Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 569 Integration
"My lord, I beg your mercy."

"My lord, I beg you, I have a sixteen-year-old daughter who is willing to serve you as a maid."

The next day, when Master Zhang returned to the unfinished earthen building, he was still full of majesty. When Jie Di went up to him, she secretly rolled her eyes, but still followed the script and asked Lias and his group to come forward.

For a time, pleas and entreaties were heard incessantly.

"Cough! Hmm~"

The lord spoke, and everyone immediately fell silent. He cleared his throat and spoke slowly and deliberately:

“It’s only natural to feel reluctant to leave one’s family and loved ones, and I’m not an unreasonable person.”

"Your Excellency is merciful!"

"Ah, even the gods of suffering will be moved by your righteous act."

Amidst the praise and flattery, Jadi kept pursing her lips, secretly wondering why this guy was acting so convincingly. If she hadn't gone over the script with him, she would have almost believed him.

"Well then, I have a way that satisfies both sides."

Mr. Zhang's tone suddenly shifted, revealing a sense of compassion for humanity:

"Instead of sending you and your family back to that precarious existence, wouldn't it be better to bring them to the high cliffs for a reunion?"

Ah? ? ?
The people below were truly surprised to find such a radical solution, and for a moment their minds went blank as if they were under a spell of confusion.

It sounds outrageous at first glance, and it still is outrageous upon closer inspection. Why would a dignified lord need to squeeze a toad to make a fuss?
Seeing that the other party wouldn't release them and was even trying to poach them, the group of guys, whose emotions had been on a rollercoaster, finally mustered up the courage to ask:
"My lord, it's just a matter of redeeming oneself anyway, isn't this a bit too much..."

"Yes, sir, if we could find our family members, we would certainly not hesitate to spend a little money. Why go through all this trouble?!"

Tsk, completely unyielding.

Mr. Zhang wasn't surprised that his good intentions were misunderstood; after all, truth is always held by the minority.

Just like power.

"Oh, sir, you don't need to be so agitated."

The monk slightly raised his eyelids, his gaze, seemingly capable of penetrating, shooting towards the man who had just spoken:

"After all, you just now solemnly promised to send your daughter to be my maid as a token of your gratitude."

"How strange, when it came to accepting your family into my territory, it was as if we were robbed by bandits? Hmm?"

The soft hum at the end of the sentence, carrying a questioning tone, was like a thunderclap to the latter's ears.

Fortunately, he was nearly at a loss for words and did not stand there for long before the lord issued the final proclamation.

"Have you forgotten who the real culprits were who caused you to become slaves? Or do you think that Luskan's gang are nice guys who willingly let their acquired goods fly away to so-called freedom?"

"Those who are unwilling to move to the High Cliff territory should not wait until they are imprisoned again before they realize their mistake and regret it!"

The gentlemen, whose emotions had been in turmoil, then realized that their situation wasn't as simple as just getting lost on a long trip; Luskan's gang seemed to be beyond their comprehension...

"Please forgive our ignorance, and thank Your Excellency for your kindness."

The back-and-forth farce finally came to an end before Master Zhang's patience ran out. The final bowing and scraping of the few stubborn men softened the frost on his face considerably.

Fortunately, the other party was sensible and didn't escalate the situation to the point where they needed to use their backup plan.

As for actually letting the other party go back?

What nonsense are you talking about? The whole operation is being handled with such caution precisely for the sake of secrecy.

If there are indeed those stubborn fools who refuse to appreciate what's good for them and insist on making their journey home a miserable one, then what awaits them is Master Zhang's white gloves.

Hmph, instead of staying on the high cliff of democracy and freedom, they insist on running away. There must be something fishy going on. Detaining them for a year or two to prove their innocence is not too much to ask, is it?
You say it caused a negative impact? So you're a nobleman too? Otherwise, what right do you have to talk to the lord about human affairs?

The fact that they didn't beat or kill anyone, but simply detained them for investigation, is truly a beacon of humanity in Faerûn!
Fortunately...

That night, a grand bonfire party was held in the open space outside the newly built earthen building in Gaoyailing.

