458 Propagation

When the two Viscounts Andrew Leslie and Ropeney Grant left, the 700-year-old feudal aristocratic system in the southern border officially came to an end.

If the artillery fire of the Crushed Stone Ridge and the Rock Fortress destroyed the entity of the noble system, then the thirty-three contract documents voluntarily accepted the reform and a joint declaration document signed by all the nobles in the southern border destroyed the soul of the system.

Gawain held the "Joint Statement on Restructuring" that still seemed to have the fragrance of ink in his hand. On the signature page of the statement, thirty-three names, including Viscount Andrew and Lady Lopeney, seemed to represent the end of an era. He carefully printed each name in his mind, then took a dip pen from the desk and wrote Gawain Cecil's name at the end of the document.

He knows that the old times are not really over - in the north of the rock fortress, outside the barrier of the mountains in the south, Anzu is still an ancient kingdom that relies on the old aristocratic system to run, and the darkness of ignorance is still shrouded in everyone's head, and even if It is in the south, within the Principality of Cecil, the shadow and influence of the old era will still linger for a long time, and it is still a long way to go to completely remove it.

But with these documents signed today, the cause will go even more smoothly.

"This part of the signed document is for public disclosure," Gawain pushed the document in front of him to Hetty across from the desk. "In addition to printing and distributing the entire territory, we will find a stonemason to carve a monument, and the tree will be prominently placed in the city. Next We will spare no effort to publicize the reform of the Southern Border, use newspapers in places with a high literacy rate, and find ways to promote 'pub public opinion' in places with a low literacy rate. Before the end of the harvest month, everyone in the Southern Border must know the news."

"In this way, it should be much easier for the secondary government offices everywhere to carry out their work," Hetty smiled, she was obviously very happy, "there will be no more obstacles to recruiting scholars, and those businessmen who hesitate to wait and see should have no worries. already."

"Even so, I'm sure there will be people who will resist the new rules," Gawain said, "but justice and law are on our side, and all resistance to the new rules can be severely punished, especially those knights in exile—give them one The final surrender deadline, if the surrender deadline is exceeded, it will be regarded as treason. This time, they can no longer use 'loyalty to the old master' as a shield. Our execution of them will be completely legal, and will have the support of all the people ."

To understand the three views of people in this era, to understand the way of thinking of the people under the rule, and then to promote one's own business in a way that conforms to the background of the times and the three views of the people, and gradually transform this era in the process. The governance route chosen after conquering the southern border—governing the world is different from conquering the world. The latter often only requires strong force, while the former... must use some brains.

The newly established printing factory started working day and night, and the new large-scale industrial printing press was sent to the workshop of the printing factory as soon as it came off the production line.

Then, in the roar of machinery, the sheets of white paper were turned into newspapers and books carrying information at an alarming speed. In the latest issue of Cecil Weekly, the historical scene of the collective signing of documents by the nobles of the southern border acts as a The front of the page occupies an entire page. The large black-and-white portrait is the first "photograph" published since the newspaper was born. At the top of the black-and-white portrait, the largest bold font announces the meaning of this scene to people. :

"The principality has made a contract, and all the old lords of the south have sworn to uphold the laws of Cecil - let us cheer for the great order."

The new issue of the newspaper stepped off the printing press, was sorted in the hands of the printers, packaged, and then sent to the distribution center, and then along with the convoy of couriers to Tanzania, to Kant, to Glenn, and to Hosman , sent to every corner of the southern border.

In the main city of Cecil and several satellite towns with a high literacy rate, the propaganda effect of newspapers is the best, but in places with low literacy rates, people can still read the contents of the newspapers and tell the news. everyone around you.

The early morning sun shone on the old and shabby streets of Carroll City. The heat of the sun dissipated the water droplets condensed on the weed leaves in the corners. The carriage marked by Cecil drove through the only stone road in the town. A series of jingles from the bells hanging from the carriages woke the town's residents from their slumber.

The blacksmith entered the workshop and scolded the apprentice who was dozing off while taking care of the furnace. The mason picked up his tools and was about to go to the newly established government office to ask about the work he could do. The women scolded the sleeping child and The husband was driven out of the room and started to clean up the smelly and messy bed, while the man and the half-aged children were nibbling on the dry food and taking their work to the street, ready to go to work in the fields, or go to the town square.” luck".

A section of the city wall that was once torn down by the Cecil cannons was still paralyzed in the clearing south of the town, and a team of yawning people was clearing the broken stones and wood under the supervision of the foreman, occasionally from the ruins. Passers-by will swept across the remaining city walls with awe and even fear, as if the earth-shattering explosion that day was still entrenched in their hearts.

A group of Cecil soldiers walked through the street in neat lines. Although they were not like ordinary noble private soldiers who would harass people on the road at any time, the civilians on the road would still bow their heads instinctively and in awe. Retreat to the side - the Carrolls have adapted to these soldiers, and since the outbreak of the war, a large number of Cecilians have passed through the town, from here to the battlefield in the north, and from here after a great victory Returning to the south; they established the council in the town and turned the old lord's castle into a barracks and office, and then introduced new laws; they were "outsiders", but they had become the rulers of the town , and the people who live in this town... accept it all without feeling.

