Three months had passed since Linasha's marriage, and it was now June.
　With this much time having passed, the fact that Lemuria and Kurotsuki had entered into marriage became known to the world.

　It was the Kingdom of False that was in trouble.
　The pressure from both sides, Lemuria and Kurotsuki, had intensified.

　The thought of Sasan VIII's troubled face made Hercule feel very happy.

　Also, as the friendship between the two countries deepened, the trade between the two countries became more active.

　What Hercule wanted from Kurotsuki was a horse.
　As a nomadic tribe, the horses raised by Kurotsuki were all excellent, and as Hercule was always trying to strengthen his cavalry, he wanted to acquire them.

　On the other hand, Kurotsuki wanted wheat and other grains, as well as some luxury goods such as spices.
　The Kuro Thorn, a great empire that straddles the east and west, is the champion of the continental steppes. ......
　The spices that originate from the southern islands are hard to come by.

　Being able to obtain them through the Lemurian Empire was of great significance.

　On the other hand, a lot of silk was imported to Lemuria without going through the Kingdom of Fars.

　Well, these trades had been going on from the beginning, but ......
　This trade became more and more active.

　But not all went well.
　Some people ridiculed Hercule, saying that he sold his sister for his own benefit.

　This was from both inside and outside the Lemurian Empire.

　It is difficult to say that they are not wrong.



　However, the fact that they had entered into a marriage did not mean that they would immediately attack Phallus.
　Phallus is still a powerful nation.
　Hercule did not move his army and focused on internal affairs.


　June is the wheat harvest season.
　The climate of the Lemurian Empire differs greatly from place to place, so there are areas with bad harvests and areas with good harvests.

　This year, however, the entire country experienced a relatively poor harvest.

　In order to lower the price of wheat, Hercule instructed the wheat guilds to increase wheat imports from the Taurica Peninsula.
　He was also discussing with his vassals to increase the amount of wheat rationed to avoid the possibility of starvation in the city. ......
　The news came to Hercule's ears.



　He was discussing with his vassals the possibility of increasing the amount of wheat rationed.
　The peasants, dissatisfied with the rents, have rallied and are besieging the halls of the nobles, demanding ...... that the rents be lowered.
　So far, no noblemen have been killed, but some of those involved in the uprising have been injured, and the situation is having a negative impact on distribution. ......

　Hearing this, Hercule smiled.

　"Finally, I've waited long enough.








　After giving instructions about the disturbance, Hercule was having a tea party with Carolina, Lunalie and Nia.
　Sifanny poured tea into their cups.

　I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but I think it's a good idea. In any case, the land tax was raised in the name of integrating the per capita tax and the land tax. It's not surprising that the aristocrats would argue that it's reasonable to raise the rent from the peasants since they are now paying the per capita tax that the peasants used to pay.

　"Huh. ...... Well, you're certainly right, sir.

　She listened to Hercule's explanation and ......
　I'm sure you're right.

　The lowering of the per capita tax had temporarily improved the lives of the peasants.
　And the peasants supported Hercule.
　However, in the following years, the nobles started to raise the rent, saying, "We are paying for what you are not paying, so you should pay for it.

　They are in a position of renting, and the claim itself is not wrong. ...... Rather, considering the reason for raising the land tax, it is a legitimate one, and the peasants cannot complain.
　This is why the Lemurian Empire raised the land tax.

　Some aristocrats thought that if they were going to raise the rent, they should raise it even more than the loss of the land tax.

　For the peasants who had been paying the per capita tax diligently, the increase would only be about zero or a slight increase, but for the peasants who had been dodging the ...... tax, the burden would have increased at once.

　In other words, the peasants were impoverished.

　In other words, the peasants were impoverished, but Hercule didn't care as long as the taxes came in.

　At first glance, it looks like the structure of a corrupt nobleman and a poor peasant being exploited.
　But the aristocrats are desperate.

　The aristocracy does not live in luxury. 　
　It is rare to find a nobleman without debts, and there are many who are forced to give up their land.

　If the nobles do not raise the rent, more than a third of the noble families will fall within 20 years.

　It is natural for the aristocrats to say, "Why should we pay the taxes of the peasants?
　If we look at the source of the problem, it may be seen as the fault of the peasants who continued to cheat on the per capita tax.

　It does not mean that either side is to blame.

　But what is important here is that the uprising that occurred in ...... Misrule was not a rebellion. Their anger was directed at the nobles, not at me. Make no mistake about it.

　It is not a revolt to reduce taxes or cancel debts, or a movement of the people united against religious oppression against the state and against Hercule.

　It is the landowning aristocracy and the peasants who are in conflict with each other who are participating in this uprising.
　From the point of view of the peasants, it is a nuisance and a racket, and from the point of view of the nobles and peasants, who maintain good relations with each other, it is something else.

