Believing Malipiero, as the senior official, the one worth addressing with his full attentions, Count Vojtech continues their conversation:
“Herr Malipiero, I am pleased to hear that our neighbors have been so successful in their enterprises. This benefits us indirectly, for it means more investment in trade routes, including ones running through the Kingdom, bringing greater wealth to our own merchants and more gold to the royal coffers.
I know that despite any perceived difficulties your merchants may have with the tongues of the Germanies or the rest of the Empire, coin speaks all languages. Your proposal surprises me somewhat, therefore. I pondered an agreement reducing tariffs, of course, for this seems to be the fad of the courts of Christendom presently. After all, the Kingdom currently levies a hefty toll on merchants passing through the Tirol, albeit temporary for we only control the County for a temporary span of time. A suitable reduction of taxes in La Serenissima in return would have been adequate reciprocation.
However, I am far more intrigued by the possibilities you proffer presently. It would benefit neither of us much to sign some pact of reduction, for these too often are of little effect, as the merchants,”he sighs, thinking of corruption, “always find a way around these things anyway.
I have already asked the hofkammer to send a representative from the burghers and the merchants to inform me what that class seeks. Let me say unequivocally, mein herr, that your proposal is a most excellent and substantive one. I am sure that our merchants would be willing to share in a slice of the profits, if that is the way to put such things? Much more enthusiastic to share prosperity than compete into poverty, no?”
“Herr Malipiero, I am pleased to hear that our neighbors have been so successful in their enterprises. This benefits us indirectly, for it means more investment in trade routes, including ones running through the Kingdom, bringing greater wealth to our own merchants and more gold to the royal coffers.
I know that despite any perceived difficulties your merchants may have with the tongues of the Germanies or the rest of the Empire, coin speaks all languages. Your proposal surprises me somewhat, therefore. I pondered an agreement reducing tariffs, of course, for this seems to be the fad of the courts of Christendom presently. After all, the Kingdom currently levies a hefty toll on merchants passing through the Tirol, albeit temporary for we only control the County for a temporary span of time. A suitable reduction of taxes in La Serenissima in return would have been adequate reciprocation.
However, I am far more intrigued by the possibilities you proffer presently. It would benefit neither of us much to sign some pact of reduction, for these too often are of little effect, as the merchants,”he sighs, thinking of corruption, “always find a way around these things anyway.
I have already asked the hofkammer to send a representative from the burghers and the merchants to inform me what that class seeks. Let me say unequivocally, mein herr, that your proposal is a most excellent and substantive one. I am sure that our merchants would be willing to share in a slice of the profits, if that is the way to put such things? Much more enthusiastic to share prosperity than compete into poverty, no?”