novelraw Chapter 138: Knightly Manor
Chapter 138: Knightly Manor
Ch 138: Knightly Manor
With Hugh’s death, the bizarre food poisoning incident came to an end.
To prevent similar incidents from happening again, Vig issued two decrees:
First, it is strictly forbidden for peasants to sell grain mixed with “poisonous ergot,” violators will be fined, and those with serious offenses will be sentenced to hanging.
Second, town bakeries must cast an iron seal. After the bread is baked, the shopkeeper’s unique mark is stamped on it. In case of food poisoning or other disputes, it is convenient to find the source of the bread in time.
After everything was done, the sun was about to set. At this time, a knight invited the Duke to stay overnight at his manor.
According to custom, a lord visiting a vassal’s home shows trust in the person. Refusal indicates the lord suspects the person is no longer competent.
After a moment’s consideration, Vig accepted the invitation, walked along a country lane for a distance, crossed a low fence, and arrived at the center of the manor.
Here stood the manor house, surrounded by a wooden palisade, with more than thirty low houses nearby. The residents were mainly Vikings and some local tenant farmers.
According to the knight’s introduction, the manor had 500 acres of cultivated land, 200 acres of flat pasture suitable for pastoralism, 150 acres of forest, and fishing rights in a nearby stream. The manor had a total of thirty households. First, there were eight Viking freemen who farmed in peacetime and responded to conscription in wartime.
Secondly, there were thirteen tenant farmers who had to work for the lord for two days a week, paying one-fifth of their harvest as tax in kind, with no obligation to participate in war. In their spare time, they were occasionally employed by freemen to handle some farm work.
The remaining nine households were the steward, retainers, groom, carpenter, servants, hunter, fisherman, and two shepherds.
In addition to the more than 150 permanent residents mentioned above, there were also some temporary laborers from the surrounding villages.
Vig stood at the top of the palisade, overlooking the manor under the moonlight, “How is the territory’s income and expenditure?”
“About 400 bushels of grain are received annually. In addition, the wool from more than 300 sheep can also be sold for a lot of money. Overall, it’s about 6 pounds of silver. After deducting various expenses, the manor is expected to save 1 to 3 pounds of silver a year.”
Only this much?
Vig frowned, no wonder many knights chose to serve in the standing army, and some served as officials in the Four Northern Counties, or took up positions in Tyne.
Moreover, judging from the income ratio, the profit of wool is nearly 50%, and the cost-effectiveness of pastoralism surpasses that of cultivation. Is this the reason for the enclosure movement in later generations?
The next day, Vig did not rush back to Glasgow, patiently observing the daily situation of this manor.
Overall, the freemen lived relatively comfortably, and they could even drink a glass of home-brewed ale for dinner. The tenant farmers had a worse life, barely making ends meet, especially some who spontaneously paid tithes, preferring to let their family eat less bread.
Taking out paper and pen, Vig calculated in detail that without war or natural disasters, this manor economy could be maintained for a long time, providing well-trained cavalry in wartime and greatly alleviating the lord’s military expenditure.
In addition, the feudal system has another advantage—improving control over newly conquered territories.
After being enfeoffed, the knight, bringing their family and several Viking freemen, settled down in unfamiliar lands, without any relatives or friends, and met with suspicion and hostility from the locals. Their only reliance was on their feudal lord and their surrounding colleagues.
Once they detect any signs of rebellion nearby, they can promptly inform the county officials. When the purge begins, they will also conscript militia to cooperate. After all, this involves their core interests and those of their descendants, so they cannot help but be conscientious.
Suddenly, Vig thought of the Ming Dynasty’s garrison system. The initial intention of establishing garrisons was similar to the feudal system—to maintain regional stability and provide troops in wartime.
Until the end of the Ming Dynasty, some garrison soldiers who had been in arrears for many years were still willing to be loyal to the king. Regardless of their military achievements, at least their loyalty is commendable.
Considering this, Vig decided to enfeoff another batch of knights.
With the advent of papermaking, the supply of paper increased, and the Duke’s Mansion began registering the resumes of lower-ranking officers and officials as a basis for reward and punishment.
Having made up his mind, Vig wrote to Tyne, asking them to send a list of those who had made military merit, from which he would select seven lucky fellows.
The location of the new manors was in the north of Glasgow, located at the junction of plains and mountains. Each person received one pound of silver as a reward, plus the standard equipment for a knight—ten each of shields, short axes, spears, and purple-clothed bows, to help the new knights and Viking freemen control the territory, and one hundred bushels of wheat as emergency rations.
After the ceremony, Vig asked the seven knights, “Will you purchase warhorses yourselves, or should I help you buy them?”
According to feudal obligations, each knightly fief needed to provide two cavalrymen, two infantrymen, and a groom, at least two warhorses, and two additional mounts for daily travel.
Knowing that they chose to have him purchase them, Vig yawned and casually explained:
“According to last year’s prices, each warhorse costs three pounds of silver. Unfortunately, King Ragnar decided to levy a tax of 60 pence（0.25 pounds）, plus the transportation fee from Normandy to the Northern Border, raising the price to 3.5 pounds, and the total price for two horses is seven pounds. Gentlemen, the warhorses are expected to arrive next spring, remember to pay then.”
So expensive?
The seven knights looked at each other, their joy instantly diminished. They went to a corner to whisper, discussing how to raise this large sum.
“Rob! Find a few trustworthy brothers, and we must raise this expenditure.”
A knight named Utgard immediately refuted: “Where do you plan to go? Pillage in Britain and incur King Ragnar’s wrath, or sail to Normandy and damage the relationship between the Duke and Gunnar?”
After hearing Utgard’s words, the others remained silent.
Indeed, the times are no longer suitable for pillaging. The risk of pillaging wealthy areas is too high, while poor areas cannot squeeze out much profit, and may not even be enough to cover the expenses of purchasing equipment and supplies.
Someone muttered: “Sigh, being knighted feels less enjoyable than before.”
Utgard jokingly said, “It’s alright, you can give up your title; many people would like to take over. Besides, you have followed the Duke for four years, participating in the Mercia-Wessex War and the Francia War, and you have saved at least four pounds of silver. You are the richest among us.”
The other replied with a mournful face: “Spent it all, all spent. The first thing I did after dividing the spoils of war was to find merchants and madams in nearby towns. Their services are diverse, and they talk nicely. I unwittingly spent all my rewards.”
After a long time, someone offered another suggestion:
“Borrow money from merchants. It is said that Harry, a merchant from Tyne County, is good at this business, occasionally giving loans to knights short of funds. His business is huge, and he seems to have started a Tyne Wool Merchant Guild.”