Mount and Blade Central Asia

"Then Miam, tell me the reason for your riot." Li Rufeng's voice carried a soothing power that made Miam see a glimmer of hope out of thin air.

"Sir, four people died in the quarry, but the merchants won't compensate us. Even slaves have a price. Our lives are worthless, but they are the lifeblood of our family." Miam calmly delivered her prepared speech. "One of the dead was a friend of mine. I wanted to help him from the beginning, otherwise his children and elderly wouldn't survive the winter."

The citizens who were listening began to whisper to each other. Apparently, many of them had been so busy watching the incident that they had no idea what was going on.

"What about you, gentlemen?" Li Rufeng turned his gaze to the group of businessmen again. "Is what Miyam said true?"

Several businessmen looked at each other, hesitating and no one wanted to stand up and answer.

So Master Li simply pointed at the one who was shaking the most and said, "You answer, is what Miyam said true?"

"I'm the shaman of Changshengtian. I have eyes that can see through lies. Look into my eyes when you speak." Li Rufeng hooked his finger and had his guards bring the merchant over. He stared into his eyes and said, "Right now, you're looking into Changshengtian's spokesperson. When you lie, you're lying to Changshengtian. A flaming blade will instantly pierce your body."

The merchant was shaking even more violently. If he hadn't been supported by his personal guards, he probably wouldn't even be able to stand steadily.

"Is what he said true?" Li Rufeng asked again.

"...Yes...Yes!" The merchant answered tremblingly, his eyes constantly dodging, but he was always straightened by the guards.

"Why don't you pay compensation when someone dies?" Li Rufeng continued to ask.

This question left the businessman speechless, because strictly speaking, this matter was a matter of conscience. Compensation could be paid or not, depending entirely on whether the businessman had a conscience.

Conscience is actually a rare thing in the business world.

Normally, in order to maintain their reputation and to ensure that the quarry does not affect production, merchants would be more or less considerate, but this time it was different.

First of all, this group of united merchants were all small vendors before, and they didn't care about their reputation at all; secondly, after the quarry was restarted, the largest supplier was the city of Aleppo, and now the most important city walls, gates, and lord's palaces of Aleppo have been completed, so they are not in a hurry for the rest, even if it affects production.

The most important point is that these small businessmen really have no money now.

But this "no money" refers to a lack of liquidity, not a lack of assets. Ultimately, these people are reluctant to give up.

"What did they agree with you when they hired you?" Li Rufeng looked at Miam again. "How much is the salary? Is it calculated by the day or by the piece? Did they tell you what to do if there are any accidents?"

Miam opened her mouth but ultimately shook her head and said honestly, "I'm paid by the piece. I'm responsible for hammering the stones. For every qualified stone bar I produce, I get three copper coins. I never told you what to do if there's an accident."

He was the lowest-level worker in the quarry, responsible for knocking down the large blocks of stone, while the real stonemasons were only responsible for roughly carving the stones into suitable shapes.

Murad, the stonemason next to him, spoke up at this moment: "Sir, let me say this. Although there is no agreement, when something like this happened during work, it was always agreed that the family would be paid one to one and a half years' salary."

"So, you indeed didn't agree on how to compensate in case of an accident, but there are actually established rules, right?" Li Rufeng concluded.

"Sir, we...we didn't know!" The merchant was about to cry, but he also tried his best to defend himself, "I used to be a jeweler, I didn't know there was such a rule!"

"Did they tell you?" Li Rufeng asked him.

The businessman opened his mouth but ultimately did not refute. He just kept repeating that he was an outsider and did not understand these rules.

"You took on this project and profited from it, so you can't say such unprofessional things." Li Rufeng patted the businessman's face, stood up, and asked the citizens who had come to watch the excitement, "Do you all understand what's going on?"

The onlookers looked at Li Rufeng in bewilderment. They obviously never dreamed that they would not only have melons to eat and tea to drink, but also have the opportunity to interact on the spot!

Soon someone broke the silence, a man yelled: "Profligate merchants! It's the profiteers' fault!"

"Yes, that's right, a profiteer! A black-hearted businessman!"

"I bought a copper hand gesture from him before, and he made it smaller than what I wanted and he refused to admit it! He's a dishonest businessman!"

The businessman fainted without catching his breath. Li Rufeng interrupted the people's calls at the right time and ordered people to drag the useless businessman away. He then pointed to a pale-faced businessman.

"What do you think I should do with this matter?" Li Rufeng asked the businessman.

"We...lose money?" The businessman was quite understanding and said tentatively.

"Not very sincere." Li Rufeng shook his head.

"More compensation?" The businessman increased the bid again.

"It's quite interesting." Li Rufeng smiled.

"We are willing to pay twice as much!" The businessman endured the pain and shouted out a high price.

"What do you think?" Li Rufeng asked Miam again.

But Miam was even more confused than the onlookers below. Was the lord speaking up for her group? Then why did he bring her back?

“We are very satisfied.” Murad spoke again for Miyam and knelt on the ground. “On behalf of those who died, I thank you for your generosity and kindness!”

"Okay, in that case, let's do it this way." Li Rufeng clapped his hands and asked someone to bring him paper and pen to start taking notes.

"Now, let's talk about your riot. Why didn't you come to me for justice, but instead used extreme measures?" Li Rufeng's face lost its kind smile, and he asked seriously.

"I...I..." Miam wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say. After all, this damn place had been unattended for many years. Who would think of asking the lord to solve the problem first?

But then a sudden inspiration struck him, and he said, "I am guilty. I will leave it to you, my Lord, to punish me!"

Chapter 233: Curtain Call

Li Rufeng was not very interested in killing such an "honest man". He just wanted to take the opportunity to publicize the policies he was about to promulgate and increase his presence.

Compared with politicians in later generations, the rulers of this era were much more brutal. They relied on bloodline and faith to obtain and consolidate their power. As for those who were ruled, especially those at the bottom, their will was never important.

Li Rufeng did not intend to boast that he was a very democratic and benevolent lord. That was meaningless and, in the words of his peers of the same era, too demeaning. But he did need to work harder than his peers to consolidate his power.

Because he had neither bloodline nor faith, and even no legal legitimacy, Li Rufeng was able to occupy a city so openly without being attacked by surrounding forces. He simply took advantage of a loophole in the power field.

The surrounding regimes were either newly emerged and the external threat had not yet been eliminated, or they were in civil strife and had not even emerged as the nominal sultan, or their ruling cores were isolated overseas and their influence was greatly weakened by the ocean.

If Mr. Li did this in Europe, he would have been crushed to ashes long ago.

Therefore, Li Rufeng must make this show as exciting as possible. A normal show should not only have a foreshadowing, a turning point, and a climax, but also be a bit legendary. Only with such a perfect performance can these onlookers spontaneously spread the story - spread it with Li Rufeng's will.

No matter how this story is distorted as it is passed from person to person, its core purpose remains

Nothing will change. This will be a story about the lord's unique vision and fair judgment.

As long as Li Rufeng can control the situation well, all the merchants will hear is that although the merchants being tried have made big mistakes, they are ultimately only fined and can go home to continue their business.

What the common people heard was that the lord punished the bad guys and protected workers like them...

A person who came from unknown origins, obtained the city by illegal means, and proclaimed himself the lord, must constantly maintain his exposure so that the people of this land can accept, get used to, and obey his will as soon as possible.

Li Rufeng knew the scene was about to reach its climax. He coughed lightly, stood up, walked over to Miam, and said, "I already know the cause, process, and outcome of this incident. You all know that I am the Shaman of Changshengtian. Now, I swear in front of Changshengtian that I will make a fair and just judgment. No good person will be wronged, and no bad person will escape."

The people were completely silent, but many of them subconsciously clutched the corners of their clothes, not even bothering to drink their tea.

Miam's eyes lit up when she heard that the good guys would not be wronged, while the businessmen trembled subconsciously when they heard that the bad guys could not escape.

"The first reason this matter has reached this point is because the employer and the employee lack a formal, mutually agreed-upon agreement," Li Rufeng said to everyone present. "Clearly, established rules are no match for a written contract. This is where the big mistake started."

"I declare that from today onwards, all employment relationships in Aleppo lasting more than a week must be documented in written form. To protect the interests of both parties, the Lord's Mansion will publish the basic obligations and rights of both parties in the next few days and make them public to the entire city." Li Rufeng stated the big thing he really wanted to do with this opportunity, and emphasized, "Due to the high cost of paper, clay panels will be used instead during the trial phase."

The spectators were still watching the show. Due to their limited vision and cultural level, they were unable to understand how Li Rufeng's words would change their lives.

But the merchants present had already started whispering to each other. They couldn't quite see what Li Rufeng's purpose was, but they had keenly realized that the lord attached great importance to this matter.

"You chose to ignore the impact of the workers' deaths because of your greed for money. This is not illegal, but it goes against human ethics and is disliked by Changshengtian." Li Rufeng's words made several businessmen's faces turn pale.

The onlookers who had been waiting for this moment immediately began to cheer quietly. They might not be on the side of the quarry workers, but they were definitely willing to see those businessmen who were getting richer than themselves get into trouble. This is the so-called weakness of human nature. Anyone who can transcend this weakness will go down in history.

"But you are not believers of Changshengtian, and I will not harm you because of my own preferences." Li Rufeng said slowly, whetting the appetite of the onlookers.

