Chapter 456

Gao Wen sat at the top of the conference table, relaxed and leaned on the back of the high chair, smilingly watching the changes in the expressions on the faces of every southern nobleman at the scene.

Everyone's reaction was in full view, and no one's reaction was unexpected to him.

Confusion, consternation, silence, resistance, a little thought, and the anger beyond words of a few.

These nobles themselves are actually useless. Their rule has collapsed. After losing their land and armies, these nobles who have walked out of the castle have become useless. Putting them in a cell can only consume food, and sending them to labor does not create much. Wealth—and Gawain doesn’t think that simple labor and education and reform can make these stubborn and dull people have any fundamental changes, so he doesn’t care about the attitudes of these people and their own wishes.

But the "added value" of these nobles in addition to themselves is useful.

In order to establish a new order in the sclerotic and backward old order, the easiest and biggest problem for pioneers is the stubbornness and counterattack of the old order.

Although it is difficult to change the customs of the people at the bottom, in this social background close to the Middle Ages, the people are numb and have no freedom. At most, they will only be slow to respond to orders due to their numbness and ignorance, but they will never refuse the lord's order. Therefore, although it is difficult to change customs and promote education, it is more a matter of time and cost. In contrast, the "system" left by the old aristocrats is the biggest difficulty.

The "scholar groups" and "keepers" that were attached to the aristocratic system were hired by the old aristocracy, or simply were extrajudicial mercenaries (legal transcendental robbers) composed of the illegitimate children and adopted children of the old aristocracy. The exiled knights and sworn knights who ran away after the collapse of the old aristocracy, these groups that are destined to be affected or have been affected in the process of the change of the old and new order are the biggest obstacles in the process of social transformation. The Council of State has caused huge trouble, not to mention that some of them have even become violent factors that directly threaten the security of the territory.

Gawain knows that he is lucky. Compared with many pioneers trying to establish a new order, his greatest advantage is that he is not only the founder of the new order, but also represents the highest authority of the old order - as the Kingdom of Anzu One of the founders of , he has sufficient "jurisprudence and justice" to formulate the norms of social operation, and even if someone questions it, he does not need to care about it at all.

Now that he knows this, of course, he must maximize his "jurisprudence and justice". He will use a legal method to deprive and transfer the ownership of the old aristocracy, and use the "jurisprudence claims" of these old aristocrats to complete the system. A smooth transition to minimize the old order's backlash -- or rather, reduce their pretext for backlash.

Gawain can defy the rules and order of the old aristocratic system,

But since people in this era recognize it, he can also use these rules and orders without pressure, as long as they can play enough value.

"Ladies and gentlemen, these documents are not so difficult to understand, right?" Gawain estimated the time, and only broke his silence when he saw that there were already nobles who couldn't hold back and wanted to speak, "If you understand, Just sign it."

"Duke... Lord Duke," a slightly fat middle-aged man finally couldn't help standing up first, "The contents of these documents... are you serious?"

"Of course," Gawain nodded, "otherwise?"

Afterwards, he stood up slowly, his eyes swept across everyone's faces, and he said unhurriedly, "...Except for the preservation of the castle, all the land and the property attached to the land shall belong to the duchy; All the privileges of the old system, including the recruitment of soldiers, all powers belong to the Government Affairs Office; unified laws and regulations, abolish all private laws of the old system... These I have written clearly."

"Sir, we are willing to swear allegiance to you, but these things... are these things still negotiable?" Another nobleman stood up boldly, "This is almost a complete subversion of the order, even for your authority. , you should also think about it more..."

They've at least learned awe and humility, but they obviously haven't figured it out yet.

"I think you have made a mistake," Gawain said with almost no expression on his face, but quietly stated the facts, "What is written in these documents has actually been implemented, as early as the day the war ended. , you have already lost your land and property, and what you want to keep is no longer in your hands-so I am not here to discuss with you today, I just officially inform you."

The southern nobles in the hall were agitated, and the thoughts in their hearts could not be completely rubbed off after dozens of days of prison life. Therefore, when these thoughts collapsed, even if there were guards standing around the hall, even if they were sitting in front of the southern boundary. The rulers of , they couldn't help but start talking in a low voice.

However, Gawain just watched quietly, waiting for these people's discussions to calm down.

They finally quieted down, and Gao Wencai continued, "Sometimes, it's more important to recognize the reality than to strive for those things that you will never get. By signing this document, you can at least live a decent life, your title of 'noble' It is still preserved, and you can also rely on annuities to maintain food and clothing, and even maintain a relatively prosperous life - if you can open your eyes and look at the people who are hungry and cold under your rule, you will know you. How lucky you are to make a big mistake and still be so comfortable, what's not to like."

