Chapter 41 - The Bumps of Growth and Sudden Incidents

Chapter 41 - The Bumps of Growth and Sudden Incidents

For an agricultural society, winter is generally the most desolate and idle time. However, for the farmers in the southern part of the Lanwan Viscounty, this winter was somewhat different.

The lord summoned them to repair roads and build houses, forcing them to face heavy labor during what should have been a time of rest. However, there was some good news: the new lord was quite generous, providing them with enough barley porridge to eat their fill every day.

Although Charlotte sometimes had bran added to the porridge, these long-suffering farmers didn't mind much, as they were used to eating bran anyway.

In reality, these farmers hardly owned any land of their own. Their fields had long been encroached upon by the southern knights and their families over centuries of rule. These farmers had no choice but to rent land from the knights to farm, and they even had to borrow from the knights to buy seeds each year. After the harvest, most of the grain had to be handed over to the knights to repay their debts, leaving them with insufficient food to last until the next summer harvest. As a result, they often had to subsist on bran and wild vegetables.

Although the war in Sokia had brought a boom in trade in recent years, reducing the southern knights' reliance on land, this did not improve the farmers' lives. The knights preferred to sell off their serfs and let the fields lie fallow rather than return the land their ancestors had seized. Instead, they raised the rent for leased land and the interest on loans until the harvests could no longer cover the debts. Burdened with heavy debts and restricted by imperial and church decrees from moving freely, the farmers had no choice but to go bankrupt and sell themselves into serfdom to the knights. The southern knights could then sell these newly minted serfs to Sokia's slave traders, earning yet another profit.

In comparison, although Charlotte also liked to add bran to their pots, she at least added barley as well!

The lord also allowed everyone, including the elderly and children who couldn't work, to eat their fill at every meal.

Thus, the conscripted villagers felt that, at least in terms of food, the lord was quite generous.

However, even though Charlotte ensured they were well-fed, the villagers still lacked enthusiasm for their work. In their eyes, they were simply building houses for the lord to satisfy her own desires.

Slacking off was the most common minor issue. These villagers would also deliberately damage tools and slow down work efficiency. They added unknown herbs to the livestock feed, making the animals unwell and slower. When the scribes Charlotte brought in to act as overseers scolded the villagers for laziness, the villagers pretended not to understand the overseers' foreign accents, infuriating the inexperienced young scribes.

They could be called pioneers of anti-overwork.

To improve work efficiency, Cecilia followed Charlotte's advice and began tallying the workload of each village, rewarding the village that worked the most each day with meat. However, Cecilia soon noticed that only three villages ever managed to earn the meat, so the overall improvement in efficiency was minimal.

At first, Cecilia was puzzled. Under Charlotte's instructions, some larger or smaller villages had been forcibly merged into seven medium-sized villages. Now, each village in the labor camp had roughly the same population, so theoretically, every village should have an equal chance to compete for the meat. But before Cecilia could figure out the reason, a mass brawl at the construction site revealed the absurd truth.

It turned out that the leaders of these three villages had secretly agreed to take turns working harder each day, rotating which village would earn the meat. This way, they didn't have to exert too much effort but could still enjoy the benefits.

These three villages, banded together, were too powerful for the other villages to challenge. If one village hadn't broken the agreement, trying to claim the meat for an extra day and sparking a mass brawl, Cecilia might have remained in the dark for much longer.

"I've told those villagers so many times that once the market is built, they'll have many opportunities to earn money, and they'll be able to eat and dress well regularly... Why do they still act like this? Why do they only think about returning to their impoverished villages? Why won't they believe me?"

In the castle study, Cecilia vented to Charlotte, her eyes red and tears still clinging to her lashes, clearly having just cried.

Cecilia took the market affairs more seriously than Charlotte had demanded. As a girl from a commoner background, Cecilia genuinely hoped to help those at the bottom of society, not necessarily to live luxuriously, but at least to have enough to eat and wear. Thus, she had thrown herself into her work with almost all her passion these days.

Cecilia knew that in Charlotte's plans, the southern part of Lanwan was almost entirely a commercial district, with many casinos, shops, workshops, warehouses, and docks to be built... This would inevitably require a lot of workers. For the impoverished southern villagers, this was undoubtedly an opportunity to fill their stomachs.

However, no matter how much Cecilia tried to explain, the villagers simply couldn't muster any real enthusiasm for the work.

Charlotte rested her chin on her hand, watching the tear-streaked Cecilia with a smile in her eyes.

