The Villain Saint is my secondary account

“No way, you guys actually worked with that kind of guy?” Skadi’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me about this before?”

"Ahem, well, it wasn't exactly a pleasant memory after all..."

“Hmm, okay, I think I understand.” Skadi nodded as if she understood. “The woman’s followers in the academy all seem like masochists to me. How could a normal person like to associate with such arrogant and foul-mouthed guys… uh.”

Skadi was speaking when she suddenly covered her lips, "Ye Xiao..."

"What's wrong, Your Highness?"

"Next time, remind me if I swear."

"Why do you say this suddenly?"

“...Because I don’t want to become like that woman.” Skadi gritted her teeth. “I think I suddenly realized how annoying I used to be.”

“Great progress, Your Highness.”

Chapter 102 Taking on the Responsibility

The Albert family, as marquises guarding the northern border of the Loren Empire, currently has two brothers in power: Duke Pesoli Albert and Royal Knights Commander Soren Albert, both of whom are important figures that the royal selectors need to win over.

They were also leading figures among the aristocratic conservatives, and had previously strongly supported Prince Evans.

Therefore, Skadi and Ye Xiao's main purpose in this trip was to understand the positions and thoughts of the two members of the Albert family.

Upon arriving at Albert's mansion, Ye Xiao immediately sensed the solemn atmosphere of this Northern family.

The tall, heavy gray-white marble brick wall opens in the middle with a dark, rustic, carved gate for the front courtyard.

The maid leading the way was dressed in luxurious materials. Although it was also a black and white long dress, the hem did not reach her ankles and there were not many decorations. It was more in line with the traditional and classical style of early Loren.

As it was a pre-arranged trip, Duke Pesoli Albert, dressed in a proper noble shirt and leaning on his cane, was already waiting at the gate of the mansion in the courtyard.

"It is my honor to have you here, Your Highness."

Unlike his brother, who was the commander of the Royal Knights, Duke Albert spoke in a very formal and meticulous manner, seemingly paying great attention to the formalities of communication among the imperial nobility.

Skadi also greeted the Duke politely, then left most of her attendants in the courtyard, only accompanying Ye Xiao to the mansion hall with the Duke.

"If I may ask, Your Highness, is Commander Isaac not accompanying you today?"

“He and we split up. He went to visit Duke Seychelles this morning,” Skadi replied with a smile. “There are still many details to discuss, and he should still be busy this afternoon.”

"Oh, then compared to Seychelles, it seems we are much luckier to have Her Highness the Princess in person."

Skadi remained impassive. She felt the meaning of those words was somewhat subtle but she couldn't quite grasp it, so she subtly changed the subject, "It seems that the Commander is not at your residence today?"

“Soren is not used to lengthy meetings, and after all, he is the Crown Prince’s swordsmanship instructor and a senior member of the legion. He needs to adjust his mindset after what happened.”

"I understand. As the younger sister, it must have been quite a shock to me that something like that happened to my respected older brother."

As they passed through the porch next to the living room, a blonde girl in a dark green dress and a familiar-looking girl in a black dress with black hair greeted Ye Xiao and his group.

"Greetings, Your Highness, and Father."

The blonde girl looked quiet and well-behaved, with her shoulder-length hair styled into a thin braid on one side of her forehead.

Her makeup was simple and elegant, clean and white, and with her long eyelashes and light blue eyes, she looked like a porcelain doll under the sunlight.

“This is my daughter, Sif. She has been staying in the North, and Your Highness should not have met her yet. This trip to the capital is also a kind of training,” Duke Albert introduced.

"Hello, Miss Sif."

Skadi nodded in response to the blonde girl.

The black-haired girl with a cold expression next to Sif was none other than the player girl Ye Xiao had met before, the Blade Witch, Su Xiyun.

How did this guy end up here? Has he become friends with Duke Albert's daughter?

Ye Xiao noticed the other person the moment he saw them.

Although Su Xiyun's eyes met Ye Xiao's, she didn't recognize him, perhaps because Ye Xiao's appearance had changed quite a bit, or perhaps because they had only met a few times before.

However, Ye Xiao still smiled and nodded slightly to the other party, which surprised the black-haired girl a little.

"This is Susie Yun, my daughter's friend. She recently enrolled at the academy and is a girl with exceptional swordsmanship talent that even Soren praises highly," Duke Albert added. "Perhaps Your Highness has met her at the academy as well?"

