It doesn't matter what the lord is.

"Filin... Sir?"

The young man named Filin nodded, and the shopkeeper immediately perked up and pulled out a drawer to find a superior room for him, but Filin had already turned around and left. He didn't even bring a servant with him, and he dragged a box of luggage over by himself, looking a little tired.

The shopkeeper was at a loss for words. Who would have thought that a new upstart in Yunyang's officialdom would stay at an ordinary inn alone at night? When he looked up, he saw Griffa also staring at Filin's back in a daze. The shopkeeper was immediately furious and scolded in a low voice:

"Hey, what are you doing standing there? Go help the adults move their luggage."

Griffa responded and walked over there, but in fact he walked very slowly because he knew that Filin had no use for him. Sure enough, before he took two steps, Filin turned around and said to the shopkeeper:

"No. I will be staying here during this period. Someone will come here for an interview every day. Other than that, I don't need anyone to bother me. I will make my own bed and eat out for three meals a day. I will come here every night to settle the room fee for the day, and that's about it."

Griffa stood there, and after Filin went upstairs, the shopkeeper waved his hand at him and said unhappily:

"Still standing there? Go away and do your work."

Griffa continued to clean his table. The next day at noon, the shopkeeper found Griffa who was doing the accounting again and asked him to send a food box carefully made by the kitchen upstairs. Today, many young men and women from aristocratic families came for interviews. Their parents naturally regarded this as the hope of the family's revival, so they waited at the door of the inn early in the morning. Feilin had ordered not to enter the inn to disturb them, so they directly surrounded the door of the inn and stared at the inside eagerly.

By noon, many people could no longer wait and began to bribe the shopkeeper with large sums of money. The shopkeeper took the money and recalled the discussion he heard yesterday when he was watching the Talent Recruitment Order with the crowd. He knew that this recruitment of talents was probably just a formality, so he comforted the gentlemen outside with confidence:

"You are all talented and will surely be favored by Lord Feilin, so don't worry. It's just noon now, I'll have someone send a lunch box upstairs and take the opportunity to check out the situation upstairs..."

The shopkeeper naturally didn't dare to go up himself, so he threw this thankless job to Griffa.

Griffa took the lunch box and walked to the second floor. Just as he was about to knock on the door, he suddenly heard Filin's angry growl from inside the door:

"Useless! How dare you call yourself a scholar with your level?"

"The people can be led to follow a course, but not to know it. You claim to have studied the art of governing the country and benefiting the people for ten years, and this is what you say to me? Do you know that all the food, clothing and daily expenses you have used over the years have been taken from the people, and all of them are the fat and blood of the people! They feed your family, but in the end all you want to do is to enslave them like pigs and make them lose their blood completely? Is this your policy for governing the local area?!"

The scholar inside the door argued:

"We are a family of scholars, how can we allow ourselves to be slandered like this... The knowledge my father taught us, the principles passed down for thousands of years, naturally have their subtleties. My lord, you know that the lectures my father opened are also very famous in Xiyuan City. No one in the literati dares to talk to us like this-"

Feilin shouted again:

"I don't care who your father is. What does it have to do with me? Even if your father came today, I would still have the same attitude! If you can't teach, don't teach. What's the point of learning to teach others and teaching a weird idiot like you? You will not be hired. Get out!"

The door opened, and a well-dressed scholar left dejectedly.

Griffa stood at the door holding a lunch box, and for the first time he looked carefully at Filin's appearance. Filin was just over twenty years old, but he looked older, and he had grown a beard, which gave him the impression that he was at least twenty-five years old. Perhaps it was because he had just lost his temper, but Filin's beard and hair stood on end, his chest rose and fell violently, his cheeks with prominent cheekbones were full of gloom, and his aura was like a storm on the sea.

When he saw Griffa, he said coldly:

"What?"

Griffa swallowed his saliva and replied:

"The shopkeeper told me to bring lunch to the master."

