When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist-Chapter 814 - 765: The 1st River Transport Regiment

Although Horn's message had not yet reached Hotam County, Herman, who was in charge, intuitively chose the Poison Witch Swamp as the flood discharge site.

This was almost the only choice.

After the collapse of the Innocent Dam, Shangruifo County basically had neither the time nor the ability to intercept it.

The only thing they could do was, like Horn did in the past, quickly take shelter on nearby mountains.

Of course, the flood they face now is certainly not at the same level as the one Horn faced back then.

Firstly, there hasn't been much rain this year, and secondly, they can open the Tree Hedge Dam to reduce losses.

Previously, it wasn't opened just because the lands near High Castle belonged to the church lords, and Banifus wouldn't allow it.

Now it's different, and everyone is treated equally.

When the flood reaches Lower Reif County, if it is allowed to progress unchecked, it will surely flood diversion at Zhuanghe Town, affecting the entire four counties of the plain.

So, under the advice of water engineers, both Horn and Herman chose the lowland of Poison Witch Swamp for flood discharge.

As long as a dam is built to block the river, and a nearby tributary is connected to the Poison Witch Swamp, it can absorb a large portion of the floodwater.

Thus, discussions that took place in Iron Gate Town were happening in virtually every village and town in the Thousand River Valley.

...

Hotam County, Kangze Hundred Households District.

Inside a mud and thatch house with light streaming in from all sides, every step brought leaves and dust onto shoulders.

In winter, if peat couldn't be bought, it was enough to freeze a person to death.

Lali's elderly husband froze to death last year, and her son died in a transport convoy.

All that remained was her little grandson at home.

"Sir, sir, this is the only man left in my family, and he's a cripple; he can't go to the dike," Lali clung to the conscription officer's leg, crying and wailing.

The conscription officer kicked the woman to the ground, pulling out the thin fifteen-year-old grandson from behind the firewood pile: "The Count's orders, you dare defy them?"

"Didn't the notice say that the disabled don't have to go?"

"You actually read the notice?" Grabbing the boy's collar and lifting him up, the conscription officer cursed, "The real disabled have no hands or feet; you're just inconvenient when walking, you damn cripple."

"I can pay for exemption, I'll buy exemption," Lali was utterly panicked, "I'll go sell land for money right now."

"Your petty change is worthless." The conscription officer snorted disdainfully and shouted to two guards beside him, "Take him away!"

...

Lower Reif County, Stinky Boots Town.

This quiet town, known for its leather boots and wool socks, was unusually noisy at the moment.

Outside the town hall, the young and able-bodied men held a stick with their names on it, forming a long line.

Unlike the lame, old, and young from Hotam County.

In Stinky Boots Town's lineup, there were robust men, and their number was far less than the average in Hotam County's Hundred Households District.

Even if they were selected, they just sighed, not howling like in Hotam County.

"Are you an adult?" The wandering cultivator asked, lifting the upper gums of the boy in front of him with a stick.

"I, I'm sixteen," the obviously thirteen-year-old boy said guiltily.

"Get out!" With a spread of his five fingers, the wandering cultivator slapped the boy's face, "Tell your older brother at home to come."

The boy left crying. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

The wandering cultivator shouted to the long line behind him: "Don't disrupt our work, I'm saying it again, if the only male in the family is below sixteen, don't come, obediently pay the exemption money."

"That's quite a sum of money," many townsfolk muttered.

"If the money wasn't enough, where would other laborers be mobilized from elsewhere?" The wandering cultivator cursed, "Am I the one taking this money?"

"Who knows..."

"Who, who is talking nonsense?!"

"I'll reiterate once more." On the other side, the monastic leader stood on a wooden box, holding an iron megaphone, "The fields of conscripted laborers' families will be regarded as public fields, cultivated by others from the Hundred Households District! Fighting floods is honorable, not that terrible!"

...

Kasha County, Doke Town, Military Settlement District.

The young man with a bundle on his back was bidding farewell to his parents and lover.

They wore brand new but uncomfortable military boots and, under the lead of the head knight, headed towards the flute-shaped ships by the river.

Women and elders waving handkerchiefs on the shore were in tears, causing the new recruits on the boat to cry together.

Unlike other areas, where the regular villages towns drafted laborers, the Military Settlement District drafted new soldiers.

The Military Settlement District is a distinctive feature of Moliat's policy.

The so-called Military Settlement District is where large tracts of land near crucial land and water points were allotted to mountain knights and hill people.

