When the Saint comes, she does not collect food

Chapter 765: The First River Transport Corps

Although Horn's message had not yet reached Hotam County, Herman, who was in charge, had chosen the Poison Witch Swamp as the site for the flood discharge.

This is almost the only option.

After the collapse of the Innocent Dam, Upper Rivershire had little time or ability to intercept.

All they could do was to hide in the nearby mountains, just like Horn had done before.

Of course, it is definitely not on the same level as the flood that Horn encountered.

First, there hasn’t been much rain this year, and second, hedge weirs can be opened to reduce losses.

It was not opened before because the area around the High Castle was all owned by church lords, and Barnifors would not allow it to be opened.

It’s different now, everyone is treated equally.

When the flood reaches Lower River County, if it is allowed to develop, it will definitely divert the floodwaters in the Zihe Township and affect all four plain counties.

So, under the advice of water engineers, Horn and Herman both chose the Poison Witch Swamp as a depression to discharge flood water.

Simply building a dam and connecting the nearest tributary to the Poison Witch Swamp would absorb a large portion of the flood.

As a result, the discussion that took place in Tiezhamen Town appeared in almost all the villages and towns in Qianhe Valley.

…………

Hotam County, Conze Hundred Households District.

Inside the rammed earth and thatched house, light leaked in from all sides, and grass leaves and dust fell on the shoulders when walking.

In winter, if you can't buy peat, you will freeze to death.

Lali's elderly husband froze to death last year, and her son died in a transport convoy.

The only one left is the little grandson at home.

"Master, master, the only male in my family is lame and can't go to the dike." Lali hugged the recruiting officer's legs and cried.

The conscription officer kicked the woman over and pulled the skinny fifteen-year-old grandson out from behind the firewood pile. "How dare you disobey the Earl's order?"

"Didn't the notice say that disabled people don't have to go?"

"You still like the notice?" Grabbing the little grandson by the collar and lifting him up, the conscription officer scolded, "The disabled people have no hands and feet, but it is inconvenient for you to walk, you are disabled like your grandmother."

"I'll pay the money to buy the labor service. I'll pay the labor service." Lali was completely panicked. "I'll go and exchange the land for money right now."

"You are just a bunch of useless people." The recruiting officer snorted disdainfully and shouted to the two guards beside him, "Take them away!"

…………

Lower River County, Stinky Boots.

This quiet town, famous for its leather boots and wool socks, is extremely noisy at this moment.

Outside the town hall, young and strong men lined up in a long queue, holding wooden sticks with their names written on them.

Unlike Hotam County, which is full of old people and children.

The team from Stinky Boots Town was composed of tough men, and their numbers were much smaller than the average number in the hundred households of Hotham County.

Even if they were picked, they would just sigh and not wail like Hotam County.

"Are you an adult?" The patrolling monk asked with glaring eyes, lifting the boy's upper teeth with a wooden stick.

"I, I'm sixteen." The boy, who was obviously thirteen years old, said guiltily.

"Get out!" Spreading his five fingers, the patrolling monk slapped the boy in the face, "Call your eldest brother."

The boy went away crying.

The itinerant monk shouted at the long line behind him, "Don't disrupt our work. I say it again, if there are only males under the age of sixteen in your family, don't come. Pay the service fee honestly."

"That's a huge sum of money." Many townspeople grumbled.

"The money is not much, how can we transfer other civilians from other places?" The itinerant monk glared and cursed, "Did I take the money?"

"Who knows..."

"Who, who is talking nonsense?!"

"I repeat again." On the other side, the chief monk stepped on a wooden box and raised a tin horn, "The fields of the civilians' families are regarded as public fields and cultivated by other people in the Hundred Households District! Fighting floods is glorious, not that terrible!"

…………

Kasha County, Duoke Township, Juntun District.

The young man with a package on his back was saying goodbye to his parents and his lover.

Wearing brand new military boots that rubbed their feet, they, led by the leading knight, walked towards the flute-shaped boat by the river.

The woman and the old man waving their handkerchiefs on the shore were in tears, and their crying made the new recruits on the boat cry together.

Unlike people in other areas, ordinary villages and towns recruit civilians, while military settlements recruit new soldiers.

Military settlements are a major feature of Meliati's policies. The so-called military settlements are large areas of land near water and land junctions that are allocated to mountain knights and mountain dwellers who come down from the mountains.

