I, Altria, only want to rule China.

The reason why Nanali chose the Rohan family as the first target to be killed was because the Rohan family was very rich, and the money came from an illegal source.

The head of the Rohan family was a good-for-nothing who held a high position in Sassanid Persia. He did not have a good reputation in the entire Sassanid aristocratic circle, and he did not have many connections, which completely met her goal.

Killing such a fat sheep was not a big pressure for Nanali, but it was great news for the Sassanid treasury, which was extremely short of money, and the Sassanid Newspaper, which was about to be published.

Chapter 159: Leah's Little Fangirl

After obtaining the property of the Rohan family, Nanali immediately announced her royal decree through the newly established Sassanid Persian Newspaper.

First, reduce taxes on civilians, then increase taxes on merchants, and at the same time increase inheritance taxes.

To put it simply, it is to win over the civilians of the entire Sassanid Persia, while suppressing the capitalists who have just emerged but always want to make trouble for Nanali.

The same goes for the so-called inheritance tax. For the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie, Nanali's decision and the laws of Sassanid Persia are one thing, but how to avoid the queen's decision and the laws of Sassanid Persia is another thing.

The most uncomfortable ones are the newly emerging small and medium bourgeoisie.

Originally, the laws of Sassanid Persia treated the small and medium bourgeoisie and the Sassanid civilians equally. The only people who could truly enjoy the privileges were the Sassanid royal family, the aristocracy, and the big bourgeoisie.

Therefore, the small and middle bourgeoisie of Sassanid Persia were able to win over the common people of Sassanid Persia and express their dissatisfaction with taxation together.

As Her Majesty the Queen drastically reduced the tax rate for civilians and passed this part of the tax rate on to the small and medium bourgeoisie, the common people of Sassanid Persia instantly stood on the opposite side of the small and medium bourgeoisie.

Once the common people were better off, the signs of unrest in Kyoto were instantly suppressed, and no one complained about Nanali's dissatisfaction with the empress anymore.

These news made Nanali very happy. She even published an article in the newly established "Sassanid Persian Newspaper", praising the Wu ally in the Far East and touting Leah as the most beautiful, intelligent and powerful empress in the Far East.

She also stated in the newspaper that she was a pen pal with Her Majesty Queen Leya of the Far East, which made her, as the Queen of Sassanid Persia, very honored. After a while, she will personally visit Her Majesty the Queen of Wu.

She's just like a little fangirl.

In fact, the more she praises the Queen of Wu, the more secure her throne will be. Now that the nobles in the country have realized the strength of Wu, I believe these nobles will also consider the relationship between her and the Queen of Wu.

Then, Rowling took 200 Sassanid students and dozens of Sassanid nobles and boarded the sailing ship to Wu State.

Although the land route is closer, there are the White Huns on that side of the land. If such a large group of people go there, they may encounter accidents. It is much safer to take the water route.

Luo Lin wanted to take this opportunity to make these nobles feel inclined towards the Wu Kingdom, so that after they learned about the wealth of the Wu Kingdom, they would not resist the subsequent reforms of Her Majesty Nanali.

Only if they yearn for their country to be like the Wu State, will all reforms go smoothly.

For these Sassanid nobles, seeing that Her Majesty Nanali had been praising and even writing several articles to praise the female emperor of Wu State, these nobles had already become quite curious.

Some even paid out of their own pockets to go to Wu State to find out what was going on.

It is possible that a tour group from Sassanid Persia will arrive in Wu State soon.

Of course, Leah doesn't know this. She is currently still worried about the economy of Wu State.

Although Wu State's economy is now the best in the world and its people no longer have to go hungry, there are still many problems that need to be solved.

If any country wants to function normally, it will inevitably involve many aspects such as national defense expenditure, administrative expenditure, infrastructure, public security, education, medical care, and social welfare.

Logically speaking, the Wu State has already solved the problem of food and clothing for the people, and rebellion is basically unlikely to happen, so there is no need to do these things.

But Leah didn't intend to implement any policy to keep the people ignorant. Her goal had always been to develop the Wu Kingdom into its modern state. After all, it was too terrible that there was no electricity and entertainment in ancient times.

