"It is safer for a prince to be feared than to be loved."
——Machiavelli
"Assuming that people in power do bad things out of rational calculations, this is actually a kind of 'big chess party' thinking."
"People in power, even famous ones in history, often do bad things because they just want to do it."
"Come here, kidnap another princess for me!"
——Faerun continent, a certain underground city master
...
early afternoon,
When Li Jiasu returned to the main gate of the castle, he happened to see a horseman leaving.
The silent and steady old horse was slightly slowed down by the reins.
The young man on the saddle looked sideways at the cloaked man,
And gave the devil a slight nod.
Then, the young man rode an old horse and headed towards Gusi City on an old road that was being renovated.
Li Jia Shu was stunned for a moment at the gate, recalling something.
It seems that that young man is a waiter at the port tavern?
Oh, he is also Chuyang’s good brother,
Incidentally, he is also the lord's intelligence officer.
Guessing that Hadir was here to report to the lord, Li Jia Shu didn't think much more and went straight upstairs to the study to find Chu Yang.
Outside the study door, the devil heard the lord talking to the butler.
It seems to be talking about the recent complaints in the castle kitchen department?
"Attor, tell me why -" Chu Yang's voice asked the housekeeper,
“—You’ve been hiding your kitchen complaints from me recently?”
Chuyang's tone was very calm, and he didn't mean to be angry or accountable.
The butler's voice: "Hey, sir, I didn't mean to hide it!"
"I originally planned to observe it for a while to judge whether the 'difficulty' complained about in the kitchen really requires you and me to work together to find a solution."
Chu Yang said: "Dear Ator, you might as well speak more clearly."
When the devil heard this outside the door, he was frightened and pushed the door straight in.
Then he breathed a sigh of relief.
Chuyang's hairline is still very safe.
The young lord and the housekeeper's eyes were all moved to Li Jiasu.
"You guys should continue talking about business, don't worry about me for now." The devil shrugged and sat on the expensive handmade sofa, drinking honey tea and listening to the butler's continued speech.
The butler explained to the young lord sitting behind the desk: "Master, you have to understand that the complaints of the people below may not necessarily be really imminent 'real difficulties' that need to be solved by us at the top."
Chu Yang felt a little strange, "Attor, is this true or false?"
The middle-aged housekeeper bent forward slightly,
He slowly said to the young master: "We can't think that the people below really need our help as soon as we hear them complaining!"
"There are some 'difficulties' that people below can solve on their own, but..."
Ator compiled his words for a moment and then said: "If a lazy man says he loves the king, does the king have to immediately give money to the lazy man?"
Chuyang knocked on the table with his knuckles and said: "I believe that all the people in the kitchen are not lazy people!".
The butler wiped the non-existent sweat from his forehead and said with a smile on his face: "My lord, 'lazy man' is just an adjective."
"What I mean is, uh, there are some troublesome things. Maybe, probably, maybe, we don't need to use force. The people below can handle it slowly by themselves, so as to avoid us wasting energy and financial resources, um..."
The middle-aged butler gestured for a long time, but his explanation to the young lord was still vague.
The devil put down the teacup in his hand and said, "Attor, let me give you an example."
"The metaphor you just used was too abstract, and Chu Yang didn't understand it."
The butler nodded to the devil and stepped aside.
Sitting behind the desk, Chu Yang looked at the devil.
Li Jiasu sighed,
"Chu Yang, let us make a hypothesis: on the territory of another noble, there used to be a bridge that was built hundreds of years ago. One day it collapsed due to disrepair."
"This bridge is very important to some people in the territory and can save them time crossing the river."
"Now, some affected people have complained to the castle about the 'collapse of the bridge' through various channels."
"It just so happens that the local lord was busy with other trivial matters and was away for half a year, so he didn't even know about it."
Chu Yang asked: "Then? Things just kept dragging on?"
The devil replied: "People complained for a month and found that the castle really had no intention of taking care of this matter."
"So, for the next two months, people secretly cursed the 'stingy lord' again."
