Chapter 33： The craziest lord

The Northumberland Territory is not much different from other territories. There are thousands of households living here. Outside of nobles and knights, the largest number are serfs, some free people, and slaves.

Serfs paid labor rents, goods, and currency to pay rent and various taxes. Although they had a bit of their own land, they could not leave the land of the masters, which was greatly restricted.

Free people is a big collective name. In Northumberland many people refer to free people, more about self-cultivation. Self-cultivated farmers grow their own land, pay land rent, and have to cultivate land for the master. Remove them, that is, those craftsmen, the artisans use their own skills to make ends meet, much better than serfs.

And the slaves are the worst. They have neither their own land nor their freedom. They are the personal belongings of the masters. They do not belong to themselves. No matter what they do, there is no return.

The money owed to the master may not become a slave, steal something, or become a slave, or you do nothing, just because your territory is occupied by other nobles, you also have to be a slave.

In Northumberland, there were nearly a hundred such slaves. The master told him to do whatever he wanted. He was beaten every day. Life was hopeless.

Of course, after the arrival of the new master, their lives are a little better, because the master does not like to hit people, only loves to beat cats, it may be that their numb cries cannot please the master.

Recently, when the sheepdog introduced by Northumberland got used to it, some slaves who took care of livestock and grazing were liberated after starting work. They thought they would be taken to collect oats, but in fact, the master took them all into the castle hall, and taught them here: manual work.

All slaves were doubting their ears.

Craftsmen are better off than some less affluent self-cultivated farmers, and they are just slaves. How can they learn to do manual work?

Look at the carpenter and tailor, and his face is not good. They didn't want to agree, this is a subsistence craft, uploaded to them from their ancestors, and did not let outsiders know.

But the master asked the knights to threaten them with a long sword, and they had to agree, and later the master said that if they taught these slaves, the rent obtained by the farm tools made by the slaves could be given to them a little.

All in all, they are sitting here together now, teaching the slaves to make horse harnesses.

Lord Baron said that the horse was originally used to pull the horse, but the horse's neck was long and inclined upward, and the yoke was placed on the horse to strangle them.

Replace the horse harness with a leather shoulder harness, and then make a crossbar at the front to tie the harness, so that it is more convenient for multiple horses to pull the cart and plow together.

Not to mention the fact that the master used his life to intimidate them, this horse harness is really convenient. I don't know if it is their illusion. With this, the horse seems to have more strength to work.

The master also prepared many materials to practice for them. He stood on the steps himself and said, "If anyone can produce a complete and usable horse harness first, I will give him a reward."

He looked around for a week, all the slaves stared at him, and the best reward they could think of was a full meal.

However, Lord Baron said: "I will reward the slave with a property, that is, the horse harness he made. When the horse harness is rented out, the rented slave can own half of it."

Cui Qichao still considered the acceptability of the slaves carefully. He did not say that I would release you. You came to be my serf, but that he gave birth and gave certain properties.

Unexpectedly, this is the case, all of them smashed the slaves into surprise, and could not return to God for a long time.

Can you get a master's delivery? This is something they dare not even think about! All the slaves are lord, a half of the rent of a horse harness ... Think about it, the slaves' faces turned red, looking at the harness as a demonstration, their eyes glowed, can't wait to see it Carved into my heart.

With this unimaginable reward, the slaves studied with one heart. Although it will be difficult to get started because I have never been in contact, Cui Qichao believes that there are always people who can open the door.

At this time, wheat was also harvested. The yield of wheat is larger than that of oats. It may be that drinking more water for several days, the land is not saline-alkali land, the effect is even more obvious.

Of course, it is still limited to the wheat in the lord's land, what other people's wheat looks like or what.

Harvesting crops is a long-term work together, after all, the population is small.

During this period, before the need to start plowing the autumn planting land, a serf named Harry produced a complete and usable horse harness.

Cui Qichao fulfilled his promise that in the presence of everyone, let the person who kept the farm implements write down that the profit of this horse harness was half owned by Harry.

Harry fainted on the spot, and of course there was no lack of reasons for his hunger, but everyone in the mansion mentioned it, focusing on depicting his joy.

In Northumberland, it was not that there were no capable and pleasing slaves, but the previous master had never expected any reward for his humanoid tools.

For other efforts, Cui Qichao also encouraged, "The person who makes the horse harness next time can get half a bowl of oatmeal and cash it on the spot."

So when the fallow land began to plow, the horse harness was enough, and everyone in the castle stood by the cultivated land and watched the eight horses pull the plough together.

