“…… I'm not afraid of sacrifice, and when I was younger, I was bloodied countless times! Even today, I still take up my sword and ride my horse for the nation and for our people! But the question I'm here today is: Is it worth it for us to do these things? Before he could say a few words, Liebed Samilankovic's emotions began to stir. …… I wonder if the respected elders have carefully calculated how much blood the Cossacks shed in the centuries-long war with the Crimean Khanate? What inch of the land acquired by the Tsar in the Black Sea and the South Caucasus was not dyed bright red? But how did those high majesties repay us for their sacrifices? He stopped as he said this, and ran his eyes over the faces of everyone at the long table.

I also looked along the way, and there were indeed a few people who were infected by his emotions, but not many of them. Old Isaac muttered something to himself, but seemed to move his lips casually. Jan Bellinsky turned the conspicuous ring on his hand, smiling and not knowing what he was thinking.

"Again and again we have left our homes for the newly conquered lands of the frontier! The memorial to the heroic Cossack warriors was only a few small coins that slipped through the fingers of His Majesty and Your Excellency......" Lebed Samilankovich pressed his hands on the table. "The heroic sacrifices of the Cossacks should not be cheap, and we should no longer shed the blood of our own people for the charity of others! The last thing I want to say is, is it really necessary for us to fight for the person in front of us who we meet for the first time? ”

Some of the elders echoed, and the number of them was significantly higher than just now. Probably thinking that the effect of his creation was good, Liebed turned his head to stare at me, and shot a wolf-like gaze in his eyes.

"It is indeed the first time I have met most of you, and I understand Elder Samilankovic's concerns!" Although I was not asked this time, I could not express that I was suppressed or even weak-hearted. “…… Here I don't think it's necessary to hide something, I became a prince by being a merchant! I am also deeply disgusted by the unkindness of some 'naturally nobles', and I think you can ask the people of the Glitz tribe if I have ever acted fraudulently or even opportunistically. And I would like to say ......"

"Maybe we're really old, otherwise how could we be so incomprehensible to the customs of this place!" A hunchbacked old man sitting in the middle of the left side of the long table suddenly spoke, and his words were immediately turned into my ears by Huo Sijin. "It's a strange tradition that a knight is willing to serve a merchant here!" His words elicited a burst of sneer, but the obvious provocation turned most people off. Although Lebed Samilankovic expressed fierce opposition just now, he couldn't help frowning at this moment.

As far as I know...... "Seeing this situation made me feel relieved, and even a smile appeared on the corner of my mouth." Wasn't the 'glory of Christ', which pierced through the millennia of darkness in the Russian steppe, first spread by Byzantine merchants from Constantinople? ”

"Regardless of whether the cooperation is successful or not, since we invite this gentleman to sit next to us, we should be sincere enough!" Old Isaac, who was the convener of the meeting, also said to the hunchbacked old man who was speechless by me: "...... Neither degrading one's friends nor enemies can raise one's honor! In addition, as early as the glorious ancient Roman era, there were merchants who became emperors of the empire. Your words are not only an insult to our long-time companion, but also to all of our elders here! Please be mindful of your words and actions, Elder Hilier Sandarovich! ”

"I apologize for my inappropriate words and actions...... "The elder was quite sober and knew the truth of the wrath of the people. He stood up with a red face and bowed to all sides. "And ask for the forgiveness of all the respected elders and this gentleman!"

I also nodded magnanimously after being approved by others, and it really wasn't interesting to dwell on this kind of thing.

"Elder Rybed Samilankovic's words are indeed insightful, but I would like to take the liberty of making a slightly different opinion!" Yang•Bellinsky nodded apologetically to Liebed, and then got to business. “…… It is well known that we Cossacks are a mass production of warriors, which makes it difficult for me to imagine what it would be like for the Cossacks who gave up their scimitars! Perhaps the injustices we have received in the past have made some people suspicious, but for a conservative person like me, tradition is tradition after all. The method of changing our own situation with iron and blood is a method that has been passed down from our ancestors, and where are we going to take the Cossack people by abandoning this tradition? Some may think that there is another way to survive, but I will say that having given up the honor defended with a scimitar, the Cossacks will turn into a pathetic people like the Gypsies! ”

His words sparked a round of applause, and some even began to applaud. Many people were talking to each other in small voices, and the atmosphere of distress was suddenly lifted.

