Golden Dragon: Six Thousand Years of Empire-Chapter 733 - 414: The Golden Dragon Lord’s Jealousy (Part 2)
"Tax reduction by half? How is that possible? This shouldn’t be! If taxes are cut in half, how will the lords, ladies, and young masters live? Sir, did you misread the order?"
The fat on the village head’s face trembled, his eyes nearly bulging out as he reminded the knight in front of him.
Not to mention that he had been a village head all his life without ever hearing of a tax reduction order; even his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had never seen a tax reduction. Can it really be reduced?
"What are you? Just a hog daring to question me?"
The knight, whose emotions had long been suppressed to the extreme, found an outlet for his outburst,
"I tell you, in the next quarter, if you dare to collect one extra copper coin, I’ll personally hang you."
"No, I wouldn’t dare."
Hearing the knight’s bloodthirsty words, though unaware of what madness he was on about, the village head, sensing the knight was not joking, felt his legs trembling and repeatedly promised not to do so.
"Are we all free citizens now?"
"Will we only need to pay half the taxes in the future?"
"Is this really true?"
The happiness came too suddenly, so much so that many farmers could not react, or rather, found it hard to believe that the nobles would proactively reduce taxes.
Such a beautiful order made every farmer feel as if they had fallen into a dream, where everything seemed so unreal.
Therefore, many farmers, after coming back to their senses, incredulously slapped their cheeks and pinched their thighs hard. They used the pain to confirm they were still in the real world and not in a dream.
Before long, a murmuring buzz of voices rose, with farmers discussing and many voices filled with confusion,
"I’m not a farmer now, but a free citizen, but I don’t have any land of my own. What will I depend on for a living in the future?"
"From today onward, in this land, there will be no more serfs. Landless free citizens can buy land on credit, purchasing it first with a loan, then repaying it in installments with the harvest each year."
Noticing the commotion below and hearing the annoying voices of these commoners, the knight had no choice but to supplement the order just given.
"Aren’t we dreaming?"
"How is it possible? Could such a thing really happen?"
The matter was too good, beyond common sense and understanding. It made the peasants, who were constantly on the move for a living, have to wonder if the noble lords had come up with a new trick to torment and exploit them, until,
Roar～
The Flying Dragon that was seen in the distance earlier appeared above the village. Upon seeing the Flying Dragon, the knight, who was previously filled with agitation and impatience, immediately showed a smile and shouted loudly:
"This is a blessing bestowed by the supreme and holy Holy Dragon Emperor!"
Roar～
The Flying Dragon descended from the sky, and then, the farmers filled with joy, confusion, and puzzlement saw that the once high and mighty knight now displayed the same demeanor as the village head beside him, bowing low with a fawning, ingratiating expression on his face, akin to a lapdog.
"Sir, I have carried out the tasks you instructed. You may ask them."
"Hmph!"
The knight on the Dragon’s back responded, casting his gaze at the little noble in front of him, full of flattery, noticing the bits of parchment at his feet,
"Do you have any dissatisfaction with the order from the Holy Dragon Emperor?"
"No, not at all. I wholeheartedly uphold every order of the Holy Dragon Emperor, without any dissatisfaction."
Seeing the knight, close to kneeling, prove his loyalty with tears, and the frightened peasants who were now at a loss for words due to the arrival of the Flying Dragon, they hazily understood the reason they heard such a dreamy, even unreal thing.
"Long live the Holy Dragon Emperor!"
Although they didn’t know who the Holy Dragon Emperor was, anyone who could liberate all serfs, arrange land for them, and halve their taxes must be the most benevolent being in the world.
...
"You are free!"
When the drowsily sleepy Sally, groggy and following a crowd of sisters, was led by a gloomy madam to an enclosed place, she vaguely heard the voice of a man coming from the podium in front.
"What does it mean to be free?"
Without understanding the significance of this sentence, Sally looked around. She saw many familiar faces here, flowery women mixing in taverns, dancers in brothels.
Singers and dancers who served dignitaries, as well as prostitutes used by crude adventurers to vent, from the elegant to the vulgar, professionals from across the city were gathered in one place.
The mixed smell of cheap rouge and high-end perfumes was suffocating, with a faint stench of blood and the rot of dead fish.
"From today on, you no longer need to sell your bodies for money; this is illegal. Likewise, no one can force you anymore; this is a crime!"
The man’s voice continued, a booming voice suppressing all the noise and whispers.
"What?"
Many of the flower girls and dancers simply watched the man on stage reading aloud, clueless, and some even burst into laughter.
What illegality? What crime? Isn’t this going to destroy and strike the entire industry, preventing them from making money?
Many madams and bar owners present couldn’t help but clench their fists, but seeing the guards on either side of the man with scale patterns on their necks, they silently loosened their grip.
"It sounds great, not letting us be oppressed anymore, but we have nothing except our bodies. How will we make a living? Surely we can’t be left to starve?"
"That’s right, I became a prostitute because I was afraid of starving. If you tell me not to do it anymore, what will I eat? Why don’t you support me then? You seem pretty decent."
"Hahaha!"
A burst of women’s laughter erupted in the room. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
"Of course we won’t let you be destitute, starving, and freezing. First, we will conduct a physical examination for you, treating any possible illnesses, then organize educational sessions to help those who are illiterate, and similarly, teach you to master any production skills you are interested in, allowing you to earn money through your own talents."
The man remained composed, unaffected by this teasing, still speaking with a very affable smile.
"Sounds too good to be true?"
"Of course."
Faced with many skeptical and distrustful gazes, the man had a resolute look in his eyes.
"Why? What do you want from us?"
"Indeed, there’s no benefit to you, so why help us?"
"Because you are people of the Holy Dragon, and the people of the Holy Dragon should not sink into sin. No illegal or criminal places are allowed on the land of the Holy Dragon."
...
"In this week’s operation against yellow and rectifying non-compliance, the Blue Mountain Duchy has cumulatively rectified and assisted over 138,200 female practitioners, thoroughly investigating and shuttering 8,562 illegal operation sites, hitting 1,532 illegal and criminal groups, detaining over 140,000 criminals, and sentencing 60,000 to death..."
While resting his eyes, Alexander also listened intently to the rectification results from each vassal state. These were the achievements reported by the vassals to him, but they were also his merits to present to his great-uncle Noah.
Although he didn’t understand why Noah, who often interacted with the Divine, was so concerned about mortals, this didn’t matter to Alexander, who sought to please his great uncle. As long as he could satisfy his great uncle, nothing else was important.
"Astraea, blessed with the talents of the Sky and Nature’s Will and, upon birth, also received the True Blood Benediction of great-uncle Noah!"
The Golden Dragon Lord, having received reports of success from his vassal states, did not maintain his good mood for long, as he frequently became troubled by one matter recently. Every time he thought of it, he felt a heavy heart, a face full of melancholy, and he was filled with a sense of dissatisfaction and unfairness,
Such an outstanding descendant of the Augustus family, as the family head, Alexander was naturally pleased with it, as the family’s strength was growing.
But what troubled him was that such an outstanding Augustus descendant was not his progeny, and what made him even more unsettled was that none of his current offspring could compare to this one.
Because none of his children could bear the True Blood Benediction without dying; were it not for this, he wouldn’t feel so dissatisfied. If even one could match him, his current mindset would be much more peaceful.
