In late April, the southern border of Burgundy was filled with spring despite the cold weather.
The refugee camp in the open space outside the city of Tyniec County has become increasingly empty. The refugees from Provence have either continued to go north to beg for work in various places, or have been taken as serfs by the lords and gentry in the county. However, more people have learned that the war in Provence has calmed down. , the war was about to subside, so they all ended their wanderings and returned to their hometowns that were devastated by the war~
A few hundred steps south of the refugee camp, a temporary army camp was set up on the flat ground. This was the temporary camp designated by the county chief of Tyniec for the troops returning south.
The camp was surrounded by a simple horse-proof fence, and the exits in and out of the camp were guarded by two armored and armed sentries. From time to time, the soldiers' noisy chatter and laughter could be heard from the military tent in the camp.
In the middle of the camp, in a tent that must be slightly larger, Otto was listening to the report from the baggage officer Spencer, "...Sir Otto, this is the situation. Viscount Pierre once again rejected our soldiers' request to enter the city for repairs, saying that he was worried that the soldiers would enter the city and disrupt order." Is it possible? The sergeant major has recruited too many people, and it will take at least three days to reach Tyniec, and we don’t have much food for the army~"
"That's okay, but Mr. Pierre only allows the carriages to be brought into the city. And the regulations only allow the purchase of food supplies for no more than two days. He said that if we buy up all the supplies in the county, the citizens and soldiers in the city will not have enough food."
Otto was a little angry and asked: "Even if we add the wounded and new soldiers, we have less than 150 people. Does such a large county not even have the material reserves of one or two hundred people?"
Viscount Pierre stood behind the crenel and looked solemnly at the quiet military camp outside the city.
Viscount Pierre's captain of the guard, Jerry, stood behind him and said, "Sir, do you think the one in the south is too powerful? Three years ago, he was just a small hunter selling animal skins and mountain goods. In just a few years, he has become a palace frontier baron. If I hadn't seen the palace newspaper and documents, I wouldn't have believed it."
Pierre was still staring straight at the military camp outside the city without answering.
Jerry continued to read: "Now that the palace has assigned the barren valley in the south to Tyniec County, the man in the south will also become a noble under your rule, but judging from his momentum, he is just another flint in the fireplace, very hot~"
"It is said that they have been recruiting refugees and bankrupt farmers everywhere. Households and various craftsmen, and through the two caravans to purchase food and supplies from various places to stockpile, I am afraid that the plan is not small. Moreover, the officials we sent to the border towns to collect commercial taxes were sent away by them several times. Now you can't return to the palace as planned. Next, we will not only have to face the difficult lords in the county, but also have to be more prepared for the new rich in the future~"
Pierre's eyes moved, and he scolded with side glances: "Who are you guarding against? Are they enemies? Don't say these words anymore!"
Jerry realized that he had spoken too much, and quickly apologized: "Sir, it was me who talked too much~"
"Tell the county soldiers to keep an eye on the military camp outside the city. If they dare to mess around, they will be severely punished!" After saying that, Viscount Pierre glanced at the military camp again, turned and left~
Four days later, just when the army's food and grass supplies outside the city were about to be exhausted, a large team finally appeared in the north of Tyniec County.
There are about two hundred people in this team. They wear a variety of clothes. Some carry bulging old baggage on their backs, some carry shovels, hoes and flails and light plows on their shoulders. Some push two-wheeled wooden carts equipped with spindle looms and scrap cloth heads. Some carry anvils and heavy hammers, and some wear coarse cloth and wear clothes and walk in the queue with empty hands.
Surrounding the team, there were five or six riders on war horses cruising around to protect them.
At the head of the team, two leaders wearing heavy armor and swords hanging from their waists held the reins lightly, letting their horses pace on the road...
Yes, this team was a "civilian army" that Angus was ordered to recruit. The two leaders of the team were none other than the newly promoted court frontier baron Art Wood Wells and the army adjutant Angus Doyle.
After receiving the court audience in Besançon, Art immediately set off to return south. In the city of Letesri, north of Tyniec, he caught up with Angus and his party who were heading south with a large group of people.
Seeing that the team was getting closer, Tyniec County City closed the city gate tightly and sent a few cavalry to investigate...
Soon, the county and city cavalry returned to the city on horseback and went straight to the lord's hall.
"What? Hundreds of people? Where did he get hundreds of people?" Pierre stood up from the lounge chair in the lord's hall.
"Yes, sir, Baron Art said that these are a group of subjects he recruited from the north. He will take these people to the south to reclaim his fiefdom~" Jerry, who was standing at the door, replied.
"Send the order! Let Baron Art come to my office!"
"Yes!"
Jerry, the captain of the guard, had just walked out of the lord's hall, and Art was already walking towards here with several guards.
Jerry immediately returned to the rest room and reported Art's visit to Pierre...
.........
