Three Philosophical Questions for Travelers

Haiwen thought she was going to explain Snart's injury, but he didn't expect the nun to say: "My lord, the Earl of Bear Mountain is gone, and now Bear Mountain is empty."

It seems that Big Charles guessed right.Haven thought to himself.

Haiwen smiled and said, "It's empty, let's see who will be the right one?"

"I think you are very suitable." Laya said with a smile, "You killed murderers and quelled the rebellion, this is credit; you have political achievements, reputation, virtue and ability in Mustang Town, this is capital. You If it’s not right, no one will be able to.”

Haiwen said: "It's hard to say, what if the Sir above takes back the territory?"

Laya said: "Bear Mountain belongs to Fengleibao, and it is the territory of the Marquis of Mondalia. It just so happens that I have a little friendship with the Marquis of Mondalia. Why don't I go and talk to him?"

Haiwen immediately remembered what Charles said before: These guys are all ghosts, do you think they will lose money?

So Hai Wen asked, "What's the condition?"

Laya said: "Oh, my lord, I am willing to serve you for free. Because you are indeed a person of noble character, um..." She paused at this point, and Haven waited for her next words.

"...but if you'd do me a favor by the way, I'd be very grateful."

"What is it?"

"After you become the earl, you have to admit that I am the only legal chairman of the White Clothes Society as the Earl of Bear Castle." Laya saluted, with a smile on her face and a gentle voice, "What is the third chairman of the White Clothes Society now? Divine guards, the four judges...Actually, I don't think so many people are needed at all, I am enough. For the sake of my soldiers fighting bloody battles for you, please give me a helping hand, Hai Master Wen!"

Chapter 170: Future Destiny

Chapter 170: Future Destiny

Haven couldn't refuse her request, but he was skeptical that Raya would pull it off. "If I can become the Earl of Bear Mountain, then I will help you—but how sure are you?" he asked.

"I will try my best." Laya stood by the window, the wind blew into the house, and there was still a choking sour smell, "The Marquis knows that it will take a week, and it will take another week to send someone to investigate, not to mention Marquis Eston of Fengleibao Now he is limited by a series of difficulties such as civil war, taxes, debts, etc. In any case, he can't deal with Bear Mountain immediately. And as far as I know, no one in Wind Thunder Castle can afford this earl. My lord, Bear Mountain is poor but But it’s not small, and it’s an important place for military affairs, not everyone can be there. Earl, to obtain this kind of noble title requires military exploits or a prominent family, obviously no one in Fengleibao is suitable.”

"Has Eston no son?"

"He only has one son, and the rest are daughters. His son wants to inherit the title of Marquis of Fenglei Castle, so why did he come to Bear Mountain?"

"Oh, that's it." That's fine, Haiwen thought to himself, I'm afraid that a rich second generation will come and take the place for me.If the competitors are not nobles, then I have room to display.

Laya continued: "So you have about half a year to a year. During this period, you should consider yourself an earl, but don't publicly say that you are an earl. I hope you will manage this land well and let Bear Mountain The people in Mustang love you like the people in Mustang Town, and make this land inseparable from you. And the better you manage the land, the better I can speak in front of the Marquis. Governing the land should be your strong point, but you are in Mustang If you have survived a miracle, I believe in you."

This is to let me cook raw rice into cooked rice. When I firmly control this piece of land, the Marquis will not be able to block me if he wants to.Now that there is a civil war in the River Bend, Fengleibao may also be involved, and the Marquis will probably not forcibly turn against me if he has a lawsuit on his head.

If I can get Bear Mountain, then I will have room to flex my muscles.

"Laya, help me tell Master Tang Deen and General Brian that I will discuss important matters with them tomorrow morning."

Laya asked: "Are you planning to win them over?"

"Yes." Haiwen said, "The two of them are the most prestigious and powerful people in Xiongshan Mountain now. I need them to support me. With their support, I can manage Xiongshan Mountain in a legitimate way and carry out various reforms. "

"Okay, I'll talk to them in a moment."

"Oh, one more thing, how is Fassnut's injury?"

Speaking of this, Laya's face became serious, "He..." Laya lowered her head and said sadly, "He probably has no worries about his life, but he probably won't be able to save his right hand."

Although Hai Wen was mentally prepared, he still covered his face in distress.

That's Fassnut.He is only 16 years old, he is so good, he should have a bright future.How can he live in the future after losing an arm so early?Without his right hand, he couldn't use a sword.

He still remembered what the Laughing Ranger was like when he was first paralyzed.Haven was worried that Fassnut would be overwhelmed psychologically. After all, the Laughing Ranger was almost forty, but Fassnut was still a child.