Feilin took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, drank a sip of the coarse tea he brought from the table, and muttered to himself:

"I see, it's time to eat... You can go now, I can't afford your expensive meal."

Griffa thought for a moment and said:

"Judging from the attitude of the shopkeeper, it's probably free."

Filin slammed the table so hard that the teacup lid jumped up, startling everyone present.

Feilin stared at Griffa and said coldly:

"If it was an ordinary refugee who came to your store to stay overnight, would you also give him food? Take it!"

Griffa turned 180 degrees and went back downstairs. The shopkeeper saw that he was still holding the food box and asked:

"Why did you bring it back again? Where's Master Filin?"

Griffa shook his head and gave a brief description of the above situation. The shopkeeper was shocked, and then sat down on the chair, holding his head and said:

"Oh... what should I do? There was no official in the past who didn't covet things. Lord Filin clearly has something against me and blames me for my attitude in receiving him yesterday! Griffa, tell me, what should I do?"

Griffa pretended to think for a moment and replied:

"I don't think Lord Feilin is blaming the shopkeeper. Under the new policy of Yunyang, Prime Minister He Yue has clearly stated that officials are not allowed to accept bribes privately. If more than a hundred people jointly report it, Lingyun City will directly send people to investigate. Lord Feilin is a newcomer in Yunyang's political arena, so he will definitely not give people a chance to criticize him at this time. It is normal for him not to accept it."

The shopkeeper sighed and said:

"Anyway, when no one is around at night, go up and deliver it again... and ask Pea to help Master Filin clean the house. Alas, I thought it was a great thing, but I didn't expect it to turn out like this."

Griffa didn't respond. After putting the food box on the counter, he walked around the shopkeeper and continued to calculate his bill.

There was a hustle and bustle outside the door, but it was completely silent inside. He stayed alone in the corner, and no one noticed him. Just like countless little people living at the bottom of the society, these trivial tasks in front of him would probably run through Griffa's life. This was his eternal and irresistible fate.

7. Manage the purse strings for the people of the world

In the evening, Griffa went upstairs again to deliver the meal, and as expected, he was rejected by Filin again.

Even Pea, who went upstairs to clean, was driven out of the room by Film. He stood at the door with a wronged look on his face, cleaning the rest of the corridor with a broom in his hand.

Feilin stayed in the inn for three days in a row, and his life was extremely regular. He got up at seven o'clock every morning, went out for a morning run, and then bought two buns to eat. In the morning, he tested the talents who came to the interview, and he was often dizzy and angry. He went out to relieve his anger at noon, and bought a burrito when he came back. In the afternoon, he continued to test the talents who came to the interview, and he was dizzy and angry again, and even couldn't eat dinner because of anger.

He is a man who doesn't know what politeness is. He speaks as if he is going to war and often rolls up his sleeves as if he is ready to fight.

By the third night, the interviews were almost over, and only three people were able to catch Feilin's eye. Moreover, these three people were basically just qualified, and were almost able to serve as local officials. Feilin gave them letters of introduction on the spot and sent them away.

After the room was empty, Feilin swallowed a mouthful of hot coarse tea and slowly exhaled. His tea was wild tea that he made by sun-drying himself, and a large bag of it could be bought for a few copper coins on the market. It basically had no tea aroma, but it did have a certain refreshing effect, so Feilin always put a handful of it in his bag and could drink it for several days at a time.

He remembered that before this trip, He Yue once said to him with a smile:

——"We are still very short of people here. It would be great if you could bring some talented people with you to help me share some of the pressure."

When he was at Yuxi Academy, Feilin's favorite course was the political economy class that Heyue taught part-time. Although he and Heyue were two different people at heart, both of them were working towards the same goal: all living beings suffer, so something must be done for them.

