Realm of Power

Palawan, raindrops are falling

The fat man stared at the city known as the center of the continent from the heights of the rolling hills outside the city. The tall city wall was like a huge crouching dragon, occupying the center of the earth, with high walls, round towers, and three defenses inside and outside. The city wall and the rolling white-capped river meandered around the edge of the city like a link, and a clear morning bell echoed in the distance, passing through the early morning rain and fog into the fat man's ears,

There are four stone bridges leading into the city. The densely packed spire buildings are looming in the white rain and mist. Black spots are crawling like ants on the road. There are basically no guards on the city wall. It is completely empty. With a sense of laziness, the main body of the gray-white stone was reflected in the white raindrops, as if it were unreal. The heavy weight of the vicissitudes of life hit his face. For some reason, the fat man felt an inexplicable melancholy.

The hills outside the city where armies once gathered are now a sea of ​​golden wheat that moves with the wind. Farmers are busy harvesting the ripe wheat in the rain. Horse-drawn carriages carrying wheat are constantly coming and going on the commercial road leading to the city. The traces of war seem to have disappeared. As all this dissipates, there is no cold light of swords and guns, no ferocious fighting, and few people will remember the tragic battle in the south of Palaven, in which the two sides combined more than 300,000 troops.

In that battle, Fatty set up an ambush in the Staros Hills with an army of 100,000, defeated the Ruidian army of 200,000 that attacked from behind, and planted the imperial eagle flag on the top of the thousand-year-old imperial capital. This was using swords as plowshares. In the world of peace created, the traces of war can be erased, but are the traces in people's hearts really so peaceful? President Deep Love

The raindrops hit his face against the wind, and also wetted the beautiful earth in Fatty's eyes. Fatty also knew that this was the most difficult thing, so he could only try his best to adopt gentle policies to heal the wounds caused by the war in the war-torn areas.

Land reform was enacted. \u003c-\u003e Promote trade, reduce taxes, and reopen the centuries-old Palawan College. Under the policies of the empire, this college, regarded as a collection of mainland culture, no longer only serves the nobility and the military. Instead, they opened up opportunities for more civilians to learn, and some subjects that were previously only available to nobles were opened up within the empire. Accounting, finance, history and other subjects that used to only serve the nobility began to become the most popular industries among businessmen and common people.

The education in the college is like a flickering light of civilization, promoting the civilization process of the empire.

Compared with the imperial professional military academy, this academy has cultivated countless powerful Ruidian soldiers. Now it has truly turned to ordinary people's livelihood. Scholars gather here. Every day, you can see ordinary citizens filling the corridors of the college.

Or it was also the tragic Palaven turmoil. It touched the nerves of this imperial university. The war was not epic beauty and grandeur, but blood and cruelty. Chaos, even destruction,

Anyone who has been through it and gotten over it. We all have to reflect on this issue, war and people's livelihood, who is the most important thing to teach in the academy?

"Your Majesty, do we need to inform Commander Hu Keqili?" A guard came up from behind and asked in a low voice to His Majesty Falcon, who was looking at the city in the distance.

"No, I'm just passing by, so don't bother him." The fat man smiled and looked back from a distance. It was embarrassing to say that as a promoter of the mainland's unification war, the fat man did not directly attack Pa in the battle of Ruidian. Lavin, instead sent his army to bypass Palaven and go straight to the south. His eyes on the center of the continent were more on the strategic map, rather than looking at it with a peaceful mind like now.

On Ruidian's map, Palaven is located in the center of the Palaven Plain, with vast northern hills above and rolling mountain basins below. The towering Dorok Mountains form an arc-like concave on the left. natural barrier,

From a strategic location, the Palavon Plain is surrounded by high mountains. There are three counties in the north guarding key areas in the front, and mountains in the south block it in the back. You can advance forward and retreat to defend. It is a natural large logistics base.

As long as we control the three northern counties in the north, plus the passes of Yeruige and the densely populated castles in the plains,

Just like Qin's Xianyang, it could rely on its unique geographical advantages to occupy the densely populated and fertile Palaven Plain, and use it as a base to launch an invasion of the central and northern parts of the mainland.

This has been Ruidian's national policy for hundreds of years, and Palaven is the engine that determines all of this.

According to incomplete statistics, during the war between Ruidian and the Dongting people, the reserve army provided by the Palavon area reached 400,000 people. Palavon almost sustained the entire war by himself. It was precisely because of Palavon's persistence. , finally let the powerful Dongting army implement a scorched earth policy on the occupied area, but it still did not shake Rui Erdian's core, and was finally dragged into the quagmire of a protracted war.

The people from Dongting tried to pierce the mainland with their long arrows, but they were held back by Palavon. Finally, they ran out of strength and were defeated by the fat man. They took a big advantage. "Come ten people and follow me to Palavon Academy. Let the others go." The military camp in the city provides supplies and rest for the horses. We still have a long journey and I don’t want to starve to death halfway.” The fat man chuckled and waved to the guards behind him.

The appearance of this continental center plays a decisive role for the empire in terms of politics, economy, culture and military.

