Chapter 58: A Survival Guide to the Middle Ages

In the present era, feudalism is essentially a network of varying personal dependencies. These include relationships between rulers and subjects, protectors and the protected, landlords and tenants, employers and employees, as well as local magnates and the impoverished or vulnerable—extending far beyond the mere bond between a lord and his vassal. Furthermore, the relationship between a lord and his follower did not transform from a personal tie into a territorial one simply because a fief was granted.

Within this medieval society, the lowliest commoners strictly adhered to the most unadorned iron rule of survival: to strive with every ounce of their strength to enter the glorious inner circle of the great figures. Among all the vocabulary associated with feudalism, no term was used more broadly or carried a more generalized meaning than "man," denoting subjection to another. Across both Romance and Germanic languages, it was employed to signify personal dependency, applied to individuals of all social ranks regardless of the precise legal nature of the relationship. Just as a serf was the "man" of the manor's lord, a count was the "man" of the king.

Just as I am now the retainer of Resalit, I am his man, and he must shield and care for me. As for Resalit, he is a knight of Flanders and the count's man; His Lordship the Count must not only protect his own men but also bestow rewards upon them—for his knights, this meant the granting of those much-envied fiefs. Once one entered another’s service, one was expected to toil diligently and lay down one's life and mind for them. The logic of such feudal obligations and rights was not the exclusive purview of the aristocracy; the common folk of the Middle Ages all followed this path, orbiting like stars around a bright moon, nearly impossible to defy.

Carlo’s gaze grew profound:
"For serfs, once they become the serfs of a noble, that noble is obliged to grant them a vast expanse of fertile land to cultivate, since land is hardly scarce anyway. Moreover, the noble must provide them with exceptionally reliable protection—the kind that no one dares to disrupt, sacred as a rule ordained by God, which none may lightly tamper with. As for the serfs, to labor strenuously for the lord and offer him steadfast, devoted service is equally a matter of natural justice, something they could never cast off even if they wanted to. If the noble fails to properly fulfill his duty of protecting the serfs, the serfs may actually renounce their rights—namely, the right to farm the land—to escape their obligations. Furthermore, a noble even had to ponder whether his most loyal followers might turn on him in rebellion.

This was entirely different from the serfdom of modern Tsarist Russia. In those days, the population surged rapidly while the land remained limited, giving rise to conflicts so profound they ultimately spawned the First and Second World Wars. In medieval Europe, however, due to primitive farming techniques and the absence of high-yield crops like potatoes and corn, land was abundant and labor was actually scarce. Yet because of the framework of the feudal system, all the land was tightly gripped in the hands of the feudal and religious nobility, entirely justified by law and custom. In an era spent struggling against both the heavens and the earth, relatively few possessed the capability to be free Frankish men.

As free peasant holdings were passed down through generations without the ability to expand, individuals had little choice but to gradually descend into serfdom, attaching themselves to a noble to farm the land simply to secure a place to survive. In truth, becoming a serf was not something a free farmer could simply demand at will; feudal obligations were mutually dependent, and a vassal’s obedience was conditional upon both the lord and the tenant earnestly fulfilling the duties stipulated in their contract. In reality, however, a lord could exact heavier rents from free tenant farmers without legal restraint, raising them at a whim. Therefore, securing the status of a tenant under a benevolent lord required timing and considerable effort."

Xiar stood there anxiously awaiting Carlo’s response, hardly daring to draw a full breath, repeating inwardly:
"My lord Carlo, please do not blame me. Everything I have reported is the absolute truth. If you have any instructions, I will gladly brave mountains of swords and seas of flames without a shred of fear. Right now, I feel like a prisoner awaiting a verdict, my heart pounding in my chest, thoroughly wretched."

Carlo took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, and continued his musings:
"Aside from social relations and institutional reasons, objective material conditions also played a role. Since the High Middle Ages, this continent has undergone numerous transformations..."

The invaders who once plundered everywhere were ultimately beaten back through the stubborn resistance of various nations. Concurrently, the climate during this period was remarkably pleasant, particularly in northern regions, where temperatures were several degrees higher than in previous or later eras, accompanied by reduced rainfall. Throughout the long summers, all living things flourished, and crops grew with extraordinary vigor. Bolstered by this favorable environment, both arable land and harvests expanded dramatically. Certain peasants not only succeeded in enlarging their cultivated fields but also significantly boosted farming efficiency by adopting a rotational system between planted fields and fallow land.

In medieval Europe, where fertilizer was scarce, the best way to maintain soil fertility was to let the land lie fallow. Early crop rotation involved merely two fields: the peasant farmed one while leaving the other idle. Later, the three-field rotation system emerged and grew increasingly popular, operating on a three-year cycle wherein one field was sown in spring and harvested in autumn, another was sown in autumn and harvested by early summer of the following year, and the third remained fallow. Consequently, two-thirds of the land was under cultivation at any given time, representing a massive improvement over the older practice of using only half the land. Of course, not every rural community could implement the three-field system; some areas lacked sufficient soil fertility, while others suffered summers too scorching to permit spring sowing. Nevertheless, certain advanced villages pushed even further, developing complex four-field or even five-field rotational models.