In the official room of the Lord's Hall, Pierre dismissed the servant. He picked up the wine bottle on the table, poured a glass of wine for himself and Art, held a glass in each hand, walked to Art and handed him a glass.
At quickly stood up and took it with both hands, and then sat down gently.
"Baron Art, this glass of wine is my congratulations on your promotion to Baron." After speaking, Pierre raised his neck and drank in one gulp.
"Thank you, Lord Viscount, for your hospitality!" Art also held the cup in both hands and drank it in one gulp.
After a few polite words, Pierre's face began to darken, "Baron Art, you first sent an army of more than a hundred people to surround the county town, and now you are bringing hundreds of "civilian troops" here. Isn't it too ostentatious? Fortunately, I understand you. If it were others, I would have sounded the alarm." "
"Lord Viscount, I think you must be overly concerned. My army has no ulterior motives. They are just too tired and want to repair and rest in Tyniec County. As for the more than two hundred recruited refugees and farmers, they were only invited to my fief to reclaim land for me. This matter was obtained from the palace. "With permission from the court."
Pierre didn't want to get entangled with Art about these trivial matters. He went straight to the point, "I won't bother you about these things. I'll just tell you about the county's plan."
"You are now a palace border baron with a fief. According to the palace regulations, your fief should belong to a barony under the jurisdiction of Tyniec County. Since you have obtained the special rights of the palace, you must also know the obligation to pay land tax to the county and pay war tax for the county army, right?"
"And you set up sentries in the border territory. Ka forced the past commercial tax to be levied. It was originally promised that you would collect it for one year, but it turned out that you have turned it into a border town. I am afraid that part of this commercial tax must be turned over to the county~"
Viscount Pierre was worried that Art would become another stubborn noble who ignored the county's tax collection. Taking advantage of Art's weak power, he made a request to Art to collect taxes.
At had already prepared for this. Of course, he would not agree to pay taxes and commercial taxes to the county so easily. "Sir, I am willing to faithfully perform all my obligations as a palace vassal."
“My lord, have Viscount Pierre been completely offended by us?” On the way back south, Odo asked Art, who was riding a horse.
Matt looked indifferent, "If you don't want to offend Viscount Pierre, we have to hand over one-tenth of the land and commercial tax revenue to Tyniec County every year. Our current annual tax revenue is not high, and one-tenth is not too much. If our taxes increase hugely in the future, how much will a tenth share every year?"
"But our caravan has to pass through the county town and often stops in the county town. If Viscount Pierre intends to make things difficult for us, I'm afraid~"
"I will default on the taxes from the county and the palace, but I hinted that Viscount Pierre will give him a "special tax" of 10,000 pfennigs on time every year, and this amount will increase with the amount of my fiefdom tax. "
"Viscount Pierre's head is not wood. I am not the only vassal in Tyniec County who does not pay taxes to the palace, and I have offered to give him a separate sum of money every year. He has no reason to break up with me."
Odo has a look of understanding on his face.
At this time, the sentinels who were exploring the road galloped back to the front of the team and reported that the owner of Wincheston Manor led a group of family members to greet Baron Art on the road. "Sir, Old Dean hopes that you and a group of officials can come to the manor as guests. They will welcome the new baron with the highest courtesy."
Matt looked around and said with a smile: "It seems that the Dean family wants to block the road and rob. Come on, let's go to Dean's house for a meal today."
"Sir! The Dean family has ulterior motives. I'm afraid the master has a knife hidden behind his back~" Ron, the captain of the guard, stopped Art.
"Old Dean is not his stupid son, he will not do such stupid things."
Att paused, "To be on the safe side, Odo and the guards will follow me into the manor, and the rest will be stationed outside the manor on guard."
That night, Art enjoyed a delicious meal of wine and food at Wincheston Manor, and Old Dean also sent enough food, meat and vegetables for two days to the hundreds of troops and territorial residents stationed outside the manor.
The Lord Dean of Wincheston Manor was still in Besançon, so his father, Old Dean, hosted this grand and luxurious banquet.
It was obvious that Art was overly concerned. During the entire banquet, Old Dean treated Art and his entourage with a very respectful attitude, and his compliments were just right, revealing the style of a wealthy businessman.
,,, exchanging glasses of wine with old Dean, as if they had been friends for many years getting together...
…
“Sir, this old Dean is indeed not like his son. Is he praying for peace with you?” On the way back to the camp, Odo, who was not greedy for wine, asked the red-faced Art across from him.
At looked back at old Dean who was standing at the door of the manor to see him off. He turned his head, the drunken confusion on his face suddenly disappeared, and there was a killing intent in his eyes, "This is a real poisonous snake!"
... ...
In the next few days, Art led a huge team of hundreds of people all the way through the city. The lords and squires of the village manors and large and small settlements along the way were waiting on the roads beside the village with food supplies and valuables, and "gifts" were given to the newly minted barons as they passed through...