Chapter 535
Xia'er played a piece yesterday, and Aiwei'na seemed to really enjoy it. Today, she brought her violin, hoping to play a duet with him.
"Of course," Xia'er smiled and nodded at Aiwei'na.
He sat down at the piano, and after exchanging a knowing glance with her, they both nodded slightly. Without any further instructions, one pressed the keys while the other drew the bow across the strings, creating a harmonious blend of sound that resonated with their unspoken connection.
The lively piano notes intertwined with the elegant strains of the violin, even causing Tara, who stood at the door, to gently close her eyes and savor the beautiful music.
Only Keluola stared wide-eyed, unable to believe what she was witnessing before her.
Wait a minute?
What’s going on?
Yesterday, Xia'er’s playing was still mechanical... To play the piano beautifully requires not only long practice but also a high level of insight and sensitivity.
But after just one night, how had Xia'er’s piano playing transformed so completely?
Though his technique was still somewhat raw, there was now a unique understanding of the nuances in his touch, giving him a hint of a master’s grace...
"Style" is not something an ordinary piano enthusiast can easily acquire.
A few days of practice, and then an epiphany overnight?
Or was it the duet that brought out a better side of Xia'er?
Once the duet concluded, Keluola couldn’t help but probe Xia'er with various pieces, growing increasingly flustered as she taught him. By the end, her composure was on the verge of breaking.
The brilliance of a genius can truly make those overshadowed by it feel despair.
After an hour of masterclass, Aiwei'na and Xia'er left together in the same carriage, leaving Keluola alone in the music room, pondering the meaning of learning the piano.
In the carriage, Aiwei'na glanced at Xia'er beside her and asked, "Is something on your mind?"
Xia'er’s thoughts were transparent to Aiwei'na, so she didn’t press further and simply took a seat in his carriage.
"Yes," Xia'er nodded and replied, "It’s about the Corn Laws."
"I want Charles and William to temporarily abandon the idea of abolishing the Corn Laws."
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PS1:
Aiwei'na's character design is complete! I’ll post the original image on Bilibili later~
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PS2:
177.75 (overdue) - 2 (extra) = 17575 (overdue)
I feel like my routine is coming back!
Tomorrow! Back to 8K!
Let’s go, future me!
Good night!
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Chapter 278: Awakening (4168 words)
"Abandon the abolition of the Corn Laws?"
Aiwei'na frowned slightly.
It wasn’t that she opposed Xia'er’s words; rather, she was contemplating the potential obstacles that would arise if his suggestion were to be implemented.
The biggest obstacle, without a doubt, would be Charles’s interest group.
This was Charles and William’s plan, and the new government had built its cabinet on the slogan of abolishing the Corn Laws.
If Xia'er wanted the Corn Laws to remain, it would essentially deny the legitimacy of the new Prime Minister and the new cabinet.
"Do you have any suggestions?" Xia'er asked, looking at Aiwei'na.
"Um..."
Aiwei'na paused for a moment, then met Xia'er’s gaze and said, "If you don’t mind, you could talk directly to Charles."
"If your reasoning is sound, he shouldn’t ignore your thoughts."
Aiwei'na could clearly see that when Charles faced Xia'er, he no longer held the demeanor of a typical "superior." Instead, he regarded Xia'er more as an equal, even with a hint of respect.
Something must have happened during her unconsciousness in the battle at the Dedun Club that made Charles treat Xia'er with such caution.
"Yes," Xia'er nodded, "I think it’s best to clarify things."
Charles was somewhat of an ally now; if they could discuss things openly, it would be ideal to avoid any misunderstandings or conflicts that might arise from acting alone.
Xia'er had no interest in any family drama or emotional conflicts.
"Today, he seems to be waiting for a few nobles to discuss matters at home," Aiwei'na said to Xia'er. "I can accompany you to see him."
"Alright," Xia'er nodded. "Let’s go."
...
At the Russell Duke’s residence, in Charles’s private study.
Xia'er and Aiwei'na sat on the sofa by the fireplace.
Charles sat in a single armchair across from them, took a sip of the red tea in front of him, and looked at Xia'er, asking, "Have you two... eaten yet?"
"Not yet," Xia'er shook his head.
"Oh..." Charles nodded, setting down his cup. After a moment, he turned to Aiwei'na. "What about you?"
"Not yet."
"Oh..."
For some reason, the usually astute Charles found it difficult to maintain his usual sharpness in front of his daughter and Xia'er.
"Your Grace," Xia'er looked at Charles and said directly, "I came to visit regarding the Corn Laws."
"The Corn Laws?" Upon discussing serious matters, Charles straightened up, leaning back in his chair, his demeanor quickly shifting to one of seriousness. He looked at Xia'er and asked, "What are your thoughts on abolishing the Corn Laws?"
Talking about serious matters seemed to make Charles more at ease.
"Do you know the reason why Qiangyin allowed the famine in North Ansu to happen?" Xia'er asked directly.
"He had private dealings with the Pleasure Society and even helped them attack a professor from the Redemption Society, which cost him the Royal Medical Society," Charles nodded slightly and replied. "I was responsible for investigating this matter."
"I suspect his goal was to use the Pleasure Society to eliminate the independent forces and nobility in North Ansu, facilitating its integration."
Due to Qiangyin’s actions, Charles had to suppress the investigation results, but now that Qiangyin was dead, these matters could be openly discussed.
"He had no dealings with the Pleasure Society," Xia'er shook his head.
Charles remained silent, simply watching Xia'er, waiting for her to provide a reasonable explanation to support her conclusion.
"The Pleasure Society had always known that Qiangyin wouldn’t intervene in North Ansu; they were merely using each other without any substantial transactions," Xia'er stated directly. "I verified this with a Level 4 member of the Pleasure Society."
"Oh?"
Charles processed the information Xia'er provided, and with the premise that "this information is true," he began to think.
Why was Xia'er mentioning North Ansu when she came to discuss the Corn Laws?
The abolition of the Corn Laws would not only impact Ansu internally but would also significantly affect North Ansu. According to Charles and William’s analysis, abolishing the Corn Laws would alleviate the famine to some extent, saving some lives.
"Does the abolition of the Corn Laws affect the promotion of members from the Pleasure Society in North Ansu?" Charles frowned and asked. "Too many people have already died."
Although the exact numbers hadn’t been fully tallied, at least over five hundred thousand people had perished in North Ansu... William had served as a temporary governor there for a while, and his reports had convinced Charles that this disaster must be stopped.
"Indeed, too many people have died," Xia'er shook her head and said. "But it’s still not enough. If the Corn Laws are abolished, the impact of the 'Rotting Plague' on hunger will be less than that of the abolition itself, which is absolutely unacceptable to them."
"So, if you want to abolish the Corn Laws, there will soon be a reaction from them, sending people to stop it... and the way they will do that is by creating chaos here."
Listening to Xia'er’s words, Charles, who had been deep in thought, felt a slight twitch in his eyelid.
"What do you mean?"
He looked up at Xia'er, his voice low and serious.
"Are you saying that the deaths caused by abolishing the Corn Laws will exceed those from the 'Rotting Plague'? That it won’t alleviate the famine?"
Such opposing views had appeared in newspapers before, but both Charles and William firmly believed that abolishing the Corn Laws was the best choice.
Importing cheap grain could alleviate the famine, and the market would naturally adjust supply and demand... Of course, that was the moral reasoning.
The deeper reason was to quell the risk of worker riots within Ansu... There had already been numerous worker uprisings during this period. When Xia'er and the others were still in Bole City, there was even news of a factory owner being hanged, which sparked considerable discussion in Ansu City.
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