Haven asked, "Can I go and see him later?"

Laya said: "He is taking medicine now and is sleeping. It doesn't matter if you take a look."

"it is good."

After talking with Laya, he went to Fasnat's ward alone.However, when he was halfway there, he suddenly had a whim and wanted to go back to the castle roof to take a look.

So he climbed up to the roof of the main building of the castle alone, stood on the empty platform and looked into the distance.

It was extremely cold at the heights, and the wind tore his thin clothes like an eager lover, but a little bit of cold could calm his mind and allow him to calmly think about the future.

Standing on the edge of the roof, he couldn't help but think of the scene when he came here for the first time, as if the old earl's advice was still echoing in his ears.

Bayland, the sky is about to change.

It's going to change.He could feel that if a storm was coming, he was already in it now.

Where do we go next?To be an earl or a fugitive?Neither of these are easy.

There is no free lunch in the world, everyone is asking for their own benefits, and no one will give me anything for nothing.He touched the rough stone walls of the castle and felt the vicissitudes of the thousand-year-old castle. If the Marquis titled me, he would definitely give me an extremely heavy responsibility.Xiongshan is an important border town and a military route guarding the Lujiao Pass. Once the Gulf region goes to war against the northerners in the future, my place will definitely be involved.

He sighed.He suffered a loss in Mustang Town once, and he knows what he needs now.

Just having money is not enough. Just having money is a gold mine waiting for others to dig. He also needs to have armor and a sword.

If troubled times were to come, then he had to be prepared.Xiongshan is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and it occupies a place like Lujiaoguan, which is an excellent base.If he can gain a foothold here, he can pull a team of his own.

But all these assumptions are based on the fact that he becomes the earl, but what if he can't?Haiwen is not sure about everything in the future, and the bizarre fate makes him unbelievable.When he came to Bear Mountain, he was like a mayor or something, earning a little money to support everyone first, and then doing what he wanted later.

Who would have thought he was involved in the Bear Mountain coup?Who would have thought that Ravidya killed his brother and father?Who would've thought he'd come this far?

The future frightened him.He felt the pressure on himself was heavier than the mountains in the distance.

However, life will continue, and for the faith in his heart, he will live as the king of wild horses.

He stayed long enough, so he turned and left the rooftop.He walked up the winding staircase, all the way down to find Fassnut's ward, and when he turned the corner, he happened to see the little hammer wandering in the corridor.Seeing him, Little Hammer immediately ran over and said, "My lord, I have something to tell you!"

"When?"

Little Hammer held a notebook in his hand. He opened it and flipped through it, and then showed it to Haiwen: "I found a sketch of the bed crossbow in Master Chris's notes. I think I can try to restore it and make it myself. .”

"Oh? That's great. Can you make the same thing?" Haven was very happy to hear this.

"It can't be exactly the same, because the old bed crossbow used the magical material of dragon bones and tendons, and the one I copied is definitely not as good as the original one."

"That's pretty good too." As Haiwen said, he thought to himself, what I lack is this kind of big killer.If I can get a hundred or so for this thing, who would dare to trouble me?

"Oh, there is one more thing." The little hammer said again, "I want to collect the body of the obsidian ogre and study it."

Haiwen laughed when he heard this, and asked, "Can you restore the fierce demon to me?"

Author's message:

ps: In yesterday's chapter, the Viscount and Marquis were written backwards, and it has been corrected now. I am very sorry for this.

The titles are arranged according to the five ranks of male princes and uncles, there is no problem.

Chapter 170: No one would do business at a loss

Chapter 170: No one would do business at a loss

"My lord, don't be joking!" Little Hammer said hastily, "Fiends are evil creatures, and such things should be completely destroyed, but I'm just..." He said hesitantly, "I'm just a little curious. "

"Curiosity is good. If people don't have curiosity, they can't invent new things. Little Hammer, I didn't intend to destroy the corpses of the monsters. I planned to put them in the ground of Bear Castle and freeze them. For people to study. Now I give you this right, but the premise is safety first, those things are poisonous, you know."

"Thank you sir!"

After sending away the little hammer, he finally had time to visit Fasnat.When he came to the door of the ward, he saw Isrit just coming out of it. "Ah, my lord." Estelle bowed to him, "I just brought him some hot soup and set up a brazier. Many rooms in this castle are colder than outside, I really don't know what happened. "

Haven asked, "Is he awake?"

"No, but I'm afraid he'll wake up hungry at night, or the room will be cold. Will you come and see him, my lord?"

Hai Wen said: "Yes, I will... just take a look."

