"No, no, no... don't say that..."
Seeing Adelin excitedly rushing toward her, Elashia retreated several steps somewhat fearfully.
Elashia had very clear self-awareness.
The Holy Capital with accumulated problems plus her complete ignorance of politics and military affairs...
If she helped govern the Holy Capital... probably even the richest people in the Holy Capital would go hungry tomorrow.
"I really am completely ignorant about politics..."
Seeing Elashia retreat like a little rabbit frightened by a predator, Adelin finally realized—she had been too excited and scared her...
...
"Oh... I understand, Miss Adelin, you want to borrow Elasia's grain for emergency use?"
Finally understanding Adelin's meaning, Elashia finally calmed down.
"Yes... we currently need about one hundred thousand tons of grain. After the war ends, we will definitely repay this loan to Elasia in monetary form with interest double the normal market price."
Adelin said seriously:
"Rest assured, we will definitely make this loan public in various newspapers throughout the Holy Kingdom after the problem is solved..."
"That's not necessary."
Elashia interrupted Adelin.
That grain was originally intended to help the Holy Kingdom rebuild, and currently the Holy Kingdom and Elasia were separated by the northern Holy Kingdom controlled at least half by the Holy Court and the frighteningly large and undeveloped northern wilderness. Grain couldn't be transported using conventional methods at all.
If this matter were made public, Northern Fire would probably have difficulty explaining the process later.
For Elashia, quickly getting the Holy Kingdom rebuilt was the real priority.
After all, she was counting on the Holy Kingdom to join Elasia and the Iron Empire as the final Doomsday Defense Line to face the Undead Calamity together...
While Elashia was thinking about how to speak next, Catherine asked Adelin puzzledly:
"No... what do you need so much grain for? Although food supply in the Holy Capital is tight now, it's not to the point of famine, right?"
"Moreover... we're all so poor, what will we use to repay them after the war?"
Catherine said to Adelin without courtesy:
"If I remember correctly, it seems a certain someone told me before implementing the feint plan—'We don't have much budget left, we need to sell some properties in the Holy Capital to conduct large-scale activities.'"
"The Holy Court isn't much better off than us either. After officers opened the treasury, they only found twenty-some thousand gold coins and less than ten thousand tons of grain... The Holy Kingdom is so poor, what will we use to repay them?"
"You ask a good question."
However, this time Adelin wasn't angered by Catherine's merciless words like before.
Taking out several documents from her arms, Adelin explained:
"After obtaining previous records and data from former Holy Court officials, other political commissars and I calculated something extremely incredible..."
"Remember the Holy Court's previous 'grain control' policy?"
Looking at Elashia, Adelin explained:
"Previously, because the Holy Capital suffered several consecutive famines, the Holy Court introduced the 'grain control' policy."
"This policy consisted mainly of two parts."
Adelin raised one finger:
"First, declaring that 'bug rice,' the only crop our Holy Kingdom could grow at the time, could only be sold for at most twenty copper coins per pound in any grain store."
Raising a second finger, Adelin continued:
"Of course, the Holy Court wasn't stupid. They also knew the government could only set minimum grain prices and couldn't force merchants to trade, much less make grain quantities increase..."
"So the Holy Court established quite a few state-run grain stores in the Holy Capital, selling grain they could control at the regulated minimum price to maintain grain prices in the Holy Capital..."
Elashia nodded after hearing this.
"Oh... so the Holy Court's method was indeed quite appropriate..."
Setting minimum grain prices then using grain in their hands to maintain urban food supply... this was indeed a good method.
However, Adelin shook her head.
"It wasn't like that... the Holy Court's grain control policy's final outcome was quite dismal..."
After pausing to organize her words, Adelin continued:
"The Holy Court's problem was—they underestimated civilian merchants' power."
"According to our observations, the merchants in the Holy Capital definitely have quite powerful civilian grain monopoly organizations."
"To force the Holy Court to abandon grain control policy, they stopped business activities and used unimaginable financial resources to clear-purchase from state-run grain stores..."
"In just a few days, through ubiquitous black markets and abundant financial resources, they basically cleaned out the grain the Holy Court could control from state-run stores..."
"So in the end, the Holy Court, whose grain had been basically bought out, had to choose to abandon grain control... As a result, the Holy Capital, where grain was completely monopolized by major civilian merchant groups, suffered an unprecedented super famine that year..."
...
After hearing Adelin's description, Elashia clenched her fists tightly.
These unscrupulous merchants... did their hearts truly contain only profit?
Even if countless people starved to death because of prices pushed to extremes... they didn't care?
Clearly there was enough grain to eat...
Somewhat angry, Elashia asked Adelin:
"Miss Adelin, can't we directly use violence to eliminate these unscrupulous merchants?"
Placing her jade hand on her developing chest, Elashia continued:
"When I just seized the throne, I did exactly this... by confiscating some unscrupulous officials and merchants to fill the treasury, I was able to maintain national expenditures after canceling grain taxes."
After hearing Elashia's words, Catherine also agreed:
"Exactly! I thought the same before! Why can't we directly break the game rules and deal with those damn merchants... ow!"
Catherine, heavily struck on the head by Adelin, covered her head and looked at Adelin pitifully.
"Wuwuwu... why only hit me..."
Adelin ignored her and continued explaining to Elashia:
"The Holy Court's rule over the lower levels relied on extensive landlords and powerful merchants. They couldn't betray their ruling foundation, so naturally couldn't do this."
"And we... although we're not afraid of these merchants who don't have a single soldier, we just entered the Holy Capital. Using violence to solve problems at this time might cause merchant panic, thereby impacting the Holy Capital's economic order, which wouldn't benefit our future governance of the Holy Capital."
"Moreover, if we use violence to eliminate these powerful but unarmed merchant forces, it will definitely damage our image in people's hearts and shake our foundation..."
Adelin thought for a moment and made an analogy:
"Like fighting mice in a porcelain shop... the mice are dealt with, but precious porcelain is also broken."
"The purpose of all our actions is to govern the Holy Capital well, not just achieve victory."
"And..."
Adelin supplemented:
"You must know—in economic warfare, our enemies aren't specifically clear. Using violence can indeed solve problems quickly, but it's extremely easy to wrongly kill or wrongly release, ultimately leaving future troubles."
As soon as Adelin finished speaking, Catherine, recovered from her headache, immediately countered:
"No, can your method achieve precise strikes then?"
Showing a relaxed smile, Adelin confidently nodded.
"Of course... with Empress Elashia's help, we Northern Fire can completely solve this problem."
Adelin's confidence made even Ileina somewhat curious.
"Minister Adelin... explain to us properly how you plan to handle this."
Respectfully nodding to Ileina, Adelin smiled:
"Well... we can completely replicate the Holy Court's previous method..."
"Doing this, we can not only stabilize grain prices and economic order, but also make a big profit... preparing for future battles with the Blood Clan."