I'm not a lord

Chapter 9 The Underlying Logic of the North
The next morning, just as it was getting light, Albert took his son out and walked towards the castle not far away.

His son, also named Albert, served as steward of White Bear Territory Manor No. 1 and was known as Little Albert.

"Father, this new lord seems to know a lot about agriculture. He even went to inspect the farmland today. He doesn't seem to be arrogant. Is he really the earl's son?"

Xiao Ai has never been out of the White Bear Territory in his life.

In his imagination, the Cold Wind Valley, known for its richness, flowed with honey and milk.

The serfs there did not have to work as hard as the serfs in White Bear's territory, who had to toil from the beginning of the year to the end of the year just to fill their stomachs.

The Earl of Frostwind, who rules over the God-given land, must live a life far more extravagant and luxurious than that of an ordinary baron.

He was also in the welcoming team yesterday, but found that the new lord did not quite fit the image of an earl's son that he had imagined.

Putting aside his appearance and temperament, the master's attire was no different from that of an ordinary noble knight, and the carriages and ceremonial processions that accompanied him were also quite ordinary.

Especially when the Baron himself walked into the muddy serf village, the filter in Albert's heart was shattered.

It was the duty of the manor stewards to manage those dirty, vulgar and lowly serfs.

What the lord had to do was to protect his territory with his personal force and enjoy the tributes from the serfs from a high position.

If the lord breaks the rules and manages the serfs himself, what will they, the managers, do for?
"You can just complain to me, but don't tell anyone else." There was also some melancholy on Lao Ai's face.

In this era, people can be roughly divided into three categories: those who work, those who fight, and those who pray.

They correspond to farmers, knights and clergy respectively.

According to Bai Xiongling's "ancestral rules", Lao Ai and his son could not get even a copper coin in salary every year.

But the lord would grant them additional land to pay for their service as stewards.

Generally speaking, a serf family of five could be allocated 60 mu of land in the White Bear Territory and cultivate the same area of ​​land for the lord as rent.

Their family of seven was allocated 500 acres of land, and they did not need to cultivate the land for the lord. They could even recruit serfs to cultivate the land for them like the lord did.

Lao Ai and his eldest son worked for the lord, while his wife and remaining children still had to work in the fields. Their clothing and living arrangements were not much different from those of ordinary serfs.

He still wore linen clothes in the summer and cashmere jackets in the winter, and at most his food became a little better.

Therefore, although their family has already reached the middle-level management level in the territory, they are still classified as the first category.

Lao Ai's late father was the lowest-level manager in the territory - the village head.

Responsible for managing the serfs on a small farm, usually twenty or thirty households.

By the way, the head of the farm is usually elected by the serfs on the farm. He is responsible to his superiors and must protect the serfs' legitimate rights and interests.

Lao Ai inherited his father's business and even surpassed him, working his way up from village head to steward and then to general manager of the territory, responsible for managing all the serfs and land in the territory.

In the feudal manor era, background was everything, and this was the ultimate achievement a serf could achieve.

Yesterday, Lao Ai received a verbal promise from the lord, and there is a high probability that he will continue to serve as the governor of the territory.

But this feeling of joy didn't even last until this morning.

The lord protects the territory, the people support the lord, and the village head and the stewards coordinate to try to satisfy the lord and gain enough living space for the serfs below.

This rule is the underlying logic of the White Bear Territory and even the entire Northern Territory.

Old Ai was worried that the new lord would use his authority to forcibly interfere with the territory's agricultural production. He was even more worried that the lord would impose more taxes on the serfs in White Bear Territory in order to maintain the extravagant lifestyle in Cold Wind Valley.

In most cases, a lord who understands agriculture is more terrifying than a lord who does not understand agriculture.

Because the latter is very easy to fool.

The former had a clear understanding of the output of each piece of farmland, could estimate how much food the serfs needed to barely survive, and set stricter tax rates accordingly.

In Lao Ai's opinion, the lord only needs to enjoy life in the castle and hone his martial arts, while those of them who are in charge of the agricultural production in the territory have a lot to consider.

Now, thanks to Lao Ai's careful management, the serfs in Bai Xiong's territory can finally barely have enough food and clothing.

Everything in the territory is thriving and does not need unknown changes, nor can it afford additional taxes.

But if the lord really wants to forcibly change the operating logic of the territory, Lao Ai will have no way to stop him.

Who asked the master to have both a name and military power?
Five armored knights, plus twenty well-trained knight squires, were far more than the serfs could resist.

He could only pray that the new lord was a kind man.

As soon as the worried old Ai and his son entered the castle, they were immediately summoned by the lord.

As soon as dawn broke, Lynn got up and washed and changed her clothes.

During the years he served as the leader of the horse bandits, he never relaxed his requirements on himself. As long as he was not on a mission, he would do a full set of morning training at dawn almost every day and wipe his armor and weapons.

The skill of chopping people is the livelihood of horse bandits. If you are not agile and your sword is not sharp, how can you be a good horse bandit?

The second child gets up even earlier than him.

While Lin En was still rinsing his mouth, the second brother was already swinging a heavy sword at lightning speed in the courtyard.

As for Yagna, she probably hadn't gotten up yet. She didn't sleep in the same bedroom with Lin En last night.

The castle of White Bear Territory is quite large, with many rooms, which can accommodate a heart that is still hesitant.

After Lin En and the second child finished their morning training, the fat cook in her thirties immediately brought them hot barley porridge with diced bacon, a plate of pickles, some cheese, and a plate of sliced ​​pork sausages.

These are the most mainstream foods in the North.

Since bread is flashy and complicated to make, almost no one eats it in the North, which values ​​pragmatism.

The main raw material of pickles is cabbage, which tastes sour and refreshing. In addition to being eaten with porridge, it can also be used to stew pork or mutton.

While Lin En was enjoying breakfast, Lao Ai, led by a maid, walked slowly to the dining table, bent down, and respectfully called out, "Master."

Lin En put down the spoon and wiped his mouth with a towel: "Are you here? Have you had breakfast?"

"Ate."

Lin En looked at the young man behind Lao Ai and said with a smile, "Is this your son? I think I saw him in the welcoming team yesterday."

Xiao Ai immediately stepped forward and bowed, "Master, my name is Little Albert, and I serve as the steward of your manor."

He may complain in private, but when he really gets in front of the lord who can decide his own destiny, Xiao Ai bends even lower than his father.

The father and son will act as Lynn's tour guide today and introduce him to more details about Manor No. 1.

(End of this chapter)