Game of Thrones: The Wrath of the Sleeping Dragon

There were no grand ceremonies during the funeral; it was so simple that it didn't seem like the funeral of a prime minister, but rather like that of an ordinary noble family.

Because these were all requested by Jon Clinton himself.

He didn't want to become a tool for others to use after his death, nor did he want others to raise their glasses and clink glasses at his memorial service. Rather than something so complicated and extravagant, he preferred to keep things simple.

...

"Regarding the selection of the next Prime Minister."

"Jon, what suggestions do you have?"

After the Prime Minister's funeral, Viserys returned to the Maegor Tower in the Red Keep.

He was sitting in his study, with no one guarding the door. Robb, his servant, had caught a cold after being caught in the rain, so he was sent away to rest. Only then did Viserys speak.

He didn't want to spread the news that he could manipulate souls, otherwise it might cause unnecessary trouble, since nobody in this world wants to die.

Viserys's consultation with Jon Clinton was actually an unspoken rule that had been passed down from the Targaryen dynasty.

If the previous prime minister can leave office peacefully, he can recommend a candidate approved by the king before leaving.

Of course, this only served as a recommendation; the final decision rested with the king.

Jon Clinton paused for a moment after hearing Viserys's words.

Actually, his professional instincts kicked in. Even after Jon Clinton became a spirit, he couldn't stay idle, and he had been thinking about this issue these past few days.

However, after much deliberation, only a few suitable candidates remained.

“Mistoin is fine, Your Majesty.”

"He was a just and steadfast fighter, but his identity became an obstacle for him."

Jon Clinton, who always upholds honor, gave his friend a very high evaluation, and Misty Thoth was also the best choice.

"Lord Petyr Baelish, the governor of the Vale, is also exceptionally capable."

"But he is too cunning and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals."

Jon Clinton acknowledged Littlefinger's abilities, and Petyr Baelish was undoubtedly a rare talent, skilled in political maneuvering and alliances, but governing a region was his least proficient skill.

However, Jon Clinton held Petyr Baelish in utter contempt for his character.

As the Prime Minister, he naturally knew the governors-general of various regions, and intelligence gathered by the Minister of Intelligence and the Ministry of Home Affairs would sometimes be delivered to him.

Littlefinger's rise to this position is undoubtedly due in no small part to his manipulation of his current wife, Lysa. He is ruthless in his pursuit of his goals, and everyone can become his pawn.

“Edward Stark is also a very good choice, but unfortunately he is dressed in black.”

Then Jon Clinton spoke up.

It's not hard to see that when it comes to his criteria for selecting people, ability is secondary; loyalty and reliability are paramount.

Misthorn and Eddard Stark are both candidates who may not be particularly outstanding in ability, but are very honorable and loyal.

However, at this moment, Jon Clinton suddenly suggested another candidate.

Even Viserys hadn't expected this person, causing him to turn his head slightly to look at him.

"Velas of House Tyrell, does Your Majesty still remember him?"

“Veras once commanded the Reach army and nearly defeated the Dorne army commanded by Lord Ellenwood, the ‘Guardian of the Bone Road,’ at Starstalker City.”

"He is also a suitable candidate."

"He was well-read, exceptionally knowledgeable, and hardworking, yet he never shied away from hardship and devoted himself wholeheartedly to his work."

Velas Tyrell now works in the Empire's tax department, and his work ethic and abilities are absolutely recognized by everyone.

Although he has difficulty walking and often needs to use crutches, he still runs around tirelessly every day, doing many things himself.

Velas personally went to the port and explained the new policy to the caravan owners, and his outstanding abilities led to the recovery of a large amount of tax revenue for the empire's treasury.

Jon Clinton had observed Velas’s behavior after he arrived in the capital, so he saw all of this.

Chapter 688 Tax Farmer System

"Sir, this is the tax record of the wool merchant in Eel Lane."

Early in the morning, one of Velas's tax collectors brought in a thick stack of records.

The Iron Throne has been pushing forward with economic reforms, but at a slower pace compared to other areas.

Jon Clinton was a well-rounded prime minister, capable of both winning wars and governing the country in peacetime. During his tenure as prime minister, he quelled rebellions and invasions on all sides, while in terms of economic reforms, he consistently advocated for stability and sought to avoid excessive upheaval.

Therefore, economic reforms during Jon Snow's time were lukewarm, while wars raged on, which can be considered one of his personal characteristics.

However, Jon Snow's time in charge of the Council of Kings was not without economic achievements; for example, he strongly advocated for the abolition of the tax farmer system that had been in Westeros for hundreds and thousands of years.

The tax farmer system involved individuals acting as agents of the royal family to collect taxes. These agents would prepay the taxes and then obtain the royal family's tax collection authority, which would then collect the taxes from the taxpayers.

Jon Clinton believed that the tax farmers' system was riddled with loopholes, chaos, evil, and dishonor, and even fostered many social dregs, forming a dark force in King's Landing.

Because many tax farmers, after obtaining tax collection rights from the royal family, would resort to extreme measures to extort merchants, including beatings, smashing, looting, burning, personal threats, provoking trouble, and disrupting normal business order.

In the end, the money extorted from the merchants was far more than the normal taxes. These poor merchants also had to pay protection money to the Golden Robe gang, otherwise they would be harassed by the Golden Robe gang.

Merchants operating legally and legitimately in Junlin have had their profits squeezed dry by these multiple layers of exploitation, forcing them to raise prices and pass the burden onto ordinary people.

This is why, during the Baratheon and even the Old Targaryen dynasties, once war or other upheavals occurred, prices would skyrocket before anything else happened.

