When the two Viscounts Andrew Leslie and Ropenny Grant left, the feudal aristocratic system that had lasted for seven hundred years in the southern land officially came to an end.
If the artillery fire at Gravel Ridge and Rock Fortress destroyed the entity of the noble system, then the thirty-three contract documents voluntarily accepting the reform and a joint declaration document with the signatures of all the nobles in the South were Destroyed the very soul of the system.
Gaowen held the "Joint Declaration on Restructuring" that still seemed to have the fragrance of ink. On the signature page of the declaration, thirty-three names, including Viscount Andrew and Baroness Luo Penni, seemed to be Representing the end of an era, he printed each name in his mind carefully, then took the dip pen from the desk and wrote Gawain Cecil's name at the end of the document.
He knew that the old era had not really ended - north of the Rock Fortress and beyond the mountain barrier in the south, Ansu was still an ancient kingdom that relied on the old aristocratic system to run, and the darkness of ignorance still shrouded it. On everyone's head, even in the south, within the Principality of Cecil, the remaining shadows and influence of the old era will still linger for a long time, and completely eradicating them is still a long and arduous task.
But with the documents signed today, this undertaking will progress more smoothly.
"This part of the signed document is for public use." Gawain pushed the document in front of him to Hetty across the desk. "In addition to printing and distributing it throughout the country, we will also find stonemasons to carve it into monuments and tree them in the city. A conspicuous place. Next, we must spare no effort to publicize the restructuring of the Southern Territory. Use newspapers in places with high literacy rates, and find ways to promote "tavern public opinion" in places with low literacy rates. Before the end of the Harvest Moon, everyone in the Southern Territory You need to know this news.”
“In this way, it will be much easier for the secondary government affairs offices to carry out their work.” Hetty showed a smile, she was obviously very happy, “Recruiting scholars will no longer be possible. There are obstacles, and those businessmen who are hesitant to wait and see should have no worries.”
“Even so, I’m sure there will still be people who resist the new regulations,” Gao Wen said, “but justice and law are within us. On the other side, all acts of resisting the new rules can be severely punished, especially those exiled knights - give them a final surrender period, and if they exceed the surrender period, they will be punished for treason. This time, they can no longer use the words 'loyalty to the old master' 'As a shield, our executions will be completely legal and will be supported by all people."
Understand the views of people in this era and the way of thinking of the people under our rule. , and then advance his career in a way that is consistent with the background of the times and the people's views, and gradually transform the era in the process. This is the governance route Gawain chose after conquering the southern border - there is a difference between governing the world and conquering the world. , the latter often only requires strong force, while the former... must use some brains.
The newly established printing factory operates day and night, and brand-new large-scale industrial printing machines are delivered as soon as they roll off the production line.In the workshop of the printing factory, amidst the roar of machinery, blank sheets of paper were turned into newspapers and books carrying information at an astonishing speed. In the latest issue of Cecil Weekly, the nobles of the Southern Territory collectively The historic scene of the signing of the document is used as the front page, occupying an entire page. The large black and white portrait is the first "photo" published since the birth of the newspaper. At the top of the black and white portrait, the largest bold font says: People declared the significance of this scene:
"The principality signed a treaty, and all the old lords in the south swore to support Cecil's law - let us cheer for the great order."
The new issue The newspaper comes off the printing press, is sorted and packaged in the hands of printers, and is then sent to the distribution center. Then it is sent to Tanzania, to Kant, to Gülen, to Hosman, and to the south in a convoy of messengers. Every corner.
In the main city of Cecil and several satellite towns where the literacy rate is high, the newspaper's propaganda effect is the best, but in places where the literacy rate is not high, there are still people who can read the contents of the newspaper. , and tell everyone around you the news.
The early morning sun shines on the old and shabby streets of Carroll City. The heat brought by the sun dissipates the condensed water droplets on the leaves of the weeds in the corners. A carriage with Cecil's mark is passing by. The only stone road in the town, the bells hanging on the carriages shed a string of tinkling sounds, waking the residents of the town from their slumber.
The blacksmith walked into the workshop and scolded the apprentice who fell asleep while tending the furnace. The stonemason picked up his tools and was about to go to the newly established government office to ask about the work he could do. The women Cursing, he drove the sleeping children and husband out of the room, and began to clean up the stinky and messy bed. The man and the half-grown children ate dry food, walked to the street with their working belongings, and prepared to work in the fields. , or go and "try your luck" in the town square.
A section of the city wall that was once demolished by the Cecil people with giant cannons still lies desolately in the open space to the south of the town. A group of yawning peasants are cleaning up the broken stones under the supervision of the foreman. and wood. Occasionally, people passing by the ruins would quickly scan the remaining city walls with an expression of awe or even fear, as if the earth-shattering explosion that day still lingered in their hearts.
A group of Cecil soldiers walked through the street in an orderly manner. Although they did not harass people on the roadside at any time like ordinary noble private soldiers, the civilians on the roadside would still Instinctively and in awe, they lowered their heads and stepped aside - the Carrolls had adapted to these soldiers. Since the outbreak of the war, a large number of Cecils had passed through this town, from here to the battlefields in the north, and again in After the great victory, they returned to the south from here; they established a government office in the town and turned the old lord's castle into barracks and office space, and then implemented new laws; they were "outsiders", but they had He became the ruler of this town, and the people living in this town... accepted it all without any feeling.
