I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 372 A Mess and an Accident
In early summer in the Tavitsky Province, the fields are already a vibrant, tender green.

Newly planted crops stubbornly emerge from the war-torn land, creating a stark contrast with the still incomplete ruins of distant villages.

In this land filled with both hope and scars, one figure stands out as an oddity.

Valentine.

He rode a similarly aged but steady old horse slowly along the country dirt road.

His gray hair was neatly tied back, and his weathered face was etched with deep wrinkles, but his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, as if they could see through any pretense.

He was wearing an outfit that was quite different from the atmosphere of working in the fields, yet it was not glamorous or extravagant. The overall color was a calm apricot yellow, and the fabric was thick and durable twill cotton, rather than silk or fine wool, clearly designed to withstand long hours of outdoor cycling and the possibility of encountering wind, sand, and dust.

The subtle wear marks on the collar and elbows of the clothes suggest that the owner was not a bureaucrat sitting in an office.

The upper body is covered by a neatly tailored, slightly loose-fitting stand-up collar short jacket, which reaches the waist and is convenient for riding horses and getting off the ground to check things.

The collar, cuffs, and hem are trimmed with a black border about one finger wide, which is the only decorative detail that distinguishes it from ordinary clerks.

The only thing that distinguishes its special status is the emblem meticulously embroidered in silver-gray silk thread above the heart on its left chest: the outline of a double-headed eagle embraced by intertwined thorns.

The double-headed eagle is the symbol of the Bagnian royal family, while the thorns represent the challenging and protective nature of the censor's duties.

The emblem is small, but the stitches are fine and reflect light subtly on the dark fabric, exuding a low-key majesty. This emblem is a symbol personally bestowed by Prince Chris, granting him the power to speak directly to the Emperor.

She wore straight-leg trousers in the same color scheme, tucked into a pair of worn, well-maintained dark brown high-top leather boots.

A wide leather belt, dark brown in color and showing signs of wear, was tied around his waist. The belt had no ornate buckles, only a simple, practical brass clasp.

Notably, hanging on the right side of his belt is a knight's sword with an antique design and an old-fashioned scabbard... This is inextricably linked to his former identity as the Knight of the Azaleas and is also a symbol of his personal power.

On the left side of the belt hung a similarly simple leather document bag, containing charcoal pencils, paper, and important documents and seals.

He is now the inspector of the Tavitsky Province.

This position is at the middle level in the administrative hierarchy. It does not have a specific jurisdiction or handle specific administrative affairs, but its power is astonishing.

Valentine had the privilege of a direct audience with Prince Chris and to report to him privately. His eyes were the prince's eyes, surveying this newly settled land, especially the new force composed of locals and loyal to Bagnia... the Blue Banner Army.

The Blue Banner Army, modeled after the ancient Eight Banners system, was used by Chris as a tool to digest new territories and quickly establish grassroots rule.

The able-bodied men who were recruited locally were incorporated into the banner army, allocated military land, and then cultivated the land in peacetime, trained in leisure time, and served as auxiliary forces or local garrison troops in wartime.

However, these people were called auxiliary soldiers. They were not true banner soldiers. Banner soldiers were the actual owners of the land. They enjoyed tax exemptions, had a higher status than ordinary civilians and tenant farmers, and were loyal to the Kingdom of Bagnia and Prince Chris, who had granted them the land.

Valentine's current job is to inspect the Blue Banner Army's work, which seems to be problematic.

The old horse trod on the soft paddy field ridges, its hoofbeats swallowed by the early summer heat and the distant sounds of labor. The old rider's gaze slowly swept over this land that had been forcibly awakened.

What comes into view is a vast expanse of "new green".

This greenery did not come from fertile fields untouched by war, but from tender seedlings struggling to emerge from newly cultivated land, still bearing charred fragments and pebbles.

At the edge of the fields, one can still see the remnants of fallen fences and partially buried white bones, silently telling the story of the devastation that occurred not long ago.

On this land brimming with tenacious vitality, the figures of laborers are clearly distinguished.

The most eye-catching sights were the crowds toiling away in the fields.

They were dressed in tattered clothes, mostly old coarse linen garments, covered in mud.

The men, barefoot or wearing straw sandals, with their trousers rolled up high and backs hunched, vigorously wielded hoes, cultivating the barren land or carefully replanting crops.

The women and children followed behind, bending down to pick up stones, or using simple tools to loosen the soil and water the plants.

Regardless of gender, these people's faces were etched with fatigue and numbness, and sweat streamed down their dark cheeks, dripping into the soil beneath their feet.

These people were tenant farmers who were attached to the "banner" or "auxiliary soldiers" who were absorbed and had a lower status; they were not even banner soldiers.

They did not have their own military farmland; they worked under the banner officers or banner soldiers who owned farmland, in exchange for meager rations and the faint hope of becoming true "banner soldiers."

Their labor is the heaviest and most fundamental force on this land.

On the ridges of the fields, or under the makeshift sunshades erected at the edge of the fields, stood other people.

They wore uniform blue vests, which, although somewhat dusty, were noticeably cleaner, and most of them carried standard short knives or clubs at their waists; some even carried old matchlock guns.

Their expressions varied; some leaned lazily against tree stumps and dozed off, while others huddled together and talked in hushed tones, their eyes occasionally sweeping over the working tenant farmers with an unconscious sense of superiority.

Even worse, some would carry a leather whip, walk along the ridges of the fields with their hands behind their backs, and scan the progress of the work with sharp eyes. If they found anyone working too slowly, they would shout at them or simply lash the ground with the whip, making a piercing sound that would frighten the workers so much that they would swing their tools even more vigorously.

These people are the core of the Blue Banner Army... Banner soldiers who own military farmland.

The land beneath their feet, whether fertile or barren, nominally belonged to their centurion and enjoyed tax-free privileges.

They are the second "masters" under this new order, enjoying the rights granted to them by Prince Chris, and serving as the grassroots tentacles and military foundation of Bagnia's rule in Minicia.

At this moment, their "training" is to supervise the tenant farmers and auxiliary soldiers to ensure that "their own" fields are sown on time and that there will be a harvest in the fall.

Valentine's brows were deeply furrowed, and beneath his white beard, his lips were pressed into a cold, hard line. His rich life experience had given him insight into the surface of "vitality."

efficiency?

Undoubtedly, this Blue Flag Army system acted like a shot in the arm, organizing the scattered displaced people and landless peasants in the shortest possible time and binding them to the land.

Wasteland was quickly reclaimed, seeds were sown, and order was barely established under the threat of whips and bugles. Production was recovering; although taxes were currently waived, a tax base was forming, and manpower was being built up.

From the kingdom's perspective, this was undoubtedly the quickest way to stabilize Tavitsky and transform him into a rear supply depot and manpower source. Prince Chris's shrewdness and pragmatism had to be acknowledged as effective.

However, at this moment, a strong sense of disgust also surged in the heart of the old knight Valentine.

What kind of army is this? What kind of soldiers are these?
The weapons on their waists were not used to defend their homeland or uphold their honor, but to monitor and whip their compatriots who produced food for them!
The tax-free lands they enjoyed were not earned through military achievements and loyalty, but rather seemed to be a gift bestowed upon them by their new masters, and even became a tool for them to exploit the lower classes.

In his eyes, what difference was there between those "soldiers" pacing on the ridges of the fields and brandishing their whips and the evil officials and greedy landlords who oppressed serfs in the old days?

True chivalry values ​​martial arts, protection, and honor above life.

A knight should protect the weak with his sword, not drive them with his whip!

The land of knights is a reward of honor, and should be linked to responsibility and dedication, not a breeding ground for laziness and privilege!

Look at these flag soldiers. Apart from their uniforms and weapons at their waists, where is the spirit of a soldier in their eyes, their posture, and the way they treat their compatriots?

Where is there even a trace of pursuit of higher ideals?
They were more like overseers and new landlords in military uniforms than soldiers!
In Valentine's view, this system is a case of drinking poison to quench thirst. It does restore production, but it also creates new and deeper divisions and injustices.

It used privilege to buy off a group of people, putting them on the opposite side of the broader suffering population. It did not cultivate loyal warriors, but rather a greedy privileged class and apathetic exploited people.

If this continues, where will loyalty be?
Where is the fighting strength?

When a real crisis comes, can these "standard soldiers" who are used to whips and privileges be expected to charge into battle like real knights?

And how many seeds of resentment were buried in the hearts of those tenant farmers who toiled numbly under the whip?
"Humph."

Valentine let out another cold snort from his nose, this time heavier than before.

He saw the efficiency of the system, but he also saw its inherent corruption and huge hidden dangers.

Beneath this blue flag lies naked class oppression and utilitarian calculation, completely at odds with the chivalric code he upheld throughout his life.

He reined in his horse, no longer looking at the swaggering bannermen on the field ridges, but instead turning his gaze to the distant figures of tenant farmers toiling under the scorching sun.

Their sweat soaked through their tattered clothes, and their backs were bent by the weight of life.

Prince Chris needed Tavitsky's food and stability, but in this way... The old knight's heart was filled with worry and an unspeakable sorrow.

He turned his horse around, no longer patrolling along the field ridges, but instead headed towards a village where replanting had just been completed and tenant farmers were sitting wearily resting by the fields.

He needs to listen more closely to the voices of those who are trampled at the bottom, and see what this blue flag truly means to them.

The duty of the inspectors is not only to monitor whether the flag officials are corrupt, but also to see clearly the pulse of the system itself and the undercurrents flowing beneath the surface.

He had to include these, along with his deep concerns, in the report he was about to present to the prince.

Beneath this seemingly revitalized land, turbulent undercurrents are far more alarming than the surface calm.

……

Chris soon learned of this from Valentine's report. He was slightly surprised, but not overly astonished.

Because not only Valentine was reporting, but in fact, other players active in the three provinces were saying offline that the game was too realistic, and that the Blue Banner soldiers were exploiting tenant farmers too harshly, which could easily lead to problems.

Therefore, Chris knew that the Blue Banner Army soldiers were doing alright now, but barring any unforeseen circumstances, they would soon degenerate rapidly, just like the Eight Banners Army in history.

But Chris has no intention of changing this... not now.

Because the three newly occupied provinces are not yet stable, and the root of this instability is that the Bagnians are invaders, which makes it impossible for Chris to implement any local security system.

Because, apart from the Tavitsky Province, the locals in the other two places hate the Kingdom of Bagnia and Chris.

They should have hated the Retalians because they had ravaged the Kingdom of Minesia, but didn't the Retalians run away and the Bagnians take over the land?

Therefore, the locals took the opportunity to direct their hatred at the Kingdom of Bagnia, because they, like the Reteria, were foreign invaders.

The Kingdom of Minicia has not yet developed a national consciousness, but they generally have a sense of being "one of them" and "outsiders".

Things wouldn't have gotten this bad if Chris hadn't taken over these three provinces, without the destruction and plunder by the Retalians.

However, without the presence of the Retalians, Chris could at most occupy the Tavitsky Province, and he did not have enough troops to expand into the other two provinces.

Chris was confident he could defeat the army of the Kingdom of Minesia. With the players' fearlessness and ability to resurrect, no army on the continent could stand against them.

But what happens after you win?
To rule a region, being good at fighting isn't enough.

As it is now, apart from the locals of Tavisky Province who are grateful to Chris for the relief and domestication they received last winter and have a certain foundation for his rule, Chris wouldn't be surprised if rebels and guerrillas had emerged in the other two places if they weren't in such a state of chaos.

Because he had virtually no foundation for rule, Chris could only rely on the Blue Banner Army, which was formed by the Tavitskys, to replace the baojia system in the other two provinces and become the grassroots organization.

Even after the Retalians retreated, Chris could have marched north and occupied more territory of the Kingdom of Minicia, but why did he only take two in the end?
That's because Chris is already stuffed; he can't manage any more land.

"No...it's terrible, Your Highness!"

However, just when Chris was already in a state of panic, a voice came from outside, and then a messenger staggered into the military tent.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"Your Highness, something terrible has happened! The troops we sent to Minicia to meet the Tia family have returned with a report that the Tia family's hideout has been discovered by the Miniserian nobles..."

"What!?"

(End of this chapter)