Through exile and massive incarcerations, Moliat has nearly relocated thirty to forty thousand Plain People to the five mountain counties.

Meanwhile, she has gradually moved nearly a hundred thousand mountain dwellers to Pingyuan County, primarily focusing on the farmsteads of the Mountain Knights and the mountain dwelling communities.

The Mountain Knights would directly take over the local manors, but they would not disrupt the Manor Lords' ownership.

Once the land rent was collected, thirty percent would go to the landlords, and seventy percent would go to the Mountain Knights.

This arrangement offered enough compensation to the Mountain Knights while avoiding an outright conflict with the local nobles.

However, in practice, if the Mountain Knights could share twenty percent with the landlords, it would be considered generous.

The Plain Knights were once the enemy and envy of the Mountain Knights.

Now that they hold power, they wouldn't leave them destitute in vain, or else their battles in the Thousand River Valley would have been for nothing.

Many knight and gentry families from the Plains were coerced by the Mountain Knights into engaging in industry and commerce.

Clashes between mountain dwellers and Plains residents became a common occurrence.

Due to the bias of sheriffs and County Governors, the mountain dwellers usually emerged victorious.

The displaced Plains residents either moved to South Bay, ventured into the mountains, or went to Langsande County for work.

This, in turn, provided Horn with a significant labor force.

The mountain dwellers were accustomed to flaunting their power, but when conscription orders arrived, they would be despondent.

This type of military settlement manor paid a "blood tax," meaning they didn't pay taxes in money but in people, creating a heavier military burden.

Conversely, ordinary farmers in the Hundred Households District no longer needed to bear combat duties.

The original "agricultural soldier system" of knights leading serfs into battle had changed. It transformed into the Mountain Manor system of "hereditary soldiers."

Continuing to draft new soldiers beyond the conscription of laborers had its reasons.

......

"Has the conscription work in the Military Settlement District been completed?"

With dark circles under his eyes, Herman set down the document he was holding.

Sitting across from him, the Minister of Military Affairs, Guillaume, also had dark circles around his eyes: "Three thousand mountain dweller recruits, sufficient for suppressing those causing trouble over bonds."

Now inside and outside Xia Lvcheng, as well as in nearby satellite towns.

Led by dispossessed nobles, a large number of speculators were provoking rural hooligans, creating uproar daily.

Meanwhile, Herman was tackling the Leia people at the border of the Immortal Stone Field and had to allocate forces to support André and Moliat.

Hence, he had to temporarily recruit some new soldiers.

Anyway, these Armed Farmers from the Knights' Manors trained regularly, and due to the recent drop in meat prices, most had acquired some breathing techniques.

They might not be fit for war but were suitable for quelling riots.

"Alright, let's give it a name, how about 'First Nao'an River Transport Corps'?"

Naming it like a logistics military unit escorting ships might reduce a lot of suspicion.

After instructing on these matters, Herman turned to the intelligence director Phil and asked, "Have you caught the rumor spreaders?"

"We are investigating in collaboration with Cheka, so far we've only caught a few lackeys, seemingly some Shadowless Man is in action."

"The lingering poison of the Church still hasn't been cleared," Herman murmured, "It's such a promising situation, sigh."

Now rumors spreading that Moliat is not a legitimate child are rampant, especially among the Mountain Faction nobles.

Unfortunately, there's been no word from Moliat so far, meaning it's hard to dispel the rumors.

The Mountain Knights, these hundred-thousand hereditary soldiers, aren't unconditionally loyal to Moliat.

Their loyalty is based on bloodline, namely the bloodline of the Hemashi Family.

To Horn, this type of loyalty seemed to have many loopholes, but it was the norm in this era.

Why do claims of war among lords often like to fabricate lewd rumors?

It's to undermine the legitimacy of their hereditary rule!

Rumors such as these, Moliat was usually the best at handling.

But the conservative Mountain Knights could neither accept Moliat as a Witch nor as an adopted daughter.

Yet the rumor mongers somehow acquired evidence from Nanny Louise and the Imperial Emblem Institute archives.

Plain Faction nobles are marching, Mountain Faction nobles are questioning.

This September isn't even over, and Hotam County is already in chaos.

The Minister of Military Affairs Guillaume suddenly asked, "Any leads on the debt crisis?"

"His Highness the Great Shepherd and Lady Catherine are trying to secure loans from the Falan, but the amount is uncertain."

"May the Holy Father bless us, may the Shepherd succeed, may the Duke be at peace," Guillaume smiled wryly.