Because the royal family urgently needed money, they levied taxes from the tax farmers for the next few years at once. In turn, the tax farmers levied even more taxes from the merchants, and as a result, prices in King's Landing skyrocketed.

Tax farmers, who were once extremely "special" legitimate merchants under the Chancellor of the Exchequer, made money from both sides. On one hand, they received tax breaks from the royal family as payment, and on the other hand, they took a larger cut from the merchants' profits, naturally making a fortune.

However, merchants who operate normally without any background or support, as well as ordinary citizens of Junlin, are left battered and bruised.

Jon Clinton has a deep-seated hatred for the evil forces in King's Landing ever since he first served as the King's Hand during the reign of the "Mad King" Aerys II.

How could someone as righteous and intolerant of evil as him stand idly by and watch these people commit wrongdoing?

However, at that time, although Jon Clinton was the Mad King's chief minister, he did not have much opportunity to make a significant impact.

Because he did not have the support of a wise ruler, but in the time of Viserys he returned to King's Landing and got the opportunity to make his mark.

Therefore, in terms of economic reform and domestic affairs, Jon Snow first abolished the tax farmer system, although the tax farmer system was ultimately a convenient way for the royal family to collect taxes.

With the abolition of the tax farmer system, the empire's tax officials suddenly became very busy. From now on, without the help of those thugs and ruffians to collect taxes, they could only rely on their persuasive skills to gradually get those greedy merchants to hand over the taxes they owed.

Whenever they're exhausted from working, tax officials can't help but miss those former thugs and hooligans.

Unfortunately, they had all been sent to prison by Lord Jon Clinton, and some had even gone north to the Wall or died.

The tax collector under Velas handed him a tax record of a wool merchant in the city.

This was written by a tax collector during the Baratheon dynasty, but now that tax collector is guarding the frontier on the Great Wall, braving the cold wind.

Although Jon Clinton abolished the tax farmers system, and the Capital Garrison had undergone a year of internal purges by Black Qiraji, commander of the Unsullied Legion, now under the command of Ser Brynden Tully the Blackfish, discipline was much stricter, and merchants in King's Landing were no longer facing the difficulties they once did.

But merchants are merchants; they are not without cunning. They will fight tooth and nail for every penny of profit. So even though the exploitation by tax farmers and gold-robed officials is gone, it is now even more difficult to collect taxes. They will find all sorts of reasons to argue with the tax collectors of King's Landing.

Now, this wool merchant in Eel Lane is a formidable opponent. Velas has personally visited him twice, but to no avail. The merchant claims that his taxes were paid thirty years in advance during King Robert's reign, so he is no longer required to pay taxes.

"Sir, should we still go today?"

"This old guy won't listen to what we're saying at all; he's just being unreasonable."

One of Velas's tax collectors leaned against the table and asked indignantly.

"What do you mean by saying his taxes have been paid up to thirty years in the future?"

"King Robert and His Majesty the Emperor are not the same thing, are they?"

"King Robert was dissolute and extravagant, while His Majesty the Emperor was frugal and wise in governing."

"I suggest we immediately notify Lord Brynden Tully and have his shop shut down!"

Although the imperial tax officials could no longer resort to the same methods of violence, looting, arson, coercion, and bribery as the local thugs of the past, they still had one ultimate weapon: notifying the capital's garrison to send men to seal off the merchant's shop.

"Not for now."

Velas Tyrell, who was sitting behind his desk reviewing the tax records, finally finished reading them. He pondered for a moment, then shook his head and spoke.

The brown-haired young man then pointed to several entries in the ledger, all of which occurred a few years ago during King Robert's reign, when the war against the White Walkers was raging.

"Old Linman was not lying."

"He has indeed paid his taxes thirty years in advance."

At that time, the Iron Throne was heavily indebted, but in order to gather soldiers for war, it repeatedly borrowed money from all sides, squeezing the people's wealth and causing them great suffering. This wool merchant from the North was also one of the victims.

Chapter 689 Bank

"Huh? What should we do then?"

"Lord Velas, are we not going to collect old Linman's taxes?"

"But how should this be recorded in the books? And what about Lord Harris, the chief steward of the Four Treasuries, and the royal accountant...?"

Upon hearing his superior's words, the tax officer under Velas spoke up somewhat anxiously.

The tax amount for a single wool merchant is not much, but the difficulty lies in explaining this to the chief treasurer and the royal accountant, as there is no way to record it in the books.

After all, the new dynasty had severed ties with the previous one. His Majesty even rode a giant dragon to burn Braavos, and the millions of gold dragons owed to the Iron Treasury, the biggest creditor, were all defaulted on.

The remaining creditors—Tyrossy Trading Company, House Lannister, House Tyrell, House Hightower, and others—were either dead or in decline, and those who survived dared not come to collect their debts.

The policy of the Iron Throne is to start afresh, so no old debts or past taxes are recognized. If you're so capable, come to the Iron Throne and ask Viserys for your money back.

Old Linman's case is not without precedent; he is not the only one whose taxes have been paid for thirty years.

Upon hearing his subordinate's words, Velas waved his hand to calm him down, then casually flipped through the booklet in his hand before closing it.

But he was thinking about the news that Finance Minister Illyrio had told him a few days earlier, and he already had a plan in mind, so he spoke up.

“We can’t falsify accounts and no one will pay the back taxes for Lao Linman, so the money will definitely still be collected.”

“I spoke with him personally.”

...

Velas had a leg injury from falling off his horse and breaking it during a duel with Oberyn when he was young, which had left him with some difficulty walking.

He boarded the carriage embroidered with golden roses, leaning on his cane, accompanied by several Tyrell family attendants. The carriage was extremely comfortable and valuable, after all, Velas was now the face of the Tyrell family in Starstalker City.