Three Philosophical Questions for Travelers

Laya smiled and said, "I'm hiding here, no one can hurt me."

The orc didn't speak, but Old Odd said tremblingly: "A mortal cannot pretend to be a god. This is blasphemy. You will be punished, Laya!"

"Profanity? Retribution for me?" Laya sneered and said, "Then let it come. Anyway, I didn't get good rewards when I worshiped God."

Chapter 11: King of Beggars and Slaves, a

Chapter 11: King of Beggars and Slaves, a

Haven Ambleside finally put on the battle robe of Chauvin III.The black iron battle robe is invulnerable to swords and guns, but is as light as silk, and it is as comfortable as wearing a loose cotton coat.No wonder the old kings of the Bayland liked to wear it on the battlefield.

Haiwen looked at himself in the mirror and said: "The old king who passed away, I need to borrow your clothes. Please forgive me, although I wear your battle robe, I can't restore your kingdom. But I will definitely Save your people. I will give them freedom, fairness and justice." He bowed deeply, "If you have a spirit in heaven, please help me. In the future, I will restore your mausoleum, erect a statue, and call your people to remember you."

Haiwen didn't believe in the existence of souls in the world before, but after experiencing so many things, he couldn't help but not believe it.After finishing all this, he left his room in his battle robe and walked out of the city.

Outside the city, Haiwen's army was ready to go.

In fact, there is no "pretend" to adjust, because this army has almost no equipment.Here, dung forks, hoes, and shovels are considered sharp weapons, and wooden sticks and bamboo spears are standard equipment. There are more than [-] soldiers in the army, and only a hundred of them actually have swords and armor.These militias of slaves, beggars, and peasants assembled outside the castle, waiting for Haven's orders.This army is led by Smiley Cat.

At the same time, the two thousand soldiers that Xiawan supported him were also ready to go.This army is led by the demobilized veteran of Shrimp Cove - Cammorn.

Sisters Deen have shown their sincerity, Haiwen thought to himself.

Cammorn is 66 years old. He has fought with the old earl of Shrimp Bay, and he has fought many battles, such as attacking fortifications, defending the city, field battles, and raids.When the old earl died, he applied to be discharged from the army, and Sister Dern also agreed, but this time he was invited out again for the sake of fighting.Presumably Yawen spent a lot of thought on this matter.

As for two thousand soldiers, this is not a small number for Xiawan.Although Xiawan is rich, the standing army is only 2000. If temporary conscription can make up [-], forced recruitment is another matter.Now they use [-] people to support Haiwen, which is considered to be the most benevolent.

I only have one chance, Haven thought, and if I don't take Pinewood Castle, it's all over.And Pinewood Castle is just the starting point of my journey. Next, I will attack Bear Mountain and Antler Pass.No matter which one is hard to deal with.

Haiwen's soldiers can attack a village or a stockade at most, and it is too difficult to attack a castle.He talked about it, borrowed an old-fashioned mobile catapult from Yawen, and then asked Xiao Hammer to lead people to build ten dozen ladders.But no one in his army had ever used a catapult. He tried the ladder. The militiamen either didn't dare to climb it, or they couldn't climb it. Few people could climb to the top along the ladder. It would be even worse when they attacked the city. not enough.Smiley Cat selected dozens of people to be death squads, and with this desperate attempt, stormed the city wall.

The soldiers in Xiawan are quite good, but these soldiers are borrowed and may not be obedient.The veteran said he obeyed his command, but the contempt in his eyes and the arrogance in his tone were all exposed.

However, Pinewood Castle had to fight. Firstly, he had assembled the army for a while. If it dragged on, there might be rumors from Pinewood Castle.The second is that he can't afford to support so many people, the only way is to support war with war.

Hai Wen came to the army on horseback.

The command platform had been set up, and he climbed up to overlook his army.On the left are the militiamen, and the people shouted "King of the Wild Horses" when they saw him coming.On the right is the soldier of Shrimp Bay. Veteran Cammorn looked at Haiwen expressionlessly.

The smiling cat said from below: "My lord, please speak."

Haven cleared his throat and said loudly, "My friends!" The crowd responded loudly, and the militiamen's morale was high.This winter, Haiwen had gained popularity among the victims, and people from Mustang Town promoted him, so the militiamen believed in him and thought he was a great leader.