To truly understand this place, Fatty suddenly remembered an old friend, the former chief speaker of the Dorok region, who was studying democratic theory at Palaven College, and his vision was more in line with that of a ruler.

Although Fatty is not optimistic about Duozhe's practice of shrinking into one place and practicing democracy in a war-torn world, he has to admit that Duozhe is an excellent politician, but forcing this politician to Being promoted to the position of a war commander is also the greatest tragedy for Duo Zai.

What the war needs is a strong dictatorial monarch and a powerful army equipped with the power of the whole country. The president deeply loves

Only with such a mechanism can a country's power be fully concentrated on foreign wars to the maximum extent. Just like two people fighting to the death, whoever can gather the strongest power first will be able to win in the end.

However, Duo Ze, a pioneer of democracy, advocates equality for all and co-management of the country. This seemingly infinitely beautiful system is a joke if it does not have complete institutional guarantees.

Any system relies on people. Some people have selfish motives and greed. The multi-choice parliamentary system obviously has problems on this point. Although the parliaments in various places seem to be fair, in fact, private interests are rampant and they levy taxes at will. Ordinary people The interests of the country have been eaten up and swallowed up by those in power, and military supplies have been exploited at all levels, coupled with the already weak economic foundation. Dorok's national power was invisibly declining, and even the army that had seen it could not be raised. As for the so-called national mobilization launched by Dorok in the later period, it almost pushed a nation to the edge of genocide.

This is not the blessing of democracy, but the curse of democracy!

Duo Ze was also reflecting on it, and at the last moment chose to hand over the choice to the people of Aaron. At this point, Fatty had to admire the broadmindedness of this pioneer of democracy and his willingness to let go of all power. When you find that your mistakes are irreversible, you hand yourself over to your enemies. Such people have true ideals in their hearts. And being willing to sacrifice your life for it is a great sentiment. Although such people are rare in human society, they are indeed the backbone that drives the entire civilization forward. Duo Zai is the only one among all the leaders of forces who can escape unscathed.

Raindrops hit the street pavement. Turning into crystal clear water, cleaning the road surface, Palaven has already formed a complete sewer system after hundreds of years of continuous repairs by Ruidian. The awnings protruding from both sides of the street serve as a barrier for the moving people. Passers-by held up a rain shield,

The fat man suddenly stopped his horse. In front of him, there was a huge road network extending in all directions. There were not many people on the streets, but there were many carriages. Although the glory days of Rui Erdian were far away, they could still be seen. There are many gorgeous carriages with family crests, and the people inside can't be seen clearly, but they must be looking at the rain outside the window with a nostalgic and sad look, which is like the rain in the past.

Although I'm embarrassed to say it, the fact is that Fatty is lost!

He had looked at this city on the map countless times, but this was the first time he actually entered the interior of this huge city. After making a few random turns, the road ahead became increasingly narrower and narrower. A bullock cart carrying several bags of wheat just passed by the fat man indifferently. "It's really embarrassing to say it." The fat man's face turned red. He gave a dry cough in embarrassment and ordered to the guard behind him, "Ahem, you go ask the ox cart in front, Palawan College..." Stopping at the door of the building, the driver got down from his seat and struggled to lift a bag of wheat from the oxcart. The familiar face immediately made the fat man stunned and said, "More choices!"

The person in front turned around, his thin face exuding an unyielding perseverance. Although he looked a little older than Dorok, the light in his eyes still did not diminish at all. It was the luster of pursuing ideals, not too much. Who else can I choose?

"Vekia Falcon!"

When Duo Ze saw the fat man, he was stunned for a moment. Who would have thought that he would meet the master of the empire in such a corner?

"What? Don't you even buy me a glass of water?" The fat man got off his horse and walked towards Duozhi. Although the small earth-colored building in front of him looked dilapidated, it was generally quite stylish. In front of it was a long and wide Ten meters of garden, cast iron fence inlaid with The carved flowers looked a little cold and serious, and they felt the same as Duoce. Fatty knew that Duoce's lifestyle had always been simple, even a bit similar to that of an ascetic. In Duoce's values, thoughts are always more important than treasures. more valuable

"There's nothing to entertain here. If you don't mind, just drink some Bibber leaf water that I grew myself!" On the second floor of the earth-colored building, Duozhi brought the fat man a cup of hot water. There are a few green leaves of unknown species floating on it.

Konoe took it and prepared to give it a try first to avoid being poisoned. In any case, Duozhu was once an enemy of the empire.

"No need to try, I believe that choosing too much will not harm me!"

The fat man said calmly. Konoe hesitated for a moment and finally handed the water to the fat man. The fat man blew gently on the water and took a sip without hesitation. The taste was sweet and bitter, with a faint fragrance of leaves.

"These are the leaves of Bibber grass from my hometown, Aaron. Soaking them in water can refresh you. I took the seeds with me when I left Aaron. Planting them in the yard can also be considered as a companion!" Duo Ze looked at the fat man and took a sip calmly. Bubble Leaf said, looking at the green grass outside the window, and said in a calm tone, "Aren't you afraid that I will poison you? You know, there is no shortage of monarchs who lost their lives due to carelessness in history." "I don't know about others." , but you won’t!” Fatty said with certainty.