"Then please." Isrit said and gently opened the door.Hai Wen didn't dare to enter the room, so he looked in through the crack of the door: the room was still warm, and the light from the brazier illuminated Fassnut's pale face.He fell asleep peacefully, his chest rising and falling slowly.Just by looking at it like this, he was the same as usual.But Haven knew how bad his injury was. His entire right arm seemed to have been corroded by strong acid, and it might... probably be completely necrotic.

His heart aches when he thinks of it—how am I going to tell Fassnut about this?

"My lord, it's fine." Isrit took his hand lightly from behind, "He is a strong child, and he will definitely be able...to survive."

"I hope so too." Haven said as he closed the door.

The next morning, Haiwen personally invited Master Tang Deen and General Xiong.He first met Tang Deen with Laya.They sat down in the castle dining room and made tea.Hai Wen took a sip of scented tea, and was still thinking about how to tell Tang De'en about the next thing, but he didn't expect the impatient old man to say directly: "Master Hai Wen, let's just talk about it, are you interested in Xiongshan? ?”

Haiwen didn't know how to respond for a while. He thought for a while and said, "Master, since you asked this question, I won't hide it from you. After the death of Chris's family, Bear Mountain became a land of no man. The army There were heavy casualties, and more than half of Xiongshan Town was destroyed, and there is an urgent need for someone to manage it. I once managed the Wild Horse Land, and I have made some achievements in a year, so I recommend myself to be the temporary lord of Xiongshan. May I ask what Master Tang Deen means?"

The master stroked his beard and fell into deep thought. After a long time, he said: "Ambside, the Gulf has the laws of the Gulf. I heard that you used to be a judge. You must know about the inheritance of this territory, right? ?”

Haven nodded, "Of course I know."

"You tell me."

"The land fief should be inherited by the eldest son, and if the eldest son is absent, it will be extended later; if there is no male, it will be inherited by the first married daughter. If this is the case now..." Hai Wen was silent for a while when he said this, At this time, Laya immediately continued: "The Marquis above should confer new vassals to manage Bear Mountain. Now that Bear Mountain is in rebellion, we have guarded the land in the Gulf for the Marquis. The Marquis should choose the person who has made the most contribution here to be the new Bear Mountain. Lord."

Tang De'en smiled and said, "Miss Laya, isn't that what the law says? If I'm not confused, what the law says is: When there is no suitable heir, the upper-level nobles should take back the land."

Laya said: "After the land is taken back, it still has to be sealed off. Fenglei Castle is dozens of days away from here. Even if the Marquis wants to control it, he has no power."

Tang De'en snorted and said, "The marquis has the final say on who to confer. If you occupy Xiongshan privately, you will really rebel!"

Haiwen said: "I never thought of occupying the mountain as king, I just managed the town of Xiongshan temporarily. Master Tang Deen, rules are important, but people are more important than rules. If no one manages Xiongshan now, it will starve to death and freeze in one winter." How many people died? When spring comes next year, the sowing in the surrounding countryside will also be affected. Will the Marquis be happy when the tax does not come up? So, the rule is that the dead are alive. Master Tang Deen, I think You are definitely not a pedantic person, you should care about all people."

Tang De'en smiled and said, "Then you can take care of it! What does it have to do with me?"

"I'm going to give a speech in the castle this afternoon, and I need you to attend and hold the battle for me."

Tang De'en said: "Ambside! In previous years, at the Mani Autumn Harvest Conference, I never came forward to stand for him. Do you know what it means for me to come forward?"

Haiwen said: "It means that Xiongshan people will listen to my orders and regard me as king."

"It seems that you are very clear." Tang De'en said solemnly, "Do you think you deserve it? Ambside, don't forget, you are just a mud leg."

Haiwen looked into the old man's eyes and asked, "Why can't I be king with mud legs?"

"If mud legs can be king, wouldn't the country be in chaos?"

Haiwen said: "But I am a mud-legged person who kills rebels and eliminates evil spirits. I stick to justice and honor, and am not afraid of death. I can bring wealth, order and safety to Xiongshan. I ask you, Tang Deen, why can't I Do you want to be the king of Xiongshan Mountain? Besides, if you are an 88-year-old man who can marry a 20-year-old wife, why can't I be the king?"

Tang De'en widened his eyes and said "Hey", pointed at Haiwen with his finger, and said with a smile: "You are so ambitious! Since ancient times, this promotion has never been done like this. At best, we are ordinary people. Rebellion, but at worst, wouldn’t that be rebellion?”

"Then, would you like to see me rebel, or would you like to see me become king? Master Tang De'en, we are in the same boat now. For you and me, for the people of Xiongshan, I beg you!" Hai Wen lowered his posture, Give this old man enough face.

