The goddesses attempted to gain my salvation.

This is due to her own hard work and charisma.

Although he publicly declared that he was relinquishing his rule, he actually possessed the country in a true sense.

------

The first parliamentary session lasted for three days.

Unfortunately, the turmoil had just ended, and every aspect of the Duchy of Ferrante was in need of improvement. Furthermore, the corrupt rule during Berninne's reign had created countless problems that needed to be addressed.

These are all issues that the newly formed People's Assembly needs to address.

On the afternoon of the third day, after lunch, the parliament convened again.

Claire, holding a thick stack of documents, sat in the very center of the round table.

"Due to this turmoil, large areas of farmland in the Duchy of Ferrante have been destroyed, the most severely affected being our staple grain producing area, the Golden Harvest Plain. At the same time, the war has also resulted in the loss of a large number of laborers."

"You must understand that for a plains nation like our Duchy of Ferrante, agriculture is our core industry. And this season is the prime time for planting. In order not to affect the yield of autumn and winter crops, I believe it is necessary to introduce a series of pro-agricultural policies to accelerate the recovery of farmland and the planting of crops."

"At the same time, this policy can also be used to make up for the trauma that the war has caused to the people as quickly as possible."

In the Duchy of Ferrante, the renowned sage Aragorn offered his opinion.

His opinion was quickly agreed upon by all members.

"In that case, let's discuss the specific details of the pro-farmer policies," Hans announced.

Ms. Lumis, the representative of the Grundor Chamber of Commerce, wearing glasses and a gray robe, raised her hand to express her opinion.

"As a representative of the Grundfo Chamber of Commerce, I am honored to be a member of the People's Council. This is to demonstrate the sincerity of our Grundfo Chamber of Commerce and to congratulate the new government."

"Our Grudow Merchant Guild will sell seeds of various staple and cash crops to farmers in the Duchy of Ferrante at prices lower than the market price. At the same time, we will also sell a range of supporting facilities, such as farming tools, at low prices."

Lumis's words immediately caught the attention of the council members.

The local businessman, Ovando, frowned slightly.

We're all businessmen; nobody does business that doesn't make money.

Lumis and the Groudon Chamber of Commerce are not charities; so many seeds and farming tools will cost a lot of money.

It's impossible to sell everything at a loss without wanting anything in return.

Then Ovando spoke.

"If you only talk about the benefits without mentioning the actual profits, we dare not agree."

Lumis smiled, adjusted her glasses, looked Ovando over, and then said calmly.

“Representative Ofando is right.”

"While we sell seeds at low prices, we also hope to purchase 30 percent of crops at prices below market standards."

"The Gruda Chamber of Commerce believes that 80 percent of the market price is a reasonable standard."

Not only Ovando, but another local businessman, Firio, also noticed Lumis's shrewd calculations.

It must be said that the people sent by the Grudow Chamber of Commerce were indeed very shrewd.

These values ​​are calculated with great accuracy.

Years of trade have given them a fairly clear understanding of the market situation in the Duchy of Ferrante. The net profit from the duchy's annual grain production is roughly the same as what the Grudow Merchant Guild takes.

In other words, the Grudal Chamber of Commerce meant to make the entire Duchy of Ferrante work for them for free for a year.

They're not stupid.

"Haha, Ms. Lumis is quite the joker."

"If they really buy up so much grain, wouldn't the Duchy of Ferrante have worked hard for nothing all year?"

Lumis had considered this factor when she made the suggestion.

Therefore, Lumis calmly adjusted her glasses and opened the document she had prepared beforehand.

“Representative Filio’s statement is inaccurate.”

“In the Duchy of Ferrante today, large areas of farmland have been destroyed to varying degrees, and the seeds that farmers used to need for planting were provided by the local nobles.”

“Now, a large portion of the duchy’s nobles have been purged due to their rebellion, so naturally no one is providing them with seeds. Clearing the farmland also requires more manpower than before. If this situation is allowed to continue, the Duchy of Ferrante will face a situation where there are no seeds to plant and no grain to harvest.”

"Having just experienced war, if the situation is not stabilized soon, the newly established government of the Duchy of Ferrante may very well face an unprecedented famine."

At this point, Lumis continued flipping through the documents in her hand.

"If the People's Council accepts my suggestion, farmers will not only be able to grow crops, but the Gruda Chamber of Commerce will also provide farmers with some support to ensure a stable return on investment, such as pest control and nutrient rationing."

"Indeed, the Duchy of Ferrante will lose the revenue from grain production, but in return, it will avoid the impending famine and harvest the same as or even far more than in previous years."

"As I said before, this is the Grudal Chamber of Commerce's gesture of goodwill toward the newly established regime of the Principality of Ferrante."

