"Quiet, quiet!"
Charles shouted sternly inside the stone house, finally bringing the voices of the dozens of Tunic Chiefs and serf overseers down.
"Old Hans."
"Lord Charles, your orders?"
"I will give you time to speak next, but if anyone dares speak outside that time, punish him with ten lashes immediately!"
"Yes, Old Hans will personally keep an eye on them!" Old Hans hurriedly declared.
Ten lashes were an astonishing deterrent, and from then on, no sound remained in the room but breathing.
Charles was quite satisfied. He continued unhurriedly, "That is the sanitation policy. Lord Master is extremely dissatisfied with the filth and disorder at Wuyou Snake Manor, so danger and opportunity have arrived together for you."
No one understood what danger and opportunity meant.
Charles explained, "The danger is this: from now on, anyone caught relieving themselves anywhere will receive ten lashes! Those who refuse to mend their ways will not only be whipped themselves, but their serf overseers and Tunic Chiefs will be whipped as well!"
"Ah..." The serf overseers had barely begun to cry out before covering their mouths, terrified of receiving lashes.
Only after Charles had frightened them enough did he continue, "As long as you do not relieve yourselves anywhere, you will not be whipped. Better yet, there are benefits. Lord Master is generous and merciful. He is willing to reward serfs who care about hygiene. Anyone who keeps clean can receive rewards!"
Accumulate one bucket of urine, and you could receive one copper coin from Lord Master.
Accumulate one bucket of feces, and you could receive two copper coins from Lord Master.
In town, a loaf of black bread sufficient to feed a family of three for a day sold for only one and a half copper coins. This reward was exceedingly generous.