Way of Overlord
Chapter 262: Be Feared Or Loved?

Chapter 262: Be Feared Or Loved?

But Yan?

Yan Empire kills the people of the Great Steppe and did not think that their actions would bring them retribution.

If the Yan dynasty after implementing such a harsh measure against the people of the Steppe and then ease off and bring prosperity and peace to the people of the Steppe so that the herders could herd, the people could live or loosen some of their control on the Great Steppe, equalize the citizenship then there might not be other tragedies that would come after that.

Instead, it might even cause the loyalty toward the chief waned and they would identify with the people of Yan instead of people of the Steppe.

But since Yan could not see any other race than theirs, their neglect and their disdain only fuelled more anger and hatred.

And it is even easier for the chief to control their people and unite the hearts of the people.

And using the Yan as a common enemy, Jayeux is sure that Aeron could unify the Steppe

Simply by using these, they could rule the world.

The most impenetrable strategy is the strategy of the heart

Force and gentleness.

And this is the contradiction between teacher and student

Jayeux believe that for Aeryon to create a new dynasty, a strong dynasty, he have to use this kind of method.

Other races, other nations could be spared. But not Yan. All of them must be destroyed. Break their roots, break their lineage, and kill all of them

It is not that shocking especially in this era.

However, Mayeux on the other hand advocated restraint. Kill most of them, but those who could be used, those who surrender, those who are loyal to us should be spared.

Jayeux on the other hand shakes his head and did not agree.

These Yan people would bow their heads and praise you when they are weak. When they are strong, they would stomp you without mercy and they would slander you and even added more crimes on you.

Theya re the kind of people who forget kindness. Instead, they would think that it is a humiliation that they need to rely on foreigners kindness that they survive.

And to wash away this humiliation, they would find a way to compensate it and the way to compensate it is by killing the benefactor.

This is their traits.

And they would never forget their hatred.

They did not know how to forgive

Even if the perpetrator is no longer alive, they would find a way to substitute the sins of the father to the son, to the grandsons and to others

In this, the Steppe also has such traits. But at least, the Steppe people was honest about it and there is always a chance for a feud to turn into conciliation.

It is rare but it happens.

What Jayeux suggest is not that much of a difference between what the Emperor of Yan had done before. In the past during the Hu Qubing times and the years after that, how many of such propaganda was drummed up for war support?

Foreigners should not stay in the Land of the Yan people. Only Yan people could understand other Yan people

If that person is not my race, his heart will be different.

This is enough to see.

Even if The Kan get the land of the Yan, these people would not be grateful even if Aeryon rule the land of Yan fairly and justly.

Even if he brought great prosperity and great golden age to the land of Yan, the people of Yan would never acknowledge this emperor as their own.

Since that is the case.....why not slaughter them all, and rule them with fear!

Because even if you rule with benevolence and generosity, you would still be hated and feared, it is better to be feared in the first place

It has something to do with the way Jayeux develop his own Way of Strategy. Mayeux has his own way of strategy.

Strategy is just tricks to reach your ultimate ideals. It is different from Aeryon path and way which is the kingly way, the imperial way

It is different from Belarion which is the warriors way. Strategist integrate their way with their belief and ideals.

And because everyone belief and ideals is different; their strategies and their end result would also be different.

Jayeux believe that every ruler ought to desire to be considered benevolent and not cruel. Nonetheless the ruler ought not to misuse or uses benevolence without limit.

In other words, Jayeux himself did not reject cruelty and tyranny in his method of strategies.

Nor would he reject a ruler that exhibit such trait.

There are many rulers that is considered cruel.

It is the same in the history of great empires.

But if you look at the pages of history, the cruelty of these rulers unified land, restored peace and create an empire.

There is many also examples in history, that to avoid a reputation for cruelty actually allowed for greater cruelty to happen.

Therefore, a ruler, so long as he keeps his subjects united and loyal, ought not to mind the reproach of cruelty; because with a few examples he will be more merciful than those who, through too much mercy, allow disorders to arise, from which follow murders or robberies; for these are wont to injure the whole people, whilst those executions which originate with a ruler offend the individual only.

The needs of the many outweighs the cry of the few.

And to Jayeux, in his thought and learning, it is impossible for any new ruler to avoid the reputation of cruelty especially if the ruler rules a land filled with dangers and enemies all around

He did not entirely disagree with his teacher concept of benevolence and mercy. It is just that it also has to depend according to time and situation.

Inhumanity of a ruler could sometimes be found during their first year of reign.

Nevertheless, the ruler ought to be slow to believe and to act, nor should he himself show fear, but proceed in a temperate manner with prudence and humanity, so that too much confidence may not make him incautious and too much distrust render him intolerable.

This is another difference between his teacher and him.

Mayeux lives in books and he also saw many examples of tyrants .

And tyrants usually come into a bad end.

Hence the promotion of a benevolence ruler become more prevalent among strategist and advisors and even kings and emperors believe it to be so.

And while benevolent rule seems to be a Yan concept, but Roma also has something akin of the benevolence rule.

Roma has popular support.

Whether that popular support come from the Senate or the people of Roma, popular support is never forgotten by the Emperor of Roma

If not rebellion could erupt.

However, the agency of the common people in Roma is stronger than the agency of power in the peasant of Yan.

This did not mean that Roma imperial authority is easily challenged. But it could easily be challenged more than the imperial Yan who maintained knowledge in their hands and the scholars.

However, there is pros and cons to this. Because of the ignorant peasant of Yan, there is a tendency for an imperial government to last long.

But the pro is that the people of Roma is more innovative and talent rises from all provinces of Roma.

The will of the people is important.

But, how should one deal with this will of the people that become a question that needs to be answered carefully

Mayeux believe that Aeryon could conquer, kill, murder and mercilessly destroy tribes and nations yet could still implement prosperous rule and become a benevolent ruler that would set the foundation for an empire.

Because to him, you could conquer the world on the back of a horse but you could not rule the world from the back of one.

The example could be seen in many history books whether in Yan or in Roma.

In Yan, the First emperor of Xun could only last two generation before his dynasty collapsed entirely.

In Roma, the First Emperor of Roma is brutally murdered by his colleague.

Jayeux however did not agree.

To him, if the Kan gets the whole of the Great Steppe, he would become the new Qayan of the Great Steppe.

The force that needs to be loyal to him is only the great Steppe people. If the force failed it simply means the force is not enough

And so, it comes to this contradiction of how to use and deal with the will of the people

Mayeux believe that the lord should be loved by his people. Jayeux believe the lord should be feared.

Jayeux sees the darkness of the world and see that there is darkness in human heart. Mayeux sees the darkness but he also saw the light

Mayeux believe treating the source would treat the symptom.

Corrective action should be taken, merciful measure should be taken, and treating the source is better than treating the symptom, hence he believe that the law should be properly given but give mercy when mercy could be given, wining the hearts of the people and winning the heart of the world

Jayeux believe that the people are evil and evil should be restricted. The laws must be uphold and the laws must be harsh so that it would deter people

The weaker the punishment, the more unruly criminals would be, the harder it is to rule the world, the harder it would be to create a peaceful world

Harsh laws constraint the evil desire.

The desire to do evil, should it be respected?

No, it should be discouraged and deterred

How should one deter it?

Harsh punishment that chills the heart and deter the perpetrator. And, so it comes back to the question.

Be feared....or be loved?

>>