I Became A Black Merchant In Another World-Chapter 280: Colmar Peasant Revolt (3)
“Sebastian, I told you before that you could rest a few more days since you’ve been on a long trip. Aren’t you pushing yourself too much?”
Sebastian was already 50 years old.
In Korea, he would still be at the age where he works swiftly to support his family, but in the Toscana Empire, it’s the age when people are either preparing for retirement or already handing over their positions to their sons.
If he wanted to remain active, I wouldn’t even think of forcing him into retirement.
‘Considering his age, though, I’d rather he not overdo it with late nights or demanding work.’
“I did report it in writing, but I feel like the work won’t truly be complete unless I report it in person. I’ll rest after I’m done with the report.”
If he had said he couldn’t rest because there was still much to do, I would have scolded him.
If those of us in higher positions don’t rest, our subordinates or staff would feel pressured and wouldn’t be able to rest either. And if Sebastian collapses from overwork, we won’t be able to handle it.
‘At least he’s only insisting on finishing the report. It’s hard to criticize him for that.’
“Then just finish the report and rest. Unless it’s really urgent, it can be done tomorrow or even the day after.”
“Thank you for your consideration, my lord.”
Sebastian took a breath before speaking.
This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.
“While inspecting the border areas between the Lyon Kingdom and the Holy Empire, I confirmed signs of rebellion in a total of seven cities.”
“Seven? That’s lower than I expected.”
From the perspective of the people living there, it must feel like their villages were ravaged by war, and the nobles, in collaboration with the merchants, took the money from the goods they barely managed to steal.
It wouldn’t be strange if everyone in those areas rose up.
But... Are they all too afraid of putting their own lives on the line to lead a peasant uprising?
Sebastian calmly replied as if to reassure me that there was no need to worry.
“At first, I too was a bit disappointed. But according to those who visited the areas in person... Even regions without any signs of rebellion simply lack a focal point for the uprising. If someone emerges to lead them, they will immediately support the cause.”
This is how business works too.
Even if you have excellent engineers, developers, accountants, and even lawyers handling legal disputes, if there’s no one to lead them, the business rarely runs smoothly.
‘A peasant uprising is also a kind of business, or maybe a group project.’
Without a leader in the middle to keep everything on track, even if everyone tries hard, nothing will move forward.
“Can we trust these guys?”
“These are the reports from the official intelligence agents of the Rothschild family.”
Our family’s intelligence agents are always collecting information, and their families are more or less hostages in my hands.
There’s no doubt about their ability and loyalty...
So, I should trust the information Sebastian gathered.
“If the rebellion breaks out simultaneously in seven cities as you’ve planned, the peasants and serfs in nearby villages, as well as the surrounding territories, will be incited to join and expand the movement as I directed.”
If the rebellion hadn’t already begun, there would be no reason to expand it. But once it’s been started, the rebels will want to make the most of it to survive.
If the size of the rebellion is around 50,000, and they’re armed with farm tools and weapons...
The Lyon Kingdom’s army can’t just charge in with guns and spears and suppress them.
If it were in the time before firearms, the poorly trained rebels could easily be crushed by a well-trained army without too much damage.
But with the invention of matchlock guns, war isn’t so easy anymore.
Why do historical novels always bring up firearms like this?
‘Weapons that allow a mere farmer to defeat an expert warrior.’
“If the scale of the rebellion increases, the Lyon Kingdom won’t dare suppress them recklessly. As predicted by my lord, the Lyon Kingdom will be embroiled in a significant civil war.”
“That’s likely.”
If the rebellion grows to a scale of over 100,000, the Lyon Kingdom would try to placate them by granting noble titles to the rebels.
But no matter how I think about it, the rebellion will likely end with only a few thousand or, at most, tens of thousands participating.
Unless the conditions for the people’s livelihoods have become so dire that their world is akin to hell itself...
Not many people will join the rebels, not knowing whether they’ll live or die.
‘After all, if you die, it’s all over.’
“If the size of the rebellion in the Lyon Kingdom remains under 100,000, the king will do whatever it takes to crush the rebellion. He’s already lost the war with the Toscana Empire, and technically, he’s lost to the Holy Empire too... If he goes to war with his angry people, and asks for reconciliation, the monarchy will collapse.”
When we learn about currency in textbooks, we’re taught that money is just a piece of paper, but we can buy and sell goods through a social agreement that everyone accepts.
Power works similarly; it’s supported by a social trust system.
Once that trust breaks down, who would acknowledge their power?
‘The king and nobility of the Lyon Kingdom will have no choice but to suppress the rebels with an iron fist to survive.’
“The border area between the Lyon Kingdom and the Holy Empire will become a wasteland because of this civil war. The winner will naturally be the Lyon Kingdom, with its standing army.”
“Indeed, it seems almost certain that the regular army won’t lose. But... what if, just what if...”
Sebastian paused for a moment and carefully asked.
“War is unpredictable, isn’t it? Like a person’s life.”
Well, there are examples of generals like Admiral Yi Sun-sin, who, despite his undefeated record, saw his navy defeated in just a few weeks by the Japanese daimyo Wonyun, and independent guerrilla leader Mudaguchi Renya, who wiped out an entire Japanese division in the Burmese jungle.
Who can be 100% sure about what will happen in war?
“Well, no matter how it goes, it’s not a loss for us. In fact, if the rebels win, it would be even more beneficial for the Toscana Empire.”
If the rebels and the Lyon Kingdom’s army fight fiercely and the rebels win...
The Lyon Kingdom’s territory will be left with nothing but an army of defeated soldiers who have exhausted all their war supplies.
The rebels, after winning a brutal war, will celebrate their victory for a moment, but...
Will the neighboring countries just watch?
Immediately, the Toscana Empire would see this as an opportunity, pooling all the money it can, even borrowing, to send a massive army with the justification of “restoring the Lyon royal family.”
“The emperor will raise a large army to punish the rebels who have overthrown the ‘rightful’ king of the Lyon Kingdom and slaughtered the royal family. Once we land, there will be no resistance, and we’ll be able to expand our territory without any trouble.”
“That seems certain.”
And somehow, with the oppressed ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) people rising up to fight against a corrupt kingdom, it might even resemble the ‘French Revolution.’
But no matter how history unfolds, there will be no democracy.
The French Revolution and the founding of the United States began democracy because intellectuals like the bourgeoisie came up with basic ideas.
But the leaders of this uprising haven’t even gone to college, and they are simply petty people.
No matter how much they try to come up with something, there’s no way democracy, a completely new idea, can just emerge out of nowhere.
“And the main reason, Sebastian, why this rebellion is doomed to fail, even if it goes smoothly...”
Sebastian perked up his ears.
“If there were a massive famine or if the entire country had been completely devastated by war... then people in the border regions of the Holy Empire would join the uprising. Though participating in a rebellion is a life-threatening challenge, they would join because they think they wouldn’t starve if the rebellion’s leaders kill the king of the Lyon Kingdom.”
In a world without democracy, human rights, or even nationalism, ordinary people living in such a world would see freedom and rights as nothing more than a fantasy.
They’ve never learned or felt the value of freedom and rights, so how could they possibly understand how important they are?
“But right now, only the border areas of the Lyon Kingdom are suffering from food shortages and rising prices. So, the people from other regions won’t risk joining the rebellion. They’d rather live in peace than die in a fight.”
It’s like how most breadwinners in the 21st century complain about their low wages but still choose to stay in their jobs rather than start their own businesses.
I placed a gold coin on my finger, flicked it, and caught it.
“So, we just need to stir up chaos in the Lyon Kingdom and watch. No matter who wins, it will benefit us in the end.”