"Today, we will set off from here to attack a nobleman who exploits you!" Haiwen pointed in the direction of Pinewood Castle, and said, "The target is Pinewood Castle!"

There was a noise from the crowd, some shouted excitedly, some were silent, and some trembled.Attacking a castle is an unimaginable thing for many people.

Haven had to convince them he could win.

Haven calmed people down with gestures, and then continued, "Pinewood Castle, has any of you seen it?"

A child shouted: "I've seen it! What a tall big stone house!"

His words made a group of people laugh, but the laughter stopped soon, and the atmosphere became serious after that.Haven continued: "Very good! Does anyone else know?"

An old man with a bamboo spear said: "My lord, I have seen that the city wall may be as high as ten people, and there are archers, crossbowmen, rolling stones and hot oil on it."

A farmer next to him shouted: "What is a crossbowman?" There was silence below, and no one answered him.

Haiwen nodded and said: "Is there any more? Tell me what the castle looks like in your impression? Shrimp Bay Castle is not counted, just talk about anything else! Don't be afraid, say what you want! If you say it well, you will be rewarded." .”

So people began to talk about it, some said that the castle was made of iron, some said it was made of gold, some said it had a square roof, some said it had a pointed roof, and still others said it was round.Some say it's on the mountain, some say it's in the water, and some say that the castle is full of gold, and there's a princess in every castle... Later, people's words became more and more mysterious, and they burst into laughter from time to time.

This is what Haiwen wants. If the castle is always a thing of awe in their hearts, then they will never dare to attack the castle.Only by stigmatizing the concept of "castle" can they have some ideas and courage to understand the castle.

Ultimately, Haven wants people to strategically despise the castle so people can attack it with confidence.

Seeing that what the people below said was about the same, Haiwen knocked on the small gong of the rally to signal people to be quiet. "I see that what you are talking about is very exciting! But I tell you, no one is right! It's all wrong, just listen to the hearsay!" He pointed to the people below and said, "None of you understand castles, all of you It's all farmers, workers, slaves and beggars, and the castle is the home of the nobility, so you don't understand it."

Haven walked around the stage twice, and continued: "Now let me tell you what the real castle looks like. I have lived in Shrimp Bay, and I have also lived in Bear Mountain City. I used to be the Earl of Bear Mountain, and that is my home. .”

Not everyone knew about this, so many people exclaimed, and some hecked and groaned.Someone shouted: "You are bragging! You are not an earl, you are just a beggar king!"

The Beggar and the Slave King, II

The Beggar and the Slave King, II

Haven had known for a long time that someone had nicknamed him.Because he was always with the poor, people called him the Beggar King.This nickname was probably given to him by the people in the castle, full of irony, and mocking him.Today, however, Haven wants to accept this nickname.

"Yes! I am the beggar king!" Haiwen shouted loudly. When he shouted, the people laughing at him below were surprised and speechless.Immediately, Haiwen continued: "I am not only the king of beggars, I am also the king of slaves, the king of the poor, and the king of all those who suffer. I am also the king of freedom, the king of equality, and the king of your brothers! You are all My brothers, everyone is a relative of the emperor!"

Someone shouted: "Where are there so many royal relatives?"

Haiwen replied: "Each of you is your own king. I am a brother to you. Although I lead you, I am equal to you. We eat the same food and live in the same house. We fight together and shoulder the burden together. Glory. And—" he opened his arms, showing the black iron robe on his body, "I am wearing the battle robe of Chauvin III now, and his descendants handed this clothes to me, asking me to inherit his wish and go to restore Bayland!"

The crowd was shocked, and for a while no one felt like speaking.Cammorn of Shrimp Bay also widened his eyes in surprise.

People here are more willing to follow the legendary old king than revolution.Therefore, Haiwen wants to use the power of the old king to convince them of himself.

"The Gulf is now occupied by the Little Trident, Bone Kahn! His family is a traitor, and he himself is a tyrant. I will definitely overthrow him in the name of the former king and restore our homeland. And you are the first batch of fighters, Today, Xiawan is the starting point of our journey. In the future, you people will also be recorded in the annals of history. You are the guardians of the former kings, the heroes who restored their homeland, and the two thousand courage in the epic. Our goals are three ! First, overthrow the tyranny! Second, restore the country! Third, establish a new country of equality, freedom and justice!"

