After Soren's deep and dignified speech, the entire hall seemed to be frozen, falling into a silence that lasted for more than ten seconds.
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A kind of indescribable solemnity permeated the air, and everyone's heartbeat seemed to echo in this quiet space.
No one dared to break the silence, and no one dared to stand up and admit their mistakes.
Soren's lips curled into an unfathomable smile, and he spoke slowly, his voice carrying a hint of playfulness and temptation: "Mister, if you can provide information about others involved in the population looting activities, I might consider granting a reduced sentence."
Before he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the entire hall instantly became tense.
Mister had just raised his head, seemingly still hesitating, when he suddenly heard an urgent voice break the deadlock: "Your Highness, I am willing to confess!"
A figure jumped out from the crowd, his face full of fear and unease.
Soren's smile deepened, his eyes as sharp as a hawk's, sweeping over everyone in the hall,
as if assessing their reactions.
Seeing someone take the lead in confessing, the other involved lords knew that they could no longer continue to hide.
They knew very well that such crimes were difficult to conceal. With a little investigation of the looted villages and their routes, the truth would be revealed to the world.
Now, leniency for confession is the best policy; resisting to the end is the most unworthy.
"Come, come, confess yourselves. Where are those villages you plundered hidden?" Soren asked leisurely, a smile on his lips.
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly struck. The sword at his waist was instantly drawn, splitting the table next to him in half with a single strike. The blade was sharp, and sawdust flew everywhere.
"Don't forget, what is the purpose of the empire enfeoffing lords and nobles?" He looked around at everyone, his eyes like torches.
"What you are doing now is completely contrary to the original intention of the empire's enfeoffment of nobles." Soren's voice was low and powerful, echoing in the hall, making people feel frightened.
The purpose of the empire's enfeoffment system was for the emperor to gain the support and obedience of nobles and knights by granting land, for nobles and knights to gain the protection and recognition of the king by bearing the land, and for peasants to gain the protection and security of knights by cultivating the land.
This system formed a pyramidal power structure in feudal society, creating a certain connection and balance between the various classes, and giving society a certain unity and stability.
Now, these nobles are beginning to use their status to plunder civilians, turning freemen into serfs. In the long run, the empire will lose its largest taxpayer group, 'freemen,' which is not conducive to the empire's development.
The greed and shortsightedness of the nobles have become a heavy shackle on the empire's development. No wonder Soren will eventually become a tyrant in the game.
His goal is very simple: to abolish the noble enfeoffment system and complete the central group.
Prime Minister Robert coughed lightly and walked steadily to Soren's side. He knew in his heart where Soren's anger came from.
"Your Highness!" he said calmly. "Since the six people involved have all surrendered, let's judge them according to the laws of the empire."
Soren silently sheathed his sword, signaling Prime Minister Robert to continue to uphold justice.
Prime Minister Robert knew very well that Soren was furious at the moment. If he dared to show favoritism to these lords and give them a lighter sentence, he would undoubtedly anger the crown prince.
Moreover, such incidents must not be allowed to start, otherwise it would be more harmful than good for the long-term development of the Northwest. In order to curb this bad trend, the only way is to impose severe penalties.
"According to the laws of the empire, anyone who loots more than ten people of the empire's population will be sentenced to ten years in prison," Robert's voice echoed in the hall, with an unquestionable majesty. "And according to the Imperial Noble Regulations, you can choose to reduce your sentence with a ransom of 1,000 gold coins per person."
As soon as these words came out, the faces of the six people involved, including Mister, changed drastically, as pale as paper.
They seemed to be heavily struck by this cold legal judgment, and the fluke in their hearts instantly vanished.
Taking Mister as an example, he looted a total of five hundred people, including forty innocent elderly people who died.
At this moment, his eyes met Mister's, and their gazes collided in the air, as if sparking an invisible fire.
"Oh?" Soren's face suddenly darkened, his eyes staring at Karim as sharp as a knife. "What do you object to?"
Karim Vella, this noble who relied on his status, relying on the fact that he was still a cousin of Soren, did not back down at this moment. ("Your Highness, we only captured mountain villagers. They are not registered citizens of the empire. What is wrong with us?" There was a hint of provocation in his tone.
Soren smiled coldly when he heard this, and that smile revealed an unquestionable majesty. "Cousin Karim, have you ever heard the allusion of 'killing the chicken to scare the monkey'?"
When Karim heard Soren call himself cousin, the corners of his lips couldn't help but curl up slightly, revealing a hint of pride.
However, when he heard the four words "killing the chicken to scare the monkey," he couldn't help but frown. "What is the allusion of the chicken and the monkey?" he asked doubtfully.
Soren began to slowly tell the ancient allusion, his voice deep and powerful, as if he wanted to engrave every word into Karim's heart.
"In ancient times, a farmer killed a chicken in front of a monkey and other chickens to stop them from stealing food. From then on, they never dared to steal food again. This is the allusion of 'killing the chicken to scare the monkey'."
Karim's expression gradually changed from doubt to confusion as he listened to Soren's story. Obviously, he still didn't understand Soren's meaning.
But Mister and the others instantly understood. They understood that His Highness the Crown Prince was preparing to use them to kill the chicken to scare the monkey.
"Your Highness, we know we were wrong, we are willing to accept the punishment."
Mister and the other four agreed to plead guilty, which made Karim very angry.
Prime Minister Robert covered his forehead slightly. No wonder the Vella family wanted to send Karim to the Northwest. This guy is really stupid.
"Cousin Karim, are you willing to plead guilty?" Soren asked again.
"I am not guilty! I object!" Karim was not favored in the family, not to mention that the territory he was granted this time was only a barony, and he had looted the most people, a full thousand. Even if the fine was halved,
he still couldn't afford it now. Did he still want to develop the territory?
