Lady of the Lord From the East

At this time, the ten-year-old boy was still telling everyone loudly: "Do you know how merciful the count is, the tax on his territory is much lower than that of other nobles, and children under the age of seven don't need it. To pay the poll tax, I also pay half of the poll tax. The serfs usually use firewood. As long as they don’t cut down trees, they don’t need to pay the firewood tax. By the way, the countess also sends people pigs to raise. , it will be given for free without paying taxes! Those who want half of the meat to be kept, unfortunately we are late, and this year's piglets have already been delivered, otherwise I might be able to apply for one!"

The last sentence is of course false. Now only Sardinson can send piglets and they must have previous experience in raising pigs. Slaughter does not have this benefit for the time being. After all, the registration is a matter of last year. , most of the freedmen who moved back came back recently, and naturally missed the previous registration, and the serfs in the fishing villages did not know how to raise pigs. The serfs like him who were just brought back are still alone children. , of course he doesn't have that qualification, but that doesn't prevent him from exaggerating. Anyway, what he said is true! Just go to Sardinson to find out.

If he was the only one who said this, everyone might not believe it, but all the people who came back said the same thing, and some people even directly thought that they did not believe it and thought that they were those who came back for the benefit of Sardinson and kidnapped people. They all went back, saying that they were just coming back to pick up their family members, and they didn't care if others wanted to go with them.

"It's better not to go. When I came, I heard the village chief discussing this year's farming, because the people in the village can't farm, and they are worried about how to arrange for manual farming. Parents, you are all farmers. Experts in the land, they couldn't be more welcome there, and the Count said that if you open up wasteland in his territory, the tax will be exempted for the first year, and the tax will be reduced for the next two years. Because Sloth has been abandoned all the time, so The land cultivated this year is considered wasteland, and it is tax-free! If we go back late, we might end up with no land.”

As soon as these words came out, the sensation caused can be said to be the biggest of all the news they heard today.

For farmers, there is nothing more exciting than land that does not pay taxes.

And as soon as the news came out, no matter how suspicious people were, they would inevitably be shaken.

And no matter what other people think, those new serfs who are willing to come back and persuade their families to go to Slot together are willing to exchange themselves for the chance of their family's life because of their families. The day they were to meet their family again, they didn't expect the reality to be completely different from what they thought, but since it was a blessing in disguise, they all wanted to come back and have a good time with their family.

Although it was only a few of the hundred serfs who did this, it was precisely because they sacrificed themselves for their families from the very beginning, so when they came back and actively persuaded their families, their credibility was naturally extremely high.

At least their families trusted them 100%, so after hearing how good their new life was, these people started packing without saying a word.

Most of the refugees don’t have any decent belongings. The place where they live can’t even be called a thatched hut. It can only be regarded as a simple hut built with weeds and wooden boards. It is crooked and ventilated. To freeze to death in a shack like this, they wouldn't want to live in it for a day if they could.

These refugees, who were persuaded by their families, took everything they could, dragged their families and ran to the camp of the recruitment team in Sardinson, where they were going to register, and then went with their families to Sardinson to Sloot , never want to stay in this place again.

And behind every family that went, there were a group of people watching the fun. They not only wanted to see if these people would really go with the people from Sardinson County, but also wanted to inquire about those who came back. Is the news brought back true?

During this period of time, because the conditions given are not as good as those of the slave traders, and there are always people secretly spreading false rumors, the staff responsible for the recruitment of Sardinson and his party, who have hardly come to register with them, can be said to have been idle. It's getting moldy.

At first, they would try to lobby those refugees, but no one believed what they said, and they said nothing, those refugees who really wanted to sell their sons and daughters would only think that the money they gave was not as high as that of other slave traders, and they shouted If they raised the price and sold people to them, how could the group of people like Sardinson agree, and gradually these people simply slack off, and they are not willing to make fun of themselves.

Said they had less money than the slave traders gave? But people buy slaves, and they recruit serfs, can that be the same thing? And the price they gave was completely based on the market price of serfs. Not to mention the price to buy these desperate refugees back, it would be no problem to go directly to the slave market to buy people.