So Liya also has a headache about money. It can be said that the larger the territory, the more difficult it is to manage. The more money is spent. In short, in order to implement every penny, Liya is busy with political affairs every day.

The territory of the Wu State is now very large, almost as large as the Yuan Dynasty in later generations, but there are still many problems throughout the country.

On the other side, Liya received news that Goguryeo was attacked by Silla. They sent envoys over, hoping that Liya could send troops to help them take down Silla and defeat the Silla people.

And this Silla is the area that later became Korea.

Liya heard this and wondered if Goguryeo was using their Wu Kingdom as a free bodyguard?

We helped them destroy Silla, but we still gave them the land. Isn't this just treating them as fools?

Although she looks innocent and pretty, and is one of those silly pretty girls who is easy to get along with at first glance, that's just her appearance, she is not stupid at all.

Since I can help you get that piece of land, why don't I manage it myself? And give it to you for free? It's such a good thing, don't even think about it.

In Leah's opinion, the chaotic Goguryeo was much better than the unified Goguryeo.

So when faced with Goguryeo's request to send troops, Leah pretended not to see it, and also asked her subordinates to push the matter aside.

It was good enough that she didn't send troops to directly capture Goguryeo. If she wanted to work for them for nothing, don't even think about it!

Not long after this incident, Leah heard that the Persian Empire had come to Guangzhou with 200 students and dozens of nobles, and was now heading towards Chang'an.

It was a good opportunity for these people to come. Leah was still worried about the lack of money. These "fat sheep" from Sassanid Persia, no, they were nobles, so Leah was very troubled about how to fleece all these people.

After all, the Wu State is very powerful now, so powerful that there will be more and more nobles in the future. If we simply send people to take these Sassanid nobles to eat, drink and visit tourist attractions, that would be very easy.

The problem is that Leah comes from the modern era and knows what it means to maximize utilization.

After so much effort, more than 200 nobles came. How can we let them go so easily? We must at least pluck the feathers from the passing geese, right?

However, the ministers had no idea what Leah meant by taking advantage of others.

In desperation, Leah could only explain what was her personal version of plucking feathers from a passing goose.

What it means is that after catching a wild goose, you pluck all its feathers, let the feathers fly away, and then put the goose into the pot. This is what Leah calls "plucking the feathers of a passing goose."

In order to squeeze only the wool out of these two hundred or so Sassanid Persian fat sheep, Leah directly summoned all the ministers under her command.

Chapter 160: Leah Digs a Trap and Buries Someone

After everyone arrived, Leah took the lead and said:

"This time, Luo Lin came with more than 200 Sassanid nobles. These nobles are rich and powerful. So, how can we make these 200 Sassanid nobles spend money for us?"

After thinking for a while, Liya continued, "By the way, there are both men and women among these nobles, and the women don't necessarily have to be relatives of dignitaries. They may be nobles themselves and have their own fiefdoms, so don't underestimate them."

Hearing what Leah said, Merlin couldn't help but chuckle. He stopped laughing when everyone looked at him with disgust. "Your Majesty, I think you think too much about those Sassanid nobles."

Liya asked in confusion: "Teacher, what do you mean?"

Merlin smiled and replied, "I think that no matter whether those women are relatives of Sassanid nobles or they are nobles themselves, it does not change the fact that they are women. As long as they are girls, there is no one who does not like beautiful jewelry and clothes."

“So, I thought we could have someone take them to visit the shops in various regions of Wu State, especially those that sell jewelry, clothes, rouge and powder.

"Hmph, Merlin, you know a lot, don't you? Why don't you tell me how many innocent girls you've deceived with this despicable trick?" Morgan on the side snorted coldly when he heard this.

Merlin laughed awkwardly: Let’s talk business, let’s talk business, as for the men among the Sassanid nobles…”

At this point, Merlin frowned and said, "If they are all like that Luo Lin, it will be troublesome."

After all, Luo Lin had already fully witnessed the differences between Wu State and other countries.

Most people are full of hatred towards the power and wealth of the Wu State, but what is scary are the Wu State fanatics like Luo Lin.

