Pioneer Lord: A Leisurely Imperial Life

Chapter 244 Serf Riot

Richard nodded slightly; this timeframe was within his expectations.

The territory now has over 3,700 registered serfs, and with the addition of rock crabs and armored flying insects, leveling a settlement for 3,000 households should be quite quick.

Moreover, the construction standards of the outer city are far less refined than those of the inner city, lacking unnecessary beautification projects such as mini squares, landscaped flowerbeds, and exquisite corridors.

There is only one city garden covering several hundred acres and one open public city square, which serve as public spaces for residents to relax and hold gatherings. The rest of the buildings have been converted into residential houses.

Once the underground pipe network is laid and the ground is hardened, and the stone houses are built, the residents can move in directly without any further decoration.

"Can."

Richard approved the next project.

"However, don't limit it to 3,000 households. Plan and construct according to 5,000 households to avoid another group of people coming in a few days and having nowhere to put them."

He paused, then looked at Karl.

"Complete the expansion of the city's defense forces as soon as possible, broaden the patrol area, and ensure that there is no disorder in public order while people live outside the city."

Carl straightened his back: "Understood."

Henry responded in agreement and put away the writing board.

...

After arranging the infrastructure and outer defenses, Richard's gaze finally fell on Fanny, the steward of the serfs.

"Fanny, any news about the serfs lately?"

Facing the hall full of the territory's high-ranking officials, Fanny was clearly a little nervous. She took a few deep breaths and stepped forward.

"Yes, the two thousand or so serfs who were moved from the Iron River Territory were initially quite unruly and caused some disturbances."

Richard narrowed his eyes.

"Are any serfs trying to escape?"

Fanny composed herself.

"No, that's not the case. It's mainly because male and female serfs work together, and some of the new male serfs are a bit indecent and will harass the female serfs from time to time."

"When we first arrived, there were even instances of people breaking into the female serfs' quarters at night, but with the city's garrison watching over them, nothing too serious happened."

Upon hearing this, Richard instantly understood.

He understood where the problem lay, because even serfs were differentiated by "quality".

The first hundred serfs were personally selected by the eldest brother, and the majority of them were young serfs aged eighteen or nineteen.

The additional 500 people were also personally selected by Lucy; they were all relatively young and strong youths.

Under Chiffon's promotion system, these two groups of people still have hope for the future and will behave themselves and abide by the rules.

But the situation was different for this batch of molten iron.

There were quite a few middle-aged serfs in the crowd, over thirty or forty years old. They had suffered most of their lives of exploitation and were almost at the end of their working years, which meant they were about to be scrapped.

future?

hope?

What the heck?

Their spirits have become so numb that they are beyond redemption, and their souls have long since decayed and stank.

Even if you tell them that they will see the light just two steps ahead, they are too lazy to move an inch, willing to remain trapped in the abyss and wallow in self-pity, awaiting their impending death.

What's more, early autumn will be here in a few days.

Traditionally, early autumn was the season for serfs to breed. This ingrained seasonal restlessness could not be suppressed by simply eating a few more hearty meals.

Actually, there had been signs of this before.

Borst, who tried to assault Illala, was killed by Katherina for this very reason.

...

Thinking of this, Richard spoke up.

"Keep a close eye on them during work, keep male and female serfs completely separated, strictly isolate the camp living areas, and strengthen daily guard."

"They can only interact briefly during mealtimes to get to know each other."

"I will send a hundred city guards to your side. Any serfs who cross the line will be dealt with by the city guards for the time being."

Fanny's expression hardened, but she still nodded vigorously.

Richard's tone was devoid of emotion as he continued:

"Tell those serfs that Chiffon has given them a path to advancement and a way to survive. This is perhaps the only chance they will ever have in their lives to climb out of the mire."

"If they don't want to breathe a sigh of relief before they die and taste the flavor of freedom, then let them rot in the mud. They have no one to blame but themselves."

There wasn't a good solution for these serfs, but they were a very small minority; most serfs still longed for freedom.

...

After dealing with the serf riot, Richard turned to look at Wendy.

"The city hall should establish the framework of the court as soon as possible. From then on, whether they are citizens, subjects, or serfs, if they commit a crime, they should first be tried and convicted by the court before being punished. No one should be allowed to handle the matter privately."

He thought for a moment and then added:

"The judges will be temporarily rotated among the scholars of the Academy of Mysteries. In addition, the court has introduced a jury system, with jurors not being fixed and randomly selected from citizens and subjects each time."

"If a jury overturns the court's verdict three times in a row in the same case, it indicates that there are doubts about the trial's fairness."

"Then the trial will be terminated, the case file sealed and handed over to me, and I will personally make the final judgment."

Richard didn't know if the random jury system was good or bad, but he felt it should guarantee the greatest fairness and checks and balances.

And this is exactly what the law requires.

It can prevent the courts from making arbitrary judgments and abusing penalties, and also allow ordinary people to participate in supervising the operation of power.

The laws of the territory should not only belong to the upper class, but also give the people at the bottom a voice to fight for their own rights.

The Holy See of Light supported the free people and gained many believers. Chiffon can also follow suit and win over the hearts of the people!

...

After finalizing the matters with the court, Richard looked at Irving.

"Owen, it's your turn. Any problems with the artisans department that need fixing?"

Unlike the others, Irving had a smile on his face.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, with the addition of over 10,000 people, food consumption has surged, and the basic raw materials needed for many of the finished products of the Craftsmen's Department have begun to experience shortages."

"In addition, you have secured more than a dozen grain orders, so we hope you can expand the scale of the farmland to ensure a stable output for my artisan department."

Richard laughed too; it wasn't a big problem, it was completely under control.

"Okay, I'll expand the farmland by another 300 mu later."

After saying that, he brought up the long-planned relocation of the entire artisan department, a plan that had been under consideration for some time.

"In addition, I plan to relocate the artisan department to the ground. After the meeting, you can come with me for a stroll outside the north of the city."

"Find a piece of open land of about two thousand acres, set up a separate area for artisans, and I will build a batch of two-story stone houses for you, and plan the layout according to the assembly line production."

"Once the assembly line is set up, calculate how many more people you need, and then apply to the city hall for recruitment."

Upon hearing this, Irving couldn't hide the joy on his face.

It's finally moved to the ground!

Although a lot of light panels have been installed in the mine, it's still quite uncomfortable to work underground for long periods of time.

...

Chief Inspector Richard breathed a sigh of relief.

Administration, military affairs, infrastructure, law, schools, workshops, people's livelihood, population resettlement, etc. After more than half a month of accumulated government affairs, they have finally been arranged one by one!

He rose from his lord's throne and his gaze swept over all the high-ranking officials of the territory in the hall.

"The fact that Chiffon Cake was able to be built from a barren land into what it is today is inseparable from the efforts of each and every one of you."

"But many challenges lie ahead, especially the harsh winter in the far north. We need everyone to work hard and strive for a better tomorrow!"

As he spoke, he raised his hand and pounded his chest, shouting, "Live on, Chiffon!"

Karl and the others immediately followed suit, bowing and shouting in unison, "Prosperity and flourishing!"

The first session of the council has now officially concluded.