After a few days, the municipal committee members of Gevaudan gathered together again.

Most of the committee members are old faces, but there are also some new faces.

Mayor Priskin Sr. sat in the front row with his eyes closed and meditative. His second son, who had been elected as a city council member a few days ago, was also sitting next to his father.

As for the purpose of the tribune convening the city council, the municipal commissioners had a clear idea - it was simply to solve the flour problem.

Hurd Barbarian didn't see it, but it was clear that the price of flour had increased. The poor could not even afford to eat batter, but the price of flour continued to rise.

The poor class are complaining, and the citizens with affluent families are also a little bit overwhelmed. The matter has become serious enough that it has to be solved.

The tribune was not present, and the mayor did not speak. The committee members whispered among themselves:

"Your mill has been making less money recently, right?"

"Hey! Flour is so expensive and you can't even sell it. How can you make money?"

"Okay, okay, stop pretending. If you can't sell it at a high price, are you willing to sell it at a low price?"

"There are so many mills and grain stores in the city, why can't you get along with me?"

"Just wait and see, the blood wolf will come soon and he will definitely attack us."

"It's nothing more than a price limit. If he asks for a price limit, then I will sell at a price limit."

The door flew open, and the municipal committee members immediately fell silent.

Under the gaze of everyone, Winters, who was wearing military uniform and carrying a sword, walked into the meeting hall carrying two round, hairy things.

Father Carman followed Winters reluctantly.

"The heads of the Teltown people." Winters threw the two heads on the ground casually: "Shovel Harbor fought a battle last night and won a small victory."

The two heads rolled on the ground several times, and finally stopped at Shao Sha's feet.

Shao Sha lowered his head and met the dead man's empty eyes. There was no smell, but Shao Sha smelled a fishy, ​​sticky stench. He resisted the desire to vomit and tried his best to look away.

Charles and Heinrich walked into the venue carrying a box of bloody Hurd helmets, armor, and machetes—all of which were obtained from Shovel Harbor.

After Winters briefly explained the battle in Shovel Harbor last night, he politely told the city commissioners: "There are still eighteen heads, which have been sent to each town for circulation. If any of you don't believe that the barbarians are coming to kill you, you can stand.

Look closer."

"I've seen it, Your Excellency." Shao Sha tried his best not to look at his feet and begged urgently: "This body... let's take it away."

"Okay." Winters ordered Charles and Heinrich: "Show the committee members the helmet and armor, and forget about the head."

I passed around the armor and weapons to the municipal committee members, and it didn't take long.

"These things will be put on display in the Place Gévaudin for the public. If you are interested, you can also go to the square to see them." Winters motioned to his men to put away the trophies: "I have summoned you today not to show you your heads, but to show you your heads.

To solve the problem of rising flour prices."

After saying this, Winters patted Father Carman on the shoulder.

Karman sighed and walked to the stage to salute the city councilors: "Thanks to the generous donations of gentlemen, Gevaudan Abbey has been able to distribute wheat porridge to poor believers. Please accept my salute."

None of the municipal committee members dared to sit still and hurriedly returned the greeting.

The church takes care of things after everyone's death, and everyone naturally has a certain amount of awe and respect for the clergy.

Father Karman looked solemn as if he was preaching: "But the price of flour and wheat has skyrocketed recently, and the monastery is no longer able to provide relief to the believers. In the slums, picking leaves and digging grass roots to satisfy hunger has become commonplace, and some believers are even selling their children. Gevaudan is now sitting on a chair

On the volcano, as long as there is a spark, the situation of refugee riots will happen again.

[Treat others as you would like others to treat you]. I also hope that you gentlemen will not hesitate to lend a helping hand at this difficult time."

Winters followed up Kaman's words: "I have drafted a decree. Let's take a look and discuss it. If there is anything wrong with it, please bring it up."

The draft decree written on white paper was circulated among the city councilors. The content of the draft was very simple, which was to limit the selling prices of flour, wheat, barley, and rye.

There were many millers, grain dealers or people who participated in the grain business among the municipal committee members, and everyone was mentally prepared for the price limit policy. When the boots actually fell to the floor, they breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sir, my eyes are too dim to read clearly." Old Priskin stood up tremblingly and asked respectfully: "Please allow me to ask, do you want to limit the price?"

"Please take a seat, Mr. Priskin." Winters nodded: "Yes, I want to limit the price."

"No!" Old Priskin suddenly opened his eyes and shouted categorically: "Limiting prices is absolutely not allowed!"

The municipal committee members in the meeting hall were trembling with fright.

"Tell me." Winters crossed his arms: "Why not?"

Old Priskin was leaning on a cane, his back straight: "There are more and more people in the city, and there is less and less food in the city. It is natural for prices to increase!"

Winters didn't speak, but Father Carman couldn't help but said: "Then don't care?"

