Chapter 165 Let the arrow fly for a while
The city wall is a symbol of the city. It is the city wall that cuts off a small, orderly space from the vast and disorderly wilderness.
In the eyes of urbanites, the world outside the city walls is a barbaric land, and farmers and Bedouins are all dirty and dangerous barbarians.
However, the existence of the city depends on the oppression and exploitation of surrounding farmers. The city needs to obtain raw materials for handicraft production from the surrounding manors and villages in order to maintain its own commercial operations.
And in the logic of business operation, what can be more tempting than monopoly?
Many councilors live in the city, but they are also owners of manors. There are some differences between their manors and the manors that are knights' fiefs.
The manor of a knight's fief was to support knights and provide free civilian troops for military service.
Then their manors were actually closer to the plantations of later generations, providing commodity raw materials to the city.
If they lose control of the manor, it will be difficult to monopolize the supply of raw materials to the city. By then, their wealth will become a castle in the air, ready to collapse with a gust of wind.
Because of this, when the congressmen who had participated in the secret meeting realized how much impact Gehrys' actions would have on their existing exploitation model, hostility between them was inevitable.
Just as the city wall cuts the boundary between civilization and barbarism, it distinguishes the inside and outside of the city.
The urban areas in the city also cut out different worlds.
However, this cut is not so absolute, not so perfect.
On the contrary, it is closer to the self-imprisonment of some people.
The arrogance of the leader of the Seven Deadly Sins made those congressmen truly believe that they and the people in Xiacheng District belong to two different worlds.
They have no idea how the people in Xiacheng District live, nor do they realize that it is the residents of Xiacheng District who support their breathtakingly affluent life.
The boundaries between different urban areas are not as clear as they think. Poor people are active everywhere in their mansions, but they turn a blind eye and hear them.
Therefore, on the second day after these congressmen conspired, Gareth received the relevant news.
The shadow of the city wall blocked the scorching sun, and targets were hung on the haystacks thirty steps away. With the sound of strings and the whistle of arrows, Lorien and Waldo became more and more skilled.
Although these young people cannot yet draw heavier bows, nor can they accurately shoot enemies from dozens of meters away, this is a good start.
These neglected groups gradually learned how to use weapons and tasted the taste of using weapons to defend themselves.
Beside these people, Father Antoine came to Gareth's ear and whispered the news he had learned.
As he listened, Garris nodded from time to time.
"What are you going to do? Do you need us to stop the other party's actions first?"
Facing Antoine's question, Garris shook his head.
"Do you think there will be Judas among the people around me?"
After hearing this, Father Antoine subconsciously turned his head and glanced at the young men who were constantly drawing their bows and shooting arrows.
For a moment, he didn't know what to say, and he couldn't even express what he was worried about.
"Let the arrow fly for a while."
Garris asked the priest to wait and see what happens. Now he does not need to take the initiative to jump out. Instead, he needs to let things ferment for a while.
Time is not in the hands of the rich. With the full support of Bishop Amedei, Garris has now taken control of all the granaries in the city and replaced the defense of key locations with his people. .
As early as the day he showed his miracle to Amedeh, Gairis mobilized 600 people to walk on the city wall.
With the passage of time and the strong support of the church in Karak City, Garris has gained a deeper understanding of the city.
There was an arrow whistle, and Lorien's arrow hit the target. The young people in ragged clothes cheered happily together.
Listening to the voice full of energy and vitality, Garris couldn't help but said to the priest: "Antoine, don't you think it's sad? These young people, the most comfortable time in their lives so far, is actually this period of being under siege. ”
"They no longer have to look for jobs every day for their daily bread. They no longer work from morning till night and are scolded by their employers."
"Their families can also get a stable supply of food, so that they seem to have nothing to do."
"It's strange, really strange, that peace has not brought these children a life of food and clothing."
"On the contrary, wars and sieges made these people, who were originally humble and worthless, begin to become important."
Listening to Gareth's words, Antoine wanted to say something.
He felt that it was not the war and the siege that made those young people important, but the arrival of Garris that changed the fate of these people.
If it were an ordinary city defense, then the granary in the city would certainly not be open to the public to such a large extent.
In fact, it will become normal for grain merchants to hoard food and the poor have to go to the city wall to die for the rich just for a mouthful of food.
