From Corsica to the Fourth Rome

The dazzling sun was high in the sky, it was already morning, and the citizens of Propriano still did not see the rumored team of Governor Bonaparte entering the city.

The officials of the city hall still blocked several streets near the city gate, preventing ordinary people from approaching, to prevent these untouchables from disturbing the governor's car.

But even so, rumors continued to spread in the town, saying that the group of dignitaries who went to greet the Governor in the early morning had been detained in the military camp outside the city.

These rumors became more true as they spread, and soon reached the ears of almost every town citizen. Many townspeople also witnessed the magnificent army stationed on the outskirts of this small town.

Now, the town's taverns and streets are full of townspeople discussing this topic. Many people have stopped doing their jobs and want to inquire about what happened to the landlords.

After all, in cities and towns, there are only a minority of completely independent free people. The vast majority of townspeople are forced to depend directly or indirectly on their own masters no matter what kind of work they do.

Of course, there are many people who scoff at these rumors.

"What a fart!"

On the streets of Propriano, an old man in a white robe listened to the comments of the pedestrians on both sides. He couldn't help but raised his beard, pointed at a group of townspeople who had speculated that something bad had happened to the gentlemen, and cursed:

"You untouchables, how dare you disrespect this gentleman?! Don't forget who gave you food and clothing! This will be kept in our manor, and I will give you a few whips!"

The old man in white robe shouted angrily, and the people who were scolded by him did not dare to argue back and argue, but quickly lowered their heads and walked away while swearing.

They all know this old man in white robe. He is the manor housekeeper of Mr. Custar's family. He can also be said to be Custar's number one henchman. Such a person is considered to be prestigious in the town, at least he cannot be provoked by those serfs. .

After cursing loudly, the housekeeper was still angry. A pair of small mouse-like eyes looked back and forth at the pedestrians on the street, as if he was looking for a pump.

He stroked the cowhide whip hanging on his waist, and soon found a familiar face among the people on the street - a serf working as a laborer in Custar Manor.

Crack!

The steward raised his whip and swung it twice, and shouted angrily at the serf amidst bursts of anger:

"You lazy bitch, you dare to sneak into town without working, I will remind you of the rules."

The laborer also had a face full of fear. Like many serfs, he secretly ran from the manor to the town after learning that something big had happened in the town.

Facing the cowhide whip that was pulled out of the air, the laborer did not dare to hide. He knew that doing so would only inflame the housekeeper's anger, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and squat on the spot with his head in his hands, letting the whip strike. A bloodstain two fingers wide was drawn from the thin torso.

hiss!

Pedestrians on both sides of the street couldn't help but take a breath when they looked at the whip marks that were still bleeding and turning purple. Even though many of them had seen and experienced this kind of punishment, the shocking scars still made people feel a little agitated. Can not bear to look.

However, all people can give to the laborer is this pitiful sympathy. After all, in this rural area, serfs have the same status as domestic animals.

Would anyone stop the owner from beating a pig with a whip?

The butler whipped him hard, but he still felt a little bit upset. There was really no news about his Custard Master for a while, and coupled with the rumors about these damn servants, the butler was really upset.

"Damn pig!"

He snorted vigorously, took back the whip and swung it around, and then prepared to vent his full resentment on the trembling laborer in front of him.

At this moment, the sound of horse hooves suddenly came from the gravel streets of Propriano.

The people who were watching just now immediately turned their heads to look in the direction of the city gate.

I saw about twenty soldiers carrying muskets escorting a group of bureaucrats on horseback entering the city from the city gate openly.

Riding at the forefront was a man wearing a formal jacket and overalls. He looked a little nervous, but he still looked majestic under the protection of the soldiers.

This is what Mr. Coggero and his Treasury bureaucrats are doing.

Mr. Coggero, who was riding a variegated hunting horse, immediately saw the butler whipping his whip in the middle of the road and the laborer lying on the ground struggling in pain. He couldn't help but frown, and he stepped forward and scolded:

"Oh God! Who are you to do such a barbaric act in broad daylight!"

