Free Web NovelChapter 108: Long Live The Prince!
"Your Highness, this commoner will comply."
Lothair felt a deep sense of sorrow but had no choice. Private armies were the primary reason powerful families could dominate the countryside.
Now that these private armies were to be disbanded, they would lose their status as powerful families and could no longer act with impunity.
Baldwin then said. "Lothair, overall, you have done much for His Highness, and he still trusts you. We hope the Chandlier family can set an example in this matter. Soon, Brambleford will issue a decree prohibiting any form of private militia among the people."
These words brought Lothair some comfort. Survival or destruction, this was the choice he now had to make.
With the Goldwynd family’s fate fresh in his mind, he said. "Thank you for Your Highness’s great kindness. This commoner guarantees that the Chandlier family will henceforth serve Your Highness dutifully."
Simon waved his hand, signalling that Lothair and his son could leave.
After they left the main hall, Simon said. "I will have Gius’s men keep an eye on them to see if the Chandlier family is being duplicitous. If Lothair is sensible, the Chandlier family could be a valuable local merchant to support. After all, outside merchants will never be fully loyal to me. We need local merchants to keep them in check."
"Lothair is not as resourceful or decisive as Cedric, and he is also timider. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been suppressed by the Goldwynd family for so many years." Baldwin said. "Let’s hope Lothair follows through. If he does, the Redwyck and Duskry families will naturally follow suit."
"Exactly. By the way, a significant portion of the Goldwynd family’s land was seized illegally, and many of their slaves were forced into servitude. You need to identify these people, grant them their freedom, and return their land to them."
Baldwin smiled. "My Lord, rest assured. While other matters can wait, this one will be handled swiftly."
After sending Baldwin away, Simon summoned Harlan.
The campaign to redistribute land from the wealthy to the poor needed to be publicised widely to win the hearts of the people.
Throughout history, uprisings have always been about land, and this was no different.
In addition to the Goldwynd family’s land, Simon planned to issue decrees ordering the return of illegally seized land to the people, compelling the powerful families in his domain to comply.
The next day, Harlan published these policies in the newspaper. As the papers were distributed across the six cities, they caused an uproar among the populace.
The first topic was naturally the fall of the Goldwynd family, but what the people cared about most was the decision to return the land seized by the powerful families.
"This is truly satisfying. The Goldwynd family took so much of our fertile land along the Dew River. Now we can finally get it back." One villager said.
In Tuttle Village, the villagers gathered around the reporter who arrived punctually every noon. Since the establishment of the newspaper, the paperboys had been replaced by these scholars who roamed the streets with newspapers, earning a more dignified title. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
"Exactly. My family’s five acres of good land were seized by the Goldwynd family. When I went to demand it back, I was beaten by their thugs. Heh, heaven has eyes. The prince is becoming wiser by the day. If I can get my land back, I’ll lead my goat to His Highness as a token of gratitude." Another villager said.
Billy was also in the crowd, grinning foolishly. With the Goldwynd family gone, he had lost his job as a cowherd, but his family’s land had also been seized by the Goldwynd family. If he could get it back, he would have land to farm.
In a couple of years, life would be comfortable again.
"Long live the prince!" Thinking of this, Billy felt a surge of joy and suddenly shouted.
Instantly, the threshing ground fell silent, and all the villagers of Tuttle Village turned to look at Billy.
Billy suddenly felt nervous, looking around fearfully.
"Long live the prince! Long live, long live, long live!" Just as he was about to panic, the crowd erupted in enthusiastic cheers.
The scholar in the middle of the threshing ground, witnessing the excitement of the villagers, was also moved and joined in the cheers.
The policies outlined in the newspaper were clear: to crack down on the powerful families in the domain.
Many commoners, they understood the harm these powerful families inflicted on the empire. Unfortunately, the empire was ruled by them, and in every region, the government always protected their interests.
Only here, only under the prince, was someone willing to take the first step to suppress these families and eliminate the parasites infesting the domain.
The scholar shared the same hopes as the villagers. The people wanted to live in peace, free from the oppression of the powerful families, with enough to eat, clothes to wear, the ability to marry, and the means to raise their children.
As a commoner, he wanted fair treatment in the imperial examinations, to be judged by his talent rather than his family background.
In other parts of the Eldorian Empire, he saw no hope. But as he read the newspapers daily and collected public opinion, he gradually felt that perhaps only the prince could make this a reality.
For that day to come, he was willing to work tirelessly to spread the news to every corner of the domain.
The news in the newspapers also reached the powerful families in Brambleford. Unlike the excitement of the commoners, they were thrown into panic.
The fate of the Goldwynd family served as a stark warning, conveying a clear message: Prince Simon’s domain would no longer be a place where they could act with impunity.
To continue living here, they would have to abide by his laws.
In the following days, an even more shocking piece of news spread through the newspapers. The Chandlier family published an article in the newspaper, declaring their decision to return all seized land and restore the status of commoners who had been forced into servitude after losing their land.
Additionally, the Chandlier family’s fortresses in the six cities would be taken over by the Brambleford army, and their private soldiers would be disbanded and incorporated into the army.
The fall of one of Brambleford’s top families and the voluntary compliance of another sent shockwaves through the powerful families of the six cities.
An unusual atmosphere began to permeate the region.
In the Governor’s Office, Simon had been handling administrative affairs for the past half-month.
Since the decrees were issued, the Governor’s Office had been closely monitoring the situation in the six cities. While the Chandlier family had chosen to comply, Simon didn’t believe everyone would follow suit.
There would always be a few who were unafraid of death, especially since the decrees amounted to a declaration of war against all the powerful families in the domain.
"My Lord, Sir Lothair has sent an invitation, inviting you, me, Captain Lancelot, and others to a banquet at the Chandlier residence. He says he has invited many families closely associated with the Chandlier family, and they are willing to comply with Your Highness’s decrees as he has." Baldwin said, presenting an invitation.
Lothair’s prompt compliance had improved Simon’s impression of the Chandlier family, and he felt the man was teachable.
Opening the invitation, Simon smiled. "Lothair is certainly being very attentive this time."
"Indeed, he is. But this banquet might well be a trap." A cold voice suddenly came from outside the door.