The opening was grand, the atmosphere was friendly, His Excellency the Lord's speech was warm and sincere, and the response from the newly relocated residents was enthusiastic.

The guests, having come to terms with reality, realized that regardless of how genuine the Lord of High Cliff's promises were, his attitude was at least better than that of ordinary noblemen.

Moreover, the power displayed by the other side was real, and the shadow of Luskan still lingered in their minds.

Considering the tragic experience of being enslaved, it seems nice that such a rare peaceful place exists in the turbulent Sword Coast region.
In their early stages, ruling groups are often highly efficient, especially in places like Gaoya, where the organization is streamlined and power is centralized; it's basically a one-man show by Master Zhang.

With the lord personally overseeing and managing the project, it would be a miracle if the progress fell behind.

The rescued people, who were stranded here and at a time unsure whether they were fortunate or unfortunate, quickly shook off their pointless confusion and fear and threw themselves into the vigorous production and construction movement with a brand new attitude.

It's not that the lord is particularly charming; he can renege on promises and change policies. Furthermore, Lord Zhang's already unapproachable image allows him to easily change his tune.

Truth is not something that can be uttered with words, but rather something that is derived from social practice.

The native barbarians of Faerûn had never heard of this insightful statement, but with their normal intelligence and experience, they arrived at a similar answer through the most basic cognitive analysis method of firsthand experience and hands-on practice.

The towering earthen buildings that stand firm do not lie, the apartments allocated to each family do not lie, and the fields planned for each adult laborer do not lie.

For most farmers or ordinary citizens from impoverished backgrounds, these conditions were even better than their situation before they were abducted.

If you don't build your own house, who will? If you don't cultivate your own land, who will?

Furthermore, with the promise to bring their families home being gradually fulfilled, they threw themselves into this social practice with the same enthusiasm as the first generation of citizens when the territory was first established, resolutely and swiftly carrying out the blueprint drawn up by the lord.

Of course, where there is a vast majority, there is also a small minority.

First and foremost were the middle class and even the bourgeoisie who made a living through commerce or handicrafts before being abducted. They were the ones with the strongest and most stubborn desire to return home, simply wanting to wake up from a terrible nightmare.

They are currently under the control of the lord, but the idea of ​​going to the fields to do farm work is still somewhat unacceptable to them.

If things aren't arranged clearly, unforeseen complications are to be expected.

Fortunately, Gaoya's commerce and light industry are in a stage of urgent development. Apart from the need for manpower to be added to the White Tower Chamber of Commerce and several workshops, the newly established commercial area is also a bit deserted.

With only a few stores directly under the lord's control open for business, is it a commercial street or a supply and marketing cooperative?

By making the best use of people's abilities and resources, these industrial and commercial seedlings were exempted from agricultural work and were assigned to relevant industry positions for training.

From then on, he embarked on the path of working to pay off his debts, with the labor contract also being for three years.

As for self-employed individuals who want to go it alone, Zhang Yuan's conditions are:
He, as the lord, doesn't interfere with any business dealings, but the ransom must be converted into 30% of the original shares. The initial capital can be brought to the cliff by his family or taken from his lord's treasury.

what?
Early debt repayment? Direct redemption?

Master Zhang smiled wryly and said that he hadn't heard clearly, and asked the others to repeat themselves.

"Thank you for your generosity and tolerance."

Among the remaining few businessmen who were thinking of starting their own businesses again, none of them lacked discernment. As soon as they saw the lord's forced smile, they immediately understood that there was no room for negotiation.

Let's just split the shares; consider it protection money. From another perspective, it even saves on ransom expenses.

Thank you to O銜尾蛇O and star.forever for your generous donations, and also thank you to 书即吾命2, 书友20221122231930309, 魂梦升, sq~love, 流浪在废土, 天空的残影, 殇芒残雪, 滚来滚去, and Jakiro_J for your monthly ticket support. Thank you all!

(Sorry for the long hiatus. I had too many things to do after returning from China, such as the long-awaited reunion with STEAM~ cough cough, skipping over that. Anyway, this book is still barely hanging on and hasn't been officially published yet.)
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(End of this chapter)