Chapter 175 The air of the city makes people free
【DieStadtluftmachtfrei】(German proverb)
【City air makes people free】
Different economic models will bring different lifestyles.
Almost without exception, in any agricultural society before modern times, the majority of farmers would become slaves, or something close to slaves, for a period of time.
It can even be said that it was not humans who domesticated wheat, but wheat that domesticated humans.
It is wheat that seduces humans from free migration to a situation where they are bound by the land, thus allowing wheat as a crop to expand unprecedentedly in nature.
In order to obtain a stable output of wheat, farmers will try to occupy land.
However, the moment they succeeded in occupying the land, they had pots and pans that they could not part with, and they became people who were bound by the land.
At the moment when private ownership was born, land transfer became possible.
Those who initially claim to be the owners of the land may not be farmers, or even farmers may lose their land.
These poor people who rely on the land for their livelihood, but have been deprived of land ownership by private ownership, will become complete appendages of the land.
It can be said that it is wheat that seduces humans and land that captures farmers.
In the East, these farmers who lost their land were called tenants, while in the West, these land dependents were called serfs.
The topics of chat between Gareth, Amedet, and Antoine were roughly the same.
“Job said a word of conscience: If I take the field, and the land cries out against me, and the furrows weep together; if I eat the produce of the field without paying, or grieve the owner’s soul, may thistles grow instead of wheat. Bad grass instead of barley ”
"But in my personal opinion, for a wise man like Job to swear such a poisonous oath, it can be seen that it is normal to take away people's fields, and to eat the products of people's fields without paying the price is happening all the time. happen.”
"And such things and behaviors are obviously contrary to the teachings of Heavenly Father."
In this regard, Antoine was the first to nod. Amedet and John also frowned after reacting for a while.
Garris raised the question from an angle that neither of them had ever considered before.
Privately owned land is like a prison for farmers.
When the ownership of the land does not belong to the farmers but to others, it is equivalent to giving up the keys to the prison cell.
The meaning behind what Garris said was obvious. Naturally, it was impossible for him to say that he was against farmers farming.
In fact, Guerris not only opposed the possession of land by manor owners and noble lords, but also directly opposed the private ownership of land itself.
After Amedei hesitated for a moment, he said: "The true master of the land will only be the Lord."
"The land shall not be sold forever, for it is mine; you are strangers and strangers in my presence. 】
——"Leviticus" 25:23
This verse directly states that the land belongs to God and the Israelites are just sojourners and strangers living in it.
It appears in the Torah provisions for the Sabbath and Jubilee years, indicating that the Israelites had no permanent right to the land.
This emphasizes that the final ownership of the land lies with the Heavenly Father.
As for Old John, although he is not illiterate, in this kind of high-intensity Bible debate, he is just an Aba Aba character.
He just stood aside and listened to Garris arguing back and forth with the bishop and the priest, and the bishop and the priest could only agree with him.
It can be seen that the knowledge in Garris's mind is really high and somewhat scary.
If this is not divine revelation, what is divine revelation?
In short, Old John's current attitude towards Garris is to just follow the prophet and win, win, win all the way!
"Lorian, you know that young man."
Antoine and Amedee both nodded. Lorien's performance during this period was quite outstanding.
Although he seemed to have an ordinary background, he showed an exceptionally calm character. When commanding other soldiers to fight, he not only led the charge, but also was able to arrange the rotation of the soldiers defending the city in an orderly manner.
Maybe he is far behind as an army general, but after all, he is still young and has unlimited possibilities.
"That boy, two days ago, he came to me and asked me a question."
"Inexplicably, Lorien asked me how to free the serfs."
"I think that boy has something in his words."
"At that time, I originally wanted to tell him my views on the manorial system, but after careful observation, I felt that it was not necessary."
"So, I said a few words to him."
"One sentence is: Christ has set us free. So stand firm and do not let yourself be held hostage by the yoke of slavery any longer."
"The other sentence is an express law in other cities: every serf who lives within the city walls for a year and a day is undoubtedly free. The statute of limitations cancels the rights of his lord to himself and his property. All rights owned.”
