Three Philosophical Questions for Travelers

Haven's Diary, II

11/7

We sent that witch away.

The nobles of Xiawan have already paid attention to this winter, and everyone has a meeting again to allocate work.I honestly hate meetings.Yawen invited all the nobles inside and outside the castle, and also brought in several big businessmen and landowners.We need their donations to help the poor, and they want to profit from it.

These people are full of business affairs, and they don't care whether the poor live or die.They were also unaware of the approaching storm.

Wild Horse Town will be the first place to awaken, and Shrimp Cove will be the second.

I wish Ramon all the best, I have to do something myself.

11/9

I need money, land and people now.

I spent all day yesterday making a list of things to do.Including building facilities, spreading ideas, recruiting mercenaries and many other things.The most important of these is the dissemination of ideas, which I plan to write in books and then ask poets, scholars and missionaries to spread them.This requires a lot of money, and it cannot be done overnight.

If Raya was still around, she would be the best choice.In addition, Tang Deen can also help.

But Laya went to Fengleibao, and Tang Deen betrayed us.

Not so many ifs.

11/10

I saw an old man frozen to death at the gate of the castle. He had only a thin layer of linen clothes on his body.Clothes cling to him, freezing with him.

11/12

Snowing.

11/13

Smiley Cat was very strict when training me. I have not trained systematically, and it is very difficult to wield a sword.The sword technique he taught me seems simple, but it is really difficult to use.After this period of time, I realized that fencing is really important.Although I can't become a ranger like the smiling cat, I still have to have the power to defend myself.

Oh, and the snow hasn't stopped.

Until March 11st

The snow has stopped, but the sun has not risen in the sky.People started plowing snow and clearing the roads.Taking advantage of this opportunity, we went to visit Captain Black Bread's fleet.This time the smiling face cat also went with me.However, when I got there, I saw an unexpected scene: three dead bodies were hanging on the boat, frozen like ice.

I met the captain and asked him what was going on?The captain told me that just yesterday, the people on board rioted.There were three people who wanted to kill people and rob goods at night, but the captain found them, so the two groups started to fight.In the end, all the traitors were killed, and one of their people was killed and one injured.The bodies of the rebels were hung outside, both as punishment for their crimes and as a warning to the rest of the crew.

I saw the captain's hand was wounded and covered with gauze, and one crew member had his arm cut off, and several others were slightly injured.I regret not bringing a doctor with me.

Gerrita and Raya both taught me basic medical skills, and I tried to redress and clean their wounds.One crew member complained: "You came two days late! If you had come earlier, no one would have rebelled."

Indeed, we were two days later than expected because of the snow.Maybe this rebellion can be stopped.

Maybe they just decided to rebel because they couldn't see the supplies?

In any case, things have happened.We left our supplies and were ready to leave.At this time the captain told me an amazing thing: there are two frozen ships upstream,

Two boats, it is estimated that there are dozens of people.We don't have enough things on hand. If we want to save them, we need at least three vehicles.I will go back and discuss this matter with Yawen.

I went back to the castle in the evening to discuss this matter with Yavin.Miss Yawen was very tired and didn't want to say more.She just told me, "My lord, you have to understand this: we can't save everyone, someone has to freeze to death."

Of course I understand, I have already understood.

11/16

I set off early in the morning to rescue the two trapped merchant ships.

On our way upstream, we encountered a band of bandits.There were as many of them as we were, none of them rode horses, and many were lightly clad.Their weapons are dung forks and hoes, and hunger and cold are written on their faces.They were more refugees than bandits.

I tried to negotiate with them, but they were very accented and rude, making it very difficult to negotiate.In the end, it was the smiling cat who chopped off the arm of one of them, which shocked them.Then the bandits fled for their lives.

The smiling cat told me: "This group of gangsters is definitely robbing for the first time. They were probably upright free people a month ago."

Extremis tests one's morality and forces people to do terrible things.So were the crew of the Black Loaf, and the bandits with their dung forks and hoes.

If one day I was cornered, would I still do evil things?

No, never.

