Gao Wen sat at the head of the conference table, relaxed his body and leaned against the high chair back, and watched the expressions on the faces of every southern nobleman at the scene with a smile.

Everyone's reaction was fully visible, and no one's reaction was beyond his expectations.

Confusion, shock, silence, resistance, a little thought, and the anger of a few people.

These nobles themselves were actually useless. Their rule had collapsed. After losing their land and army, these nobles who walked out of the castle became useless. Putting them in a cell could only consume food, and sending them to labor would not create much wealth. Gao Wen did not think that simple labor and educational transformation could make any fundamental changes in these stubborn and slow people, so he did not care about the attitudes of these people and their own wishes.

But the "added value" of these nobles besides themselves is useful.

To establish a new order in the rigid and backward old order, the most likely problem for pioneers to encounter is the stubbornness and counterattack of the old order.

Although it is difficult to change customs among the lower class, in this social context close to the medieval period, the people were numb and had no freedom. At most, they would only appear slow to respond to orders due to their own numbness and ignorance, but would never refuse the lord's orders. Therefore, although it is difficult to change customs and promote education, it is more of a matter of time cost. In contrast, the "system" left by the old nobles is the biggest difficulty.

The "scholar group" and "residents" born under the aristocratic system rely on the employment of the old aristocrats, or simply the extrajudicial mercenaries (legal extraordinary robbers) composed of the illegitimate children and adopted children of the old aristocrats, as well as the exile knights and oath knights who left after the collapse of the old aristocrats. These groups that are destined to be affected or have been affected in the process of the change of the old and new orders are the biggest obstacles in the process of social transformation. The failure of these people is enough to cause huge trouble to the new government affairs department, not to mention that some of them have even become violent factors that directly threaten the security of the territory.

Gao Wen knew that he was lucky. Compared with many pioneers who tried to establish a new order, his greatest advantage is that he was not only the founder of the new order, but also represented the highest authority of the old order. As one of the founders of the Ansu Kingdom, he had sufficient "legal justice" to formulate the norms of social operation. Even if someone questioned this, he did not have to care about it at all.

Since he knew this, he certainly wanted to maximize his "justice" in law. He wanted to deprive and transfer the ownership of the old nobles in a way that conforms to the law, and use the "justice claim" of these old nobles to complete the smooth transition of the system, so as to minimize the counterattack of the old order or, in other words, their excuses for counterattack.

Gauwen could despise the rules and order of the old aristocratic system, but since people of this era recognized it, he could also use these rules and orders without any pressure, as long as they could exert enough value.

"Ladies and gentlemen, these documents are not that difficult to understand," Gao Wen estimated the time, and when he saw that there were already nobles unable to control themselves and wanted to speak, he broke his silence. "If you understand, sign it."

"Duke...Duke," a slightly fat middle-aged man finally couldn't help but stand up first, "Are you serious about the contents of these documents?"

"Of course," Gao Wen nodded, "What about?"

Then he slowly stood up, his eyes swept across everyone's face, and said slowly: "... except for the preservation of the castle, all land and property attached to the land belong to the principality; all old privileges including taxation, legislation, recruitment of troops are abolished, and all power belongs to the Department of Government; unified laws and abolish all old private laws... I have already written these clearly."

"Sir, we are willing to swear allegiance to you, but these things... can these things be negotiated?" Another nobleman stood up with courage. "This is almost a complete subversion of order. Even for your authority, you should think more about it..."

They at least learned awe and humility, but they obviously haven't figured out the situation yet.

"I think you made a mistake," Gao Wen's face had almost no expression changed, but just quietly stated the facts. "The things written in these documents have actually been implemented. As early as the day when the war ended, you had lost your land and property. The things you wanted to keep were no longer in your hands. So I was not here to discuss with you today, I just inform you formally."

The nobles in the southern border in the hall were in agitation, and the life of prison for dozens of days could not completely wipe out the thoughts in their hearts. Therefore, when these thoughts collapsed, even if there were a circle of guards standing around the hall, even if there were rulers in the southern border in front of them, they couldn't help but start to whisper.

However, Gao Wen just watched quietly, waiting for the discussions of these people to calm down.

They finally calmed down, and Gao Wencai continued: "Sometimes, it is more important to recognize reality than to strive for things that you will never get. Sign this document and you can live at least with decent life. Your title of ‘noble’ is still preserved. You can also rely on annuity to maintain food and clothing, and even maintain a wealthier life. If you can open your eyes to see the people who are unable to eat and hunger and cold under your rule, you will know how lucky you are. You have made a big mistake but are still so comfortable and comfortable. What else is there to be dissatisfied with?"

On both sides of the long table, everyone's face became entangled and embarrassed. Some frowned and thoughtful, some wanted to speak but stopped. Finally, someone could not control it. A middle-aged man with a sallow face and deep eye sockets stood up: "Please forgive me for not accepting the Duke, please forgive me for not accepting it! I refuse to sign, even if you have to sacrifice your life for it, you cannot destroy our traditions and laws like this!"

