I Became A Black Merchant In Another World-Chapter 360: Enlightenment (7)

If you oppress the common people too harshly, rebellions and uprisings will inevitably occur, leading to horrific events.

So, statements like these pose no problem.

If the people fear for the emperor’s life, that would lead directly to the guillotine.

“I ask you in return, Your Majesty. What role do you play for the people of the Toscana Empire? Are you an oppressor who exploits them, or are you a ruler like a father, protecting them and guaranteeing their prosperity?”

“You are a benevolent ruler who cares for the people.”

“Yes, I believe both Your Majesty and the Crown Prince will be benevolent rulers. As someone who once acted as the prince's mentor, I ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) can confidently say this. Your Majesty, there's nothing more to say about you.”

The emperor sent military chaplains to eliminate the military abuses, reduced taxes, and imposed labor restrictions, significantly improving the lives of the common people.

With a little exaggeration, if the emperor were considered a god, his religious influence would be unchallenged among the serfs, laborers, and soldiers.

In fact, they might even welcome it.

If the visible leader is considered a god, it brings a sense of reassurance, especially since the actions of this 'god' have directly transformed my life.

Imagine if a CEO boosted company sales by 200% and raised the salaries of all employees by 300%.

Even in the 21st century, if the CEO were to start a religion, many people would sincerely consider whether they should join.

However, Princess Teresa did not back down here.

“Your Majesty might not have noticed, but there’s a critical flaw in this.”

“What is it? I’m not sure I understand.”

“You must know the impact of newspapers in solidifying Your Majesty’s power.”

“I really don’t know. How could I know everything?”

Even if you know something, pretending you don’t is the hallmark of the British Empire's strategy.

I’m not lying to the emperor. All I’ve done is selectively tell him the facts that work in his favor.

So, if someone were to criticize the emperor in a newspaper, cleverly inciting rebellion, that’s none of my business.

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

If we break it down, the French Revolution was started by a bourgeoisie who wanted political power and wealth, spreading fake news like “The emperor is bad, Marie Antoinette is a villain,” leading to a revolution.

I know well the potential for abuse, but here, pretending ignorance is the best strategy.

‘Even giving a hint that I know could make my position dangerous.’

“You cannot touch His Majesty’s position now. But what about the Crown Prince’s? What if you secretly publish another newspaper and gradually distort the facts to diminish the imperial family’s standing?”

Princess Teresa slowly approached me.

Since experiencing the supernatural phenomenon of reincarnation, I’ve been in situations like this multiple times.

And what is this woman doing?

She’s anticipating the French Revolution in a medieval fantasy world...?

If Duke Sforza—or rather, the emperor—were this smart... it would have been much harder for me.

“And if you recruit serfs, laborers, or eloquent intellectuals to incite revolution... I think it would be enough to turn the empire upside down. Don’t you think so, Lord Rothschild?”

“Your Highness, it seems you have an interesting thought.”

“Isn’t it something that could really happen?”

“It will never happen.”

The history of humanity would side with Teresa’s argument.

But her idea was far too advanced for this time.

Looking ahead by hundreds of years and always being right doesn’t guarantee success.

I once heard a story from a fool who majored in Korean history.

King Sejong, who foresaw the future, attempted to introduce currency to revive the economy of Joseon.

“I don’t agree with Your Highness’s thoughts. It’s a plausible hypothesis, but it’s something that could never happen in reality.”

“What’s the reason?”

“Humans are not that foolish, Princess Teresa.”

Actually, humans can be incredibly foolish.

The massacre of the Jurchens, King Sejong, who independently created the Hangul script and revamped Joseon’s music system in mere minutes—he may have been a great monarch who laid the foundations for 500 years of Joseon, but he wasn’t perfect.

He tried to introduce currency to boost the economy, but he failed to consider reality.

He ordered severe punishments for people who didn’t use the currency, even imposing death and confiscating their property, all in an attempt to establish a currency-based economy.

But he left unchecked the phenomenon of the authorities not recognizing the currency, leading to a situation where no one trusted it.

Even if they melted down eight nyang of copper to create coins, they could still re-melt it and turn it into copper again.

He succeeded in creating a miraculous economic situation where the coin’s value was equal to the weight of copper.

The Confucian historians who wrote the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty didn’t understand the market economy, but if an economist had observed the situation, they would have surely written:

‘A ruler who caused an economic depression without even realizing it.’

