I, the heir of the great Eastern nation

....................................

After the York knight left, Liu Zhao, who had been up all night for two days, quickly felt tired. He casually finished the red berries in his hand and went straight to sleep.

When I woke up again, it was already night.

He had just gotten up and eaten something quick when York and Simon appeared outside the door.

"Your Highness, as you instructed, we went to Red Fruit Village in Black Stone Mountain to investigate. Just as you guessed, something did happen there in the past two days."

The Knight of York walked to Liu Zhao's side and began to tell him the details of the investigation.

"According to the villagers, after you left, the lord of Red Fruit Village claimed damage to his territory and property the next day and confiscated all the two coins the villagers had received."

The woman named Anna was scolded and blamed because she used the silver coins to pay off some debts on the same day she received them. Furthermore, the lord demanded that she make up the debt within a month.

In order to sell the hawthorns for a higher price, she and other villagers traveled a long distance to the capital to sell the fruit. That's how it happened.

After hearing what the Knight of York said, Liu Zhao couldn't help but frown.

"Did the lord suffer losses to his territory and property? What losses did he suffer?"

The Knight of York continued to answer Liu Zhao's questions.

"According to the villagers, the lord's reason was that every tree and blade of grass within the entire territory belonged to him, and the firewood and fuel you used when you set fire to the demonized wolf's den, as well as the trees and animals that were burned, were all counted as his losses."

The villagers who collected firewood and fuel became the targets of his claims.

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhao was stunned for a moment.

"Do you know how much a small patch of trees, plus at most two hundred kilograms of firewood, would be worth at normal market prices?"

The Knight of York thought carefully for a moment and then gave his answer.

"At most, it would be worth three silver coins at market price."

"Three silver coins!"

Liu Zhao couldn't help but widen his eyes and suddenly stand up.

"He not only confiscated all 52 silver coins from the 26 villagers, totaling three silver coins, but also forced them to pay the remaining compensation?"

For a moment, Liu Zhao was both shocked and furious at the lord's insatiable greed.

"Is this even human?"

York and Simon stood to the side, silent.

After a moment, Liu Zhao calmed down and immediately began to think of a solution.

Originally, after gaining a deeper understanding of the background and rules of this world, he clearly realized that he, coming from modern civilized society, was incompatible with this class-based slave society.

The title of "Heir to a Great Eastern Power" above his head also means that he will never be able to keep a low profile in this lifetime.

Liu Zhao had also carefully considered his next steps.

His upbringing prevented him from becoming a slave-owning aristocrat who gained a sense of superiority by exploiting and trampling on the dignity of the lower classes.

Children raised under the red flag are even less able to turn a blind eye to such wanton bullying of the weak.

Therefore, from the very beginning, his actions have essentially been guided by one idea.

Being poor cares themselves, being wealthy cares the world.

At first, he thought that when he lacked strength, he should lie low for the time being, try not to make enemies or cause trouble, and wait until he had enough strength before going further to change those injustices and darkness.

Originally, Liu Zhao thought this matter would be very simple.

Isn't it just about enduring and forbearance? Be more open-minded and take it easy. Anyway, I'm all alone in this world with no ties. As long as I don't do anything reckless, with my unique protection, I'll be able to rise up sooner or later.

However, when he actually encountered a problem, he realized he was wrong.

He couldn't stand it.

He simply couldn't turn a blind eye to such wanton bullying of the weak and trampling of dignity.

It would have been better not to know. Now that I know, and I do have some ability, I have to do something about it.

"York, do you know who the lord is for the territory that Red Fruit Village belongs to?"

The Knight of York nodded.

"Your Highness, Red Fruit Village is a village under the jurisdiction of Blackstone Territory. The lord's name is Mark Ert, a knight under Viscount Kevin Barnes."

"Knighthood?"

Liu Zhao nodded and continued speaking.

"I remember Mrs. Love once said that she has some connections in the Reilly Chamber of Commerce. Perfect timing. Go find Manager Charlie, whom you met before, and tell him that I need detailed information about this Viscount Kevin. Please ask him for help as soon as possible."

Upon hearing Liu Zhao's words, the Knight of York immediately nodded.

"Yes, Your Highness."

After York and Simon left, Liu Zhao began to think again.

Given the current situation in Red Fruit Village, it's impossible for a mere foreign prince like myself to make a local viscount obey, and it's also unrealistic to use violence to solve the root problem against a nobleman with privileged protection.

After weighing the pros and cons, Liu Zhao also came to a conclusion.

For these nobles who are only interested in wealth and personal gain, making the common people under their command live a little better is almost no different from making them lose money.

Using power to intimidate others, even if the other party agrees on the surface, will only result in the villagers being blamed.

Therefore, the only way to get these people to back down is to offer even greater wealth and benefits.

"At this point in time, it's unrealistic to lead them to a revolution or rebellion under the current conditions. So let's settle for second best and try targeted poverty alleviation first."

"Let me think... what good money-making ideas can I use? Red Fruit Village...it's rich in red fruit...a business opportunity! I've got it!"

Soon, Liu Zhao had an idea.

"However, it would be difficult for me, an outsider, to handle this kind of thing alone. It would be best to work with a local person of high status to achieve twice the result with half the effort."

The moment the thought crossed Liu Zhao's mind, a suitable candidate came to mind.

……

A moment later, at the entrance of the girls' dormitory.

Christine crossed her arms and looked at Liu Zhao, who had come to her door carrying a bag of hawthorns, with a puzzled expression.

"The chief tournament is just around the corner, and instead of practicing, you're coming to find me? What's up?"

Liu Zhao didn't mince words with this proud noblewoman in front of him and went straight to the point.

"Do you remember Hongguo Village? The villagers just brought me some fruit."

Christine's eyes flickered as she looked at the brightly colored fruit in Liu Zhao's bag. She immediately felt a little annoyed and made no attempt to hide her disdain.

"Why are you telling me this? To show off? Ha~ You've got the wrong idea. Only outsiders from remote rural countries like you would eat this kind of fruit. I wouldn't even give it a second glance normally."

Liu Zhao shook his head.

"You were there when we destroyed the demonized wolf's den that day, so you got a share of the gift, of course. But the villagers couldn't see you, so they asked me to bring yours over."

Under Christine's slightly stunned gaze, Liu Zhao handed her a bag of hawthorns.

Christine took the fruit, a hint of surprise and joy flashing in her eyes, but her face remained nonchalant.

"Alright, since it's their kind gesture, I might as well try a couple of bites."

Her changes in expression naturally did not escape Liu Zhao's observation.

Seeing Christine accept the bag of red berries, Liu Zhao smiled slightly, knowing that the rest should be easy.

"Besides bringing you fruit, there's something else I need to tell you."

Liu Zhao looked at Christine and told her directly about the situation in Red Fruit Village.

Then, under the girl's clearly angry gaze, he revealed his purpose.

"I want to help them, do you want to come with me?"