Chapter 536
Abolishing the Corn Laws would entail a brief period of pain, but ultimately it would lead to a win-win situation—this was the conclusion reached by Charles and William.
However, it was not a journalist or a scholar who raised this question, but rather Xia Er, prompting Charles to reconsider his stance.
"Your assumptions are all based on the idea that 'farmers will continue to grow food,'" Xia Er said, drawing from her studies of historical legislation during her time in law school. She had insights into the seemingly paradoxical Corn Laws, "You haven't taken into account that most of North Ansu is made up of tenant farmers."
"The landlords won't care about the farmers' lives. Even if imported grain becomes cheaper, if the rent doesn't decrease, the farmers still won't be able to afford food."
"Locally grown crops will be undercut by the cheap grain dumped from the colonies, and landlords will choose to grow cash crops like flax instead."
"And North Ansu's industry can't support so many displaced people."
Xia Er paused for a moment before continuing, "The Joy Society holds this very belief."
"They think you're 'stealing' their 'heads.'"
Charles slowly raised his hand, pressing his thumb and forefinger against his brow, rubbing it gently. Then he stood up and took a deep breath.
Politics is the art of mediating conflicts and interests, transforming a society on the brink of tearing apart into a dynamic balance through negotiation and compromise.
If what Xia Er said is true... then the Corn Laws must be abolished.
Compared to the continued deaths of marginalized people in North Ansu, it is the foundation of Ansu and its local workforce that need reassurance.
The riots in North Ansu may only tear that region apart, but a revolt by local workers could fracture all of Ansu.
If turmoil, civil strife, and national decline lead to a colonial backlash, resulting in a larger war... Charles could still distinguish between the deaths from famine and those from war.
The continued existence of the Corn Laws might yield a fragmented Ansu and a landscape of scorched earth; whereas abolishing them could lead to a unified, even more industrialized and powerful Ansu, alongside a North Ansu littered with bones.
A competent strategist should know how to make sacrifices.
"Is it feasible to drive those Joy Society members out of North Ansu?" Charles asked, looking down at Xia Er.
"That's a group preparing to ascend to the fourth tier of transcendence, wielding 'uniqueness,'" Xia Er shook her head. "It's hard to say whether she's easier to deal with than Qiang Yin."
"What are your thoughts?" Charles inquired, gazing at Xia Er. "If it were you, what would you do?"
Upon hearing Charles's question, Xia Er paused for a moment.
She had actually considered several plans; now she just needed to present the most reasonable one.
She could tell that Charles did not want to abandon the idea of abolishing the Corn Laws.
The abolition would impact the farmers, while Ansu's base is currently its workers. One of these groups would have to be sacrificed, and it would have to be the one of lesser importance.
Her words could indirectly lead to the life or death of hundreds, even millions. This was reality, real living people, not a simulation.
Xia Er felt a heaviness in her chest, as if an invisible pressure was suffocating her. She licked her dry lips, and just then, Aivina seemed to sense her distress, gently reaching out to hold Xia Er's hand.
"I can buy us one to two weeks."
Charles spoke slowly, "In this time, let's look for new solutions."
"Thank you for your reminder, Xia Er. The Joy Society wreaking havoc in North Ansu is our issue, and we shouldn't place the burden of choice on you."
Charles noticed the pressure Xia Er was under. To be honest, he felt considerable pressure himself, especially knowing that abolishing the Corn Laws wouldn’t alleviate anything; it would merely shift the burden to another group...
Absolute stability does not exist. Most of the time, one can only settle for a relative stability.
Now that Qiang Yin was dead, the responsibility of maintaining order fell on the Russell family. To wield power, one must also bear the weight of the responsibilities that come with it.
This was Charles's duty; he did not want his daughter and Xia Er to be too deeply entangled in it.
After bidding farewell to Charles, Aivina accompanied Xia Er back to her home.
In Xia Er's room, Aivina watched as Xia Er sat silently, her head bowed. Slowly, she raised her hand and gently rubbed Xia Er's head.
"Politics is truly cruel..." Aivina began softly, trying to comfort her. "It's okay..."
But before Aivina could finish her sentence, Xia Er's gaze silenced her, cutting off the rest of the comforting words.
At that moment, Xia Er's eyes held no worry or oppression; instead, they were calm, as if she were deep in thought.
Aivina had seen this kind of detached contemplation many times before...
It seemed Xia Er didn’t need her concern... rather, it was Aivina who hadn’t yet escaped the atmosphere of earlier.
The comforting words she had wanted to say to Xia Er were, in fact, what she needed to hear herself.
Though it was just a private conversation among three people, those brief minutes could lead to the deaths of hundreds of thousands who might otherwise have lived. The impact was overwhelming for Aivina.
Previously, she had merely played a game of wealth accumulation, chasing power according to her understanding. But now that she truly grasped what power represented, she felt... perhaps simply making money was more suited to her.
Standing beside Xia Er, Aivina chose not to sit down, wanting Xia Er to feel her presence, to know she was not alone.
Suddenly, Aivina sensed something was off.
Xia Er, beside her, seemed increasingly tranquil, free from the initial pressures of the Russell estate and the earlier doubts. Now, her inner self was as calm as a still lake.
Yet Aivina could hear the terrifying undercurrents churning beneath that calm surface.
At that moment, Xia Er slowly turned to look at the full-length mirror, gazing at her own reflection.
All along, Xia Er had been pushed forward by various events like waves, while her heart had adhered to the "delusion" of wanting a peaceful life.
Even after killing Qiang Yin, she had been thinking about how to continue hiding, hoping trouble wouldn’t come knocking again.
But the emergence of Imogen in the simulation, along with the system's warning, had begun to shake Xia Er's resolve.
It was only just now, realizing that her words could determine the life or death of millions, that Xia Er finally wavered.
She wasn’t shaken because she felt powerless.
Rather, she discovered... she had so many ways to resolve this issue.
Now, the connections and power she wielded... far exceeded what an ordinary person could imagine.
In Ansu...
She was like a deity.
Xia Er turned back to Aivina, a smile breaking across her face.
With a hint of apology, she said, "I'm sorry, Aivina... life may not be so peaceful from now on."
Seeing that smile, Aivina's worries gradually faded.
She understood.
It seemed someone was about to face some serious misfortune...
She grasped Xia Er's hand, nodding slightly, her expression neutral as she retorted, "Do you think I would be afraid?"
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PS:
How did this turn into a manga adaptation?!
I just said we were discussing the possibility of changes!!
So many people have already asked me!!! Please stop spreading rumors!!!
Good night~
【Overdue Leave Request 4/3】Feeling dizzy, will make up 10,000 words tomorrow.
I woke up after one in the morning and have felt out of it since. The stuff I write in this state isn’t satisfactory, so I’ll make up for it tomorrow. Sorry.
Moving this month has indeed caused me to miss a lot of word count; I was in great shape at the beginning of the month.
I promise to make up for over 10,000 words tomorrow; I apologize for today.
Good night!
(Found the cause: I got up in the middle of the night to eat leftover clams and threw up, and I’ve been feeling weak ever since...)
Chapter 279: The Foolish Girl Adele (10,283 words)
Aivina's unconditional support eased Xia Er's heart a little.
At this moment, Xia Er was probably the person in all of Ansu who understood the members of the Joy Society in North Ansu the best.
Meanwhile, Imogen and the others were completely unaware of Xia Er—this was Xia Er's advantage in information disparity.
How to leverage this information gap to expand her advantage was what Xia Er excelled at.
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