Chapter 404 — Sweeping and Reorganization

The war had lasted over ten days. Through the domain's convenient newspapers, bulletin boards, and other channels, almost everyone knew of the two overwhelming victories at Gravel Ridge and the Whitewater River, and of the "Great Pursuit" subsequently carried out by Cecil's soldiers. The fruits of this war had shaken not only the enemy but the people of Cecil themselves. Apart from Gao Yang, who had long foreseen such an outcome, almost no one had imagined that war in this new era could look like this. Their reverence was not merely reverence for Gao Yang himself, but for all the changes he had brought, for this new era.

Before laying out his plan, Gao Yang first took stock of the changes in the domain over this period.

"Ancestor, the domain is currently running smoothly, and social order remains as usual," said Heidi, as the highest director of the Internal Affairs Department, reporting what she knew. "The newspapers have played a great role—they bring the people the timeliest news and have averted all manner of baseless tension and panic. Mr. Godwin's opinion pieces, in particular, are enormously popular. Moreover, thanks to the newspapers' effective promotion of news from the front, the new round of recruit training has gone smoothly and has already reached its expected target."

Gao Yang felt he ought to be grateful to this era of unenlightened populace. The role played in the domain by that brand-new medium, the "newspaper," exceeded even his imagination. In this era, the people did not yet question authority, and the newspaper—and those who published it—were "authority" in their minds, so they believed what the papers said almost unconditionally. Frankly speaking, this was not what Gao Yang had originally wanted; indeed, the advanced stage of his project to enlighten the people was precisely to break this "monopoly of authority." But at the present stage, at least, the newspapers' influence over the populace was exactly what he needed most.

After learning of the domain's recent situation, Gao Yang cleared his throat and spoke. "Everyone, this war is not yet over. Some nobles have escaped our pursuit and vanished with their beaten remnants into the wasteland to the northwest. Before long we will find them and destroy them. But before that, it is time to make arrangements for what comes after the war. First, the large-scale relocation of the population..."

Gao Yang explained his plan in detail, and that plan would unquestionably leave everyone present deeply astonished—stunned speechless, even.

He required the entire population of the southern region to be relocated toward several major cities. Nearly one-third of the population was to be concentrated entirely in the Cecil region, while the remaining two-thirds were to be redistributed around four centers: the Horsman region, the Leslie region, the Grann region, and the Kant region.

"...All villages far from the cities, knight holdings that are not grain-producing land, manor farms, and the towns and villages damaged in this war... are to be placed on the relocation list and moved, following the principle of proximity, into the several major cities I just mentioned, where second-tier government halls are to be established. These second-tier halls will be founded under the leadership of officials and clerks trained by Cecil, and later local intellectuals will be recruited and trained to supplement their staff. All relocatable population in the southern area is to be moved into Cecil and settled in the North Bank development zone, forming a new urban district..."

Gao Yang laid out his plan point by point. Of course, this vast population relocation scheme still held countless details and concrete implementation methods—securing farmland, resettling the relocated population, consumption of grain and supplies, the timetable for carrying out the plan, propaganda and reassurance work, the details of forming new government halls, city construction, and countless other problems—all waiting for him and his team of officials to solve. So what he put forward here was in fact only a draft, his "requirements"; and after putting them forward came the "question time" he left to the people of the government hall.

"That is roughly the sum of my requirements. Now you may ask questions."

Gao Yang placed his hands on the table and slowly swept his gaze around the room, yet for a full half minute after his words fell, no one present spoke.

It seemed no one had yet reacted. First came astonishment; then they exchanged glances. Some appeared deep in thought, having grasped certain key points, but not a single person actually opened his mouth to ask.

None of them knew where to begin.

Gao Yang had long anticipated this. He waited with great patience, until two minutes later, when Heidi was the first to break the silence. "Ancestor... I would like to ask, why do you want to carry out this kind of population relocation?"