章 273: Plan
Translator: Cinder Translations
...
"He's not dead, is he?"
Paul looked at Biden, who had collapsed on the ground foaming at the mouth, and asked.
After a careful examination, the guard replied, "My lord, he's not dead, just fainted."
"Drag him out. Don't let him stay here and be an eyesore."
"Yes!"
Paul squinted his eyes, carefully recalling what had just happened.
The punishment for Biden was a test, to see how this representative of the local landlords and gentry would react to the authority of the lord.
The result was surprisingly good. This local tyrant fainted directly. To Paul, this meant that Biden realized he could not resist the punishment from the lord.
A year ago, things were different. Pirates invaded, killing the old lord, and then ruffians and bandits ran rampant, blocking the roads and causing the lord's decrees to only circulate near Alden Town.
Paul thought to himself, if it had been a year ago and he had punished a big landlord like this, Biden would never have been so scared. He might have even tried to "bargain" with him.
Wiping out the pirates in the northwest bay, showing the immense financial power from developing commerce, daring to challenge the powerful Kent family, and gaining fame in the Northwest with the Battle of Biddeburg—these had once again restored the lord's authority in the Earldom of Alden.
This forced those landlords and gentry, who had controlled rural power for generations, to treat the lord's orders with caution.
For a large landlord and tax farmer like Biden, on his land, he was practically the de facto lord. Before Paul established farmers' associations and military service stations, all the corvée and military service tasks of the lord's estate had to pass through their hands.
Biden's reaction gave Paul an idea—completely abolishing the tax farming system under his rule. He had thought of this long ago and wanted to abolish it immediately at last year's year-end meeting, but Steward Ford had advised him against it.
...
"You must act calmly, my lord. Making such a decision now is really inappropriate!"
When Paul raised the issue again at the meeting, Steward Ford once again tried to dissuade him.
"Why? Biden is a prominent landlord in Alden. If someone like him has already submitted, who else would dare to defy my decrees?"
"That's because you only punished Biden alone."
Steward Ford stroked his beard and slowly analyzed, "As the saying goes, a big tree attracts the wind. With Biden's wealth, there are countless people secretly jealous of him. He suffered because of his misdeeds, and others will only clap and cheer, or even kick him when he's down. But if you abolish all the tax farmers with one decree, you will be challenging their collective interests. They will be like cornered dogs, and in this sensitive period of our conflict with the Kent family, we should avoid any internal strife in Alden that might give external enemies an opportunity to exploit."
Paul was unconvinced, "The lord's mansion holds a large army now. Would they dare rebel? I believe just one battalion could intimidate them."
The chief of staff, Schroeder, coughed and said, "Uh... Lord Grayman, regarding this matter... with all due respect, I don't think the current army is that reliable..."
"What do you mean, Schroeder? You've seen how excellent the army we've trained is."
Paul stared directly at the chief of staff. The Alden army was his greatest pride. Except for a minor setback in its early days against the pirates, it had never disappointed him. Schroeder's words were like a bucket of cold water on him.
"My lord, I'm not referring to their combat effectiveness."
The chief of staff said cautiously, "Lord Grayman, as per your requirements, an officer's knowledge is a critical factor in their selection and promotion within the Alden army. However, within our ranks... those from truly common families often couldn't even write their own names before enlisting. It was only after joining the army that they received basic literacy education. This results in the majority of our officers coming from landlord and gentry families. You know, children from wealthy families always have an advantage in education over those from poor families."
"So?" Paul already understood Schroeder's point. Reality had once again doused him with cold water.
Schroeder looked at him, "The bigger the family, the stronger their family loyalty. I believe that in the matter of abolishing tax farmers, those grassroots officers will find it hard to guarantee their loyalty to you. In the worst case... they might do something irrational under the influence of their families."
"I must also remind you that your earlier proposal to abolish slavery is in the same category; it cannot be rushed."
Paul felt a bit dejected. Schroeder was right. He himself remembered an old saying from his previous life: "Victory belongs to those whose desires align with their subordinates'." Even if those officers didn't openly rebel against him due to their oaths, would they still fight as loyally as before in the face of enemies? Could such an army still be invincible?
"Is there no other way?" Paul was frustrated. Since taking over, he felt that every move he made was hampered by various constraints. He had to consider this, consider that. In fact, it seemed that since his transmigration, he hadn't accomplished anything truly worthy of being called a social revolution, which was a blow to his reputation as a transmigrator.
"Please wait until a certain proportion of the officers come from commoner backgrounds before you implement your reform plans. That proportion... I suggest no less than three-fifths. But... this will take time. Considering the need to maintain the army's combat effectiveness, we still have to rely on officers from wealthy families for now. And the formal education at Grayman Military Academy has only just begun."
"I hope you will gradually increase the proportion of commoner children among the students in the future."
"Yes, my lord. I will keep that in mind. But I must also point out that it's unwise to have all positions filled by children from poor families. As a lord, you must maintain balance."
"I understand that."
Paul then asked the two of them for advice on the next course of action. According to the established plan, the army was to distract the Kent family while the navy sailed upstream along the Wes Lake to open a "second front." Now, a rebellion had disrupted the plan.
Steward Ford and Chief of Staff Schroeder both recommended focusing on internal stability for the time being. No one could predict whether another rebellion might break out.
The final decision was that the two battalions under Bryce's command would continue to garrison the newly occupied area, while the forces still in Alden and Byerldine—including both the navy and the army—would be dispersed across various locations, ready to suppress any disturbances at a moment's notice.
A highly efficient communication system had to be established. Currently, relying on fast horses and birds to deliver urgent messages was neither timely nor reliable, making it difficult for Paul to control the two counties effectively.
Paul recalled his long-abandoned "Flag Signal Station" plan.
(End of the chapter)
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