Chapter104

But Elara treated everyone equally. After reading out their names one by one, she directly handed out the official appointment letters that had already been prepared for them. At the same time, she upgraded their service contracts on the spot, giving them a rank even higher than a scholar's contract, along with decent housing and salaries, and told them to report to the county office starting tomorrow.

As soon as she finished speaking, the crowd erupted in cheers. Especially the families of those who had passed the exams despite being under slave contracts. Some stood frozen in disbelief, others cried out and pounded the ground in joy, and some just broke down sobbing.

The change in their contract status meant they and their descendants would no longer be slaves for generations. They wouldn't be born as inferior beings, nor would they have to live in fear of being sold or abused like objects by their masters. It was a blessing from the heavens.

Even though Elara had said when she opened the exams that everyone could participate regardless of background, many under slave contracts had long been looked down on. They only came with faint hope, like chasing a dream, never expecting they could really pass an exam once reserved for noble families.

The princess hadn't lied to them. She hadn't mocked or humiliated them for their status.

"Thank you, Your Highness! I will serve you to the death!"

"Thank you, Your Highness! I will serve you to the death!"

"Thank you, Your Highness! I will serve you to the death!"

Elara stood high above them and received their bows.

Once the crowd's excitement began to settle, she pointed to a row of heads behind her. Her clear voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone:

"From now on, always remember why you wanted to become officials. If someday you're blinded by power or greed, come look at these heads. If you don't want to end up like them, then always stay alert and know what should and shouldn't be done."

"Yes! We will obey Your Highness's teachings!"

Once the civil exam names were read, Elara moved on to announce the results of the crafts and military exams.

Because craftsmen were the most urgently needed right now, the number of people who passed the crafts exam was the highest. Over thirty were accepted, and five of them had slave markings on their necks.

The number of people who passed the military exam was similar to the civil exam. However, only two received the highest grade: Hector and Egbert. Elara immediately gave them the two top vacant general positions in Marigold County and placed one on each side to guard the area.

Among the rest, two more were under slave contracts. They too received the official positions they deserved.

This first-ever exam and appointment ceremony in Marigold County lasted nearly two full hours.

Once everyone had been properly placed, Elara felt great. Thinking of how the once empty county departments could now be filled with capable people, she was in a very good mood. She ordered General Qi to bring out a cart of rice and another of meat and vegetables from the county storehouse. Then she had the newly recruited chefs set up large pots in the city center and cook a big open-air feast, welcoming and celebrating the new officials.

The lively and joyful atmosphere spread from the city center through all four quarters of Marigold City.

Ever since chaos had broken out in the Plumera era, Marigold County had been in decline. The people suffered deeply, lived in fear, and the streets had been silent and lifeless. Many of them had never seen a joyful celebration like this in their entire lives.

Now, hearing the sounds of celebration and smelling the aroma of food floating through the air, the people who had been hiding in dark corners and behind closed doors couldn't help peeking their heads out to look.

"The princess actually kept her word and gave these people positions!"

"She really changed their slave contracts! There are quite a few of them too! She really made them officials! This princess is not like the rumors at all!"

"Wow! Even slaves could become officials! If I'd known, I would've taken the exam too!"

"Exactly! If I had known, I would've gone! She wasn't just pretending or setting a trap. Those people who warned us were wrong! I thought going would get me killed. Now I missed a great chance!"

"It smells amazing! That food is really for everyone?"

"If I had known this would happen, I would've gone this morning! I missed a big opportunity! Who knows when the next exam will be held! I can't believe I hesitated!"

"Even if we missed the exam, the food being given out all over the city looks safe. I'm going to get some bowls later!"

"Wait a bit longer. Most of the people who took the exam were with her. If you don't want to risk it, just watch a little more."

"Risk what? Even slaves were accepted and promoted. We're at least common citizens. She'll definitely accept us too! It's not a trap like people said!"

"Sigh! Missed it!"

In hidden corners, many local residents of Marigold County watched the grand scene in the streets. Some were full of regret, some sighed, some felt lucky, and others quietly made up their minds not to miss the next exam.

Seeing the grand and rich celebration in the streets, even those who had been too scared to approach the food stations set up by General Qi started stepping outside. They looked around curiously and carefully made their way to get some food.

On the main street of Marigold County.

From a second-story window in a red building, one could clearly see the grand event below.

Erwil stood holding a wine cup, his tall figure leaning casually on the railing. He smiled as he drank and said,

"Leif, it looks like we misjudged this princess. Gossip really can't be trusted. Even I've never seen a triple-category exam before."

Leif, dressed in white, stood beside him with a cup of tea. His elegant and handsome face carried a faint smile. His lips were red and teeth white. "It's indeed impressive."

Erwil turned to him. "Since you think it's impressive too, are you going to continue the business deal with her?"

"I heard she's planning to cancel all the ridiculous taxes that High Qiong and others set. She wants to lighten everything and encourage trade. It's a great chance. You could sell that batch of goods in your hands for a good price."

Leif's eyes moved slowly from the grand scene on the street to the high platform. He looked toward Elara, who sat beside the rows of heads.

The platform was quite far away, and he couldn't clearly see her features. But he could still feel that the girl surrounded at the center carried a calm and noble aura.

"Let's observe a bit more."

Erwil's eyes also left the platform. His inner strength was deep, and his eyesight sharp. Unlike Leif, he saw the princess's elegant and beautiful face clearly.

