Chapter 643: Chapter 643 - 375: Count Harvey (2)

The commands from the Imperial Capital kept coming, the coastal tax system changed again and again, and the preparatory agenda for the Dragon Throne meeting was getting thicker with each page.The old nobles schemed against each other, while the new ones were used as buffers; no one wanted to be the first to fall.Harvey put down his quill and sipped his wine, "Ha. a table full of messy accounts."The current crisis is far more complicated than the tax reforms on paper.The coastal routes were repeatedly requisitioned by the Imperial Capital, and a merchant ship had to pay taxes three times; the southern pirates were resurging, and secretly, some were even supporting them.Inland nobles took advantage of the chaos to cut off trade routes, forcing him to make concessions, while creditors from the Imperial Capital demanded repayment, and the Military Supply Department's IOUs continued to pile up.The entire trade in the South was like a ship riddled with holes, on the verge of capsizing at any moment.Harvey knew his situation too well; although the Harvey family was bestowed the title of Count, their foundation was still weak.At the slightest disturbance, once the old nobility joined forces, they would be the first to be thrown out of the game.The current books could still be maintained, thanks to the export taxes from the three ports and the income from the vineyards.But once the Imperial Capital dispatched a new supervisor, cutting off the revenue share, the fruits of his ten-year labor could vanish overnight.Even worse, he had to maintain ambiguous relationships with various factions.The envoy from the Imperial Capital wanted him to swear allegiance to the Second Prince, while the Superintendent was pulling him towards the Fourth Prince's camp.He had to maintain every connection, appease every side; a wrong move would alert the others."The messier the Imperial Capital gets, the more we, who seat at the table with our money, need to band together for warmth," Harvey murmured, as if reminding himself.As he spoke, he signed his name on the document.Just then, there was the soft sound of footsteps and a knock on the door from outside."Come in," he said calmly, putting down his wine glass.The servant entered, greeted him respectfully and presented a silver tray with two letters on it.One bore the sun emblem, the mark of the Red Tide Territory in the Northern Territory, and the other a familiar ship emblem, belonging to his own Harvey Clan, written by Yorn.Harvey raised an eyebrow, recognizing the sun emblem; it was a letter from Louis Calvin.With a count personally writing to him, he was quite curious about what the Lord of the North wanted to discuss with him.However, he temporarily set aside that letter and first picked up the one with the ship emblem."Let's see what that kid wrote this time," he sighed, leaning back in his chair.This second son really gave him a headache, considered his child in late age, spoiled from a young age, somewhat duller than his older brother, not lacking in intelligence, just a bit flighty.The path laid out for him was supposed to be foolproof, guarding the family port, inheriting a small Baron's domain, living a life of wealth and not causing trouble.But the kid, full of passion, went ahead and signed up for the Northern Territory expansion.That place was practically a heap of dead bodies; he truly thought his son wouldn't make it back then.Who would've thought not only did he survive, he even cozied up to the Lord of the North.In just a few short years, he earned a Viscount's title; this ability to cozy up was somewhat reminiscent of his own younger days.He chuckled helplessly as he opened the envelope.The letter's tone was light, its wording chaotic, full of Yorn-like enthusiasm."The Red Tide Lord Louis wants to cooperate with us! He's the most capable person I've ever met.