My British Empire

Chapter 126 Tariffs

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So, in front of Mark and a group of Hanseatic merchants, the urban management officers blatantly demolished the wall, regardless of the purple faces of the Hanseatic merchants.

In one morning, the walls of the entire London Steel Yard were completely demolished, exposing the various buildings inside.

Building.

"By the way, after we leave, people from the Finance Bureau of the City of London will come to collect taxes. You have to prepare the money!"

"Hahaha! Brothers, let's go!" The Earl of Southampton didn't care about the faces of Mark and his party at all, rode on his horse, and left with a big smile.

"Oh! What should come will come!" Mark sighed to the Hanseatic businessmen beside him, and turned back.

"Let's go! Go back and prepare some money. If those vampires are not fed enough, we don't want to do business!"

One of them, a respectable old man, waved at the businessmen and turned back.

So, the dozens of merchants who came out could only walk back sparsely, sighing one by one.

After all, they are used to preferential treatment or tax exemption. Now if they are required to pay taxes, it is no less than cutting flesh!

At this time, in the port of London, a ship of merchant ships from all over the world began to enter the port, including wine from France, wood from Northern Europe, olive oil from Southern Europe, herring from the Hanseatic League, and fur from Russia.

There are more such as bacon, grain, wine, fur, livestock, plant ash, whale oil, hemp, resin, beeswax, barrel staves, iron, copper, tin and metal products.

These are basically commodities that English people are keen on.

As a businessman in Lubeck, the central city of the Hanseatic League, Simon has been traveling between the Nordic region and England. Because he bravely picked up a harpoon during a pirate attack and stabbed two pirates to death, although it was only two Little lol, but word of his valor spread throughout Lübeck.

Thus, good people gave him a nickname, the brave-Simon, and he was willing to accept it.

As soon as he drove the boat into the Port of London, he met an acquaintance, a Hanseatic merchant who came to London like him, but Simon was selling herring, while he was selling grain.

"Hey, Simon, you have a good harvest as usual!"

The two stood on the boat and greeted each other.

"How could there be! You don't know that those merchants from the Netherlands shamelessly hired pirates to attack us. Now they can't buy much herring. I'm still worried that they will steal my ship!"

"It's okay this time, I didn't meet those evil spirits who believe in Satan, God bless you!"

As he spoke, Simon faced the sky and began to pray.

In Flanders, the powerful Burgundy duchy in the 15th century and the federal republic that emerged in the 16th century were the predecessors of the later Netherlands. They competed commercially with the Hanseatic League by building the port of Antwerp and encouraging pirate attacks. .

Moreover, in 1451, they forced the Hanseatic merchants to abandon the port of Bruges and transfer to the port of Antwerp.

Since then, the Netherlands has taken advantage of its superior geographical location and the conditions of numerous ports and rivers to replace the Hanseatic League merchant fleet as a "sea coachman" and monopolize commercial shipping in Western Europe.

"And you? Nice, my dear friend, how are you doing?"

While sighing about his business, Simon couldn't help asking about his friend who sells food.

"I'm okay, I haven't encountered those pirates, and London and England are now consuming more and more food!"

"How about you come to sell grain with me too! This business is easy to do!"

Nice grinned, showing his black and yellow teeth, and said to Simon.

Nice also has a reason for saying this. At present, the population of England has begun to grow explosively, and there is a great demand for food.

But obviously he can't fill the demand alone, so he wants to bring in Simon, the brave captain.

One reason is that Simon's boat is smaller than him and cannot pose a threat to him, and the other reason is that he has a good relationship with manor owners all over Germany, but Simon's relationship is not there.

In this way, Simon can earn another hand as long as he takes food from him.

If Simon is united, his trading status with England's grain merchants will increase a lot, and the price of grain will also increase.

"No, my friend, I'd better sell my herring! I'm not familiar with food!"

After thinking for a while, Simon decisively rejected Nice's proposal.

Simon, who often travels to London, of course knows how strong the food demand in England is, and he also knows that the profits are very high.

However, the habit he developed at sea prevents him from easily contacting unfamiliar areas. It is better to be cautious. He is not an adventurer, after all, his family depends on him to support him!

"Let's go back together in three days! Nice!" Commanding the sailors on the ship to pack the sails, Simon said to Nice on the neighboring ship.

