Chapter 79: The First Bloodstone Conference
The Stepstones, Bloodstone, Godswood
"Under normal circumstances, slave owners only use whips and starvation to deal with slaves. Of course, some clever slave owners might also use other methods to tame them."
At this moment, Jon was like a lecturing teacher, holding a pointer and gesturing at the blackboard behind him, his hand movements constantly following along, wanting to make the merchants understand the disadvantages of slavery.
"Why are the farmers of Westeros always eager to seek cultivation rights from their lords? The main reason is that the more farmland they have, the more grain they can grow."
After erasing the Common Tongue words he had written earlier, Jon drew a diagram on the blackboard illustrating the relationship between the lord class and the commoner class in Westeros.
"It's worth noting that serfs can become farmers or miners, and precisely because they have a certain degree of freedom, they work harder. So everyone should be very clear that freedom and hope are the driving forces that keep these people working."
"So, you mean we should also reform the system for slaves by referencing theirs?"
Trang Taip, being the highest-ranking among them, naturally voiced this question on behalf of everyone.
"No... while the noble system was a sign of progress in Westeros, their rigid thinking and desire for mere enjoyment have completely corrupted the advantages of this system!"
After saying that last word, Jon circled the noble class on the blackboard with chalk.
"That's absolutely right, nobles are the most annoying! Those guys basically can't do anything except show off their bloodlines and family history in front of us!"
In Jon's view, the merchant nobles of the Free Cities and the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms were all cut from the same cloth. Although the wildlings beyond the Wall had their flaws, at least they weren't hypocritical.
The main reason Jon went to such lengths to win over these suppressed and ostracized merchants was to support them in helping him seize the three city-states surrounding the Stepstones.
Myr boasts developed handicrafts, Lys has the largest population, and Tyrosh possesses a complete agricultural system and cultivation techniques.
As long as the forces of these three places are united, Jon will gain an incredibly powerful backing, and conquering the Seven Kingdoms will become very simple.
If this force is supported now, then in the future, when Jon ascends the Iron Throne, this newly risen power will also help Jon balance the noble factions of the Seven Kingdoms.
"So, Lord Jon, you have a new suggestion. Please tell us all about it now!"
Just then, a merchant in the crowd directly asked this question.
"Swish, swish, swish..."
Jon glanced at the man, offered a smile, and then began writing on the blackboard behind him once more.
"The suggestion I'm proposing is a contract system, where both parties cooperate under the simplest terms and conditions. The key to this contract lies in four settings from Westeros."
The timekeeping method implemented in this world is somewhat similar to the ancient Chinese hour-based system of the Zhonghua people on Blue Star. Some scholars who study astronomy can calculate the specific time based on the positions of the sun and moon.
Some people in Westeros, however, name these times based on the activity of animals. In certain historical books, the term 'Wolf Hour,' referring to midnight, often appears.
"Can those slaves understand this?"
This was a question from a Lysene merchant.
"We don't need them to understand. What we need is to establish a rule, a principle, a deeply ingrained principle, just like 'A Lannister always pays his debts.' When such a rule becomes deeply ingrained, trust will follow, and at that point, our goal of governance will be achieved."
Jon's explanation gave everyone a rough outline. The emergence of a new system would inevitably lead to the collapse of an old one. Although this system might seem to cause them some losses, a closer calculation would reveal that they would ultimately be the beneficiaries.
"The more gold coins, the better, but when we lose restraint and moderation, we become just like those despicable slave owners. To gain more gold coins and power, we must abolish this man-eat-man system."
Most of the merchants invited by Jon today were those who had suffered under the slave system. Some were shipbuilding merchants, some were spice merchants, and some were even merchants who were once slaves themselves. It was precisely because they had all experienced such hardships that Jon gathered them.
Although Salladhor Saan is a pirate, his personality is more like a merchant. In handling diplomatic affairs, this man is the one Jon trusts the most.
Ever since witnessing Jon transform into a dragon, this man has regarded Jon as a godlike being. However, Jon does not yet fully trust these newly pledged pirates; for now, he can only observe their words and actions.
If their future performance is truly excellent, Jon will not be stingy in granting them system professions. After accumulating so much Soul Energy, it is now time for Jon to make his move.
"The purpose of establishing the Chainbreakers is this: we must eradicate all forces that oppress us, creating a fair and just environment for everyone to achieve happiness. Governors, are you willing to forge our Chainbreakers Alliance's first sacred covenant beneath this heart tree?"
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."
As Jon's words fell, the giant weirwood heart tree suddenly swayed without wind, as if responding to Jon's speech.
Blood-red, hand-shaped leaves flew freely in the air, and as they brushed past people's faces, many felt as if something had gently caressed them.
And so, very quickly, everyone forged the Chainbreakers Alliance's first covenant beneath the heart tree. This covenant stipulated that all oath-takers must make the overthrow of the slave system their lifelong goal, and the organization the Chainbreakers, led by Jon, would provide strong military support to the entire alliance.
"Alright, my dear brothers, we are now a complete organization. Please take a look; this is the organizational outline and some regulations I've drafted for our organization. This is just a draft, and everyone is welcome to offer their opinions!"
After Jon finished speaking, several of his attendants handed out the pre-written outlines to the merchants.
The rules and regulations described in these documents were all constructed by Jon, referencing certain political ideologies from Blue Star. Thought and belief are crucial foundations for an organization's enduring success.
With the addition of these elements, more people will join the Chainbreakers organization. Intelligent individuals can discern the true meaning behind these rules, while commoners and slaves with simpler minds will only see the word 'freedom' within these regulations.
Jon's Targaryen bloodline is merely an added advantage for him. To ultimately ascend the Iron Throne, what truly matters is the strength of the forces at his command.
"All men are born equal, all men are born free..."
"The gods allow us the right to choose our own beliefs..."
"Freedom is above all else; no one, no entity, can take it away..."
"The Chainbreakers must adhere to the program and obey leadership arrangements..."
...Most of these merchants had struggled at the bottom, so they understood how important faith and hope were to a person.
"Lord Jon's ideas are truly inspiring; they even make a fat man like me want to take up arms and fight!"
"Hahaha..."
After reading the documents, Trang Taip looked at Jon as if he were looking at a monster. In his opinion, anyone who could conceive of such things was simply not of this world.
"I am merely an ordinary person who has received revelations from the gods. It is precisely because I stand on the shoulders of these giants that I can bring their thoughts to this world."
Jon's profound words seemed to stir up a colossal wave in everyone's hearts.
The ones they truly believed in had always been themselves, but judging by Jon's words and demeanor, it was as if he had truly met the gods.
"Ahem, alright, my dear brothers, let's put this question aside for now. I think we should now discuss the Chainbreakers' next plan."
Under Jon's guidance, everyone snapped out of their recent reverie. Indeed, some superficial things were not worth discussing or pondering; only tangible benefits were the goals everyone pursued.
"Alright everyone, the initial deception tactics have largely succeeded. After our conflict with Lys's Stepstones fleet, Tyrosh's Purple Sails fleet is now preparing to ambush the Lysene fleet's base."
Under Jon's command, two pieces of intelligence were delivered into everyone's hands. These were intelligence gathered by his thieves. After completing the arrangements for King's Landing, Jon had sent out more thieves.
"This is a great opportunity for us, and I can also use this chance to thoroughly test the true strength of my soldiers who possess god-given powers!"
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