I Became A Black Merchant In Another World-Chapter 373: Merchants Want to Become Politicians Too (2)

"If I want to have a comfortable chat with my sister, I should take care of the urgent matters first, don’t you think?"

"When you have unfinished business looming over you, it’s hard to truly relax. I agree with Your Highness."

Princess Teresa claimed she was only here to talk with Erika.

But that was just a front to avoid rumors.

Even I could tell the real reason she came.

She must enjoy talking to me, so she used the emperor’s request as an excuse to come personally.

"Is it because I'm the only one who understands someone who sees hundreds of years into the future?"

People naturally crave recognition and understanding from others.

That was why, in dramas and movies, characters in such situations often ended up falling in love.

But reality wasn’t so convenient.

There was a reason Romeo and Juliet and all those forbidden noble romances in literature always ended in tragedy.

There was absolutely no way anything would ever happen between me and the princess.

"The nobles spent massive sums trying to cultivate crops like potatoes and sweet potatoes, only to suffer huge losses. Now, they are struggling with financial difficulties."

"That is indeed unfortunate."

Watching someone lose a fortune and fall into despair was a pitiful sight.

But I didn’t feel guilty about it in the slightest.

It wasn’t like I advertised that planting potatoes would make them rich.

I didn’t hold a sword to their throats and force them to buy at inflated prices.

All I did was hire highly trained elite soldiers—who normally required a salary of six silver coins per month—to guard the potato fields.

They fooled themselves.

"His Majesty is worried that these struggling nobles will try to raise taxes on the commoners. Is there any way to resolve their financial troubles without shifting the burden onto the people?"

That was essentially asking me to solve a budget crisis without raising taxes—like telling someone to develop new technology without spending any money.

Even I had no magic solution for that.

If such a thing were possible, then whoever could do it wouldn't be a person but a god.

"But if the only condition is to avoid burdening the commoners..."

There was a way.

"Why not tax merchants the same way we tax corporations? They contribute far less in proportion to the wealth they accumulate."

"They would resist if we simply imposed taxes on them."

"Of course, we can’t just take without offering something in return. That would be nothing more than coercion."

When we think of watches, we think of Switzerland.

That’s because, in the 18th century, most skilled craftsmen in France were Huguenots—Protestants.

But the French emperor at the time was a staunch Catholic who persecuted the Huguenots, driving them to flee to Switzerland.

That mass exodus of artisans formed the foundation of the Swiss watch industry we know today.

If we strong-arm merchants with threats, what happens if they simply pack up and leave?

Who would deal with the aftermath?

"Duties should come with corresponding rights."

In ancient Greece and Rome, citizenship required military service.

Those who couldn’t fight due to disabilities were not shamed, but they were never granted the same status as those who bore the burden of war.

That was why military service was seen as both a privilege and an honor—an esteemed duty that came with the rights of being a Roman citizen.

"In the past, the heads of major guilds were granted seats in the city council. Though they were merchants, they operated essential industries for urban development, and nobles required their expertise."

"But after the guild system was abolished, merchants could only participate in politics by becoming accountants or bureaucrats."

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

"The guild system was an obstacle to the Empire’s growth, but the one unfortunate consequence was the loss of this tradition."

Had that system remained intact, I could have placed merchants under my influence in the city councils.

That would have allowed me to manipulate urban policies, anticipate large-scale construction projects, and secure massive profits by controlling the supply chain.

Unfortunately, with the system gone, embedding my people into the councils had become more difficult.

Which meant...

"It’s time to restore this beautiful tradition properly."

"Are you suggesting we allow merchants to hold seats in the city councils—or even in the imperial parliament?"

"The imperial parliament is exclusive to the nobility. Is it necessary to introduce merchants there?"

"Merchants should regain representation in city councils, as they once had. As for the imperial parliament, they could be granted advisory roles."

"Would the imperial parliament benefit from merchant advisors?"

Princess Teresa showed no resistance to the idea of new knowledge.

Had I suggested this to the emperor, he would have probably responded with:

"You want to let mere merchants advise the imperial parliament? That’s absurd!"

Of course, he wasn’t completely unreasonable.

If I reminded him that merchants were one of the empire’s key pillars and that aside from myself, most nobles knew little about commerce, he would likely concede to accepting advisors.

But Teresa didn’t even object.

She simply asked why it was necessary.

"Previously, merchant taxation was arbitrary. However, today, nearly half of the Empire’s tax revenue comes from artisans and merchants, who make up only 4% of the population. Their economic importance has skyrocketed. In a way, they already are half of the Empire."

A nation's strength is determined by its tax revenue.

A country that collects 1 billion in taxes is not exactly ten times stronger than one that collects 100 million...

But at the very least, it’s probably five times stronger.

"Yet the Empire’s nobles—and even His Majesty—know nothing about them. They see merchants as money-grubbing opportunists, but they don’t understand how commerce truly works or how it should be managed."

"That is true."

"And ignorance is a crime. Imposing obligations on people without understanding them is no different."

Between a corrupt but competent leader and an honest but incompetent one...

If I were an employee, I’d rather work under a corrupt but competent boss.

Because even if he embezzled funds and spent company money on mistresses... at least he’d ensure our salaries were paid on time.

But an honest yet incompetent boss?

He’d run the company into the ground, and I’d end up unemployed.

"If the imperial parliament enacts misguided policies due to ignorance about commerce, it will destabilize the Empire. That is why the great merchants must serve as parliamentary advisors."

"So, the top merchants in the Empire would serve as advisors to the imperial parliament, while influential city merchants would gain seats in local councils? In exchange for these privileges and titles, they would accept higher taxes?"

"Precisely."

If they were granted political influence in return, merchants wouldn’t strongly resist taxation.

"And giving merchants power would benefit His Majesty as well."

Do you know what absolute monarchy was built upon?

It was the careful balancing act of keeping nobles and merchants in check, ensuring neither gained too much influence.

So yes, let’s restore that balance properly.