The pricing of agricultural products involves a series of costs, including land, fertilizer, labor, and animal power. Moreover, when the price is expressed in monetary terms, the interest rate differential between general equivalents in the free market and the exchange rate fluctuations in overseas bulk trade must be calculated. It cannot be explained simply by saying "buying and selling have always been free".

Rutledge exploited the public's tendency to blindly follow the crowd, shifting the main blame onto the farmers. This allowed him to both absolve himself of responsibility and strike at his political enemies, making him a truly rare rhetorician.

Seeing that Emerson was about to object, Rutledge interjected, "Leaving aside the price of agricultural products for now, what I want to ask most is, why should taxpayers' hard-earned taxes be given away to those greedy farmers?"

Even the nobleman Emerson, with his impeccable temper, couldn't help but lose his temper at this moment. He said in a deep voice, "Those farmers are citizens of Muxi City! They are your brothers and sisters! When the kingdom was in its most difficult time, they donated the only grain they had in their cellars to feed the army, and tore off the last pieces of cloth from their curtains to make bandages for their wounds. Now they are begging in the streets, about to starve to death. Shouldn't we lend a helping hand?!"

Rutledge stood up, slammed his hand on the table in front of him, pointed to the audience, and shouted, "Prime Minister, please open your eyes and look! Which one of these people isn't silently dedicating themselves to the Kingdom?! If you don't have money to buy food, go earn it! If you don't have a job to support your family, go find one!"

“Those guys who live off the blood of taxpayers, I absolutely do not acknowledge them as my brothers and sisters! I also absolutely disagree with the cabinet spending tax money on them!”

Rutledge's impassioned speech was like a spark igniting a pile of dry tinder, instantly setting the atmosphere of the entire venue ablaze.

Many spectators stood up, clapping enthusiastically and shouting various slogans.

"If you don't have money, go make money! If you don't have a job, go find one!"

"Our tax money isn't used to feed these vampires!"

"We don't have brothers and sisters like that!"

On the second-floor stands, Harkins noticed Todd's increasingly furrowed brows and tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, should I send some men to maintain order?"

Todd waved his hand: "No need, keep watching."

Just then, seeing that the venue was gradually getting out of control, the moderator of the political debate quickly shouted: "Now we will begin the debate on the second topic—religious war!"

m.