Now, with the support of Bishop Amedeh.
Garris distributed enough food to make people eighty full to all the families participating in the task of defending the city.
Families in Xiacheng District who did not participate in the city defense mission also received nearly five-five-cent-full food for free.
Garris did not deliberately control food consumption at all. Instead, he used the reason of being besieged to allow the people in the lower city to eat and drink without worries.
"Prophet, if this happens, the granary will be close to bottoming out soon."
Antoine couldn't help but remind him.
"It's okay, there is more than enough time, enough for the arrow to hit the target."......
As the authority of Karak City, even if the city council recognized Gehrys' position as city defense officer, it would still continue to inquire about Gehrys's defense situation.
During this regular meeting, Garris stood in the center of the parliament hall. Many of the MPs beside him had bad expressions on their faces.
Councilor Etienne took the lead.
"Chevalier Villeroy, won't you explain the unusual consumption of food during this period?"
"Based on the current daily food consumption, all the food in the granary will be exhausted in two months at most."
"You know, according to the grain storage plan of the grain depot, the barley and wheat should have been prepared to defend the city for half a year."
"As far as I know, the total number of soldiers you mobilize every day should not exceed 800. How did you spend the food for thousands of people?"
In fact, Garris was not averse to reasoning with these congressmen, so he spoke frankly.
"Congressman Etienne, if you want to starve the families of those soldiers to death, and then let the soldiers rush into your home and burn it down, you can just say it directly, without being so round and round."
Councilor Etienne was dismissed with one sentence, and then Garris said again.
"I don't know if you have done the math. As far as I know, the vast majority of adult men in the lower city earn only 3 silver dirhams per week."
“A family of five, with both parents working and two children working as child laborers, earns only 6 silver dirhams per week.”
"Based on the daily prices in Karak City, 6 silver dirhams is just enough for them to barely survive. They cannot save even a copper plate."
"Nowadays, the workshops in the city have stopped working, and the poor have no money to buy food at all."
"That's why I say, Mr. Congressman, if you want to starve them to death, just say so."
"Of course, there is no solution. Congressmen, as long as you donate 15,000 gold dinars, then we don't have to continue to defend the city, right?"
Listening to Garris's words, the faces of the congressmen remained gloomy.
A councilman with a long beard suddenly stood up and said loudly: "Gaillis! We made you the city defense chief, not to spread surrender or defeatist remarks!"
"Now, food is being consumed so fast in the city, don't you have any responsibility!"
"No one is coming to attack the city now, so why raise so many parasites that only eat and don't work!"
Because this person took the lead, the council hall became loud and noisy for a while, and accusations against Gellis poured in.
"Idiot!"
"Waste!"
"Son of a bitch!"
Accompanied by these surging words, Etienne felt a little complacent. He just needed this scene.
In this way, he would be able to make suggestions later, directly abolishing Garris's position and re-arranging their people to the city wall.
However, just when these congressmen were having fun scolding them.
The door to the parliament hall was knocked open with a bang.
Dozens of citizens armed with weapons rushed directly into the hall.
The clothes of these people were dirty and shabby, and only a few of them wore armor or cotton armor.
And the expressions on their faces were each angrier and more ferocious than the last.
Garris turned his head and looked around at the congressmen, but he did not question them. Instead, he asked Waldo beside him calmly: "Why are you coming in?"
"Father, when they scold you, they are scolding me! I listened carefully outside the door and couldn't help but burst in."
There is a kind of perseverance on Waldo's young face, a kind of support for Garris until death.
He couldn't tolerate these condescending congressmen farting loudly here.
At this time, the shocked Etienne asked loudly:
"Garys, we are having a meeting! What do you want to do!"
Then Garris raised his head and looked at Etienne in the parliamentary seat.
"I haven't done anything. I can only say that if you still plan to starve the people in the lower city to death, and then let the soldiers rush into your house and burn it down, you can just say it directly without being so meandering."
Boom! There was a sound.
Lorien shot an arrow directly at the wall behind Etienne.
Etienne was so frightened that he ran away with his head in his hands, and without paying attention to his feet, he rolled down from the parliamentary seat.
The citizens couldn't help but burst into laughter, and no longer had the respect they had for these congressmen in the past.
First update
(End of chapter)