Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 171 The Beginning of My Post
When asked about the Prime Minister's question, Goodwin, Esserwolf, and Horst all shook their heads, indicating that there were no urgent matters to report.

"I, Your Excellency the Prime Minister, have a proposal."

The court steward, Paffes, handed over a beautifully written document in both Latin and Norse. Vig quickly glanced at it and asked, "What do you need so much stone for?"

"His Majesty's will is to repair the palace and the manor outside the city."

Is that so? Vig was skeptical, hesitatingly signing and stamping his seal. Since the other ministers had nothing else to do, the cabinet meeting was adjourned.

Om stretched and said, "My lords, I recently hired an Italian chef. He's quite skilled. Remember to come to my house for dinner tonight to celebrate the Prime Minister's successful inauguration."

His colleagues dispersed one after another, and Vig repeatedly examined the two documents before finding Ragnar again.

"Okay, let's do it according to the document."

Ragnar stamped the seal, yawned, and walked away. The two queens exchanged a glance and followed their husbands, leaving behind a large group of maids and guards, leaving Vig standing in the main hall in a daze.

Wait, where is my office as Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer?

Vig left the main hall, completely bewildered, only to find a short, thin Anglo-Saxon civil servant waiting outside, a stack of documents tucked under his arm. "Your Excellency," the man said, "my name is Rocky, and I am your secretary."

Rocky wore a respectable black robe and an emerald brooch. His light yellow hair was neatly combed, his nose was high and straight, and his lips were slightly upturned, but his eyes were distant, giving people the illusion of a half-smile.

Following him, Vig walked towards the western wall of the palace, where a small gate remained, also guarded by soldiers.

After passing through the city gate and drawbridge, the two continued walking along the road until they arrived at a courtyard with a stone wall. "This is your Prime Minister's residence."

Upon entering the courtyard, one finds a large patch of white clover (a variety of clover) planted inside, currently in a semi-dormant state, with a slightly yellowish tinge in color.

"The former prime minister found clover easy to care for and never replaced it. If you don't like it, you can ask the gardener to replace it with another plant, such as marigolds, roses, lilies, or irises."

Rocky rattled off a long list of names as if reciting a menu, but Vig raised his hand to stop him. "No need, Clover is fine."

Rocky pointed to the two-story building on the south side of the courtyard, "This is the main building, for your residence and office."

Then he introduced a long row of bungalows on the left and right sides, saying, “I just saw more than forty people outside the palace gate, and I guess they are your attendants. These rooms are more than enough.”

"Have someone bring them over." Vig entered the second-floor building and handed the documents to Rocky. "His Majesty has approved both applications. What's next?"

“Uh,” Rocky gave a polite but slightly embarrassed smile, “I have some bad news: the treasury is empty.”

Hey!
Noticing his boss's sudden surge of anger, Rocky, like a frightened sheep, explained fluently, "Don't worry, the former prime minister finalized a loan agreement before he died. The businessman is waiting in the meeting room over there. I'll call him over immediately."

Before Rocky could take two steps, Vig grabbed him by the back of his collar. "No rush. As the Minister of Finance, I need to understand the kingdom's current financial situation."

Brutal Viking barbarians.

Rocky inwardly complained, but outwardly dared not show the slightest anger. "The royal family's income last year was eight thousand pounds, while its expenditures reached twenty thousand, resulting in a total deficit of twelve thousand. On the expenditure side, routine expenses amounted to approximately eight thousand pounds, roughly in line with the income."

Another 10,000 pounds were for expedition expenses, including supplies, wages for extended service, and rewards for the Nordic nobles.

The final two thousand pounds were used to reorganize the Royal Guard, whose armor and weapons had suffered severe damage since the expedition to Northern Europe two years prior, and urgently needed to be replenished.

Upon hearing this, Vig felt a sense of foreboding. "You mean, we're already in debt by twelve thousand? Does the national treasury have no concept of savings?"

Rocky shook his head. "No, the king is generous by nature. Whenever he goes out hunting, if he sees a farmer in tattered clothes by the roadside, he will occasionally give him some silver coins and drink and chat with him. If there are guests from afar, he will also host a banquet to entertain them. The former prime minister tried to persuade him many times, but to no avail."

Left with no other choice, Vig received the merchant in his study on the second floor. The man, named Sancho, was an elder of the Berber Merchant Guild and also the largest spice trader in London.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, do you remember me?"

"I remember when I bought spices from your shop, not long after, I discovered that your shop had been vandalized by Ross's competitors." Vig invited the guest to sit down, firmly refusing the gift offered by the guest.

Regarding the loan, Sancho's terms were to lend two thousand pounds, to be repaid in five years, with an interest of one thousand five hundred pounds, and an additional condition that the Chamber of Commerce's headquarters be expanded by one time.

"Can't you make it cheaper?"

When rejected, Vig threatened to approach the Ross Chamber of Commerce, a competitor that would likely be very interested in winning the deal and expanding their own chamber's territory.

Under duress and inducement, Sancho agreed to reduce the total interest to £1,300, saying, "This kind of cross-border loan is very risky, and this is the most favorable condition."

After reaching an agreement, the two sides signed a document in Arabic, Latin, and Göran. Looking at the signature at the end, Vig felt complicated. He never expected that his first day in office would involve a loan.

“Your Excellency, I will personally go to the Berber Merchant Guild to collect the silver.”

With permission, Rocky followed Sancho away, leaving Vig alone in the study to review Pascal's financial reports.

After a long while, there was a knock on the door. It was Utgard and Seibert Stormrage who came in.

“My lord, we are settled. What are your orders?” Utgard was a knight from Glasgowshire. Because of his conservative and old-fashioned nature, he was chosen as the captain of the guard to be responsible for Vig’s safety during his tenure.

Seibert was a civil servant who, along with twelve colleagues, accompanied the Duke south to form a private staff.

"I've already reminded you of the important points many times. Remember not to cause trouble. Utgard will take over the defense of the courtyard, and Seibert will take over the accounts, focusing on last year's expenditures."

Vig pointed to a large box full of documents and handed this daunting task over to his staff.

Selbert scratched his head and gave a wry smile. "Teacher, it feels like I've gone back to those days when four of my classmates and I went to Duflin to help Ivar with his accounts."

In response to the students' complaints, Vig rubbed his eyes wearily. "Last year's training course specifically emphasized that finance and taxation are the primary tasks of a ruling group. As prime minister, one inevitably deals with all sorts of data. I guess Pascal exhausted his life because of this kind of thing. Sigh, I hope you can help share some of the burden."

(End of this chapter)