HCB Chapter 458: Current Situation of Saxony Governorate
Chapter 458: Current Situation of Saxony Governorate
A farm in the Governorate of Saxony is more like a concentration camp than a farm.
A large number of men were connected in rows with anklets, and the collision of iron chains made a monotonous and dull sound. Under the scorching sun at noon, they dragged their tired bodies and worked diligently with hoes, cultivating the land under the scolding of supervisors, preparing for this year's spring plowing.
The soil was constantly blown up by the hoes. The men's eyes were empty and numb. Their clothes were tattered and stuck to their bodies after being soaked with sweat. The scars on their bodies were slightly painful under the scorching sun.
Occasionally, if someone was a little slow, the overseer's whip would hit them mercilessly, making a crisp sound and accompanied by the overseer's malicious curse:
"Hurry up, you useless people! If you delay the spring ploughing, you will be in trouble!"
At this time, a gorgeous carriage slowly drove over from a distance. The body of the carriage was carved with exquisite patterns, and the wheels rolled, raising dust all the way.
The carriage stopped at the farm gate, and the wheels made a harsh sound as they rubbed against the ground.
When farmer Tom heard the sound of the carriage, he quickly put down his work and trotted out to greet them.
An official from the Saxony Governor's Palace got down from the carriage.
The official was dressed in gorgeous clothes with exquisite patterns embroidered on the hem. He wore a black tall hat on his head. He had a fake smile on his face and his eyes revealed a hint of arrogance and contempt.
He raised his chin slightly, looked at the busy men on the farm, and said sarcastically:
"Good day, Mr. Tom, how are you doing?"
Tom bowed slightly, with a flattering smile on his face, and answered:
"It's not bad. I have adapted to life here recently."
There was a hint of helplessness and fatigue in his voice, but in order to maintain his position, he could only force a smile.
The official snorted softly, crossed his arms over his chest, put on a condescending attitude, and then asked:
"Then I would like to ask, how is the current work going?"
Tom hesitated, his eyes dodging, his hands rubbing the corners of his clothes, but he didn't dare to say it directly.
After a while, he said cautiously:
"It's almost done, except..."
"What is it? Just say it straight away, don't be so hesitant!"
The official frowned, raised his voice, and interrupted Tom.
Tom shuddered, took a deep breath, and said with courage:
"It's just that the workload has been too heavy recently. In addition, you collected most of the grain last autumn, and many people starved to death. If we expand production at this time, I'm afraid more people will die from exhaustion."
After hearing this, the official showed a look of disdain on his face and said contemptuously:
"Oh, that's all."
He put his hands on his hips, paced back and forth, and said disapprovingly:
"If there are no more people, you can just recruit more. If there are not enough local people, you can recruit from other places. A new batch of serfs from Midland will arrive soon, and you can accept them when the time comes. Don't make excuses for me here. If the spring plowing is delayed, I will report the truth to the Governor-General, and you will be in trouble!"
Tom lowered his head, not daring to speak any more. The official stopped, a hint of subtle cunning flashed in his eyes, he turned slightly sideways, and said in a gentle tone:
"By the way, do you need anything in your life recently? The Governor-General is still very concerned about his subordinates."
Tom said timidly:
"Nothing, it's just that my men and I are a little homesick..."
"homesick?"
The official suddenly raised his voice, and Tom was so frightened that he almost fell down and quickly took a few steps back.
"Snapped!"
In the Governor's Mansion in Saxony City, the Governor of Saxony sat behind a large desk and slammed his left hand on the table, causing the documents on the desk to flutter. He then stood up with an angry face, paced back and forth, and angrily scolded several officials beside him:
"I've said it several times, you bastards! Can you please stop making me repeat myself?"
He stopped, his eyes wide open, glaring at everyone, and raised his voice and said:
"The mission of our Saxony Governorate is to provide enough food for the empire. I don't care whether the serfs have enough to eat or whether they will starve to death. Damn it, why should I care about them? I only care whether this year's food quota can be completed!"
Having said this, he kicked the table leg angrily, and the teacups on the table began to shake.
"Whether it's development or planning, implement it immediately!"
The Saxon Governor clenched his fists, and his knuckles turned white from the force.
Then, he pointed at several officers in the Governor-General's District, his eyes full of disgust and dissatisfaction:
"And you. I have been providing the army with manpower, armor and weapons, but the number of bandits and rebels has not decreased at all. Instead, it has increased. There are escaped serfs, local nobles who have not been liquidated, and now there are a group of mercenaries hired by merchants. I am very curious about where the merchants are coming from now when trade in the Saxony Governorate has been stopped for a long time!"
