Chapter 272 Punishment
Landlord Baden was brought to the lobby of the lord's mansion.
This is a middle-aged man with a plump figure. His round face is dotted with two small mung bean-like eyes. Although he tries hard to pretend to be in disaster, a few eyes still pop out from time to time. A greedy look.
After entering the lobby, this person performed the courtesy of a commoner meeting a lord.
"Honorable and great Count Graiman, your loyal subject Baden has come to answer your call."
The young lord was sitting on the main seat in the hall. After hearing his words, he didn't say anything and just looked at him with a straight face and an expressionless face.
Baden's heart tightened, and he felt a little bit bad: It's bad, it couldn't be that the [war tax] matter was known to the lord.
The hall was quiet, only the ticking of the grandfather clock could be heard. Paul did not speak, and Baden could only stand there, waiting in embarrassment.
“Are you Baden?”
The lord finally spoke, but Baden almost collapsed on the ground. Standing on the ground is tiring.
"Yes, distinguished Earl Grayman, I am Baden."
"Where have you been some time ago? Have you returned home after the riot subsided?"
" Thank you for your concern, Lord Count. I hid in a secluded farmhouse in the field and have returned home...ah, my house is really miserable, everything has been robbed, and several honest and loyal servants have died. . ”
When it came to the riots, Baden’s face became increasingly sad, and he complained endlessly about the atrocities committed by the salt people.
Paul did not stop him and allowed Baden to continue speaking.
"...This is all the fault of those damn poor devils. Count Grayman, you must uphold the justice and strictness of the lord and hang these lawless beasts. They are just a bunch of living beasts!"< br>
Seeing that the lord had no reaction at all, Baden, who was making accusations, became smaller and smaller.
"Ahem... Dear Earl Grayman, please give justice to us kind people and give peace to the land of Alda."
Baden used this At the end of the sentence, the hall finally returned to silence.
Paul then asked: "Tell me first, what is the so-called [war tax]?"
"War tax? What kind of war tax? I've never heard of it."
"Oh? Didn't you collect war tax from the salt people?"
Baden looked like he had been wronged , said aggrievedly, "My lord, you must not listen to the nonsense of those mobs. In order to reduce their crimes and win your sympathy, they can make up any lies. What shame for these poor people?" , there is no such thing as honor or disgrace.”
Paul sneered: “But Baden, it’s not just the salt people who have said that you have levied war taxes.”< br>
As soon as he finished speaking, the guards led several people into the hall.
Baden almost fainted after looking at them. Wasn't this the thugs he sent to collect taxes? Why aren't you dead yet? Shouldn't they have been slaughtered by those mobs long ago?
The thugs all had their heads lowered, and their faces were all bruised and swollen. It looked like they had suffered a lot at the hands of the Yan people.
Paul showed a smile on his face and asked: "Baden, do you know them?"
Baden hurriedly replied: "No... no! Lord Earl, I don't "I know these people."
Paul turned his attention to the thugs: "Baden said he doesn't know you, but do you know him?"
A man standing at the front said: "Lord, he is our former master Baden."
Baden hurriedly defended: "Nonsense! Lord, you must not believe them!"< br>
Paul glared with a stern look, "That's enough, I'll say it when I ask you to say it!" This landowner was so frightened that his whole body trembled with fat.
He asked the thugs again: "Tell me, did Baden send you to collect war taxes in addition to the poll tax?"
The man just glanced at Baden. Answered very honestly: "Yes, we had sent a group of people to collect poll tax and war tax before, but they were bombed back. Then Lord Baden sent us forward and asked us to give some to the salt people. Look at the color.”
Paul looked at Baden coldly: "What else do you have to say?"
Baden was sweating and twitching all over, but he still defended himself: "They... they... they have been bribed by the mob. They are already a group."
"So you did lie to me just now? Are these people your former subordinates?"
"I...I... The lord knows this!"
Paul chuckled: "I have some people here for you to meet, bring them over!" The guard led a group of people in, all dressed as ordinary villagers.
Paul asked: "Maybe Baden has collected [war tax] from you?"
