industrial lord

Chapter 781 Using the Past to Reflect on the Present
"Where's the fish?"

Maria was somewhat surprised to see Frederick return empty-handed.

Frederick said earnestly, "I gave them all to Teacher Psyche."

When Psyche first arrived, he stayed at this forest villa, but he found it too noisy the first night, so he moved to a hunter's cabin in the nearby woods by himself.

Susan was studying a script when she looked up at Frederick and said with a mischievous grin, "Hehehe, did you fail to catch any fish?"

Lilu said seriously, "No, the market in the nearby town hasn't closed this early yet. Even if we don't catch anything, it's still okay... Oh dear!"

Frederick feigned anger, picked her up with one arm, and said fiercely, "How dare you frame me!"

The living room suddenly became lively.

A mysterious organization, led by Maria's mother Sofia and jokingly referred to as the "Mother-in-Law Alliance," is politically demanding that Frederick ensure everyone gets pregnant this winter.

These days, a successor is extremely important for a regime.

Especially after a certain knight revealed the illegitimate child of a certain duchess, the issue of succession in the Duchy of Wesen became even more urgent.

After the important business is over, there is still work to be done.

In the morning sunlight, Frederick was in the garden, carefully reading the script, making revisions and additions from time to time.

His experience from two lifetimes told him that if he wanted to promote ideological reform, drama was the most important means, without exception.

In order to coordinate with the propaganda efforts under the new circumstances, the Minister of Culture selected several script outlines for Frederick to decide on.

Using the past to illustrate the present is applicable everywhere.

Long, long ago, when the ancient Pulan Empire was still confined to a remote corner, countless heroes emerged, and their deeds have been passed down to this day.

Among these historical figures were many reform pioneers who could be used by Frederick.

At this time, Frederick was very optimistic about a historical drama, the protagonist of which was Gaius, a military commander and politician in the mid-Pran Empire.

After the legendary "Ragnarok," there were no nations on earth, only tribes and cities that fought each other.

The Pulan Empire rose step by step, experiencing several ups and downs. The "Gaius Reform," known as the third major reform, was a profound military transformation that took place in the early stages of the empire's rise and was driven by the military commander Gaius.

The background to this reform stemmed from the military predicament the empire faced during its rise.

For a long time after Ragnarok, magic was in its infancy, extraordinary powers were just beginning to emerge, differences in strength were not yet significant, and the system of citizen soldiers with their own equipment could still be maintained.

However, as the magic system continued to develop, the power gap between mages, warriors, and ordinary people widened. At this time, the bureaucratic system became rigid and the interest classes became solidified. Many people with outstanding magical talents were excluded from the army because of insufficient bloodline or property qualifications, which led to a serious decline in the strength of the army.

Those powerful individuals who had no future in the Pulan Empire due to its bureaucratic system joined the barbarian tribes, who had fewer rules and believed that might makes right, thus narrowing the power gap between the empire and the barbarian armies.

As a result, the Pulan army suffered repeated defeats in its military campaigns against foreign invaders and in its defense against barbarian invasions.

To consolidate the foundation of the emerging empire, Gaius, the then chief consul, implemented fundamental reforms. The core of these reforms was the introduction of a "volunteer army," which uniformly relaxed enlistment requirements, opening the door to all citizens—regardless of their wealth or lineage—with the state providing weapons, equipment, and pay.

This move not only quickly solved the manpower problem, but also transformed the army from a loose militia organization into a professional standing army mainly composed of highly capable individuals.

Gaius also established a standard ten-year service period, enabling soldiers to receive long-term, systematic joint spellcasting training; in terms of organization, he created a legion structure with "mage corps" as the basic tactical unit, achieving a precise ratio of mages to warriors.

In addition, he promised soldiers land and official positions after their retirement, a policy that made soldiers' loyalty to the military commanders who could directly reward them.

The reforms had an immediate impact; the ancestors of the Rhine Alliance were severely beaten by the Prannoy Empire, and in the end, they either joined or fled to the dark lands in the north.

Frederick intended to nationalize the army, which involved military reforms, and this story was perfect for stirring up trouble.

As for the series of negative impacts that followed that reform in history, such as the army becoming the private property of officers, the emergence of warlords, and frequent civil wars, they are nothing to worry about now and need not be considered.

A northerly wind picked up, and the air suddenly felt a bit cold.

Frederick felt a sudden warmth on his shoulder as Maria draped a coat over him and glanced at the manuscript in his hand.

“Gaius’s script?” she asked with a slight smile. “You think this one is promising?”

Frederick gazed at his wife's soft profile in the morning light, reached out and pulled her onto his lap, handing her the manuscript and saying, "Perfect, come and see how these revisions are."

Maria leaned against him, carefully reading the script, occasionally tapping on paragraphs with her fingertips.

When the nobles of the Rhine Alliance compile their family genealogies, they will associate themselves with the officers of the legion under Gaius, indicating that they have long been citizens and nobles of the Pran Empire.

Frederick made some adjustments to the characters in the script, adding the ancestors of many nobles from the Rhine League, and they were clearly positive characters.

The opposing side consists of nobles from the enemy country that fought in the previous battle of Red Waterwheel Village, who will eventually be utterly defeated.

With this connection, it will be much easier to accept when the Rhine League promotes Gaius.

“Hmm… very good.” Maria nodded. “What we need is more support, in all sorts of ways, to tie them to our chariot.”

Frederick said, "Find someone to refine the script, then step up rehearsals and try to perform at the Carlsbad Hot Springs Theatre Festival this winter."

Carlsbad, a spa town that had fallen into decline due to the withdrawal of troops after the war and disruptions to transportation, is now beginning to prosper thanks to the completion of the railway to the town.

Furthermore, the Duchy of Vesen designated it as a military sanatorium, and the Ministry of Culture held various awards there, leading to a booming tourism industry.

“Ms. Psyche told me something,” Maria recalled. “She said the animated drawing was mostly ready to use, and asked if I wanted to see some cats and mice.”

She thought about it for days, but she just couldn't figure out how to make the painting move.

Frederick said, "I know about it. A revolutionary new product is finally coming out."

"With this, future cultural promotion will embark on a new path."

(End of this chapter)