Chapter Twelve Two Kinds of Land, Summoning the Serfs
The other carriages are empty, and all the coachmen are disguised as guards. Although they are very funny when participating in the Peter Queue game, they all have some ability to be selected into the palace.
Among them are many elite soldiers who were assigned to the palace during their service years.
Under the vague protection of these people, Vorontsova got out of the car. The steward of the manor was wondering what these carriages were for, and was surprised when he suddenly saw the young lady.
Each manor has a steward. The larger the manor, the greater the authority of the steward.
Although this manor was given to the young lady by the master, the young lady rarely comes here. What happened today?
And looking at the young lady's attire, shouldn't she be working as a maid in the palace for Her Majesty the Queen at this time?
Then, to the steward's surprise, the lady helped a man out of the car.
He actually grabbed his hand directly, and looking at the look on the young lady's face, he was very admired.
The steward is stupid, who is this?
However, he had no control over such matters, and was not even qualified to talk to her. He ran to Vorontsova and said respectfully:
"Miss, welcome!"
Vorontsova nodded, then took a step back and stood behind Peter to show her master-slave status.
Peter glanced at him and said calmly: "Lead the way."
"yes!"
Even the young lady stood behind this man. The steward did not dare to say anything and immediately led the way.
The breeze was blowing on his face, and the air of the eighteenth century was fresh and earthy. Peter felt a little strange in his heart as he walked on the uneven dirt road.
In terms of empire territory, the Russian Empire is the largest in the world. In terms of strength, I haven't had any experience with France at this period, so I don't know yet, but this dirt road is too down-to-earth.
And then, as the group of people moved forward, what was more down-to-earth was that Peter saw many serfs in thin clothes.
Because St. Petersburg is different from the northern forests and Siberia, this is not a tundra zone but a black earth zone, so these serfs are working, there are adult men, adult women, and even small children, all bowing their heads in silence.
Many serfs felt the strange atmosphere and looked here one after another. They seemed to feel that Peter and his group were extraordinary. They did not dare to look more and lowered their heads. However, they kept working in their hands and seemed to be still paying attention to this place from the corners of their eyes.
Peter noticed that no one dared to speak without permission.
It is winter now, and the cold weather is understandable. It is understandable that Vorontsova is not afraid of the cold. After all, she has a lot of fat, but these serfs, with their thin clothes, cannot withstand freezing at all.
Peter also noticed that some of them were wearing tree bark shoes, and these shoes were worn in summer.
He couldn't help but think of a joke. During the Seven Years' War, military expenditures were insufficient. Some generals suggested that there were still bark shoes that were not taxed, and suggested that all serfs be levied a tax on bark shoes.
This unfunny joke contains extreme contempt for serfs, and if executed, would involve countless bloodshed.
Just watching all the way, Peter arrived at a hut.
Then he walked in under the leadership of the steward.
It was still cold outside, but it was warm inside. After sitting down, Peter scanned the faces of Vorontsova, Mirkovsky and others and found that none of them had any strange expressions. It seemed that what he just saw was taken for granted.
.
Only Peter was sitting and everyone else was standing. Peter looked at the steward and asked:
"Tell me about the situation of the serfs in this manor."
The steward stuttered and said:
"What did this distinguished guest say...?"
Vorontsova's face was brimming with blood, as if she was angry.
Peter stopped her from trying to teach the steward a lesson. He found that in the palace, Vorontsova was a respectful and obedient maid, but outside, especially in her place, Vorontsova was a boyar noble lady.
Without him, Vorontsova is basically a noble.
And he is the royal family!
The aristocrat is to the royal family what the Duchess of Polya is to her aunt, who is extremely pleasing to the eye.
The butt determines the attitude.
And this steward, no matter how high his status, is essentially just a serf.
To the steward, he has reached the pinnacle of his life, but to them, a look or a mood can deprive him of his family, wealth, and even his children.
Therefore, feeling that the steward had mishandled things, Vorontsova wanted to teach him a lesson to reduce his anger. This is very natural here, and the serfs are also used to it.
Vorontsova was a little confused as to why His Highness stopped her, but His Highness was God, so she backed away obediently.
Peter asked the steward patiently:
"How many serfs are there on this estate?"
The steward felt what the young lady had just done and said tremblingly:
"Sir... Your Majesty, there are 350 serfs in the manor, 430 including children."
Peter nodded and continued to ask:
"Do you need to work all year round?"
"Yes." The steward replied respectfully.
Then he asked a few more questions, which were corroborated with the memories in his mind.
Historical records are correct. The northern forests and Siberian areas are difficult to cultivate because of their frozen soil. In order to obtain greater benefits, the nobles collectively passed a bill.
That is, in the tundra, you only need to pay immunity money. You need to pay 6 rubles a year, 2 hens, and 2 pounds of oats as rent, while in the black soil zone, it is a life-long labor system.
Because the black soil is fertile, the income from lifelong farming is far greater than the rent paid.
Then Peter spoke:
"Gather all the serfs."
The steward was stunned for a moment, then looked at Vorontsova, only to see the young lady glaring at him, as if she was going to slap her if she took a step too slow. He didn't dare to hesitate any longer, and immediately turned around and ran out.
Mirkovsky, the leader of the guards next to him, couldn't help but feel a little strange. What is His Highness going to do?
Then he winked, and all the guards became alert.
Soon, the serfs were all gathered together, Peter went out, and the guards set up a barrier between him and the serfs.
The guards were responsible for his safety, so Peter didn't force him. After all, he was still quite thin now.
So in the cold wind, Peter stood on the steps of the hut and glanced at the hundreds of people with a downward gaze.
These people gathered together like refugees.
Although he was not in rags, he was still wearing canvas clothes in the winter.
It was like this in Vorontsova's manor, and in other noble manors it can be imagined that the status of the serfs was really low to a certain extent.
All the serfs were summoned to take a look at the whole picture. After reading it, they just sighed. Peter then said to the steward:
"Let the young people who are already married and have children stay, and let the others do whatever they need to do."