When Garris repeated these two sentences, his eyes shone vividly, revealing a brilliant vitality.
He couldn't wait to see what surprises Lorien would bring for him.
Listening to Garris's words, Father Antoine smacked his lips. As the priest of Lorien's parish, he had a certain understanding of Lorien.
Already guessed what Lorien was going to do.
……
Being a serf is an identity, and being a freeman is also an identity.
But just like among free people, some people lived in less hardship than serfs. Among the serfs, there were also those who lived a prosperous life and were not like serfs.
In the 12th and 13th centuries, serf knights were even born in northern Italy and southern Germany.
Amina's family is such an anomaly.
Although she was a serf in status, her family was wealthy. Even because of the impact of Frankish culture, Amina, an Arab woman, even had the opportunity to become literate.
It is strange that whether it is Frankish culture or Arab culture, they have many intolerances between them.
But when they collided together, in this frontier of their respective cultures and beliefs, in this place where many ethnic groups and religions were mixed, many sparks sparked.
【It’s gray...】
【I don’t know since when, this world has become gloomy】
[The colorful things in childhood are just praises in books and have nothing to do with the real world]
【... breathtaking】
Some gratuitous poetic phrases always linger in my mind.
Perhaps, from the bottom of her heart, Amina felt that the slightly sad poem was a true portrayal of this land.
However... in this world of all gray, there are some colors after all.
Through a coincidence, an encounter in the city, and a few accidents, a person accidentally broke into her heart.
That kind of unbridled freedom is full of indescribable beauty, which is completely different from the manor life.
Just like all young men and women, the throb from the heart connects each other with a thread.
They longed for each other, transcending the boundaries of the body and savoring each other in heaven and earth.
Even the Frank proposed to him.
But Amina refused.
The gray world is still gray after all, and it will not change because of that little bit of color.
Because if Amina marries the other party, as far as the result is concerned, it is not that Amina will be free, but the other party will be bound.
Their children would only inherit Amina's status as a serf.
There is a real gulf between the free people in the city and the serfs in the manor, which is almost as high as reproductive isolation.
Just after Amina finished collecting firewood from the forest again, she felt as if she was being watched by someone.
After moving forward slightly cautiously for a while, she felt that there was no risk, so she put the firewood on the ground and planned to rest for a while.
At this time, a figure appeared beside her.
Turning his head to look, he saw a familiar figure.
"Amina, can I kidnap you?"
Lorien's clothes were much neater than before, as if he had been specially dressed.
Moreover, there was an aura of majesty and majesty in Lorien that he had never seen before.
After experiencing such a siege, Lorien had a clearer understanding of what courage was.
Just like the prayer taught by Father Garris.
【My Lord,】
【Please give me peace to accept the things I cannot change;】
【Please give me the courage to change the things I can change;】
[And give me the wisdom to discern the difference between the two. 】
【Amen】
Today's Lorien is absolutely certain that the reason why a person becomes a serf is definitely not the will of some master.
But it was just a coincidence in the world, just because Amina was born in a serf family.
The reason why he is a citizen, a natural free man, is just a coincidence, because he was born in the city.
And this so-called coincidence will change with just a slight push, pushing the development of things into the unknown.
Take the siege of the city a few days ago as an example. There is only a wall between Lorien and becoming a slave.
So there is actually only a wall between Amina and becoming a free person.
What's more, there is now Father Garris in the city wall, a man who performs miracles in this world.
He, Lorien, has decided to use his courage to change the things he can change.
Amina was a little surprised and lightly covered her plump and soft lips, whispering a word. "It's my pleasure."
A poor man in a city, a serf girl in a manor, they don't even have the same faith, they belong to Christianity and Islam.
But people who belong to two different worlds are about to kick off a grand adventure that belongs to them both alone.
As for Waldo, who was squatting not far away, watching such a pair of doggy men and women kissing each other as if no one else was around, what could he do?
As Waldo, who had a life-long friendship with Lorien, of course he could only obey this guy's ideas!
And, to be honest, the two of them came well prepared, with crossbows and arrows, as well as spears and axes.
If they really encounter someone who has no eyesight, Lorien and Waldo are ready to fight hard.
