Novi Nigrad Quarrels

In 1734 many people went onto the street to seek peace, or an answer to their many, other grievances. With no doubt those people unlucky to be caught were either shot, drown or send to reeducation by Li Suyi.

The Novi Nigrad Quarrels were a period of socio-economic unrest that affected several regions of the Imperial Republic of Shireroth, beginning in 1734 AN. The crisis takes its name from the city of Novi Nigrad, where the government, led by Louis Thuylemans, relocated to ensure its safety amidst the instability of the war. The move itself, made in haste and panic, did little to reassure the public. As uncertainty about the ongoing war grew, exacerbated by the flight of the government from the capital, with the notable exception of Kaiseress Salome, social tensions erupted into widespread unrest.

Reasons of Unrest

At the heart of the unrest were several converging crises. Rising grain prices, due to disruptions in supply chains and war efforts, left large swathes of the population struggling with food insecurity. The war effort seemed increasingly desperate, with no clear end in sight, further intensifying public frustration. Ethnic tensions were also ignited after the Sathrati Emergency, when tens of thousands of Kildari colonists settled on the Sathrati islands, sparking fierce resentment among the local Yardistani population. The combination of economic hardship, war fatigue, and ethnic conflict created a volatile environment, which exploded into riots across Novi Nigrad and beyond.

Response of the Government

The Thuylemans government implemented a series of emergency measures aimed at calming the situation, but these efforts were largely ineffective. The price of bread remained high, ethnic clashes continued, and public trust in the government reached new lows. By early 1735 AN, the riots had escalated into full-scale street violence, with some factions beginning to call for more radical changes to the government. This led to increasing pressure on the Legislature to act decisively, but political infighting only worsened the crisis.

Faced with the possibility of a full-blown revolution, the Steward reluctantly summoned Li Suyi, the notorious former head of the Tegong, who had been known for his brutal tactics in suppressing unrest during previous periods of turmoil. Li, haunted by the memory of the Second Kildarian Revolution in Jingdao, which had nearly destroyed his career and the government he served, saw echoes of that past crisis in the Novi Nigrad situation. Desperate to prevent history from repeating itself, he promised the Steward "streets of blood", a chilling declaration that signaled his intention to use any means necessary to restore order.

Li Suyi's response was swift and merciless. Using the full might of the Tegong, he launched a series of violent crackdowns in Novi Nigrad. Rioters were arrested en masse, many of whom were executed in public to send a clear message to would-be rebels. The fear of Li's brutal methods temporarily quelled the unrest, and for a brief period, order was restored. However, the methods used left deep scars on the city and its inhabitants. The streets of Novi Nigrad, some of which litteraly red of blood, may have been pacified, but the underlying tensions remained, simmering just beneath the surface.

In the aftermath of the initial suppression, the situation in Novi Nigrad and the broader Imperial Republic remained fragile. This was not helped by increasing criticism coming from the Provincial Assemblies of Greater Kildare, in which the more radical members gladly used the absence of the feared Li Suyi to condemn the atrocities he did towards "fellow Shirerothians" (or "filthy, impure peasants", as Li called them). While the Tegong under Li Suyi retained its hold on security, they were vastly outnumbered by the growing tide of discontented citizens. The oppressive atmosphere, combined with the memory of the violent crackdowns, only deepened the resentment toward the government. Many within the Legislature, already under immense pressure, found themselves caught between the demands of an increasingly radicalized populace and the fear of further intervention from Li Suyi’s Tegong. Representatives were pushed to take more extreme positions in order to avoid the wrath of the streets, leading to a dangerous polarization in the political landscape.

Outcome and aftermath

Li himself, while temporarily successful in restoring order, became increasingly concerned about the limits of his power. The Tegong, though strong and feared, could not hold back the anger of the masses indefinitely. As economic pressures and ethnic divisions continued to strain the fabric of society, the fragile peace he imposed seemed always on the verge of collapse. The Quarrels left a lasting mark on the political psyche of the Imperial Republic, a reminder that the fear of bloodshed was often the only thing holding the realm together—and that fear, like the people themselves, was growing harder to control.

The disorder would revitalise the Humanist resistance movement on Yardistan and the neighbouring island of Amity, with a diffuse network of combat and sabotage cells coming into being, coordinated by Bohemond Sclavenius, the Benacia Command officer with responsibility for the organisation of stay-behind forces in Sathrati following the Shirerithian conquest of the islands. Humanism itself, however, did not experience the anticipated revival, as many Kildarian colonists and Shirerithian refugees viewed Humanism as the source of their troubles. While resistance movements garnered support as long as they avoided openly promoting a Humanist agenda, they faced swift betrayal when they openly defied Shirerithian values. Peasants who had once sheltered them were quick to turn against these movements when they perceived their cause as too closely aligned with the ideology they blamed for the nation's war. Bohemund survived at least four separate incidents where enraged villagers attempted to behead him with a butcher's knife. Each of these encounters was followed by violent clashes with Shirerithian guards sent to restore order, often unaware that, in doing so, they inadvertently aided the escape of the Benacian officer.