Transmigrated with a Demon-Refining Pot: Hehehe, Refine in an instant

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the council hall of the Grand Duke's mansion was already bustling with activity.

The council chamber is a rectangular stone hall on the third floor of the Grand Duke's mansion.

The ground was paved with dark gray stone slabs, polished smooth as a mirror; a silver-white dragon flag hung on the wall, flanked by several magical wall lamps with pale blue flames that never went out.

The long table is an antique moved from the Marquis of Oaktown's mansion. It is made of oak, and the tabletop has been polished to a shine by the years. The edges are covered with copper plates, on which are engraved delicate vine patterns.

Several parchment maps and stacks of account books were spread out on the table, while ink bottles and quill pens were neatly arranged in front of each person.

Ron sat in the main seat, behind him a tall arched window overlooking the main street of Silver City. Morning light streamed in through the window, gilding his dark blue suit with a golden edge.

The first person on the left is Palin, wearing a newly tailored dark gray robe that fits her perfectly.

His hair is much whiter than it was two years ago, but this old administrator is even more energetic after becoming the Prime Minister. He only sleeps three hours a day and is still full of energy.

Ron greatly admired employees who knew how to put pressure on themselves; no wonder they became prime minister.

From left to right: Laun, Viscount Mango Andre, and Dick.

Laun remained as composed as ever, clad in armor, his gaze steady, his back as if nailed to his chair. He exuded an air of confidence, making one feel comfortable entrusting tasks to him.

Andrei sat next to Lauen. He was wearing a dark green tuxedo with a mango tree badge pinned to his chest, and his hair was neatly combed.

For Andrei, a lord who had surrendered and submitted, to actually be able to enter the highest echelons of the duchy was already incredibly lucky.

Perhaps because of the good relationship he had formed with Ron before, he also cherished this opportunity to rise to the top.

Dick sat next to Andrei. His seat was at the far end of the long table, furthest from Ron.

He sat on the shallowest part of the chair, with his buttocks only touching half of the seat, his body leaning slightly forward, ready to stand up at any moment.

Andrei looked down on his behavior, believing that he had only gotten into the Imperial Council by currying favor with the Grand Duke.

He must be a sycophantic and treacherous minister!

It was definitely not because Dick stole his chance to shine.

He will definitely make the Grand Duke see that Andrei is the true loyal subject!

Those of the same kind are mutually exclusive.

Dick also disliked Andrei, who was standing next to him. He felt that the man kept glancing at him and probably had no good intentions.

Dick also decided that he would have to show him what the power of the Grand Steward was like.

Otherwise, it would seem like any Tom, Dick, or Harry would think he's easy to bully.

On the right side of the long table were Henry Broccoli, Liulichuan, and Hart.

The atmosphere here is quite good, with a clear hierarchy.

As the father of the Grand Duke, Henry was treated with utmost respect even if he held no official position.

However, Henry Broccoli was quite self-aware and didn't make too much of a fuss about his father's status as a Grand Duke.

Otherwise, it would be embarrassing if his excellent second son took a dislike to him and sent him back to his fiefdom.

He was extremely satisfied with his current situation and was always cheerful to everyone he met. Not only did his son become a Grand Duke, but the Broccoli family also rose to the rank of Earl.

He believed that his previous decision to invest in his second son was incredibly wise.

This shows that he himself was a wise man.

Unlike other foolish nobles who sent their second sons away to fend for themselves after they came of age, this one did not do so.

How much money could you possibly spend on an investment? How stupid!

He had only arranged a job for Ron in the Knights through connections; it was Ron who worked his way up step by step before he increased his investment.

It won't cost much if you don't manage to put it together.

Now, thanks to Ron's case, the minor lords have started sending their second sons to the Knights.

Middle-ranking nobles also vied to send their second sons to the frontier territories, even if they couldn't establish a duchy and become a grand duke like Ron.

Becoming a viscount or earl would be fine too.

Hart was somewhat confused. He had been a down-on-his-luck knight before, and even after arriving in the pioneering land, he had only been engaged in fighting and construction.

Now that he suddenly has to manage the intelligence of the entire duchy, the pressure is unimaginable.

Of all these people, Liulichuan was the one who valued them the least.

She actually brought Sherry to the meeting, but since they were already there, Ron couldn't very well let his daughter go out.

Shirley was wearing a pink and white dress, with a small bun on her head. She looked around with her big eyes open and made little babbling noises.

Liulichuan didn't prepare a seat for her, so he let her sit on his lap. The little one was restless and reached for the quill pen on the table, which Liulichuan gently took away. She tried to grab it again, having a great time.

Ron glanced around and cleared his throat.

The council chamber fell silent. Even Shirley stopped playing and looked curiously at all the unfamiliar faces.

"Today is the first formal meeting of the Imperial Council," Ron said in a clear voice, and the people below picked up their notebooks and began to take notes.

"The duchy has just been established, and there are countless things to deal with. Let's sort them out one by one."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across everyone's faces.

"Let's start with the most important things—finances and the military. If these two things aren't handled well, the duchy won't stand. Perrin, you go first."

Perrin stood up and opened the ledger. His movements were unhurried, and the sound of turning the pages was particularly clear in the quiet council chamber.

"Your Excellency, the Duchy currently has about 2.5 million gold coins in its treasury. The founding ceremony and various previous projects cost nearly 500,000, and major projects are still ongoing, such as the Dragon Nest, city wall repairs, and daily expenses, with monthly expenditures of at least 50,000."

"And the income?" Ron asked.

"In terms of income, we currently rely mainly on taxes from the territory, customs duties from various ports, and surplus supplies seized from Marquis Mammon and fleeing lords. But these are all one-off and cannot last."

Perrin turned a page: "The tax revenue from each territory is still being tallied. Based on previous years' estimates, if all goes well, the duchy can receive about 300,000 gold coins annually from the lords."

Including trade tariffs and various commercial taxes with other countries, the annual income is approximately 500,000.

"Five hundred thousand?" Ron frowned. "Is that enough?"

"Not enough," Palin said bluntly.

"This place was originally a pioneering area. In the early stages, it relied on the funds of the various pioneering lords. Even in the past, it could only break even with revenue."

The lion's share went to the noble caravans. They provided the goods, while our lords used the money earned from the expansion to buy people and goods.

"Our duchy has just been established, and the expansion of the army, the construction of the dragon's nest, and the establishment of magic teams alone will require a large sum of money. If we add the funding for the reconstruction of various territories, I'm afraid..." He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.

Ron leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the table. He tapped a dozen times before speaking.

"Let's talk about the army first. Laun, what's the situation there?"

(Adding a chapter!)