Chapter 574: People's Heart

"What do they do?"

Pu Luo pointed to the bustling crowd in the square in the center of the town.

The flag hung high had Coptic written on it.

But neither Puluo nor his companions could read.

Curiosity prompted them to squeeze into the crowd of onlookers and watch.

"He seems to be a Coptic priest."

"Are you blind? Those people are obviously Franks! Our Coptic crosses are different from theirs."

"Okay, sure. But they seem to be handing out food."

"Can everyone get it?"

Pu Luo became excited, but then he thought suspiciously: "How could the Franks be so kind?"

Someone on the side said coldly: "Otherwise, do you expect the Saracen gentlemen to have a good heart? When Governor Mahli was here, he never gave us a grain of wheat. He would only greedily take away what we have." everything of."

At this time.

It seemed that a man suffering from a serious illness was cured by the solemn-looking priest.

He shouted with excitement: "Praise Heavenly Father, praise you, Your Excellency Urdin, my head disease has been going on for more than ten years, and neither Jewish doctors nor Saracen doctors can do anything. How can I repay you?" ?”

Uldin shook his head: "Heavenly Father gave me the power to save the world. This is the work of Heavenly Father, not mine, and I don't need your reward."

For a time, the onlookers were moved by this virtuous man's righteous deed.

"What exactly is going on?"

Pu Luo felt a little confused.

Are these still those vicious Franks?

The tavern owner on the side said with a sigh on his face: "They are monks from the Order of Saint Lazarus. These days, under the leadership of Bishop Uldin, they distribute medicinal herbs to the civilians and hold free clinics. Many people are suffering from chronic diseases. The poor people have received outstanding treatment. Today they also received a batch of food from the Duke and distributed it to the poor who did not have enough to eat for free. "

"Duke?"

Pu Luo was keenly aware of this keyword: "Which Duke? It can't be evil."

The tavern owner stopped him hastily: "Please don't say that prefix again. If you have a little understanding of the Duke's virtues, you will know that the so-called 'butcher', 'demon' and 'murderer' are purely nonsense." ”

"Unbelievable."

Not only Puluo, but also the residents of Semanud City almost all had the same idea.

Could it be that what these Franks said when they entered the city, that they were here to rescue them, were all sincere?

Governor's Palace.

Lothar and Hans stood on the edge of the lake, holding a copper basin filled with fish food in their hands. From time to time, they would throw out a large handful, causing the fish to jump and jump, as if they were about to jump from the lake to the shore.

"Sir, to be honest, I don't quite understand. Master Salman is also a figure. Why don't you consider subduing him?"

After just listening to Hans' report, he put the fish bowl aside with a smile and said:

"Julia didn't tell you that Master Salman maintains a private army of three hundred people, as well as two 'merchant fleets' that can act as pirates at any time, and there are also several ships on the coast of Cyrenaica. Sponsored a pirate gang that often raided villages along the coast and captured slaves.”

"Do you think I should conquer a slave trader?"

Although European serfdom was not much better than slavery, serfs at least had some human rights.

At the very least, the Port of Ella Chamber of Commerce does not engage in slave trade. At most, it only transfers the black uncles from Nubia.

Hans shook his head: "Of course not, I just think."

Lothar smiled and said: "I understand what you want to say. Indeed, a moral model cannot be an outstanding monarch. As a monarch, it is not a virtue to be able to get rid of the sand in your eyes and to like to act on impulse."

Hans said hurriedly, "I don't dare."

"Hans, do you know how many people in this city of Semanud hate Master Samman to the core? This Master Samman is not a Zoroastrian, so he can be upright and openly serve as the governor of many Mahli. They Nothing convenient to do.

One can imagine how much this person is hated.

He wanted to see me just because he thought I would use him like Governor Mahli.

But it is a pity that I think it is in our best interest to make concessions to him first, squeeze out all his value, and then pull him out for public trial and execution. "

"I understand, sir. But didn't you promise to guarantee his life safety as long as he agrees to your request?"

Lothar frowned and said, "Do you think I need to make an oath to a slave trader?"

Hans shook his head: "I just think that dealing with such a scum should not damage your honor, even if it is only half a point. I ask, sir, that you can leave this matter to me."

"No need."

Lothar waved his hand: "I don't need to cherish feathers so much. Besides, this Master Salman will not accept his fate so honestly."

He paused and said with a smile: "Hans, do you think farmers are more suitable to win over, or urban aristocrats like Mr. Saman?"

Hans was silent for a moment and said helplessly: "It's a nobleman, sir."

"Yes, he is a noble."

The smile on Lothar's face gradually faded and she sighed softly.

“But if we want long-term peace and stability, we have to appease the vast majority of farmers.”

The feudal fiefdom system, which distributes territories to knights and lower-level lords, does not mean that it is a one-time solution. Many knights and lords without family backing may find it difficult to deal with the rebellion of the lower-class people.

So winning the hearts of the people is by no means unnecessary.

"It's just that most lords of this era probably don't care about long-term stability. They don't have such a long-term vision. In other words, they would rather squeeze out all the wealth allocated to the land, exchange it for the army, and then obtain new territory, rather than develop their own territory."

"Even if the peasants rebel, they can send troops to suppress them, easily crush them, and the soldiers can also make a fortune - the poor peasants naturally can't provide much spoils, but the peasant rebels are different. They will coerce and rob the rest of the poor and the rich. It is indeed a process of wealth redistribution."

In the history of Lothar's previous life, the Germania Peasant War, which affected two-thirds of the peasants in the country, was still suppressed by the noble coalition.

"Hans, you are also a German. Is there a German Peasant War in your world?"

Hans nodded.

"After the war, the lives of the peasants did not get better. Instead, most of them became serfs. The nobles and monks became more arrogant and extravagant, enslaving the working people. In my opinion, such a society is like dead water, without vitality."

Lothar threw the last bit of fish food in the basin into the lake, attracting a group of fish to fight for food.

"Hans, every fish is fighting for food. If we always feed in one place, we can eat until we are full, or even full. There will always be only a small group of fish. The more they eat, the bigger they will be, and they will go to eat other small fish."

Lothar looked at Hans and said meaningfully: "This requires us to sprinkle some in every place when feeding the fish."

For a ruler, it is definitely good for society to be more fair and the classes not to be so rigid.

A society where nobles are always nobles and commoners are always commoners is hopeless. If Lothar's own territory became like this, he would probably not even have the face to see Lavinia.