"Master Consul" said that the water must be boiled before drinking, and for this reason, serfs and tenant farmers were allowed to chop wood (in the past, such untouchables could only pick up wood chips and dead branches, and were not allowed to cut down the lord's forest), then everyone Boil the water and drink it; the consul said it was not allowed to defecate in the street. After dozens of people were whipped in the street, everyone started to use the newly built toilets. Go to the government affairs office to register, then everyone will go to register, anyway, there is no need to pay...

The Cecilians are very strange, the new law is very strange, but at least they don't rob food, then they can get by.

But not everyone feels that way.

The great merchant Cod was sitting in his house. The tea brought by the maid was cold, but he still didn't drink it. He was upset, and his eldest son was sitting in front of him.

"Father, did the Government Affairs Office come again yesterday?"

"Yes," the big businessman said in a sullen voice, "I still want to sign the "Commercial Agreement", they also want to build a factory in the open space south of the town, and want me to go out and lobby people there... …”

"You still haven't signed it?" The eldest son frowned, "Father, that's the lord's..."

"Oh, of course I know that those are the lords, I don't dare to offend," the big businessman sighed, "Even if they ask me to spend one-third...one-fourth of the family wealth to repair the city walls and castles Ah, but they only want me to sign the contract and let me come forward... This is absolutely impossible."

You can make more money when you run out of money. Every businessman must learn to use money to meet the lord’s requirements, especially in the developed Carroll Land, the big businessman Cod who has long relied on the lord’s favor to make a fortune. I understand it very well, but in the face of the business contract offered by the Cecil people, this big businessman who was ready to exchange his family wealth for peace seemed hesitant.

"Father, you'd better agree, it's not good to go against the Council of Ministers - although they seem to talk a lot now, but who knows how long their patience will last, if you don't sign, they might drive us all out. go out……"

"Spending money is a business, and the business ends when it ends, but signing is a lifetime, not so easy to sign," the big businessman sighed. The eldest son is not stupid in business, but he still has too little life experience. "Do you know how many businessmen are watching? Who are the ones who signed? If most of them don't sign by the end, then what's the difference between the person who signed... in the business circle and being exiled?"

"The Cecil people have already occupied this place. From now on, the entire southern border will belong to Cecil. Sooner or later, everyone will sign it."

"...I know, of course I know," Cord smiled wryly, "sooner or later it will be signed, so I want to wait, I really don't want to be the first to sign, Cecil's weapons are powerful, but there is... "

Before the big businessman could finish speaking, the door of the room was suddenly pushed open, and his second son ran into the room happily, waving a roll of paper: "Father! Father! Signed! Signed!"

Cod can hardly hear the word "signature" now, and the moment he heard the word, he stood up and yelled loudly: "Sign what!! Who asked you to sign?!"

"Sign? Ah! It's not me, it's not me!" The young man glanced at the atmosphere in the room, glanced at his stunned elder brother and his angry-faced father, quickly reacted and waved the newspaper in his hand, "It's a noble from the South, The Southern Nobles have signed - you see, there's even a painting on the front page of today's newspaper!"

"What paintings, what headlines..." The big businessman Cod stepped forward and snatched the newspaper in the hands of his second son. He knew this "newspaper" invented by the Cecilians. With the businessman's excellent intuition, he was in the The meaning of this thing was immediately apparent at first sight. It contained timely information of vital importance to the merchant, so since the regular courier carriages appeared in Carroll Land, he ordered his second son to He had to buy a new newspaper as soon as possible, but he couldn't think of any information in the newspaper that would be so shocking that his young son, who had always been cowardly and gentle, was so excited.

And after unfolding the newspaper, he understood.

He saw the black and white "painting", the lifelike "painting", which was obviously a scene left by some kind of magic, a real event, the power of magic recorded this event, and the plug The "Magic Industry" of the Cyre people copied this record in countless copies and sent it to all the places under their control - including this Carroll in the north.

"The principality has signed a contract, and all the old lords of the southern border swear to uphold the laws of Cecil..." The big businessman Cod muttered to himself, and then suddenly realized the information conveyed by the newspaper.

"Sign... sign!" cried the big businessman. "Come on, maid, get my coat, I'm going to the council hall--damn, that old Downey lives next to the council hall, I hope he doesn't have morning The habit of reading newspapers...I have to be the first!"

The two sons were startled by their father's violent reaction, and while looking at each other, they asked in astonishment, "Father?"

"There's no time, it's time to make a statement," Codd said quickly as he took the coat hurriedly handed over by the maid, and when he was halfway through it, he suddenly remembered something and turned his head to stare at the eldest son's eyes, "Pal , you go to the south immediately and find Willer - tell him, I bought his land!"