Any new thing will not be smooth sailing at the beginning.
Especially when it goes against thousands of years of tradition, the resistance encountered is often no less than a war.
This is also the reason why Li Yu and Yin Leya cooperated.
Miss Rabbit herself is actually a conservative. In another universe, there is an English proverb: "If something isn't broken, don't fix it." If the female lord hears it, she will definitely think so.
However, she already had a mysterious trust in Li Yu. Although she still had many doubts in her heart, she decided to cooperate fully.
The two spent about half a day deciding what to do next.
Yin Leya first needs to do some ideological work for her vassals. The farmers in Luye can be roughly divided into two categories, one is the owner-cultivator and the other is the serf.
Neither of them has land, and according to the laws of the Red Lion Empire, only nobles can own land.
The difference is that yeoman farmers have freedom. They enter the lord's territory by request, pay a sum of money to rent a piece of land for farming, and all the profits generated on this land belong to themselves.
Of course, in addition to land rent, they often also need to pay other fees, such as poll taxes, logging fees, mill and well usage fees, boar breeding fees, funeral and wedding fees, etc... In addition, in return for providing protection to the lord , they also have to bear part of the corvee every year.
Serfs, on the other hand, were the property of the lord. They lived on the lord's farm, and they would do whatever the lord asked them to do. They did not own the crops they grew, and usually could only obtain basic supplies to satisfy their survival.
According to the recent census of the female lord, the ratio of free farmers to serfs in the Green Field is about 7:1.
This ratio is definitely higher than the average level on the Bratis continent. The main reason is that the girl's territory was invaded by the lizard people once before, and a number of serfs died. After successfully slaying the dragon, it attracted many people to join them. , but the supplements are almost all homesteaders...
But no matter what, as long as the vassals are willing to cooperate, they will get one-eighth of the labor force.
However, Miss Rabbit did not expect that she had just agreed to Li Yu, but she immediately hit a snag later.
The one who objected was Pablo.
Until Yin Leiya became the master of Green Field, Pablo had been responsible for guarding Teacup Castle. Later, he was attacked by Alfred and lost the castle. He was disheartened and went home to retire.
However, in the face of the menacing black dragon, he was a staunch supporter of the female lord. Not only did he send his knights to go deep into the swamp to search for traces of the black dragon, he also took the lead in the subsequent battle, charging with his sword. The performance was quite heroic.
Miss Rabbit loves and hates him.
This guy has a bad temper, is stubborn in doing things, and does not listen to advice at all. He also likes to rely on his elders. However, as a vassal, he is very loyal and has served the Arias family for many years. He is the kind of veteran minister who cannot be beaten or scolded. son.
The female lord rubbed her temples, "Didn't you tell me that you were impressed by the heroic figure of Merlin's prophet who rushed towards the black dragon that night, and planned to join the Shuangxiu Cult in the future? Could it be that you changed your mind again?"
"I haven't changed my mind. As a knight, I always keep my word." Pablo puffed out his chest and said.
"Then why don't you agree to switch to new farm tools? Is it because you don't have enough money recently? The dragon-slaying bonus I gave you before has been used up. Well, I can lend you some more."
"I found a place to bury the money you gave me, and I haven't spent it at all." Pablo shook his head.
"Is that... buried too deep to be dug out?" the girl asked tentatively.
"…………"
"I'll be honest, I think Merlin's control is too broad. I should have the final say on how to run my own farm, what farm tools to use, what crops to plant, how to plant... I don't need anyone else to tell me what to do. "
"What a coincidence, Prophet Merlin also said so." Yin Leiya said, "He doesn't want to interfere with everyone's management, but now is a special moment, and we need to set an example for those farmers."
"As long as they pay the rent on time and do hard work, I don't care what they do." Pablo snorted, "No matter how good the harvest of those guys is, they won't give me an extra penny."
"Take a long-term view, Knight Pablo." Yago, the steward on the side, said, "Only when they make money will they continue to rent your land, and more and more people will go to your fief."
"There are enough people in my fief," Pablo complained. "Everyone is running to the green fields during this period, and there are still some dirty guys among them. There have been several thefts these days. I’m almost overwhelmed.”
"Then you should consider expanding your own guard like me." The female lord said, "You have to find something to do for those who have nothing to do."
“But then the expenses will increase again.”
"This is why Prophet Merlin wants to promote new farm tools and new farming methods." Yin Leiya said patiently, "Everyone can make more money."
"I still don't like people telling me how to run the farm." Pablo frowned.
Okay, the conversation is back to the starting point.
Miss Rabbit covered her face, and finally had no choice but to give up persuading Pablo.
Fortunately, the next few vassals agreed despite some hesitation after hearing this, finally allowing Yin Leiya to regain some face.
She has not been the head of the Arias family for a long time, but she has gained a lot of reputation after several crises. Now, there are fewer and fewer people questioning her, both within the family and outside the family.
But even so, there are still obvious obstacles to the advancement of this matter. The main reason is that everyone has doubts about the effectiveness of new farm tools and new farming methods.
It might be better if we can try it on a small scale first and then promote it.
But Yin Leiya can also understand why Li Yu is so anxious. Firstly, she has completely fallen out with the Silver Moon Church by joining the Shuangxiu Church. Secondly, she has not forgotten what Gabriel said. The guys from the Wings who call themselves the Wing Tribe don’t know when they came to the continent of Bratis.
In addition, the female lord also heard some other rumors, which were passed back by her great-grandmother Ona who stayed in Rock Snow City.
Most of them are related to the Church of Life that suddenly appeared. Its development momentum is even faster than that of Shuangxiu Church. More and more nobles have joined it, including some big shots.
It is said that His Majesty the Emperor has made up his mind to build a giant bronze statue of the Goddess of Life in the central square of the royal capital. In order to raise the construction costs, all nobles will have to donate money.
