BXBX NOVEL Chapter 10 - Be Drastic and Get Rewards
“Lord, the count is complete. Here is the summary.”
The scribe stepped forward, handed the report to Richard, and began to present the findings.
“The total population of the Long Eagle territory is 4,021 people… Literate individuals…”
This census was highly detailed, including the skills each citizen possessed, the number of men and women, age distribution, and even a count of each household’s livestock.
As the scribe, Rhodes, continued to elaborate, these statistics appeared one by one before Richard. Richard then randomly named a few individuals, prompting the team to verify the data, causing Rhodes to break out in a cold sweat.
He hadn’t expected that their young lord had somehow secretly acquired even more detailed information than what was being reported on the spot, and he felt relieved that he hadn’t dared to falsify anything, or else he might have been in serious trouble this time.
Especially when he found out that indeed some people had just left Long Eagle territory to visit relatives in the countryside, he became even more awestruck by Richard.
The tax officer, Harvey, was also dumbfounded, secretly thinking that life would be tougher from now on, and he wouldn’t dare to embezzle any more money.
Richard ignored their inner thoughts and gave the order.
“Rhodes, you’re responsible for reorganizing these people according to their households and streets. Regroup them into units of families and streets: one family as a unit, ten families as a ‘jia’ unit, and ten ‘jia’ into a ‘bao’ unit. Each ‘jia’ will have a ‘jia leader,’ and each ‘bao’ will have a ‘bao leader,’ responsible for managing their people.”
“If anyone tries to flee, their entire ‘jia’ will be punished, and the ‘bao leader’ will also bear some responsibility. This way, they can monitor each other on a daily basis. After all, only those within the community truly understand each other’s habits, which is more conducive to better management.”
“And these ‘bao leaders’ will report directly to you, Rhodes!”
Rhodes, being a scribe, had his own expertise in management. However, he was still amazed upon hearing Richard’s arrangements.
Is this what it’s like to come from a noble family? Where did he learn these methods?
He thought for a moment, realizing he had never heard of such a system in the Empire.
Was it a new innovation? Or perhaps a method unique to the Bayne family?
He didn’t know, but he found it impressive, and so he immediately accepted the orders.
After the orders were conveyed, the citizens looked bewildered. Some who didn’t understand discussed among themselves and quickly grasped that they were now going to be under strict control.
However, no one dared to voice their concerns.
Some individuals who had originally planned to flee also gave up those thoughts upon hearing this.
Richard was essentially implementing the Baojia System* from the Northern Song dynasty’s reformer Wang Anshi. This system was effective for crime prevention, strengthening household registration, and maintaining social order, making it very convenient for administration.
[A traditional Chinese system designed for community-based self-defense and organization. It involved grouping households into units called “jia” (甲), which were further organized into larger units called “bao” (保). This system facilitated mutual surveillance among households and made it easier for the government to enforce laws and collect taxes. Developed during the Song dynasty, this method proved effective for social control and local governance.
].With Richard adding a few extra individuals, the Long Eagle territory’s total population amounted to 4,024 people, divided into 7 bao, 69 jia, and 688 households.
Seeing it laid out this way made everything clear at a glance.
When the instructions were complete, Richard directly addressed the citizens.
“Now, I need you to do a few things.”
“First, three of the bao will have one day to dig a pit five hundred meters long and one and a half meters deep on the west side of Long Eagle territory. Once done, all of your human waste from the city must be transported there.”
Richard was truly fed up with the stench that filled the air.
And this waste would eventually be used as excellent fertilizer.
These people didn’t know the value of such things, wasting it while also polluting the environment.
“Second, another three bao will be responsible for uprooting all the crops currently planted in Long Eagle territory. I will provide you with seeds to replant uniformly, and this year the land that is resting should be cultivated as well.”
Due to a lack of fertilizer, land could only recover fertility through fallowing, so during medieval times, they commonly used a two-field system.
This involved dividing the land into two parts, one for cultivation and one for fallowing, alternating their use each year. The plot that was used for farming one year would be left fallow the next, allowing it to regain its fertility.
In Richard’s eyes, this practice was simply a waste.
Moreover, the random crops they were planting had no scientific logic and resulted in abysmally low yields. It was no wonder that it was nearly impossible for them to sustain themselves.
It was truly an eyesore.
“Lastly, the remaining bao will construct a large-scale livestock farm outside the city and gather all the livestock from each household there, separating them by type, and establishing proper boundaries between humans and animals.”
Richard’s words were directed at the citizens, but they were also meant for his subordinates. After giving these orders, he turned to the scribe.
“Have you all remembered?”
The scribe immediately bowed his head in response, “Rest assured, Lord, I will supervise the entire process and get it done as quickly as possible!”
“Get to work! If you don’t understand something, ask me, and don’t take liberties without authorization!”
“Yes!”
With that, the scribe started leading some guards down to the square.
In no time, he had organized the crowd according to the system Richard had laid out into seven formations.
Each formation represented one bao, and through a series of procedures, seven bao leaders and 69 jia leaders were quickly selected.
Each bao and jia was then given a number to ensure that every individual could be precisely identified, such as Household 2 in Jia 9 of Bao 3.
Many citizens still looked bewildered, unsure of how to react, simply complying with orders as they were given.
But as a shepherd need not worry about each sheep’s direction, only about guiding the lead sheep, Rhodes’s experience was sufficient.
“Bao leaders of Bao 1 to 3, take your people back to fetch tools for digging. Bring your rations, because you won’t have time to sit and eat!”
“Clear out this cesspit of yours and make sure it’s spotless. If any foul odor reaches the lord’s nose again, I’ll personally deal with you!”
“Bao 4 to 6, uproot those pathetic crops you planted, and prepare the soil anew; the lord has big plans for it.”
“Bao 7…”
On the high platform, Richard stood with his hands behind his back, calmly observing the arrangements below.
He couldn’t stand the backward agricultural practices of this world, but he wasn’t planning on explaining anything to them.
If the people couldn’t accept his methods, they might be tempted to rebel, giving him an opportunity to assert his dominance and accumulate points.
But if the citizens complied, it wouldn’t matter much; he would simply earn more points in this Lord Mode.
Either way, he would win.
Seeing that his officials had begun organizing the citizens, Richard turned around and headed towards the depths of the castle.
At that moment, the clear voice of the system resonated in his ears:
[Congratulations, Host. You have completed the basic administrative planning and established the initial system.]. [You are beginning to build a new city with stone and shovel, and the stories of your people will start from here.]. [Just like a young apprentice learning to wield a sword, you will gradually understand your place in this world.]. [Congratulations, Host. You have earned 5 Lord Points!].Richard looked at his gains and smiled.