He Yue is very good at dealing with people, but Fei Lin is like a sharp sword. After being promoted to the center of power, Fei Lin offended many people because of his aggressive words, and many colleagues suggested that he be transferred back to the local area. But He Yue insisted on keeping him. Fei Lin was grateful to this boss who smiled modestly and acted decisively. He knew that He Yue would stay up until late at night every day, so he really wanted to discover a few talents during this inspection so that He Yue could relax a little.

It's just that the ideal is very plump, but the reality is very skinny.

The last time Griffa saw Filin, he was packing up in the house. Maybe because there was no one else around, Filin's tone softened a little, and he was talking to Pea standing at the door:

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble the other day. Cleaning the house is your responsibility, but I'm not used to having others help me clean. I was a little overstepping my bounds in this matter."

Pea held the broom and said in a panic:

"No...if you want to clean it yourself...you can clean it yourself...you don't have to apologize."

Filin packed up his mess and looked like he was ready to leave. Griffin walked over to Pea and asked:

"Are you leaving tonight, sir?"

Feilin nodded and replied:

"It's better to leave at night. We can save twenty copper coins. Hire a carriage, sleep in it, and arrive at the next place tomorrow night."

Griffa nodded and said nothing. He felt that these were not topics he should care about. At this time, Filin tensed his face, pointed at Pea, and said to Griffa:

"When I lived here, I heard people say that her fiancé died in the war and that she was treated unfairly afterwards. This kind of thing is not easy for even the local officials to deal with, and I can't say much. But when I was in Yuxi City, I heard the city lord give a lecture in person. He said that fate exists, but it is not unbreakable. Humans should have unlimited possibilities. You have a good relationship with her, so you should help her more, and don't do that... just flirt with her but don't marry her."

Pea's face turned red instantly.

Griffa nodded reluctantly, but his mind was not on this.

He had actually thought a lot about Pea before. He had also asked Pea's mother without telling her, but she refused without hesitation. All the male members of Pea's family died in the war, and the daughter had to take on the responsibility of supporting her mother at this stage. Pea's mother hoped that the man who married Pea could at least prepare a dowry, otherwise her daughter would be like water spilled after she got married, and she would lose her source of income.

But Griffa was just an apprentice accountant. This amount of money was nothing to people from wealthy families, but it was still out of reach for him. So when Griffa was doing the accounts, he often thought that many things might have been decided long ago, like his life experience, the upper limit of what he could achieve in this life, and his relationship with Pea.

Feilin carried his bag, went downstairs, and prepared to say goodbye and leave.

At this moment, Griffa, who was following, suddenly shouted to Filin's back:

"Are you in need of someone to settle accounts?"

The shopkeeper was startled, grabbed Feilin's arm, and shouted in a panic:

"What are you talking about? Why don't you apologize to Master Feilin?"

Feilin turned around, his eyes returned to their usual cold look, and he said in a deep voice:

"What kind of accounts can you settle?"

Griffa opened his mouth, clenched his teeth, and for the first time in his life he boasted:

"To settle the accounts of the world."

Filin stared at him for a while and walked to the counter.

The shopkeeper sat down on the chair and waved his hands hurriedly:

"It's none of my business, it's really none of my business... He's just a lunatic, don't bother with him..."

Feilin once again took out the rag bag from his bosom, opened it, counted out twenty copper coins and placed them on the counter, saying:

"Then I'll stay one more night."

After he finished speaking, he turned his head to look at Griffin and said coldly:

"I don't like people who only talk big and empty words, especially when I paid twenty copper coins in advance. Come upstairs. You are the last person I will interview. I want to hear what you have to say."

After saying this, Feilin returned to his room carrying the package.

Griffa wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, opened the account book, took out a few draft papers from the last page, and put them together with the ones hidden in his clothes. Then he took a deep breath and followed. The shopkeeper finally calmed down, watched Griffa's back disappear, spat, and said:

"A poor boy who has never seen the world, just daydreaming all day long..."