“Student Su, I have indeed heard of her,” Skadi nodded, “but this is the first time we’ve met since we’re in different classes. However, I can certainly see that this young lady is extraordinary and will surely be a pillar of our empire in the future.”

"Your Highness is too kind," Su Xiyun said with a slight smile, though it was more of a twitch at the corner of her mouth.

If Skadi were in the past, she might have mocked a peer who was still so aloof in front of her, but perhaps because she had been tempered by Ella too much, she now felt gratified when she saw someone who could be quiet and taciturn.

"The two young men will join us during discussions as observers. I wonder if Your Highness would mind?"

"It's alright. It's a blessing for the empire to have young people who can learn more about the country's politics."

"I admire your vision, Your Highness."

After a brief introduction, Skadi had Ye Xiao retrieve the dossier from his spatial ring detailing the discussions with the Albert family, and the group began talking in the living room.

The content largely revolves around the imperial city's military subsidies to the northern border and the Knights, as well as adjustments to the garrison organization of the imperial cities directly under the empire's jurisdiction.

Different dukes often had different and contradictory demands. For example, the warlike Albert family tended to assign more garrison troops to each territory to consolidate the army's surveillance and control, and to increase military spending on the subjugation of barbarians to expand their territory.

The Duke of Seychelles' family would be opposed to such a policy, as they, who own Stormport, would prefer a greater degree of freedom in trade, less control, and would like national funds to be invested more in economic development rather than spending them on the military.

Besides the conflicting interests among the various noble families, the interests of the royal family itself also need to be taken into account. If all the national funds are used to subsidize the royal expenses and taxes are reduced, then the royal palace's own expenses will increase and its income will decrease.

Therefore, finding a perfect balance between one's own interests and those of the various nobles, and winning over all parties, is a considerable challenge for Skadi.

Ye Xiao wouldn't interfere in this matter, since it's not as simple as just knowing some political principles. It involves various details of the feudal nobles of the Loren Empire, and since he hasn't cultivated deep experience in Loren politics, he can't offer any very constructive advice.

However, this is a question that Skadi herself should consider. Even the most basic political views need to be refined through repeated negotiations.

Now is the best time for her to grow. Even if Ye Xiaozhen understands these things, she won't help her, because that would be like pulling up seedlings to help them grow.

Now, these nobles, knowing the situation, will give the fledgling princess more understanding and patience, and those who will become kings will eventually have to learn to stand on their own from this experience.

It's impossible for Ye Xiao, an ordinary adventurer, to be the one to offer advice on even political matters.

To exaggerate a bit, if Skadi were to actually become queen, and Ye Xiao, as her attendant, were to offer political opinions and manage the country, wouldn't that be considered a disruption of the court? — Ye Xiao has no interest in becoming Daji.

Chapter 103 Helping Seedlings Grow by Pulling Up the Seedlings

So, as Ye Xiao quietly leaned back on the sofa and watched Skadi, who had previously only said "Shut up, shut up, it's too much trouble," begin to have a serious discussion with Duke Albert, he felt somewhat gratified.

This was exactly what he wanted to see: Skadi slowly growing from a willful and arrogant princess into someone who could earn the trust and support of these nobles through her own strength.

Although he was not very knowledgeable about Loren's politics, these political views and proposals were essentially only for short-term gains. The core issue was whether he could convince the nobles that Skadi would be an excellent king.

……

Meanwhile, on the other side, Ella and Prince Raymond also arrived at Duke Seychelles's residence.

Similar to Ye Xiao's side, Ella was sitting side by side with Prince Raymond, watching him and Duke Seychelle discuss the proposal for the royal selection.

“Hahaha, I understand Your Highness’s considerations,” Duke Seychelle said. Unlike Ella’s previous impression of Simon, Ella’s pampered eldest son, he had a thick beard and a rough voice, exuding the boldness and wildness of a Stormport sailor. “But Your Highness, we also have our difficulties. Overseas trade is the main source of income for our territory. Increasing trade subsidies is only a short-term solution. Maintaining high trade tax rates is not easy for the sailors.”

Prince Raymond's lips twitched slightly as he listened.

"Not easy, my foot! Do you think I don't know how many tax-free transactions are taking place in Stormport? We only collect taxes on your facade and you still complain. This duke looks so magnanimous, but he just wants to take advantage of the royal election to skim money off the palace."

However, the trade tax rate in the coastal province is already the lowest among all the territories, and the import and export taxes of this province are a major source of income for the Loren Empire's royal family. Lowering it further would be an unreasonable demand.