And they are so good at Sardines, what can they give these people is just a little money to sell themselves, can those follow-up benefits be comparable to those of slave traders? If it was replaced by other people, they could not be the serfs of the Count even if they begged. How dare these people negotiate terms with them? There are no doors!

If it weren't for the order of the Count, they would have packed up and left here and went home. Who would want to suffer this kind of crime outside in the cold weather.

And this time the new serfs came to help recruit them was their last attempt. Everyone knew that after this time, if those refugees were still unwilling to be recruited, they would not give them another chance.

Therefore, when a large group of people arrived at the station where Sardinson recruited staff, they saw that the people in the station were leisurely packing up their things and looking like they were about to leave.

Seeing their group coming, those Sardinsons who were packing their things just glanced at them calmly, then looked at the leading new serfs: "Are you back?"

Then, without waiting for them to answer, he pointed to the only person who was still sitting at the recruitment table and said, "If you want to follow along, go there to register, we don't have much time left."

"Are you going back?" As soon as the new serfs saw the situation in the camp, they became nervous, not to mention them, even those refugees who just followed to see the situation and inquired about the situation, suddenly felt a little more urgent.

The man nodded: "The order of the Count, he said that the king will send someone to drive out the refugees here soon. Since we can't recruit anyone, it's useless for us to keep it, why don't we just go back, now it's spring, everyone is busy Now, where is the time to waste here."

The last words are all complaints. They are doing useless work here, and they have never recruited anyone. When they go back, they may be scolded by the count. As long as they think about it, they don't have much affection for this group of refugees. There was dissatisfaction in their eyes.

Are they leaving? And the army of the Prady Empire is about to be welcomed here?

The latter news can be regarded as blowing into the hearts of everyone. They didn't live well here, and they may even be unable to live. Now I heard that there will be an army to drive them away. Suddenly, those people just wanted to come. Looking at the situation, the faces of the refugees turned bad, as if they were being chased by the army, rounded up, or even killed.

The overwhelming pressure made many refugees who were psychologically vulnerable couldn't help crying.

And those new serfs didn't care about anything else, and hurriedly urged their family members to register, while ingratiatingly talked to the person who told them the news, and asked him how long he would stay.

The man held the thing and said: "The time to leave has not yet been determined. It will probably only be two or three days. You should prepare as soon as possible. If there is something left unpacked by then, we will not wait for you to pack it slowly."

What he said was mainly to remind the families of the new serfs, but in fact, when these people came to sign up, they brought everything they could bring with them, because after they registered, they were even serfs of Sardinson, and they would not be able to do so after that. If they need to leave, the people in Sardinson will arrange food and accommodation for them, or send a carriage to pick them up, and they won't stay for too long.

Those new serfs quickly said: "Yes, yes, we must be ready."

Afterwards, some people even went to talk to their registered family members and told them to stay here at ease, while they turned around and went back to lobby those friends and relatives who were close to each other on weekdays.

There is not much time left for them. If others are still hesitating, there is no such shop after passing this village.

And even if they didn't want to go, the new serfs felt compelled to tell them that Prady's soldiers were about to come here to drive the refugees away.

And other refugees who came to see the situation did not bother to inquire about the news, and went back to their families to discuss the matter.

Of course, it's not that no one stayed here and eagerly asked the Sardinsons whether the king's dispatch of troops was true.

The person being questioned sneered: "What am I lying to you, His Majesty the King and other nobles have long seen that you are entrenched at the border, and if it wasn't because the Count wanted to recruit some laborers to go back, His Majesty the King is willing to give the Count to the Count. With this face, you have been arrested by other nobles long ago, and you have the qualifications to say what conditions here."

Obviously, this person has long been dissatisfied with these refugees. In fact, most of the Sardinians here have such an attitude.

The faces of the refugees who were ridiculed were blue and white. If it was someone else, they might have been mocked and attacked directly, but looking at the strong physique of the other party and the weapons hanging around their waists, they Didn't even dare to say a word.

On the other hand, the people who were already queuing to register, while waiting for their turn, couldn't help but ask the people who registered them if the news about Sardinson was true.

"Pump tax? Yes, there is no tax for those under seven, and half for those under fifteen."

