CHAPTER 514: CHAPTER 367 CHANGES IN THE BATTLE SITUATION_1

Yan Xing turned to look at Karol. In the sunlight, her blue eyes shone with a clear, pure light, and her sincerity was pure, unmarred by distracting thoughts.

"It seems all my efforts have been worthwhile. If you’re truly determined, the Kingdom of Silvermane needs a thorough and comprehensive reform."

Karol sat in the chair beside Yan Xing and asked, "Does it need to be so radical? We’re in the midst of a war."

Yan Xing drew several documents from the table and handed them to Karol. "With resolve, reform can happen at any time," he said. "If we hesitate, there will never be a right moment. My people have done some statistical analysis. Under the kingdom’s existing logistical system, at least a third of the supplies will end up in individuals’ pockets, if not more. In fact, we already identified this problem when supporting the nobles’ domain infrastructure projects. That’s why the Eternal Grain Bank seized control of loan fund payments, rather than disbursing them directly to the nobles, correct? Now, some of these individuals have joined war contracting companies. You can compare their proposals to our plans. They truly show no restraint. If you want political stability, I will proceed with their proposed plans. After all, it’s the kingdom’s money. If you want to revitalize the Kingdom of Silvermane, you must have the courage to tear down the old edifice and rebuild."

"This could spark a civil war! It could also cause immeasurable losses to your investments... In the worst-case scenario, we could lose this nation."

Yan Xing smiled. "I am willing to bear such losses. Even if it means destroying all my current investment projects in the Kingdom of Silvermane, I believe it’s worthwhile as long as we can cleanse the kingdom of its filth. As for losing the nation, that’s impossible. Reforms create opportunities for some, so there will always be those who support us. Thunderous Swamp will support us. And I believe now is an excellent opportunity. We can take them by surprise while they believe you’ve compromised."

Karol tilted her head, admiring Yan Xing with a slight smile. "Since this is your wish, I will certainly carry it out. Where do you think we should strike first?"

"Agricultural reform!"

Land is the foundation of everything, intrinsically linked to the commoners and peasants. Controlling the land means controlling the most fundamental public sentiment at the grassroots level. The nobles dare to exploit the kingdom’s resources so brazenly precisely because they control the land. The most tangible value this land represents is food.

But Karol couldn’t understand why Yan Xing would target agriculture first.

"I thought you would start by tackling corruption."

Yan Xing explained, "Tackling corruption would have widespread repercussions and immediately reveal our intentions to our opponents. Besides, reform doesn’t mean immediately executing a group of people. Currently, the kingdom’s method of purchasing grain involves noble lords first buying it from the peasants, and then the state purchasing it from these lords. The nobles hold the pricing power and can also negotiate prices with the state. Nobles obtain cheap grain from peasants through rent collection and by offering low prices. Then, they bribe kingdom officials to sell it to the state at inflated prices. Regarding grain, both the peasants and the kingdom are dependent on the nobles. If the kingdom could directly set a fair price to buy grain from the peasants, it would not only eliminate the nobles’ profits as middlemen but also sever the peasants’ dependence on them."

The astute Karol quickly grasped Yan Xing’s meaning. If the peasants could be somewhat detached from the nobles, then when the kingdom moved against those nobles, they would struggle to gain widespread support from the peasants in their domains. This would make it easier to root them out during a civil war.

"But the nobles will never agree," Karol said, shaking her head.

"Of course, the nobles won’t agree. But we will make them."

Karol asked, "What should we do?"

Yan Xing laid out his plan. "You know that Eternal Domain has grain—a vast amount of it. If I waive transportation costs and ship large quantities of grain to the Silvermane Principality, we can saturate the Kingdom of Silvermane’s market. The kingdom wouldn’t need to buy grain from the nobles. Then, after next year’s harvest, the nobles wouldn’t dare purchase grain from the peasants. At that point, the kingdom could directly buy grain from the peasants, offering a slightly higher price than the nobles did, under the guise of agricultural subsidies."

Karol said, "The greedy nobles will surely confiscate most of that money."

"That’s not our concern. What’s important is that our money reaches the peasants directly, not through the nobles. If the peasants receive significantly more money than usual, even just once, our objective will be achieved."

Karol finally understood Yan Xing’s intentions.

Make the peasants grateful to the kingdom, not to the nobles.

That alone would solve a major problem.

"It seems that during this period, I should make arrangements to gain control over more of the army."

"Yes, gain control over more of the army and promote as many officers without noble backgrounds as possible. After we fend off the Gryphon Heart Empire’s invasion, there will be a lull in the fighting during the summer harvest. We’ll use that window of opportunity to rapidly wage a civil war and completely rid the kingdom of its chronic ailments."

The plan Yan Xing had formulated was highly feasible, with potentially unprecedented benefits. If the decadent old nobility could be completely eradicated, Karol would acquire a level of power she currently couldn’t even imagine.