"However, in addition to paying double compensation for the deceased, you will still bear partial responsibility for causing this riot," Li Rufeng continued. "I declare that you will lose the contract rights to the quarry. The quarry will be auctioned off again at the next Chamber of Commerce. In addition, you must compensate for the losses caused by the quarry strike during this period."

"Because this is a punishment, the compensation amount will be doubled. The relevant bill will be sent directly to your home later." Li Rufeng finally said, "That's all. Greed will eventually be punished with loss. Remember this!"

Several businessmen immediately collapsed on the ground. After a rough calculation, they found that it was not an unacceptable number to divide the compensation money equally among each person. At least it would not make them bankrupt, but it would only make them lose their previous profits.

"Then there are you, Miam, Murad, and you, Tomaran. You were brave, but impulsive. Although you were doing it for your companions, you used the wrong method." Li Rufeng looked at these three people of different ages but similar temperaments and said, "I declare that for your disobedience, you will serve hard labor... for three years."

When the people around heard Li Rufeng drawl out the result of three years of hard labor, they exclaimed in surprise and whispered that it was unfair!

Miam just closed her eyes, as if accepting her fate, while Murad moved his lips as if he wanted to say something. Only Tomalan spat and turned his head stubbornly to give Li Rufeng a side profile.

In those days, hard labor was a tough job, and three years was enough for any strong man to die from it.

"The labor service will be at the Lord's Mansion. You will be responsible for the employment relationship audit I mentioned earlier. Regularly check to see if anyone has failed to fulfill their obligations as agreed, or if their rights have been violated, based on the terms of the contract." Li Rufeng paused before continuing. "I believe that after all this experience, you should better understand the importance of contracts. Don't let me down."

Hearing Li Rufeng's words, the three of them widened their eyes. The businessmen looked at each other, feeling that they needed some time to digest this information, while the crowd finally cheered!

"May the Eternal Heaven praise you, my lord!" someone shouted.

Li Rufeng smiled the moment he turned around. He did not look back, but disappeared into the depths of the lord's mansion, like an actor who had finished his performance.

从

From now on, he is once again the high and mighty lord who needs to distance himself from the ruled class in order to maintain his beauty.

The author says:

Author's words: The number of words is a bit less, but I have already expressed everything I want to express. Some chapters will make you feel satisfied the moment you finish writing them, and this chapter is like that. I hope you will like it too.

Chapter 234 Meeting Guests

After the public trial, Li Rufeng's name once again became a "new darling" among people. Those who had lived an ordinary life and whose most exciting experience was the Aleppo Massacre had never seen such an interesting thing before.

When they were at work during the day, they discussed it with their colleagues and friends; when they returned home for dinner at night, they discussed it with their wives and children; even when they were making babies at night, someone would call out the lord's name, and the people eavesdropping next door would reply, "The tea in the lord's mansion is so delicious!"

In short, Li Rufeng once again became a topic of conversation, but compared to the common people who liked to watch the fun, businessmen were more interested in knowing the specific content of the so-called contract law and the responsibilities of the Industrial and Commercial Administration Bureau, which was responsible for recording and reviewing the contents of the contract.

"Sir, what is the main responsibility of the Industrial and Commercial Administration Bureau?" Muzaffar asked Li Rufeng very representatively.

It was already the morning of July 2, 1408, and Li Rufeng, as usual, liked to discuss business with his subordinates at the dinner table.

On the one hand, this is to make more effective use of time so as to save enough time for Mr. Li to be lazy. On the other hand, talking while eating can also dilute the relationship between superiors and subordinates.

Li Rufeng's network is too shallow and he has too few talents to rely on. Muzaffar is the most important person among them, and he is also his first follower. It is necessary to improve his favorability.

"All matters involving commercial activities are under its jurisdiction. You will be the first director of the Industrial and Commercial Administration Bureau in the future." Li Rufeng said lightly, and temporarily omitted the concept of workers and industry represented by the Institute of Industry and Commerce in industrial and commercial administration.

After all, Aleppo is far from being qualified to mention the word "industry" now. Li Rufeng optimistically estimates that after the blacksmith district has been in stable production for five years, he may be able to complete the word.

"Well, then I will... still be responsible for collecting commercial taxes?" Muzaffar asked uncertainly.

Because Li Rufeng had previously announced that everyone would be exempt from taxes this year, including head tax, land tax and business tax, the entire Aleppo was actually operating at zero income. All administrative expenses and military expenses were lost money by Master Li, which is why there is now a happy scene in Aleppo with everyone laughing.

While waiting for everything to return to normal, every citizen in Aleppo had to pay a poll tax per head. Although the amount was not much, it was mandatory.

People who own properties and shops also have to pay real estate tax. In some more remote towns, the lord's main source of income comes from these two, among which real estate tax is the largest.

But Aleppo has the foundation of a commercial hub after all. In the past, the lords of Aleppo made most of their money from commercial taxes, which were divided into transaction taxes and customs duties. The former was mainly aimed at buying and selling transactions within the city, while the latter was aimed at traveling merchants. Simply put, all it takes is one slogan to make everyone understand - I opened this mountain and planted this tree. If you want to pass through here, you have to pay a toll. It's that simple.

The policy that Li Rufeng is currently promoting is that in the first year, both head tax and real estate tax will be waived, which can be regarded as a gift from the new lord to all citizens when he takes office. Transaction tax will also be waived for one year to encourage commercial development in Aleppo.

The real highlight is the tariff. Li Rufeng plans to exempt it for three years and maintain the tariff at around 2% in the future...if he can extend his rule over Aleppo for that long.

It was too early to think about the future five years from now. Compared to that, he was more concerned about the present. For example, he said, "Choose someone you think is suitable from among your staff to take over your current position. The census is a very important matter for me and for Aleppo. It cannot be delayed for anything."

He trusted Muzaffar, just as he trusted his own guards. The system was Li Rufeng's trump card for survival in this world, but he had to expand his talent pool.

"I need to think about it and look at them carefully, sir. It's not that I'm greedy for power, but I haven't truly put them in leadership positions to measure their qualifications." Muzaffar hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Please give me a month and I will choose a suitable candidate."

Breakfast ended like this. Satuya happily cleared the table, then stood aside timidly looking at Li Rufeng, as if waiting for Li Rufeng's next order.

"You... have something to say?" Li Rufeng came back to his senses from deep thought, saw the maid who couldn't hide something in her heart, and asked with a smile.

"Sir, do you have any other plans today? If not, I want to go out to the market. I have an appointment with Laxima and the others..." Satuya smiled shyly, as if she was ashamed of her dereliction of duty, but the free heart of the grassland girl could not be suppressed.

"Okay, I'll give you a day off, go have fun." Li Rufeng waved his hand and gave Satuya a day off, but he immediately called her back and took out a handful of copper coins from his pocket and handed them over, "Wait, why are you going shopping without money? Oh,

, you will have a day off every weekend from now on."

"Sir, I don't really need so much vacation time, otherwise I won't go out. Actually, I don't really want to go shopping..." Satuya, who had never heard that maids had vacation time, was unsure of Li Rufeng's attitude and became visibly nervous.

"Just let me go if I tell you to. It's not like I don't want you anymore. Go and have some fun. When I'm done with this busy period, I'll take a vacation too!" Li Rufeng said viciously. Before he traveled through time, he was running his family's business. The doctors and nurses hired by him all had holidays, but he was the only one who worked the whole year round and was worse than a dog. He must never do such a thing again in his life!

But even though Master Li said this, when Satuya happily went shopping with her good sisters, he had already started meeting the second round of customers for the day...

"Master Ahmed, how is your health?" Li Rufeng asked his personal guards to bring a pot of hot tea. After Satuya left, he realized how much he needed people around him. The tea he brewed was terrible, a waste of his good tea.

"Haha, Lord, you truly care about the people." Ahmed, supported by his apprentice, sat down across from Li Rufeng and said politely, "I'm fine now, thanks to you for saving me."

Otherwise, why do they say that cultured people are different? If you put Haishaer in this situation, he would definitely say one word: "Change!"

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I needed help right now. There's nothing I could do." Li Rufeng poured out half of the tea leaves with a distressed look on his face and started brewing again. "Even without me, you would have definitely gotten through this. It was just a coincidence that you discovered the conspiracy of the Four Winds believers."

Ali, the apprentice beside Ahmed, was standing behind his teacher. When he heard what Li Rufeng said, he nodded subconsciously, thinking that Li Rufeng was right.

"You are a man of great wisdom. We need no more formalities. The Eagle of Order owes you a favor, and so do I. If you need any help, as long as it doesn't violate our principles, I will not refuse." Master Ahmed, seeing that the politeness had almost worn off, spoke directly, "But if you're asking about the panacea, I'm sorry I can't tell you."

Li Rufeng had hit a snag and felt a little unhappy. He was indeed curious about the panacea. As a half-medical practitioner, the significance and value of this medicine to the world were visible to the naked eye.

"It's not that I want to claim all the credit for it, but I've only found an incomplete formula for the panacea. While miraculous, it carries hidden dangers, so I can't make it public yet." Master Ahmed explained, shaking his head. "From the information I've found, the demise of the ancient kingdom that built the pyramids is very likely related to the panacea. So I need more time to research... to determine if it's connected to the Four Wind Gods."

After Ahmed said this, Li Rufeng roughly understood.

This is also the warning that the Eagle of Order should have. Their purpose is to perform miracles, and there must be a price. Panacea, which can cure diseases and save lives at the very least, and affect the development path of medical technology in the world at the most, if it is essentially some kind of supernatural miracle, how much will the user have to pay?