"Why is there so much? The count is not short of that amount of money. He can charge it as he says."

"Don't charge land tax? Don't talk nonsense about why we don't charge land tax (when everyone hears it, they think it's fake to disappear), only those newly reclaimed land are exempt from paying tax in the first year, and other land Taxes must be paid, even if it is land reclamation, the tax will be paid from the second year, 20% of the tax, 30% of the third year, and so on, and in the fifth year, it will be the same as other land taxes.”

There is actually a tax-free tax, and they really didn't lie to them!

Immediately, someone asked excitedly: "I heard that we people are going to be assigned to Sloot, and Sloot's land tax is calculated according to the tax on wasteland this year, isn't it?"

"If you are really going to be assigned to Sloot, then that should be the case." The registrant said without looking up while writing the form: "Sloot has not had a lord for several years, and the land there It’s almost deserted. After our lord took over, some free people moved back. At that time, the Count did say that all land in Slot will be exempt from tax this year.”

"Then, is there a lot of land over there? Can we really rent tax-free land?"

"A lot. There are only two or three thousand people in the whole county now. The serfs who were left there still rely on fishing for a living. They don't cultivate much land at all, and the land is empty, so the earl needs someone to help him. Farm, otherwise you think foreigners like you have the opportunity to become his serfs."

The person who registered was annoyed by being asked later, and when someone asked the same thing, he was lazy to open his mouth, but he didn't say it. The other people who had already registered were standing not far away and chatting about the news he said, one by one. Excited.

Speaking of which, these people even began to discuss what they would plant in the field after Sloth.

After they registered as serfs, they got their own money for selling themselves. Although this money is not a lot, everyone in the family has it. If they get together and live frugally, it will be enough for them to endure for a long time, but they are ready to arrive. The local government will take out a part to buy seeds, and plant the ground first, so that there will be hope in the future. If there is not enough food in the middle, I will dig wild vegetables and find wild fruits. I think as long as you work hard, you will not starve to death.

Some of the new serfs who stayed here with their families told them: "It's so troublesome, there are many places to recruit workers in Sloth, as long as they are selected, they will be paid for, and if they have the strength, they will go to the wharf and work in the construction team. Workers, those who don’t have the strength can learn to weave fishing nets or help to dry the sea goods that come up. It’s a simple matter, and children can do it. The people there don’t care about the age of the children. As long as they can do things obediently, they are willing to accept them. Yes, although there is no salary, there are still two bowls of stewed beans or oatmeal every day, so that you will not starve to death."

The new serfs have a deep understanding of this matter. They are of different ages. The youngest even has a child of six or seven years old. Such a child was sold by his family because he grew up well, but the family could not support it. They also support themselves by helping people dry fish or doing other odds and ends.

No matter how untrue these words sounded, they really made those uneasy refugees feel more at ease after they said them, and they also had vague expectations for their future life.

As for the other refugees, I don't know if they were really stimulated by Slaughter's beautiful life, or if they were frightened by the news that Prady was going to send troops. After all, after this day, fearful refugees began to visit The station of the Sardinsons poured in.

Many people will cruelly sell their families as slaves in exchange for more coins, but when it is their turn, they are reluctant to sell themselves to slave traders. How can slaves have the freedom to be serfs, they naturally won't. Make yourself a slave.

And I heard that the serfs are treated very well in the place where Sardinson is still Slot. If it is true, they may be more comfortable as serfs than freemen.

Anyway, it's better than staying here and waiting for the army to encircle and suppress it.

So these people all went to Sardinson's camp.

But these people soon discovered that the Sardinsons didn't want them!

How is this possible? ! ! !

"Why don't you accept it? I'm very strong, I can do anything, you even accept those old men and children, why don't you accept me!" The man who was rejected shouted.

Others also looked over in confusion, mainly to see the man who was rejected. Indeed, as he said, this man was a little strong, and he looked like he was only in his twenties or thirties. Other skinny refugees are better, and such people should be willing to buy serfs or slaves to return to work.

But he was rejected, why?

The people around were talking a lot, while waiting for the answer from those who rejected his rank.

