“Everyone, I won't make things difficult for you. If you wish to leave, you can go now, and I won't stop you. However, I must state clearly: anyone who leaves this time should never return.”
Hearing Yang Zhiwen’s words, those present were first stunned, and then one by one, they immediately expressed their gratitude to Yang Zhiwen.
Of course, they weren't truly grateful; it was merely because Yang Zhiwen was letting them leave.
As for the latter part of Yang Zhiwen's speech, in their view, it was completely unnecessary to worry about, as there was no way the Territory could survive the Demon Race's attack.
After expressing their thanks, the group immediately left the meeting room.
These people who left would never imagine that they would regret their decision soon after.
Of course, that is a story for later.
Not long after, only three people remained in the entire meeting room. Yang Zhiwen looked at Jike and the other person who had not left.
Yang Zhiwen was not surprised that Jike stayed, because Jike was a local of the Territory, and his family was all here. Furthermore, the reason Jike was entrusted with an important role by Yang Zhiwen was because Yang Zhiwen had actually saved Jike.
Originally, Jike’s entire family was classified as slaves because they could not pay the Tax.
It was Yang Zhiwen who spent money to buy Jike’s family and exempted Jike’s son and daughter from slavery. Although Jike was still technically a slave, Yang Zhiwen did not treat him as such; retaining Jike's slave status was merely a means of control.
However, what Yang Zhiwen hadn't expected was that someone else would actually stay.
Yang Zhiwen had only been a Lord for a few months, and being alone, he had no close confidants in the Territory. Moreover, Uncle Jike often had to travel between the Territory and Nord City, leaving him unable to handle too many matters concerning the Territory.
Yang Zhiwen even knew that the administrative personnel in the Territory held no favorable feelings toward him.
This was because on the first day Yang Zhiwen became Lord, he gathered the Domain Residents and announced in front of everyone in the Territory that the Tax would be waived for the next two years.
He added that if anyone violated this rule, any Domain Resident could report it directly to him.
Although these administrative personnel still received their corresponding salaries every month, after the Tax exemption, they no longer had a legitimate reason to extort extra money from the Domain Residents.
For these administrative personnel, the fixed salary received from the Lord each month was only a secondary means of acquiring wealth. What truly allowed them to accumulate large sums was precisely the Domain Residents within the Territory.
Every time the Tax was collected, the Lord inevitably needed to rely on these administrative personnel, as the Lord could not possibly visit every village to demand Tax payments alone when collection time arrived.
Since the collection of the Tax was delegated to the administrative personnel, these individuals naturally could make minor adjustments when collecting it.
For example, if the regulation was that each person needed to pay 100 jin of Grain as Tax annually, when these administrative personnel went to collect it, the required amount might be raised from 100 jin to 120 jin, or even 150 jin. The surplus Grain would naturally not reach the Lord but would be embezzled by these administrative personnel.
When Yang Zhiwen became Lord, he immediately announced the two-year Tax exemption. The Domain Residents were naturally delighted, but these administrative personnel were far from happy, as this meant they would have little opportunity for extra wealth accumulation over the next two years.
Initially, Yang Zhiwen was unaware of these intricacies. When he announced the Tax exemption, it was purely to create a good impression among the Domain Residents and win their support.
After all, Yang Zhiwen understood the principle: he who wins the hearts of the people wins the world.
However, Yang Zhiwen overlooked that while the Domain Residents were happy, this group of people who relied on the Tax for extra profit certainly were not. If it weren't for the fifty soldiers Yang Zhiwen commanded, and the fact that he spent most of his time moving between Blue Star and the castle room—a two-point route—Yang Zhiwen might have already met a fatal end.
Although Uncle Jike later reminded Yang Zhiwen about the situation, the words had already been spoken. Yang Zhiwen could not go back on his promise, so he could only remain as cautious as possible.
Yang Zhiwen had assumed that all the administrative personnel in the Territory intensely disliked him. When he allowed them the option to leave, he expected everyone to depart, so he was completely surprised that someone actually remained.
“Derrick, I didn't expect you to stay!”
“Lord, although I, Derrick, do not have a noble background, I understand certain principles.”
“It was the Lord who gave me the chance to eat my fill. Now that the Lord faces a crisis, if I were to leave, wouldn't that be ungrateful?”
“Understood, I will depart for Nord City right now.”
“Derrick, you are now the Chief Administrator of the Territory and will be responsible for all daily affairs. I need you to gather all Domain Residents within two days and select the young and strong men from among them.”
“Yes!”
After receiving their orders, both Jike and Derrick left the meeting room.
Derrick, walking out of the meeting room, glanced back at the closed door and muttered to himself.
“I hope I haven't gambled wrong this time.”
The core reason Derrick chose to stay was not gratitude for Yang Zhiwen giving him a chance to eat his fill, but because he saw an opportunity in this situation.
Derrick was well aware that Yang Zhiwen was not a fool. On the contrary, although he seemed to lack common sense in many areas, in terms of wisdom, Derrick knew that his Lord was completely normal, and in many aspects, his insight surpassed that of most Nobles.
Especially regarding the unprecedented goods; Derrick had visited the Imperial Capital, but even in the bustling Imperial Capital, he had never seen such thin Stockings.
Coupled with his Lord’s occasional startling remarks and unique perspectives on many matters, Derrick was certain that his Lord’s identity must be extraordinary, as someone with such unique insights could not possibly be the child of an ordinary family.
Furthermore, Derrick was also very clear that his Lord was quite afraid of death.
He dared not ride a horse, nor dare to hunt a wild rabbit in the forest outside the castle. Yet, now, with the Demon Race Great Army pressing against the border, he chose to defend the Territory to the death—this seemed completely illogical to Derrick.
Either his Lord had gone mad, or he had something to rely on. Based on Derrick’s previous observations, Yang Zhiwen was not insane, so his decision to stay must mean he had some leverage.
Although Derrick had read some books, he was not of Noble birth. For a Commoner, even one with high cultural knowledge, achieving advancement in this world was exceedingly difficult.
Because in the Empire, lineage often mattered far more than anything else. Derrick had seen too many instances where incapable people held high positions.
Some people, who couldn't even fully recognize characters, could become beings controlling the lives and deaths of tens of millions.
Derrick believed his own capabilities were not poor; he simply lacked a stage to display them.
Derrick’s status and background indicated that achieving a high official position in the Empire in this lifetime was essentially a pipe dream.
As for Yang Zhiwen’s true identity, Derrick suspected he was likely the descendant of some high-ranking noble family. The reason for concealing his identity to become a Lord in such a remote place was probably a test set by that family.
If Derrick’s speculation was true, then by staying and successfully defending the Territory this time, he would gain the stage necessary for his own ascent.
Derrick was already quite old; if he didn't take a gamble now, he would never have another chance.