Carlo stood up and began to pace the room.

Xiar watched him rise and fell into anxious internal mutterings:
"Will this work or not? If it won't, just drop it. Give me a straight answer!"

Carlo sat back down, his brow finally unfurrowing.

Xiar had waited so long beside him he felt practically petrified, his eyes filled with grievance as he grumbled internally:
"Lord Carlo is treating me like thin air, really putting me through the wringer. Carlo, you're quite something; you completely overlook a tiny transparent person like me. You're brilliant."

It was as if an epiphany had struck Carlo, making him realize that the perspectives held by many "transmigrator predecessors" suffered from severe flaws. In medieval Europe, the lives of serfs were, in most cases, far more secure than those of free farmers. Moreover, the word "free"—referring to a Frankish person—currently designated someone who held a certain degree of participatory right and independent decision-making authority in administrative affairs and other matters. Because such individuals possessed greater wealth, they were required to shoulder corresponding obligations—this was the literal payment of a blood tax! This concept bore no resemblance to the "freedom" advocated and promoted in later eras.

Given the realities of productivity and social relations in this epoch, whether one was a serf or a noble, the mere mention of the word "liberty" would induce sheer terror. For them, it meant that the lord and the king refused to acknowledge their devotion and intended to confiscate their lands and fields—a fate far more terrifying than death itself. If he were to suddenly transform the serfs of Jers and Sour into free farmers, they would likely assume he was stripping them of their land and their obligation to serve the lord. Proposing this without any fault on their part would very likely plunge them into extreme panic, leaving them feeling utterly deprived of protection. Consequently, it would yield the exact opposite of the intended result, turning a kind intention into a disaster.

The protagonists in many transmigration novels often swaggered about like invincible demigods, which was utterly absurd and completely groundless. When one truly attempted to put such ideas into practice, one would discover that progress was like climbing a mountain—it required a solid, step-by-step approach, or one was bound to suffer a disastrous fall. Even within a unified empire like China, where the emperor held supreme power, a great number of sovereigns still met violent ends. Take Emperor Wuzong of Ming, Zhu Houzhao, for instance: despite holding absolute power, he ultimately met his end within the chambers of the Leopard House, demonstrating just how unpredictable worldly affairs could be. Historically, whenever a new order replaced an old one, which time did not involve countless arduous struggles and rivers of blood? These were all profound historical lessons.

Reflecting upon himself, he was currently nothing more than an unremarkable youth, devoid of power or influence. Under such circumstances, notions of disrupting the existing social order to spur development were best discarded. The paramount task was to preserve his own life and steadily pursue development.

The corners of Carlo’s mouth curled upward into a confident smile. However, a distinct drawback plagued this method of managing serfs through contracts and the spirit of fealty: the subjective initiative of the serfs in production was sorely lacking. Those with secure property possessed a steadfast heart—this was the true significance of the free Frankish men. Yet how could he possibly possess the strength right now to make everyone in the villages of Sour and Jers "free"? Under the existing manorial economic system, maximizing profits was not the goal; nearly all high-quality goods produced were monopolized by the lord, leaving the serfs with only a tiny fraction and plunging them into hardship.

Therefore, the only true path to boosting everyone's work enthusiasm was to grow strong oneself or to generate greater value. If one could provide "subordinates" with ample land and secure protection, they would undoubtedly remain unswervingly loyal—this was the nature of contemporary interdependence.

Carlo looked toward Xiar, his eyes brimming with expectation. For these serfs, one could initially distribute more food, allowing them to hold a slightly larger surplus in their hands; in doing so, their enthusiasm would rise rapidly. When dealing with those willing to follow oneself, there was no need for grand, empty rhetoric or superficial displays of camaraderie. One simply needed to emulate Liu邦’s approach toward his subordinates: even if one resorted to scolding or beating them, they would understand or even sing your praises, provided you were never stingy with money and rewards—give them enough, and that was all that mattered!

Yet something felt oddly amiss. What was wrong with this era? Could it be that rural areas consisted solely of nobles and serfs? Why did he recall Florence being structured differently? Well, he could slowly explore that question in the future.

Carlo finally opened his mouth to speak:
"Xiar, I have a question. Given how young I am, why do you choose to submit to me instead of seeking out a greater figure? Are Resalit and Roberto truly unwilling to accept you?"

Xiar let out a long breath, straightened his posture, and voiced the thoughts in his heart:
"Lord Carlo, while I dare not claim to possess great talent, I believe my capacity for observation and investigation is quite formidable. In this world, I have witnessed countless heroes and grand figures, as well as a multitude of foolish and incompetent ones. Though you are young, ever since your performance at the Battle of Tournai, I realized that your wisdom and courage are quite unlike those of a child—they far surpass your years. Afterwards, your ability to make two knights heed your commands and to truly take control of these two domains is an achievement matched by none. I firmly believe you are destined for greatness; you are the king within my heart."

With a chuckle, he drew a pouch of coins from his tunic and raised it high:
"For a master as worthy of allegiance and potential as yourself, a humble servant like me benefits immensely from early submission. My lord, these are twenty gold coins, a tribute I offer to you. They represent my loyalty to you, though compared to my reverence for you, they are scarcely worth mentioning."