Chapter 301 - 228: The Scent of Roses
"Citizens will use this wealth to improve their tools and technology, hire more people, and thus make their products cheaper."
"The guilds will stop them." Matilda set down the parchment in her hand.
"One day, when a select few possess wealth far beyond that of most citizens, the guilds will be destroyed. They will band together and attempt to destroy the guilds in even more cities. Because they will no longer be limited to the market of a single city or a small region, they will set their sights on dozens of cities, hundreds of villages, and even several Kingdoms. More and more places will become their markets.
"As the market expands, they will need to hire more and more people. More people will become artisans and citizens. As villagers transform into citizens, the countryside will gradually disappear, and the barrier between village and city will cease to exist." Eric placed both his hands on Matilda’s shoulders.
"And then what?" Matilda asked.
"Then the barriers will be between nations. The plundering of villages by cities, and of cities by other cities, will evolve into one nation plundering another. When a country can no longer compete in trade, and that country also happens to possess great military might, then war will break out."
"That sounds like nonsense. A day like that will never come. I could destroy them with ease."
"That would be in the very distant future."
"Distant?"
"Yes. So distant that the bones of our children’s children will have turned to dust." Eric then crouched slightly before sweeping her up by the thighs.
Startled by Eric’s sudden move, Matilda braced her hands on his shoulders to keep her balance.
"But before any of that happens, we need to have a child."
Eric kissed the corner of her mouth, then the pulse in her throat. A faint pink blush spread across her neck.
He kissed the soft hollow of her elbow.
Matilda’s lips parted slightly. He lowered his head and kissed her, the kiss lasting a long time.
She was wearing a rose-colored silk gown today, and in the heat, patches of the fabric had darkened with sweat.
"I don’t like change, Eric." She wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her face close to his lips in an irresistible invitation.
"I know."
Soft skin, gentle curves, and the scent of roses.
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(A brief introduction to cities in the Middle Ages: During the Middle Ages, every city was controlled by guilds. Different professions formed their own respective guilds, which strictly controlled the production of goods—including price, specifications, quality, personnel, quantity, and workers’ wages—in order to eliminate internal competition.
Through the guilds, citizens also controlled municipal affairs, excluded external competition, and strictly limited any challenge from foreign merchants or fugitive serf-artisans.
The guilds were also responsible for providing services to their citizens, such as establishing schools, providing relief, running welfare institutions, and undertaking public construction projects. However, these guilds were highly exclusive; only citizens of that specific city could enjoy these services, and the influx of outsiders was thus strictly limited.
Starting in the 11th century, citizens began to gradually break free from the control of feudal lords through resistance, gaining more and more privileges of self-governance. As citizens started managing their own cities, their commerce flourished. The market in medieval Europe expanded rapidly, driving a societal transformation and fostering the development of early light industry—namely, textiles, which began to boom across Europe.
However, the cities carefully guarded the freedoms they enjoyed within their walls, keeping them for themselves. To the city, the surrounding peasants were not compatriots in the slightest; it saw them only as a resource to be exploited for profit.
The city did everything in its power to prevent peasants from engaging in the industrial production it monopolized. It imposed the obligation of supply upon the peasantry and, where it had the strength, it forced them into submission—doing so whenever and wherever it could.)