Chapter 404 Persuasion
In February 1994 of the Holy Calendar, the lords of Alda, Bailding, Portree, Larnaca, and Manda once again gathered in Lake Town.
Soon after, a joint statement from the five lords spread throughout the surrounding areas - the Northwest Customs League was established.
According to the statement, the purpose of the alliance was first to promote the development of trade among member territories, and secondly to fight against foreign goods and protect the nascent manufacturing industry in the northwest.
Each lord promised to gradually reduce and eventually eliminate tolls in each other's territories, and adopt the same tax policy for the outside world, and the collected tariffs will be used as public funds for the alliance and reasonably allocated for use.
As soon as the statement came out, it quickly caused a huge storm in the northwest land of the Aldo Kingdom.
Because the content of this statement is not only about the establishment of the Northwest Customs League, but also includes:
First, the abolition of the tax collector system that widely exists in various territories, and various taxes in the future Directly handed over to their respective lords;
2. Knights, squires and other manor owners in various places shall not restrict the personal freedom of farmers (including serfs) on their own land, and allow farmers to move between villages and towns;
< br>3. Private punishments are prohibited, private private courts are abolished, and all cases, large and small, are heard by legal officials appointed by their respective lords.
It's so unreasonable, so inhumane, and the lord is so inconsiderate to his people - this is the unanimous thought of gentlemen everywhere.
Let’s not talk about the customs union. It has been talked about for a long time. The other three things in the statement are also unacceptable.
Abolish the tax farming system? Our family has served the lord diligently for hundreds of years. Aren’t we the ones who hand over everything the lord eats, drinks, and uses? Who is the one who works tirelessly to collect taxes from door to door? It’s us! Who is being called a vampire every day and takes on the resentment of the mud-legged people on behalf of the lord? It’s us!
After such hard work and taking the blame, what’s the point of leaving a little money as a reward? Isn’t it right?
Can’t the free movement of mudlegs be restricted? Do the lords know why their positions are so secure? It’s not because we prohibit them from connecting with each other and preventing them from clumping together. Besides, all the mud-legged people have gone to work in the city. Who is planting crops in the fields? Everyone is going to drink the northwest wind?
Ban the death penalty? If you don't have the power to punish mud-legged people, what else can you call me? Isn't this land in the northwest immediately in chaos?
In short, everyone shook their heads and stamped their feet, everyone thought this was bad government.
As Paul expected, someone immediately came to the door to admonish him.
“That’s what you two want to say? Sit down first.”
Paul smiled and ordered the servant to get the seat.
"Thank you, Lord Earl."
After the two saluted, they sat down carefully.
These two men, one named Fergus and the other named Erdo, just made a big statement in front of Paul.
Fergus was a "knight" who used to serve the Grayman family. He also followed him to conquer pirates, so he was considered a meritorious person. It was just that after Paul improved the army, system and discipline, he felt that he could not adapt to the new army and returned to his manor in the countryside to idle.
As for Erdo, although he is a manor owner, strictly speaking, his manor is under the name of the Graiman family. Erdo's family only "manages" it, but several generations ago Because he gained the favor of the lord at that time, the lord gave a "half reward" to his ancestors for the manor he managed. He only had to turn over a certain proportion of the harvest every year, and the rest went to Erdo's family. In Arda, there are many landowners like this. The land belongs to the lords in name, but the actual controllers are the servants of these lords.
In short, one of them is a family knight and the other is a family servant. They are both people who are relatively close to the Grayman family.
"My lord, please do not be seduced by the villain's slander. Such an approach will seriously damage the loyalty of the people in the territory."
After sitting down, Fergus continued to persuade. , the look on his face was sincere, not fake.
"Yes, yes, what Knight Fergus said makes sense. Treating the subjects so harshly will cause people to be dissatisfied."
With thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a strong physique, Compared to the knights, Eldo looks less likeable and always agrees with Fergus.
It seems that these two people were selected by the landlords to admonish me, Paul thought to himself. According to his intuition, Fergus was not entirely out of his own interests, but more out of his insistence on the ethics and morals of the old era, and that Eldo was mostly out of personal interests, because the guy was always timid. Shrinking, not daring to look at himself.
But people’s hearts are separated from each other, so who can say for sure.
"I will seriously consider what you two said and discuss it in detail with the other lords."
While trying to act like I listened carefully, I felt pain after listening to them. After hearing the error, Paul replied.
Fergus and Erdo looked happy, and it seemed that the young lord could still listen.
Paul arranged wine and food for the two of them, and saw them off after they were full.
A week later, the five major lords gathered in Huxin Town again, and after some discussion, they hurriedly dispersed.
Then each lord announced one after another that they would stop some of the measures in the previous statement.
Take Alda and Bailding as examples:
The tax farming system will not change;
The free movement of farmers is suspended, but if there is a member of the family who joins the army, the relocation of relatives shall not be restricted;
Lynching will still be maintained, but if a member of the same family joins the army, Anyone who joins the army must be handed over to the lord's court for trial.
However, the establishment of a customs union was retained by the five lords.
So most people breathed a sigh of relief.
In the manor of the great squire Warren, the landowners gathered again.
Old Warren said with a gloomy face: "This is a strategy. The count is using a retreat that is a way to advance. We must find a way to mess up the customs union."
"It's so rude. Pay attention to your tone of voice."
Fergus immediately objected: "If you repeal all the laws that were just issued, where is the face of the earl? It's already a long time to make such a concession. It’s not easy. We have to be considerate of Lord Grayman. Moreover, this matter also involves the other four earls and the Duke of the Northwest. How can we disobey the five lords?”
“Yes, yes. After all, we are his people, there is no reason to force the lord like this.”
Baden, Erdo and others all agreed with Fergus, and they were very satisfied with the count's compromise.
"Humph, I'm afraid that the earl will take one step back today and take two steps forward tomorrow. Remember what I said. When everything in your hands is taken away, I don't know how happy you will be. "
Old Warren picked up his own wine and drank it down, his eyes shining with a faint light.
"This..."
"No way..."
Everyone present looked at each other.
(End of this chapter)