I was a priest in the city-state era

Chapter 495

The Emperor of Athens was not only the emperor of the citizens of Athens, but also the emperor of the free people of Athens.

Roy can use the Citizens Assembly to understand the demands of the citizens of Athens.

If he wanted to know the demands of the free people of Athens, Roy could only visit in private.

The second day of the Citizens' Meeting.

Roy took Procne, Philomela, and Nefertiti to a remote village north of Athens.

Chronos Village.

The village has built concrete roads.

When Roy's golden carriage drove into the village, he saw that apart from children running around and playing around, there were only some old people drying wheat in their yards.

The carriage stopped in the middle of the village, and Roy took the girls out of the carriage and came to the yard of a nearby farmhouse.

An old man was drying wheat in the yard at this time. Seeing Roy and the others walk into his yard, the old man immediately showed a bewildered expression on his face.

After all, Roy made a private visit in a micro-service in a golden carriage. As long as he is not ignorant, anyone can guess Roy's identity.

"Old man, we are travelers passing by."

Roy took the initiative to speak to the old man.

"What is drying in the yard is the newly harvested wheat this year!"

The old man nodded, and Roy continued to ask.

"How is your family's harvest this year?"

The old man said with a simple and honest smile.

"Our family has [-] mu of land, and we can harvest more than [-] catties of grain. In addition, we rent and plant His Majesty's [-] mu of land and get [-] catties of grain. My family's grain is enough for the whole family of seven to eat. Excess grain is exchanged for salt. My two sons work outside and can earn [-] catties of grain a year. Old man, I have lived for so long, and it is the first time our family can earn [-] catties of grain a year. Life will definitely get better and better.”

"Old man, what do you think of the current emperor?"

Hearing this question, the old man couldn't help but rolled his eyes.

After all, the old man was not a fool. He had already guessed Roy's identity when he saw Roy's golden carriage.

"His Majesty the Emperor is a very good man!"

The old man praised sincerely.

"Under the emperor's rule, our lives are getting better and better, and our security is guaranteed. We don't have to worry about robbers appearing. Moreover, the emperor also repaired bridges and paved roads for us, and repaired the cement road to our doorstep."

"Then do you have any appeals to the emperor?"

"If only the emperor would give us more fields."

"That can't be done!"

Luo Yi refused without hesitation.

"The population of the empire will continue to increase. If you distribute land without restriction, there will be no land for future generations. At present, if you want to share more land, you can only let your son serve as a soldier. To become a citizen family It can be divided into fifty acres of land."

"Then I have no appeal."

Roy glanced at the old man's house and said.

"Old man, why don't you demolish the house made of mud and wood like yours and build a concrete house?"

"Where do we have the money to build concrete houses?"

"If the emperor lent you money to build houses, would you be willing?"

Roy said with a smile.

"The cost of the three concrete houses is [-] catties of grain, and it is impossible for your family to take it out at once. The Emperor's Royal Bank can lend you free and interest-free loans, and you only need ten years to repay the debt. Pay back [-] catties every year." The food will not affect the normal life of your family."

"How cheap are concrete houses?"

"It's so cheap. The building materials belong to the emperor. To build houses for you, the emperor only charges labor costs, not materials."

"You are so kind, I want to kneel down for you—"

Seeing that the old man really wanted to kneel down and worship him, Roy immediately supported the old man and said.

"Old man, I'm just a traveler passing by. Everyone in the Athens Empire is equal. Even if you really meet the emperor, you don't need to kneel down."

After leaving the old man's yard, Roy took the girls to another family's yard.

At this time a woman was washing clothes with her ten-year-old daughter.

In this day and age, women hardly ever go out.

So the woman doing the laundry obviously didn't know Roy's identity.

Seeing Roy and others walking into the yard, the woman stopped washing clothes, looked at Roy and asked.

"What's the matter with you?"

Her daughter also looked at Luo Yi and the others with curious eyes.

"Sister, I want to ask how your family is doing?"

"Our family is doing well."

"Then does your family have any demands to tell His Majesty the Emperor?"

"What's the use of what I said?"

The woman couldn't help laughing.

"Could the emperor listen to my appeal as a woman?"

"Actually, I am the emperor's envoy. You tell me your request, and I will help you pass it on to the emperor."

Hearing what Roy said, the woman glanced at Roy's golden carriage and said.

"I do have a request. I heard that the Emperor is the favorite of Metis, the Goddess of Wisdom, and has invented many magical things. I hope the Emperor can invent a loom so that weaving will not be so hard for me."

"no problem."

The looms of this era are very slow in work efficiency.

Women weaved at home, usually only to meet the needs of making clothes for family members.

"Sister! The emperor will soon invent a new loom, and women in Athens will use this new loom to not only make clothes for their families, but also weave surplus cloth to sell for money."

"That is to say, we women can weave and support ourselves in the future, and we will no longer be completely dependent on our husbands?"

"That's right!"

Roy nodded.

"Women can also provide income for the family in the future, and your life will definitely get better and better. Even if you earn nine thousand catties of grain a year, it will be no problem."

After leaving the village of Chronos, the golden carriage drove slowly on the road back to Athens.

Seeing the farmers harvesting wheat in the fields on both sides of the road, Roy couldn't help but said.

"It seems that after the invention of the steam engine, the diesel engine will be invented next."

The production method using manpower and animal power is really too backward.

If you want to increase food production, you must either let more people farm the land, or change the way of production.

If it is a feudal autocratic ruler, he will definitely choose to suppress changes in the mode of production.

Because leaving a large number of people on the land can facilitate their rule.

But Roy's Athens Empire was not a feudal autocracy, let alone ruled by the rule of man.

The Athenian Empire is ruled by law, and anyone who wants to go beyond the law will be punished by the law.

Looking at Roy's profile, Nefertiti couldn't help asking.

"Your Majesty! After observing for so long, I found that the Athenian Empire seems to have no boundaries between the ruler and the ruled. This situation continues, won't there be troubles in the Athenian Empire?"

"I know what you're worried about."

Roy said confidently.

"Neftiti, in any era there will be ambitious people who want to rule others. The existence of such people can provide legitimacy for the existence of the royal family. We can tell the Athenians with an opera similar to [Legend of the King of Athens] that the emperor's Existence is necessary. Because of the existence of the emperor, those who are truly ambitious can be suppressed."

(End of this chapter)