This is the private land belonging to the lord. It is not as barren as the cultivated land in other places, because the irrigation is sufficient, the green manure has been cultivated for a season, and the land is dark.

Generally speaking, everyone prefers to use a mix of cattle and horses to pull the plough. Cui Qichao uses a lineup of all horses. There are hourglasses set by slaves on the side. When the horse team plows a field, the viewing time is more than that of mixed horses. When using a cattle harness, the speed must be increased by at least 20%! And at this time, the horses are not yet active!

Thanks to the increase in oat grass this year, and green manure grass to feed horses, otherwise the consumption is really large.

The farm official also said intoxicatedly, "Master, with these harnesses, when I return to the warehouse, I can withstand the heavier weight, and it has quadrupled."

The horse will not be restrained from breathing, of course, it will be able to emit more force, so that the amount of four runs will now be completed in one run, how much time is saved. Time is food.

"Have you kept the seeds?" Cui Qichao asked him again about Lamaizi's return.

He found that these people did not know how to properly preserve the seeds, and often half of the wheat was left for seed, because the germination rate was too low in the second year. In addition to the reason for the ground, the preservation of the seeds was improper and the activity of the seeds was lost.

Fifteen or twenty kilograms of seeds are planted in an acre of land. Isn't this a joke with Cui Qichao?

According to Cui Qichao's knowledge, planting oats, one acre of land, at most four kilograms of seeds is enough, and wheat, one acre of land requires six to fifteen pounds of seeds. After all, high-quality and active seeds have a germination rate of more than 90%.

Although the medieval conditions were a bit worse, the germination rate had to be kept at more than half. How could he not get 15 kilos of oats?

Of course, these words Cui Qichao didn't say to the agricultural officer for the time being, so as not to scare the agricultural officer again.

In terms of seed preservation, Cui Qichao instructed the agricultural officer to choose a sunny day and spread the seeds first, keeping it turned during the period, so that 80% of the water was removed and then piled up. The warehouse must be dry, otherwise the seeds absorb moisture and become blind.

The farm officer is now obedient to Cui Qichao. In order to complete the order given by the master, he personally stood by the drying field, tried the temperature with his hands, and stared at the serfs to turn the wheat. The warehouse was also staring at and killing one side of the worm.

So now, the farm officer can proudly say, "Rest assured, I put all my food in place!"

"Very good." Cui Qichao praised casually. "Go ahead and look at the plowed ground."

When they stepped forward, they saw that some of the dark farmland was loose, and some were moist and soft, not as hard as many farmlands. Even after ploughing, it was like a pile of hard soil.

Let any medieval peasant look at it, this is a very fertile farmland!

Although this piece of fallow land, in the past, the fallow fall of that half year never reached such a state, and everyone knew.

When the farmer saw these lands, he thought of his own land, because it was almost the same as the pace of the master, and he was very fertile. He said happily, "Now the serfs are fighting and working under the stars, Dig trenches beside your own fields. "

Imitate the master to have the same excellent land.

Master Cui holds the soil in his hands, but he is still a bit dissatisfied. The main body of this land is still yellow, with a little bit of black. It is softer than other land, but it has not loosened to show small particles. The clumps are still here. A little big. These states of the soil represent its drainage, ventilation, moisture retention, and fertility.

It seems to Cui Qichao that the land is not up to standard, but for others, it is already a rare good field. With its full horsepower, today is simply good news.

...

Because of this year's bumper harvest, the church has successfully received a pickup tax. In the past, due to disasters and the like, it may not be fully harvested.

It was also at this time that Cui Qichao began to write to his relative of the archbishop and sent it with the tax.

He claimed to have experimented with Eastern farming methods on the land, but he did not expect it to be equally effective. The original land in the East and West was also the same. Now he has attached the crops bred this year.

The methods of insecticide and fertilization of crops, which he called a kind of herbalism, were similar to healing the land.

Few people have been to the country where Cui Qichao arrived, and the theory he fabricated and the seeds of corroboration only made people who saw it believe.

The archbishop ca n’t wait to test it on the church ’s land. At the same time, he writes to warn his nephew that he must keep the secrets of high yields, seal the mouths of the people in the manor, and keep an eye on every passer-by. Secret, the ear heard the news. This matter cannot be told to anyone else, otherwise a thief will surely patronize your territory.

Cui Qichao thought, "If people don't commit me, I don't commit anybody. There is a last sentence, if anyone commits me, I will let the craftsman not hit the farm tools and weapons ..."

