. In addition, the trial scope of the land tax system will be expanded to the entire Ajaccio administrative region and surrounding towns."

"The whole Ajaccio area. I understand."

Mr. Coggello felt another thump in his heart. The administrative region of Ajaccio and its surrounding towns are equivalent to the entire central Corsica. This means that the establishment of the land tax system will take a big step forward.

At the same time, Mr. Coggero also foresees that the expansion of the trial area will inevitably encounter strong resistance from local landowners and those in the south who are worried about their own harm.

After confirming Lawrence's orders, Mr. Coggello walked out of the Governor's Palace in an uneasy mood.

Just like the last time he learned about Lawrence's plan to reform agricultural taxes, Mr. Coggero once again felt that he was at a critical point in Corsica's destiny.

If Lawrence's reforms can be completed successfully, then this will be the most dazzling achievement of the Ministry of Finance in more than ten years, and even no descendants can surpass it in the following decades.

However, if Lawrence ultimately loses to the entrenched local forces, then Mr. Coggello also knows that in the worst case scenario, it will be time for a new owner in the Governor's Mansion.

"The tide of the times. I am just a bigger splash in this wave."

Mr. Coggero clutched the memo in his hand and said to himself with a wry smile:

"Governor Bonaparte is the one who stands on the crest of the wave, rather he is the wave itself."

In the Governor's Palace, after Mr. Coggello left for a while, Lawrence was still sitting in the study with his eyebrows covered in thought.

Although he acted so tough in front of the Ministry of Finance, Lawrence did not underestimate his enemies.

It is not without reason that these powerful local landlords can continue to exist in Corsica to this day, and even make Poly fear them.

Lawrence's attempt to eradicate the landlord class was to some extent an unconventional approach. If he was not careful, he would be playing with fire and burning himself, causing the Governor's Palace, the highest symbol of power, to find a new owner in just a few months.

However, this does not mean that Lawrence's move is a complete death.

In Lawrence's eyes, although the landlord class is huge in terms of human, financial and political influence and is a behemoth in front of the Corsican government, they still have a fatal weakness.

This weakness is deeply rooted within the landlord class, and it is also the landlords' greatest reliance - the thousands of serfs imprisoned by land leases.

It can be said that these serfs are the biggest source of power of the landlord class. The one percent landlords control the 99 percent of serfs, occupy the fruits of their labor, and drive their labor force. In order to satisfy their endless greed and build their own small kingdom.

These serfs themselves were the group in Corsica that most wanted freedom and their own land. As long as Lawrence could mobilize the power of the masses, it would not be empty talk to overthrow the entire landlord class even through force.

And this is why Lawrence insisted on solving the land issue as soon as possible in the early days of his coming to power.

Because once the government of any country has been in power for a long time, the ruling class itself will be assimilated by the traditional landlord class, just like the nobles and kings of various countries. They themselves are the largest landlords in the country, and naturally it is impossible to attack themselves.

The current Corsican government is essentially a military government in terms of its source of power.

Although Lawrence was also supported by the Corsican people, what enabled him to sit on and secure the governor's chair was the support of the army and soldiers in his hands.

However, Lawrence also knew in his heart that this military dictatorship would not last long, and the Corsican government would eventually return to a normal democratic government.

That's why Lawrence wanted to use this period of time to immediately attack the landlords. Once time passes and the landlord class penetrates and integrates into the new government, it will not be so easy to reform inward.

"In the final analysis, this must be done as soon as possible, but not too hastily. If you miss the mark, you will be doomed."

Lawrence squeezed his slightly sweaty palms, looked at the map of Corsica hanging in the study and murmured softly.

Although he has now decided to take a tough stance against the landowners, it does not mean that Lawrence will unreasonably plunder their land directly like a robber.

Although what Lawrence wanted to do was essentially no different from plundering, since it was in the name of the government, it naturally couldn't be so direct, and the external reputation had to be taken into consideration.

That's why Lawrence asked the Treasury to print a batch of banknotes, at least in name, to appear to be the government acquiring land from landlords.

However, such a name still seems too thin, and I am afraid that even immature children cannot be deceived.

"No, I still need an excuse, or a claim, to attack the landlords."

Lawrence in the study focused his eyes, suddenly had an idea, and shouted loudly to the door:

"Anna, I need Xiadia to come see me immediately!"

Since he was going to do something shady, Lawrence naturally immediately thought of Xia Diya, who he had designated as the future head of the secret police.