However, this speech did not arouse the enthusiasm of the people below, and no one even dared to shout after him. Haiwen thought to himself, all this is too far away from them, they have no resonance, only surprise.

It's okay, I just need to let them know our name, other things can be discussed later.At least after this time, they will know that they are liberating the bay with the "previous king", instead of following a bald man who came out of nowhere to cause riots.This name is very important to me. People in this world don't understand "revolutionaries", so they used this name against me from the beginning. I want to recruit people in the name of the former king first, and slowly change their thinking.

At this time, Haiwen glanced at the people below and said, "Now, I, the beggar king, will continue to tell you about the castle."

Hai Wen pointed in the direction of Xiongshan City and said, "There are Big Bear Mountain and Little Bear Mountain. Xiongshan City is built on the hillside, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack. This castle has thick double walls and a huge hanging door, which cannot be smashed by a catapult. It can’t be hit by a car. It’s twice as tall, four times bigger, and ten times stronger than Pinewood Castle!” Haiwen paused, “But my soldiers still captured him, and now lead your general, Smiling Ranger Spike, he is one of the heroes of that battle." He waved to the smiling cat, "General, please!"

The smiling cat came forward and turned around to salute. He calmly said to everyone, "I will lead you to attack Pinewood Castle." The calmness of the smiling cat reassured everyone, and many people calmed down.

"What is Pinewood Castle? It is a small castle, a small garden of a nobleman! It has no natural dangers, no high walls, and the gate is even more fragile. Now, all the soldiers there have joined the Sea God Cult rebels. The interior is empty and empty. The guards are either the old viscount in a wheelchair or his young son who has not yet been weaned. What's so scary? Huh?" He said it funny, and the people also laughed.

"Obey the command, trust my strategy, and finally, show your courage, Pinewood Castle is ours! After the castle is captured, we will open the warehouse first, take out the grain, bacon and fine wine, and give everyone a full meal. The rest It's our rations."

A small man in the crowd couldn't wait to ask: "What about the gold in the castle? Is it for us or you take it all?"

This is a sharp question, and if you don't answer it well, you will lose the morale of the army.But Haven knew how to answer. He said, "Gold? Gold is traded for things, weapons, armor, bows and arrows! With these things we can continue to fight! When the war is over, we will trade them for shovels, hoes, oxen and Plowing! Buy seeds, build canals, build waterwheels, dig fertile fields, so you have land to farm!"

After saying this, the people burst into deafening cheers.The smiling cat quietly gave him a thumbs up, and whispered, "That's a great answer, my lord."

"Pinewood Castle is sure to win! Take courage. When one warrior attacks the wall, the second and third can follow. When ten warriors stand on one wall, the castle It will be breached! Remember, nobles and lords are cowardly. Nobles, landowners, and slaveholders, they fear us! My warriors, do not fear power, do not fear castles, knights and armor! They fear us! "

"Power is built on enslaving the people. When the people are awakened, power will cease to exist! When labor slaves no longer forge iron, when serfs no longer farm the land, when the captured strong men no longer fight, The nobleman has nothing! The power that the nobleman shows you is not his power, but the power of the people. The power of the people must fight for the people themselves!"

These words further inspired people's fighting spirit.The veteran of Xiawan widened his eyes at this moment, and shouted: "Ambside, enough is enough!"

Haiwen ignored him and continued to speak loudly: "From today onwards, there will be no slaves in our army, everyone is equal, and you are all referred to as Alcita (comrade), slaves, serfs, civilians, workers, porters, horse servants, tailors ...you are all comrades!"

"Repeat that word!" he said aloud.

People repeated it over and over again, at first they just recited it silently, and then everyone laughed happily as they recited it, as if everyone got a new hoe and a new house.They read it over and over again, and finally laughed heartily.

Hai Wen also laughed. He raised his hands and said, "My comrades, raise your arms! You will not fight for any leader today, you only fight for your own interests!" He raised his arms and called out, "Comrades! , fight for yourself!"