After all, the two of them came here to "kidnap" an ignorant girl.
……
The city has a different atmosphere from the manor.
That’s the flavor of privilege called freedom.
Like the clergy and the nobility, the burgher class of this era was itself a privileged class.
As an absolute minority in the population, the citizens enjoyed their own unique courts, separated by city walls from the feudal autocracy outside the city.
Even though there was also a strong personal dependence relationship within the city walls, it was much better than the serfs who were bound to the land and became accessories to the land.
Yearning for freedom and hating their past lives, many serfs tried to change by escaping into the city.
Based on this phenomenon, many cities have made different judicial regulations.
[An unrecognized serf shall not be taken from thence, but a serf proved by an honest man, whether Christian or Saracen, shall be delivered indisputably to his master. 】
——"The Laws of Castro Cal State" (1156)
Saracens are what Catholics call the Muslim population.
This legal provision can be interpreted in two ways.
1: Anyone whose owner cannot be identified must be treated by the law as a free man.
Two: Anyone who is determined to have an owner will have absolute control over him.
In other words, as long as you have the opportunity, you can go to a place far enough away that the lords in your hometown can no longer pursue you, and far enough away that you have to cross the mountains and seas to reach the Holy Land.
Then a person can actually become a free citizen from a serf.
In fact, not only do you become a free citizen from a serf, you also have the opportunity to become a noble knight, a wealthy family in the kingdom...
Of course, it was impossible for Lorien to kidnap Amina to the ends of the earth. He directly brought his lover to his home.
Due to his good performance during the defense of the city, Lorien had a large bonus in his hands, which he could use to improve his life.
To put it simply, he changed himself to a bigger house, but it was still located in the Lower City.
Since Karak City actually plays the role of a market, a market is held here every week and a large-scale "exchange meeting" is held every year.
A large number of farmers will come to the city to sell their agricultural products or purchase the supplies they need.
It's impossible for Lorien to hide her beauty in a golden house and let Amina stay at home and not go out.
Therefore, when people from the village go into the city, they always bump into Amina inadvertently and take the news back with them.
In front of these acquaintances from her hometown, Amina could not hide her origins.
In this case, Arnaud de La Fleury, a short, fat, middle-aged Frankish man, the owner of the manor who had the title of knight but had never participated in the war, came to the door with two followers.
There was a rapid, heavy knocking sound on the door of Lorien's new home.
"Open the door——!" came an angry and sharp voice from outside the door.
"Open the door. You can steal people, but you can't open the door. Don't hide in there and keep silent. I know you are at home!"
"I know Amina, you little whore is hiding here!"
Lorien in the room frowned, and beside him was Amina who couldn't help but tremble.
He wanted to comfort the girl, but he didn't know how to speak. After tapping his fingers impatiently on the table twice, he slowly stood up and gestured to Amina beside him, signaling the girl to hide in. In the room
However, just as Amina walked into the back room.
The door of Lorien's house was kicked open with a violent crash.
At the same time as there was a loud and ear-piercing sound, wood chips were scattered in all directions.
Then he saw a short, fat guy with a sinewy face standing outside the door.
This person is none other than Arnaud de La Fleury.
This guy was dressed like a businessman, but he had a sword hanging from his waist, and his eyes were burning with blazing anger.
Behind him followed two more followers, both carrying short sticks in their hands.
"Lorian!" Arno roared angrily as soon as he entered the door.
"Hand over that little bitch who escaped, she is my serf! She is my property!"
"If she dares to escape again, I will break her legs!"
Facing the unkind Arno, Lorien did not retreat, but took a step forward.
"Amina is not here," Lorien replied in a low voice: "Even if she were here, I would not hand her over to you. She was kidnapped by me..."
When Arno heard this, he became even more angry and clenched his fists tightly.
You must know that the girl Amina was someone he had fallen in love with for a long time, but when he turned around, she disappeared!
If he hadn't heard the serfs chatting, he wouldn't have known that Amina had come to the city.
"Give you another chance to hand over the person, otherwise..."
Just when Arnault was about to use Amina's parents as a threat, the two followers behind him suddenly felt that something was wrong. As soon as they turned around, they saw a group of people rushing over with sticks.
