Industrial Cthulhu, starting from the island lord

Chapter 395 Customs Duties and Land Consolidation

No tariffs?

The prince began to doubt his own ears.

This claim is as absurd as the Vatican not collecting tithes.

Without tariffs, how will the ports be maintained? How will the government operate them?

Fleet, harbor guards—these are the black holes that devoured Leo. Blood Harbor was able to prosper precisely because it levied sufficient taxes on the maritime merchants.

He could understand even if the tariffs were reduced; if there were no tariffs, where would the money come from?
Hughes couldn't help but chuckle at the prince's bewildered expression.

It seems that we can use finance to give the world a small shock.

Even if we don't consider that metal currency is still in use today, even in modern times with fiat currency, as long as the market is open, industrialized countries can easily control the economic lifeline of other countries by dumping industrial products.

Metal currency?

A trade deficit can directly deplete a country's silver and gold reserves.

Hughes had little interest in precious metals, but he was very interested in the various mineral veins and forests.

As long as the market is open, Castells could easily use his invisible hand to turn all other countries into his own mines and raw material producers.

Hehe, witness Hayek's Mage Hand!

"This is just a preliminary idea. Specific measures will be developed gradually, and everything is open to discussion. All the incentives will be more than I have mentioned when they are implemented, not less," Hughes assured him.

The prince paused for a moment, pondered deeply for a long time, and finally sighed: "Well, it seems I will witness Castel's miracle in another aspect—I just hope the result won't be too bad."

If you don't know where to pay when you're at the table, it just means you're just another dish on the plate.

The prince simply couldn't understand Hughes's logic for making money. So, forget about resisting him; he'd probably be sold out and still be counting the money for him.

"Don't worry, cooperating with me will only be a win-win situation—meaning both sides win together."

"Win-win?" This is the first time I've heard this term, but it's not hard to understand. Both sides can win big or small. Anyway, Castells won't lose.

The prince was not one to hesitate or look back; on the contrary, he became quite interested.

"I will be pushing forward a series of reforms in Blood Harbor, and we should see results soon. These will benefit both Castells and Blood Harbor, creating a win-win situation!"

Hughes laughed; he learned quickly.

"Besides that, I also intend to postpone the war against the Empire." The prince shrugged. "You know, all the resources I painstakingly accumulated were destroyed by [Mother Goddess]. I will definitely investigate the cause and effect of this matter thoroughly."

He was gritting his teeth as he spoke.

"There's one more thing. The letter you asked me to write before might not be approved by those people in the North."

The letter the prince mentioned was naturally the one agreed upon during the negotiations between Hughes and him at Bloodharbor.

It used formal language to demand that the lords of the North release Nora and the refugees to the south, promising a reward in return.

Hughes' Castel had little to do with the lords of the North, but the prince's side was different; they were theoretically allies, and allies led by the prince.

Writing a letter was no big deal, and the prince readily agreed. But the situation was different now. The prince looked at Hughes seriously: “If they don’t agree, I can send troops to the North to persuade them. You can leave this to me. Tiss is willing to help his friend deal with some minor troubles.”

Hughes and Castells were far more valuable than imagined, so the prince did not hesitate to make further investments.

He was not a lord who only fought civil wars and bullied cultists within his territory. Since ascending the throne, the empire had been at war almost every day.

If the lords of the North were to join forces, it might be a bit troublesome to pacify them, but forcing them to hand over their people wouldn't be a problem at all.

Don't be fooled by the poor performance of the Port Guard in Blood Harbor; that was only against the true form of the evil god. The prince is confident that they can put up a fight against those lords on the real battlefield.

“No need for that,” Hughes said calmly. “That letter is just a notification; the Guardians will personally supervise their release.”

Seeing that he was prepared, the prince said no more.

Castells is currently relatively unknown, and it's just the right time for a few wars to bring this remote island to the forefront.

The road to the crown is always stained with blood, something the prince knows all too well, but whose blood is spilled is another matter entirely.

"In that case, I won't bother you any longer. Do you have a ship going to Blood Harbor?"

"Yes, the ironclad ship that was there before has returned from the Martha Islands and is heading to Blood Harbor. You can go with that ship."

The prince's eyes lit up. The value of the Martha Islands was self-evident, and he had heard that Hughes had only just begun to develop them.
It's just not very convenient to reach out directly.

Moreover, being able to go back with Castells' ship would be a good opportunity to see what Hughes was planning to transport to Blood Harbor; he really didn't believe they would go there empty-handed.

In fact, the prince was right. After a few days, Hughes finally made up his mind to send a batch of supplies to support the Secret Order in Bloodharbor.

Josh applied for a chamber of commerce, so he can also build a few factories under his name or his chamber of commerce.

This will become Castells' bridgehead in Bloodharbor. After all, Castells is an island, and it is still difficult for him to spread his influence on the mainland. He needs some indirect means.

The Secret Order is a useful organization.

Of course, its doctrines and scriptures need to be changed. The current version is too outdated. The extreme ideas of its believers are also unacceptable. At the very least, it should no longer be worshipped as a god.

Hughes was being too simplistic. If the worship of quantity within the Guardians of the Faith was so difficult to eradicate, would the Secret Order believers who had witnessed miracles so easily change their faith?

But he remains optimistic at this moment.

After speaking briefly with the prince, the prince immediately patted his chest and declared:
“I have plenty of skilled craftsmen here. If you need anything, just ask. Bloodharbor is going to be rebuilt, so the previous land deeds are no longer valid. It’s a good opportunity to take them all under public ownership—meaning I’ll have them. Don’t worry, I’ll give the Secret Order a good share of the land.”

Should the land be taken over by the public?

Hughes's eye twitched. The prince spoke lightly, but he was listening attentively.

This is a major undertaking, and it may affect the interests of several parties. If it is to be implemented, it will inevitably lead to a bloodbath.

But what the prince said shouldn't be difficult to do.

[The loving mother] destroyed most of Blood Harbor, but the prince has just regained control of the port guards. Now, if they can finish this job in one fell swoop, they might actually be able to take it down.

Solving land annexation is one of the most difficult things for almost every dynasty. If he really succeeds, then Bloodharbor will be a second blank slate like Castells, and perhaps a regime like never before can be established!

(End of this chapter)