flstandardbreds Chapter 490: Clergy Going to the Countryside
Chapter 490: Clergy Going to the Countryside
A few days later, John learned that his uncle Orel had arrived and decided to invite him to the palace for a chat.
But Orel not only brought his own people, but also brought other things. A group of servants followed him, carrying several framed portraits.
Orel entered the palace with a flattering smile on his face, bowed to John and said:
"Nephew... Your Majesty, I haven't seen you for a long time. I hope you are well."
John looked at Orel with a hint of gentleness in his eyes and responded:
"Uncle Orel, you have had a hard journey. Now that you are here, let's go into the palace and have a good chat."
Then, John led Orel into the inner hall of the palace, which was decorated magnificently, with soft carpets covering the floor and exquisite murals decorating the walls. Although most of these were purchased from Yoda for free, they still opened Orel's eyes.
Orel sat in a chair, looked around, and exclaimed:
"My nephew's palace is becoming more and more magnificent."
"I am very grateful for your donations and those of your family members during the previous war, but what do you mean by bringing these paintings?"
John glanced at the paintings, then turned to Orel and asked.
"Nephew, the one you are talking about?"
Orel saw John pick up a painting and a hint of pride appeared on his face, and he quickly explained.
“Like this side profile of me.”
Orel watched as John pointed to a picture of himself in armor and replied:
"That is King John in profile in military uniform."
John nodded slightly and continued to look at other paintings. He picked up another painting, in which he was wearing gorgeous clothes and had a solemn expression.
"What about this?"
"This is King John in profile as he ascended the throne."
John looked up at Orel with a hint of doubt in his eyes, pointed to a portrait and said:
"Okay, okay, let me ask you, what is this portrait of me with a disk on my back called?"
John pointed to one of the portraits and said that in that portrait, in addition to a disc in the background, there was also a floating ring above his head. He was wearing a white robe and had a fatherly smile on his face.
Orel saw the painting that John was pointing at, a smile appeared on his face, and he said:
"Oh, this is a picture of St. John. I copied it from other saints. And the one at the back is not a circle, it is the sun."
John frowned and stared at the painting for a long time. He felt that the smile was photoshopped. Finally, he said helplessly:
"So what on earth do you carry all this stuff for?"
Orel rolled his eyes, smiled, and said:
"I want to ask you if you like these portraits. If you do, I will give them all to you."
John looked at Orel. Although he felt a little strange, he didn't think much about it and continued to ask:
"You came here just to give me a painting?"
Orel hesitated and said:
"Ah... Actually, it's not like that. It's just... I want to open a painting studio here."
In Orel's imagination, his nephew would be short of people for all kinds of things when he founded the country. Instead of giving these positions to others, it would be better for him to take them first.
He felt that he had good painting skills, so he decided to try to apply for the position of court painter.
Even if that didn't work, he could still seize the painting market by taking advantage of the vacancy in the domestic market of Helderland.
He has thought out his business plan. In addition to accepting various painting orders, he will directly sell various portraits of John. He believes that they will definitely be popular.
In his opinion, John is now the king and is extremely well-known. Paintings with John as the theme will definitely be loved and sought after by the people, and the painting studio's business will surely flourish.
John frowned slightly when he heard Orel's words and stared at him. He thought that Orel might have something else to do, but he was also very busy at the moment. In addition, Orel did donate money for the previous things, so it was even more impossible for him to refuse. John thought for a moment and said:
"It just so happens that there are some vacancies in Helmingen right now. Why don't you move your studio here? I'll consider it as a reward for you."
Although Orel did not get the position of court painter, he could not suppress his joy at the thought of getting a house for free.
After seeing off Orel, who followed the official to claim the house, John narrowed his eyes slightly and leaned back on the wide throne.
The problems facing the kingdom weighed on his mind like a mountain, especially the management difficulties of the vast villages and towns.
Although the provincial capitals and borders were successfully controlled by sending governors and troops, the complex governance problems for the vast villages and towns remained unresolved.
The purpose of military presence is to maintain stability, not to manage local affairs in detail.
If forced intervention is adopted and the responsibilities of the military and civilian officials are not clear, it will ultimately lead to management chaos in some areas and a lack of implementation of government policies.
It is even more impossible for the local gentry to give up their ruling power easily. For the villagers who think that "the emperor is far away", although the village head and the town head do not hold high positions, they are the managers they can actually come into contact with in their lives and enjoy a high status in the hearts of the villagers.
If we want to break this deadlock, the traditional method of forced takeover is obviously not feasible. Not only will it be ineffective, it will also definitely lead to conflicts.
In John's opinion, instead of wasting time and energy fighting with local gentry for the seemingly small but tricky power, it would be better to find another way and create a new management path.
Sending clergy to the local area to spread the doctrine may be a good way to break this situation.
Out of respect for religion, those country gentlemen would not easily stop the activities of the clergy.
After these clergymen entered the villages and towns, they ostensibly spread doctrine, but in fact they were able to subtly integrate the will of the country into them.
Of course, the doctrines spread did not completely follow religious classics, but were carefully arranged to include content that met the needs of the kingdom's development, such as "Your Majesty John is a saint, you live in a kingdom of saints, life outside is difficult, but if you work hard you will have enough food and drink."
To be fair, apart from the slightly exaggerated words of praise in the first two sentences, the ideas conveyed in the latter part are very real. At least John has not seen any country that can implement such benevolent policies as distributing houses and land to villagers, abolishing the tithe, and making sausages or other meat products available to every household.
He knew very well that in a few years, if Mitlan and Yoda recovered, conflicts would inevitably break out again. Once the war broke out, all kinds of heavy taxes would come like a tide, and the lives of the people would be miserable. At the same time, the Black Dog Knights would also be involved in the dispute. At that time, the residents living near the border would be blessed...
"This is the list of people going to the countryside. Please take a look."
After a while, Pros hurried over and handed a list to John.
Since becoming the archbishop of this country, Pros has behaved in a somewhat ostentatious style. He always walks around St. John's City wearing the hat that symbolizes his status as an archbishop, as if he was afraid that others did not know his noble status as an archbishop.
Although John had some complaints about Pros's style of doing things, it was undeniable that Pros did have his own skills in religious affairs.
As for selecting personnel to go to the countryside, John assigned the task to Pross to make use of his always-abundant energy.
The first batch of clergy who went to the countryside numbered about one hundred. Considering that these clergy needed a certain amount of living and protection forces in the local area, plus the servants assigned to them for protection, the number reached about one thousand.
These people were carefully selected by Pros from redundant clergy in churches across the country.
Most of them are young people in their early twenties, full of ideals and ambitions, ready to do something big on this vast land.
These young clergymen are not only well-versed in scriptures, but also possess a variety of practical skills.
They are like the college student village officials in their previous lives. With knowledge and skills, they are about to rush to their respective posts and contribute to the development of the kingdom.