As expected, it started to rain in the evening, beginning lightly and then gradually increasing in intensity. The wind joined in, becoming increasingly cold and noisy.
The stables had been cleared out, and the roof had been repaired before the rain, thankfully shielding the people inside from the downpour. However, the group didn't feel particularly fortunate; dinner was eaten in unusual silence. They split into several groups, sitting around the fire, gnawing on tough jerky and drinking sticky pumpkin porridge. The group had a lot of complaints about this fiefdom; even these unemployed vagrants could hardly make a living from such a dilapidated village. The atmosphere at the table was oppressive, and at the center of this oppression was Yun Zhe, silently biting into his jerky.
They looked at each other, exchanging glances, all conveying the same message: "The boss is in a bad mood today, so it's best not to provoke him."
Putting yourself in their shoes, anyone would be driven crazy to have such a fiefdom. They exchanged glances, a mixture of sympathy and a touch of schadenfreude.
Gao squatted opposite Yun Zhe, across the fire, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back. He really wanted to advise Yun Zhe not to be angry about the fiefdom, but seeing Yun Zhe's expression, he didn't dare to speak, worried that he might say the wrong thing and get scolded instead.
However, what angered Yun Zhe was not that the place was too bad, but that he couldn't think of any way to make it better.
He was angry with himself.
Although his first thought upon seeing the village was to flee, and even to return to Serena to exchange it for a fiefdom, he changed his mind after observing the village's condition.
He was very familiar with this dilapidated scene; in his memories of his previous life, many parts of his country were just as backward and desolate in that era. But they were fortunate to have some ambitious young people who helped them escape this backwardness and desolation.
Yun Zhe had seen too many reports like this in the news in his previous life.
Therefore, Yun Zhe could easily sense the villagers' pain, helplessness, despair, and struggle. So after talking with the village chief, he stayed without hesitation.
Moreover, ruling a region means bringing prosperity to its people, which was also an ancient ruling creed of Yun Zhe's previous life's country.
Ironically, Yun Zhe had seen so many reports, awards, and speeches. Theoretically, this should be what he was most familiar with and good at, but in reality, he knew nothing about it and had no experience whatsoever.
For the first time since arriving in this other world, I felt that my intelligence was insufficient, that I had exhausted my skills, and that all the knowledge I had learned was useless.
Seemingly sensing Yun Zhe's bad mood, Wu Sha reached out and held Yun Zhe's hand, her eyes full of concern and advice.
Yun Zhe glanced at Wu Sha, sighed softly, withdrew his hand, and patted her head. Then he continued to gnaw on the dry, hard jerky, as if finishing the jerky would give him an idea.
Only Lorraine, after hearing Yun Zhe's incoherent statement, "Winter is coming, let's get through this winter first," vaguely sensed Yun Zhe's next move. Clearly, he didn't seem to intend to simply walk away and leave these people to fend for themselves.
Although Yun Zhe's actions won Lorraine's favor, Lorraine still felt that Yun Zhe wouldn't stay in this place. Lorraine believed that Yun Zhe's act of helping the people through the winter was probably driven by the compassion inherent in his elven bloodline. But once he calmed down, he realized how naive and useless his thinking had been.
Everyone finished the meal with varying feelings.
Yun Zhe frowned even more as he looked at the lazy and unmotivated crowd around him.
Staying was indeed in line with Yun Zhe's personality, but he couldn't naively assume that others shared his resolve. In these people's minds, ordinary people were merely objects to be taxed; as long as they didn't die, they would be taxed to death. To put it bluntly, they came here to lord it over others, not to help the poor and make sacrifices.
So he pulled Gao and Lorraine aside and whispered, "If I were to stay, would you stay with me?"
Stay? Gao and Lorraine looked at each other, Lorraine was somewhat better off, but Gao was beginning to suspect that Yun Zhe was being sarcastic.
“There’s no point in keeping this place here. Even if we levy taxes, the most we can do is collect a head tax,” Gao realized why Yun Zhe was speaking softly. So he also whispered his advice.
“I’m staying not to collect taxes, but to help the people here live a better life,” Yun Zhe replied.
“But, my lord, allow me to speak the truth.” Gao swallowed hard. “You probably don’t know, but how they live is none of your concern. No lord cares about his people’s livelihood. If a place isn’t suitable, they’ll move to another. These people are just stubborn. You, you really don’t need to worry about it.”
Yun Zhe shook his head. "How can rulers ignore the lives of ordinary people? That's not scientific."
Gao suppressed his discussion of the word "science" and continued to persuade him, "I grew up in the Pas family. Pas is already a very good lord. In this situation, he would only move the people there back to the Pas family. As for those who don't want to leave, like these people, he won't care."
Yun Zhe frowned.
"My lord, you should give up. You should write to the Earl now and tell him the truth about the situation here. He will surely agree to let you move to another place. We will all be your witnesses, won't we, Mr. Lorraine?"
Yun Zhe looked at Lorraine, who also agreed with Gao's point of view. Even he was astonished by the dilapidated state of this place. If Yun Zhe were to request a different fiefdom, it would be perfectly justified.
Yun Zhe nodded. "Alright, I understand what you're thinking. But I think the Earl must have her reasons for granting me this land. I don't think it will be so easy for me to get another fief."
Gao scoffed at this, saying, "What does that little girl know? She knows nothing." Of course, he only thought this to himself and would never dare to say it aloud.
Lorraine's heart skipped a beat. Serena might not know this place, but Black certainly did. He must have had his reasons for granting it to Yun Zhe. Considering Serena's hints to him before she left, Yun Zhe's judgment was probably correct. It seemed unlikely he would be able to change his fiefdom.
Yun Zhe glanced at the two of them and then continued, "I'm a pretty easygoing person, and besides, this is my first fiefdom, so I don't want to just give it up like this. Moreover, anyone can do a good job of finding a good fiefdom and developing it well, but turning this place into a good place is what truly showcases my intelligence and talent. In any case, I accept this challenge."
Gao felt bitter inside. "Boss, why are you being so stubborn in this strange place? You're angry with the Earl, aren't you? I can tell. But try to hold back. Maybe he just wants you to back down."
"Look, what's that over there!" a soldier pointed outside the stable. On the outskirts of the village, the rain was subsiding, but a greenish glow shimmered in the darkness.
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