There was dead silence. This system was somewhat shocking. The original village life system was destroyed. He completely broke the original Westeros way of life, and it was also a system that had never appeared in Westeros.
Arthur looked at the silent crowd. He had considered it repeatedly; only this way could order be created. He might have a city like King's Landing in the future, and he didn't want that city to be as chaotic as King's Landing. Implementation had to be now, when there were few people, making it easier to execute and with less resistance. If it was delayed, resistance would only grow.
Arthur's voice continued, startling the silent crowd. He knew his next words would be even more shocking: "The Law of Collective Punishment!!!!"
"Within a family! If someone commits a crime! Within the same family! The remaining four families are equally guilty! Those who know and do not report! Their guilt is compounded!" Arthur's voice was slow. "My army will also be like this! I want to establish order!"
The hall was dead silent. Everyone, these semi-literate officials, turned pale, stunned by this precise and ruthless system. They seemed to already see an invisible, vast net about to envelop every inch of the territory, every single person.
Only Lucien and Hakon smiled. As expected of Lord Arthur!
Evelyn tugged at Arthur's sleeve. Arthur knew she had something to say and dismissed everyone, leaving only Lucien and Hakon.
Then, Arthur's gaze turned to Evelyn. This woman seemed to have a lot to say.
Seeing Arthur's gaze fall on her, she slowly began to speak, her voice clear and rational: "Lord Arthur, your vision is perfect and can indeed fundamentally change the face of your territory."
She first gave her affirmation, then immediately changed her tone: "However, the difficulty of implementation might not be as simple as you think."
"Farmers have an extremely deep emotional attachment to the land where their ancestors lived. They might never have left their villages in their entire lives. Every tree, every stream there, is a part of their existence."
"Making them abandon their land and move to an unfamiliar place, even if you hold a knife to their throats, will only fill their hearts with resentment towards you."
"Secondly, do you truly trust these commoner officials of yours? You don't know the greed, stupidity, and ugliness of these commoners. They have no honor, no courage, no mercy, not even the Seven Gods. Each of them embodies the Seven Deadly Sins, and they will ultimately go to hell."
"Your treasurer, Beggar Bow Bana, is a prime example. Ever since he became an official, he has ridden his pony to humiliate those who once bullied him when he was a beggar."
"I suggest you recruit some impoverished wandering knights and grant them a village as a fief. They will swear allegiance to you by the Seven Gods. You have bestowed land upon them, and they will provide eternal loyalty to your family."
Lucien and Hakon were furious that this ugly woman dared to contradict Lord Arthur, but they didn't know how to refute, their faces flushed. In their eyes, it was only natural for Lord Arthur to give orders and for the peasants to obey. Anyone who dared not obey should kiss their own sword!
However, Evelyn saw Arthur smile, as if mocking her. She fell silent, a hint of confusion appearing in her beautiful blue eyes for the first time, quietly waiting for Arthur's rebuttal.
Arthur finally stopped smiling. He shook his head, then extended a finger and gently waved it, giving his answer—a simple, brutal, yet incredibly effective answer:
"You are right, they have feelings for the land their ancestors lived on for generations, but when that feeling is put alongside their lives, you will find that living is the deepest feeling."
Arthur's gaze swept over Lucien and Hakon, and he issued a cold command: "Lucien! Hakon!"
"Find some reliable people, cover their faces, and starting tonight, take turns impersonating robbers and bandits to harass those remote villages. Remember, make a lot of noise, be fierce, you can burn a few empty houses, steal some livestock. Make sure to appear very vicious, but do not harm anyone's life."
"I want them to be sleepless with fear. I want them to understand that their ancestral land, their generational villages, are no longer safe havens, but graves that will take their lives."
Arthur looked at Evelyn, the woman with the demeanor of a noble lady: "By then, I will send people to tell them that I have prepared strong high walls, ample food, and the protection of soldiers for them, offering unparalleled safety."
"What do you think, will they long for their homeland, or will they cry and thank me for giving them a chance to live?"
Evelyn's pupils contracted slightly. She fell silent, or rather, her expression dimmed. She hadn't expected the young lord before her to be as seasoned and cunning as those great lords. She thought of Tywin Lannister; his youthful self seemed to overlap with the young lord's figure before her.
Arthur turned away, no longer looking at her: "As for what you said about nobles and commoners, in my opinion, their greed, stupidity, and ugliness are no less than commoners', and their crimes will only be greater."
"As for your mention of the treasurer, Beggar Bow Bana." Arthur slowly said. "To my knowledge, he rode that pony, indeed as you said, to humiliate those who once bullied him, but he also went to thank the kind people who helped him during his most desperate times, distributing all the recruitment silver stags I gave him to those who had once helped him."
Arthur walked towards the woman until he was close, his oppressive presence causing the woman to lower her body, which was taller than the young lord's:
"I only need them to serve me! To bring order to my territory! To achieve the results I desire! That is all!"
"If he can do this, even if he is a devil, I will use him. If he cannot, even if he is a saint, he is worthless to me."
His long fingers gently lifted her head, making her beautiful blue eyes meet his.
"This is my way of employing people. Now, do you still have any questions, my advisor?"
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