The housekeeper glanced at the surrounding soldiers and the watching townspeople with some fear, grunted and put away his whip, and looked at Mr. Coggero, probably knowing that this person should be from the Governor's side.

"What's the problem sir?"

The butler hung the whip back on his waist. Although he knew that Mr. Coggello was from the Governor's Palace, he did not feel that there was anything wrong with his behavior at all and said confidently:

"This bitch works in our manor. He sneaked into the town today and was disrespectful to the master. If it weren't for the large number of people, he would have been locked in the cellar and fed bran water for a month..."

"you!"

Mr. Coggello couldn't help but grinned and took a breath. Having lived in Ajaccio all year round, he had never seen such a brutal and brutal scene, so he quickly refuted:

"It doesn't matter if he works for you, you have no right to abuse him in such an appalling way. This is a crime!"

"Uh..." The housekeeper touched the remaining hair and laughed shamelessly, as if he had heard some funny joke.

The butler glanced contemptuously at the laborer who was still struggling, shook his head and retorted:

"Sir, oh no, sir, you are joking, he is just a serf... For decades, I should say for hundreds of years, we have treated serfs like this. It has always been very effective. It has always been like this."

"It's always been like this? Is it right that it's always been like this?! There will be no serfs on the land of Corsica soon! Lieutenant!"

Even the weak Mr. Coggero couldn't help but become furious when he heard this nonsense. He turned to the lieutenant officer who was responsible for guarding them and ordered:

"Please take down this sinner!"

Under the surprised gazes of the old housekeeper and dozens of onlookers, two soldiers stepped forward and tied up the defenseless old man.

The butler, who was used to being domineering, didn't react until this moment. While struggling needlessly, he defended loudly:

"What are you doing, sir! He is Master Custar's serf, and I am Master Custar's manor housekeeper. I whipped him a few times, which is considered mercy! I am not a sinner at all, on the contrary, many people say that I He is a great kind person..."

"Shut up, you shameless man!"

Mr. Coggello signaled one of his subordinates to help the laborer up, and then looked at the white-robed butler with disgust:

"There are no lords in Corsica now, let alone serfs. Come on! Post the official document and read it out."

After saying that, Mr. Coggello took out a stack of high-quality parchment from his arms and distributed it to several subordinates around him.

Bureaucrats from the Ministry of Finance immediately rode to every corner of the town with the official document, preparing to post it in conspicuous places in the streets and alleys, and explain its contents to the illiterate people who could not read or write.

One of them stayed where he was, holding up the official document with a solemn expression, took a few steps forward and read aloud to the onlookers present:

“With the approval of the Governor-General of Corsica and the approval of the Corsican Parliament, the Land Bill and the Agricultural Tax Reform Bill proposed by Governor Bonaparte have officially come into effect. The summary is as follows:

First, since the implementation of the bill, except for urban areas, all land ownership in Corsica belongs to the Corsican government, and no private individuals or private organizations are allowed to hold land ownership; all contracts based on land rights and interests will automatically expire; for the original Monetary compensation for landowner losses will be funded by the Ministry of Finance, and all compensation will be paid in Corsican currency.

Second, the Ministry of Finance will conduct regular censuses and establish a household registration system. Local municipalities allocate land use rights to workers based on the household registration system and under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance.

Third, in rural areas, the poll tax is officially abolished and land tax is levied. The specific tax rate and tax base are determined by the area and fertility of the land.

Fourth, all local taxes are collected by the Central Ministry of Finance, and local city halls have no right to interfere, let alone impose any form of tax on citizens under their jurisdiction; all local expenditures will be allocated and transferred by the Central Ministry of Finance.

………”

"impossible…"

The white-robed butler listened blankly to the bureaucrat reading the official document, and murmured in disbelief:

"Absolutely impossible. Even Pasquale Paoli wouldn't dare to do this. How dare he, Laurence Bonaparte!"

