togophonebook #287 - The terrified representatives
#287 - The terrified representatives
Grosien hunched over, sitting on the hard wooden bench, swaying with the rocking of the covered wagon.
Occasionally, the wheels were kicked up by stones or potholes, and Grosien's thin body would briefly lift and fall heavily, making him feel like the bones in his buttocks were about to crack.
Inside this covered wagon, there were eight people.
Draped in an expensive-trimmed cloak was the mayor of Sour Gourd Town, wearing a tricorn hat and a neatly trimmed beard, leaning against the front of the wagon with his eyes closed in rest.
On his left sat three low-ranking monks in hooded robes, uneasy and discussing in worried whispers.
Opposite the low-ranking monks were ordinary commoner representatives like Grosien, all wearing brimless caps or straw hats and linen smocks.
These eight people were from different social strata, but at this moment, their identities were the same: representatives of public opinion from their respective regions.
From assembly to boarding the wagon, these individuals quickly divided into circles based on their backgrounds, gathering and chatting amongst themselves, rarely interacting with each other.
However, these low whispers soon ceased as the sound of approaching hooves grew louder.
The representatives of public opinion straightened their bodies, and even the mayor opened his eyes, listening intently.
Some even placed their rough hands on their waists, almost drawing their dueling swords.
Just a few days ago, a covered wagon was intercepted by bandit knights, and the representatives who were coming to participate in the Jeanne d'Arc Believer's Assembly were all hanged from the trees.
They couldn't be sure if these were the bandit knights coming to attack.
"Old Sarava, what's going on?" the mayor tentatively asked.
The driver's voice came from outside the canvas top: "It's nothing, it's the Holy Musket Cavalry Brigade, they are patrolling."
Seeing that the driver was unharmed and even chatted with the cavalrymen for a few words, these representatives of public opinion breathed a sigh of relief.
The Holy Musket Cavalrymen rode past the side of the wagon, and as the ten Holy Musket Cavalrymen disappeared into the dust, the group finally lowered their guard.
"They didn't even ask for money, that's rare," the mayor said, nonchalantly wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, pretending to be calm.
"They dared to waive our tithes for a year, so you know they don't love money," the driver said cheerfully, hearing their conversation.
"Don't love money? There's no one in this world who doesn't love money, they just don't lack it," the mayor snorted.
"Why?" Grosien asked subconsciously.
The mayor straightened up on the bench: "I heard news that after these heretical rebels defeated the Edict Company, they began to frantically plunder monasteries and knight manors around the area.
After taking them down one by one, they must have 80,000 pounds in gold, so why would they lack our 8,000 pounds in taxes?"
"Is that so?"
"Nonsense, let me tell you, a caravan passed through our village a few days ago and told me that Jeanne d'Arc executes hundreds of knights and priests every day!" A priest named Squeal patted his chest, "The execution platform is full of unowned saintly amulets!"
"Wasn't it the bishop who was killed by the Salvation Army who burned down Dean Huannuo? Wasn't it the nobles who were killed by the Salvation Army who produced blue blood wine?" Grosien retorted.
Squeal jumped as if he had been stepped on his tail: "Was it the bishop who was killed by the Salvation Army who burned down Dean Huannuo? Was it the nobles who were killed by the Salvation Army who produced blue blood wine?"
"They, they…"
"Holy Father—" A traveling priest suddenly couldn't bear it and cried out: "I said I couldn't be a priest, but they insisted on buying me a priesthood, and now it's good, I got the priesthood, but I have to go to Jeanne d'Arc to die."
"Take it easy," the driver said helplessly, listening to the increasingly chaotic discussion behind him, "You are just a low-ranking monk, unless you have committed a crime, you won't be purged."
Grosien followed up with comfort: "My cousin in Gray Furnace Town told me that the monks in the monastery are fine, only the rogue hooligans, the monastery deans, and the agents were executed."
"Oh, your cousin said that, so I have to believe it," Squeal retorted sarcastically.
Being retorted by Squeal, Grosien lowered his head in frustration, but his companion next to him spoke up for him:
"Are you saying that you sympathize with those devils? Be careful I report you to the Salvation Army for the crime of sympathizing with devils!"
Squeal jumped up as if sitting on a sewing needle, he stepped forward two steps, pointed at the person who spoke, almost sticking his finger into the person's eyes: "Don't slander me out of thin air, be careful I go to the Bishop to tell him, and let you…"
"Bishop…" Annoyed, the mayor interrupted Squeal's speech, coldly extending his right thumb and turning it downwards, "Is dead!"
Squeal's vocal cords seemed to be blocked by something invisible, his Adam's apple bobbed but he couldn't say a word.
Dejectedly sitting back in his original position, leaning against the wagon cover, he looked nervously at the weeds in the center of the dirt road behind the wagon, without saying a word.
These representatives of public opinion all came from the remote areas of the Kush Territory, otherwise, they wouldn't have arrived near Jeanne d'Arc so late.
They didn't have much contact with the Salvation Army, and the closed conditions of the countryside and manors made the speed of information circulation extremely slow.
For them, the lord above them had changed from Danne to a rebel army to an Edict Company and then to a rebel army again within half a year.
Now there are all kinds of rumors outside, some frantically praising the Salvation Army, and some frantically saying bad things about the Salvation Army.
In general, from their simple values, rebels are definitely the evil side.
It's just that when the Holy Musket Cavalrymen rushed into the manor, requiring each manor to send two to three representatives of public opinion, the villagers still honestly sent representatives.
The Edict Company has been defeated, and the Transcendent Knights are being chased and killed by the Salvation Army like dogs, how can they resist?
As for why Horne called them over, there is naturally a reason.
Occupying an area is not like capturing a city in a game, where the entire territory belongs to you.
So far, the area where Horne's orders can be conveyed and executed is only around Jeanne d'Arc to Wild Spider Forest.
Specifically, it includes 5 towns, including Jeanne d'Arc, 89 manors, and about 100,000 people.
This accounts for about one-third of the entire Kush Territory and half of the population.
As for the outer areas, it is nominal and verbal submission.
In order to implement the subordinate relationship and turn it into real rule, there is this Believer's Assembly.
If there are no mistakes, then these representatives of public opinion will be the managers of their respective areas in the future.
Horne currently does not have enough talent to manage so much land and population, even managing these 100,000 people is difficult for him.
Therefore, the Salvation Army is preparing to adopt the old method of "knocking down the boss and supporting the second-in-command, and local people governing local people" for the territories that are not yet under actual control.
After a new batch of credible management talents enter the database in the future, the hereditary bureaucratic system will be changed to an appointed bureaucratic system.
At this level, it is necessary to accurately cut and establish a good and easily distinguishable target, and find a second-in-command that can be supported.
As for this second-in-command, it must be selected from these people in front of you.
According to Horne's requirements, each manor must send two to three representatives of public opinion, including a copyhold farmer.
The representatives of public opinion in each town must include a worker.
Finally, the representative structure of each region is similar.
The representatives of public opinion in the manor are a traveling priest and a copyhold farmer, and the representatives of public opinion in the town are a citizen, a craftsman, and a worker.
Although Horne is severely cracking down on and purging the church forces, the purge is of classes and forces, not individuals.
For Horne, these low-level clergy who bought their way into holy orders are, on the contrary, because of their lack of piety, turned into objects that can be won over and reformed.
It's just that these representatives of public opinion are confused by the half-truths and rumors, and are full of fear for the next few days that will change their destiny.
In constant anxiety, this group finally became the last batch of representatives of public opinion to arrive on the evening of March 11th.
The next day was the official opening of the Believer's Assembly.