Prince Raymond's strategy of winning the royal election by winning over the nobles is commendable, but he cannot relinquish royal interests without any bottom line. Otherwise, if he becomes king but the national treasury's revenue is halved, and the government's subsidies are inadequate, these very nobles who were the instigators will impeach him.

Really are……

Prince Raymond rubbed his forehead, outwardly remaining calm, but inwardly cursing Duke Seychelles for taking advantage of his vulnerability a thousand times over.

This guy was originally a supporter of their reformists, so why is he taking advantage of this juncture to jump out and torment them?

Of course, Prince Raymond was unaware that while he was changing his route to Duke Havil's mansion that morning, Commander Isaac from Princess Skadi's side had come ahead to discuss trade tax rates with Duke Seychelles, setting a trap for Prince Raymond.

But now Prince Raymond was in a dilemma and couldn't think of a solution right away.

The other party is sticking to the trade tariff rate and won't budge, so no matter how many short-term subsidy proposals he offers as bait, it won't work.

Just when he felt helpless, Prince Raymond subconsciously glanced at Ella, who was sitting elegantly beside him.

When Ella caught a glimpse of Prince Raymond's gaze out of the corner of her eye, her alluring eyes curved into crescent moons, and her pink lips parted slightly: "Your Highness, Your Grace, I have an idea, I wonder if I may mention it?"

"Oh?" Prince Raymond was secretly delighted. He had only glanced at it subconsciously, but did this guy really have a solution? "Miss Ella, please tell me."

“Miss Ella, please speak freely.” Duke Seychelles naturally wouldn’t mind.

Here, like Ye Xiao, Ella didn't have a deep understanding of the political scene in Loren either. After all, they were the same person, and Ella naturally wouldn't know what Ye Xiao didn't.

However, she has a human cheat code called Lilia.

This second princess, who was well-read, possessed intelligence that could only be described as extraordinary.

Therefore, before setting off, Ella secretly used the eyes of the raven familiar to activate the Moon God's authority, namely Renata's Web, to create a dream world for Lilia, who was far away at the academy, that was exactly the same as the current situation of the meeting at Duke Seychelles' mansion.

Based on the proceedings, Lilia shared her thoughts and interpretations with the raven familiar. Ella, who was several miles away, could understand them directly. Combined with some modern ideas from Earth, it was not difficult to devise a clever plan.

"Thank you, Your Highness, thank you, Duke." Looking into Duke Seychelle's eyes, Ella smiled gently, her voice light and clear. "I have also reviewed the financial records submitted to the Royal Family by your territory. The trade tax mainly concerns the types and weights of goods, and it seems to have no connection with the merchant guilds responsible for freight and production."

Upon hearing this question, the Duke of Seychelles immediately raised his eyebrows slightly.

As the behind-the-scenes power behind the empire's largest merchant guild, Duke Seychelles's business acumen allowed him to sense something amiss.

Prince Raymond nodded and said, "Yes, the most straightforward way to count the import and export volume of goods in trade is through statistics. This kind of thing shouldn't have anything to do with the Chamber of Commerce or the place of origin, right?"

“Not entirely unrelated,” Ella drew a large circle within a small circle on the paper. “Nowadays, the Empire’s trade tax collection mainly relies on the statistics of goods at the docks and customs. If you can manipulate this level, you can basically hide nearly 50% of the tax payable.”

"The chambers of commerce themselves are not very enthusiastic about accepting the supervision of the territory. The supervision from the palace can only be applied to the large chambers of commerce, and it is only a few times a year. They can basically deal with false accounts."

“Hmm, does Miss Ella mean that she hopes to increase the intensity of tax inspections?” Duke Seychelle asked. “The loss of various tax amounts is a major problem for the territory itself. I am also willing to improve this, but I am afraid it will not be so easy to achieve.”

"Miss Ella may not know that the internal coordination systems of different chambers of commerce are inherently varied and chaotic, making it difficult to standardize the format of account books and files."

"This means that even if we provide subsidies or establish a dedicated agency to advance tax investigations, the chaotic situation will make our efforts much less effective."

“Your Grace has hit the nail on the head. That’s exactly what I was thinking.” Ella nodded slightly. “If we could unify the accounts and records of the Big Head Merchant Guild and clarify the entries, would that be more feasible?”

“Unified ledgers…” Duke Seychelles smiled bitterly, “For those guys, it’s better to let them hang themselves.”

