I am a wicked dragon, and you want me to fall into goodness?

Chapter 120: A Little Trick to Increase Population (3k)

Pusser's purpose was indeed not pure; the goal of increasing the population was to obtain more skill evolution points, thereby enabling the skills to transform.

For this blue dragon who is still growing, the population is the walking evolution value.

Every living being that dies in war becomes nourishment on his path to advancement.

In his eyes, the so-called population prosperity was nothing more than a bargaining chip for accumulating evolution value. The more people there were, the more evolution value he could harvest in the future.

Whether it's a knight who died in battle, a planter who received a blessing, or a pioneer who was devoured by monsters, anyone who lost their life in the war is counted.

He wanted the Starshine to have a large population, the Knights to grow stronger, and the Mage Order to take shape; all he wanted was to cultivate a fertile "pasture".

When war breaks out and disaster strikes, one can reap a continuous stream of evolution points, helping oneself break through limitations and advance towards a more powerful dragon form.

This thought is sordid and straightforward, leaving no room for concealment.

Pu Se means pure evil.

A true human breeding factory.

Wolves cruelly torture the humans of this world.

He didn't care about the lives of the Levi and the Long-eared, nor about the survival of Starshine.

Upon hearing this, Cedric looked at Puse with his aged eyes and gently shook his head.

Starshine is already facing a food shortage. The wheat fields around the royal city are only enough to feed the current population, and reserves must be set aside for wheat seeds and famine years.

The returning Levi and Long-eared people were fortunate to be able to survive peacefully; many families were still half-starved, and it was common for children to be pale and thin.

If the population is increased blindly without sufficient food to support it, it will only lead to famine.

At that time, there will be no need to wait for war or disaster; internal strife will break out first, and widespread famine will only arrive sooner.

Moreover, the new population needs housing and arable land, and there is very little land left to cultivate around Xingluo City.

Insufficient arable land and food shortages are like two tight bands, severely restricting the possibility of population growth.

The most urgent task right now is to stabilize existing livelihoods. Only when the wheat harvest is plentiful and production in the west is stable can we confidently talk about population growth.

Blindly pursuing more will only backfire and completely ruin the situation that Xinghui has just stabilized.

"Your Highness, that's true, but you can't just increase the population at will! The most pressing issue right now is the lack of food!"

He turned to look at Pu Se, his voice full of helplessness: "For the population to increase, we must first ensure that people have enough to eat and that the land produces enough grain."

"Given the current situation, let alone increasing the population, simply maintaining the existing population would be a good outcome. Increasing the population is just too, too difficult!"

Upon hearing this, Pu Se raised an eyebrow: "If there's not enough food, then make more? A living person won't die from holding their pee, will they?"

Cedric and Karen exchanged glances. Although the words were crude but the reasoning was sound, this was just too crude!

Puther didn't take Cedric's difficulties to heart at all.

He abruptly changed the subject, taking half a step forward and asking directly, "I want to know, how much grain tax is collected per acre of land in Xinghui right now?"

Cedric hadn't expected him to suddenly ask about grain taxes. His aged eyes narrowed slightly, and after a moment's thought, he answered truthfully.

"According to the current rules, we'll collect fifty catties."

After he finished speaking, he added another sentence.

"There's no other way. A portion has to be set aside for the national treasury to subsidize the basic expenses of the Knights Order, and also to prepare reserves for famine years."

Pu Se's tone was full of disbelief: "What? You want to buy fifty catties?"

"How can it be a fixed number? Isn't the tax collected according to a fixed percentage? For example, a 30/70 split, with 70% of the grain collected as tax."

He frowned: "What kind of logic is this, dividing the harvest by fixed weight! The yield depends entirely on the weather. In a bumper year, fifty catties can get you more, but in a famine, it can drive you to your death. Can't you just divide it proportionally?"

Seeing the incredulous look on Puther's face, Karen explained, "Your Highness Puther, you are unaware that paying taxes based on profit sharing is not feasible!"

"We cannot know the exact amount of wheat produced in the fields. Doing so would require a massive amount of calculation, and those nobles—"

Those nobles are masters of deception.

In this world, many people can't even do basic arithmetic. They're lucky if they can count from 1 to 10, let alone understand how to break things down into smaller units.

Upon hearing this, Pu Se's silver-blue vertical pupils instantly ignited with impatience and anger, and he immediately burst into a tirade: "Idiot! What are you doing keeping tax officials around?"

"Can't you even handle things like registering field yields on a regular basis, verifying disaster situations during years of disaster, collecting what should be collected, and exempting what should be exempted?"

Karen was speechless for a moment after being choked by the angry rebuke. She was about to speak again when she was at a loss for words.

The Kingdom of Elia did indeed employ many tax collectors, but most of them chose to collude with the nobles to collect more grain.

He could only awkwardly raise his hand to touch the tip of his nose, his eyes slightly darting away, and his expression softening.

When Puser caught sight of Karen's embarrassed state, a flash of mockery crossed his eyes, and his anger dissipated considerably.

"Since the tax officials are useless and there isn't enough food, I'll come up with a good idea for you."

"For every additional child they have, they'll be exempt from tax on one acre of land. The more children they have, the more they'll be exempted. Let's see if they're willing to have as many children as possible!"

