Darkstone Code

Chapter 1266 - 1265: Flattery

"Nobility?"

The Prime Minister was somewhat puzzled, "What’s there to talk about nobility?"

As one of the great nobles of the Empire, the Prime Minister thought there really wasn’t much to talk about regarding the nobility.

Whether good or bad, large or small, to him they were just nobles. He had seen too many kinds of nobles and knew well what they did, feeling no desire to explore further.

Lynch, however, found the topic interesting. He flicked the ash off his cigarette and casually remarked,

"The power of the nobility is too great..."

The Prime Minister’s gaze instantly became sharp. In a feudal country, saying that the ruling class has too much power makes one’s blood run cold just by hearing it.

In fact, Gafura’s history was not without some forward thinkers who aimed to "change the world," attempting to overthrow the nobility and the Imperial Family’s rule.

Their ends were often grim, with most left hanging in some square, dried to a husk in unspeakable agony!

Nobles, the class that initially used violence to trample on commoners, were never gentle, amiable, or kind.

Violence and bloodshed were their true means.

To those who dared to challenge their status and power, they’d choose a suitable piece of wood, a slightly sharpened post with one end slicked with oil, and make their victim sit on it in the nude.

The victim’s feet would be tied to the post, and heavy weights would be hung on them.

At first, the punishment might not seem terrifying to the victim. They might even think it’s merely sitting down.

Though being naked does cause some shame, compared to harsher tortures, it’s nothing.

What they don’t realize is that all their weight pressing on one end of the wood is maintained by an unconscious tenseness of the muscles.

After sitting for some time, perhaps half a day, a day, or even longer,

the victim would feel discomfort, pain in their rear, and move back and forth, causing the sharp end to begin to penetrate their anus.

They might quickly realize this and become terrified.

They’d tighten their buttocks to prevent the object from entering their anus.

But everyone has moments of loosening up, be it in sleep or when utterly exhausted from resisting.

Thus, little by little, often without their awareness, it would penetrate into their anus.

The pain at this point would be immense, with the agony of excretion and continuous tearing of the intestinal wall by the wood tormenting them relentlessly!

As the person’s body grew weaker, the penetration’s speed and depth rapidly increased.

This torment could last for three to five days before one would finally die, though some might linger longer, but everyone would eventually die, in endless agony!

The sun’s scorching rays would evaporate the body’s moisture, and what eventually showed before people were terrifying stakes.

The stakes bore shriveled, oil-seeping heads, and below, bodies reduced to dried husks from the sun’s heat.

They couldn’t be removed from the posts anymore, having fully merged as one.

In ancient or medieval times, along roadsides in domains of some tyrannical lords, such stakes were almost ubiquitous.

They served as a warning to all who entered the domain, to abide by the lord’s laws, and to inform the domain’s populace to obey the lord’s will!

History indeed recorded nobles being slain by uprisings from lower-class commoners, but more commonly, it was those human-shaped stakes lining the roads.

The twisted expressions on every desiccated head seemed to place one in Hell, imparting a clear message to all.

Nobles, not to be offended!

The Prime Minister looked at Lynch, his face devoid of expression, "You too are a noble, Baron Lynch."

He emphasized the word "Baron," reminding Lynch that he too was a noble and part of the privileged class.

Though Lynch appeared oblivious, he continued softly, "Prime Minister, do you know the greatest difference between Gafura and the Federation?"

He abruptly changed the topic, making it hard for others to keep pace with his rapidly shifting thoughts; the Prime Minister pondered for a moment, then gave up.

This was a highly complex and extensive issue, its answer related to many aspects of the social system, not something easily summarized in a few sentences.

Even those scholars and experts might need a lengthy period to unravel it, with some dedicating their entire lives to researching such topics.

So he abandoned his own thoughts, tossing the question back to Lynch with a rhetorical angle, "Do you have any insightful perspectives?"

"I look forward to it!"

Lynch, however, smiled openly, "Insightful or not, that’s uncertain, but I do have some of my own views."

"In my view, the greatest difference between the Federation and Gafura is that we ensure everything is very safe."

Empty words.

The Prime Minister’s face showed a hint of a smile, a perfunctory one, "Oh, really? That’s quite insightful."