"In the third month, some wealthy squires and local church monks began to spend money and mobilize labor to build the bridge."
"Later, in the sixth month, the bridge was rebuilt."
"The local lord didn't pay a penny, and the problem was solved by the people below."
The butler standing next to him nodded slightly.
But Ator always felt that there was something wrong with the example given by the devil.
Behind the desk, Chu Yang thought for a moment.
"Ac Lord Li, you mean that the complaints of the subordinates - the requests or expectations of the lord - are sometimes just the laziness and greed of the subordinates?"
"They can solve the problem by working hard, thinking of ways, and working harder."
"You don't need me at all, you don't need a lord, you don't need a castle to 'provide effort and money' to help them solve their problems?"
Ator said from the side: "Yes! Master, so originally, I planned to observe for some more time to see if the situation in the kitchen could be solved by the kitchen itself."
"How can there be any reason why the master should help me when my subordinates complain?"
The butler babbled in an indignant tone,
"If I help you when the people below complain, then you will definitely suffer in the end!"
"They will become lazy, they will try to deceive the lord, and they will greedily steal every fiber of your treasury!"
"Master, when you spend money on the people below, you are spending your own money! So be sure to keep your eyes open and observe clearly which money can be given to the people below and which money is not worth giving to the people below.
"
"You are the master! You are not some omnipotent wish-making lamp!"
"You manage the people, don't let the people treat you as a [magic lamp for making wishes]!"
The young lord behind the desk thought for a moment, and then said to the loyal butler: "Attor, I understand what you mean."
Then, Chu Yang turned his head and looked at the devil on the sofa, "Ac Master Li, I have a question about the story you told earlier."
The devil drank up the remaining honey water in the teacup.
Chu Yang: "If we say that the free people, squires, and monks in the territory can solve all kinds of difficulties by themselves, there is no need for the lord to take action."
"Then what is the meaning of my existence on this land?"
The steward next to him was stunned for a moment and said quickly: "Of course the Mudlegs need their monarch to manage the territory. After all, only nobles can..."
Chuyang: "Attor, be quiet."
The butler immediately shut up knowingly.
"Is answering this question an urgent matter?" the devil asked while sitting on the sofa.
Chu Yang shook his head, "I'm just curious, but not that urgent."
Li Jia Shu: "Then I won't discuss your question."
"Think while doing things."
Behind the desk, Chu Yang just frowned and then relaxed,
"Okay, let's do things first." The young lord nodded.
He stood up from the velvet cushion, stretched his slightly numb back and arms, walked out of the desk, came to the window, and looked at the island land that was gradually clearing up.
(Remind me again, due to the weird climate on the island, the 'good weather' only gradually cleared up at noon)
"Axelarat, is there anything I need to do next?"
Chu Yang asked the devil.
Li Jiasu nodded,
"The kitchen complaints about work pressure, we will address - but not now, things have to be dealt with in order."
"I have to lead the construction team in the afternoon (to build roads, sites, and scaffolding), so I can't get out."
"There are a few things that Chuyang needs you to complete. The sooner the better."
Chuyang: "Please tell me."
Devil: "Send someone to make a clear count of the number of slaves existing in Gus City. As well as a list of the shops, groups, private individuals, and other relevant owners of the slaves in the city."
The housekeeper who had kept silent before couldn't help but said: "AC Mr. Li, what are you going to do?"
Devil: "In order to improve the overall efficiency of the project, I decided to speed it up."
"In Chuyang's territory, those cheap foreign labor must! Can only be used by Chuyang!"
Butler: "Huh?"
His face was full of dullness and disbelief.
"Axelarat, do you want to——" Chu Yang immediately understood the devil's thoughts.
"However, some groups and individuals in Gus City may not be willing to hand over the slaves they own."
Chu Yang reminded the devil.
"I know." A strange "hiss-hiss" sound came from under the devil's cloak.
Chu Yang and Ator suddenly felt an inexplicable chill.
It was as if a poisonous snake had crawled up my back.
"Dear Chuyang," the cold and hot words rang out from under the devil's mask,