"No, that won't do..."
Matt instinctively refused, explaining, "But that's my house, honorable Lord."
"Won't do? You say no on my territory?"
Luo De's gaze turned cold, not expecting Matt to actually say no.
He truly didn't regard Luo De at all.
Daring to brazenly trample the lord's power and dignity.
Truly courting death.
Luo De abruptly drew his refined steel great sword, pointing it directly at Matt!
"Who permitted you to build a house on my territory? Have you paid taxes!"
Clang!
Durant and the guards drew their swords together, scaring Matt into instantly kneeling on the ground!
"This this..."
Matt suddenly realized, nobles are the true owners of the land!
"I'm sorry, Lord, I, I will clear it out for you immediately!"
"Too late!"
Luo De said sharply, "Defying the lord, stealing the lord's property, evading taxes, according to the Empire's law, how should you be dealt with?"
"He should be hanged!" Durant loudly responded.
"Very well, execute during dinner!"
Upon hearing this, Matt's legs turned to jelly in fear, collapsing on the ground as he cried out,
"Spare my life, Lord!"
"I can pay taxes! All my property is yours!"
"Please don't kill me!"
...
Luo De didn't waste words, gesturing for Durant to gag Matt.
Then Luo De turned his gaze to the other wealthy farmers,
"Rest assured, I am a very reasonable lord, Matt's crime does not concern you."
Luo De's voice became calm again, "As long as you pay your taxes well, I won't hold past deeds against you."
"Pay taxes, we'll definitely pay taxes!"
The other wealthy farmers, trembling with fear, hurriedly nodded in agreement, afraid they might be the next to be hanged.
In fact, Luo De didn't originally plan to lay down heavy pressure immediately, but the people of Frost Leaf Town were truly lax, too disrespectful to him as lord.
Especially this town mayor, who had usurped someone else's place without realizing it.
Since that was the case, Luo De wouldn't hold back, executing swiftly.
As for the rest, if they listened, they would serve like dogs.
"Lawrence, can you keep accounts?"
Lawrence, who had been engrossed in the spectacle, was taken by surprise when Luo De asked, not reacting at first.
Until the guard beside him gave him a nudge, bringing him back to his senses to reply:
"That's my specialty, Lord Baron."
"Then you are in charge of collecting taxes from these wealthy farmers' homes, at sixty percent of their assets."
"Happy to serve you!"
Lawrence eagerly responded.
After the Golden Sand Trading Team was confiscated by Luo De, Lawrence was very disheartened, but seeing the wealthy farmers forfeiting their assets finally lifted his spirits a bit.
Having company in his misery was indeed gratifying.
Therefore, despite the exhausting journey, Lawrence was quite willing to get this job done.
"Durant, Gang Le, each of you pick two men from your teams to follow Lawrence for tax collection."
"Yes, Lord!" "No problem!"
They both responded loudly, quickly assigning four men to form a tax collection team with Lawrence.
In fact, Luo De was not in a rush to collect taxes, after all, gold coins couldn't be spent here anyway.
Luo De feared these wealthy farmers would see Matt's fate, agree verbally, then flee overnight, so swift action was necessary.
Once they paid, these wealthy farmers were unlikely to run off.
Luo De left the carriage and the captured robbers in the courtyard, assigning the mercenary team, trading team guards, and two guards to watch over them.
He then headed straight for the two rows of wooden houses at the mountain top with Durant and Gang Le.
Matt's family still hadn't realized what was happening when the guards charged into the yard.
Matt's two sons tried to take up swords in resistance, but lacking proficient sword skills, they were cut down by the guards after two or three exchanges.
Only Matt's wife and a daughter, along with three slaves, were captured by the guards.
The fate of these five people was naturally to be demoted to slaves.
Then Luo De directly moved into the main house, with the guards using the courtyard kitchen to start a fire for cooking, and lighting a bonfire in the yard with firewood.
As night fell, the cold wind howled.
The townsfolk, who should have been sitting by stoves or lying in warm beds, were right now gathered on the open ground outside the town mayor's courtyard, waiting to watch the mayor hung on the wooden rack.
And Luo De, who had given the order, was sitting by the bonfire at a wooden table, focusing on enjoying the dinner on his plate.
Seven wealthy farmers stood separately on both sides, heads bowed in silence.
The scene was eerily quiet, everyone dared not breathe loudly, only the bonfire crackled in the howling cold wind.
Luo De disliked waste, carefully cleaning the plate of every meat morsel.
Draining his beer mug in one go, Luo De wiped his mouth, signaling Durant to read Matt's charges one by one.
"Does anyone have any objections?"
Luo De's gaze swept over, making the townspeople instinctively lower their heads.
Although Matt was the mayor, he was not held in high regard, and under the threat of sharp blades, no one wanted to speak up for him.
The town's militia did have swords, but those wealthy farmers usually close to Matt stayed quiet, so who would stand up?
Matt's wife and daughter, too, stood silently to one side, not uttering a word.
In this era, most ordinary women had no voice and were used to being subjugated.
To them, men were just their primary dependency.
Without one, they'd latch onto another, as long as they could survive.
This left Luo De empty-handed in attempting to fish out Matt's cronies.
It seemed this mayor wasn't very well-liked.
Which was normal, if he could offend even a good-natured lord like Luo De, how could his standing be good?
"Very well, proceed with the execution."
Luo De gestured, and Gang Le's subordinate kicked the stool away.