Now there is more food in the warehouse, and Cui Qi has a lot of tide. Everyone knows that the most important thing in fighting is tools and physique. The knights have weapons, but the physical energy fed by enough food is not available to everyone in this era. Already.

He should be regarded as the most generous lord, after all, the love of the people made him want to even feed his slaves.

In addition to planting with crops during cultivation, some green manure should also be used as a base fertilizer before planting crops. At this time, the ditch was also spread over most of the manor house. You can irrigate more water to make the green manure decompose quickly.

Of course, we should also pay attention to retaining seeds. In the field of retaining grass seeds, first harvest the grass, knock out the seeds, and take the roots back to compress them.

These grass seeds are carefully placed in the same warehouse as the grain seeds, and a layer of quicklime is laid under the storage container, separated by a fine cloth, and then the seeds are placed, and a fine cloth is placed on top, and then plant ash is covered. The treatment is equally detailed.

The slaves who were arranged to do this are secretly guessing that lime is usually used to build houses, and it is necessary to build lime in the seeds. Is it also necessary to build barriers?

In a sense, they guessed right.

By this time, it was already the end of September, and all the crops were basically harvested, and the wheat was milled by the master's mill. Just crushed, so there will be a lot of broken shells, sand and other debris inside. The bread made is black bread, which is so hard that it must be soaked to get it in.

Ordinary people just ate it like this, and even nobles would inevitably eat some dark bread, but it would be finer than ordinary people. If you are exquisite or rich, you are willing to make people keep sifting wheat flour and make white bread.

But even white bread, in the eyes of later people, was too rough to swallow. Anyway, after Cui Qichao came, he ate very little bread. For the first time, he missed rice so much.

Those who use the mill have to pay rent to the lord.

The good news is that this year, due to the proper insecticide, the weather is smooth. Although the yield is not as good as that of the master, the harvest is passable. In particular, the master needs to quickly repair dams and ditches, and use the mud to improve everyone's movements instead of sticks and whip. Therefore, the serfs who participated in the construction were able to eat an extra meal every time they worked, saving some rations. So, these rents are not too much of a headache.

——In the days of poverty, there is so much wealth, these farmers are very grateful.

August and September are the best times of the year, warm and comfortable. Moreover, before this season's work is completed and the next season's sowing is coming, the lords of Northumberland must, in accordance with custom, entertain all the people in the territory and reward them for their past labor. It also shows that this year our Territorial harvest.

The content of this meal depends on the generosity of different lords. In some places, you may only eat a few cabbage leaves or beans. However, no matter how good it is, it is usually only cut down by the Zhuang hair, and it is likely to be buckled.

In terms of production, such a banquet would meet the specifications.

This year, this year is different.

This was the first feast of the new Baron, who moved the kitchen to the grass and asked the women in the manor to help. The men went to catch pigs in the woods.

In the Middle Ages, animal husbandry was as important as plantation. The status of livestock was higher than that of slaves.

When the pigs were caught, the serfs didn't even think about it, and they didn't even think about it for them to eat.

Facing the opposition of the stewards, Cui Qichao suppressed it brutally. He said arrogantly: "Our bumper harvest, I have already told me, maybe, in the future, I will have more territories and cattle and sheep. No, maybe not , Yes. "

The stewards were speechless. No wonder, usually, the master was a little bit arrogant, but just to build speed, he gave the serfs peas to eat, and now they are so happy that they can't find the north and want to slaughter the meat for the serfs.

Their baron master must be the craziest lord in the south.

Cui Qichao was afraid they would be crooked again, and stabbed a duck with a sword on the spot, saying, "My steward and the soldiers have worked hard, the serfs drank the broth, and you will enjoy the most delicious barbecue."

On the one hand, the broth should not be excessively abnormal, on the other hand, the serfs could not eat meat all year round, and they could not give big fish and meat as soon as they went up. Besides broth, there are other vegetables.

The castle was silent for a while, then cheered loudly. Regardless of who wants to eat meat, the master asks them to eat it, but the fool will not eat it.

...

Cows and horses cannot be eaten casually. Cui Qichao killed pigs and sheep. To make meat without oil, Cui Qichao did not ask her to use olive oil in her grievances, but said, "Refine some lard."

In the Middle Ages, various vegetable oils were used. Nobles especially liked olive oil. After all, livestock were rare, and emu oil was hardly popular.

The chef did not refining lard at all, and Cui Qichao stood beside and instructed.