The audience was silent for three seconds. At this time, the smiling cat raised his hand and shouted: "Fight for yourself!" Then the young people in the front row shouted in unison: "Fight for yourself!" More and more people followed Shouted, old people, women, children, all shouted this slogan.Among them, the slaves shouted the loudest.

This huge momentum attracted the attention of Xiawan people, and more and more people came out to watch, especially slaves, beggars, and other poor people.But the rich merchants, nobles, and property knights all hid in their houses, and the doors and windows of the mansion were closed, as if no one was inside.

The soldiers at the city gate waved their sticks to drive away the crowd and maintain order at the city gate, but the number of people increased instead of decreasing, and the city gate was overcrowded for a while.Many people in the city also shouted: "Fight for yourself, fight for yourself!" Soon soldiers beat him with wooden sticks, but the voices kept coming and going, getting louder and louder.Some poor people rushed out of the city gate while the guards were unaware, and ran towards Haven's army.Haiwen waved his hand and said, "Brothers, come here!" In a blink of an eye, there were hundreds more people in the militia.

At this moment, something unexpected happened, probably infected by enthusiasm, one of the two thousand soldiers in Xiawan also shouted: "Fight for yourself!" His cry suddenly exploded A large group of people were gathered, and many soldiers shouted: "Fight for yourself! Comrade, fight for yourself!"

The old general in Xiawan was terrified, and he scolded the soldiers, saying that they were bewitched and went mad.Unable to scold him, he yelled at Haiwen again: "You are trying to rebel! Haven Ambside, you can't incite soldiers like this. This is not a war, this is a riot!"

Haiwen looked at him and said solemnly: "No, my lord, this is a revolution."

The Beggar and the Slave King, III

The Beggar and the Slave King, III

The old Cammorn of Shrimp Bay flushed with anger, and he shouted: "I want to report this to the Earl, Ambleside! You are an ally of the nobles of Shrimp Bay, but now you are betraying the nobles!"

Haiwen said: "I am indeed an ally of the Earl of Shrimp Bay, and I am grateful for their help to me-so we are revolutionizing, not Shrimp Bay, we are going to Pinewood Castle and other places. This has nothing to do with Shrimp Bay Sir, I hope you don't slander me, not to mention the Countess is the wife of my adopted son, we are a family, how could I betray her?"

These words silenced the old man. "I..." He pointed at Haiwen, gritted his teeth, "I only serve the Deen family, and I will not fight for people like you!"

"Then I can only regretfully invite you to take care of your life, my lord." Haiwen made a gesture of invitation, and then said to the smiling cat, "Incorporate troops, two armies become one army!"

"Yes, my lord!"

"You can't do this, Ambleside!" The old man pulled out his sword angrily, "This is Xiawan, these people are soldiers of Xiawan, you don't have the power! You..."

At this moment, Yawen's voice came from the city gate, "Uncle Cammorn!" The earl's sister came out from the city gate, "Put down the sword first! This is all a misunderstanding."

The old man snorted coldly and put his sword back into its sheath.Haiwen looked at the woman and said, "Miss Yawen, do you have any opinion on this matter?"

Yawen said: "The nobleman promises a thousand dollars, I will not go back what I borrowed from you. And Lord Haiwen, I hope to lend you another amount."

"what?"

Yawen smiled and said: "I fully support your revolution, I even hope that you can burn this flame all the way to Jinsha Castle and White Bird City - the rule of the tyrant should have been overthrown long ago, I think you can bear it This important task. I support you."

Haiwen looked her up and down, and asked, "What do you mean?"

Yawen held up his skirt and bowed, and said, "You took away all the refugees and beggars in my city. I want to thank you. Do you have any questions?"

"You're lying, Yavin Deen, you don't get paid for nothing, how is this money calculated, tell me an explanation."

"Buy it with money and rest assured, my lord, no matter you are the beggar king or the Earl of Xiongshan, you have taken my money, you can't go back and eat me again, right? Our sisters just want to be nobles for a few more years and sleep a little more." Sleep peacefully. Don’t think too much about it, that’s all.” She saluted again, “After you become the overlord, Xiawan will ask you to take care of it.”

"Well, we are allies, and I will do my duty as an ally." Haven didn't say too much, "But I don't want to see you gamble, Miss Yawen."