"Okay! See you in three days!" Niss had already packed the boat, greeted the incoming port tax collector, and communicated with him.

"Your Excellency the Tax Officer, here are all the items we shipped this time!"

Nice bent down slightly, and said respectfully to the tax officer who kept holding the parchment.

"We have one hundred thousand pounds (about forty-nine tons) of grain on board, of which rye and wheat are half!"

"So, originally you had to pay a 5% tariff, but His Majesty the King has given preferential tariffs to grain, and now you only need to pay a 3% tariff!"

"So, you need to pay three thousand pounds of grain or fifteen pounds seven shillings and twelve pence!"

The tax officer had a big belly, a big belly, and was wearing red and white clothes. He sent a few of his men behind him into the ship's warehouse to check, and after confirming that it was correct, he made a rigorous calculation.

To be honest, in the whole of England, their math is the best!

But such talents are basically from Oxford University, and they are still very rare. There are less than ten in the entire Port of London.

"Of course, of course, this is what I need to pay!"

A surprise suddenly fell on Nice, and he felt a little floating.

Immediately, he reacted, took out a pocket from his trousers, carefully counted out fifteen pounds seven shillings and twelve pence, and put them into the bag in the tax officer's hand, and there was a burst of clattering sound.

Then, he took out another pound and quietly put it into the hands of the tax collector, and the tax collector quickly reacted, put it in his pocket, and walked off the boat with a happy smile.

After that, the tax officer boarded Simon's boat and began to collect taxes!

"My lord, we have a total of 30,000 pounds of herring on board, just caught from the sea!"

"Oh, my lord captain! Don't worry, we are just collecting taxes routinely!"

As he said that, the tax officer began to enter the cabin, his eyes swept around, and he roughly knew the cargo capacity of this ship!

He has collected taxes in the Port of London for more than ten years, and he already knows these things at a glance.

"Then, you need to pay an eight percent tariff!"

"Since it's fish, you can only pay with gold and silver coins!"

"Well, my lord, wasn't it 5% before? Why has it increased so much now!"

As soon as he heard what the tax officer said, Simon felt something was wrong, which was not quite the same as the customs he usually paid.

With doubts, Simon looked at the tax officer beside him.

"I'm afraid you don't know yet, His Majesty the King issued an imperial decree that merchants from the Hanseatic League will no longer enjoy preferential tariffs when they come to England!"

"Moreover, the tariffs of Hanseatic merchants are five levels higher than those of English merchants. Well, you understand now!"

The tax officer was talking in his mouth, but his brain was spinning non-stop, and he calculated the tax that Simon was about to pay.

"Well, sir, you need to pay twenty-five pounds and six shillings!"

The tax officer put away his smile and said to Simon with a cold face.

"Okay, I'll prepare it for you now, please wait a moment!"

Simon said to the tax collector respectfully, and threw a shilling into his pocket, and the tax official calmed down immediately.

"Then hurry up, I'll check the next ship first!" With that said, the tax officer got off the boat and walked to the next ship.

Comforting the tax officer, Simon hurried to the Nice boat, looked at the busy Nice, hesitated for a while, and said softly:

"Nice, do you have eight pounds!"

"Oh, Simon! I have it, do you need it!" The busy Nice looked at the shy Simon and said immediately.

"Yes, my friend, for some reason, the tariff has increased a lot, and I don't have enough money!"

Simon said with a depressed face, his tone was very hurt.

"Okay, I'll bring it to you now, my friend, it seems that you should sell grain with me!"

"The tariff on food has been reduced a lot!"

Nice took out eight pounds from his pocket while nagging.

"Okay, my man, I'll think about it this time!"

Holding the eight pounds in his hand, before leaving, Simon tilted his head and said seriously.

At this time, at Whitehall Palace, our Majesty the King is receiving a prisoner.

"Your Majesty, is there anything I can do for you?"

Adler with disheveled hair bowed to Edward and said, looking at Edward with a fiery face.

At this time, Adler, a banker from the Netherlands, was complicated. Among the dozens of wealthy businessmen who were arrested, only he and his family were left behind, although his family property had been copied by the man in front of him.

So, for his family and himself, he must please the young king in front of him.

"My husband, although your life is temporarily saved, whether you can keep it or not depends on your performance!"

Edward said noncommittally, with a very calm expression on his face.

(end of this chapter)

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