Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 471: Old fox and the snake (1)

The night view at the Imperial city is dazzling. It is filled with lights and candles. Stalls are still open to entertain the customers.

The sound of conversation is still as lively as it was in the afternoon. The city of Eden has a fair in a few days so the crowds are larger than usual.

Many traders from Freya and Aetherland also participate in the Imperial Fair and people from all walks of life have begun entering the Imperial City to join the large fair.

Many taverns offer performance inside their establishments, troupe of actors and singers do their job inside the taverns nowadays.

Entertainment is a luxury in other places, but in the Imperial City and Arrandy it is a norm. Other than the banning of prostitution house by the Imperial Decree, there are many other forms of entertainment in the city.

One might argue why the Emperor banned prostitution and refuse any brothel being operated but many of the devout attributed this banning as an act of piety towards God. 

Others do not understand why would the Emperor will ban something profitable such as prostitution.

It helps the army to unwind themselves while also a place where rich people spends money.

But the Emperor thought differently. 

In a brilliant stroke of move, he has appeased the Church who is still feeling a bit miffed about the destruction of their Inquisition Order in Freya and Cori while at the same time promoting the culture of self-advancement through poetry and literature.

Poetry is the property of the higher class as the Emperor declared. 

A poet is responsible for criticizing and cultivating the society as well as acting as the voice of morality of that era.

Usually poets only sings love song but as the Emperor reform the way bureaucrats are chosen and the post of the Empire, many of the aspect of governance is stressed upon on the importance of education.

While The Emperor might have been a more warlike figures, that doesn't mean he didn't know how to rule well. 

The Imperial Examination could make beggars into a rich man, and a rich man into beggars.

Nobility...is a fragile thing in this new era the Emperor created. 

Other than those longstanding Houses who have made many contributions towards the Empire Peace, none of the new Houses could feel secure. 

The wind of change is coming sooner than they thought and if they are not ready they will be trampled by the wheel of time.

The importance of poetry was outlined by the Emperor announcements to his region. 

Poetry, as a tool for self-development. Poetry, as a tool for observing the situations of the country. 

Poetry, as a warning for authorities. Poetry, as a tool for living collectively through interactions. 

Poetry, as a tool for serving the Empire for the sake of the Emperor. Poetry, as a tool to expand one's knowledge.

This excites the scholars and urges the people of the Empire to gain knowledge by entering schools or University.

The reform in education is also astounding. The school is divided into three. Elementary school. Advanced School and University.

One of the most illustrious Universities is University of Acro where many of the current politicians inside Arial court once studied.

The Emperor wanted his people to seek knowledge, to thirst for knowledge instead of indulging in carnal pleasures.

It also helps curb infectious disease related to intercourse. 

The Emperor recognize the danger of rampant intercourse and without preventative measures in place, brothels would only help spreading such disease to his Empire.

The Emperor has constructed the Medicine Hall of Thousand Cures and has been recruiting healer all around the Empire, to search for medicine for uncured disease, to publish their work and to create lifesaving medicines for the benefit of the people.

If not because of his massacre in Zettel, one could say The Emperor is a wise King that could hardly appear in a thousand years.

If there is one taint in the Emperor history it will be the massacre of Zettel. 

But most of the Empire subject does not care that much what happens to Zettel. Zettelian are not Anglais Raxons, nor are they Freyans or Loth or Ethrusk. 

They are not Eastian or Caelum either. Not to mention, the Emperor reasons, to most of the majority is reasonable. 

To kill a foreign Empress is a cause for war in any kingdoms or Empire.

Other than pitying their fate most of the people of Empire live in prosperity not knowing that most of the prosperity that they could achieve today is in part because of the War.

To most of the scholars who buried themselves in book and theoretical governance and worried daily for the prosperity and corruption of the new Empire, they could now held their head up high as same as warriors. 

It is true what people say. In peace, scholars rule with words, in war, generals rules with swords.

To the scholars, poetry is now elevated as more than just a mark of a civilized person but also as a counter dominant discourse, as a form of power resistance.

Poetry as a form of language, utilizes art to cross into the specific are of the unthought to make them thinkable.

A scholar from Ming, Wu Fenxia, has pointed out in one of his works, that literature is the only tool remains for fighting against power.

This power is not the same as the imperial power but it is the power that infiltrates every bit of the society in the form of language, the power of language system which no social institution could intervene.

Silas also contribute in this matter by his lecture when he was invited in the Scholars Discourse during his time as Governor of Zettel.

In the lecture he stressed that literature fight power in the form of language by three manners.

First, is by telling the truth in the guise of the untruth. 

Second, questioning and representing the truth, by which literature allows humans to speak about truth through language, despite knowing that it will never substitute the truth. 

And third, by delivering significance by means of literature as a subject of flexible semiosis. He explained that these are the potentials of literature in power resistance. 

His lecture is recorded in the discourse and has been a point of reference of many scholars after the act of promoting poetry by the emperor started.

But the only reason, the Empire could stand strong culturally, is because of it armies and the influence they have is because of their strength.

Eden prosperity and peace has led to a better living condition for the people of the Empire, culturally, socially, economically. 

With trading, the wealth of the Empire increased. With the advancement of culture, people become more refined and with the establishments of schools and university people become smarter.

As they become smarter, new technologies are created, and the standard of living will become more prosperous.

There is a well-known saying in the Human Continent. 

There is no pauper in Arrandy. 

This saying reflects the wealth and grandeur of the people of Arrandy. 

As the city that promotes arts, culture, education, it has been regarded as the Jewel of the Continent, attracting scholars from other continents and people intent in making their lives a glorious one.

Sanitation also improves under the emperor orders. 

The scholars are hard at work trying to figure out a way to clean the water. There are also many laws being made for the people and to ensure the Empire Peace.

'Thinking a lot, aren't you, milord?' The owner said, smiling at the young man. The young man smile but with a crooked smiles. 

The young man is startled and regains back his thoughts.

A man is sitting inside a restaurant on the second floor. He looks below him and could see no one is entering the restaurant and he sighed for a dozen time today.

The owner and his staff have also waited for the young man guest for a long time but they did not complain.

After all the owner know how influential the person he is talking to right now.

'It is fine. You can continue your work. I will wait for a bit. If by midnight he does not come, then I guess I will return home.'