“People are just like dogs. Even a dog, who’s a mere creature, serves the master who feeds it with its life. How could the people forget how Your Majesty protects and enriches them?”

“That’s true.”

“If others try to slander Your Majesty, the people will voluntarily drag them out and kill them. They repay favor with treachery.”

In reality, people often act worse than dogs when it comes to profit.

Lee Wan-yong, that bastard, was personally appointed by King Gojong because he was good at English, rising to a high ministerial position while other pro-Japanese figures became incredibly wealthy because of Gojong’s generosity.

Instead of repaying that kindness, he pressured Gojong to sign the Eulsa Treaty, saying he would die if he didn’t.

Corrupt officials, who would rather sell out the country than die for it.

Human beings are indeed like that.

“And the people will sing songs of peace and prosperity with pure hearts. They will willingly leap into flames for Your Majesty’s sake, even without anyone telling them.”

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

If I could, I’d like to squash Princess Teresa entirely.

But she’s like the daughter of the company president.

No good will come from making her cry, so I’ll leave it at an appropriate level and let it go.

“I understand what Your Majesty is worried about. This was something I hadn’t considered.”

Princess Teresa tilted her head, slightly surprised.

“You’re not bothered by what I, a woman, said, are you?”

My family is a bit unusual in this regard; many families would be very offended if a woman spoke about political matters.

Historically, a wife managed the household, while the men dealt with the estates and politics, with the roles clearly defined.

Men often distanced themselves from their wives if they didn’t like hearing what their wives had to say about matters.

‘Frankly speaking, there are many who don’t care if their wives are having an affair, as long as they don’t get caught.’

But I don’t feel uncomfortable hearing such words from a woman.

“There’s an Eastern proverb that even a three-year-old child has something to teach us. How much more should I listen to the advice of the wise Princess Teresa?”

“I see.”

“It was an honor to hear your advice, Your Highness. I will carefully review and consider the issues you raised today. And if you wish, I will keep our conversation private forever.”

A noble family, especially a noblewoman of great intelligence, would never stay idle.

They would quickly send her off somewhere to marry or, if the inheritance issue was serious, make sure she faced some unfortunate end.

Even if the emperor’s and the crown prince’s positions were firmly secured, a woman who is too outstanding wouldn’t be allowed to remain unmarried.

Being unmarried in such a society, where women were treated as lesser, would be hard enough, but being rejected because one is too clever... how painful would that be?

Upon reflecting on our conversation, I realized that Princess Teresa likely covered for me even though I had exposed a flaw.

“Please do so.”

“Thank you. Erica should have returned by now, so I hope you enjoy your conversation.”

Princess Teresa went straight to find Erica.

Erica was very cautious about the fact that the princess had met “her husband” alone.

‘Is she trying to seduce my husband?’

In the 21st century, this would sound ridiculous, but in the Toscana Empire, it was a valid concern.

In a world where even a single date between a man and woman would be considered an engagement, holding hands would be seen as a marriage, the fear was understandable.

Erica couldn’t let her guard down.

“It’s an honor that you personally came to check on me, Princess. I heard you had a long conversation with my husband.”

Teresa smiled faintly.

“I came to see you, Erica, but since you weren’t here, I happened to meet Lord Rothschild.”

“By chance, you say?”

“By chance. But after talking to him, I was quite envious. To meet such a considerate person.”

Even though she complimented Fabio, Erica’s wariness grew.

Her gaze, her expression.

It was clear she was interested in Fabio, even though it wasn’t exactly the look of a girl in love.

“Lord Rothschild is a good person. He’s always thoughtful and kind towards me. He even created a new dish, Nouvelle Cuisine, just for me and changed the trends of the empire.”

“How romantic, sister.”

“There are many women, besides me, who are close to Lord Rothschild. Unlike other families where wives and concubines fight, in our family, we live like real sisters. Next week, Lord Rothschild will come with us for a trip to a nearby hill.”

Erica emphasized that there was no room for Teresa to intrude.

“May I come along, sister?”

“It’s a family matter.”

“Then I suppose I can’t. I’ll visit you another time.”

With those words, Teresa left the Rothschild estate.

She didn’t know, but a faint smile lingered on Teresa’s face.

Even she didn’t fully understand the emotion she was feeling.