“That’s just because, generally speaking, this matter only has negative effects,” Ella drew another intersecting circle with her quill pen. “That’s why I just mentioned the chamber of commerce tax rate. In fact, I think we could add a system to incentivize chambers of commerce registered in Stormport, providing tax rebates for certain categories of goods imported and exported by these chambers of commerce.”

Upon hearing this, Duke Seychelles' eyes lit up; he seemed to sense what Ella was about to say.

Chapter 104 The Holy Maiden's Talent

Prince Raymond, on the other hand, was completely bewildered. After all, he was still young enough to be a student at the academy, and he found it difficult to understand Ella's proposal, which was already considered to be ahead of its time.

But Ella's current position is equivalent to his aide, and she doesn't care as long as she can win over Grand Duke Seychelles.

Prince Raymond thought to himself.

“Hahaha, a very interesting idea, Miss Ella,” Duke Seychelles praised. “I can guess how you want to standardize the Chamber of Commerce’s accounting system.”

“Your Grace is wise. As you guessed, the import and export ledgers of the merchant guilds that enjoy tax refunds will be formatted in a uniform way for the territory’s finance department to review, so that the territory can report taxes to the palace. For unregistered merchant guilds, the basic trade tax rate for some categories will be increased,” Ella said.

“Yes, using a tax refund mechanism that differentiates between chambers of commerce can guide the standardized operation of the chambers of commerce, strengthen the supervision of the palace and the territory over the chambers of commerce, reduce shady accounts, and naturally increase tax revenue.” Duke Seychel stroked his beard. “But there is a problem: many of the interests of these chambers of commerce depend on tax-free smuggling trade.”

"The essence of this policy is actually to reduce their profits in the gray area, and it is not difficult for those shrewd people to realize this."

"If they unite to stage a collective boycott, they could completely prevent the policy from being implemented, and the proposal would naturally become a beautiful but unrealizable bubble."

The silver-haired girl picked up the teacup beside her, took a sip, and said, "The Duke is right. If all the merchant guilds can unite to resist this plan, they can indeed eliminate the threat it poses to them and maximize their gray income."

"But perfect unity of hearts is almost impossible to achieve. Even members of the same family can hardly guarantee mutual trust, let alone chambers of commerce that are already in competition with each other."

"This will eventually lead to a situation like the prisoner's dilemma, where all the prisoners can remain safe by trusting each other and not accusing one another, but if even one prisoner chooses to betray, the entire prisoner group will collapse."

"In the first few years, we can support full tax refunds for certain categories of goods, strengthen the monitoring of black market transactions, and win over some closely related chambers of commerce to give priority support to their localized registration and tax refund schemes in Storm Harbor. We can even link the amount of tax refunds to the length of registration, so that chambers of commerce that are willing to register and operate in a standardized manner earlier will have a first-mover advantage."

“These practices can make a number of chambers of commerce taste the benefits and consciously break away from groups that maintain illicit interests. The supervisory manpower saved from standardized chambers of commerce can then be invested in unregistered and irregularly operating chambers of commerce. More tax refunds and preferential policies will strengthen standardized chambers of commerce, thereby boosting their trade competitiveness and squeezing irregularly operating chambers of commerce out of the market.”

"Trade ultimately requires two parties. Even black market transactions have costs to avoid surveillance. If you, as a buyer, find that one of the two sellers you are cooperating with is a legitimate seller with cheap and standardized operations, a legitimate trading route protected by the Empire, and supported by territorial policies; while the other's prices fluctuate, and there is even a possibility that the goods you receive may be lost or misplaced due to surveillance, and the risks of the trading route are not guaranteed, then it is almost certain that you would choose one of them."

"Therefore, as long as there are the first batch of chambers of commerce willing to respond to the tax refund proposal, the profit margins of chambers of commerce that still rely on black market profits as income will become smaller and smaller in the increasingly standardized trade market."

"Your Grace, I believe you understand that merchants are ultimately focused on maximizing their own profits. If they can make a fortune and dominate the market in the short term, who cares how much gray-market income the entire merchant community can maintain in the longer term?"

“Everyone in the chamber of commerce knows that this is a bait with a fishing line attached, but if it is caught and becomes a domesticated fish, at least it will have a stable food supply.”

"But if you insist on being a wild fish, sooner or later you will have to face being drained into a dried-up pond."

As the girl's gentle voice faded, Duke Seychelles couldn't help but applaud.