"Why?" Duo Zai looked confused,

"Because I haven't received your report on the completion of "On Democracy" yet." The fat man smiled slyly, put down the water glass, and blinked. "If I die, your "On Democracy" will never be completed. That one in your heart is much more valuable than this tyrant like me!"

Hearing the fat man calling himself "tyrant", Duo Ze seemed to think of the past years. His thin face turned red unexpectedly, and he smiled awkwardly and said, "Don't mention the past things again. Now I understand that there is no strong force to support it." democracy is just a pseudo-democracy, rights and obligations are inherently Waiting. The prerequisite for the people to enjoy democracy is that everyone must fight to ensure democracy! This is the conclusion I have pondered for more than half a year. "What happened to the ox cart and the wheat?" The water glass on the table glanced outside curiously, and asked curiously

He also didn't expect that Duozhe's life in Palaven would be like this, but this kind of life seemed to be closer to reality. Everyone, no matter how much aura they have, can never be separated from the essence of human beings. Eat, drink, poop and sleep, when the prosperity is gone, everything will return to the real ordinary. "That's ten days' wages paid by the college." The president deeply loves

Duozhi responded with an indifferent expression, "You should have thought of it. Although Palawan College has admitted a lot of students, there are not many truly rich people. In many cases, most poor students use food to pay their tuition fees." , the college directly forwarded these grains to us as wages! "The fat man's face darkened. "What if you need money? Can you exchange food for money?" Isn't this nonsense! As the highest institution of education in the empire, this is true for the academy, not to mention schools in other regions. It seems that I have been negligent in my duty. Such education makes the empire feel so embarrassed! "There's nothing to feel guilty about!" "Duozei said with a calm face and bright eyes, "The mainland has been at war for hundreds of years, and all educational power has been pushed to the military. In the past, except for military schools that trained officers, no other schools had ever existed. In the past, let alone as it is now, although simple, hundreds of types of schools have sprung up like mushrooms after a spring rain. These schools are all over the central and southern regions of the mainland.

There are not only colleges that teach accounting and finance, but also extension offices that teach agriculture, internships for merchant apprentices, seaman training schools, and craftsman schools. According to legend, only during the Ikadiva dynasty five hundred years ago, cultural education Never before had there been such a flourishing situation,

Duo Ze's voice paused, and he said with a somewhat admiring tone, "Actually, I had the idea of ​​running a people's livelihood school when I was in Yal'an, but I also knew that the difficulties in running a school were not only about money, but also Educational talents. Without schools, there will be no specialized talents. Who will educate new students? Can the skills they learn promote the development of the entire society? These are all questions.

Fortunately for us, within the current empire, various industries can have opportunities to develop and receive respect. This is a sign that the golden age is coming! "Golden Age?" "The fat man smashed his mouth and murmured in a low voice. "The golden age is what we scholars claim to be an era of rapid development of science and culture." Duoze smiled and quickly explained, "So the scholars from Palaven and I We all think that what you have done is good enough , after all, the mainland's people's livelihood education has been suffocated for five hundred years because of the war. If you want to overcome it in one breath, it will not happen overnight, but I believe that because of the situation you have created today, the Ikadiva Continent will eventually To make up for the void left by the chaos of the past five hundred years.”

"Perhaps you are right, but the whole situation is still too..." The fat man shook his head helplessly. "The empire's finances are about 20 million per quarter, but only three-quarters are used for military expenditures. Of all the other expenses, it would be good to spend one-tenth on education. Next quarter, I will specially allocate one-fifth for the popularization of education in the empire. , especially regarding the learning of various skills, the empire is in urgent need of talents in this area! ""You mean Obarro?" "Duozhi is worthy of being the president of the General Assembly. He immediately guessed the meaning of the fat man's words." Well, the empire needs to expand externally, and the army alone cannot do it. The Normandy region is still What a wasteland, Empire Someone needs to be managed, and more talents in the field of people's livelihood are needed to fill the gap. These cannot be achieved by simple fighting by the army. "The fat man nodded noncommittally." This time I passed by Palaven, and it was because of this that I thought of you. "

"Me?" A hint of surprise flashed across Doze's face, "Normandy is a region far away from the empire, and I need someone with cultural influence to guard it.

The most important thing is that this person is not a warrior who only knows killing! "The fat man stared at Duo Ze with piercing eyes, and the implication was already obvious.

The empire needs a softer image, one that can coordinate well among the countries surrounding Normandy.

There are not many such talents in an empire that is used to the iron-blooded military. This person must be an influential civilian.

Plais can, but it is obviously inappropriate to let the imperial minister in charge of military affairs serve as a regional governor.

Moreover, Plais is sometimes too tough and stubborn and can easily mess up things.

Relatively speaking, Duoze, who has a strong character and is used to maneuvering between various forces, is undoubtedly the best candidate. What makes Fatty most relieved is that this democratic man has almost zero ambition and has no worries! (To be continued. Mobile phone users please read.)