Chapter 141 Court

In the countryside of Hebron.

Dirt roads trodden by people and animals travel between woods and fields.

The newly appointed patrol officer, the Knight of Ulm, is leading his team, including ten elite wing cavalry and more than twenty light cavalry from the city guard, galloping on the country roads.

The fluttering double-headed eagle flag flutters in the wind.

In the suburbs and villages affiliated with Hebron, the largest scale of fighting is often limited to "village chiefs fighting with weapons."

More than thirty light and heavy cavalry are already an armed force that cannot be underestimated.

The bandits and marauders who were rampant in the past have long since disappeared.

During the period after Ulm took office, except for the first two days when he caught a group of bandits who blocked the road and robbed the caravan, the swords of him and his knights have never tasted blood again.

Having experienced the baptism of war, Ulm is no longer willing to show people his bright armor and feathers, and his life has become a bit boring and hard.

A group of people stopped by the roadside to have lunch.

Ulm complained: "My lordship appointed me a patrol officer and gave me the responsibility of organizing a country circuit court, but no one came to complain at all."

Pepin sighed: "Yeah, I can't even understand those laws. Those are things that only priests who graduated from church schools can understand."

Ulm felt the same way: "Moreover, these villages are inhabited by pagans. Who would believe that we would bring justice to them?"

After the group prayed, they took out the bread, softened it with water in the water bag, and chewed it.

At this time, a Saracen man suddenly jumped out from the roadside. There were large bruises on his face and a cut at the corner of his eyebrow. It was obvious that he had just been beaten severely.

The cavalrymen who were dining immediately raised their weapons and pointed them at him.

"who?"

"do not move!"

The Saracens suddenly stopped where they were.

"What happened!"

Seeing that the other party was not carrying weapons, Ulm breathed a sigh of relief and angrily said: "Who is the sentry? If it is an enemy and comes in front of us, aren't you going to warn us? When you go back, lead ten troops by yourself. stick!"

The face of the city guard cavalry who chased them out of the woods suddenly fell.

These light cavalry are not the elite of the system who have been transferred to different professions, and their quality is uneven. However, Lothar has limited strength at hand and can only use them temporarily.

The Saracen man opened his hands and waved them to show that he meant no harm, and kept shouting.

Ulm shouted: "Senmut, come out and explain to me what this heretic who has suddenly appeared is talking about."

The city guard cavalry named Senmut replied: "My lord, he said that he heard about your plan to set up a circuit court, so he wanted to ask you for help!"

"This infidel?"

"Asking me for help?"

Ulm and Piplane looked at each other.

Without the statue of an angel, they would probably never have thought of asking a pagan lord or his officials for help.

"Let him continue."

The Saracen man's face was full of sorrow, and he kept saying something.

Senmut listened for a long time and then said with sympathy: "He said his name was Aziz and he lived in Abdul Village. The village master Adnan raped his wife. His wife couldn't bear the humiliation, so he jumped into the well and committed suicide. ”

Adnan?

Ulm thought for a moment and recalled that this was also a local tycoon who was no less powerful than Hussein. He was responsible for the taxation of the entire Abdu village.

"What you are accusing is a decent man with status and identity. It is impossible for me to arrest Adnan just because of your one-sided statement."

Aziz suddenly looked desperate.

Ulm thought about it for a moment and said: "Let's do this, Senmut. You tell him that in order to avoid revenge on him, we ask him to return to Hebron with us tonight."

This was a big deal, and he didn't dare to act rashly.

At this time, in the mansion in Hebron.

Model was leading a group of guards to meet Lothar.

"Sir, we caught a group of poachers. They set up traps in your private forest and caught a caracal and several hares."

Catching poachers is certainly not about protecting the ecology.

But according to the law, all the land in the earldom that has not been enfeoffed, leased, or sold, as well as the living creatures on it, belong to the lord Lothar.

In other words, the word "steal" for poaching refers to the fact that they stole Lothar's property.

Lothar nodded and said, "Bring them up."

The guards then escorted the prisoner over.

As soon as these people saw Lothar, they immediately fell to their knees, crying and praying:

"Sir, we are all tenants working for you, and we have never thought of stealing your property before."

"It's just that Old John's wife has just given birth. She only eats wheat porridge and cabbage every day and cannot produce milk at all. Moreover, we have never seen you hunting on the hunting ground, so..."

The old man with wrinkles on his face made a sign of the cross on his chest. He put his head on the ground and said sincerely: "For the sake of Heavenly Father, please show mercy."

Lothar stood up and looked at the clothes of the people present - they weren't even ragged, at least the damaged areas were patched.

The body is a little thin, but not too skinny. Overall, their life should be quite tight, but they can barely make ends meet, which is consistent with the status of a tenant farmer.

They probably weren't lying.

He paced back and forth for a moment.

The poachers were so nervous that their breathing could be heard clearly.

A benevolent lord might be lenient to poachers, but a cruel lord would cut off the hands and feet of poachers as a matter of course.

After a long time, Lothar finally spoke:

"As everyone knows, I am a very generous lord. I have planned to reduce the rent tax to 30% for all tenants who farm my land."

The poachers looked at each other.

Then they all fell to their knees and thanked Lothar for his kindness and generosity.

"but!"

Lothar changed the subject.

"You broke the law and must pay the price."

He waved his hand and signaled the city guards to pull them out: "Send them to New Habsburg to build the city. The treatment can be the same as other city-building workers, but it cannot offset the labor you should perform every year."

The treatment of city builders is not low. When they truly experience it, they will realize that this is not a punishment at all.

The poachers were pushed away by the guards as if they were mourning for their heirs.

Andreas said with some confusion: "Sir, since you have decided to forgive these poor people, why do you go to the trouble of recruiting them to build the city? According to the treatment you gave, we have no shortage of manpower at all."

Lothar explained:

"Andreas, I can forgive them. In fact, I don't think it is a big deal that the beasts in the territory are 'poached'."

"But the sanctity of the law must be defended. Before I changed this law, they committed a crime and should be punished."

Lothar paused slightly and added: "Even if it's just a nominal punishment."

Andreas' expression changed slightly and he solemnly said: "Thank you for your teaching."

At this time, a messenger came into the mansion and reported to Lothar: "Sir, Madam Jeanne has led troops to attack Hussein's mansion, killed more than thirty enemies, and captured Hussein and him alive. He has three wives, seven sons, and more than ten servants.”

"Ms. Jeanne is counting the belongings of Hussein's house and presiding over the distribution of fields to all the tenants."

Lothar nodded slightly: "Where are the casualties?"

The hussar said with a smile: "There were no casualties, only one unlucky guy got his toe smashed by the enemy's hammer."

"good!"

"very good!"

Lothar was very excited.

It was only natural that Jeanne could win, but it was a bit outrageous that there were no casualties.

Apart from anything else, if Hussein had been prepared and prepared rolling stones, hot oil and other things on the courtyard wall, and there were no city guards carrying siege weapons, he might not have been able to capture it so easily. .