After explaining the administrative integration plan, Roland picked up his teacup and took a few sips, waiting for everyone to digest it.
Maintaining the daily operation of an area requires a lot of manpower. Before the literacy rate is improved, it is inevitable to bring the nobles into it. After all, most of them have received primary education and have some involvement in management. If there are outstanding performers, he doesn't mind sending them out to manage a city, or even a territory, similar to the mayors and governors of later generations.
After a few minutes, Roland began to explain the next issue.
That is, combating crime.
In his vision of "New Order," there is no place for black street organizations in the city. Everyone can find a job that is enough to support themselves without having to plunder others. If it were a highly developed modern city, he would not be confident in doing this. The saturation of tens of millions of people and low-level positions would lead to a large number of unemployed people; but in the Western Region, including Longsong Stronghold and the entire suburban territory, there are only sixty to seventy thousand people. The basic infrastructure is still blank. As long as you are willing to work, there is no shortage of jobs.
"How much do you know about rats?"
"You mean... black street rats?" Rein. Medde coughed twice, "I have dealt with them before."
"What kind of dealings?" Roland asked with interest.
"This..." Rein seemed a little embarrassed, "I used to be the leader of the Fiery Blaze Gang and fought with other rat gangs for territory."
"Pfft," several people in the room couldn't help but laugh.
Roland was also stunned for a moment. A second son of an earl's family would actually become a rat? And the Fiery Blaze Gang... the name is too lacking in style. He began to suspect, is this person really Earl Medde's biological son?
"Your Highness, the thing is," Barov explained, "Several years ago, the black street forces in the dock area were very rampant. Almost every day, civilians and foreign merchants were killed, and the patrol team turned a blind eye to it. Rein. Medde couldn't stand it, so he took his guards and recruited a group of people from the slums to drive the rats out of this area. At that time, he also wrote the daily battle situation into letters and sent them to me in the royal capital. In his letter, he called it a great battle, no less than fighting against the demonic beasts, so I think..."
"Barov, stop talking," Rein unexpectedly showed a look of shame, "At that time, I was just bored and looking for some fun to pass the time."
So that's how it is. This is probably a "feat" made by a noble who is keen on knightly games during his rebellious youth, Roland thought. For a second son of the Medde family who has loved fighting since childhood, there is nothing more exciting than having a group of subordinates who respond to every call. Although it is not commanding thousands of troops, the momentum is no less impressive when two groups of people fight.
"What about the gang now?"
"Uh, I don't know," Rein scratched the back of his head, "Since joining the Hermes defense line and fighting real demonic beasts, I have never contacted those people again."
Roland nodded, "In fact, I plan to eradicate all the rats operating in the stronghold, so that every civilian can have a stable life."
"Your Highness, forgive me for speaking frankly," Rein hesitated, "This... I'm afraid it can't be done."
"Why?" He frowned, "I have the First Army. Are rats more difficult to deal with than noble knights?"
"Not so," the other party seemed to be carefully choosing his words, "They are weak and timid, lack weapons and armor, and don't know how to form formations. They are simply vulnerable to knights, but... if you follow the approach of dealing with rebels and use whether they have been rats to clear them out, I am afraid that there will not be many civilians left in the entire stronghold."
"You mean..."
"Rats and civilians are constantly changing, Your Highness," Rein replied respectfully, "When the harvest is bad and the Evil Moon is long, many civilians have to do some things that rats do in order to survive. This is also the reason why most lords allow black streets to exist. It is better to let them fight internally than to have starving people riot."
Roland's face darkened. He didn't expect rats to appear in this way, "What about their organizers?"
"These people are repeat offenders. Some of them are supported by local nobles, and some are wandering criminals from other places."
"Very well, I don't think any of you are cultivating rats," the prince swept around the long table with a cold face. The nobles lowered their heads, "But it doesn't matter if there are any. As long as you cooperate with my clearing operation from today onwards, I can let bygones be bygones." He paused and then looked at Rein, "I have a task for you."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"In the next month, I want to focus on cracking down on all criminal behavior in the stronghold, and you need to cooperate with the First Army to eliminate the leaders of the black street gangs and completely disintegrate all rat organizations. As for the specific approach, I will arrange for someone to tell you."
"Your Highness, what about the members below? Without organizations providing food, it will be difficult for them to survive the Months of Demons." Rein worried, "In addition, this year's Evil Moon is earlier, and the number of these people may be more than in previous years."
"I will let Barov open the granary and release food until the end of the Months of Demons."
"Your Highness, that's not okay!"
"If you support them, it will only make them worse!"
"That's right, at that time, I'm afraid the whole city will be beggars!"
Hearing these words, the nobles spoke out to stop him.
Roland slammed the table hard, "I have already decided, you don't need to say any more!"
He felt that the biggest difference between him and the nobles was that they always speculated about the people in the worst possible way, believing that they were lazy and ignorant, both incompetent and despicable, and that their nature was very greedy and hopeless. But he knew very well the power of the people. This group seemed stupid, but in fact, only with correct guidance and the establishment of role models could they become the backbone of this world. If the people were really as useless as the nobles thought, how could they have changed the entire world time and time again?
In fact, spending energy on the people is the most worthwhile investment. Even a small change can bring amazing returns.
"Finally, we need to publicize the government orders as soon as possible," Roland looked at Barov, "You have experience in this. Just continue to expand it. If the people don't understand the notices, you can find someone to announce them. The content is everything we talked about today."
"Everything?" The latter was stunned, "Even the plan to clean up the rats should be announced?"
"Yes, including the news of opening the granary and releasing food," he looked around at everyone again, "I will first teach you the premise for a qualified city hall to operate, that is, to tell the people the policies in advance, answer their questions, and listen to their feedback—only in this way will the published policies not become empty words."
Transforming the nobles, unifying the laws, administrative integration, strict crackdown on security, and the final political propaganda are the preparations Roland made to establish a new order.