"I'm honored, and I hope that I, who don't have much experience in leading troops, don't disgrace the group. ”

Sean made up his mind in an instant.

"Very well! You are welcome to the Honorary Officers' Corps, and I think it's a wise choice!" Frank nodded with satisfaction, he looked at the already dark sky and said, "It's not been peaceful in the city lately, so you'd better not wander outside at night." ”

Frank lowered the curtains and left in a carriage.

"According to the rules, shouldn't you find a suitable opportunity, such as an officer's wedding party, to introduce me to a large group of professional officers?"

Sean thought to himself. Maybe the head of the secret police is too busy to pay attention to this matter at the moment, or maybe Sean is thinking too much.

There has been some progress in the dignitaries' meetings, at least on the same issues for the church, but it looks like it will have to go a few more days.

In general, tax increases were inevitable, and the instinctive reaction to the thought of financial difficulties, whether it was the emperor or the executives, including the dignitaries, was to raise taxes.

The point of contention is on whose heads, and on what taxes and how much. The controversy is exacerbated by the Empire's complex tax system, such as the salt tax, which is light in one province and heavy in another, so you can't do it one-size-fits-all, with different provinces or representatives representing different groups having different interests.

The differences between Gyeonggi and other provinces, the differences between the frontier and the inland provinces, the differences between the north and the south, etc., also include the differences between the traditional aristocracy and financial capital.

The delegates formed gangs and put forward their own ideas, competing for the opportunity to speak and vote, and the Duke of Hermann was confronted with a flock of crows every day.

Leaving the venue, the delegates did not sit idle, taking advantage of the various occasions to express their opinions, and all kinds of bitter letters flew to the royal case of Carlos II.

The emperor and the nobility are supposed to be one, and when the country is in difficulty, the nobility should be the first to stand up and contribute to the country, but the reality is that the nobility always hinders the emperor's plans.

Relatively speaking, the bourgeoisie is much more pleasing to the eye.

As a scholar who has made some academic contributions to economics and finance, Sean has also received many invitations.

In addition to groups such as the Genoese Fellows, Sean, while taking time to visit Mr. Palmer, the rector of the University of Quds, received invitations to a salon organized by scholars of economics and administration, who, though powerless and powerless, were rational enough to contribute to the Empire.

Sean was keenly aware that these university-educated scholars were deeply detached from reality, believing that relying only on the power of reason could effortlessly bring about a radical and rapid revolution in the complex real society, which was clearly a precursor to a great crisis. In fact, they were unprepared.

These theoretical scholars are naturally rational, while others in the humanities are passionate.

In this context, Sean was invited to the Tulip Club, a well-known club in the Holy City, to give a talk on his self-proposed "Our Future".

His audience ranged from homemakers, dramatists, painters and musicians to journalists and political critics. They are more free and active in their thinking than the scholars in the university who share their ideals, even extreme, and you can call this enthusiasm.

Of course, some aristocrats and administrators also came here, and they shared a common characteristic with Sean: they were young, active, and willing to talk to liberals.

As an earl, Sean certainly had to speak from the position of the nobility, because it was politically correct.

On this fundamental principle, he stated his position, or rather, to please everyone present:

"Like it or not, hierarchy is the cornerstone of the nation, and if this cornerstone is loosened, then the country we love will cease to exist......"

"I think the Estates-General is a more appropriate form of participation in politics, and only a few provinces have implemented this system, which is generally more stable and harmonious. Expand the composition of political participants, such as scholars, lawyers, writers and other freelancers beyond the three classes, and peasants, workers, etc., whose level of education is not high enough for them to take on the responsibilities......"

"Uniform laws and principles of governance throughout the country, as well as uniform market rules and related tax decrees, are the only ways to revitalize the economy and ensure the long-term stability of the country. It has always been my idea that we must fully mobilize the conditions to revitalize the economy and make the bread of wealth bigger, so that the gap in the wealth of those who share the bread may widen, but everyone can get a little more than before......"

"The current financial difficulty is that we have not made the bread bigger, on the one hand, and we are doing everything possible to prevent it from becoming bigger......"