In the afternoon we found the two stranded ships.Both of those ships were called the Fur.To my surprise, one boat was empty and the other had only two people on board.It was the captain and his first mate, a pair of brothers.

I asked them, where did the crew go?

The first officer explained to me: After everyone was frozen here, they felt that there was no hope for this year.Instead of waiting for the beginning of the spring to deliver the goods to the owner and lose money, it is better to break up now.After the crew divided the goods, they went to the village to sell them for money, and the two of us were on the same boat.

It turned out to be like this.Others took the goods, and the captain and first mate took the boat. They said they would sail the boat to the southern fork, to the rotten meat beach.It was the biggest black market in Liquor City, and they could sell the boat or repaint it, disguise it as one and use it themselves.

Indeed, from the standpoint of a sailor, this is the optimal solution.Although Captain Black Bread had credibility, he also lost too many things.

I don't approve of their actions, but out of humanity, I still left some basic necessities for them before I left.

By the way, before leaving, the captain gave me gold coins and said he wanted to buy a female slave.He told me: "It doesn't matter age or appearance, as long as you are a woman. We two bachelors can't survive a winter on the boat." I refused him.And on impulse, I said: the slave trade is a sinful act.People look at me like they're looking at a monster.

Maybe I should restrain this impulse, but I am afraid that too much restraint will make my blood cold, and I will completely forget this impulse.

This is contradictory.

On the way back, I asked everyone how to deal with this matter?

Most people think that if they are guarded on the boat, they will not survive the severe winter, and they will eventually freeze to death, and they will be burdened with a large amount of debt in the coming year.They are right to do so.

Smiley Cat thinks they are justifiable for doing this, it is the way of poor people's survival; Darrow said that if they do not do it, they will die, which is understandable.

But Myrick blocked Smiley Cat and Darrow with one sentence:

"If this kind of rubbish is left alone, wouldn't it chill Captain Black Bread's heart?"

He was right, what I want to protect is not the interests of one or two ships or dozens of sailors, but law and order.

Out of humanity, I give you a chance to live; but for the sake of law, I must arrest you.

Haven's Diary, [-]

Haven's Diary, [-]

11/17

I ordered Smiley Cat to lead people to capture the wanted criminal of "Fur".

11/18

There were 43 members in total, not one of them, and all of them were caught in Xiawan.Miss Yawen thanked me for everything I did for Xiawan, and asked me to be the honorary judge of Xiawan.I really needed the title, so I took it.

Then I judged these people and sentenced them to hard labor.It happened that the castle was short of labor, so I gave these people to the countess.In addition, I let the little hammer be the supervisor, I gave him a notebook and a leather whip, and taught him to be rewarded and punished.This kid is too soft-hearted and needs to be tempered.He is my chief craftsman, learning how to manage people.

After the trial, the owner of the "Fur" approached me to thank me with a small bag of gold.I said to him, "I don't take money from anyone. If you want to thank me, just donate to the poor. I will be very pleased."

I later learned that the merchant did not donate a single copper coin to the poor.I realized he was just trying to buy me off with money instead of really thanking me.

At this moment, I can't help thinking about all this.

I did maintain law and order, the legitimate rights and interests of merchants were protected, and the sailors deserved what they deserved.

It seems so.

But the problem now is that this law is not fair.

Let me ask: If the sailors of the Fur ship keep their promises and ship the cargo back next year, should they be responsible for this large amount of compensation?

Should the sailors bear the losses caused by natural disasters alone?

Even further questioning: the sailors earn enough money for a year of running, and there is almost no savings.But the money earned by the businessman is enough for him to buy a new ship—is this distribution reasonable?

I did uphold the law again, but it was still an unjust law.

But I don't have the ability to re-legislate now, unless I can climb higher than the law. (This sentence was later blacked out with charcoal)

11/19

It started snowing again.

I woke up from the cold last night, and I don't know when the fire went out.I was half asleep and half awake, calling Hyacinth and Isrit, telling them to look at the fire.Suddenly I also heard the voices of the girls.Then I coughed and finally woke up.