Yawen smiled and said: "How could it be? Our sisters are a pair of nuns who donate alms. As long as you don't tear down the church, you can take whatever you want--Okay, time is running out, sir, please go away .”

"Then thank you for your assistance." Haiwen saluted, and then asked someone to sound the marching horn.

The army marched out, and Haiwen and the smiling cat rode at the forefront.Thinking about the woman's intentions, Haiwen couldn't help feeling a little worried.At this time, the smiling cat said to Hai Wen: "My lord, this chick is a genius."

"You mean Yawen?"

"Yes, let me put it this way, the people around you, except for the housekeeper, no one can count on her. I thought I was also a 'cat spirit', but until today, I finally figured out Yawen's plan."

Haiwen said: "I am also a little worried. But Yawen has never done anything to us. She has been supporting me. To be honest, if there is no Xiawan, I will not be able to make a comeback."

"But you've been working for her, my lord! Don't you think so?"

Hai Wen asked, "How can I work for her?"

"Why didn't you work for it?" Smiley Cat laughed. "Since the day you arrived in Xiawan, you have been doing odd jobs, maintaining law and order, helping victims of disasters, and stabilizing people's hearts. Isn't that all yours?"

"This is a matter of duty..." Hai Wen was a little vague when he said this-why did the things in Xiawan become my duty?He thought for a while, and said, "I can't live for nothing, right?"

"Well, put aside the winter matter, let me ask you again, my lord, do you know who most wants to fight Pinewood Castle?"

"What do you mean by that?" Haiwen asked him, "It should be the one I want to fight the most, but if you say that..."

"Yawen wants to fight Pinewood Castle even more than you do. I only found out after chatting with Ramon two fucking days ago." The smiling cat sneered, "My lord, have you read the tax bill at Shrimp Bay Port?"

Haiwen asked him back: "What am I looking at that for?"

The smiling cat said: "My lord, Ramon has seen it, because he is going to take over some affairs of Xiawan. He told me about these things yesterday, and he also lamented Yavin Dern's cunning. First of all, you have to know that Xiawan is the biggest Where did the money come from?"

"pier."

"There are several ways to collect money at the pier, including toll tax, unloading fee, and money to buy supplies. The unloading fee here is a big one. My lord, I guess you don't understand this, let me tell you. Bar."

There is still some distance from Pinewood Castle, and there is nothing wrong on the road, so it's good to gossip and relax now.So Haiwen said: "Tell me, I'll listen."

The smiling face cat said: "The merchant ship has two options when they arrive at Xiawan. The first is to pay the toll, and then continue to go to the river bay, and take water transportation; the second is to unload a batch of cargo, called the unloading fee, and then take land transportation. .Generally speaking, the toll fee is light and the unloading fee is heavy. Some ports even do not charge toll. After all, if you are in a hurry, they will drive away without stopping at your dock, or just find a The place is close to the shore, avoiding your Shrimp Bay, what else can you do? The river in the Reach is so wide, it can't be sealed off."

Hai Wen said: "But the ship needs to be replenished and the goods need to be sold. The merchant must stop the ship at Xiawan."

The smiling cat said: "That's right, this is what Xiawan earns. But with Pine Forest Fort here, many merchants going north are unwilling to stop their boats at Xiawan."

"why is that?"

"Because the toll in Pinewood Castle is too high!" the smiling cat said fiercely, "The merchant unloaded the goods at Shrimp Bay and transported them by land. The first thing they encountered was the pass in Pinewood Castle. Pinewood Castle relies on the Poseidon Cult behind it." , The tax is very high, and Xiawan has always wanted to sign a tax reduction contract with him, but it has never been able to get it. Pinewood Castle has a high tax, and there are fewer ships unloading at Xiawan, so Xiawan earns less. And the Dern family also has For business, their family merchants sell aquatic products, leather goods, small gold wares and various southern specialties transported by water. The price of these commodities increases as they go north. As a result, when you go north, you can see Pine Forest Castle. The Dern family is also Has been stuck in the neck of Pinewood Castle."

Haiwen nodded thoughtfully, and said, "No wonder she supported me so much in attacking Pinewood Castle."

The Beggar and the Slave King, IV