"The economic base determines the superstructure. The traditional form of agricultural economy determines the origin of our current political form and system, and when the emerging economy represented by the steam engine flourishes, we must change our superstructure, political system, class form and legal norms, and even our ideology and social philosophy......"

Sean's speech wasn't deafening, but it wasn't anything either. Reformers see reform, revolutionaries or radicals see revolution, and even conservatives see prudence.

Sean was labeled an "enlightened aristocrat" by the guests.

On this night at the Tulip Club, Sean gets to know not only Mrs. Bloom, who has a beautiful and mysterious background, but also Toby Salamane and Anthony Fuchs, two of the main standard-bearers of liberalism.

Sean has been following Salamane for a long time, and he has read all of the philosopher's writings. This is an energetic and charismatic person.

Sean's views are very appealing to Salaman, even though he also knows that even if Sean agrees with him, he can't completely side with him. He represented the majority of the liberal majority of the Chinese people, opposing hierarchy but fantasizing about breaking it through reform and national education.

Sean was willing to accept the invitation of this club just to get a closer look at these people.

Compared to Salaman, Fuchs is undoubtedly more radical, and his questions are blunt:

"Earl, if a nobleman and a farmer fall into the water at the same time and call for help to you passing by, who will you save first?"

People stared at Sean curiously, curious to know the answer.

Sean smiled and said, "If it's time, I'll save the one I'm most likely to save first, usually the closest offshore, whether he's a nobleman or a farmer." It's sanity. ”

Fuchs shrugged and said, "Obviously the Count is a man who respects life, if one day, I mean, if one day, the people think that the privileges of the nobility should be abolished, how will you, as a member of the aristocracy, deal with it?"

Faced with Furks's aggressive eyes, Sean said calmly:

"Then I respect the choice of the people, but I will also pray for the people, because I fear that they will face a new class of oppression after overthrowing a class that they think oppresses them. The people always follow blindly, and at this time they may think that it is better to be the old nobles. ”

"Your Excellency is a bit hypocritical, enjoying privileges while talking about the separation of powers and democracy. At the end of the day, you still can't let go of the veneer of privilege. Fuchs said unceremoniously.

"Dear Mr. Fuchs, if I am not a nobleman, then I am at least a rich man. There is still a huge gulf between me and the peasants and the workers, you have to admit that! And in the world you have constructed, is there absolute equality? In my opinion, the state is the instrument of class rule, no matter which ruling class it is!" Sean raised his voice, "Guys, in essence, is there a difference between the ruling classes?"

No one on the floor could answer.

Salamatan laughed: "I think there should be a parliament that represents the broadest strata from the Holy City to the localities, and the country should not be controlled by a few people and let them do whatever they want." ”

"When someone objects, move them away like a stumbling block. Fuchks added.

"Maybe after you remove a stumbling block, you'll come across a big mountain. Sean said.

In fact, inwardly Sean agrees with most of these people's views, but his identity dictates that he must remain silent. But on closer inspection, Sean was a little disappointed with these people.

Because they're all well-dressed, they don't need to bury their heads in the fields, they don't need to look over the machines, they want to overturn the inequalities they need to look up to, and they automatically ignore the inequalities that they need to look down to see.

Less than an hour after Sean left the club, a list was on Joseph Frank's table.

Here's the Tulip Club guest list tonight, along with the words and deeds of the main characters. The Tulip Club has long been in the sights of him, the head of the secret police, and in the current situation, he pays more attention to the words and deeds of those key people.

Although he had always looked down on the so-called liberals, whom he considered to be more successful than successful, the burning down of the Cathedral of the Holy City encouraged them and tarnished the Franks' position in the eyes of the Emperor.

The liberals were also secretly agitating among those who were in the midst of the agitation, although they were also convinced that there were also bloodthirsty and traitorous elements.

He crossed Sean's name off the list with a red ink pen and handed it to his lieutenant.

"Follow the list tonight, don't miss one!" Frank ordered.

At this time, his subordinate Captain Smith hurriedly barged in without being informed, looking very flustered:

"Colonel, Duke Darnell is assassinated!"

"What are you talking about?" Frank stood up, his face very ugly.