Halfway through his scolding, the shopkeeper saw Wandouzi staring upstairs absentmindedly, so he immediately slammed the table and found an excuse to continue scolding:

"What are you looking at? What are you looking at! Go to work! Look at you guys, you are not diligent at all. What's the point of keeping you?"

8. Sell equity and raise funds

There was no wind, no rain, no stars, and no moon that night.

A candle was lit in the room, and Griffa's voice slowly rang out:

"Since you have visited Yunyang and observed the people, you should know one thing. People are different. Some are born smart, while others are dull; some are hardworking and reliable, while others are idle; some are born adventurous, while others are naturally conservative. Everyone is different, and their upper and lower limits are different."

Philin nodded:

"I do agree with that. Go on."

Griffa's hand holding the draft paper trembled slightly, and he continued:

"So, to make everyone in the world live better, it is definitely not to let everyone get the same things. I have seen the precedent of your governance of Huanghua Village, and I ask myself, I don't have the courage of yours. But I have to say that although the method you use is effective, it is equivalent to pushing all the nobles to the opposite side of us, which is not a long-term solution."

Feilin raised his eyebrows and said coldly:

"Those nobles have plundered the people's wealth, causing the common people to suffer from hunger and cold, with almost no place to live! Are they still right?"

Griffa shook his head and said:

"Right and wrong are not for us to judge. Your Excellency might as well think about it. Even if all the money in the world is collected and distributed equally, over time, some people will gradually become rich and some will gradually become poor. I think the new policy currently implemented by the Prime Minister and what Lord Feilin is doing are to allow poor people to have the possibility of soaring to the sky, so as to break the class division that is gradually taking shape in Yunyang. But those at the top of society will always accumulate wealth and become new nobles. As long as this process is legal, we have no right to interfere."

Feilin slammed the table heavily and shouted:

"But they took too much! Will they not stop until they have completely eaten up all the people? The Lord did not promote us to make money! In every dynasty, when a country is about to fall, the people of the world suffer. Isn't this the fault of those beasts?"

Griffa tapped his fingers on the table and replied:

“Yes and no… In the end, the wealth gap between the rich and the poor widened as land annexation progressed, and the rich used all their earnings to purchase land, further exploiting the poor. They not only deprived the poor of their wealth, but also took away their land, making them lose the ability to accumulate wealth. To solve this problem, it is not enough to rely on clean governance alone. The most important thing is to solve the problem of capital flow.”

Filin stopped talking and stared at Griffa silently.

Although Griffa's way of thinking was very different from his, he could feel that Griffa had his own logic. Filin was not an unreasonable guy. Although he was as stubborn as a rock most of the time, he could still distinguish between crooked logic and the right path.

Griffa spread a few sheets of paper in front of Filin and continued:

"Please look, sir. Just this small inn has annexed more than 60 acres of land since last month. This is when Yunyang Territory is peaceful. If there is a disaster, the rich will take away a lot of land from the people at a very low price. This has happened in every dynasty. Has Lord Feilin ever thought about the reason? In my opinion, the funds of the entire Yunyang are not really flowing. All the money will eventually be converted into land, and the land will not move again."

Feilin knocked on the table and muttered to himself:

"When I was in Yuxi City, I seemed to have heard Lord He Yue talk about this... He said that we should increase different industries so that the people can have more jobs, and at the same time, we should allow merchants to sell more things and open up more trade routes..."

Griffa nodded and said:

"Yes, agriculture and textiles are the cornerstones, but manufacturing and commerce are equally important. Yuxi City has even proposed new concepts such as industry, medical care, and education. It can be foreseen that Yunyang will become more prosperous in the near future."

Feilin shook his head and said:

"There are still many flaws... Go on with your theory. How to deal with land annexation?"

Griffa replied:

"First, we need to restrict purchases through policies, which is not my area of ​​expertise. Second, we need to provide economic guidance so that the nobles have somewhere to spend their money. Currently, land is the most valuable commodity, which naturally attracts them to scramble to buy it. We can block this path, but we must give them new options."

Filin said: