Chapter 823: People's Opinion



Yelishade attended the meeting with many generals and senior officials.

"Your Highness, the Second Prince, there are reports that some towns were captured by the Tianyi Mercenary Group by using villages and towns as springboards to attack or infiltrate." A lieutenant reported.

Then another staff member reported: "The report also records that once the residents of the villages and towns discovered our army, they informed the Tianyi Mercenary Group of our movement and location. When some long-range scouts found that our army was captured, they were beaten by some villagers and towns residents. Although the Tianyi Mercenaries tried to stop them, the residents of these villages and towns did not even bother to stop them and attacked our captured soldiers. From their eyes and insults, it seems that they are very resentful of us."

"What's worse is that the local residents of some cities also colluded with the residents of these villages and towns, and even provided cover for the Tianyi mercenaries to sneak in, causing the street fighting in some cities to fail to achieve effective results."

As Yelishaud listened to these reports, he understood why such things happened and why the residents of the villages and towns within his country would betray their country and help outsiders. These were all caused by his country's policies.

When the country is strong, although ordinary people are oppressed, at least they can still live and make ends meet, and the emperor will launch foreign wars.

At first, the slaves were used as cannon fodder, and finally it was the turn of ordinary humans to be thrown into the front lines. After that, the number of sacrifices increased, and even most of the food and crops produced by farmers in villages and towns were forcibly confiscated by the state.

For these farmers, even three meals a day has become a luxury. It would be strange if the people in these villages and towns did not resent the country.

Most of the talents under Yelishaud understood the cause of the incident, but the others either didn't know or pretended to be confused.

"These damn villagers didn't even think about it. It was the Dion Empire that gave them a stable life, but they didn't expect that when the country was in danger and the enemy invaded, they actually surrendered to the enemy and betrayed the country. After the national crisis is explained, none of these villagers must be let go. Kill as many as there are!" A general stood up and said.

"General Akud, do you know why these people betrayed us?"

"They cannot accept the Emperor's New Humanism. They think that the Skywing Mercenary Group can let them be the masters and no longer be suppressed by us New Humans."

"Do you think it's because of His Majesty the Emperor's neohumanism? If that's the case, it's impossible that every village and town where the Tianyi Mercenaries pass by would join them to fight against us. Even if there is, it's impossible for ten out of ten villages and towns to join them. Do you know what the most important reason is?" Yelishaud glared at General Akud.

"Well, the reason may also be that they are unhappy and resentful that we are recruiting teenagers, young people and middle-aged people."

"If that's the case, it's not enough for them to turn against us. When the country is in trouble, everyone has the responsibility to defend the country. Even if the Emperor's new humanism is not good for them, at least they will help the country, because after all, those lands in the countryside belong to them, and they will defend their land and fight for the country. They betrayed us, and the real reason they turned against us..." Yelishaud stretched out his hand and patted, the door opened, and a staff member dragged a tray with two bowls of food, a plate and a piece of bread.

Yelishaud pointed at General Akud, and the staff placed the tray in front of General Akud.

General Akud looked at the two bowls of food on the tray and the bread on the plate. On the left side of the two bowls of food was something sticky that looked like mashed potatoes, and on the other side was a drink that looked like white liquid.

General Akud was a little confused, so he looked at Yelishaud.

Yelishaud said one word coldly: "Eat."

"yes."

He had no choice but to take a spoon and scoop a mouthful of mashed potatoes into his mouth, but he ended up looking very ugly and vomited it all out.

"Pah, pah, pah, why does this mashed potato smell so sour?"

"General Akud, try eating another bowl of food."

General Akud scooped a spoonful of white liquid from another bowl and put it into his mouth. He frowned and said, "This tastes like porridge, but why is there no porridge but only water?"

"Then try the bread."

The general of Akud took a bite of the bread and spat it out and said, "Why is there sand in this bread?"

"Hmph, you can eat fresh eggs and ham every morning, but those villagers who you said betrayed the country eat these. Moreover, some villagers can only have one meal a day, and they eat these!" After saying this, Yelishaud slammed the table in anger.

Yelishaud continued, "These are collected by my own troops in other villages, so we know what the villagers have eaten. We can't even provide the villagers with three meals a day, how can you expect them to work hard for the country?"

Faced with Yelishaud's questioning, General Akud lowered his head in shame.

Yelishaud then snapped his fingers, and countless projection screens appeared behind him.

"Look at the screens behind me, and you will understand why these villagers would side with the SkyWing mercenaries and abandon us."

There were many images on the projection screen showing that Tianyi mercenaries had come to the village and not only did they not make things difficult for the villagers, they also gave them food and even gave them the seeds they needed for planting.

The Tianyi Mercenary Group handed over the tractors, machines, fertilizer spreaders, etc. that the farmers needed to these farmers.

Moreover, there were some Dion soldiers captured by Tianyi mercenaries. Tianyi mercenaries released these captured Dion soldiers and allowed them to return to their hometown.

On the screen, we can see the captured Dion soldiers returning to the village, hugging their families and crying with joy.

The Dion soldiers and their families who were able to return to their families also shook hands and hugged the Tianyi mercenaries to express their gratitude.

These Dion soldiers who returned to their families were no longer soldiers, but farmers from villages and towns. They retired from the army and returned to being farmers again.

"According to the information we received, our country used to collect 30% of the harvest from farmers, while the Tianyi Mercenary Group only wanted 10%. Moreover, the Tianyi Mercenary Group did not collect the tax now, but said that they would officially collect the 10% after three years. Now they will not charge a penny for the first three years. As for us, in the past few years, we have forcibly collected more than half of their harvest." Yelishaode informed everyone present.

Everyone present lowered their heads in shame. They all understood that it was they who caused the villagers' betrayal, and the villagers had already turned their backs on the Dion Empire.

When the door opened, another officer came to Yelishade to report something.

"Who planned and implemented this plan?" Yelishaud asked.

After Mu Liao told him, Yelishaud nodded and said to himself, "Salamanda, ah Salamanda, I really loved your talent back then, so I let you go. I didn't expect that you have become my biggest headache now. I really regret that I shouldn't have let you go."


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