The Former Empress Roughly Hides Her Abilities - Chapter 81

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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【Chapter 81】

That was only for a moment.

“The Administrative Council meeting is coming up soon…”

“Will you be alright?”

Since this meeting needed to discuss how to approach negotiations with Garta Kingdom, Rianel, as the person in charge, couldn’t be absent.

But Rianel, the person in charge, had a hangover.

She wasn’t just a low-ranking official who could stay quiet and sit still.

‘Are we doomed?’

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs people’s despair was only momentary.

“Tariffs are taxes added to imported goods, so it’s easy to mistake them as expenses for importers, but they’re actually taxes imposed on our own citizens. Therefore, tariff increases must be approached carefully.”

Seeing Rianel enter the conference room without showing even a hint of her hangover, they gained enlightenment.

‘Well, the world doesn’t end just because alcohol enters the system, does it?’

‘I’m the one who’s doomed.’

-Do not doubt.

Today too, Sage Til’s teachings settled deeply into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Everyone accepted that one and only truth.

* * *

Prince Zarban’s purpose in coming to the Empire was to expand trade.

It was to exchange medicinal herbs mainly produced in Garta Kingdom for wheat produced in the Empire.

Due to its unique climate, Garta was abundant in medicinal herbs that didn’t grow in the Empire, but conversely, it lacked food and frequent droughts caused deaths from starvation every year.

Of course, there was trade between merchants of both countries.

However, the path connecting the two countries was so treacherous that small-scale trade couldn’t handle the volume needed by the kingdom, and the prices were ridiculously expensive.

So Zarban came to establish a formal agreement at the kingdom level.

‘But the agreement will be made later in a setting where the prince is also present.’

In this meeting, they discussed what negotiation proposal to present to the prince.

What price to set for desert herbs.

How much to recognize the value of the shilling, Garta’s currency.

How to adjust tariffs and determine the annual trade volume.

At this very important meeting.

“Everyone has worked hard, indeed.”

When the Emperor, who hadn’t even attended conference room meetings for several years, appeared with the Saint on his arm, people froze.

‘Isn’t the Empress Dowager coming?’

‘Why is His Majesty the Emperor…?’

The Emperor was one thing, but the person who came with the Emperor was also problematic.

“Why has the Saint come? This is a place for discussing state affairs.”

The fact that the two were in a romantic relationship was an open secret known to everyone who knew.

But since there was no reason to take issue with the Emperor’s private life, everyone had been pretending not to know.

‘To bring the Saint even to an official conference hall?’

‘Surely he’s not laying groundwork to announce theocratic rule?’

The Emperor put his arm around the Saint’s shoulder and said.

“Since she’s someone who conveys God’s words, I thought we could gain insights that officials can’t easily provide, so I brought the Saint along. The Saint is participating as an advisor, so don’t mind it.”

Moreover, using the innovation and reform that the Empress Dowager often spoke of as justification, no one could object.

Yuna smiled inwardly.

‘Trade agreement? That’s a piece of cake.’

Though the Empire’s top talents had gathered in this conference room, Yuna thought that was nothing special.

‘At best, they’re people from the early modern period.’

In contrast, she came from the modern era where culture and science were extremely developed.

Moreover, she had completed higher education there.

‘How can early modern people beat a modern person?’

Yuna had received a special mission from the Cardinal.

[You absolutely must not let foreign herbs enter the Empire. Unlike the Sacred Flowers cultivated in the Temple, the desert kingdom’s herbs are unidentified plants of unknown origin.]

It was a special mission to either break off negotiations or minimize the scale of trade.

[Moreover, Garta Kingdom has a different religion. We cannot allow other religions to enter the Empire.]

[Just leave it to me. I’ll handle it.]

To solve the Temple’s narrowing influence recently, this matter had to be successful.

‘If foreign religions enter, my influence will also decline. I can’t let that happen.’

By showing overwhelming ability in this meeting with all civil servants present, she could also lay the foundation for becoming Empress.

Hadn’t the Emperor said so too.

It wasn’t because he didn’t love her, but considering the circumstances, crowning her as Empress had simply been delayed.

‘So I’ll make an impression on the civil servants with this opportunity.’

Yuna lifted her chin and began her speech.

“I think it’s right to impose high tariffs of over 40% on Garta Kingdom. We’ll secure tax revenue that way and use it to strengthen port facilities. We’ll develop the Empire further.”

People who had been half-doubting what opinion the Saint would present were greatly flustered.

‘Raising tariffs indiscriminately?’