After almost more than an hour, the thin girl wearing a linen robe quietly entered Lawrence's study. Her steps were so light that if it weren't for the creaking sound of the door opening, Lawrence wouldn't even notice her arrival.

"You are looking for me, Monsignor Bonaparte." Xia Diya said with care. She had not changed much from a few months ago, but her body was finally no longer as skinny as before.

Lawrence nodded slightly, looked at Xia Diya, pointed to the chair in front of the desk and said:

"Sit down, how are you and your Bread Club doing lately?"

Xia Diya struggled to sit on the armchair that was half her height, and then said calmly:

"Everything is going well. The Bakery Society is growing day by day, thanks to your funding. We are already considering expanding our influence beyond Ajaccio."

After saying that, Xia Diya looked at Lawrence and added:

"Of course, everything will be as you wish, sir. We will always be your most loyal eyes and most concealed daggers."

Since Xia Diya swore her loyalty to Lawrence, with the financial support of the Corsican government and the secret help of the Ajaccio patrol, coupled with Xia Diya's capable leader, this original civilian intelligence organization has also welcomed There has been a period of rapid development.

And Lawrence also needs the existence of such an intelligence agency that is directly responsible for him.

"How is Ajaccio doing during this time? Is there anything special about public opinion?" Lawrence nodded and asked.

Although Mr. Coggello and Major Trifali had briefly reported to him the current situation in Ajaccio and Corsica, Lawrence still had to hear the specific details from intelligence personnel like Xia Diya who were personally rooted in the people.

Xia Diya nodded lightly and responded skillfully:

"In the past few months, the most discussed issue among the public has been the establishment of the Kingdom of Corsica. People have accepted this fact, but many people still have a resistant attitude. But don't worry, people from the Bread Society have been manipulating public opinion. , now the vast majority of people have accepted that this is the price of peace, and only a handful of people are extremely opposed to the monarchy.”

"Yes, I can also see your results."

Lawrence nodded approvingly and said that on the way back to the Governor's Palace, he did hear many citizens praising him for bringing peace. It seems that this is inseparable from Xia Diya's work.

Initially, Lawrence was a little worried about whether his surrender to Louis XV would be understood by most Corsicans.

After all, the people are also ignorant to a certain extent. Most of them are not interested in knowing what kind of powerful enemies are surrounding Corsica. They will only be extremely resistant to a king who rides on their head out of thin air. It may even set off a troublesome turmoil.

But now it seems that with Xia Diya's work, Lawrence's worries can be put aside.

"Besides that, you founded the Corsican National Silver Company in Paris." Xia Diya continued:

"The citizens are very supportive of this, and we have also contributed a little to further beautify the benefits you have brought to the people of Corsica. But this is not the most important thing. The important thing is that since the news came to Corsica, From now on, there will be more people in Ajaccione."

"Are there more people?" Lawrence asked with a frown.

"That's right, they all flocked to Ajaccio from the Corsican countryside. They were obviously dressed in the countryside, and they naturally moved into some vacant houses. I suspect."

Xia Diya's eyes were calm and sharp, and she said slowly:

"This is not normal farmers going to the city. There should be someone behind them."

"In the countryside, it should be the spies sent by the major landowners in the south to Ajaccio to find out the news." Lawrence nodded without surprise.

"Landlord...?" Xia Diya asked with some confusion. Although this girl was very talented in intelligence, Xia Diya's political knowledge was much weaker. She still didn't know why those landlords suddenly sent people to Ayak. Xiao Lai.

Lawrence didn’t know how to explain it to Xia Diya, so he simply said:

"A group of people are about to become enemies, and soon we will be fighting them to death."

"Really? Do we need to take action against these spies, sir?"

A cold light flashed in Xia Diya's eyes, she lowered her head and asked:

"Most of the people inside are under our surveillance and can be arrested at any time."

"No, do these people have any criminal intentions?" Lawrence suddenly asked.

"The crime has not been discovered yet. They are inquiring and exchanging information every day." Xia Diya thought about it for a moment, shook her head and said.

"In this case, we have to first put a hat on them and the masters behind them."

Lawrence looked at Xia Diya and asked in a deep voice:

"The Bread Club should be able to lay out some crimes, right?"

"It's absolutely no problem, sir." Xia Diya said without hesitation:

"What kind of crime do you need to weave into those people?"

"Well, let's consider the most serious one. For example, attacking the Governor of Corsica?"