They wanted to learn everything about the Wu State, and even wanted the Sassanid Persians to bring back all of the Wu State's systems.

Alice on the side nodded in agreement.

She still remembered the excitement, boasting, contempt for other countries, and anticipation for the future on Luo Lin's face when he talked to her about the Wu Kingdom.

Alice frowned when she thought that the nobles who followed Rowling to visit Wu Kingdom must be Sassanid Persians similar to Rowling.

This is different from the Sassanid students who came to Wu State. It is easier to grasp what the Sassanid students can learn, but it is not so easy to grasp what these Sassanid nobles can learn.

Compared with the invasion of Greek culture to the Roman Empire, the invasion of Sassanid Persia was not that serious. But from now on, it is a foregone conclusion that Sassanid Persia will be invaded by Chinese culture.

Seeing the two frowning, Liya smiled and said, "You are overthinking things. The nobles in Western Europe and the Middle East are nobles because of their origins. Even if it is a pig, as long as it can be successfully reincarnated into a noble family, then this pig is also a noble."

"Among these two hundred nobles, it's not easy to find a few scholars. The rest are basically dignitaries who come to see rare items. These people are the easiest to deal with."

You have to know that Leah is originally from Western Europe, and she has long seen clearly the nature of European nobles.

"That's true." Merlin thought about it and nodded.

Although Alice is also from Western Europe, she was brought to China by Leah when she was young. She has been learning Chinese knowledge since elementary school and doesn't know much about the situation in Europe.

Alice thought for a moment and asked, "So what is my sister going to do?"

Liya just smiled and said, "What have we Chinese learned the most since ancient times? Isn't it Confucianism? Let people dig out those Zhou rituals and teach them "rituals."

"These Western European nobles are more willing to learn the more complicated etiquette is, as if only in this way can they prove that they are superior to others. It just so happens that Zhouli is enough to meet their needs."

"Zhou Li..." Alice was stunned when she heard that.

Liya lowered her head and thought for a while, then continued, "Why not teach them the etiquette of reign titles. Also, let them learn posthumous titles, temple names, and Confucianism. These are things that most people may not be able to learn in their entire lives. When they have learned enough, give them the title of Grand Scholar of the Wu State.

In the blink of an eye, Leah arranged these Sassanid nobles from Wu State clearly, leaving everyone else stunned.

Her Majesty is trying to trap these Middle Eastern nobles to death!

For a moment, everyone suddenly felt that Merlin was not that despicable. Compared with Leah, he seemed a little too immature and might not be half as sinister as Leah.

While Leah was making clear arrangements for the Sassanid nobles, Rowling was happily introducing the Wu Kingdom to the nobles on the ship, as well as the various precautions after arriving in the Wu Kingdom.

"Please remember, gentlemen, ladies, and young ladies. In Wu Country, please remember to respect everyone. If you are kind to them, you will gain their kindness."

"Gentlemen, ladies, and young ladies, let us raise our glasses to congratulate the establishment of an alliance between Sassanid Persia and Wu Kingdom, and also congratulate us for having the opportunity to see this magical country full of gold."

The nobles were so excited by what Luo Lin said that they all raised their cups and shouted, "Cheers to our Far Eastern allies of Sassanid Persia!"

“Respect ourselves, too!”

After everyone finished drinking the red wine in their glasses, Luo Lin continued, "Listen, gentlemen, ladies, and ladies. In the land of Wu Kingdom, never say that their Queen has done anything wrong."

"Even if you hear their citizens commenting on their emperor, don't interrupt rashly, because this is a right granted to them by the laws of Wu. They can even openly say that the emperor of Wu is a fool, but if you dare to say it, the consequences may be serious."

"Doing so would not only be very disrespectful, but the citizens of Wu might also think that you are disrespectful to their queen. They will be hostile to you and might even notify the soldiers to expel you."

"Believe me, the laws of Wu Kingdom are infinitely biased towards the citizens of Wu Kingdom. When it comes to protecting civilians, the emperor of Wu Kingdom does a better job than any monarch in the history of Western Europe."

"Also, gentlemen, don't hug the women you see. Even if you are expressing your passion, they will think you are a barbarian who doesn't know etiquette. Hugging a woman you don't know will only bring you trouble."