"What are you smiling at?" Cecilia wiped her tears and asked.

"I'm smiling because you look so beautiful when you cry," Charlotte blurted out.

Cecilia spat in annoyance.

Charlotte wasn't at all surprised by Cecilia's predicament. In her past life, Charlotte had seen similar cases.

For instance, some medical aid organizations set up clinics in poor regions to help locals combat dysentery. They prescribed an oral rehydration solution, which was effective against dysentery, reduced antibiotic overuse, and was very cheap. However, when locals visited the clinics and found that the doctors only prescribed the oral solution and didn't give them a bunch of antibiotics or intravenous injections locals believed that only drugs entering the bloodstream directly were effective they felt like they weren't being treated at all and stopped coming.

Even if some locals' dysentery was cured after taking the oral solution, they attributed it to their own good luck rather than the doctors' treatment. If they fell ill again, they would stubbornly seek out large amounts of antibiotics and intravenous injections.

This kind of dilemma often arises from a severe cognitive gap and is hard to avoid.

However, Charlotte didn't offer comfort to Cecilia. Instead, she put away her playful expression and lightly tapped the table with her fingers, saying, "As the manager, you bear undeniable responsibility for this."

"Me?" Cecilia was taken aback by Charlotte's words.

"Setting up a reward and punishment mechanism is indeed helpful for improving work efficiency, but did you consider beforehand whether your mechanism could truly cover everyone fairly?" Charlotte asked seriously.

Cecilia's lips moved, but she couldn't find an answer.

Charlotte didn't wait for Cecilia's response. She spread her hands and said, "Now the facts have proven that it couldn't. Those villages that have already banded together and naturally produced leaders can easily monopolize your rewards. The other villages don't even have the courage to speak up, let alone compete. Since I can't guarantee fairness, your reward and punishment mechanism is meaningless."

Cecilia reflected for a long time before asking, "Then what should I do?"

"What's the difference between those three banded villages and the others?" Charlotte countered.

After some thought, Cecilia replied, "The other four villages have had many villagers moved in and out, but these three villages were almost untouched because their populations were just right."

"Then isn't the answer simple? Scatter all the villages and reorganize them into seven new villages, putting them all on the same starting line," Charlotte said.

"Mm..." Cecilia nodded slightly.

"Also, giving the villagers a few pieces of meat won't change their desire to return to their original villages. If you want them to settle near the market, you need to give them a compelling reason to stay, like farmland," Charlotte added.

"Allocate some farmland to them on the outskirts of Elm Village?" Cecilia reacted quickly.

"Yes," Charlotte nodded.

"But didn't you say that the area around Elm Village would be a commercial district in the future?" Cecilia was a bit confused.

"When the market needs to expand later, we can reclaim the farmland," Charlotte said without hesitation. "By then, I believe the villagers won't care as much about the farmland."

"Alright," Cecilia stood up, her spirits renewed. "I'll go take care of it."

But Charlotte spoke again, her tone calm, "Also, it would be best if you hanged the leaders of those three villages."

Cecilia, who had just started walking toward the study door, paused. She looked back at Charlotte, who was already engrossed in the documents in her hands. Taking a deep breath, Cecilia nodded and said, "Understood."

City-state, Ambratu.

"Elder Kramer, hello."

"Hello."

"Elder Kramer!"

"Hello."

"Elder Kramer, why didn't you bring young Kramer out today?"

"Hello..."

Martin Kramer walked to the Elder Council as usual. Even though people kept greeting him along the way, his mood remained somber.

The sole topic of the Ambratu Elder Council these days had been endless bickering over the issue of compensating the Lanwan Viscounty for tariffs. Even a relatively young and robust elder like Martin Kramer felt exhausted.

The Lanwan Isthmus had been closed for nearly half a month. The number of merchant caravans and goods stuck in Ambratu kept growing, and the longer the closure lasted, the greater the merchants' losses. Yet, there was no sign that the Lanwan Isthmus checkpoint would reopen anytime soon.

Although the neighboring viscounty hadn't explicitly stated it, it was now clear to everyone that unless the tariff demands were met, the Viscount of Lanwan intended to keep the isthmus closed indefinitely.

Over the past few days, many people had approached Martin Kramer, hoping he could push the Elder Council to agree to Ambratu compensating the Lanwan Viscounty for the tariffs of the past five years. Martin Kramer could only respond with a bitter smile. Personally, he was inclined to pay the tariffs, but the problem was that the oligarch faction opposed it.