The butchers killed the pigs, and the women in the manor helped clean them. At this time, they also felt that the meat should be eaten for those knight masters and master stewards, and they were included in the banquet.

These pigs are no different from wild boars. The suds on their bodies are only one-sixth as much as modern pigs. The women clean the suds and cut them into large pieces. Then they put them in a pot and boil over low heat.

At the beginning, all the water came out. Slowly, the suds shrank, and the oil began to come out. The smell of the fish gradually drifted with the wind, and the women couldn't help swallowing.

Most of the workers here are serfs. Black bread is a rare and delicious thing for them, not to mention the fishy smell.

"Put out the oil." With the command of Cui Qichao, the kitchen lady pours the constantly appearing lard into the jar, and there are still some impurities in it, but for this era, there is no condition and no need to filter it.

Refined until the oil turns golden and crispy, even if it is squeezed clean. At this time, the scene was particularly silent, and those peasant women with dirty faces stared at the oil residue, but their expressions were like wood.

The chef pulled the oil residue to a wooden plate. Cui Qichao generally dared to eat only the dishes that he stared at. He took the wooden plate, picked one and put it in his mouth. Although there was no salt, the smell of oil residue was very Thick, creaks in the mouth, oil comes out.

Xiaobai jumped around at the feet of Cui Qichao, apparently also wanting to eat.

It doesn't matter if you eat in moderation. But Cui Qichao couldn't give it to the square, so he pretended to shake his hands and accidentally dropped one. Xiaobai immediately jumped up and caught the thunder.

All the peasant women sighed in their hearts, this lucky cat ...

Cui Qichao handed the wooden dish to the chef and said, "You take a bite, and then each woman sends one."

This sentence was beyond everyone's expectation, and the peasant women couldn't believe their ears.

And the cook, she knows that she still needs to boil broth for the serfs. She told the master that she was numb, took the wooden plate blankly, picked up two oil residues and put them in her mouth. The aroma of lard made her reluctant to swallow it. She kept it on her tongue and walked in front of every peasant woman to distribute lard residue.

Everyone is still silent, but their eyes light up, and their eyes change with the pace of the cook, but they dare not fight, just dare to wait for the cook to release it.

There is only one of them. They are like cooks, and put the oil residue in their mouths until they are completely softened. There is no oil star, so they are willing to swallow it. The rich lard aroma and soft texture made them suddenly fall into happiness.

Let's take a look at the lord who rubbed the cat with his feet. What is the treatment? This need not be rounded. The lord Lord himself gave them meat to eat!

Before the end of the year, even if everyone later drank the broth, it did not prevent the peasant women present from frequently encountering each other on the premise of other people. The lard residue was described by them as a delicious food in the sky.

Sometimes food has nothing to do with taste, and it is related to mood. It is estimated that the psychological feeling at this time is really the best food they have ever enjoyed.

The last little bit of oil residue was from the cook, and she was still busy.

The stewards are still enjoying their barbecue in the castle, and Cui Qichao should have returned to the castle to work with those stewards. But he was afraid that the broth would also be detained, so he insisted to stand aside, and according to the stewards, he had to witness this carnival.

After the mutton soup was boiled on the grass, the housekeeper said blankly to the serfs, "Now you can go home."

Although he did not lack meat to eat, and persuaded himself numerous times, this was the decision of the master, but seeing their unknowing appearance and thinking that they were about to enjoy the broth, the housekeeper still hated a bit of itching.

The serfs were relaxed. As expected, after helping the masters to finish their work, they could go back. At that time, Zhuangtou could send everyone a bowl of oatmeal.

They glanced around at those pots of soup, and the people at the scene could see how authentic the broth was, how fragrant it was, and even the oil. The mutton was braised so softly that a lot of herbs were added, and finally the chef's spoon was enough to remove the meat.

The lean, hanging pieces of lamb leg bones emerged from the thick and seductive broth, and the rotten bone marrow in the bone cavity was almost visible. The steaming heat digs into the nose along with the scent of mutton, and there is no smell of mutton.

Although, I do n’t know why the cook put some carrots in the mutton soup. Did n’t this cook the carrots? There are also some cabbage leaves that have been stewed and packed into a large pot. This way of eating is so strange.

While all serfs were dragging their feet, staring at the mutton soup, reluctantly ready to leave—

The steward continued: "Then bring the best container in your house with all the cubs and enjoy the dinner from the Baron. The broth is yours."

For a while, the entire grass could not be heard except for the birdsong.

The expressions of all serfs were frozen: just now, what happened?

The author has something to say: Thank you for your overlord ticket:

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