Way of Overlord
Chapter 308: Different than the Other Lords

Chapter 308: Different than the Other Lords

On the other side, the blacksmith sharp tang of metals echoes and beckon those who wanted to buy weapons and armours

In the city, there is still the tents of the people of the Steppe and at the same time, there is also the structured urban planning.

There is some residence that is inspired by Yan architecture but also by the Eresian and Ashran

Mayeux wanted to clear his mind a bit so he walked toward the city. Mayeux also has his residence built near the large manor of the Kan.

But it is still under construction so for now Mayeux is living in a tent near an elevated mound fill.

Not only it is far from the bustle of the bazar it is also quite protected

Nowadays, the city now has a main bazaar.

It is at the heart of the city, a sprawling marketplace. Now, when it is hot, the marketplace is covered with colourful awnings to shield the traders and their goods from the sun.

Mayeux walked from his camp and went to the main bazaar. Most people does not recognize him

The people that do not recognize him are mostly traders that come from another tribe or another distant lands or tribe that have just surrendered or subjugated by the army.

Most people that knows him bows slightly and put their hands to their left chest when they saw him

Mayeux rarely uses his privilege to oppress the people.

It is not that he is a benevolent person , or a gentleman like in the book of scholars in Yan empire but simply because he found not pleasure in torturing people or oppressing people for no reason.

He does not have the desire to establish a world of benevolence and righteousness’s but he does want people to live better

And when he met Aeryon it is like a fish swimming in water, like a tiger that just got its wing. As much as Aeryon admire Mayeux, Mayeux himself also admire Aeryon

The monarch and the minister both have the same heart, it is no wonder that they were never defeated.

Mayeux learns many things from Aeryon. And learning from Aeryon, he also began to understand his lord

And understanding his lord means also knowing his ambition. And knowing the ambition of his lord did not make him feel afraid or daunted, but instead it made him fierce with determination to see the world that his lord had envisioned

He wanted to do something with his life, to carve his name in history for a thousand years to come. If the Kan ambition succeed, then one day, the future generation would also remember his name

He understand his lord because he understood his lord idea.

That is why Jayeux was doomed to not be able to satisfy his lord. And that is why Mayeux tries to delay the meeting between them

That is why even before Jayeux proposed his idea, Mayeux knows that Aeryon would never be able to accept the suggestion of his disciple.

Because for Aeryon, while he believe harsh punishment and strict discipline needed to be maintained, he stressed that this method is useful for kingdom building, for conquering the world but not for governing the world

He said, that he could conquer the world on horseback but he would not be able to pacify the world relying on the same method he uses to conquer the world

Kan Aeryon once debated something with Mayeux.

The title of the debate is what is a strong empire?

And what is a prosperous empire.

And Aeryon said, do not use the words of the ancients for those that speak it, dreams and longs for it but do not live in it.

And those who live in it does not recognize that they are living in it.

So, Mayeux answer, a strong empire has powerful military, the land is vast and boundless. A prosperous empire is a rich empire.

The answer is simple and cut through the point but Aeryon went a step further.

He said, a powerful empire has great powerful military, the territory is large and could supply its people. But that is not the only thing that would make an empire strong

The empire must also be able to exert influence over the vast regions and population.

If not the emperor influence would only be around the imperial city and imperial power do not stretch the countryside, making these countryside lord like a separate king and those territories like a separate kingdom.

A strong empire has to have a well-organized and disciplined army, capable of both defending its own borders and expanding its territories through conquest.

Control.

This is the essence of what Aeryon considered a strong empire. The order from the top could be quickly relayed and executed.

If this could be done, a strong empire would be established.

Then what is a prosperous empire?

It is not that only the noble is rich. The people also have to be rich.

And Mayeux ask why

And the answer that Aeryon gave him is shocking to him.

Because only when they are rich, the people at the top also become rich and this virtuous cycle would continue.

Aeryon then explain a few economic ideas that Mayeux really find fascinating. How to make the economy grow and how to make the economy moves.

His idea of how economy works was shattered when he discuss the matter with Aeryon. Because the idea of economy that Aeryon put out is very different from the idea of economy that Mayeux has

The economic thought of many empires surrounding them is hostile to enrichment and regarded wealth as inner wealth rather than external or monetary riches

Aeryon propped that this is consistent with an economy that is essentially closed and static based on agriculture and slave work

Aeryon said that he wanted to open up the Great Steppe.

The Great Steppe to him is where he would create his army.

An army of Steppe hardened warriors then would conquer all over the world.

And at certain point, instead of conquering, the next phase would be stabilizing and integrating these territories so that they would feel a sense of belonging to this new empire

And one couldn’t do it the way the Yan does it. One must not force them.

But what could be used to make them feel the need to not only want to be in the empire but also love it and feel a sense of belonging towards it?

Do what others do not.

The other empire suppressed merchants?

We encourage them but limit some of their methods so that they could make profit but not oppress the people.

Even though they imposed some restriction, wouldn’t it be better than to not have business at all?

Private property rights must be protected.

The other enslaved you?

We will liberate you.

These are just some of the methods that Aeryon said and he himself admitted there is many more thing to be done. But that could only be discussed after he managed to conquer the world.

That is why Aeryon believe that as long as he could take the Southern Great Steppe, he could quickly unify the Steppe.

If Mayeux plans works, he could even unify the Steppe in his lifetime and then rode toward the west, conquer Western Zhou and then look either toward Roma or Yan.

When Aeryon spoke to him about economic thoughts, Aeryon gives him a book from an empire in the desert.

The words in those books opens up Mayeux mind regarding economic and how it could help the rise of a new empire and be the reason for its fall

[When civilization [population] increases, the available labour again increases. In turn, luxury again increases in correspondence with the increasing profit, and the customs and needs of luxury increase. Crafts are created to obtain luxury products. The value realized from them increases, and, as a result, profits are again multiplied in the town. Production there is thriving even more than before. And so, it goes with the second and third increase. All the additional labour serves luxury and wealth, in contrast to the original labour that served the necessity of life]

This is one of the thoughts in the book that hits him the hardest.

There is talk about production about how certain empire choose its interest class based on the production it produced and to Aeryon the most useless class in this production games is the nobles for they do not produce anything

But Aeryon solution is not to eradicate these nobles but mix them in the game so that everyone could profit.

The nobles could be rich and the common people also could be rich, laws to bind them together and a system so that the powerful bows under imperial power and do not oppress the people, the people could live peacefully so they would live prosperously and when they are prosperous, the country and the ruler is prosperous.

Aeryon however did not want to debate about political and economic policy.

Instead, Aeryon said that a prosperous empire has huge economic wealth and the citizen lives in peace and have high standards of living.

Prosperity in an empire is reflected in its infrastructure, cultural achievements, and the overall well-being of its people. It’s marked by trade, innovation, and the efficient use of resources to create abundance and support a thriving society.

Aeryon then said, that both strength and prosperity are important for an empire’s longevity, but they are not always present together.

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