He had thought today would be another day of meaningless squabbling, but upon entering the Elder Council, Martin Kramer noticed something different. Not only were there citizens invited to observe the meeting, but there was also a guest from the church.

As the meeting began and the elders took their seats, Martin Kramer quietly asked his friend Jürgen Woller, "Inquisitor Borodin? Why is he here?"

"Mr. Olivier invited him," Jürgen Woller replied.

Soon, Olivier Capino, the leader of the democratic faction in the Elder Council, spoke up loudly, "Inquisitor Borodin, you must be aware that the Ambratu Elder Council has been discussing matters related to the Lanwan Viscounty recently. However, we know nothing about the new Viscount of Lanwan. Having just returned from a visit to the viscounty, could you share your impressions of the Viscount?"

"Of course," Borodin stood up and declared, "The new Viscount of Lanwan hails from the renowned Melefield family of the Orlan Empire. Although I only met Lady Charlotte Melefield briefly, I must say she is a generous and kind ruler, possessing the noble qualities befitting her status..."

Having received a substantial bribe from Charlotte, Borodin naturally sang her praises. Moreover, Olivier Capino had invited him to the Elder Council precisely to promote the Viscount's image.

Borodin's eloquent and flattering speech made some in the audience cringe.

The oligarch elder Sallust couldn't help but sneer, "Inquisitor Borodin, I can't imagine what kind of lavish treatment the Viscountess must have given you to earn such high praise."

Anyone with half a brain could tell this was a jab at Borodin for being bribed to speak well of Charlotte.

Borodin glared and retorted righteously, "Mr. Sallust, I absolutely did not accept any bribes from the Viscount of Lanwan. If you doubt the integrity of a mendicant friar, I swear to the Lord."

Charlotte had wanted to bribe him, but Hermann Green had dissuaded her, and Borodin had righteously refused the Viscount's bribe in front of many witnesses.

Thus, Borodin's claim of "not accepting bribes" was completely guilt-free!

At the same time, Borodin marveled inwardly at the Melefield family's finesse in bribery. He had gained a reputation for incorruptibility while also pocketing a chest of Forso.

Borodin's unwavering gaze made Sallust uneasy. Could there really be a church official who didn't accept bribes? He thought sheepishly.

Among the observing citizens, there was a buzz of whispered conversations. Inquisitors held considerable authority in the eyes of ordinary citizens, and Borodin had even sworn to the Lord. Could the Viscount of Lanwan truly be a good person?

Martin Kramer understood Olivier Capino's strategy. The elder hoped to leverage Borodin's prestige to sway the Citizen Assembly and facilitate tariff negotiations between Ambratu and the Lanwan Viscounty. Watching the observing citizens' reactions, Martin Kramer felt a glimmer of hope. Could this actually work?

"I think everyone needs to carefully consider Inquisitor Borodin's words," the oligarch leader, Antanas, spoke up.

"Is Elder Antanas also doubting me?" Borodin asked.

"Of course, I believe in Inquisitor Borodin's noble character, but I don't trust the Viscount of Lanwan. The Viscountess treated you courteously because of your esteemed reputation, but when facing those she deems exploitable, she reveals her greedy nature..." Antanas continued to resist the Elder Council's push for negotiations, though his tone was less aggressive than in previous days, when he had threatened the democratic faction with a Citizen Assembly vote.

It seemed Elder Olivier's move had indeed made an impact...

Just as Martin Kramer was admiring Olivier Capino's tactics and considering whether to add his own voice to the effort, another event occurred that completely broke the deadlock.

A guard from the Elder Council pushed open the doors of the assembly hall and hurried inside.

"Elders, urgent news has just arrived," the guard announced without waiting for questions. "The Little Sassinians have capsized one of our wool ships and taken all twelve citizens on board captive."

"What?"

"Damn those Little Sassinians!"

The elders were caught off guard, and the observing citizens erupted into chaos, some even standing up, their faces pale.

"Quiet, elders and citizens, please calm down!" Olivier Capino shouted, repeating himself several times before the assembly hall gradually quieted.

Olivier Capino then continued, "Perhaps we should seriously consider negotiations with the Viscount of Lanwan."

Antanas glanced at the pale-faced citizens. Though he appeared rough, he was sharp-minded and immediately realized that the prolonged closure of the Lanwan Isthmus was finally affecting the interests of ordinary citizens.

Thus, the oligarch leader nodded slightly and said with apparent anger, "Indeed, perhaps we need to teach those Little Sassinian scoundrels a lesson first!"