　"Well, the point is. If I intercede here, my authority will rise.

　Hercule said with a smug face.
　However, Lunalie interrupted him.

　I'm sure you're not the only one.
　"That's a good question, Mr. Lunary.

　Hercule smirks.

　"Of course we'll kill all the ringleaders. And anyone who participates in the uprising will be fined. They'll be paid in installments so they can pay up.

　No matter what the reason, it's not a good reason to start a riot.
　As the sovereign of the Lemurian Empire, it is only natural that he should give priority to order.

　What do you mean, "I've been waiting for ......"?　Your Majesty.

　Nia asked Hercule.
　You can find a lot more information on the web at the moment.

　What for? ...... I wanted to make life better for the peasants.


　I don't want to pretend to be something I'm not, so why don't you tell me what's really going on?

　When Karolina said this, Hercule frowned in annoyance.

　"You are rude. What's wrong with me wanting to raise the standard of living of my people? I'm a monarch, remember?　Well, to be more precise than ......, my goal is to stimulate the economy by raising the standard of living of the peasants.

　The Lemurian Empire is a state with a well-balanced pyramidal population of landowners, farmers, and peasants, but in any case, the percentage of peasants is high.

　Hercule's goal is to increase the national strength of the Lemurian Empire as a whole by raising their economic power.

　In order to do so, it is necessary to lower the rents of the nobles while moderating them to the extent that they do not become impoverished.

　"I see, so ...... what exactly are you going to do?

　Lunalee asked.
　This time the uprising was in a very limited area in the province of Misr, and of course that alone will not make the peasants of the entire empire rich.

　What was the cause of this uprising in the first place?　What caused the uprising in the first place was the poor wheat harvest throughout the empire. According to my research, many of the nobles who were involved in the uprisings had fixed rents ......, meaning that they had predetermined the amount of wheat they would pay. And they did not reduce the rents at all.

　There are many ways to pay rent.

　There are two types of payment.
　Fixed and percentage.

　In outdated places, there are also labor rents.

　In other words, ...... should reduce the rent of the peasants who caused the uprisings to the harvest rate system.

　In addition, ...... the fact that peasants cannot go against the aristocracy and cannot object to it is the root of the problem. The problem is that the environment is such that people think that they can't be accepted without direct action like this ....... The solution, then, is to establish a ...... place for objections, a court to handle disputes between landowners and peasants.

　"But won't the ...... court rule in favor of the nobility?　I don't think the peasants can afford a good lawyer. ......

　Nia nodded her head.
　In addition to economic power, there is a big difference in personal connections between nobles and peasants.

　The judges who decide the cases are intellectuals such as bureaucrats and aristocrats, who are naturally more on the side of the landowners than the peasants.

　"That's why I'm thinking of asking the monastery of cultivation. They know a lot about farmland.
　"I see!

　Nia looked satisfied.
　The Order of Reclamation is a group that refuses even to donate land.

　They would gladly cooperate with even a small donation if it would benefit the peasants.
　They are also sincere and do not accept bribes.

　He is also very knowledgeable about farmland and knows how to make decisions.
　And he is trusted by the ...... farmers.

　We're going to ask the brothers and other monks to join us.

　But the brotherhoods will mainly be moving their activities overseas, and the holy monks are a noble group.
　But the brotherhoods will have to move their activities overseas, and the holy monks are a group of nobles.

　I'm sure you're not the only one.　Your Majesty.
　"Well, that's true, but ...... there will be a backlash from the landowners. You have to go through a scary time before you can reflect on what you've done.

　What a policy needs is to explain how it is necessary.
　It doesn't matter how good the policy is, if you can't answer the question, "What's the problem with the current policy? It is no good if you can't answer the question.
　And even if you can answer ......, you need to be aware of the necessity to convince people of it.

　The landowners of Misrule Province must have been very scared by this incident.
　And the landowners of other provinces must be worried about their own future.

　It was originally a policy to suppress the nobility. ......
　But by issuing it at this time, it turns into a policy that alleviates the concerns of the aristocracy.

　If the money is recast, prices will surely rise. That will hurt the economically weak. I wanted to improve it while I could. It's not fortuitous that it happened at just the right time.

　Hercule nodded in satisfaction.

　Now, after ......, we have to deal with the urban poor. This is also a bad idea if you don't take care of them before the casting .......

　At the same time as Hercule said this, ......
　There was the sound of running.

　It was Todoris.

　"Your Majesty, ...... here you are!　I'm sorry for my rudeness!　I have urgent news!
　What is it?
　Your High Priestess, the Medium, has died. And ...... Gregorius has ascended to the throne as the new Pope .......

　Even Hercule's eyes widened at this ......
　It's

　It's ......
　This meant that Hercule's western and religious policies of the Lemurian Empire had been turned upside down.