CHAPTER 563: THE PUNISHMENT 2

TL: Rui88

Paul’s words sent a ripple through the hearts of the attendees. If the lord’s policies were all implemented and proved effective, those gentry landlords who had held power in the villages for generations would be reduced to little more than ordinary people with a bit of money, henceforth on the same level as the mud-legged peasants they had never deigned to notice.

The Director of the Department of Agriculture, Hansel Abbott, suddenly felt immense pressure. Paul’s measures would have an almost subversive impact on the countryside, which could very well have a huge effect on the agricultural production for which he was responsible. However, Hansel could not be certain whether the effect would be beneficial or detrimental. The common peasants would be happy, and might work harder when farming, but the landlords who owned large tracts of land would certainly be very displeased. What if they secretly made trouble?

Yes, Paul’s description was very beautiful, but in history, there were plenty of things that started with good intentions but ended in tragedy. After all, no matter how bad the old order was, it was still an order. With Count Grayman throwing such a bombshell, the old order would undoubtedly be destroyed, but whether what followed would be the formation of a new order or continuous chaos was too uncertain.

“Lord Grayman,” Hansel raised his hand to indicate he had something to say.

“Do you have anything to add?” It was clear Count Grayman did not wish to hear any dissenting opinions.

Hansel cautiously proposed his suggestion, “For a reform of such magnitude, should we not first select one or two villages to conduct a trial? In case… I mean, in case the reform has any impact on agricultural production, it might affect the people’s livelihood.”

“Oh, no! Hansel.”

Paul waved his hand without hesitation.

“The magnitude may be a bit large, but it’s all in terms of law and debt. It doesn’t involve any changes to the production structure. I can’t imagine what negative impact there would be on production if everyone abided by the law. If there is an impact, it must be because someone is making trouble behind the scenes.”

Paul’s brow furrowed, and the expression on his face became serious. He swept his scrutinizing gaze over everyone present.

Finally, he stared at Hansel again and said, “If we follow your suggestion and first select one or two places for a pilot program, hmph, wouldn’t that just be giving our potential enemies time to react? I can already imagine it. They will certainly do everything in their power to sabotage the places used for the reform experiment through any means necessary, and then loudly proclaim that the lord’s reform is nothing but a farce.”

The lord’s words carried a tone that brooked no doubt.

“Therefore, we must use a swift and violent storm-like attack to stun them. We absolutely must not leave them any buffer time to think and react.”

“Lord Grayman is right!” Cecil expressed his support for Paul.

“We should look on the bright side. Those landlords who are as stingy as iron roosters, although they possess great wealth, are few in number. No matter how extravagantly these fellows spend, how many manufactured goods can they consume? The luxury goods they spend a great deal of money on do little to stimulate manufacturing. But if we follow Lord Grayman’s idea and put money in the hands of the broad peasantry…the group that constitutes the vast majority of our current population…if they can enter the market and consume, the stimulus to manufacturing will be enormous. For example, salt, cloth and clothing, socks, shoes, and hats, and various metal products. These are all products that an ordinary family will definitely use. It’s not that the peasants of the past didn’t want to buy things, they just had empty pockets.”

Paul nodded, “As I said at the beginning, if everything goes smoothly, then the increased tax revenue from industry and commerce should be able to cover the initial administrative investment.”

The lord’s determination was set, and no one else spoke up in opposition.

“Lord Grayman, regarding the punishment of those involved in this rebellion, we have drawn up a basic policy.”

Chief Justice Thomas tried to steer the meeting’s content back to the topic everyone had initially hoped for.

He took out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Paul.

Paul took it, unfolded the paper, and quickly scanned it.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the change in Paul’s expression was somewhat puzzling.

The lord had just been full of aggressive momentum, his words spoken through gritted teeth, giving the impression that he wished he could slice the landlords one by one and eat them raw with soy sauce. However, after reading the paper handed to him by the Chief Justice, the lord’s face suddenly became calm.

He seemed to ponder for a second or two, and then the count spoke.

“The punishment of those who plotted rebellion is, of course, necessary. What you have suggested… is also reasonable. However, I believe the most urgent task is to interrogate them, to pry open the mouths of those bastards who are still alive. Before we chop off their heads, we should try to extract more intelligence, such as whether there are any accomplices still lurking who have not been exposed, whether they are connected with any external forces, and so on. We also need to distinguish who were the masterminds and who were the accomplices, and also if there were people who knew about this conspiracy but concealed it and did not report it.”

Hearing the lord’s words, the crowd, which had been on edge, let out a sigh of relief, and their furrowed brows relaxed. Why had they been on edge? Because considering their lord’s usual character, they were all afraid that after reading the contents of the paper, he would blurt out, “Ah? Isn’t this a bit too harsh?” But now it seemed the count did not object to the contents.

At least, not for now.

“You are absolutely right, Lord Grayman,” said Russ Hayden, the Director of Public Safety. “Regarding the contents of this paper, we just wanted to ask you to set a basic tone for the final judgment.”

Paul asked him, “Then in your opinion, if we are to get to the bottom of all aspects of this rebellion, such as the things I just mentioned, how long would it probably take?”

Russ replied, “This rebellion involved a great many people, and their identities are also very complex. Just within our own ranks, we have the army, militia, and police, and possibly also personnel from the telegraph signal stations. Externally, there are the major local families led by Fergus and Warren, as well as their house servants and the coerced villagers. According to Cecil’s and my assessment, the interrogation could take as long as a year and a half to two years.”

“It’ll take that long!” Paul scratched his chin.

Finally, he said, “Alright, if you encounter any difficulties, don’t hesitate to tell me.”

“Yes, Lord Grayman. Also…”

“What?”

Director-General Ford said, “Until all the dust has settled, should Babor Village and the several other villages around it be temporarily suspended from accepting new military recruits, and should people from there be prohibited from registering for the Administration Council’s functionary examinations?”

“That is a very prudent course of action.”

Paul fully agreed with this suggestion.