Through exile and the establishment of a large prison, Meliati migrated nearly 30,000 to 40,000 people from the plains to the five mountainous counties.

However, she gradually moved nearly 100,000 mountain people from the mountains to Plain County, the most important of which were the mountain knights' farms and the mountain people on the farms.

The mountain knights would directly take over local estates without destroying the ownership of the estate owners.

After the rent is collected, 30% goes to the landlord and 70% goes to the mountain knights.

On the one hand, the mountain knights were given sufficient compensation, and on the other hand, they did not fall out with the local nobles.

But in practice, it would be good enough if the mountain riders could give 20% to the landlord.

The Plains Knights were once the enemies and objects of jealousy of the Mountain Knights.

Now that I have power in my hands, if I don't destroy your disgusting family, then the Thousand River Valley War would have been fought in vain, right?
Many knights and gentry families in the plains were forced by the mountain knights to engage in industry and commerce.

Armed fights between mountain dwellers and plain dwellers were common.

Due to the partiality of the sheriffs and county commissioners, the mountain people usually won.

The plains people who were driven out of their homes either went to the South Bay, or went to the mountains, or went to work in Langsand County.

This actually added a lot of labor to Horn.

On ordinary days, the mountain people are arrogant and domineering, but when the conscription order comes, they will cry.

This kind of military estate is a blood tax field, that is, instead of paying monetary taxes, people are taxed, and they need to bear heavier military service.

On the contrary, the farmers in the ordinary hundred-household district no longer need to bear the obligation of fighting.

The original "peasant soldier system" in which knights led serfs to fight was changed to the "hereditary soldier system" of mountain farms.

There are naturally reasons for continuing to recruit new soldiers in addition to conscripting civilians.

…………

"Has the conscription work in the military settlement been completed?"

With dark circles under his eyes, Herman put down the documents in his hand.

Guillaume, the military minister sitting opposite him, also had two dark circles under his eyes: "3000 new mountain soldiers are enough to suppress those who are making trouble because of the bonds."

Today, there are satellite towns nearby inside and outside Xialu City.

Led by the landless nobles, a large number of speculators instigated the country hooligans, who marched and caused trouble every day.

But Herman had to deal with the Leia people on the border of Xianshidian, and had to withdraw troops to support Andre and Meliati.

There was no other choice but to temporarily recruit a group of new soldiers.

Anyway, the armed farmers of these knight farms usually train, and the price of meat has dropped during this period, so they basically have a period of breathing space.

It's not very useful for fighting wars, but it's perfect for suppressing mobs.

"Okay, give us a banner, let's call it the First Nauan River Transport Corps."

Giving it a name like the logistics force that escorts ships should help reduce a lot of vigilance.

After explaining the situation here, Herman turned to the intelligence director Fili and asked, "Has the person who spread the rumor been caught?"

"We are investigating with the Cheka. We have only arrested a few henchmen so far. It seems that there are hidden shadowy people active."

"The remaining poison of the church has not been eliminated yet." Herman murmured, "This is a good situation, ah."

Now the rumor that Meliati is not her biological daughter is spreading everywhere, especially among the mountain nobles.

Unfortunately, there has been no news from Meliati so far, so the rumor cannot be easily dispelled.

These 100,000 mountain knights are not unconditionally loyal to Meliati.

Their loyalty is based on blood, that is, the blood of the Hemashi family.

What Horn considers to be "loyalty" has many flaws, but it is the norm in this era.

Why do lords like to spread rumors during claim wars?
It is to shake the legitimacy of their bloodline rule!
Originally, Meliati was the best person to deal with such rumors.

But the conservative mountain knights could neither accept that Meliati was a witch nor that she was an adopted daughter.

But the rumormonger got the evidence from the archives of Nanny Lulos and the Imperial Academy of Heraldry from somewhere.

The plain nobles were marching, and the mountain nobles were questioning.

September isn't even over yet, but Hotam County is already in chaos.

Guillaume, the military minister, suddenly asked, "Do you have any idea about the debt crisis?"

"His Highness the Patriarch and Her Excellency Catherine tried to borrow money from the Franks, but they don't know how much they can borrow."

"May the Holy Father bless you, may the Patriarch succeed, and may the Grand Duke be at peace." Guillaume smiled bitterly.

(End of this chapter)