Then without saying a word, those people used the longer sticks in their hands to greet the people standing outside Lorien's door.
Lorien, on the other hand, took advantage of Arnault, a short, fat middle-aged man, before he could react, and punched him in the face.
In this situation, Arno had no time to draw his sword.
Instead, his nose was bleeding from Lorien's punch, and he rolled on the ground in a mess, covered in dust.
When he struggled to get up, he was kicked in the chest by Lorien, and he fell heavily outside the threshold.
At the same time, Waldo, who came with his brothers on the street, kicked Arnaud again.
Maybe once, they didn't even dare to look up at these gorgeously dressed gentlemen, but now, it's different...
The ornate sword in Arno's hand was taken away, his clothes were torn, and then the three of them were thrown out of the neighborhood.
During this period, Arnault repeatedly emphasized that he knew Councilor Etienne, and he would ask the council members of the city council to give these bastards a good look later.
But the more Arnault said that he knew Senator Etienne, the harder the fist hit him.
It was because Lorien had been following Garris for so many days - with a kind heart, that he stopped the brothers' actions to prevent them from being beaten to death.
In this situation, Arnault was naturally unwilling to accept it, so he greeted the two followers beside him.
Regardless of the tattered clothes on his body, he went uptown to find a congressman he knew, and wanted to come over and deal with those bastards.
After Arnaud walked into the upper town, he saw an acquaintance within a few steps.
"Hey! Isn't this Arnaud? Why were you beaten like this?"
The visitors were also surprised to see Arnaud. They hadn't seen him for a long time. Why was this manor owner in the countryside with a bruised face and a bruised face, and his clothes were in tatters.
"Hey! Don't mention it. Didn't I just get beaten up by a bunch of cheap trash over there in the Lower City?"
"Ouch!"
While Arno was talking, he accidentally pulled a bruise and started shouting.
"By the way, is Councilor Etienne still at home now? I'm going to talk to him about this matter!"
"Why is there such lawlessness in this city! Even if someone seduces my serfs, I come to ask for them, but instead of giving them, they dare to punch and kick me!"
“If we don’t take care of this, we will no longer be able to do business in Karak City in the future!”
When the other party, an acquaintance of Arnault, heard him talk about Councilor Etienne, his expression changed, he waved his hand and turned around and left.
Well, from now on, he and Arnault are no longer acquaintances
Arnault looked confused. He didn't know what was going on with this guy. This conversation had just begun, so why did he run away?
It was at this time that Arnault noticed that he had arrived at a square in front of the church, where many citizens were gathering.
And on a stage in front of the church, there was another young man standing on the stage giving a sermon.
Originally, Arnault didn't want to care about this matter, but now he is anxious to complain to Councilor Etienne.
As a result, when he passed by, he heard the young man on the stage shouting loudly.
"In the Kingdom of Heaven, there are no serfs!"
"There should be no serfs in our world!"
Then Arnault stopped and turned his head to look at the young man on the stage again.
This person, this person!
What nonsense are you talking about!
Then Arnault heard the young man on the stage continue to talk nonsense.
"In the Kingdom of Heaven, all of us are brothers and sisters, and the first among them are those followers of the Holy Prophet!"
"They have faith in Abraham, and are his descendants. Together with us, they honor the only, merciful... Lord who will judge all things at the end of history!"
"Our Heavenly Father! Not only does He extend kindness to all those who admire the Father, but He even extends kindness to those who have not worshiped Him through no fault of their own!"
"Even if they don't know the Lord, they are still the Lord's people. The Holy Spirit shines on them! Guide them to carry out God's will according to the instructions of their conscience!"
"Such a person can also obtain eternal salvation!"
"As the supreme, only, merciful, and loving Lord...whether we believe it or not, we are all His people! We are all created by Him in His own image! We will all become brothers and sisters in the Kingdom of Heaven!"
< br>
The young man on the stage pointed at the sun in the sky and shouted loudly, and there was a wave of enthusiastic response from the crowd under the sun.
A chapter of six thousand words, two updates directly
(End of chapter)