"Master Archon" said that water must be boiled before it can be drunk.For this reason, serfs and tenant farmers were allowed to cut firewood (in the past, such untouchables could only pick up dead wood chips and were not allowed to cut down the lord's forest). Then everyone had to boil the water before drinking; the consul said no. After dozens of people were urinated on the street and were whipped in the street, everyone began to use the newly built toilets. The Archon asked all those with skills to register at the Government Affairs Office, so everyone went to register, and there was no need to do so anyway. Pay the money...
The Cecil people are very strange, and the new law is very strange, but at least they can live their lives without robbing food.
But not everyone is so indifferent.
The big businessman Cord was sitting in his house. The tea brought by the maid had gone cold, but he still didn't drink a sip. He was upset, and his eldest son was sitting in front of him.
"Father, did someone come from the Government Affairs Office again yesterday?"
"Yes," the big businessman said in a sullen voice, "you still want me to sign the "Business Convention" , they also want to build a factory on the vacant land in the south of the town, and they want me to lobby the people there..."
"You still haven't signed it?" The eldest son frowned, "Father, that's a big deal. The lord's people..."
"Oh, of course I know they are the lord's people, I don't dare to offend," the big businessman sighed, "Even if they let me give one third... It would be fine to use a quarter of the family wealth to repair the city walls and castles, but they only want me to sign the treaty and ask me to come forward... This is absolutely unacceptable."
The money is gone. Every businessman must learn to use money to satisfy the lord's requirements, especially in the commercially developed Carroll Territory. The big businessman Code, who has long relied on the lord's favor to make a fortune, knows this very well. But faced with the business agreement proposed by the Cecil people, the big businessman who was ready to use his family wealth in exchange for peace seemed hesitant.
"Father, you'd better agree. There's no point in going against the Government Affairs Office - although they seem to be very talkative now, who knows how long their patience will last. If you don't sign, they will Maybe we will all be kicked out..."
"Spending money is a business, and it is over when the business is over, but signing is for a lifetime, and it is not so easy to sign," the big businessman sighed, The eldest son is not stupid in business, but he still has too little life experience. "Do you know how many businessmen are waiting and watching? Who is signing? If most people don't sign in the end, then who signed ...What's the difference between being in the business circle and being exiled?"
"The Cecil people have already occupied this place. From now on, the entire southern territory belongs to Cecil, and everyone will sign it sooner or later."
"...I know, of course I know," Cord smiled bitterly, "Sooner or later he will sign, so I want to wait. I really don't want to be the first to sign. The weapon of the Cecil people is Awesome, but there is still..."
Before the big businessman finished speaking, the door to the room was suddenly pushed open, and his second son waved a roll of paper and said happilyHe ran into the house: "Father! Father! Signed! Signed!"
Cord could hardly hear the word "signed" now. The moment he heard the word, he stood up and yelled loudly Said: "What are you signing?! Who asked you to sign?!"
"Sign? Ah! It's not me, it's not me!" The young man glanced at the atmosphere in the room and was stunned. The elder brother and father with an angry face reacted quickly and waved the newspaper in their hands, "It's the Southern nobles. The Southern nobles signed it - you see, there is even a painting on the front page of today's newspaper!"
"What paintings, what headlines..." The big businessman Corder stepped forward and snatched the newspaper from his second son's hand. He knew that this "newspaper" invented by the Cecil people relied on the businessman's excellence to With his intuition, he realized its significance the first time he saw this thing. It contained timely information that was crucial to merchants. Therefore, since regular messenger carriages appeared in Carroll Territory, He told his second son to buy a new newspaper as soon as possible, but he could not imagine that there was any information in the newspaper that would be so shocking that his youngest son, who had always been weak and meek, would be so excited.
After unfolding the newspaper, he understood.
He saw that black and white "painting", that lifelike "painting". This was obviously a scene left by some kind of magic. It was a real event. The power of magic transformed this time. The incident was recorded, and the Cecil people's "Magic Industry" made countless copies of this record and sent it to all places under their rule - including Carol in the north.
"The principality signed a treaty, and all the old lords in the south swore to support Cecil's law..." The big businessman Cord muttered to himself, and then suddenly realized the message conveyed by this newspaper.
"Sign...sign!" the big businessman shouted, "Quick, maid, bring my coat, I'm going to the Government Affairs Office - damn, that old guy Downey lives in the Government Affairs Office Next to me, I hope he doesn’t have the habit of reading newspapers in the morning... I must be the first!”
The two sons were startled by their father’s violent reaction, and looked at each other in shock and asked: "Father?"
"There is no time, now is the time to express our stance," Cord said quickly as he took the coat that the maid hurriedly handed over. Halfway through putting it on, he suddenly remembered something, Turning to stare into the eldest son's eyes, "Pal, you go south immediately to find Weller - tell him that I bought his land!"