Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Suppressing the Rebellion (2)
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My sincere plea had worked.
In the process, guns had come out, but since no one got hurt, all was well.
Lina and Monica scanned their surroundings warily.
"The atmosphere inside the city walls feels pretty hostile, Battalion Commander."
"It's like they're looking at the enemy."
There are two main types of rebellions.
One stems from good citizens protesting just to live like humans after excessive exploitation by local bigwigs.
The other arises for the same reason, but a cunning bastard sneaks in as the protest leader to line his own pockets.
The former dies down quickly once you lop off the corrupt officials' heads and cut taxes a bit.
But the latter are vicious types aiming for promotion by negotiating with the Imperial government—they deliberately make things worse in most cases.
And judging by how the citizens here are eyeing us warily...
'The protest leader's blinded by ambition.'
"He probably stirred them up, saying the Imperial Army sides with the corrupt mayor and his lackeys."
"No way, right?"
"Look at the citizens' eyes. Do they seem welcoming?"
In earthquakes or disasters, disaster victims feel relief at the sight of their own soldiers.
The same goes for places so badly governed that rebellions erupt when the Imperial Army shows up.
They should believe we'll solve all their problems...
But they're shooting us wary or hostile glares.
"No."
"Lieutenant Lina, this is a battlefield. We've walked right into the enemy's jaws."
Unless the top brass are insane, they won't order our deaths.
These are guys trying to milk the rebellion for promotions.
Kill Imperial soldiers? They'd be branded traitors.
Their own heads—and their families'—would roll.
"Once you enter city hall, our leader will be waiting."
We entered city hall.
As soon as we stepped inside, burly thugs gave us a "warm" welcome.
Faces scarred up, bodies covered in knife slashes and stab wounds.
This protest leader's no ordinary schemer.
In a genuine uprising by simple farmers, they'd only bring the sturdy ones...
One of the tough guys sidled up next to me and spoke.
"Colonel, sir, we're the aggrieved ones... so please resolve our injustices properly."
"Are you threatening this officer?"
"No, sir, just asking you to handle our grievances right. How could we threaten an Imperial colonel—unless we're suicidal?"
He's lunging just enough to test my nerve—sharp head on his shoulders.
In a democratic world, this guy would've pinned on a gold badge at some point.
"It's my duty to hear your grievances and investigate. I fully understand your feelings, but I am a baron of the Empire and a lieutenant colonel. And right now, I'm on official business."
I quietly rested my hand on my sword hilt.
"Killing a lowly thug like you wouldn't raise any eyebrows, you punk bastard."
The thug recoiled under my pressure.
In response, the man directing the protesters from the back strode up to me.
The moment he saw me, he bowed his head in apology.
"My apologies, Colonel. Our comrade has suffered so much at the hands of this city's mayor and officials that he overstepped."
"But, leader..."
"We're subjects of the Empire. We're only against the corrupt mayor and his underlings. Apologize at once."
The big lug immediately dropped to his knees before me and begged forgiveness.
If this were some middling sort, you'd think:
'These guys are reasonable?'
And you'd write a report recommending a city council seat for him to represent the citizens and sort things out.
One tragic fact about this guy...
I'm no middling man.
You rotten agitator bastard.
"I understand you have no intent to rebel against the Empire. So, what do you want?"
"What we want isn't complicated."
The agitator leader bowed his head and pleaded.
"Please lower our taxes to normal levels and punish the wicked mayor, his crooked officials, and that rotten guard force."
"That's all?"
"Yes, sir."
"Very well. Now, tell me why you started these protests. You'd best be honest."
Victims aren't always 100% right, nor perpetrators 100% wrong.
Victims naturally exaggerate their sufferings.
Perpetrators downplay their crimes to minimize punishment.
That's why you hear both sides.
Well, this so-called protest leader is a drug-pushing type scheming for promotion via the uprising.
Lots of exaggeration to be expected.
"In our Rakova City, they took 70% of farmers' annual grain harvest and levied crushing taxes on citizens. Even compared to other cities, taxes here were 20% higher."
"That much?"
"Yes, sir. Still, we figured guys like us scraping by everywhere had it the same, so we endured."
"There were more problems."
"Artisans and merchants bribed the bigwigs for tax breaks. A merchant raking in 20 million marks pays less than a single farmer family? Does that make sense?"
Joseon was a land of endless famines.
Two main reasons.
Farming tech wasn't modernized, so little rain meant drought, too much meant floods—frequent occurrences.
And from magistrates down to lowly clerks, they constantly lied to the central government about famines.
The reason was obvious.
Lie about famine to send less tax upward, then pocket the rest with "wise" accounting.
Embezzlement, plain and simple.
Other premodern states were much the same.
"A merchant earning 20 million marks paid less tax than a farmer?"
"Yes, sir. And that's not all. Some officials jacked up taxes arbitrarily—if you couldn't pay, they'd take your daughter."
"...Those mad bastards."
"They say pretty girls fetched money when offered to the bigwigs."
The Empire has no slave markets or slavery.
But kidnap victims or debtors sold for debts get traded like slaves.
Tax default's treated the same as unpaid debt...
So they'd sell their own kids that way.
Even into the early-to-mid 1900s, families sold daughters for gambling debts or famine survival.
"They confiscated private property and homes on all sorts of pretexts, slapped on fines, threw people in jail. How could we not rebel?"
"Didn't think of telling the governor, the mayor's superior?"
"Would a lord like the governor even hear scum like us?"
"Fair point."
A governor's like a provincial governor in Korea.
Far too exalted for common Imperials to even glimpse.
Figured rebelling was more realistic than begging such a lord.
"What do you want?"
"Just lower the taxes a bit. And... listen to our voices with open ears."
"Consider it done. Now, one demand from me..."
"Anything, sir. I'll do my best."
"You're holding the mayor hostage, right?"
"Yes, sir."
"Corrupt or not, he's a high Imperial official—a proper noble of the Empire. Until His Majesty the Emperor passes judgment, you can't mistreat or insult him. Release him at once."
I fully grasped why the protesters had risen up.
So I was giving this protest leader and his cronies one last chance.
If they abandoned their schemes for promotion right now and groveled...
I'd petition for leniency.
This level of grievance made rebellion almost inevitable.
Even if these bastards led the riot.
"Understood."
"Also, disarm immediately and place yourselves under my command."
I hoped they'd obey meekly...
"Sorry, sir, that's difficult."
"Why?"
"We'll hand over the mayor, of course. But the citizens' and farmers' rage is sky-high. Unless I calm them personally..."
Even when handed a lifeline, the idiot's still scheming?
Fine, do whatever you want.
"You know the local situation better than I do. Have at it, then."
Blinded by greed, unable to tell bed from floor—they'll keel over from "natural causes."