Chapter 250: The Leader in Swain's Eyes
There are different forms of benzoin, and some are good and some are bad.
Industrial development is relatively advanced and in the right historical period it has a driving and promoting effect on the development of productivity.
Financial seed benzene can promote industrial development through investment, which has certain positive significance. But the side effects and harms are also more terrifying.
In the past, Piltover was based on industry and supplemented by finance, so it naturally developed smoothly and prosperously.
But ever since Camille led the Noxian army into Piltover, Piltover has ushered in an extremely lame form of seed benzene - comprador seed benzene.
Comprador merchants are completely dependent on foreign forces. They only appear to be independent, but in reality they are the extension of imperialism in Piltover and the economic vassal of the Noxian nobles.
They don't want or need the people of Piltover to live a good life.
They only need to please their masters and maintain Noxus' economic control over Piltover to make a fortune.
And now...
It's not even the comprador Ziben who controls Piltover, but the international colonial Ziben from the Noxian Empire.
To put it bluntly, the people of Piltover have in fact become slaves of a conquered nation and second-class citizens of the Noxian Empire.
Therefore, in addition to the class oppression they had to bear, there was an additional layer of national oppression from Noxus.
It’s not that Piltover doesn’t have the money to save the market now.
The Sungate Canal works like a money printing machine every day, "creating" gold coins out of thin air endlessly.
The constant flow of seafaring merchants also injected new vitality into the city of Piltover through their constant flow of consumption and supplies.
But the problem is that the bulk of these revenues... were all taken away by the Noxian colonial ruling group represented by Amistan.
"How much did you take? Sixty percent, or seventy percent?"
Swain frowned as he heard this and couldn't help but ask about Amystan.
"Well..." Amystan was a little embarrassed.
In fact, not only the Piltover Ziben family wanted to run away, she also wanted to run away.
She asked her superiors to send Swain to take over, and generously gave up the position of "Governor of Piltover". Wasn't it just to make it easier for her to escape in the future?
So the question is: if she wants to run away, how can she have the motivation to improve Piltover's economy?
"I'm not sure about the exact proportion..." said Amystan.
In fact, she really didn't know. She didn't know if it was 80%, 90%, or more.
She only knew that she took all she could. Apart from the most basic expenses to maintain the operation of Piltover's municipal government, she did not leave any money for the people of Piltover.
Colonial governors elsewhere managed their colonies in a sustainable, exhausting way.
Amystan is fine.
She almost dug out a piece of fish from the fish pond and packed it up to take home.
“Amistan!” Swain was extremely dissatisfied: “Don’t forget that Piltover is also an important territory that is indispensable to the Empire - be more restrained in what you do!”
The most different thing about Noxus from other countries is its terrifying assimilation ability.
More than 900 years ago, it was just a small country huddled on the Roxy Plain. 900 years later, it spanned thousands of miles, encompassed the world, had a million-strong army and hundreds of millions of subjects.
Countless city-states defeated by Noxus were quickly integrated into the empire after being occupied.
And those indigenous people who originally hated the empire could be transformed into the purest Noxian .
All this is because the empire never treated the newly occupied lands as colonies to be exploited blindly, but while exploiting them, it also regarded them as its own land to be cultivated and developed.
Therefore, the territory of Noxus will become larger and larger, there will be more and more talents, and the national strength will become stronger and stronger.
"Noxus should treat all newcomers equally. This is the foundation of the empire's strength!"
"Amistan, you only want to plunder and not build. You are not even willing to maintain the most basic economic order . You are basically helping the Wind Leader to seize Piltover!"
Swain was outspoken in his criticism.
He was actually a little annoyed.
With a powerful enemy in front of them, they did not think about actively preparing for war, stabilizing people's hearts, or maintaining order. Instead, they only thought about desperately putting money in their own pockets before the building collapsed.
How can we build a good empire with such insects?
But Amystan smiled and replied: "General Swain, your criticism is absolutely correct!"
"I also think that I am not capable of governing Piltover. Please explain the situation to His Majesty and transfer me away from here as soon as possible."
Swain: “…”
Yes, that's it - being a parasite without any shame, he will rush to the front when there is benefit, and retreat thousands of miles when there is danger.
