When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

Chapter 1236 You Have a Meeting, I Have a Meeting Too

Work-for-relief programs and perpetual tenancy rights are indeed the best entry points for the current Xianshidian affairs.

The reason for adopting work relief is simple: the empire's population has exploded due to the influx of cheap food from the royal court.

In other words, every inch of land in the entire empire had an owner, yet a large number of displaced people still existed.

Just like the situation in Jeanne d'Arch back then, large groups of migrant workers gather around any major city.

To accommodate them, new jobs are needed, whether for farmers or workers.

Therefore, all regions must vigorously develop industry and commerce or drain swamps, cut down forests, and reclaim new farmland.

So the question is, why didn't Xianshidian do this before?
Why were all the empire's industrial and commercial cities clustered along the banks of the river?
Why does the Holy Alliance have so many small industrial and commercial towns?
The answer is obvious—it's a traffic problem.

There are two approaches to solving this traffic problem.

One measure was to dismantle the tax checkpoints privately set up by nobles, thereby increasing the circulation rate of goods from a policy perspective.

One approach is to build new roads and canals to increase the rate of commodity circulation from a physical perspective.

Then, they promoted perpetual tenancy rights through the familiar decentralized rural handicraft industry of processing supplied materials, in order to help the Holy Alliance go to the countryside.

One of the most important key points of the work-for-relief program is that it has start-up funds provided by the Holy Alliance to carry out large-scale infrastructure projects.

Such large-scale projects require the mobilization of a large number of people and resources.

This would give local officials of the Holy Alliance the opportunity to intervene in local affairs.

This move will inevitably lead to an increase in the federal government's control over local areas.

Therefore, no matter where the Holy Alliance occupies, even in a barren and desolate place like Shattered Stone Plains, the first thing they do is to build extensively.

The large-scale construction of Xianshidian also had military significance, namely, to defend against the vampires' attacks.

The first encounter between the Holy Alliance and the Royal Court can only be described as a draw, and the future war will surely be intense.

“Vampires…” Jeanne muttered to herself as she watched the two figures disappear into the distance.

She couldn't help but recall the horrific scene described in the internal bulletin of the Holy Alliance.

The Empire, the Holy Alliance, and the Royal Court each have their own solutions to the problem of displaced people.

The Empire chose to pretend not to see it, the Holy Alliance chose to provide relief through work, and the Royal Court chose to suppress the rebellion instead of providing relief.

The refugees are compatriots to the Holy Alliance, maggots to the Empire, and a buffet to the Royal Court.

Masses of refugees or surplus rural populations are slaughtered, and their blood-drained bodies are then processed in blood magic workshops.

They either turned into zombie skeletons and blood clouds, or into flesh-and-blood titan knights or parts of other flesh-and-blood weapons.

But refugees are people too. Did they leave their homes voluntarily?
Isn't it all because of those nobles, those oligarchs, and those despicable priests that they forced us to this?
Sometimes, Jeanne would be terrified to look at those battle reports and documents; each one represented a living, breathing human life.

They did nothing wrong, yet they still have to suffer this kind of treatment.

Thanks to the vigorous revelations from Lemingston, Mattis, and others, the Holy Alliance has gained sufficient understanding of the vampires' identity as humanity's natural enemy.

Whether it's for the sake of those innocent refugees or for the Holy Alliance's dream of a heavenly kingdom.

“Vampire…I really have defeated you.” Jeanne gazed silently westward. “Really.”

…………

In May, the weather in Windmill Village was gradually getting warmer.

The blazing sun beat down on the seawall, making the stone embankment scalding hot to the touch.

But if you walk a few more miles, you'll find that the sunlight suddenly dims.

It was as if an invisible hand had drawn a dividing line in the air, separating the sunlight from the cold.

Looking up, you'll see pale reddish clouds covering the sky, and people in the area covered by the clouds are still wearing high-necked woolen coats.

At the very center of this red cloud, you can see a ring of large gray chimneys, which surround the City Hall building of Windmill Land Dam City.

