I Became A Black Merchant In Another World-Chapter 282: Colmar Peasant Revolt (5)

I am not an expert in defense or warfare.

I can't emphasize this enough, so I’ll say it again: I’m not a professional soldier, nor am I a high-ranking officer or a general.

So, I would prefer not to be asked questions about war...

“Lord Rothschild, what do you think?”

Even though I could have avoided answering, I hesitated for a moment.

I was considering making a silent protest, but the Emperor in front of me wouldn’t allow it.

“I know full well that you have no intention of meddling with military affairs. So, answer my question. This is an imperial command.”

In the military, even a private can be hard to look at, but in front of a sergeant, they’re nothing more than a worm. In front of a division commander, they’re just useless scraps that melt with a glance.

No matter how high my rank as a baron, no matter how much wealth I have...

If the Emperor gives an order, no matter how much I dislike it, I must carry it out.

‘If I don’t obey, he’ll tear me apart.’

“The question your Majesty has asked is too vague. Are you asking about the cause of the current situation, or the solution? Or perhaps, are you asking about the impact on future international diplomacy? If you don’t specify, it’s difficult for me to provide an answer.”

I will answer truthfully about the solution and the international diplomatic impact.

But if he asks about the cause, I’ll hide what I can and only share the facts that are advantageous to me.

If I openly admit that I incited the rebellion, wouldn’t the Emperor shout, "This man will devour the Toscana Empire!"?

Although I’m not a loyal subject like Sin Sook-gyeom, nor a traitor like Lee Wan-yong, I won’t tolerate being falsely accused of such baseless things.

‘A traitor who sells out his own country is a traitor; someone who sells out another country is a patriot.’

And leaving out a small part of the truth isn’t a lie, so there’s no need for me to feel guilty.

The Emperor smiled, as though he expected this.

“Ah, I see. You’ve thought it through. Good, then start with the cause of the situation. Tell me everything you think about it, without holding back.”

When the Emperor says "without holding back," it means I should answer more proactively, providing the answer he wants.

If I take his words literally and speak my honest opinion...

He might praise me for my conviction, but from the next day, I’d start getting the cold shoulder from department heads and subordinates.

This is a truth as universal as gravity; if there were a textbook, it should have two lines underlined and memorized.

‘When a higher-up asks for honesty, it’s usually a trap.’

“Well, first, there are three main causes of this situation.”

The truth is, the biggest cause is that I incited the peasant uprising, but if that comes to light, it will be bad for me.

So, I’ll give reasons that others can easily understand.

“First, the border region of the Lyon Kingdom and the Holy Empire was completely plundered due to the war. Second, the local lords failed to properly comfort the common people. And most importantly, I received some investment from the nobles of the Visconti faction, which allowed me to seize the supplies and money accumulated there.”

The profits from that weren’t much, but because of the capital involved, I was able to play big.

By importing supplies from dozens of fiefs, I triggered inflation. Then, after inflating the prices, I sold food at ridiculously low prices, making a fortune.

As a result, the regional economy collapsed, but...

Since it wasn’t discovered, it’s not considered a crime.

The Emperor, after hearing this, grew angry.

“It’s one thing to gather nobles for investment, since it’s an act of seeking profit, but to plunge the Lyon Kingdom into chaos without my permission? Even with your position, don’t you think that’s overly arrogant? For the first time, I am genuinely disappointed in you.”

If you want to hide a tree, you hide it in a forest. If you want to hide a lie, you hide it within the truth.

That’s why even scammers, when they want to pull off a large scam worth millions, start by planting seeds.

They begin by borrowing small amounts, say a thousand or two, from their target (like a friend) and pay it back meticulously.

After repeating this dozens of times, the target eventually lends them large sums, thinking, “I’ll get it back next time.”

‘To hide the fact that I incited the rebellion, I’ll have to share some of the truth.’

Moreover, this action is ultimately beneficial to the Toscana Empire, so the nobles won’t suffer from it either.

“Those who participated in this investment have set aside 20% of the profits to contribute to the nation’s finances. Would it be acceptable for me to pay this to the royal family tomorrow?”

“Hmmm...”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

It’s written in the Bible, too.

If you want to be close to those in power and live long, you must bow deeply in front of them and present ‘gifts.’

This is the advice of Solomon, known as the greatest sage in the Bible.

I really like that saying.

When Leo grows a little older, I’ll teach him this.

The Emperor’s expression softened after receiving the bribe.

“Are you trying to buy me with money?”

“This is merely a voluntary loyalty from the nobles, to help our country’s finances. How could we dare to buy your Majesty’s favor with money?”

Since I’m giving him money I’ve secretly set aside from the nobles I invested with, I’m not exactly losing anything.

“Then, tell me about the solution and the impact on international diplomacy.”

“Before that, let me first share my predictions about how this situation will unfold. After explaining that, I can discuss the solution.”

I don’t remember who said it, but...

As the saying goes, there’s no shortcut in math—no matter what you do, you can’t skip the process.

Results without a process don’t exist in this world.

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Let alone finding a solution for international politics.

“First of all, the rebellion in the Colmar fief will undoubtedly fail.”

I designed the situation so that failure was inevitable from the start.

Aside from that region, other areas are not greatly affected, so how could a bunch of common farmers succeed in a revolution?

It’s like a lion talking about eating grass—impossible.

“Why are you so sure?”

“The cause of the rebellion can be summed up in one sentence... The lords are asking for food from us. But right now, aside from the border regions of the Holy Empire, the economic situation in the Lyon Kingdom is not bad at all.”

If the entire Lyon Kingdom had experienced a major famine, Raphael’s rebellion might have had a chance to succeed.

If people were starving because of a famine, they might be tempted to follow him, thinking that at least they would get food.

Hungry citizens might rush to join the rebellion like moths to a flame.

But the reality is the opposite.

The peasants and commoners are, as always, a bit short on resources, but not starving.

“So, their rebellion will likely be confined to the border regions of the Lyon Kingdom. Like a fire that burns out quickly when there’s nothing left to burn.”

A Japanese otaku friend once said this:

In the Edo period, firefighters didn’t try to put out fires with water, but instead, they destroyed nearby houses to remove combustible materials, which was a much more efficient method of putting out fires.

“Moreover, the King of the Lyon Kingdom is no fool. He will certainly send an army to suppress the rebellion in the border regions. And he will suppress them ruthlessly.”

It’s said that a ruler who is loved by all is not a good ruler. A ruler must be a figure of fear.

Only then can they protect their life and wealth.

The people here may not have read The Prince, but they understand that principle very well.

“The fools who started the rebellion know that the King won’t spare them. They’ll try to buy weapons with excessive taxes, organize an army, and resist as much as they can.”

Those who started a rebellion to reduce taxes are now the ones imposing heavy taxes.

They’ve become as worthless as a hamburger without a patty.

“Once the rebels lose their cause, they’ll crumble from within in no time. And as a result...”

Others’ misfortune is my fortune.

“The Holy Empire will sink its teeth into the situation.”