He was too lazy to continue the conversation, but this time Lynch seemed too dense to catch the meaning behind his words, and went on, "In the Federation, politicians, capitalists, and the populace form the most stable social structure."

"Each part is responsible for its own affairs. Some say the Federation is the Celestial Kingdom of wealth, where as long as you have money, you can achieve anything."

"But they overlook one point, which is that money alone can’t really achieve everything."

"If capitalists want to influence politics, they need to win over the populace."

"Politicians, wanting to gain more power, also need to win over the populace."

"For the common people, this gives them more choices."

"When the capitalists’ power becomes too strong, they will lean towards the politicians."

"When the political power becomes too strong, they will lean towards the capitalists."

"It seems like a very fragile social mechanism, yet surprisingly stable!"

Lynch said with a certain implication, "We’ve never had a dictator, nor will anyone ever hold eternal power!"

"For anyone, any party in this triangular relationship, to gain more benefits and more real value, they must play an active role in society."

"This is why we have surpassed Gafura in such a short time; we have left you far behind in terms of mechanisms."

"And Gafura..."

Lynch took a drag of his cigarette, his sudden silence made the Prime Minister somewhat displeased, but he couldn’t urge him, so he just watched him.

Lynch leisurely flicked the ashes from his cigarette, it took about ten seconds before he continued, "The nobility is the core issue hindering Gafura’s development."

"The Imperial Family as well, but soon the Imperial Family will be dealt with, and without the checks and balances of the Imperial Family, the nobility’s power will swell."

"Then you’ll indeed solve the problem of the Imperial Family, but the nobility will become the new trouble, constantly embroiled in internal troubles, and you’ll find that this world has gradually lost its place for you!"

The Prime Minister’s expression gradually turned serious, the issue of the nobility vying for power has been no news since the founding of this country.

But over the years, the Secretariat has gradually become a retirement home, and people’s vigilance towards the nobility wasn’t so severe.

Until recently.

The nobility in the Secretariat wanting more power is no longer just talk; they are taking action.

What Lynch said made the Prime Minister first think of the nobles’ resistance to food prices.

If not allowed to raise food prices, they have limited food sales.

If allowed to raise food prices, they would then relax the limited food supply.

Looking at the Prime Minister lost in thought, Lynch added one last sentence.

"Money and power, you can only choose one!"

He said this as he finished his last drag of the cigarette, extinguishing it in the ashtray.

He glanced back at his deputy involved in the negotiations, who also received Lynch’s signal to end the first round of talks.

Lynch stood up and looked at the Prime Minister, extending his hand, "I’m just speaking casually, it may not be correct, and it might not suit this place..."

The Prime Minister came back to his senses, also stood up, and they shook hands.

Lynch could feel the Prime Minister’s hand was very soft and warm.

Many believe this is an essential quality for politicians, as the feeling of holding a warm hand is quite different from holding a cold one.

Some people even think there’s a secret or trick to keeping one’s hands soft and warm.

In fact, there’s no secret to this, as long as you do less work, your hands will be soft, and as long as you eat well, your palms will be warm!

"You always bring me a lot of trouble, Lynch, just like last time," the Prime Minister raised an eyebrow.

He already understood what Lynch meant, that overthrowing the Imperial Family does not signify the victory of the entire war, but rather because with the fall of the Imperial Family, the previously overlooked group—the nobility—begins to emerge.

If the Prime Minister intends to bring a stable political environment to Gafura and maintain a rapidly developing society, the best solution is to bring down the nobility as well!

This startled him a bit and also made him realize that this indeed is an issue he will eventually have to face.

You can’t say that what Lynch said is wrong, everything he said makes sense, it’s just that his starting point is somewhat problematic.

This leaves the Prime Minister conflicted, not knowing whether to hate him or like him more, it’s quite a contradiction.

Lynch could hear the meaning behind the Prime Minister’s words, and he gave this elder a slight compliment.

"That’s because you have more wisdom and courage than others, Prime Minister."

"If the person standing opposite me wasn’t you, I wouldn’t say these things, not everyone has the courage and ability to change the course of the world, that’s ultimately just a very few!"