Unlike those serfs with low education and confused expressions, this white-robed butler has managed the master's property for decades and has some understanding of politics and situations.

The first two official documents read by the bureaucrat clearly stated that all cultivated land and pastures should be returned to the government, and they were doing so with nothing.

As for the compensation mentioned?

Everyone knows that Corsica will soon belong to the Bourbon dynasty. Soon the French Livre silver coins and the Sur copper coins will replace the existing Corsican gold coins in circulation. At this time, the so-called Corsican coins will be used. If we acquire land with new currency, isn’t that just using a pile of waste paper to rob it openly?

If this bill is really implemented, those wealthy landowners may be able to maintain a luxurious life for a few years with their remaining wealth, while those small and medium-sized landowners may have no choice but to walk into the wheat fields in person with hoes and sickles.

And it won't be long before the term "landlord" in Corsica will be swept into the trash heap of history.

The housekeeper was shaking uncontrollably, and his whole body was limp, like an old dog with a broken spine. If it were not for the support of two strong soldiers, he would soon fall to the ground like a puddle of mud.

If Mr. Custar is gone, how can he, a manor steward with more than 10,000 people under him, still be able to do his job?

At that time, let alone what he would rely on to survive as an old man, it would be impossible for him to spend the rest of his life peacefully without his support just by the people he had offended as the manor housekeeper over the years.

Mr. Coggero, who was sitting on the horse, listened silently to the reading of the official document. Even though he was the earliest drafter and witness of these two bills, he could not help but look excited after listening to the summary.

As Minister of Finance, he is of course most concerned about the changes in the Bill regarding the Ministry of Finance.

It can be said that anyone who is sensitive to politics can see that Governor Bonaparte is preparing to use these two bills to create an extremely powerful and powerful central treasury.

In contrast, local power has been infinitely weakened. Especially after depriving local taxation rights, the Governor's Palace can be said to have held all Corsica's money bags in its own hands, and the local city hall has lost its financial power. There was not the slightest possibility of resisting Ajaccio.

Thinking of this, Mr. Coggero became even more excited. He remembered how the poor and weak Ministry of Finance was despised and despised by the local government in the past, almost to the point where decrees could not be issued in Ajaccio.

And in the not-too-distant future, no city official will be able to survive without looking to the central finance ministry.

Of course, in his excitement, Mr. Coggero will not forget who single-handedly shaped this powerful Ministry of Finance.

He will never forget that the most important characteristic of the Treasury Department is always only one - loyalty, absolute loyalty.

Mr. Coggello thought silently:

"The Treasury is the Treasury of Corsica, but it is the Treasury of Monsieur Bonaparte."

…

Compared to the two big figures who had seen the world, the townspeople watching had different concerns.

These people living at the bottom may be labeled as ignorant because of their low education level and superficial knowledge.

But ignorance is by no means the same as stupidity.

To be able to survive in such a cruel living environment, their minds are definitely shrewd.

Although the bureaucrat's mouth was full of words that people seemed to understand, these serfs also vaguely understood:

All the harvest from the land they have cultivated for decades will no longer be put into the cellar of the landlord's house, which can never be filled, as in the past, but will become real and inviolable private property.

The townspeople looked at the finance ministry bureaucrats with fascination, as if they were watching a stage play that had nothing to do with them.

Almost no one believes that the darkness that has shrouded them for generations since ancient times will be completely torn apart by a sudden dawn today?

The silence lasted for a long time, and then one of the townspeople woke up from his dream and boldly asked Mr. Cogelo:

"Sir, what you mean is that from now on our harvests will only need to be paid to the government...that is, the land tax...will this tax amount..."

This question immediately brought the serfs back to the heavy reality.

Yes, if you have to pay a high land tax to the government, what is the essential difference between this and handing over the harvest to the landowner?