Today is already May 25th. This constitutional convention has been ongoing for three weeks, and with the arrival of the first summer rain, it is finally approaching its end.

The rain patters incessantly on the eaves of the Central Palace, and occasionally a few strands of rain slip through the crevices of the windows into the interior.

The brass chandelier sways with dim candlelight, white wax tears drip from the candlesticks onto the table, leaving scorching marks.

The representatives of the three seats sit solemnly, their gaze fixed on the main podium. Whether noble or commoner, their eyes are filled with excitement and gravity.

Standing amidst the fishy smell of rain, Horn grips the main podium, reading aloud the recently passed Article Five of the Holy Charter.

“… Thus, we have determined the country’s name to be the Thousand River Valley Holy Monarchy, the national flag to be the black and red iris, and the capital to have two locations—the seat of His Highness the Despot in Xia Lvcheng (Feiliu Castle renamed) and the seat of the Great Shepherd in the Holy Mechanical Court.”

“Hooray——”

“Good!”

“Holy Father bless us!”

The representatives of the three seats all stand, clapping vigorously and accompanied by continuous cheers.

The entire venue is enveloped in an atmosphere both solemn and relaxed. Representatives of all factions display varied expressions, ranging from satisfaction to regret, and some with a trace of unease.

The passage of this fifth charter signifies that the constitutional convention is nearing its conclusion.

Several representatives from the middle seats can’t help but reveal a slight anxiety and craving, even though they have delayed much of their official duties, yet they cannot let go.

The taste of power is, indeed, hard for them to resist.

Raising his hands slightly, Horn gestures for silence across the venue, and at this moment, Moliat stands up from the throne as well.

“Today, we stand at a turning point in history. Because after reading the Fifth Article of the Charter, on this land that has endured many hardships, we have jointly completed a great task.

The first constitution of the Thousand River Valley—the Thousand River Valley Holy Charter, is completed today!

It connects the will of the Holy Father with the order of the mortal realm, unifying the responsibilities of the nobility with the rights of the subjects, marking the first time in Thousand River Valley’s history that the foundation of the nation is established in written form.

From this day forth, every subject, regardless of wealth or rank, shall enjoy basic rights to life and freedom on this land.

Every lord, whether noble or priest, shall understand that their power comes from the shared recognition of the Holy Father and the faithful, and only by fulfilling their responsibilities can they enjoy authority.

Completing this charter does not signify the end of our responsibilities, but rather the beginning of new ones.

We need to use the charter as a guideline, uniting as one to face future challenges, be they threats from external enemies or internal disputes.

Thus, today is not only the conclusion of the first constitutional convention but also the convening of the first Advisory Council meeting.”

All the representatives, except for those around Horn, spontaneously become animated, some even standing up.

They are all waiting for that sentence, the extremely crucial sentence.

“The implementation of the charter requires suitable people to promote it.” The speaker changes from Horn to Moliat, and her slightly magnetic voice rings out, “Today, we will discuss and determine the first batch of County Governors for the Thousand River Valley Holy Monarchy, as well as the positions within the Central Administrative Agency.”

This is what they were waiting for! The representatives become visibly excited.

According to Article Three of the Charter concerning government agencies, His Highness the Despot appoints officials based not on bloodline but on talent and virtue.

Meaning, if Moliat wants to promote officials, it must either be through the recommendation of the Advisory Council or from within the Council itself.

Originally, they were merely leaders of a township or a village, closed-door aristocrats.

But now, they unexpectedly have the chance to influence the entire Thousand River Valley, which encompasses millions of people.

However, Moliat seemingly does not notice their eager eyes and continues to read unhurriedly: “Do not bite off more than you can chew, I must ensure every bit of power is used appropriately, and every responsibility is undertaken by reliable hands.”

She draws a thick ledger from beneath the main podium and slowly opens it: “Yet, before distributing positions, we must confront a more crucial matter—the finances of the Thousand River Valley.”

Immediately, whispers arise in the venue, with faces of representatives from various factions changing slightly.

Only the monks from the Shepherd Chief Special District, who are independent of the Despot’s system, shake their legs watching the spectacle; some even pull out wine bottles, bread, ham, and cheese.

After Horn’s disapproving glare sweeps over, the monks quickly sit up straight, adopting a heavy and solemn expression.

“Therefore, I propose to start with the national finances of the Thousand River Valley.” Moliat closes the ledger, her voice edged with a hint of sternness, “After all, if these are unclear, the so-called Thousand River Valley is but a castle built on sand.”

Through a month’s collation and statistics of church ledgers, a comprehensive calculation based solely on the records of the total population and cultivated land in the Thousand River Valley is outlined.

The Thousand River Valley Holy Monarchy encompasses a taxable population of 860,000 households, with a total taxable population estimated at over 4 million.

The total taxable agricultural land amounts to 49,322 square kilometers, roughly 73,950,000 mu, theoretically enough to sustain over 6 million people.

However, under the relentless rule of clergy and nobles, each year, the Thousand River Valley transfers 60,000 gold pounds to the Leia Royal Family and 90,000 gold pounds to the Holy Seat City.

Due to the underreporting by local lord knights and the corruption of intermediaries and tax collectors during the period, the reported figures are actually less, not more.

According to letters, investigation reports left by the Duchess of Kush, Bamanda, and the rough overall calculations by over a hundred accountants and bankers over the past month.

Taking Hotam County as an example, two years before, 19,920 gold pounds were remitted to the Leia Royal Family, and 22,500 gold pounds to the Holy Seat City, but the actual taxable capacity is approximately 200,000 gold pounds.

So the actual effective tax is only 20%, with 80% either not collected or embezzled or wasted by a small group of people.

As for where it was wasted, just look at the monasteries and manorial gardens scattered across Hotam County, or the lavish clothing of the nobles.

Additionally, the nobles’ so-called pilgrimages, in reality, are nothing more than socializing and traveling to coastal areas every two to three years.

After two and a half years of natural disasters and military strife, although the Leia Kingdom faces external threats, internally, the Thousand River Valley still needs to reduce taxes before normally collecting them.

Even so, the two and a half years of disasters and wars have yielded another significant result.

That is, directly or indirectly expelling and eliminating a large number of tax intermediaries and corruption, exemplified by the relatively thoroughly cleaned Langsande County.

Theoretically, Langsande County can levy about 60,000 gold pounds in taxes, while Horn, through the Hundred Households District reform, can raise a budget of 20,000 gold pounds.

It’s not just 20,000 gold pounds; the total tax revenue is estimated to approach 30,000 gold pounds, although nearly 10,000 gold pounds are held in the Local Monastery.

This is the result of Horn eliminating all intermediaries in Langsande County (knights, small lords, secondary contractors, tax-exempt monasteries, tax collectors) and directly collecting taxes.

With efficient government operations, the Holy Mechanical Court Pope can achieve nearly 50% effective tax collection within its jurisdiction.

Under the conditions of tax reduction and rent reduction, the usable tax revenue might even be more than before.

“Your Highness the Despot, what do you mean?” A representative quivers, standing up to ask.

“The Land Registration Act doesn’t have to be passed, but surely, a survey of population and taxes must be conducted, right?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep