I'm not a lord

Chapter 334 The Great Purge: From Occupation to Governance
After the remnants of the Marsh Dukes' forces in Golden Deer Castle were dealt with, the Marshlands officially entered the Lynn Era.

Even before Lynn officially took power, he had already begun to expand the army.

He knew very well that the army was always the foundation of his career.

The first to be expanded was the cavalry legion led by the second son, Hugh.

The legion has grown from five hundred heavy cavalry and five hundred light cavalry into a formidable force with three thousand light and heavy cavalry.

Incidentally, Lynn's heavy cavalry were mostly armored, and the armor was mostly basic chainmail. Only a small number of elite troops were equipped with plate armor or plate tunics and other advanced armor.

Light cavalry were mostly equipped with light leather armor, which facilitated reconnaissance of enemy positions and post-battle mopping-up operations.

The second group to be expanded was Lynn's personal guard.

Previously, the guard consisted of only two hundred men, but this time it has been expanded to five hundred, and all of them are heavily armored cavalry.

A personal guard of five hundred men is what a duke or even a king should have.

Moreover, Lynn wasn't trying to make a grand display; rather, he needed a personal guard to protect his castle, his family, and his court officials.

Then it was the turn of Yang's Turbulent Legion.

The legion was named after Turbulent County, where it was founded.

Before the war, the legion had only two thousand designated soldiers, most of whom were infantry.

Lynn immediately expanded the legion to five thousand men, and equipped it with a large battalion of light cavalry and thirty bronze mortars.

This gives the Turbulent Legion the ability to fight independently on paper, so they won't be afraid of either open field battles or siege warfare.

As for the sources of new recruits, they are quite varied.

These three thousand new recruits are actually veterans, and all of them have real combat experience.

Some of them were city militiamen, some were conscripted serfs, some were former court cavalrymen selected from among the cavalry, and some were even prisoners of war from the invading army in the south.

Of course, these prisoners of war were all from the North. They were forced to join the Southern Invaders due to the war, and after being captured, they voluntarily joined Lynn's army.

"Yang, come and look at the map."

At Lynn's friendly invitation, the third brother came to his side and stood with him to look at the map of the marshland hanging in the office.

Lynn pointed to the location of Blackwood Territory and slowly said, "The terrain of Blackwood Territory is very similar to that of Valley Territory, both being mountainous. Blackwood Fortress stands deep in the mountains, with the mountains as cover, and the roads into the mountains are extremely difficult to travel."

"After entering the territory, you don't need to rush to take Blackwood Castle. Your primary tasks should be conquering the land and pacifying the people. I will send a group of officials to accompany you on the expedition, governing as you fight. The day you take Blackwood Castle will be the day we completely conquer this earldom."

Simply put, Lynn is prepared for a long-term pacification campaign in Blackfurter Territory.

Even now, with disaster looming, dozens of noble knights are still willing to live and die with Blackwood Castle, which shows how deeply entrenched the Blackwood Earl family's rule is in the region.

It is foreseeable that Count Spico of Blackwood will use all available resources to put up a stubborn resistance.

Lynn's goal in launching this war was not only to conquer Blackwood Territory, but also to completely annihilate this region steeped in feudal traditions.

The third brother carefully examined the map, nodded, and said, "Big brother, I understand. I will cooperate with those officials to wipe out the local enemy troops and bandits, and do everything possible to maintain local security."

Lynn tapped the castle icon representing Blackwood Castle on the map with his index finger and said, "It's July now. I've given you a five-month deadline. You just need to take this castle before winter arrives, and you'll have successfully completed your mission."

Furthermore, your other mission this time is to train the troops through warfare, and to thoroughly integrate those three thousand new recruits into your existing forces.

"Yes, mission accomplished!" As he answered, Yang already had a preliminary training strategy in mind.

These three thousand new recruits are all of good caliber and do not require any further basic physical training.

During the march, they can practice formations and marching techniques.

Lynn gave him plenty of time, allowing him to launch attacks on Blackwood Castle in waves, using a strategy of attrition to wear down the defenders' strength and morale, while also training his troops' siege capabilities.

That evening, the first group of officials who had departed from Baihe Territory arrived at Jinlu Fort by boat.

Golden Deer Castle became the residence of successive Marsh Dukes not only because the island in the lake where the castle is located is easy to defend, but also because of the location's advantageous transportation.

Golden Deer Fortress can communicate with most of the territories and municipalities of the Marshlands solely through waterways.

The land transportation conditions in the area are also quite good; the fast horses dispatched can reach the surrounding counties or earls within two days.

Successive Marshland Dukes relied on the fortification and convenience of this castle to firmly grasp the entire Marshland territory.

Now, all of this belongs to Lynn.

He hosted a banquet in the castle hall for the outstanding officials he had personally selected, as well as the school graduates.

Under the bright candlelight, Lynn raised his glass and looked around at the elites below the stage. "Tomorrow, you will go to various counties in my name to take up your posts. Some will serve as county magistrates, some as county heads, and others as judges or tax collectors."

At this moment, you may feel uneasy or anxious, but you should all know that I am the one standing behind you, providing you with support and courage!
I will protect and support you, becoming your strong backing. You will use power in my name, turning it into a sharp sword in my hand to suppress and kill all those who are unwilling to submit to my rule.

But duty and power go hand in hand; you must always carry out my will and be my loyal representatives in every county.

You must always remember to exercise power with utmost caution. If you cross the boundaries I have set, or use your power to oppress those of lower status, then the power I have bestowed upon you will become a yoke around your necks, hanging you before the innocent!

After two years of talent development, Lynn was able to build a comprehensive administrative, judicial, and financial system covering the entire swamp territory.

These talents came from various sources, including the traditional feudal system of stewards and managers, the standardized education of officials' schools, and those who came from other territories.

Long before the formal attack on the Swamp Territory, Lynn had already studied how to arrange the officials in each county and personally met with many officials and students, thus enabling a seamless transition between occupation and governance.

Within the framework established by Lynn, county and district governors are local administrative officials who are the overseers of their respective jurisdictions and have the power to handle the vast majority of county and district affairs.

However, their primary task at present is to reclaim administrative power from the vested interest groups in the various manors of the Marshlands.

Previous dukes of the marshlands governed the local areas and collected taxes on a manor-by-manor basis.

The number of serfs under the jurisdiction of a manor was not fixed, ranging from several thousand to tens of thousands or even close to one hundred thousand. The manor steward appointed by the duke, as well as the stewards and manor managers under him, occupied the ecological niche of the grassroots officials.

Moreover, the steward not only possessed administrative power, but also combined judicial and taxation powers. He was both the chief judge in charge of the court and the chief tax collector of the estate.

As far as Lynn knew, the position of steward of most manors in the Marshlands was even hereditary.

Many steward families manage an estate for generations, and they only need to pay a fixed amount of tax to complete their task; the rest naturally goes into their pockets.

During Lynn's military campaign to conquer the Marshlands, most of the stewards fled back to Golden Deer, where he then wiped them all out.

These stewards, along with their families, have been exiled by Lynn to White Bear County. They will lose their identities and most of their property, becoming ordinary farmers who will have to support themselves by farming.

Although the position of chief steward is gone, the managers and local bullies below them still exist.

The officials Lynn sent were there to replace these local bullies and reclaim local governance for him.

The judges and tax officials played a similar role, establishing local judicial and tax systems directly subordinate to the court.

Above the judges are the Grand Justices and the Central Court, while above the tax officials are the Minister of Finance and the Ministry of Finance.

During this period, the local bullies will definitely be dissatisfied, and it may even escalate into armed resistance.

Lynn was, of course, prepared for armed suppression.

Under his arrangement, the two thousand infantrymen under Joseph the Fourth had been stationed in various castles.

Previously, successive dukes of the marshlands had relied on the garrisons in these small castles to monitor and protect their estates.

Now, Lynn's troops stationed in the area are to work with officials to purge the old guard and carry out a comprehensive 'purge' of the swamp territory.

Lynn did leave the old guard a way out. If these managers and estate owners were sensible, they could take the initiative to join them, or move their entire families to the municipality to become wealthy, or become clerks under the officials to assist them in governing the area.

In short, the ultimate goal of the local system built by Lynn was to collect taxes.

Without money and provisions, he couldn't support his massive army.

"You are all elites personally selected by me. I wish you all the best in overcoming all difficulties and obstacles and ultimately winning victory and honor!" With that, Lynn finished his mead in one gulp.

His words sounded like a final mobilization before the start of a war, and that was indeed the case.

Occupying Golden Deer Fortress does not mean he can truly rule the entire Marshland; these officials will continue to fight and kill for him.

They were all aware of the risks involved and were prepared to risk their lives.

Grey, from the Crown Territory, was sitting in the hall. When Lynn finished speaking, he led the way in standing up and applauding, his young face flushed with excitement.

Last fall, Gray left his hometown and went to White River to join Lynn.
He was full of confidence at the time, thinking that with his monastery degree and two years of work experience at the municipal court, he could find a satisfactory job in the newly established Baihe Territory.

But his wishful thinking failed. At that time, Baihe Territory was not short of grassroots officials, and the city hall of Sanhe City was overcrowded.

However, the Canglu County School at that time specially set up short-term training courses for these intellectuals from other places.

As long as they pass the school's academic exams, these out-of-towners can attend the training program for free and will be given job placement opportunities after graduation.

Gray had already spent his meager savings on his travels, so he took the exam on a whim.

After passing the exam, he was admitted to the civil service school and was assigned a free dormitory.

At school, he systematically studied Lynn's theories of local governance, as well as the adapted Northern Code.

By May of the following year, Gray had successfully graduated from the short-term training program and was told that he had a good chance of getting a position as a local judge.

He patiently waited for another two months, and finally today has arrived.

Gray is about to become a county judge in one of the counties in Golden Deer County, taking on the county's judicial duties.

He was naturally nervous, after all, at this time last year he was still a judicial assistant in a medium-sized municipality, and becoming a full-fledged judge was a long way off.

Amidst the tension, he also looked forward to a future full of endless possibilities.

Opportunities abound in the Marshlands under Lynn's rule. As long as one remains loyal to the lord and does one's job well, there are opportunities for promotion and salary increases. Moreover, the pioneers have already set an example for him.

Gray knew very well that the new governor of Golden Deer County, where he lived, had only been the steward of a minor baronial estate last year.

This clearly demonstrates how bold and unrestrained the current lords are in promoting talent.

As long as you have talent and are willing to work hard, even a serf can become a county magistrate!

After the meeting, a young classmate walked alongside Gray.

Gray put his arm around his classmate's shoulder and said warmly, "I'm a judge in the county next to yours. We can look out for each other. If you run into any trouble, be sure to come to me."

The blond student had drunk quite a bit tonight. He put his arm around Gray and, reeking of alcohol, grinned mischievously, "Of course! Don't forget me if you ever get into trouble. We can go to Golden Deer City together to relax during the holidays!"

"Haha, definitely, definitely! I'll treat you first when I get paid!" Gray laughed knowingly in return.

He is now riding high on success, having become the chief judge of a court in his early twenties—something he never dared to dream of before.

When he was working in the municipality, none of the judges he had ever met were younger than thirty-five.

It is precisely because there are too many vacant positions in the current swamp territory that these young people have opportunities.

However, Gray was not arrogant or complacent because of this. He knew in his heart that everything he had today was due to the lord's appreciation and promotion.

He also kept the lord's warning in mind and secretly vowed to do his best to be a good judge when he arrived in the local area.

After all, he was under the supervision of the Supreme Court and the Central Court, and every now and then a circuit court would come to their county to review the case files and criminals.

If a serious problem arises, he, as the county judge, will be the first to be held accountable.

(End of this chapter)