-Kiev 1839 June 23-
"PAY UP PAY UP! The taxes have increased once again! Hand over grain, rye, live stock, or anything you have!
More funds are required for the fight against the illegitimate tsar!"
The peasents, malnourished with starving families, and looking haggard one by one give all they have to the tax collector.
"Hey you! Where is the rest!?"
The female peasent, shaking in fear from being pointed at by the tax collector answers meakly
"Th-Thats all I have s-sir, anymore and there will be nothing left for my only child"
"And?! Are you saying your children are more important then the empire?!"
"N-No sir I Ju-"
"No excuses! Either pay now or pay it off with additional hours of labor!"
The tax collector, speaking harshly to the woman takes out a whip, holds it in a threatening way and starts thinking.
'Look at her, so frail and malnourished, can she even do normal labor? Its better to ust use her as an exmaple to others, to encourage them to work more'
"You know what, as a punishment for failure to pay taxes... you will be flagged by a whip, guards, hold her."
The woman, horrifed by the prospect of getting whipped, cries out in desperation.
"I beg you! Please! Who will take care of my child!"
She struggles to break free but its useless.
The tax collector, raising the whip in hand whips the woman.
First whip.
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"
"PLEASE STO-"
Second whip.
"AAAAAAAAAHHH!"
Blodd curdling screams spread out, causing those who heard it to shiver in fear.
Another. And then another. And more.
After couple more strikes from the whip to her back, the screams stop. The guards holding her release her and she drops. Drops dead. Multiple bloddied wounds left by the whip are visible on her back, whith blood staining the floor, the smell spreads out.
The peasents, watching in horror start feeling angry, but don't act on it knoeing well the consewuences of ehat would happen.
Just because she couldn't pay more? Just because she couldn't satisfie some self centered nobles greed she deserved to have her life taken? And her child left an orphan? No. It won't stay like this
Vlad, having watched it all, steps up on box and shouts
"All of you! Are we just gonna watch!? Eatch as our Families starve to death?! Watch as they get beaten to death due to not being able to satisfy some nobles greed!?
Or will we finally take things into our own hands! If not doing anything means starvation, and rising up death with a slim chance of survival, why should we endure!
Take our fate into our own hands, down with the nobles!"
The tax collector, baffled by what vlad said, looks around and sees the peasents around him actually considering his proposal, starts speaking quickly
" A revolt is punishable by death! I dare abyone of you to take a single step towards me!"
Vlad, seeing that the peasents are still hesitating starts speaking again
"YOUR CHILDREN, YOUR WIVES, THEY ALL DEPEND ON YOU! WILL WE JUST WATCH THEM GET SLAUGHTERED?!"
THEY RESPOND
"NO! DOWN WITH THE NOBLES! DOWN WITH THE NOBLES!"
The peasents, having been riled up all rush towards the tax collector and his guards. Though the guards may br equipped with gunds and bayonets, its not enough to stop the hordes of peasents coming towards them, and are overwhelmed.
The tax collectors head is chopped of placed on the spike of the fence. Whilst the people are chanting "DOWN WITH THE NOBLES!"
Actually, the peasents have already paid their tax. The tax collector lied to them about the increase in taxes. And even if they couldn't pay, he was supposed to tell the landlord so that he administered the punishment. So then, why did he do all this? To fill his own pockets of course! Such corruption is prevalent in many parts of the russian empire.
---
Prince Alexander Nikolayevich Golitsyn.
The most prominenet member of the golitsyn noble family. Having served as the minister of education under Alexander I, and then as the chairman of the state council, A high ranking advisory body to the tsar. Is currently pacing around his office.
After The death of tsar Nicholas I, his descendant, Alexander II has fired him, and stripped him of his titles. Thankfully he managed to leave on time and gather up forces. Whilst also grouping together with other nobles, becoming their de-facto leader. Being 66 years old as well as from the modt prominent noble family in russia made the others put their trust in him.
"Damn it! I'm too old for this, peasent revolts brkke out in almost every region and city. Kiev, Warsaw, Odessa, Kazan and many more. During normal times it would have been realativly easy to put them down, but right now, when more troops are required and the tsar attacking from all directions. Diverting troops to suppress these revolts would weaken our forces. It can't get any worse then this."
And when he said that, he hears knocking on his door. So he sits down and says
"Come in."
"Your serene highness, I have bad news. The peasent revolt in warsaw has grown, wih the sorrounding towns and villages supporting as well. If nothing is done the entire region of poland could be lost."
In his mind, Alexander Golitsyn knows that no matter what he does, its a loss. Either he could send troops to poland, and before they get there warsaw might already be taken including the sorrounding towns and villages take it back at a great cost. Or withdraw troops from the region snd consolidate them on a defensive line.
With all his years of expirience and wisdom. He decides to swallow his pride and withdraw troops from poland. So he convenes a meeting. He can't decide on matters like this alone.
"Troops in Poland should be withdrawn while the others will be used to suppress the revolts as fast as possible. To calm them down promise tax reductions as well.
We can't afford to take away forces from the front line, else we risk entire collapse."
"Calm down your serene highness, why withdraw? We cam't afford to lose anymore territory. Retreating from poland is a sign of weakness, and who knows how bsd it will get once those peasents find out that a revolt actually succeded? We can't afford to be careless."
"Our forces are already stretched thin! We need to buy more time to conscript soldiers!
And that yime could be bought by freeing up manpower by withdrawing from poland! It would allow us to buy more time."
"NO. Many of us here own many territories in poland are you saying we give them up!? Then what would the difference be between getting stripped from our titles and having it be conquered! I sya we send more troopss!"
The various nobles are not able to agree onna single decision, squabbling amongst themselves. Alexander Golitsyn is after all not the tsar, he doesn't have absolute power to command the nobles.