That is why he hated the old aristocracy.
Swain finally gave Amistan a cold look and ignored him.
He remained silent and continued to look at the scenery outside the window.
But the scenery outside the window is more or less the same, just a desolate scene, and it’s boring to look at it too much.
There were still a few minutes' drive to Zaun, so Swain simply took out a booklet from his pocket and started reading it to kill time.
"This..." Amystan's pupils shrank slightly.
Because she clearly saw that the book Swain was reading was "A Brief Account of Janna's Thought" written by Levi.
"Do you also read the leader's book?"
“It never hurts to know more about your enemy,” Swain replied calmly.
"But some of the content on it is very sensitive." Amystan said in a subtle tone.
Swain was not shy about it: "You mean the article "Why Noxus Fights" and "Who Can Save Noxus?"
These two articles may be fine for most people, but they are too sensitive for Swain.
Because Levi made a prediction in those two articles:
He predicted that as the war was lost and conflicts accumulated, a bloody coup led by the new military aristocracy against the old aristocratic families would sooner or later break out in Noxus.
So, here comes the question…
Who is the new military nobility faction representative within the Empire now? Swain.
These two articles are clearly predicting that Swain will rebel in the future.
“Heh.” Swain did not explain, but just laughed calmly: “Amistan, Levi’s prophecy may come true. But the protagonist of that prophecy will definitely not be me.”
"..." Amystan glanced at Swain's old and sick face and nodded secretly.
Indeed... Swain already has one leg halfway into the grave, and he probably doesn't have the ability to do such a big thing.
“And Levi also said it in his article.” Swain raised the pamphlet again: “Even if the upstarts succeed in their coup, they can’t save Noxus.”
"The only ones who can save Noxus are the Wind Leaders, the millions of mortals armed with Janna's thoughts."
This last sentence was not written in the original text; it was the answer that Swain figured out himself.
This actually frightened Amystan: "How can you say such a thing..."
Noxus has always been the world of the extraordinary and the strong. When will it be the turn of mortals and the weak to save it?
These words coming out of Swain's mouth are even more terrifying than if he had said "I want to rebel".
Could this old man suddenly go crazy and run off to join Janna?
Amystan's face was filled with horror.
"Don't worry." Swain just glanced at her coldly: "I'm not so stupid that I don't even know where I sit."
"The more correct the Windleaders' theories are, the more dangerous they are to the Empire."
As he spoke, Swain's gaze fell solemnly back on the book "A Brief Account of Janna's Thought".
After understanding Janna's thoughts, smart people generally have only two reactions - either extreme disgust or extreme agreement.
Swain is special.
His brain agreed very much with the leader's theory, but his butt strongly disagreed.
Because he is the representative of the empire's new military aristocracy, his base is his students and former subordinates in the army, and the new generation of generals who call him teacher.
When facing the old aristocratic families of the empire, he and his students were progressive and excellent.
But for the leaders... I'm sorry, no matter they are the new aristocracy or the old aristocracy, they are all reactionary and backward privileged classes and should be swept into the dustbin of history.
The mortal masses armed with Janna's thoughts are the real protagonists of the future world.
Levi didn't say this directly in the article, but Swain understood it.
It was because he understood this that he was extremely wary of the leader.
"I can't possibly stand with them. Absolutely not." Swain seemed to be expressing his opinion to Amystan, but also seemed to be expressing his helplessness to himself:
His theory of confirmation can lead the way.
But if he really stands on the side of the leader, he has to break with his past.
Those students and subordinates who admired and followed him would certainly turn against him and make peace with the old aristocratic families of the empire.
By then, he would not only be facing Darkwill and the Black Rose, but the entire alliance of new and old nobles - that is, the entire Noxus Empire.
Isn't that tantamount to betraying his own country?
In particular, Swain still had no idea how big the Wind Leader's ambitions were.
If these Zaun people really succeed in controlling Noxus, then in a sense, would Noxus be...
The country was destroyed?
These two words were like a drop of medicated oil, deeply hurting Swain's nerves.
Unconsciously, he deformed the booklet in his hand: "No, I will never allow them to do this!"
