Iron Harvest: When Farming Becomes Conquest-Chapter 39 - 10 Uprising, Nobles, Salt, Slave

39: Chapter 10: Uprising, Nobles, Salt, Slave

39 -10: Uprising, Nobles, Salt, Slave

Roman prepared for violent resistance, expecting a violent suppression, not stopping until a hundred or more peasants were killed.

But this was heading in the worst direction.

Resistance was inevitable.

Imagine if someone invented Gold Kela, allowing modern nations to abandon four-fifths of their farmland, retaining only one-fifth, claiming that with Gold Kela, yields per mu could exceed ten thousand.

But no one would believe it.

Opposing voices could turn into overwhelming torrents!

This wasn’t a problem that could be solved by explanation alone.

Couldn’t those peasants see the preparatory work Roman was making them do?

In terms of farming, they weren’t fools.

They knew that heavy plowing could increase yields, otherwise, they wouldn’t exclaim at the effects of heavy plowing’s cultivation.

Some fertile lands could naturally produce hundreds of pounds of crops, while some barren lands could only yield thirty or forty pounds.

They knew Roman’s methods were effective, but they were uncertain about how much the yields could be increased, so they needed verification and a way forward.

A spring plowing season lasts only about half a month.

The peasants needed to seize the time to resist Roman, forcing him to compromise and follow the traditional extensive farming, which was much faster than meticulous cultivation.

And Roman needed to seize the time to get the peasants to farm, liberating the labor force.

This contradiction, though sharp, did not require a life-or-death struggle.

Mainly it involved future issues.

Modern nations, with populations in the billions, even if only one percent opposed a certain policy, it would still be tens of millions.

But here, the population was less than two thousand!

Less than two thousand!

This included the elderly, women and children, craftsmen, stewards, and guards.

The actual workforce was only seven or eight hundred.

The population was too small.

Citizens of large nations could hardly understand the plight of small countries with sparse populations.

The ruling methods of the two were vastly different.

It must be acknowledged that among these few hundred, everyone opposed Roman’s policy.

However…

Those who opposed, but whose attitude wasn’t strong, made up at least half.

Those who strongly opposed but didn’t dare protest made up another half.

Those who dared to protest in front of the Lord but feared for their lives made up another half.

Here’s the problem, how many were fearless of death?

Very few!

Moreover, Roman had never driven them to desperate straits.

In facing turmoil, he personally promised that no one would starve.

Those worried about starving could have most of their resistance dissolved just by hearing this.

Most peasants were swept along by the will of their leader, with no intention of rebellion themselves.

What constitutes a desperate situation?

When there’s no grain at home, none in the bowl, and none in the stomach, that’s a desperate situation!

If they didn’t grab grain from the noble landlords’ castles, they’d starve tomorrow.

The conditions for a peasant uprising were very harsh.

Most times, uprisings in agrarian civilizations did not erupt when there was food in the stomach but when there was truly no way out.

And now, where were they?

They feared starving in the future and thus spontaneously sought a way out, showing great foresight; it was what they ought to do.

At most, this was precautionary action, far from a revolt.

Roman generously forgave them, not blaming them for gathering to cause trouble; he had mentally prepared for it.

But!

Roman promised no one would starve, yet they didn’t believe it!

He compromised, but the peasants didn’t!

His expression changed on the spot, sharply reprimanding them, insisting they comply!

The problem was grave!

This was more severe than the turmoil itself, an impact and destruction of the noble system.

Roman said the plan would work; listen to me, I’ll lead you to progress.

The peasants said the plan won’t work; listen to me, my lord; I have experience.

But they didn’t realize the repercussions of their words.

Because the premise of that statement was — for decades, there had been no lord in Sige Town.

In the past fifty years, the Basi family’s Agricultural Officer was the highest manager in Sige Town, but Moor didn’t have the power of life and death, only able to shout some noble lord’s punishments.

Thus, their understanding of the nobles was somewhat imbalanced.

Roman had not yet earned respect and recognition on this land; all his actions derived legitimacy solely from his noble identity.

Otherwise, he was just an ordinary person.

The leading peasant received his promise and could then take his people back.

I’ve already promised; what more do you want?

He wasn’t one to kill to establish power, as Sige Town also lacked labor; if he could avoid killing, he would.

Killing was the last resort, the worst plan.

With many people now, you could speak to me privately if there were any issues; I could even promise you more and promote you to Agricultural Manager, with salary and benefits equal to other stewards.

You want treatment, I’ll give you treatment.

You want a way forward, I’ll give you a way forward.

If talks fell through, discuss them later; anyway, you had to farm this land, and you couldn’t delay others’ work times. novelbuddy.cσ๓

You’ve assembled so many people; in a public setting, you can oppose me once; you can oppose me twice.

But clearly demonstrating, opposing repeatedly, and causing a scene, how was I to wrap it up?

Do I have to kneel and say, ‘Dear peasant lords, please go back to farming, I’m so scared of so many of you.’

Such class confrontations were beyond reasoning.

They didn’t understand the intent behind his words and still insisted on the belief, “My lord, listen to me, distribute the land!”

The saddest part was, they were pure peasants; their starting point was to ensure everyone lived, not just themselves, with no intention to be strikebreakers at all.