It is called the Sailboat Hall because of its spindle-shaped structure.

Black leather boots tread on the black and white marble floor, past statues of famous mayors and empty shrines, before Catalane stopped outside the Sailboat Hall.

The palace guards were already waiting at the gate, armed with halberds, axes, and blood guns. Among them was a vampire with exposed muscles, looking like a barbarian.

He was at least two meters tall, shirtless, with high cheekbones and a face that looked as if it had been cleaved by a knife and axe.

"Catarenni, I heard you suffered a setback in Xian Shi Dian against the humans?" "How so?" Catarenni replied indifferently.

"Pfft." The burly man made an exaggerated smirk, as if afraid that Cataloni wouldn't notice.

Cataloni remained unfazed: "Are you a brat? How boring."

"Hey, don't go." The burly man stopped him with a grin. "Tell me how you failed. I'd like to learn from you."

“I will explain it to everyone later.” Catalani glanced at him. “Or do you feel you can’t understand it and need me to tutor you? Head of the Samuel de l’Ambassador.”

This burly vampire is named Samuel Brahma, a rare member of a southern clan, but he joined Serfaye's side early on.

The royal guards of Serfaye are now divided into six delegations. Catalani leads the fifth delegation, while Samuel leads the third.

Their relationship couldn't be described as brotherly affection; it was more like bitter enemies.

Samuel's eye twitched twice: "If you could fight like you talk, you wouldn't have suffered the defeat at Xianshidian."

“I have reported the situation at Xianshidian to His Majesty, and His Majesty does not believe that I made a mistake in command.” Catalani’s body slowly rose, changing from looking up to looking straight ahead.

"What good are your words? A loss is a loss."

"You dare question His Majesty?"

"You lost the battle, what does that have to do with His Majesty?"

"Don't you understand Baroque?"

"You have lost the battle."

"There's a reason for that, you idiot."

"You have lost the battle."

"Boring!" Cataloni's clothes flapped violently. "Move aside, I want to go in."

“Okay, go ahead and go in.” Samuel crossed his arms and said this, but he didn’t move.

"Alright, it seems some bastards will have to shed blood today."

"I'd be happy to oblige..."

"What are you all doing?" A female vampire with short, neat hair walked up from the end of the corridor. "Blocking the door, are the other governors and warlords not allowed to get in?"

Samuel lowered his arms from his chest, while Catalane slowly descended to the ground: "Lady Camilla."

The two mission leaders naturally recognized this arrogant female vampire.

Camilla Soridor of the second mission is a true kinsman of His Majesty Serfaye.

“Samuel, continue setting up security, just in case there are any human assassins.” Camilla glanced at Catalane. “You come with me.”

Samuel immediately let out a loud chuckle, but Catalani glared at him coldly before leaving with Camilla.

Not long after the two left, they saw vampires walking down the corridor, one wave after another.

The Northern Route Army's General Shanluan and Commander Lacunio rushed over from the Roaring Corridor.

There was Valerius Vandro, the new governor of Windmill Land who succeeded Akadera from the mainland, and several southern governors who came with troops to support him.

There were also East John and Baumas, the central army commanders who had not yet launched an attack.

Almost all the high-ranking military and political officials of the empire, that is, the leaders of the three armies, came here.

As the last high-ranking official hurriedly entered, night fell, and Serfaye arrived wearing a purple silk robe.

Behind him, Camilla and Cataloni obediently followed with their heads down.

"Your Majesty." Upon seeing Serfaye's arrival, Samuel, who had been standing at the door, immediately knelt down.

Serfaye stopped and suddenly stretched out his hands. The two vampires immediately understood and quickly stepped forward, offering their heads to him.

"You are both my good children." Serfaye gently stroked the heads of the two vampires with both hands.

The two usually arrogant generals were now like obedient children, or even small animals, accepting Serfaye's pats on the head.

"Wait, my children, this is only a temporary difficulty." Servais's expression was one of loving kindness and compassion. "When the flames of the apocalypse engulf the world, you will be the apostles of the new world!"

(End of this chapter)