Master Tang De'en stroked his beard, nodded, and said, "It's not impossible if you say so. But I have a request."

"You say."

"After you come up, you have to promise me one thing. If you promise, I will guarantee you with the reputation I have accumulated all my life, and let you be the king of this Bear Mountain."

These guys are all ghosts, who would lose money--the words of Big Charles echoed in his ears again. "You said, what is it?"

Tang De'en sat up straight, his eyes became as sharp as a sword. "My lord, I want you to restore the ancient road, open an altar to worship the ancestors, and appoint me to be the sea god to offer wine!"

Chapter 170 Two: Tang Deen's Request

Chapter 170 Two: Tang Deen's Request

what?

Haiwen was stunned all of a sudden, he never thought that Tang De'en would have such an inexplicable request.

Open an altar to worship ancestors?To be the god of the sea offering wine?Does this make any sense?

He thought about it, but he knew too little about religion and the traditions of the Gulf.He made eye contact with Raya, only to find that Raya was also brooding.In desperation, he could only ask Tang Deen himself, and said, "Master Tang Deen, can you talk about this in detail?"

Tang Deen said: "Master Haiwen, Miss Laya, you are young after all, and it's normal not to know this kind of thing. Old man, I am dozens of years older than you, so I will talk about the ancestor worship in the Gulf." He clearly Clearing his throat, he said solemnly:

"200 years ago, when the northerners invaded the Gulf, our King Chauvin III and the leader of our state religion, Kurasis, established the 'Military-Religious Alliance' to resist the northerners' attack. The two heroes fought hard for ten years. The northerners have been expelled from the country, but they were stabbed in the back by the southerners, so they lost to the northerners. Later, the northerners unified the southeast, northwest, and became the four duchies, and then began to weaken the power of our Gulf region." The old man let out a long sigh, and drank the tea like drinking wine, "The King Chauvin in the Gulf is gone, and the northerners made the Marquis of Kahn a duke, which is now the Grand Duke of the Trident and the Duke of Kahn. The Kahn family Swearing allegiance to the Northerners, King Chauvin had three jihad war robes, one was buried with King Chauvin, one was lost, and the last one was sent to the Museum of the Northerners. Now if you go to the Great Museum of the Northerners to look at it, you will still see it. I can see our national treasure! Shame, shame!" Tang Deen slapped the table fiercely, "That is a sacred object that the king wears when paying homage, but now it is placed in a glass case for a group of clay-legged toys to see!"

It's really embarrassing.Haiwen recalled the burning of the Old Summer Palace back then, and he resonated very much at this moment.

At this time, Laya asked: "But what does it have to do with worshiping ancestors?"

Tang Deen continued: "At that time, there were two major powers in the Gulf, one was the aristocratic power, and the other was the Sea God Sect. There were two totems worshiped by the Sea God Sect. One was the giant whale, Schudd, so I won't say much about it; It is ancestor worship. The Poseidon religion will open an altar to worship the ancestors every year during the autumn harvest, like the ancestor spirits in the Bay Area report what they have done in the past year. It is precisely because there is a day for worshiping ancestors that believers have to report their political achievements, so people in the Gulf are extremely diligent—no one wants to be ashamed in front of their ancestors, right?"

Haiwen said at this time: "But I have never heard of ancestor worship."

Tang Deen said: "This is the trick of the northerners. Since they ruled the Gulf, they have banned all ancestor worship ceremonies. In this way, the belief of the people of the Gulf is shattered, and people no longer report themselves to their ancestors. People in the Gulf are now proud of doing business? A group of unworthy descendants! Don’t you know that businessmen are lowly stuff? Men would rather pick shit than do business! Business people don’t engage in production , relying on cleverness to make money, if everyone is in business, how can anyone produce food? They will all starve to death in the end!"

Master Tang Deen is a standard ancient thought, which is a set of things that emphasize agriculture and suppress business.Looking at this stubborn old man, Hai Wen couldn't help but think of those scholar-bureaucrats in ancient China.

"So I'm going to open an altar to worship the ancestors! I want to restore the belief of the people in the Gulf, let people respect their ancestors, and become hardworking! My lord, do you agree?"

This is a good thing.Haiwen thought to himself, relying on worshiping ancestors to urge oneself is indeed a beneficial idea.Moreover, this idea of ​​ancestor worship does not conflict with the idea I want to spread, and even complements it to a certain extent; and if the people in the Gulf can restore their spiritual beliefs, it will also help resist the religious invasion of the northerners——Rawai The fewer madmen like Dia, the better.