On both sides of the long table, everyone's faces became tangled and embarrassed. Some people frowned and thought, and some people hesitated. Finally, someone couldn't control it. A middle-aged man with a sallow complexion and sunken eye sockets stood up. "Forgive me for not accepting it - Your lord, please forgive me for not accepting it! I refuse to sign, even at the cost of my life - you must not destroy our traditions and laws like this!"

As he spoke, the middle-aged man looked beside him, his emotions seemed very excited, "Everyone, we have gone through the most difficult days, we have nothing to lose, glory is the only thing we have, I ...I'd rather carry it in the coffin..."

Gawain watched the middle-aged man's venting, and watched the various reactions of the nobles on both sides of the long table after hearing these remarks, which was also in his expectation. When they fell, they hugged their heads and ran away, and they could give up the castle and the people without any hesitation when the sword was about to come, but sometimes when it comes to the so-called "glorious blood and surnames", these spineless guys puff out their chests instead. The general behavior pattern of schizophrenia is difficult for outsiders to understand, but it fits the background of this era.

"Viscount Wayne Snape, I hope I didn't mispronounce your name."

Gawain's sudden opening interrupted the middle-aged man's impassioned statement, and the nobles who had been commotion again followed suit. They all looked in the direction of Gawain, and the latter waved to the side. ——A government affairs office official immediately left the room, and after a while, the government affairs department official returned to the conference hall, holding a small metal safe in his hand.

Gawain opened the safe and took out the ancient document - this document was written on enchanted parchment. Even the transcript version has a history of hundreds of years. If it weren't for the protection of magical power, it would have been weathered and worn out. Unable to read.

Gawain opened the document and said casually, "Mr. Viscount, it looks familiar, doesn't it? I believe that you have something similar in your home, which is kept in the deepest part of your castle to prove the legitimacy of your title and fief, and to prove your surname. old and orthodox - like this one.

"Wayne Snape, House Snape, Viscount, nobleman of the South, branched from House Spencer in Anzu 476, and acquired the surname; House Spencer, Earl, nobleman of the Plains of the Holy Ghost, beginning with Patriarch Maxi Milan? Spencer; Maximilian? Spencer, lord of knights, earl, knight of Gawain Cecil, was sealed in the harvest month of the first year of Ansu. Affected by the tide, the fief moved to the southern part of the Holy Spirit Plain..."

"And here's another document," Gawain said as he took out an older, more fragile parchment document from the safe, so old that it acted on it His protective magic was about to lose its effectiveness, and the old parchment had been badly weathered and corroded, "Maximilan Spencer's canonization document—of course, a copy."

Gawain raised his head and quietly looked into the eyes of the middle-aged aristocrat beside the long table.

"Mr. Wayne Snape, guess whose signature is at the end of this document?"

No one could have predicted such an unbelievable situation in advance. Even if Gawain had been resurrected for so long, the noble named Wayne Snape did not keep the share that was hidden deep in the family castle, only after the heir obtained the title. The documents that he took out and looked at from time to time were associated with the "living person" in front of him. This has nothing to do with wisdom, but a limitation in the direction of thinking, so he can only stammer now, "Duke... Lord Duke..."

"Mr. Wayne Snape, you ask for tradition and law, then I give you tradition and law - Maximilian Spencer is a bright and motivated young man, and I am sorry to see one of his heirs Unable to bear his honor and exploits - it is the master's duty to protect the reputation of his followers, and for this, I have to deprive you of your noble title."

Wayne Snape's eyes widened, and his mouth opened like a suffocating fish ashore. In this blow that directly hit the weak point, he heard Gawain Cecil's words behind him in a drowsy voice: "… ... Mr. Snape, you can leave now."

The hall became deadly silent, and Gawain looked at the result with satisfaction - the right medicine is always the most efficient solution, and attacking the nobles with their greatest weakness is far more effective than any reason and debate.

For them, the loss of a title is more terrifying than death.

Of course, the reason why he can do this is because he first mastered the crushing force and used force to force these people to sit at the negotiating table, otherwise even if he holds the canonization document of every noble in the country, what he said won't be useful either.

"Everyone, I actually don't want to do this," Gawain said in a slightly raised voice after putting the documents back together, "I prefer to get everyone to sign in a harmonious atmosphere, so I have to be here. Emphasize - the title and surname of each and every one of you, going back several generations, will eventually fall under the names of Charles Moen and the Duke of the Four Kingdoms, and as the founder of the country and the only surviving Duke of the Four Kingdoms People, I can take away the title of nobility from each of you. Even if the canonization document of your ancestors is not my signature, I am also a witness to the canonization ceremony 700 years ago. As a witness, I can question each of you. Is a person entitled to inherit your surname—"

Gawain didn't say what he said later, but his meaning was already clear.

He could question everyone's title here, and if anyone wanted to object...unless Charlie Moen and the three other founding dukes crawled out of the coffin.

Don't the nobles of the southern border want tradition and law?

This is the tradition and law of Ansu.

"It's almost time - ladies and gentlemen, the pen for signing is in front of you."