Don't Mess with That Dragon-Chapter 683 - 071 Urban and Rural

Although the vast majority of urban lower-class citizens live a hard life, laboring day and night just to barely make ends meet, if there's no work, hunger becomes inevitable.

But at least,

they are not like the vast rural peasants who have no freedom, subjected to extreme oppression from the local noble lords.

In the countryside, they are merely a group of insensitive, emotionless labor tools, private property of the lords, working to death every day, at best only receiving a handful of beans to barely survive.

Among this vast group of peasants, due to noble lords' exploitation, heavy labor, and lack of nutrition from hunger, few can live beyond thirty.

Moreover, being peasants means generations after generations remain peasants.

Even their wives and offspring are private property of the noble lords, disposed of as they please.

Their status,

is even inferior to the pigs and dogs within the noble lords' estate.

In vast rural areas, compared to the urban lower class, it is an even more brutal hell.

Because in the noble lords' territories, everything, including growing forests, flowing rivers, fish swimming in the water, all belong to the noble lords.

The beasts and game in the forests are private property of the noble lords, and daring to catch them privately would incur heavy fines, severe cases might even lead to beating to death.

Even the firewood falling between the forests requires paying a firewood tax just to pick it up.

In the countryside, there are few places where real money can be seen.

So the most common hard currency is food.

Even free farmers under the oppression of these noble lords are cold and hungry, let alone peasants who don't even own their own property?

In recent years, due to frequent natural disasters and crop failures, the oppression from noble lords intensified, many free citizens went bankrupt, becoming peasants, or fled like those intolerable escapees to the southern kingdom seeking a glimmer of hope.

Yet due to the long-standing dominance and intimidation of the noble lords' rule, those daring to escape are few indeed.

Among several countries in Frandy Duchy, the plains and river regions in the south are the wealthiest, but also the most oppressed for the vast lower-class citizens in these places.

This is the true face of rural rule under the feudal system in the Middle Ages.

Noble lords are high above, the vast lower-class peasants wallow in deep water and hot fire, the existence of Extraordinary Abilities makes class even more solidified compared to Austin's past world.

Noble sons are born nobles, peasants' descendants are peasants for generations.

If there are no accidents, then the pyramid-like steady class oppression and rule will lie heavily on the shoulders of countless peasants, making it nearly impossible for the lower-class citizens to overthrow.

But the arrival of the Blue Dragon Kingdom changed all this.

When the Dragon Nest Legion swept across and uprooted the old noble forces, the new grassroots government of the Blue Dragon Kingdom took over, bringing light to the countless peasants living in darkness.

Initially, by strong power, they took over the legacy left behind by old nobles, cleaning up those evil oppressing henchmen.

Then abolished the peasant system, implemented policies as in the cities, took out the food hoarded in the noble lords' castles and distributed it free, providing three days of food to establish the cohesion and prestige of the populace.

Next, using the powerful authority and prestige, they organized vast rural peasants and free farmers, offering food as a reward, first underwent simple training, then began large-scale restoration of production work.

At the same time,

The militia teams that entered alongside began cracking down on nearby thieves, attracting the run-away slaves wandering in the forests down the mountains to assist in the reclamation work.

Of course.

Whether it is the vast countryside or urban areas, each place has its own problems, the overall policy hasn't changed much, but when put into practice some minor adjustments were made.

Such as in cities, besides the noble lord class in the Upper East District, there are also vendors, blacksmiths, artisans who live a middle-class life through their own efforts, or those with Extraordinary Abilities such as mages, warriors, mercenaries, etc.

These are on a completely different level from the vast urban poor, whose lives are not particularly affluent but do not lack food, thus cannot be indiscriminately included into the wartime reconstruction system.

These are the main source of a city's commercial prosperity, and the Blue Dragon Kingdom's government did not fully dismiss them, at most just sent militia patrol officers to enhance surveillance and maintain security stability.

The countryside is likewise.

Besides the penniless peasants and near-bankrupt farmers, there are also some affluent free small landowners.

These self-sufficient classes, the grassroots authority of the Blue Dragon Kingdom in the countryside naturally has no intention to unify them, letting them cultivate their own land and carry on production.

Although the Blue Dragon Kingdom follows the route of rescuing masses of lower-class citizens in deep distress, it does not go as far as destroying landlords and distributing land, or exterminating all class enemies.

Destroying the old noble class is already enough.

As time gradually flows,

The new ruling area swiftly calmed down from the chaos, starting to restore and construct and produce.

Just like this,

The areas conquered by the Blue Dragon Legion are rapidly being incorporated into the Blue Dragon Kingdom's dominion.

Although production in many places hasn't recovered yet, not completely integrated into the Blue Dragon Kingdom's economic sphere, this vast region, with its large population, has already become a part of the Blue Dragon Kingdom's foundation, waiting to be managed well for one or two years, it will become the driving force for the Blue Dragon Kingdom's rapid national strength enhancement!

And at this time, the army is still marching north conquering territory, about to attack the gates of the enemy nation's Royal City.

Occasionally, there are old noble oppressive forces fleeing the rear, still engaging in negligible resistance, but amidst the vast sea of the populace, they ultimately failed to stir large unrest and were suppressed.

Everything is developing in a good direction.

Within the Blue Dragon Kingdom, people cheer loudly for the successive victories, praising the greatness of His Majesty Austin.

Newspapers publish lengthy concurrent articles about the war, sparking heated discussions across society.

Military commentators admire the brilliance of this blitzkrieg, before the enemy even reacted, they had already contributed over half of the enemy's territory area, reaching the gates of the Royal City.

Economic researchers analyze the benefits to the Blue Dragon Kingdom after swallowing such vast lands and population, prompting many merchants and factory owners to feel the impulse to build factories and begin cross-border investigations.

The vast ordinary citizens are more concerned about the heroic stories emerging during the war.

As for Austin, the owner of this now incredibly powerful kingdom, his real body is in closed-door cultivation within the Endless Chaotic Void, while his incarnation sits in the world, with eyes and mind cast towards another direction on the horizon...