Why Is It So Hard to Get Anything Done?

After hearing why the lady of the manor had come, the town mayor immediately dropped to his knees.

Everyone around him hurriedly knelt as well. "Thank you, merciful Lord. Thank you, merciful and noble Madam."

Ning Xue was left somewhat flustered by the scene. Everyone who had come to welcome her was kneeling. The entire street and small square were packed with people on their knees. Although those farther back had no idea why they were kneeling, once the mayor and the others did so, everyone else followed.

Bai Lu gently tugged Ning Xue's sleeve. To be honest, Bai Lu was a little unaccustomed to all this as well.

But she had to fulfill her duties as a butler now.

"Please rise. This is the Lord's blessing," Ning Xue said. Of course, she knew that Bart waiving their taxes meant they would have one less expense to pay.

Bart's territory had only around ten thousand residents, yet its annual tax revenue amounted to tens of millions. In other words, each person had to pay several thousand credits in taxes.

There was no industry here, only fishing, so the people's incomes were not high.

Some might ask why, in the Interstellar Era, they still relied on manual fishing. Couldn't they use mechanized fishing instead?

Of course they could. Bart could buy an automated fishing vessel, but then these ten thousand people would be facing unemployment.

It was impossible for Bart to buy automated fishing vessels while also supporting all ten thousand of them.

Noble territories had population requirements. In other words, nobles of every rank had to maintain a certain number of commoners. If their population fell below that number, they could be stripped of their Noble Title or demoted.

To some extent, this was protection for commoners. Without such restrictions,