The officers lowered their heads and dared not say a word. The Saxon Governor continued angrily:
"Every time the report says there are spies leaking information, but they haven't been caught in half a year. Are you going to tell me that you are worse than Saxon serfs? Send me more people to check every household. If we find anyone involved, arrest them directly. If they don't want to confess, execute them on the spot! If they continue to disrupt grain production, you guys will get out of the governor's jurisdiction!"
The officers responded quickly:
"Yes, my lord!"
The Saxon Governor turned to an official in charge of liaison with the imperial capital, and his tone became even more severe:
"besides!"
He pointed at the official's nose:
"Tell the special envoy from the imperial capital that he should not interfere in the affairs of the governor's district! The governors of each district have only His Majesty the Emperor as their boss. The special envoys are only there to pass messages between each other. This is the iron rule of His Majesty the Emperor!"
"If he interferes with my work again, I will send him to the guillotine according to the noble law!"
The Saxon Governor roared, the muscles on his face twisted with anger.
The official nodded and bowed quickly:
"Yes, sir, I will convey it immediately."
After saying this, he hurriedly left the Governor's Mansion.
The Saxon Governor paced back and forth in the room, muttering:
"They are all a bunch of rubbish. The people in the imperial capital only know how to give orders..."
He finally stopped and yelled at the remaining officials:
"Now, get back to your jobs. I don't want to hear any more bad news. If I find out who is slacking off or doing their job poorly, get the hell out of the Governor's District!"
Under the governor's angry glare, the officials nodded one after another and left the governor's palace in disgrace.
The Governor of Saxony looked at their departing backs, kicked the table hard, and swore at them in a way that was unbearable to the ear, as if this was the only way to vent his anger.
In a slightly remote corner of the city of Saxony, there is a tavern filled with a strong smell of alcohol.
The afterglow of the sunset shone through the mottled windows, onto the somewhat old tables, chairs and floor in the tavern, adding a touch of dim and gloomy color.
At this time, two officials were drunk at the counter of the tavern.
They were dressed in the official uniforms of the Governorate of Saxony and should have maintained the dignity and respect of officials, but at this moment they had completely lost that appearance.
One of them blushed, raised his head and took a big gulp of wine, and praised vaguely:
"This wine... this wine is really good, it tastes like the wine from the imperial capital!"
His voice became a little sharp under the influence of alcohol, and there was a hint of uncontrollable excitement. Another official also echoed, grinning, with a dazed look in his eyes:
"Yes, yes, I've drunk good wine in the imperial capital, but it's rare to taste such a good wine in a tavern in Saxony."
After saying that, he took another deep breath of alcohol and burped, which caused the drinkers next to him to look at him with disgust.
"But Saxony is good in every way, except for the Saxony Governor, who is too strict. He just urges us to work all day long without showing any mercy."
An official put down his glass, frowned, and looked dissatisfied.
"Yeah yeah."
Another official nodded repeatedly, his voice drunken.
"Last time I was a little late reporting my work, he scolded me severely and said he would fine me. Life is really hard. Sooner or later, I will teach him a lesson."
"Take me with you when the time comes."
The two of them complained to each other, completely ignoring the sidelong glances from the people around them.
They immersed themselves in the virtual world created by alcohol, venting their resentment to their heart's content.
Time passed quietly and when the tavern owner slowly lit the lights, the dim light swayed in the small tavern, reflecting the slightly decadent appearance of the two people.
"Hey, my two lords, it's getting late."
When the two officials heard this, they were stunned at first, then looked up.
One of them stood up shakily, picked up a dozen copper coins, and slapped them on the table with a loud slap. Although the sound was loud, it was a little weak due to drunkenness:
"No need to look for it, boss."
After saying that, he staggered to his feet and tried to pull up his equally drunk companion.
Another official struggled to stand up and followed behind with unsteady steps:
"Let's go... let's go."
The two men supported each other and walked towards the door of the tavern with unsteady steps.
The tavern owner looked at their backs, with a barely perceptible hint of depth in his eyes.
He quietly put the copper coins on the table into the drawer, then slowly walked to the door of the tavern and gently closed it.
With a "click", the door was locked tightly, isolating the tavern from the outside world.
At this time, most of the guests in the pub had left, leaving only a few drunk people napping in the corner.
The tavern owner ignored them and went straight to the basement which was used as a wine cellar.
The door of the basement was tightly closed, exuding an old and mysterious atmosphere. The tavern owner stood in front of the door, raised his hand, and knocked gently. "Dong, Dong, Dong", the knocking sound echoed in the silent basement.
After a while, the door slowly opened from the inside. The dim light inside shone through, and several figures could be vaguely seen standing behind the door. The tavern owner walked into the room, looked around, and said solemnly to the people present:
"It's getting late, everyone. The Earl's Castle will launch a counterattack in a week. We need to carry out the assassination operation immediately. The target is the Governor of Saxony!"