Chapter 490: The Prison Food Is Not Tasty
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Luosang rushed to ask, “Will establishing a transport team be of any benefit to our tribe?”
If there were no benefits, who would do a losing deal just to help them transport?
Sheng Huaixuan smiled and said, “The Imperial Court has its own transport team. 1 am suggesting you to set up a transport team on your own because we want more high-quality goods and technology from Carefree City to flow into your local area and allow your local products to quickly enter the market. The economies of the various regions will blend together. When your local area develops, everyone will have money on hand and can buy all kinds of goods. They won’t have to worry about difficulties seeing a doctor. They will be able to afford to live in a good house like the southern frontier, drink from a clean water source, and use a convenient coal stove. The children will also be able to go to school.”
“Without a professional transport team, we won’t be able to enter or exit with all kinds of raw materials. Everyone will hire private carriages and ox carts. The cost is huge. Who would be willing to spend the effort to open a shop and build a factory in your local area to develop?”
“If you can’t develop, everyone’s living conditions will not be good. How can you send the children to school then?”
“If a tribal race doesn’t have a powerful culture to support them, they will sooner or later be annihilated in the long river of history.”
They were clearly talking about the transport team, but it suddenly involved the annihilation of a tribal race.
Luosang’s father and Luosang were frightened. They retorted softly, “Our tribe has existed for hundreds of years without going to school.”
Sheng Huaixuan raised his eyebrows and smiled mysteriously. “What about in the future? You should have seen the development of Carefree City. The children are all very hardworking.”
What he meant was that if Luosang’s people didn’t go to school, even if the tribe still existed, it would gradually decline.
Luosang’s father said, “If we establish this transport team, can we let our people go to school?”
Sheng Huaixuan said, “The Carefree Kingdom treats everyone equally. As long as they want to go to school and meet the criteria, we will accept everyone.”
Cultural fusion was the best way to unite the people. Sheng Huaixuan continued, “You don’t have to be anxious. In areas where the population meets the standard, new elementary schools, middle schools, and technical colleges will be built. Those with outstanding results will be directly promoted to Qinghe University. You can be exempted from all tuition fees, but without a transport team, even building an academy and transporting materials will be troublesome.”
After Sheng Huaixuan said so much, no matter how stupid Luosang was, he understood that no matter what, the transportation hub between the tribe and Carefree City had to be built.
Luosang asked, “Then how can we transport the goods? We can’t transport them for free, right?”
“These horses and rations also cost money. Our brothers’ food and accommodation also cost money. The families’ living expenses also cost money. Won’t there be any compensation if there’s no one to accompany the women in the family?”
At the end of his sentence, Sheng Huaixuan couldn’t help but laugh. “How can there be no money given when establishing a transportation team? All the major merchants will want to transport goods to various areas to sell. You can help them transport the goods at a fee or import their products at a low price. Then, you can return to the tribe to sell them. Wouldn’t that be all silver?”
“Of course, your fees also need to be standardized and come with corresponding cargo guarantee. Then, everyone will prioritise choosing your transport team for service.”
Luosang felt that it was a little troublesome, but Luosang’s father felt that it was not bad. This time, none of the things they bought were cheap. If they could buy them wholesale, they would definitely make a lot of money when they transported them back.
Luosang’s father agreed immediately. “We’ll go back to the tribe and set up a transport team. When the time comes, I’ll have to trouble Lord Sheng to help us contact the merchants.”
Sheng Huaixuan smiled. “There’s no hurry. Take a look first and establish the transportation requirements.”
Luosang’s father and Luosang took the translated version of the report. When they saw it, they were dumbfounded. “You have to pay a pa.s.s fee?”
“Taxes? What’s this?”
Sheng Huaixuan said, “We’ve invested a huge amount of manpower and resources in the construction of our road. There will also be road repairs in the future. The horse dung of the transport team also needs to be cleaned by professionals to ensure the safe transportation on the road. Every convoy has to pay this pa.s.sing fee.”
Luosang was displeased. “Can’t I just choose not to travel on the road?”
Sheng Huaixuan smiled and said, “You can choose not to travel on the road. If you do, we will have to collect a pa.s.sing fee.”
It was much faster to travel on the road. Compared to the time spent on other methods, Luosang’s father felt that the fee was quite reasonable. When he went to the Central Plains in the early years, the imperial court also collected tolls. The road was much better than those broken paths and it only cost this little money.
Luosang asked again, “Then why do we have to pay taxes to set up a transport team?”
There had never been a tax on the southern frontier since ancient times. Sheng Huaixuan explained patiently, “You’re now a part of the Carefree Kingdom. Be it the transport team, textile factories, mines, or barbecue shops, as long as your income reaches a certain amount, you’re obligated to pay taxes.”
Luosang couldn’t help but say, “What obligation? What benefits have you given us? We didn’t earn much money, but we still have to give you money. Previously in the Yan Kingdom, they always gave us money.”
At that time, in order to show off the style of a big country, the Yan Kingdom sent money and things to the southern frontier every year. The southern frontier had also acc.u.mulated strength during that period of time.
Sheng Huaixuan smiled and said, “The Imperial Court protects everyone’s lives and a.s.sets. The road you saw, the army, the academy, medical center, and so on need a large amount of silver. The people are paying taxes for their own benefit.”
“If you deny that you’re a part of the Carefree Kingdom, we can expel you from this place now.”
Luosang grabbed Sheng Huaixuan’s collar and gritted his teeth. “I’ve been here decades before you!”
Sheng Huaixuan was not afraid at all. “This is Carefree Kingdom. You’re the Tribe leader Luosang. Taxes are necessary and can’t be avoided.”
Luosang gritted his teeth in anger. Seeing that they were about to fight, Luosang’s father coughed and said, “The prison food doesn’t taste good.”
Luosang suddenly regained his rationality and let go of Sheng Huaixuan’s collar. He said angrily, “Hmph, I won’t be petty with you since the tax is less than io%.”
Sheng Huaixuan tidied his clothes calmly. “If the two of you have no other objections, 1’11 get someone to discuss the operation method of the transport team with you.”
Luosang’s father smiled and nodded. “Alright, thank you, Lord Sheng.”
After coming out of Sheng Huaixuan’s room, Luosang cursed, “Tax? Tax my a.s.s. If I don’t do the accounts, how can he find out?”
Luosang’s father rolled his eyes at him and said, “The tax rules in the Central Plains have been in place for thousands of years. If they really investigate us, you’ll have to spend decades in jail. Just report is as it is. The Imperial Court can expand the transportation team themselves, but they’re already very kind to hand over this profitable business to us.”
“If our tribe can be as good as Carefree City, it’s worth it no matter how much taxes we pay.”
Luosang thought of the villa that was warm in the winter and cool in the summer. There was a medical center with superb medical skills, an inst.i.tute that imparted knowledge and technology, all kinds of delicacies, strange but useful toilet bowls, toilet paper that they couldn’t do without now, and water pipe circulation technology… Thinking about it, he felt that it wasn’t impossible for the Imperial Court to help them develop the tribe into such a state..