"Of course, whether or not you agree is up to you to decide."

After speaking, Lumis adjusted her glasses and closed the document in her hand.

He gave Claire a meaningful look.

Chapter 162 Agreement

Claire saw a hint of taste in Lumis's eyes.

However, Claire didn't pay much attention to Lumis's gaze, instead looking at the documents in her hand.

This document is what she and Ryan compiled over a week.

It covers all the areas Ryan could think of, along with some suggestions for those areas.

Among them were proposals concerning agriculture.

Clearing her throat, Claire spoke slowly.

"Thank you for your efforts, Ms. Lumis. Please also convey the Duchy of Ferrante's gratitude to the president of the Grudow Chamber of Commerce."

"Before we discuss seeds and farming tools, we need to address the core issue of the labor force."

"Currently, the war has caused a significant labor shortage. Even if sufficient seeds and farming tools are provided in the end, there may not be enough people to cultivate the land."

"Therefore, the first step we need to take is to liberate the workforce."

After looking around, Claire fixed her gaze on the four noble representatives.

"Besides those nobles who were purged, there are still nearly a hundred noble families of varying sizes in the Duchy of Ferrante. To this day, those families still possess a considerable number of private guards."

"Therefore, I propose that, from this moment forward, the private armies of nobles be completely abolished. The entire armed forces of the Duchy of Ferrante shall be directly controlled by the state and the people's council."

"Wartime command is handed over to General Rick."

"And those aristocratic private armies that were abolished will not only not be purged, but each of them will also receive two silver beans as compensation."

"This money will be taken from the confiscated assets of the nobility."

The four noble councilors looked at each other and sighed at the same time.

It seems that Claire has decided to completely remove the last claws of the nobility, rendering them utterly incapable of rebellion.

"But what about local security?"

Lumis offered his opinion: "Without stable local security, the merchant caravans simply cannot conduct business, and local farmers cannot cultivate their land in peace. After all, bandits will not reason with us."

After looking at the contents of the document, Claire closed her eyes, recalling what her mentor Ryan had told her, digesting it little by little, and then spoke.

"Although the abolition of the nobles' private armies does not mean that local security should be abandoned."

"The existing system of lords and local nobles will remain unchanged, while security agencies under the jurisdiction of each region will be established, allowing the recruitment of security guards. However, there are strict requirements on the number of people and equipment of the security guards."

"Depending on the size of the city-state, the number of members in the security guard ranges from one thousand to three thousand, and even in special mobilization situations, the number is not allowed to exceed four thousand. At the same time, no city-state, lord, noble, or private group is allowed to forge refined iron weapons. Orichalcum will also become a controlled raw material, which can only be used by the military."

"If a powerful bandit gang is encountered and the local authorities are unable to punish it, an application can be submitted to the People's Council. After the People's Council approves the application, it will appoint troops to suppress the gang."

Lumis leaned back in her chair and adjusted her glasses.

The other members of parliament had no objections.

Ultimately, the proposal passed with ten votes.

The four nobles, without a doubt, chose to abstain.

"Next came the pro-farmer policies."

Claire continued with her proposal: "From now on, all farmers will receive a compensation of two silver beans per month. If the harvest is good, they will also receive an additional silver bean reward from the local lord, depending on the specific circumstances."

"At the same time, local nobles and lords would also be assessed based on grain production. If they met the standards, they would receive certain tax reductions or even preferential policies."

Several guild representatives, especially Sage Aragorn, were taken aback upon hearing the proposal.

What does two silver beans mean?

The average farmer, after a year of hard work growing grain, would only earn about fifty silver beans in profit if he sold all the produce.

Now, Claire has announced that she will receive a subsidy of two silver beans every month.

That makes twenty-four in a year!

And if the grain production is sufficient, even more rewards will be given.

Undoubtedly, this policy will greatly stimulate the farmers of the Duchy of Ferrante.

At the same time, the grain produced by agriculture is also beneficial to the lords in various regions.

In addition, this policy had a crucial aspect. Those who left the nobles' private guards would automatically be reassigned to farming households, greatly increasing the agricultural population.

The proposal was quickly passed unanimously.

Finally, Claire turned her gaze to Lumis, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Having gone through so much, Claire is no longer the clueless and naive girl she once was, but has grown into an excellent leader.

Even with Lumis, a seasoned veteran in the business world, sitting across from her, she remained calm and composed.

"Ms. Lumis, the issues concerning the labor force and related policies have been discussed."

"Now, it's time to talk about seeds and farming tools."

Lumis smiled and raised her hand, gesturing for Claire to continue.

"Your offer is indeed very tempting."