While speaking, the middle-aged man looked around him, and his emotions seemed very excited: "Everyone, we have experienced the most difficult days. We have nothing to lose. Glory is our only thing left. I...I would rather bring it into the coffin..."

Gao Wen looked at the middle-aged man's venting behavior and the various reactions of the nobles on both sides of the long table after hearing these remarks. This was also expected by him: the nobles had a special way of thinking. They could run away when the artillery fire fell, and they could give up the castle and the people without hesitation when the sword was about to come. However, sometimes when it comes to the so-called "glorious bloodline and surname", these backboneless guys stood up instead. This behavior pattern that seemed to be schizophrenia was difficult for outsiders to understand, but it was very consistent with the background of this era.

"Vissue Wien Snape, I hope I did not call you wrong."

Gao Wen suddenly interrupted the middle-aged man's passionate statement. The nobles who had already become turbulent again also calmed down. They looked in Gao Wen in unison, and the latter waved to the side an official of the Government Affairs Department immediately left the room. After a moment, the Government Affairs Department official returned to the conference hall, holding a small metal safe box in his hand.

Gao Wen opened the safe box and took out the ancient documents from it. This document was written in enchanted parchment. Even the copy version had a history of hundreds of years. If it were not for the protection of magic power, it would have been weathered and worn out to the point where it could not be read.

While opening the document, Gao Wen said casually: "Mr. Viscount, it looks familiar, right? I believe that there are similar things in your homes, preserved in the deepest part of your castle to prove the legitimacy of your titles and fiefs, and prove the ancient and orthodox of your surnames, such as this one.

"Wynsnape, Snape family, viscount, and aristocrat in the southern border, was divided into the Spencer family in 476 in Ansu and obtained the surname; Spencer family, earl, and aristocrat in the Holy Spirit Plain, began with the ancestor Maximilan Spencer; Maximilan Spencer, the Knight Lord, Earl, and the Knight of Gowenceir, was granted in the month of the harvest of Ansu's first year. The original territory is located on the west side of the Ash Mountain in the southern border. Later, due to the influence of the demon tide, the fief moved to the south of the Holy Spirit Plain..."

"Then, this is another document," Gao Wen said, taking out an older, more fragile parchment paper from the safe box, which was so old that the protective magic that acted on it was almost ineffective, and the old parchment had been severely weathered and corroded, "The enthronement of Maximilan Spencer is of course a copy."

Gao Wen raised his head and quietly looked at the middle-aged nobleman by the long table.

"Mr. Wayne Snape, who's the signature at the end of this document?"

No one could predict this incredible situation in advance. Even though Gao Wen had been resurrected for so long, the nobleman named Wayne Snape did not associate the document hidden deep in the family castle that he would take out and take a look when the heirs obtained the title and the "living person" in front of him. This has nothing to do with wisdom, but the limitation of the direction of thinking, so he could only stutter now: "Duke...Duke..."

"Mr. Wayne Snape, you ask for tradition and law, then I give you tradition and law Maximilan Spencer is a smart and motivated young man, and I regret to see that one of his heirs could not bear his glory and merits to protect the reputation of his followers is the duty of the master, and for this, I have to deprive your noble title."

Wayne Snape widened his eyes, opening his mouth like a suffocating fish on the shore. In the blow to the weakness, he heard a sentence from Gowen Cecil in a daze: "...Mr. Snape, you can leave now."

The hall became as quiet as death. Gao Wen looked at the result with satisfaction that the right medicine was always the most efficient solution. Using the aristocrats' biggest weakness to attack them is far more effective than any reason or debate.

For them, deprivation of the title is more terrible than death.

Of course, the reason he could do this was because he first mastered the crushing force, and used force to force these people to sit at the negotiating table, otherwise even if he held the enthronement documents of every nobleman in the country, what he said would not be useful.

"Everyone, I don't want to do this," said Gao Wen, after re-sealing the document, slightly raised his voice, "I hope to let everyone sign it smoothly in a harmonious atmosphere, so I have to emphasize here that the titles and surnames of everyone present will eventually fall under the names of Charles Moen and the Duke of the Fourth Realm. As the founding king and Duke of the Fourth Realm, I can deprive each of you of the noble titles. Even if the enthronement documents of your ancestors were not my signature, I am also a witness of the enthronement ceremony seven hundred years ago. I can question whether each of you is qualified to inherit your surname as a witness."

Gao Wen didn't say the following words, but his meaning was already very clear:

He could question whether the title of everyone here is compliant, and if anyone wants to object...unless Charlie Moen and three other founding dukes crawl out of the coffin.

Don’t the nobles in the southern border want tradition and laws?

This is Ansu's tradition and law.
Chapter completed!