My hands and feet were numb from the cold, half of the bed felt like ice, and there was no warmth in the quilt.I got out of bed alone, lit the fire, and went to bed.I only pray that I will not catch the cold tomorrow.

11/20

Manager Nader is indeed a formidable person. This old man's ability to manage accounts and handle sundries is even higher than that of Dreyer.And he was more upright and more learned than Dreyer.In the afternoon, I read books with him, asked him various questions, and felt that I had gained a lot.

Having said that, I still kind of miss Dreyer.Nader was a good steward, but he was no substitute for Delaire Hansrock.

I don't know if I can see him in the future, and if he will remember what I have done.

Maybe I shouldn't have exiled him. Exiling a penniless man to the Flesh Flesh is a death sentence.

It was a stupid decision, and I shouldn't have let him do it.

11/21

The countess asked me about Ramon again, and I could only say: Maybe he was trapped by the heavy snow, and he will be back next spring.

Also, Earl seems to have lost weight, is it my illusion?

In addition, the outlines of "Slave Emancipation" and "New Poems at Spring Dawn" have been written, and I can finish these two books before spring comes.I asked the learned Chief Nader to correct me, but he was too shocked to speak after reading these books.He said to me: My lord, you are doing something as big as slaying a dragon.

I like this metaphor very much.

11/22

The little hammer showed me the design drawing of the new type of overturning car. In addition, there are some drawings of improved farm tools.I'm so relieved that the kid is still very motivated.Excitedly, I took these things to Miss Yawen, hoping that she would pay for the construction of these facilities in Xiawan.However, Nader stopped me, and the old housekeeper said to me: "My lord, Xiawan has no money. Even if they have money, they will not spend it on people's livelihood at this juncture."

I felt like I had been splashed with cold water, but on second thought, Nader was right.

I asked Little Hammer to make a trial product of these things first, and save them for our own use later.

11/24

The refugees are already overcrowded and the camps are overcrowded.We have no place for them to live.

11/25

The snow stopped.Everything is covered with snow.

11/27

Refugee riots.

This was to be expected, since the people were starved of food and clothing, and the only thing they could do to survive was to rob the castle.

Smiley Cat and the captain of the Shrimp Bay guard went to suppress the riot.Smiley Cat was slightly injured, the captain of the guard's horse was dead, and his right arm was severely slashed, the wound was deep enough to show the bone.

The smiling cat said to me: "My lord, I never did this kind of thing when I was a soldier in Fengleibao. This is not so much a suppression as a massacre."

I can see how sad the Laughing Ranger is, but I have nothing to say to him.

The ranger said to me again: "I think my knife is swinging in the wrong direction."

As he said, so do I.

After the riot, the nobles and officials cursed these mud-legged people, calling them greedy, vile, and ugly animals.Call men evil, women lascivious, and children ignorant.

At this moment, I think of what a certain writer wrote: Wives, children, servants, weak, poor, and ignorant make mistakes, and it is the husband, father, master, strong, rich, and learned that make mistakes.

It is society that creates the darkness and it is responsible for it.Man's mind is full of darkness and sins.It is not the sinners who are truly guilty, but the ones who have caused the darkness in their hearts.

I don't fully agree with this statement, but part of it he agrees with: society creates darkness, and society is responsible for it.

I think it is not the refugees who are hateful, but those rich and unkind people.

They stood on the ruling class, stepped on the shoulders of the people, and gained wealth by exploiting the labor of the people, but when disaster struck, what did they do?

Why goug up prices?

Why not go to disaster relief?

Why deport refugees?

They have the blood of sin on every penny, and now they are sitting on the money and using it to continue oppressing the poor.

I can't eliminate class exploitation in a medieval feudal country, but I should at least eliminate this obvious darkness.

So I decided to lead the relief of refugees. Tomorrow, I will lobby the Countess and the merchants to give me disaster relief funds, and I will promise not to let riots happen.

This is a great opportunity for me to reach out to the people—feed them first, and then let them listen to my thoughts.