Chapter 413 — Eyes Beyond History
Blade of Dawn · Page 2 of 4
Seeing Hetty look thoughtful, Gaoyang went further: "You can remind them—have the administrative team over there find ways to persuade, encourage, or even buy off a group of influential 'middle figures' in the territory, such as great merchants, renowned scholars, and other respected persons. Let them benefit from the new decrees and serve as examples to further promote them. In addition, they can set up many models among the ordinary people, so that those who actively respond to Cecil law and submit to management become prosperous and well-off. People are very practical. No matter how many notices you post in the square, it is not as good as letting them see with their own eyes the benefits they can expect."
"I understand..." Hetty nodded delightedly. "Progenitor, thank you for the reminder."
Gaoyang nodded, but did not think these pointers of his were anything remarkable—he had simply read some books in his previous life, and when he was a satellite spirit he had watched countless live-action documentaries of civilization's evolution, so he could casually say a few things born of experience. But these things were not particularly profound. With Hetty's intelligence and the experience she had accumulated while transforming Kant Territory, she could go back and think about it for a day or two and come up with something similar.
Even if she did not think about it, once the administrative officials sent to the Horsman region encountered practical problems in this area and seriously studied them, most of them would probably be able to think of such methods as well—since they had been chosen, they must possess the corresponding ability. The people of this world were never lacking in wisdom; they were merely a little short on experience.
"Actually, compared with the difficulties and troubles, the wretched 'governing' ability of the traditional aristocracy has also left us quite a bit of convenience," Gaoyang said suddenly with a shake of his head when he had almost finished reading the report. Then he muttered quietly to himself, "A pity it is a double-edged sword..."
"Convenience?" Hetty could not immediately follow the Mystic Pulse Sect's line of thought—in fact, she often could not follow the Mystic Pulse Sect's line of thought, and she was used to it by now. "In what respect, if I may ask?"
"Cohesion and self-identity. I wonder if you have noticed—when the people in newly acquired territories undergo transformation under Cecil order, what they resist is always the new decrees, never the new ruler."
Hetty frowned slightly. She still seemed unable to grasp the key point in Gaoyang's words.
Gaoyang was not surprised. He explained patiently, "When traditional nobles governed their territories, they hardly ever considered the feelings of the people, nor did they consider the development of culture, economy, law, and other fields in the territory. In fact, the only thing they considered was taxation. To the territory, the lord was merely the biggest landlord, so the people, as 'tenant farmers,' never had any sense of belonging or identity toward such rule. And because the lord's decrees were often full of errors and contradictions, the people's lives also lacked stability. So on the lands of the traditional aristocracy, the people could hardly be said to have any cohesion at all.
"People who grew up under this kind of 'governing' structure lack a sense of... hmm, nation and state—explaining this concept to you now may be too abstract. You can simply understand it as this: they do not care who their lord is, nor where this lord comes from. They do not even care whether this country exists, nor whether the king is an Ansu man or a Typhon man.