Chapter 393 The Escaped City Councilor
“Get out of the way, shoemaker, your carriage is blocking the road!”
“The box has fallen over, my friend, can’t you wait a moment? "
"Bang!"
"Ah! I just bought a new carriage!"
Under the newly built city wall of Xiaochi City made of rubble and mortar, crowded traffic lined up like a long queue behind the heavy fir door. The square nails on the door still showed traces of being burned under the order six months ago.
At that time, Xiaochi City was severely hit by the edict.
However, at that time, the Juanoists and the church had not yet broken up with each other. Concerned about the reputation of the order, Prince Condai simply plundered the craftsmen and laborers outside the city.
After executing a group of city councilors and extorting a wave of money, they retreated on their own.
Through the mortar and grain trade with Langsander County, Xiaochi City has actually regained some of its former prosperity.
When straw sandals and short boots stepped on the slippery stone floor, only the traces of fire on the ground and walls and the blood-stained hanging rope on the flagpole could tell the blood that had happened.
But this short-lived prosperity once again ushered in unexpected depression.
The streets were filled with soldiers under martial law, and from time to time knights, mercenaries, and armed peasants who were paid to help fight would enter through the side door.
In front of the main gate of the city, a checkpoint formed by three rows of horses was erected.
Dozens of Koike City's city councilors, wealthy businessmen, and hundreds of their servants crowded in front of the checkpoint. They dumped boxes of coins into wooden buckets containing food out of anger and helplessness.
The wooden bucket that was once used to store golden grains was now filled with gold and silver coins, forming a pyramid-shaped tip on the opening of the wooden bucket.
The soldiers standing at the city gate were wearing chainmail or leather armor. They might have been shop owners or craftsmen in a workshop the day before.
But at this moment, they were staring at the wealthy businessmen and oligarchs in front of them with eyes filled with hatred.
They all know that these wealthy businessmen and oligarchs collude with the church for profit and sell out the interests of the entire Xiaochi City to the church.
They all know that the heavy city redemption tax that must be paid to the church every year is all due to the weakness of these city councilors.
They all knew that when the noble coalition forces came, these culprits escaped immediately and even wanted to sell the city defense deployment to the noble coalition forces.
“I don’t know what Monsieur Richelieu was thinking, but he actually let them leave the city under such circumstances?”
“If you ask me, I should kill them all first. Yes, hum, traitor!”
A wealthy businessman, Andluk, who was counting the taxes for leaving the city, suddenly raised his head, his face flushed, as if he wanted to scold these two little people.
But unfortunately, under the provocative looks of the two soldiers, he still resisted the desire to curse.
After all, it's an important time to leave the city, so don't let things get complicated.
Like most well-informed wealthy businessmen, Andruk had long known that Earl Musak was leading a coalition of nobles from the Kasha County church faction towards Xiaochi City.
The coalition forces will arrive in a day or two at most, so they must escape before tonight.
Count Moussac is an old knight. He was a ruthless character who fought bloody battles with vampire pirates in the Zealand Islands. He is also known as the untitled knight.
As for the coalition of nobles led by the earl, there are three thousand strong soldiers and even hundreds of knights.
Faced with such a lineup, six months ago, Koike might have had a chance to defend.
But after the edict company destroyed the city, all industries were withered and the population was dispersed. Today, there are only more than a thousand troops in the city, and most of them are ordinary militiamen.
It shouldn't be all this, but the elite mercenaries who previously supported Rapid City were either hiding in the wilderness or were "injured" and were unable to exert their combat effectiveness.
It was obvious that they were afraid after learning that Count Musak was coming.
Xiaochi City has suffered from repeated wars. The city defenses are in dilapidated condition and the manpower is insufficient. They cannot see any hope.
As for the so-called Salvation Army, Laoshizi's ally, that is even more impossible.
It would take them seven or eight days just to get here, so what if they did get here. With such a long marching distance, they are still infantry, and 80% of them will be defeated by Count Musak waiting for work, just like the ambush they sent before.
It is impossible to hold on, even in this life.
So what if we hold on to Koike Castle? Once the rapids city is broken, those terrible command companies are coming again.
Every time they think of the horrific encounter half a year ago, these wealthy businessmen can't help but fight with each other and tighten their tails in front.
Escape, you must escape. If you don’t escape, it will be too late.
"You can continue talking here, and talk nicely." Andruk blushed and said nothing. The servants around him became anxious, "When Lord Musak arrives, you will all die."< br>
“Hey, you are quite courageous.” The militiaman who was a craftsman raised the hooked spear in his hand, “Since you are so courageous, stay and accompany us to defend the city.”
This This moment frightened the male servant so much that he shrank back in fear, but he still frowned and cursed: "I am a senior male servant!"
"What I want is a senior male servant." Putting the hooked spear on the servant's shoulder, the militiaman looked sideways at Andruk, "What, you are not convinced?"
"He is my servant, He has been following me since he was twelve years old, and he is an old hired worker..." Andruk straightened his back and stood in front of the militiamen, looking at him coldly and haughtily.
“Oh, what do you mean?”
“The tax must be reduced. If you take him away, my out-of-town tax must be reduced!” Andruk’s words were as righteous as his It seemed like he was protecting this servant.
In the desperate and dull eyes of the servant, after deducting the corresponding tax, the old master happily handed his deed to the militiamen.
"Okay, now, you are ours, Mr. Senior Servant."
After taking out a full third of the money on the carriage, Andruk clutched his chest distressedly and made an agreement. He signed his name on the book.
“I swear that after I leave the city, I will never return. Everything in Xiaochi City has nothing to do with me anymore!”
After making the oath in full view of the public, Andluke felt as if he had transformed. A layer of skin.
The wheels rolled and the horses' hooves clattered, and he finally walked out of the city gate that suddenly opened.
Raising his head, he looked towards the earthy gray city wall.
Under the overcast white sky, the hot wind blew against the wall, and a figure wearing a black and red half-shoulder priest's robe was extremely conspicuous.
"Wait!" Andluk looked at the figure and spit a mouthful of phlegm on the ground.
It was Bishop Richelieu who came from Langsand County. He first took advantage of the lack of information to get them to say mass, and then sent troops to block the city gate.
It was this same bishop who spread the rumor that they sold the city defense arrangements to the noble coalition and the imperial company, and that the wealthy businessmen and city councilors were preparing to escape.
rumor! It’s a complete rumor!
They just transferred their property and escorted them personally. There was no need to escape.
But this rumor appears to be extremely true with the help of several lucky members of Congress who escaped early.
Under the instigation of the Martin priest, almost all the citizens in the city stood against them.
Then the insidious Bishop Richelieu simply developed a three-day exit tax with a tax rate as high as 30%.
Taking this opportunity, the people who stayed in the city forced them to pay a large amount of money, and then used the money to buy equipment and hire soldiers.
But so what? Is it possible that these more than a thousand militiamen can still defeat those aristocratic coalition forces?
When they thought that their money was going to be taken away by those noble coalition forces, a group of wealthy businessmen led by Andruk felt a pain like a knife in their hearts.
But staying in the city would mean death. In order to escape as soon as possible, I had to make this decision.
"Just leave us here to die. When the time comes, I will come back! I will still be the distinguished city councilor of Xiaochi City!"
(End of this chapter)