Chapter 37
Everyone worked hard these days because of the intense pre-war preparations. All the people wanted to contribute to the defense of the Lion town. The situation wasn’t like this when Carrie attacked the last time. At that time n.o.body thought that the territory could be kept by Xiao family and everyone was preparing themselves for the change of masters. However, no one thought that Xiao Yu would be able to defend and defeat Carrie’s troops.
Moreover, Xiao Yu had focused on policies after the battle which gave the people of the territory unprecedented benefits. There was no other territory, town or city they would get this much of benefits.
As a result, the residents tried their best to protect the town so that this policies were maintained and kept. They had to contribute to the defense of the town so that Xiao Yu stayed as the lord.
In short, Xiao Yu was successful in making sure that the people of the territory were in the same boat as him and no one wanted this boat to sink.
Xiao Yu was the most relaxed person in the territory. He only arranged tasks and strolled around everyday to patrol and inspect the soldiers, molest dancers, peep at his sisters-in-law whose graceful bodies were exposed by sweat. He was enjoying his life to the fullest.
The slaves that were taken from the Marcus’s camp were divided into two batches. First batch was consisting of merchants or civilians kidnapped by Marcus. There were few n.o.bles too. The second batch consisted of slaves that were homeless.
Xiao Yu granted severance money to the first batch so that they could go back to their homes. The second batch stayed in town and Xiao Yu wanted to give them civilian status.
The social system dominant in the continent was a mixture of feudalism with slavery. Although the slaves existed but vast majority of people were civilians and residents. Nevertheless, few races couldn’t escape the status of slaves as if they were untouchables. In short, the world is in a transition period.
For example, Black Iron Tribe was a race that stayed always as slaves. Almost all the male slaves that Xiao Yu got from Marcus were from Black Iron Tribe. They were captured in the far south. Black Iron Tribe was a very primitive race which backward civilization. Their race had strong bodies and were best slaves for hard labor. Every year adventurers would go deep south into Kalum to kidnap people from the Black Iron Tribe and sell them in the markets as the slaves. Most of the Black Iron Tribe members would live to die at 25 years of age.
Xiao Yu faced two difficulties when he tried to give members of the Black Iron Tribe civilian status. The first problem was that this people were enslaved for a long time. They were born as slaves and lived as slaves. They didn’t know how to survive on their own if they were given freedom. The second problem was the opposition from the housekeeper Hong. Uncle Hong was very loyal to the Xiao household but he was a very conservative man who couldn’t stand Xiao Yu’s ideas. He had conflict with Xiao Yu several times when the new policies were brought up. Housekeeper Hong would never agree to such tax policies if the territory wasn’t weak. Moreover, he never believed that soldiers had to be given such high treatment. Uncle Hong believed that only the n.o.bles were eligible for their names to be pa.s.sed around forever after their death.
The previous time when Xiao Yu took captives from the Ma Tong’s village he gave them civilian status too. There were many old, women and children. Housekeeper Hong was dissatisfied with Xiao Yu’s choice but he didn’t say a lot.
However, Housekeeper Hong strongly went against Xiao Yu’s promise to give civilian status to the dancers and comfort women. He believed that if such a thing occurred the Lion territory would become a joke.
At the end, Xiao Yu had to use the dancers as servants to his sisters-in-law but he still couldn’t give them their freedom.
This time when Xiao Yu agreed to give freedom to the civilians and merchants kidnapped by the bandits Housekeeper Hong opposed him. According to the general rules, the n.o.ble who rescues civilians from bandits has the right to use those people as his own servants. If the family members of these people wanted to take them back then they had to pay certain ransom for freedom.
However, giving freedom to the kidnapped civilians was also regarded as a trait of a n.o.ble character. Therefore, Housekeeper Hong agreed to give civilians and merchants their freedom for free of charge to improve Xiao Yu’s reputation. But Housekeeper Hong said that he would die but never see those comfort women and Black Iron Tribe slaves as civilians.
Xiao Yu had to make concession in this sense. Housekeeper Hong was trying to maintain the dignity and status of the territory and its lord. In fact, both of them tried to do so but their thinking and mentality were different.
At the end, Xiao Yu decided to keep Black Iron Tribe slaves given that Housekeeper Hong would provide them with food and clothing. As for the comfort women, Xiao Yu strictly prohibited anyone to violate them in any sense. They were given simple labor and provided with all the necessities.
Normally, there were many comfort women kept in aristocrats houses for n.o.bles to vent off their fantasies. Sometimes they would be shown to their guests and even shared with others.
There was a period of time when having an elf slave was taken as a status of symbol for aristocrats. Xiao Yu saw these slaves as humans because of his upbringing in modern world. He couldn’t accept the behavior of trampling and insulting a woman’s dignity. However, in this world this phenomenon was a normal thing.
Xiao Yu sighed as he stood still. As a person his strength was limited and he couldn’t change the world. It was very difficult to completely abolish slavery in this feudal society.
He knew that such a change in the history would be taken by huge shock and through bloodshed. It couldn’t be done by a person.
Unless … unless he really unified the world and became the king. He could slowly push policies to change the thinking of the humans.
He knew that he would be obstructed by old school people like Housekeeper Hong. However, if he said that G.o.d of Elves and G.o.d of Orcs asked him to implement equal life conditions to all the living beings then he could gradually change the world.
It was just impossible for the current world to jump into democratic capitalism or socialism in one jump.
Xiao Yu remembered Shang Yan who had come up with set of policies that would change the Qin Dynasty. But he had faced a lot of resistance in the beginning. Xiao Yu could understand the difficulties faced by Shang Yang at the time. Nevertheless, Xiao Yu was planning to do the same reform which Shang Yang had done.
Xiao Yu understood that he couldn’t dominate the world by relying on the strength of the orcs, elves and others. To become the king he had to rely on normal people who would be his subjects. The people had to be willing to fight for you.
The conditions he was facing at the moment was no different that Shang Yang faced during the Qin Dynasty. Even a blind man could see the changes Shang Yang’s reforms did to Qin Dynasty. So Xiao Yu was planning to implement them as time pa.s.sed. Qin was able to unify 6 countries and establish the great China. 80% role in accomplishing that task was played by Shang Yang’s reforms.
That’s why Xiao Yu had to lay a foundation and slowly implement those reforms.
However, it was necessary to do it step by step. Otherwise, the other lords would begin to attack him out of nowhere because he would be going against the current status-quo.
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The slaves from the Black Iron Tribe had eaten rice and were full. They were provided with warm clothes. Now, now they were carrying the large stones to the walls.
They were huge so their appet.i.te was big too. However, they had never eaten full since they became slaves or from their birth. The productivity of their tribe was low so the harvest was always lacking.
Xiao Yu had provided them with good meal and clothes and the slaves felt like they were in heaven. Xiao Yu had ordered them to carry large stones to the top of the wall. He had to have sufficient stones for the defense of the town.
Xiao Yu tested the strength of the Demolisher a few days ago. It could fire 500 kg stone for 300 meters. If 200 kg stones were used then the range could be extended to 600 or even 700 meters.
The test were done on the ground. If the Demolisher was used from the wall then it could send a 500 kg stone all the way to 700 or 800 meters distance. Xiao Yu was satisfied with such strength so he had to have sufficient stones for the battle.
Xiao Yu narrowed his eyes as he whispered: “Come over Carrie.. My glory will be written by the blood of your troops."