From the bottom of her heart, Isabel was extremely reluctant to allow herself to become a black-hearted capitalist who used strong violent means to violently encroach on the property ownership and personal rights of the peasants. Thomas More's book "Utopia" in Latin had been on her desk for a long time, and she had not turned it to it for a long time, partly because her Latin was not as good as her first foreign language, French, and partly because she knew what was written in it without having to read it.

Written between 1515 and 1516 and brought back from the city of London through the connections of the Duke of Richmond's retainers, she can illustrate it in one sentence: "This is the "enclosure movement" of "sheep eating people" in the bloody history of English capitalism. ”

Although she was forced to let her sheep eat the suffering farmers, she still did her best to care for the lost farmers from a human rights perspective. When other lords or workshop owners forcibly enclosed land by throwing them in prison, beating them, maiming them, or even killing them, she did so by agreement.

While there are benefits to enclosure by agreement, it will not lead to unnecessary chaos, rebellions and rebellions. However, this is the benefit she received after paying a large amount of compensation. The property of Baron Haswell, which had been previously obtained from the Duke, was now reduced to the estate and land, for all the cash and treasure were used to pay compensation, exchange land, and buy looms. In addition to a few office rooms, the manor was converted into a shelter for landless wandering peasants, monks and nuns.

Ostensibly, she spent three years becoming a wealthy woolen merchant, a large landowner, an agricultural capitalist, and a land speculator in Richmond County. However, almost all of her wealth was spent on compensation, labor costs, and real estate. If the costs were too high, the surplus value extracted from the hired workers would be reduced, and this outweighed the benefits as if to foreshadow her becoming a philanthropist rather than a wealthy agricultural and handicraft capitalist.

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After a sumptuous dinner with Isabel and her family, Isabel accompanied the Duchess back to Nottingham Castle. After a short rest, she mounted her horse and led two would-be lancers to the Church Hill Manor, just two miles west of the castle. The predecessor of this manor was Baron Haswell's manor.

The estate sits beneath a stretch of highland that runs from west to east. The front of the estate faces the Swell River and large tracts of cultivated land, while on the back is a forest-like façade of old trees that leads to the village of Haswell. Originally, there was a church and a monastery, which was closed in 1538 by Henry VIII. Subsequently, her confiscated property and land in the nearby village of Haswell also fell into Isabelle's hands.

When Isabel and the two guards arrived at the manor, the manor's housekeeper, Lena, the mother of the valet Anne, brought her cider, pear wine, and fruit tart. After picking up the wine glass and taking a sip, Isabel looked at the housekeeper with a smile, "Lena, there have been no illegal acts of theft, violence and infringement inside and outside the manor during this time?" ”

Lena, who had long been accustomed to directing the housekeepers of servants and hired servants to live, had disappeared from all traces of the kitchen maid on her body. At this moment, he stood on one side with a ruddy and healthy face and smiled very well, "Miss, you are the privy counsellor and secretary of the Duke to His Royal Highness the Duke, who would dare to trespass on your manor in the entire Richmond County?" ”

"Well, then have there been any fights, drunkenness, verbal disrespect to His Majesty, His Highness, and my disrespect?"

Lena hesitated for a moment and looked at her flatteringly: "Miss, there are some of these behaviors, but I sent someone to stop them." ”

"Is it a handicraft worker, or a shepherd, or a tenant farmer on the farm?"

"Well, it's mostly homeless hired laborers living on the estate."

Isabel still didn't get angry, still looking at the housekeeper calmly, "Tell me, how did you stop these hired men?" ”

After thinking about it, Lena recalled the reply: "Well, minor behavior is generally a reprimand. ”

"So, there's still serious behavior?"

"Serious cases are usually flogging, torture or gratuity."

Isabel pondered and looked into the distance, when a servant came in and announced, "Miss, Mr. Hard, Mr. Field, Mr. Cook, and others are here." ”

"Let them in." Isabel stood up and left the main seat in the hallroom, pacing slowly in the open space between the seats of the wardens on either side.

Bacon Hard, George Field, and Anne's father, Matthew Cook, and other handicraft factory supervisors, as well as agents of wool and livestock, came to the parlor. After everyone saluted, Isabel glanced at these middle-aged civilians who were servants or cooks, "Everyone can talk about the affairs within their duties, and discuss them immediately if they have any problems." ”

Bacon Hard, the agent in charge of selling woollen textiles and livestock products, stood up and saluted Isabel and reported: "Mademoiselle, since the earliest encaptances began in the countryside in the southeast, Norwich in Norfolk, Boston in Lincolnshire, and Exeter in Devon in the southwest were very well developed. ”

Then the agent looked at Isabelle, "Miss, because your handicraft workshop has only been three years from the establishment to the production of tweed, the tweed output of the workshop cannot be as high as the tweed produced in these developed towns. ”

Isabel focused her gaze on the wine glass in her hand, "Bacon, so how do you think the production should be increased?" ”

"Miss, increasing production can be done in terms of increasing the number of looms and employing workers."

"It's impossible to add looms." Isabel glanced at her father's butler's brother and took a sip of the wine mixture in her glass, "Recently, there have been more homeless people from Yorkshire, Lancashire and Durham in the county, and I think we can recruit some more homeless people to work in the workshop." ”

George, who was in charge of supervising the hired staff, immediately stood up and reported to her: "Mademoiselle, if we increase the number of men, we will consume more bread, cured meats, and wine every day." ”

Matthew Cook, a chef by training, took care of Isabel's family for many years with a loving heart, and he was determined to take care of the financial affairs for Isabel. At this time, he also stood up and saluted and replied: "Miss, since you came to Your Highness's castle, you have been very generous and kind to our family, for which my wife and I pray to God six times a day that you will receive God's mercy. ”