Descending On France 1780
Chapter 134 - 127 Go ahead, Your Excellency!_2

Chapter 134: 127 Go ahead, Your Excellency!_2

Great, now Anning’s script is torn to shreds, then he’s asked to come up with a brilliant economic solution to fundamentally quell the domestic turmoil in France, to which he only wants to say, scram!

Anning is suffering inside, I’m just a programmer, and I majored in physics for my university entrance exam, you know physics! Do you think I’m a pawn in front of a horse, daring to act like an expert with a bit of hearsay, and define hypersonic speed after a quick search on Baidu?

Do you understand I don’t have that ability?

While Anning looks gloomy, everyone continues to look at him expectantly, Napoleon beside him says as an acquaintance, "I know you, you must have already thought of a solution! After all, you’ve been thinking about this issue since the Briena era!"

I haven’t thought about it, I’m just shooting the breeze with you...

Suddenly asking me to come up with something that I can announce to everyone and tackle straight away... If I had studied economics, maybe I would have some idea, but I haven’t...

Suddenly, Anning thought of something.

—Eh, it seems like I actually learned how to manage the economy, in my middle school and high school history textbooks!

Even in the high school language textbook, there’s a text by Zhou Libo—not the one from the Zhou Libo Show—called "Dividing the Horses"!

Thinking about it carefully, the main problem now is that the peasants don’t have their own land... Wouldn’t the problem be solved by just striking the rich and redistributing their land?

The only issue is, historically, France’s land redistribution was a compromise that was forced to make amidst an escalating civil war with foreign interference on the side.

It would still take a few years; at least it wouldn’t be achieved until after the large-scale revolt in Vendée in 1793.

If I start striking the rich and redistributing land on my end, then history will completely go off track.

But Anning immediately tossed that concern aside—Damn it, as if the history isn’t already off track right now.

Anning scanned the crowd with a sigh and said, "Actually, the solution is simple, just distribute the land to the peasants and then establish a minimum grain purchase price."

Lazar Kano immediately shook his head: "That would violate the Parliament’s act, according to which the peasants should obtain land through redemption. Limiting the purchase price also goes against the principle of market free trade; that’s just directly opposing Parliament."

Anning: "I know, Parliament believes in the inviolability of private property, and land is one of those, so they formulated the redemption policy. But it is this policy that has made the peasants worse off than before the revolution, hence the rebellion fires everywhere.

"With this situation, the nobles who have fled abroad and foreign powers will certainly stir up trouble.

"The fact is, we must rebalance income, improve the living conditions of the peasants, so France can achieve stability.

"To put it plainly, the peasants must benefit from the revolution! Only then will they support it!"

Lazar Kano adjusted his glasses: "Maybe so. You’ve convinced me, so how do you plan to convince Parliament?"

Anning: "I can’t do much about the Paris Parliament for now, but the Conte Parliament, I can quickly convince them."

Cano: "Convince them to defy Parliament’s act? Paris won’t ignore this."

Anning smiled: "No, no, I assure you what we’re about to do will all comply with Parliament’s act. Just... a little trickery, that’s all."

Napoleon looked very excited: "I knew you had a plan! Let’s do this!"

Davout: "Whatever you want to do, we support you!"

**

During this time, the Conte National Assembly, as always, was discussing how to deal with the increasingly chaotic situation in the surroundings.

At this moment, Anning suddenly opened the door and strode in confidently.

The Chairman of the Parliament who was speaking, Mr. Kulun, the biggest merchant in town, was surprised and exclaimed: "General! How come... weren’t you outside the city watching troop maneuvers?"

Anning: "The maneuvers are over. I’m very worried about the current situation around us, so I hurried back. Let me introduce to you, this is Lieutenant Napoleon Bonaparte, he has just come from Toulon, scouting the people’s conditions along the way, and I believe you are also very concerned about this, right?"

Napoleon Bonaparte stepped beside Anning, adjusting his lieutenant insignia.

Mr. Kulun quickly said: "That’s great, please come up and tell us! There have been rumors lately that there might soon be a rebellion around Conte."

Napoleon nodded, took the stand with an upright but humble posture, and cleared his throat: "Gentlemen, I have seen many places wracked by riots on my journey, and I’ve noticed something, all the riots are because the peasants did not receive land! They are still bearing the feudal era’s land rent, paying feudal era’s taxes, but the grain prices offered by the grain merchants are pressed very low!

"Therefore, the peasants revolt, and the Priest’s oath was just a trigger! I believe as long as land is given to the peasants, their taxes are lowered, these riots will quell on their own! There is no need for troops to suppress them!"

The gentlemen of the Parliament looked at each other.

Someone immediately raised their hand and said: "But according to the Parliament act, the feudal obligations of peasants have been fully waived, they can redeem their own land! It’s not our fault if they don’t redeem it themselves!"

Anning loudly said: "Sir, why do you think peasants can’t come up with the money to redeem? Of course, it’s because of grain merchants like yourself who suppress prices!"

"The Parliament has ensured the freedom of market trades! That complies with principles of freedom!"

Anning: "I am not here to argue with you, actually I have a better proposal today. You should all know that I established a company, in charge of managing confiscated Church lands, how about this, my company will buy the lands that the peasants can’t redeem, and then redistribute the land to the peasants!"

Upon hearing Anning’s words, everyone in the hall was overjoyed.

Everyone knew Anning had confiscated a large amount of gold from the Church.

Mr. Kulun immediately stood up: "That’s wonderful, General! You have done a great deed!"

Anning smiled: "You are welcome. However, I must remind you, I will pay for all the redemptions with assignation vouchers."

As soon as Anning’s voice fell, the door opened, and soldiers carried in a large box of assignation vouchers.

These were all military salaries that Paris had given to Anning over the past year, but Anning had been settling the military salaries with gold and silver coins directly to the soldiers, not using the assignation vouchers, so they all remained with Anning.

Seeing these assignation vouchers, the faces of all the wealthy in the hall changed!

Someone infuriated slammed the table and stood up: "This is robbery!"

Anning angrily retorted: "What? You dare to deny the assignation vouchers? Denying them is denying the Paris National Assembly, that’s treason! Come on!"

The doors of the hall flung open, and an armed troop surged in with menacing aura.

Anning pointed to the person who had shouted "This is robbery": "Seize this traitor!"