‘Did she present that as an opinion? Or is she testing us by throwing out random words…’

Of course, it wasn’t that the Empire had no high-tariff goods.

A representative example was wine.

To protect the domestic wine industry while considering that wine was a luxury item, high tariffs were imposed on alcohol imported from foreign countries.

However, since Garta Kingdom’s main products weren’t luxury items, they couldn’t be treated the same as wine.

“Um… Would Garta Kingdom accept that?”

Deputy Minister Pael of the Foreign Ministry asked cautiously.

Since he was in a position to be dismissed as the person responsible if these negotiations fell through, he was careful.

However, the Saint was firm.

“People cannot live without food. But Garta Kingdom wants the Empire’s food. In other words, we’re practically holding their lives in our hands. In deals, the one who needs something more bows down, so Garta Kingdom will have no choice but to accept even unreasonable conditions.”

‘What nonsense.’

Pael bit his lower lip as if chewing it.

‘Does she think diplomacy is intimidation?’

If they were going to use the Empire’s prosperity to extort neighboring countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wouldn’t be needed.

‘There are aspects that can’t be filled that way, so we coordinate opinions and negotiate!’

Pael’s insides boiled. Various words swirled in his mind, but most were profanity and terms the Saint wouldn’t understand even if he said them.

‘How can I refute that nonsense?’

While Pael was pondering.

“As tariffs increase, the price of medicinal herbs distributed in the Empire will rise. Importers will incorporate the increased tariff costs into prices instead of taking losses. High tariffs will burden Empire citizens who need medicinal herbs, and this is not a path for the Empire.”

Everyone’s heads turned in unison toward one direction.

It was Rianel.

Yuna glared at her.

‘You again?’

“People get sick at some point. Rising herb prices will increase the burden of medical costs and force the poor to give up either livelihood or treatment.”

Moreover.

“I cannot agree with the statement that tariffs will increase tax revenue. Excessive tariffs only encourage smuggling.”

Yuna was seething with anger.

Just thinking about the noodle factory fire incident made her stomach churn, and now in this crowded conference room, they were systematically refuting her every word…

“Just arrest them all. Station tax collectors and enforcement personnel at the port! You keep saying unemployment is a serious problem, but you can’t think of solving it that way?”

Everyone frowned at her somewhat unreasonable statement.

Rianel remained completely unperturbed.

“Tariffs are indeed easy taxes to collect. You simply collect them when goods pass through customs during import and export.”

Theoretically, you only needed to intensively inspect goods being unloaded at ports, so there was no simpler tax than this.

“However, in this case, there’s no way to detect smuggling ships conducting ship-to-ship transactions at sea. Cracking down on this requires considerable manpower and costs.”

The Empire’s territorial waters alone were endlessly vast, and they couldn’t station patrol ships all the way to international waters.

“Most importantly, exporting food is beneficial for the Empire too. Wheat prices must be maintained so farmers don’t suffer losses.”

Furthermore.

“If exports and trade expand, jobs in ports and transportation will increase. Since solving unemployment problems with taxes just comes back as a tax burden, it’s better to create an environment where jobs are naturally generated as needed.”

The conference room fell into brief silence, then was filled with sounds of admiration.

“Indeed…!”

Someone who became Team Leader at lightning speed really is different!

“That’s right, those are wise words.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs people, especially Pael, nodded as if they felt completely relieved.

The State Minister shrugged his shoulders, unable to hide his smile.

Regardless of their awkward relationship, hearing his daughter praised was always a pleasant thing.

“But…”

When Yuna hesitated, this time the State Minister stepped forward.

“If I may speak frankly, there’s one concerning aspect about Garta Kingdom’s main trade goods being medicinal herbs.”

Yuna turned around in surprise, then glared fiercely at the State Minister.

“What aspect are you referring to?”

“The rise in medicinal herb prices is not unrelated to expanding the Temple’s influence.”

“What… surely you’re not suspecting me right now?”

Yuna reacted sharply.

She was already being logically overwhelmed by Rianel, and now even her father was trying to block her – it was unbearable.

“As the advisor proposed earlier, when medicinal herb prices rise, the poor are hit hardest. And instead of giving up treatment, they turn to miracles and faith.”

When incomprehensible, uncontrollable events occur, people naturally turn to God.

“That’s how the Temple’s influence expands. Of course, I believe the Saint wouldn’t do such a thing, but the situation is rather coincidental.”

‘What?’

Yuna’s eyes widened.

She had only thought the Cardinal opposed trade with Garta Kingdom to exclude other religions…

‘There was such an underlying reason?’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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