Chapter 161: Nobles from Persia

Rollin was still chattering on and on, but Grand Secretary Holbach and Grand Secretary Diderot could not help themselves. They looked at each other and saw from each other's eyes the urge to hit Rollin on the head with their canes.

Yes, in addition to Luo Lin, there are actually several scholars who have done a lot of research on the affairs of the Wu State. They may know as much about the Wu State as Luo Lin.

Ever since they learned of the existence of the Wu State, they have taken the initiative to collect all the information about this country, and the more they learn, the more they like the Wu State.

So, is it necessary for you, Luo Lin, to keep nagging here?

Fortunately, Luo Lin, who had been talking for a long time, finally got to the point: "After we get off the boat, we will arrive at the customs of Wu State. We need to be inspected there and register our residence. Gentlemen, please leave your muskets, swords and other weapons on the boat."

As Luo Lin finished speaking, the nobles on the ship shouted, "No, this is a weapon for our self-defense."

"God is my witness, we have no ill will towards the Wu people, but we need to ensure our own safety, don't we?"

"Even if there are no thieves or robbers in Wu Country, can you guarantee that there are no wild beasts?"

Listening to the shouting of these Sassanid nobles, Luo Lin's face darkened and he shouted loudly: "Quiet! Gentlemen, ladies, and ladies, the army of Wu State and their government's Jinyiwei will ensure your safety."

"You know, the government system of Wu State is extremely powerful. On average, every two hundred civilians in Wu State will have a soldier called the police to protect them."

"So, please believe me. You are absolutely safe in Wu Country. This is a security guarantee that no other country in the world can have."

Hearing the data from Luo Lin, Grand Secretary Holbach could not help but frowned and looked at Luo Lin and said, "Luo Lin, I don't doubt your meaning, but I want to know where your data comes from?"

Luo Lin nodded and replied, "Respected Grand Secretary Holbach, my data comes from the Wu State Newspaper of the Wu State. Their government has pointed out that the ratio of one police officer for every 200 people is problematic. They are working hard to achieve the ratio of one police officer for every 100 people."

Grand Secretary Holbach nodded and then asked, "Then their government's finances must be very tight?"

However, to the surprise of Grand Secretary Holbach, Rollin just shrugged and replied: "On the contrary, your Excellency Grand Secretary Holbach, the financial situation of their government is not tight at all."

"They didn't collect any taxes from the people, on the contrary, their government kept spending money to build roads, schools and libraries.

"Part of their government's fiscal revenue comes from taxes on merchants, with a tax rate of between 10% and 50%. Another part comes from certain special industries, such as salt, sugar, wine, etc., and another part comes from the navy."

"As long as you want, you can read relevant news through their Wuguo Newspaper. Of course, this news may not be accurate."

After answering the question from Grand Secretary Holbach, Luo Lin raised his glass again, looked at the Sassanid nobles and said, "From the time we enter the pass, it will take about half a month to reach the capital of Wu State. I hope all the gentlemen, ladies and girls will have a pleasant journey. Cheers~"

Seeing this, Grand Secretary Holbach turned his head and looked at Grand Secretary Diderot, and whispered: "See, I said that the nobles in Western Europe should learn from the officials of Wu State instead of spending all their money on supporting lovers."

Grand Secretary Diderot shrugged and said, "Who knows? It is more realistic to expect the sun to rise from the east than to expect the nobles of Western Europe to learn from the officials of Wu."

In response to what Grand Secretary Diderot said, Grand Secretary Holbach could only shrug his shoulders helplessly to show his agreement, and then followed the Sassanid nobles in queuing up to disembark.

Grand Secretary Holbach had already made up his mind that since he had come to Wu State in person this time, he must study carefully how the government of Wu State operated, and if possible, bring this knowledge back to Sassanid Persia.

However, Grand Secretary Holbach, who was full of worries, followed a group of Sassanid nobles out of the customs and got on the carriage to Chang'an when he heard two whistles in the distance.

Then Grand Secretary Holbach looked at a steam locomotive made entirely of steel, dragging more than a dozen carriages, slowly driving out from behind the customs.