He chuckled softly, raised his cup and took a sip, then looked back at Leif.

"Alright. It's your business, so we'll go with what you decide."

With the arrival of this new group of talents, the stalled departments of Marigold County could finally restart their operations.

So the next morning, Elara brought Scholar Fu, Kristof, Egbert, Hector, and all the newly hired staff—no, officials—to the main hall of the county governor's office for their first full assembly.

The meeting focused on reviewing and discussing every aspect of Marigold County that needed to be changed, replaced, removed, or rebuilt.

After a round of intense discussions, they reached the following conclusions:

First, the biggest problem Marigold County currently faced was the large number of refugees. The first priority after the restart was to open the four district walls. The old and new officials of the Household Department would immediately start counting the number of households and people in the county, to determine exactly how many people could not afford food or clothing. Based on each family's level of hardship, they would increase relief aid accordingly.

Second, they would continue setting up disaster relief food points across the streets. Trusted veteran officials who had previously served the county would personally go to each street and explain the situation to the citizens. They would reassure them, telling them not to hide in fear, and to go to the relief stations in time when they had no food.

Finally, the four gates of Marigold County would all be reopened. Since Hector and Egbert's newly formed army was still recruiting, security would temporarily be handled by General Qi's troops. Relief food would also be distributed at each city gate for the refugees outside the city.

If any of the refugees outside wished to enter the city, their information would be recorded. As long as they were not criminals, they would be allowed to enter Marigold County and enjoy the same treatment as its citizens.

Because of the new household registration, each gate would now have at least one official from the Household Department to handle the registration of these new citizens.

Second, apart from disaster relief and settling the people, all the unreasonable rules and taxes in the county would be abolished. They would discard all the unfair and excessive taxes imposed by people like Gao Qiong. Instead, they would adopt the simplified tax plan drafted by Scholar Fu, adjusting it as needed to replace the chaotic and unfair tax system currently in place.

Based on this new tax policy, the tax officials would need to check the county warehouses and recover the excessive taxes collected by Gao Qiong's group over the past year. These funds would be returned to the citizens.

This task would also be carried out by the veteran officials leading the new ones. This not only helped build public trust but also allowed the citizens to become familiar with the new officials.

Elara believed that after these two actions, the people of Marigold County would start to trust the new government. At the very least, they would no longer shut their doors tightly in fear, thinking the officials were bandits breaking in.

As the trust of the people gradually returned, the empty markets and streets of Marigold County would naturally begin to revive.

So the third major item on the agenda was to hold a meeting with all the merchants under the new tax policies. The officials responsible for commercial taxes would explain the new system clearly, issue tax refunds where needed, offer compensations when necessary, reassure the merchants, and encourage them to reopen their shops. The goal was to quickly restore market activity across all four districts, allowing economic resources to start flowing again.

These three basic policies were essential for the restart and reconstruction of Marigold County.

All the funds and resources required would be covered by the gold and silver that Elara had confiscated from the wealthy households. If that wasn't enough, she also had over two hundred carts of money, grain, and food she had brought from the capital, which would definitely be enough to cover everything.

The large amount of tax revenue she had taken from Lord Gregory's hands was meant to be used precisely at a time like this.

Now that she needed to rebuild Marigold County, these resources she brought with her could play a vital supporting role.

With the basic policies finalized, the next step was Elara's plan to build a military force unique to her and Marigold County.

Because of the previous tyranny under Gao Qiong, the county's lands were abandoned, markets deserted, and people starving. Many able-bodied young men were forced to sell themselves into servitude or turn to banditry. Hardly anyone had a proper job.

From now on, Elara would officially announce a military recruitment order. Any man over eighteen and physically healthy, regardless of their servant status, could enlist.

Once enlisted, their status would be raised above that of a contract servant. The military would provide all meals, and soldiers would receive a basic monthly allowance they could send home. Good performance would lead to promotion and higher ranks.

Other recruitment matters were also discussed at the meeting. Hector and Egbert would be in charge of the main recruitment, while Kristof would assist by offering ideas. He would help solve issues like how to proceed if there weren't enough recruits, how to run the process efficiently, where to find the most recruits, and how to distribute salaries and benefits fairly. His role was like that of a part-time strategist.

With Egbert, Hector, and Kristof on the job, Elara wasn't worried about the process failing. Once they had settled most of the plan, she gave them their first target: within one month, they must recruit at least six thousand soldiers. The more, the better. There was no upper limit, but the recruits had to undergo strict basic training to form a proper beginner force.

The three men took this goal seriously. Their expressions turned solemn as they accepted the order.

Next came the topic of craftsmen.

Craftsmen had never been taken seriously by the powerful, but during this meeting, Elara proposed a series of measures to improve their rights and treatment.

In this world, both craftsmen and merchants had low status. But since Elara had already organized a craftsman examination, she intended to actively support the development of this young branch of natural science.

She wanted to raise the status and treatment of skilled craftsmen. She encouraged them to develop their talents, to be innovative, and to create tools and inventions that would make daily life or military operations easier and more efficient. She also supported them in collaborating with merchants, aiming to develop new products or even open their own workshops, becoming bosses and building their wealth.

To make this happen, Elara decided to abolish the old contract rules that treated craftsmen like half-slaves. She removed the harsh clauses that forced them to be tied to a master and allowed them to be sold at will. From now on, craftsmen would be free to stand on their own and make a living with their own skills.