"Elder Jan Bellinsky is an admirable character, and I myself have no intention of negating the honor that our ancestors built with their blood! Sorry, maybe I didn't make it clear! The only one who was not affected by Jan Berlinsky's words was Liebed Samilankovich, who said "sorry" in his mouth, but the cold expression on his face did not mean a little apology. “…… Heroic deeds do not include hitting the wall with your head, and countless experiences have proven it: fighting in the south is not for us Cossacks! Whether it was fighting the Lithuanians in the north or conquering the Kazan Khanate, the Siberian Khanate, our cavalry was invincible. But in the war with the Crimean Khanate in the south, what results did we achieve after paying a terrible price? If we look closely, it is not difficult to find a sad reality: we have made less than one percent of the progress we have made in the South in one hundred years and twenty years in the North! Both the eagle and the whale are invincible kings in their respective realms, but they will never try to get lucky enough to get into the opponent's realm to deliver a fatal blow to their opponents. This is the wisdom and wisdom of the truly strong, and no one will laugh at them! ”

After five minutes of silence, it was evident that many people were beginning to think about this question that they had never thought about before, and even the elder Isaac and Jan Berlinsky were lost in thought.

"Allow me to say what I think, maybe we can think about this from a different angle!" Just when I was almost out of breath, a one-eyed old man in a white robe began to speak. “…… In the war with the Crimean Khanate, we were part of the tsarist army, and all the fighters were assigned to different formations under command. In this state we ourselves lose all control of the situation, and so we have no real benefit after suffering heavy losses! Throughout the eastward migration, all the Cossack tribes united to fight for survival space, and the force that erupted was powerful enough to destroy any obstacles! Here I want to emphasize that as long as we can control the course of events ourselves, at least partially, then we will be able to seek benefits for ourselves under the sun! ”

"Elder Alec Mormodlov has opened a bright window for us, and I think we can make progress along that lines!" Old Isaac's eyes lit up visibly, and Liebed, though he didn't speak, at least didn't immediately object. "I would now like to ask again, in what form will you deal with the position of the Cossack army?"

"Ladies and gentlemen......" Although this sentence was asked by Isaac, I still felt a wave of tension that I had never felt before, and this was the most important thing in the whole negotiation. I did not think about bringing the entire Cossack clan under my rule, there should be an equal contractual relationship between us! I recruited Cossacks as mercenaries for a certain period of time and in a certain number, and their treatment should have been determined in later consultations. The guarantee I can make is not to break the Cossack unit as a whole; Unified command by those you have chosen; Except for a few temporary battles commanded by generals authorized by me, the rest of the time is only responsible for me personally! ”

"I am very grateful for your sincere kindness and compassion for our Cossacks, and only a man of your heart deserves to wear the crown of supreme!" Jan Berlinsky gave me a look of excitement while praising me, but for some reason I suddenly got goosebumps on my body. “…… If we fully support you in your quest for supreme power, would you be willing to give the Cossacks the same status as a meritorious nobleman and make some kind of change in the social system? ”

My heart suddenly contracted with excitement, and then stabilized and reminded myself: pie can't fall from the sky! "Excuse me...... What do you mean by change? ”

"It's just...... Give the nobles some power to choose their way of life freely! He explained word for word.

"I see!" They want to preserve the Orthodox faith and the ethnic group of the Cossacks, and that's exactly what I'm going to do! As soon as I opened my mouth, I seemed to see myself at the pinnacle of power. "Wait!" Just when the promise was already on my lips, I suddenly felt that something was wrong again, and looking at their expectant eyes, I gradually understood what they wanted.

"I can understand your feelings...... "Taking a deep breath, I made the final decision." But I would like to make it clear now: there will never be, and cannot be, 'golden freedom' and 'one-vote veto' like the Kingdom of Poland in Japan, which I think is absolutely harmful in a country! The supreme ruler should represent the overall interests of a group, and this group is the basis of his rule, but it does not mean that individuals in the group can be allowed to act at will that harm the whole! If one of the Cossacks wishes to become my vassals and perform sufficient merits, my reward for wealth and land will never be worse than others, but my orders must have absolute authority! Maybe my orders will go against the will of the majority of the group, and then someone will naturally stand up and overthrow my rule! But until then, what I say is the law! ”

I saw a palpable look of disappointment in the eyes of many......

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Bear in Winter: Poland's "Golden Freedom" was fully established in 1588, and the earliest case of the "one-vote veto" was in 1652, neither of which were used at this time, but the constitution established by the Polish Parliament of the Two Chambers in 1505 had already made the privileges of the nobility a constraint on royal power.

In addition, I ask readers to be very patient, I don't know that these plots are not thrilling, and they are not humorous, but this is a foreshadowing transition for the final part of the future to change Japanese society, and I am afraid that there will be no such things in the middle. The protagonist in my book will never be overlord in his life, and will always go step by step in design, execution, negotiation, and compromise, and I think this is more like a real "person"!