Chapter 647 — The Conversation

Wilse stepped forward as well, and together with Gao Yang gazed out the window.

"...The Colinpas family... they have probably come to discuss with Duke Baiyu about reopening the markets."

"These families are now all on your opposite side, and are about to come under the management and 'remolding' of Cecil law," Gao Yang said. "Many of them were once genuinely loyal to you, and some remain so even now. The new Cecil order will be a difficult trial for them—they will lose their long-standing way of life, have vast properties confiscated, lose their lands, their armies, nearly all their privileges. By the standards of their former station, this is well-nigh unbearable suffering; and some among them who fail the trial, who cannot adapt to the new order, may even lose their lives—just like those executed old nobles of the Southern Frontier."

"Many of them are good people, good by the common moral standard, but Ansor... this country needs to be reborn," Wilse said evenly. "What is wrong is the entire aristocratic system, and therefore we must destroy the entire aristocratic system. It has nothing to do with whether they are personally good people.

"On the other hand, even these 'good people,' these 'good people' I did not send to Crow Terrace, these 'good people' who once bravely defended the royal capital, are also a link in what obstructs and hinders the nation.

"The knights who held the walls also squeezed the serfs in ordinary days; the earls and viscounts who fought to the death without retreating also withheld the last bit of grain and farmland from the peasants; those who donated their entire fortunes to support the front, those who sent all their children onto the walls, those who exhausted themselves and died at the shield nodes... they were at the same time masters of the land, masters of the serfs, masters of wealth. Among them were reformers and conservatives alike, but whichever faction they belonged to, they must all become history—just like me, their king."

Gao Yang watched Wilse earnestly, and only after a long while did he give a slight nod. "You see it thoroughly."

"Thoroughly, perhaps—but I myself could hardly do it. I know where the limits of my ability lie... I can see through things, but I could not forge an army like yours; I understand the human heart, but I lack the wisdom to lay out an entire new order as you did; I may have a certain boldness... but not enough to ignore all traditional powers outright as you can, and hold to my own direction to the end," Wilse shook his head in self-mockery. "Crow Terrace was a gift I gave you, but in truth it was also a test of you. Only if the heavenly fire on the terrace descended could it prove your complete opposition to the current aristocratic system...

"Once the cannon fire sounded there, there was no more room for reconciliation between you and the nobles. They will submit to you, but they will never again try to woo you; you will remold them, but you will never again blend in with them. Even after many years, even after I am dead, even after you are dead—if you are to die a second time, that is—the heavenly fire of Crow Terrace will be forever imprinted in the memories of the witnesses and their first and second generations of descendants; it will not fade.

"This test was quite presumptuous. I hope you will not mind."

"If I minded, I would not be standing here," Gao Yang glanced at Wilse. "But I am curious—if I had not given the order to fire then, what would you have done?"

"I had arranged about half a knightly order in Mill Town," Wilse smiled faintly. "Compared with a true knightly order, those noisy clowns on Crow Terrace were utterly fragile. But that would have been the worst scenario. Once I did that, the little order left in the royal capital would collapse at once; the dead would be several times more numerous, and not a few among them would have been talent that could have been used to rebuild the kingdom... yet I also believe that if the situation had truly come to that, you would still have stepped in, and taken on this even viler mess."

Gao Yang was taken aback for a moment, then could not help laughing. "Then it seems it is fortunate I gave the order to fire... Wilse, in the matter of calculating people, you really are exactly like Charles of old."

"That is the highest praise I have ever heard," Wilse said frankly, and then immediately changed tack. "But now I have one last concern... do you know what it is?"

"What is it?"

"The order of the Cecil Duchy seems beneficial as of today, but the aristocratic system of Ansor was also beneficial when it was first established... With the passage of time, an order built by human hands will ultimately be corroded by human hands—especially a brand-new social order, for which no one can prove in advance that it must be correct. One day, or perhaps, should it be in the near future, your Cecil Kingdom—or Empire—goes astray, and the rules you made are proven wrong, when that day comes..." Wilse paused here, raised his head, and looked into Gao Yang's eyes. "Will you overthrow yourself? Or rather, can anyone overthrow you and your descendants?"

Gao Yang was silent for two seconds, then said earnestly, "Yes. I promise."

He did not list a great array of laws of social development or the special attributes of magitech to support his words, and Wilse sought no evidence either; the two men simply smiled, and seemed to have reached a certain tacit understanding.

"Then I have no further questions," Wilse set down his teacup, straightened his coat a little, and then took half a step back. "It is time for me to leave. A king who has been overthrown should not linger too long in the royal capital; this stage is yours now."

"You will not consider staying to help?" Gao Yang watched Wilse, who was about to turn and leave. "You are talent, extremely precious talent. The newborn nation needs people like you. I have many positions available, and for all of them I can disregard your identity as a 'former king.'"

"You really do love recruiting talent, just as the rumors say—but unfortunately, I am a lazy man," Wilse shook his head. "I have used up a lifetime's diligence in these eight days as king, and now I want to return to my original life. Seeing as I have at least some small merit in defending the city, allow me to slack off."

Gao Yang did not give up: "Treat it as witnessing whether my new order is correct. You can also see for yourself whether I can keep my promises to the very end."

Wilse thought it over, then spread his hands. "...On second thought, never mind. I fear I won't outlive you."

Gao Yang: "..."

The former king left the study.

Gao Yang sighed. In the air beside him, Amber's figure slowly materialized. She blinked, poked Gao Song's arm, and said, "Didn't manage to dig him away, huh..."

"It was only an attempt. I didn't have high hopes."

"But you look terribly disappointed..."

"You popped out just to say that?"

"No, not that," Amber said, leaping fully out of her invisible state and stretching lazily with abandon. "Mainly because it's the first time I've seen someone who can ramble on as much as you do... And many of Wilse's views are actually quite close to yours. If I didn't already know it was impossible, I'd suspect he was someone you trained..."

"There's more than one smart person in the world. Unfortunately, not every smart person can be dug into my hands..." Gao Yang shook his head and set aside the idle lament. "Anyway, have people keep an eye on him. Perhaps one day, he'll be willing to step forward and do something for this country."

"Don't worry. I knew you'd arrange it that way."

"Where are Duke Boyu and Grand Duchess Victoria?"

"They're receiving representatives of the nobles and merchants in the reception hall on the first floor. At this stage, many hearts need soothing—but they should be finished by now. Shall I have them come see you?"