As soon as the lord spoke, the emotions of the villagers suddenly became excited.
"Lord Graiman, you are right, he did force us to pay war taxes."
"When your father and your grandfather were in power, we never listened. What did you say about war tax? ”
"Our income was not much, but Baden messed with us like this, making life even more difficult."
The villagers complained one after another. They already knew that Baden was cheating them, and they were full of resentment.
Looking at the gray-faced Baden, Paul slowly picked up the water glass and took a sip.
"Baden, these are residents of several villages in the area you are responsible for. They are all good people who have never participated in the riots. What else do you have to say now?"
Baden's lips trembled: "I...I..."
His eyes suddenly opened, and they shone brightly, "Lord Graiman! The reason why I am obsessed with evil and greedy is all because of your subordinate Hansel Abbott!"
"Oh? You Why did it suddenly get involved with him?"
Baden complained as if he was willing to give up: "That damn Jingyao guy, what the hell is he doing with the land transfer? He has replaced a large piece of good land in my family with bad land. . He relies on the support of the lord's palace and uses chicken feathers as arrows, but he has made trouble for us honest and hard-working landowners and squires."
"Except you? Are you dissatisfied with him too?"
"Yes, Lord Graiman," Baden said anxiously: "Many people are dissatisfied with him, and we all call him [Baron Skinner] behind his back. , please be sure to uphold justice, replace and punish this incompetent agricultural director, and calm everyone’s grievances.”
In the process of land replacement, it is inevitable to exchange good land for bad land. Under the entanglement of quality and area, it is impossible for anyone to get it just right, and for a large landowner like Baden, this matter The gains far outweighed the losses. Now his farmland was connected to a large area, which was more conducive to large-scale planting and water conservancy operations. He bought several harvesters alone. But most people care about the part they lose and take the part they gain for granted.
And Baden's resentment towards Hansel was actually focused on another thing: during the process of checking the property, the large area of common land that his family had occupied was discovered. This cost Baden a large sum of money and a large tract of property that he believed was rightfully his. But Baden also knew that he had violated the law in this matter. Wouldn't it be disrespectful to say it now? So we just point the finger at land replacement.
But a trace of imperceptible joy flashed across Paul's face, and he continued to ask: "What does this have to do with your private collection of war taxes?"
Baden said "aggrievedly": "That's right. Because I lost too much during the land replacement, I came up with this stupid trick, wondering how much I could make up for it."
"Ah... No, no! I didn't come up with this stupid trick. It’s my butler’s fault, it was his bad idea!”
Baden suddenly remembered something and quickly changed his words.
"Your butler? Where is he?"
"He and I took refuge in a farmhouse in the fields. He went out once to inquire about information and never came back. I'm afraid he has been killed by the mob. Killed..."
Paul thought deeply: "Butler? Missing? That's interesting!"
He remembered the interrogation information Cecil gave him, and he was surrounded by salt people. When they arrived at the Baden family's mansion, it was the butler who first made sarcastic remarks and then asked his servants to attack with slings, which intensified the conflict.
"Okay, Baden, I don't have time to talk nonsense to you! In any case, it is against the law to collect war taxes privately behind the back of the lord's mansion, and this riot is also caused by you."
Paul Station Get up, and the final decision is about to be made.
Baden knelt down with a plop: "Lord, the Graiman family is known for its kindness!"
Paul ignored his pleading and continued: "I should have given you extremely good treatment. Severe punishment, but since your family has served the lord for generations, I declare-"
"First, deprive you of your status as a tax collector. The area where you were previously responsible for taxation will be assigned by the Government Council in the future. The tax officer collects it himself!”
"Second, confiscate half of your property to make up for the losses caused by the riots - of course not including the losses to your own home!"
As soon as Paul finished speaking, Baden rolled his eyes and made a plop. Collapsed on the ground.
The guards hurried forward to check and saw that his eyes were narrowed into slits, and only the whites of his eyes could be seen through the slits. He was foaming at the mouth, and his diarrhea kept flowing out. He was already unconscious.
It seems that these two penalties have hit him too hard.
(End of this chapter)