Lord of Winter: Beginning with Daily Intelligence - Chapter 665 - 384: Achievements of the Red Tide System (Part 3)

Chapter 665: Chapter 384: Achievements of the Red Tide System (Part 3)

Her voice has never been loud, yet it carries a kind of chill that leaves no room for distraction.

“First item, case filing status.” She opened the ledger, and the clerks immediately picked up their pens. “A total of seventy-one cases were filed by the Inspection Department this year.”

Someone on the tiered seats took a gentle breath; this number meant that a case was uncovered almost every four days.

Erin continued: “The cases verified and executed for punishment are as follows…”

She read them out one by one: “Embezzlement of disaster relief grain, thirty-one cases; withholding of spring planting seeds, twenty-two cases; unauthorized tax setups, covertly collecting reconstruction fees, twelve cases; harboring Evil God worship, six cases, including five altars.”

When “Evil God worship” was mentioned, the entire hall noticeably grew colder, as if the chill seeped into their skin.

Most of the people present had experienced the insect disaster, something that could not be lightly mentioned.

Erin closed the first half of the ledger and continued: “Second item, punishment methods. Immediate dismissal of sixty-three people; public shackling for nineteen individuals; legal execution of nineteen people.”

She paused, then opened the last page: “Among them, the most egregious case involves a Red Tide official responsible for aid supplies.

Having accepted a bribe from the local Lord, he embezzled grain distribution for two whole months, forcing disaster victims to sell their children for food, and was promptly executed by the Inspection Department.”

“Third item, ledger implementation status. This year marks the first time in the Northern Territory that ledger formatting has been unified, open, and transparent.”

Erin turned the pages and continued the report: “Fifty-four territories fully integrated into the Red Tide system, execution in place. Thirty semi-cooperative territories executed only half, with massive data inconsistencies.

Territories refusing to cooperate have decreased from sixteen to eight, but all eight have no ledgers or have directly falsified them.”

A small commotion emerged from the tiered seats. Clearly, these eight territories were stubborn thorns in the Red Tide system.

Erin lifted her gaze and looked at Louis: “The Inspection Department suggests that starting from spring, we implement comprehensive ledger control over the eight non-cooperating territories and replace their leaders and town officials.

As for the eight non-cooperating Lords, freeze their personal lord dividends, revoke Red Tide-granted warehouse rights and mining rights, and prohibit them from leaving the country until ledger integration is complete.

Additionally, we suggest halting all disaster relief and spring planting aid, listing them on the Red Tide blacklist, and no longer allowing them to enjoy priority rights for grain, trade routes, and mining within the Red Tide system.

For the thirty semi-cooperative territories, the Inspection Department suggests halving their dividends and suspending their priority trade routes and priority warehouse rights until ledger execution meets standards.”

She paused again and supplemented: “All these punishments are within the scope permitted by the contract.”

Once these words fell, the atmosphere in the hall seemed to lower another degree.

The officials present could all understand that this was a severe blow to the Lord themselves.

Louis listened, not hesitating: “Granted.”

Everyone present understood that once this order was given, the eight territories had no retreat, and the thirty semi-cooperative territories had no room for ambiguity.

While the atmosphere lingered in the aftermath of the punishment decision, Education Director Lanna stood up from the tiered seats.

Holding the education booklet embossed with feather pen patterns, she walked to the long table, saluted, then raised her head.

“Lord, the Education Department’s cultural integration and infrastructure achievements for this year are presented as follows.”

Her voice was not as cold as Erin’s nor as steady as Bradley’s, but with a clarity and softness unique to educators.

Yet at this moment, no one regarded her as a kind teacher.

After all, Louis had said that the roots of Red Tide must be planted in the children, and the weight of this department is no lighter than granaries or mines.

“First item, establishment of town schools.” She opened the first page, and the feather pens almost simultaneously dropped beside the clerks.

“This year, a total of seventeen town schools were established. Distributed across the Desolate Mist Plain, new mining zones, Snowfield Northern line, and Harbor Southern line.”

She paused: “School curricula are unified into four categories, literacy lessons using Red Tide simplified characters, arithmetic lessons, tailored vocational training, and the early simplified edition of ’Red Tide Story.’”

Upon hearing “Red Tide Story,” someone raised their eyebrows slightly.

Lanna explained: “Also, a formal edition of ’The Great Lord Louis,’ currently narrated as a fable to illustrate the early deeds of Red Tide, helping children understand order and mutual assistance.”

She supplemented: “Feedback from multiple local schools shows that children are accepting far faster than expected.

Most Northern Territory children in the past were not even fluent in speaking, but now the first batch of students can use Red Tide simplified characters to write the village’s grain ledger.”

A very light whisper emerged among the tiered seats, an irrepressible sense of surprise and relief.

Lanna turned to the next page: “Second item, standardization of relief ceremonies.

The porridge-serving days have all adopted Red Tide Sun patterns. Each porridge-serving site must recite one sentence, ’Red Tide and you all endure the cold winter together.’”

She lifted her head and looked at everyone: “The people have already started to associate the Red Tide flag with survival. This is the most crucial first step in cultural integration.”

Lanna turned the page again: “Third item, planning for the coming year. The Education Department plans to, in the next year, increase territory under Red Tide system control and establish a touring teacher system, teaching literacy and basic arithmetic to territories not yet integrated.

If the outcome is ideal, within two years, the literacy rate of children over nine years old in Northern Territory can be raised to thirty percent, and over sixty percent in areas within the Red Tide system.”

She finally closed the booklet, bowed slightly: “Above is the completion of the Education Department’s report.”

Craftsmen Director Mike stood up from his seat, his voice carrying the roughness unique to craftsmen: “Lord, the Craftsmen Department’s major achievements for this year, have exceeded the original plan.

First, forty-two bridges were newly built in the Northern Territory; old roads were repaired, totaling two hundred and thirty miles.