"You can limit the price, and merchants don't have to sell! The higher the price limit, the less merchants will sell. If it's unavailable on the market, the flour will flow into the black market. By then, the actual price of food will be pushed even higher."

Father Carmen was speechless.

"If you want to solve the food price problem, you can only use my method."

"explain."

Old Priskin uttered one word loudly: "Search the house!"

There was an uproar in the meeting hall, and the municipal committee members were either shocked, suspicious, or angry.

Old Priskin’s words were resounding: “The horse’s hooves are on the top of the head, and the scimitar is at the side of the neck. Whoever dares to hoard and speculate is a criminal! His property should be confiscated, and his home should be confiscated and his family exterminated!”

Some municipal committee members looked angry, some were panicked, and some even left their seats and almost ran away on the spot.

Winters looked around the lobby, taking in everyone's expressions, and suddenly burst out laughing.

Carman, Charles, all the city commissioners didn't understand, and even old Priskin didn't understand.

"Old Mr. Pusliskin, don't mention this method again. If I wanted to kill people, I would have done it long ago. Why would I need to call you for a meeting?" Winters leaned forward, laughed heartily, and pointed.

Everyone in the hall said: "Look, they all thought you and I had colluded in advance and were acting."

Old Priskin turned around and looked back. The other municipal committee members did not dare to look at each other and lowered their heads one after another.

"I swear to Saint Peter that today's matter has never been mentioned to the tribune." Old Priskin glared at the other municipal councilors: "You are a bunch of short-sighted fools. Gévaudan is short of food, but it is by no means a disaster.

A malt of rye costs a kilogram of silver!”

Old Priskin became more and more angry as he talked, his face turned as red as blood, and the tip of his beard was trembling: "There was less wheat this year, and the price of food was so high that the poor could no longer afford bread!

Good luck to you! The barbarians haven't even arrived yet, and yet you dare to raise prices unscrupulously! It's really driving the people of Xiacheng District to a dead end. Are you, me, and we still alive? There's no need for the barbarians to take action. There will be civil strife in Jevaudan soon.

…”

There was silence in the meeting hall, only the thunderous roar of the old man could be heard.

"Okay." Winters signaled Old Priskin to stop: "I have other things to do today, and I don't want to waste time. If you have any ideas, just mention it directly."

Old Priskin bowed deeply to the tribune: "Please confiscate all the property of the speculators, and the food price problem will be solved naturally!"

"No." Winters waved his hand: "Let's find another way."

"Then there's only one way left."

"explain."

Old Priskin gritted his teeth and said, "Please allocate military rations to help the poor."

Charles glared at old Priskin, and the city councilors who had just breathed a sigh of relief tensed up again. Even Father Carman was a little surprised.

Winters was not angry. He asked calmly: "How many days can I survive with just my rations? If the rations run out, what will my soldiers eat?"

"Please set up a poor relief warehouse!" Old Priskin pressed his right hand on his chest: "Your army and the municipal government of Gevaudan will jointly provide food and share the responsibility of helping the poor."

"Can you represent Gévaudin?"

"I am the mayor of Gévaudin, so of course I can represent you." Old Pris glanced at the municipal committee members with a hawk-like gaze: "If anyone thinks that I am not qualified, please stand up now."

Winters sneered: "I am willing to provide food, will you guys in Gevaudan be willing to provide food?"

"Of course I don't want to!" Old Priskin replied openly: "So you can't take it for nothing, but buy it with a loan. The price is based on previous years. The army will pay one marten, and the city government of Gevaudan will provide two martes.

The grain collected in the poor warehouse is regarded as a debt of the Gevaudan municipal government and will be slowly returned in the future."

"If you buy it, sell it." Winters rubbed his chin: "In the current situation, how do you plan to sell it? How much grain you put out will be bought. When the price of flour still cannot come down, will it be given out in vain? How much grain is enough?

hair?"

"Raising food is only the first step! The key lies in the second step!" Old Priskin bowed deeply again and petitioned loudly: "I, Priskin, would like to ask you to provide work for relief!"

…

…

Carrying the letter sent back by Colonel Bode from Baishan County, Charles braved the cold wind of early winter and crossed the Church Bridge to reach the south bank.

The south bank, which was originally just woods, wasteland and farmland, has now turned into a bustling construction site.

There are more than 3,000 men and women working. In addition to more than 1,300 prisoners from Wargne County, many more are unemployed and farmers hired from Gevaudan and nearby villages.

Every two hundred people on the construction site are divided into a team, and two captains, a captain and a deputy, are designated to be responsible for different work sections.

Men dug trenches and built walls, and women passed on the soil. Old people who couldn't do any work were gathered together to cook.

There are also several teams responsible for leveling the land and cutting down trees.
To be continued...