Just listen to that Sardinson wave impatiently: "We are recruiting people here, no matter the elderly or women, but one thing, we don't want people with bad character!"

Bad character? !

The people around him became more curious, and the man who was rejected also stiffened.

Without waiting for him to refute, the Sardinson said directly: "I have heard about you, you sold your parents, wife and children for yourself, and you still plan to sell them as slaves, if they are not lucky , the slave trader you want to sell doesn't accept the old and the young. When you were looking for a home, they heard the news. Your parents brought your wife and children to our side to register first. Are there any left? Do you think we don’t remember this? Let me tell you, we know exactly what kind of people you refugees are. You are obviously a big man, but you want your family to support everything. If you don't do it, and sell them all to the scumbags, we won't take any of them!"

Do you really think they've been here for so long without doing anything? Not to mention anything else, those who sold their own people as slaves, they all inquired clearly, and they were prepared early in the morning that if the other party came to register, they would not accept it.

——Although no one has come to register with them for so long.

As soon as he said these words, there were people around who finally recognized the man.

"I know him. He used to be a gangster. He took up some money in the family and didn't do anything. He only knew how to eat, drink and have fun all day. Later, our place was taken over by noble knights, and their money was robbed. The family Then they all fled, but this guy is still the same as before, he even learned to steal chickens and dogs, follow a group of **** to do bad things every day, and don't care about the family at all, his parents used to spoil him, and he even wanted to treat them To be sold as a slave is not a human being!"

"What's more, I heard that the people who disappeared before seem to be related to them. I don't know if they were sold or... , look at him, look like someone who can support himself, but we all have He's starving to death, he still has the strength to make trouble here, and he doesn't usually see him doing anything serious to support himself, where did he get the food? of."

Those slave traders have always looked at people without asking their origins. Even if they knew that the people who were sold were robbed and deceived, they would not care. They only cared about whether these people were valuable or not. They will return the person, the black and white letters have also pressed their fingerprints, and the sale deed has been signed. Unless they are willing to spend money to buy it back, the person will be theirs. Even if they go to the lord to ask for a ruling, they are not afraid. The refugees who come, no one will stand up for them at all.

So even if there are people missing from time to time among the refugees, no one goes to the bottom of it. They can only look after the people in their own families, and everyone just sweeps the snow away from the door.

But that doesn't mean it's not hateful.

These words were spoken, and some refugees who lost their family members walked out of the crowd with red eyes and stared at the man fiercely, as if they wanted to jump up to drink his blood and eat his flesh. Frightened, he was indeed prepared to sell his family as slaves as the registered person said, but after hearing about it, his father took the initiative and took the others to become serfs himself. Before he left, he still remembered this. His only son, who didn't want him to starve to death, also gave him half of the money for selling his body, which allowed him to live a happy life for a while.

But the man didn't pay attention to his father's good intentions at that time. When he took the money, he still thought about the rest, and even scolded them that they should not be serfs and gave less money, so angry that his parents would never recognize him again. This son, who only lives in Sloth with his daughter-in-law and young grandson, did not send anyone to pick him up this time.

And he, after running out of money, together with other gangsters who were also short of money and food, secretly planned to attack other refugees, arrested those who had been singled out and secretly sent them to slave traders to sell them in exchange for money for themselves. spending.

This matter has been kept secret, and they are all gangs who commit crimes and have never been caught on the spot, and they will never recognize them when they are approached.

Even the person he planned to sell himself to Sardinson was trying to avoid the army that was about to return and go to Slot to continue to be raised by his family. He never reflected on his behavior from beginning to end.

But now that he was told directly in public, and he saw the victims' family members looking like they were going to beat him to death, even if the man didn't think there was anything wrong with him, he was afraid and immediately cowarded, and could no longer have the courage to make trouble. , can only run away with his tail tucked away.

From time to time, people in the next recruiting team were rejected. These people were men and women, old and young. Without exception, they all looked better than others, but people who lived around them knew that they were actually People who do not do production and whose food sources are suspicious.

Thinking about the men who were driven away before, the eyes of the refugees were even more strange. They kept pointing at the news they had heard, and said all the bad things they might have done before, so that these people could People feel ashamed and dare not stay any longer.