Upon hearing this, Cedric poured cold water on the idea, saying, "Your Highness, your method is simply impossible!"

"There isn't that much land around Starfall City. If this method is implemented, all grain taxes will be waived."

Puse immediately replied, "Wasn't the western forest already wiped out by the Knights?"

"Proclaim directly to all citizens of Starshine: if you want land, go and explore the West yourselves!"

"The land cleared out belongs to the owner, and the grain tax is waived for the first three years. After that, for every additional person added to the household, the grain tax on one acre of land will be waived!"

In his view, this is not only a shortcut to solving the shortage of arable land, but also a clever way to quickly improve evolution value.

Pioneering inevitably involves casualties.

This can directly provide a lot of evolution points.

As long as people can open up land and settle down, population growth will be just around the corner.

Cedric shook his head again: "Your Highness Puse! Although most of the magical beasts have been wiped out in the west, there are still some low-level magical creatures living in groups."

"For example, hordes of goblins would be a death sentence for ordinary growers!"

He recalled the attack on the western frontier crews a few days ago: "Those farmers only know some rudimentary farming skills; how could they possibly be a match for monsters?"

Puser laughed as if he'd heard the biggest joke in the world: "Then why don't you just keep all the Starshine people in captivity and raise them!"

"There's no way that pioneering can be done without losing lives. Reclaiming land is a matter of risking one's life for survival."

"The Knights have already wiped out the most powerful and ferocious monsters and beasts, clearing out a relatively safe area for their expansion."

"As for the remaining minor characters, those who went to pioneer the land will naturally find a way to deal with them! Setting traps, forming groups, sharpening farm tools into weapons—do you think they wouldn't fight tooth and nail for profit?"

Poseidon paused, then glanced at Cedric, whose face was full of worry: "Don't underestimate the wisdom of those growers."

"To defend their land, they can devise methods more effective than a knight's sword!"

"If they can't even withstand this much danger, then they're dead; there's no point in keeping them alive!"

Karen pressed on with a grave tone, "Your Highness, the land reclamation will be exempt from grain tax for three years."

"But the Knights consume a lot of food every day. What will we use to support them in the future?"

This question hits the nail on the head. Starlight is already empty; food is the foundation.

Without the support of grain taxes, the Knights' barrier will eventually collapse. At that time, let alone pioneering, even Starfall City will be difficult to defend.

Pousser had already considered this: "Have you forgotten the gold and silver mines discovered in the western forests?"

"We need to reclaim and expand our territory, but the national treasury is short of food. Won't they allow people to buy it with gold and silver coins?"

"It's better to pay the Knights directly with the gold and silver coins we produce than to stare at the meager harvest from the fields."

Cedric, who was standing nearby, sensed something was wrong.

If food prices skyrocket, even if the Knights have gold and silver, they may not be able to buy enough food.

If grain prices remain high, ordinary knights guarding the border will not be able to afford food, which will inevitably lead to discontent and chaos, with endless consequences.

"But grain production is limited! If we do this, grain prices will definitely skyrocket during times of food shortage."

Cedric disagreed: "Even if the Knights have a lot of gold and silver coins, they may not be able to buy enough food."

These words hit the nail on the head, and Karen nodded in agreement, her brows, which had relaxed slightly, furrowing again as she deeply agreed.

Upon hearing this, Pu Se did not get angry; instead, a glint of light flashed in his silver-blue vertical pupils.

"Not bad, not bad, Cedric. You haven't lived in vain at all, you can still think of this. You're much more insightful than Karen."

He paced back and forth slowly, clearly having already considered everything: "I've already thought about the matter you're concerned about; it all comes down to food control!"

"From now on, all grain within Starshine will be subject to low-price control, and the Dragon Royal Court will take the lead in establishing a special department to manage grain prices."

"No one is allowed to hoard or raise prices for grain. Anyone caught doing so will be sent to the mines!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the two men, his voice growing clearer and more forceful: "When the harvest is good, the Grain Reserves Bureau will purchase surplus grain from farmers at market prices and store it all in the national granary."

"It not only leaves enough surplus grain for growers, but also replenishes reserves. In years of disaster when there is no harvest, it opens the granaries to stabilize grain prices and firmly fix the basic grain price."

"One copper coin and one loaf of black bread—regardless of the harvest, everyone must be able to afford it!"

As for meat and fruits and vegetables, Puse can ignore them. They can be freely bought and sold. It's okay to eat less of the expensive ones. They won't cause any trouble.

The only exception is food, which is essential for survival.

"Anyone who dares to seek profit in this area will have their head smashed with a hammer."

"Moreover, the Knights' food supply does not depend entirely on the market; all the land they have developed around Starfall City belongs to the Dragon Royal Court."

"The existence of those lands will also serve as a guarantee for the Knights' future."

Sufficient food can put people at ease, and only when their stomachs are full will they have the desire to reproduce.

This is the most fundamental principle!

Previously, everyone was half-starved and could barely feed themselves, so who would dare to have more children?

Things are different now. Land reclamation can bring land, fill our stomachs, and reproduction can be exchanged for tax-free land, making reproduction a sure-fire way to make money!

The more children are born, the more children are freed, the more land is available, the greater the harvest, and the more abundant the food supply.

If you have a surplus and then dare to have more children, it's like a snowball that will only get bigger and bigger!