Chapter 13: Civil Rights

Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Civil Rights

Claudius held an optimistic view of the future transformations in this world.

Looking at the trajectory of history, these changes were undoubtedly inevitable.

Eight centuries of rule had accumulated a vast number of contradictions. When these tensions could no longer be suppressed, they would inevitably trigger a massive backlash, one so turbulent that no human effort could halt it.

Claudius didn't delude himself into thinking he was powerful enough to single-handedly suppress the wave of an entire era. For the various systems set in place by the World Government, whatever was meant to change in the future would certainly still change. However, Claudius had no intention of passively accepting all these changes.

There were different types of changes.

The first would be bottom-up, sparked by the revolutionary army that Dragon would one day establish. The clash of iron and blood would bring about a direct change in the ruling dynasty. At that time, while the World Government might survive in some organizational form, its current rulers would be doomed.

The second type of change would be top-down. This was the method Claudius favored a transformation initiated from within, allowing the system to adapt to the changing era, thereby revitalizing itself. This was the path Claudius was leaning toward, and it might be the approach he would take in the future.

"Even if the world changes, it should be guided by divine hands," Claudius muttered softly.

"Your Highness?" Nia, standing by his side, looked at him in confusion, unsure how to respond to his cryptic words.

Claudius smiled, setting aside the book in his hand. "Don't mind me. I was just thinking out loud."

Claudius's plan was clear: he intended to seize the right moment to initiate a top-down transformation that could adapt to the tidal wave of the new era. But before that, he needed to make preparations. If he wanted to stir up change, he couldn't do it alone he needed power, allies who would conspire with him.

At present, Dragon seemed like someone who might be of use. However, Claudius was still too young. Had he been born a decade or so earlier, he might have been better prepared. Therefore, until he possessed sufficient strength, he couldn't act rashly or push Dragon too hard. His approach would need to be subtle he would have to gradually influence Dragon's thinking, helping him understand Claudius's ideas, so that the two of them wouldn't end up as enemies.

This kind of work required "culture." In simple terms: brainwashing.

After all, Claudius hailed from an era of information overload in his previous life. His mind was brimming with knowledge, and as a well-educated man, brainwashing these natives shouldn't pose too much of a challenge.

"If things go as expected, the best solution would be to adapt to the times by reforming the existing system. Of all possible systems, a constitutional monarchy seems most fitting delegating symbolic power to the people so they feel like they have a stake in things, while holding the real, invisible power behind the scenes. That's the framework I have in mind."

Claudius pondered over this.

When contradictions piled up to a breaking point, if one didn't want to be overthrown, concessions had to be made. The biggest flaw of the current system was that the World Government wielded too much power, and the Celestial Dragons were completely unrestrained, making them utterly lawless.

To avoid the fate of being overthrown, Claudius felt that some power needed to be ceded. However, this would only be a fa?ade. As long as societal productive forces hadn't yet reached a point of equal wealth distribution, class divisions would remain inevitable. Right now, these divisions were simply too glaring, with the Celestial Dragons brazenly standing above everything else. Such contradictions were bound to lead to conflict.

Although Claudius temporarily believed in delegating power, he had no intention of dismantling the upper class. His goal was to stabilize their power through the redistribution of authority. He would use wealth to control power discreetly after the system was reformed.

In short, Claudius intended to use constitutional reform as a fa?ade to create a pseudo-capitalist system. Outwardly, there would be no obvious power on display, but in reality, he would still control the true power wealth.

Nia blinked in surprise. "Your Highness?" She thought he had been focusing on martial arts recently, and now, suddenly, he wanted to write? Could he be thinking of composing a book?

She was momentarily confused, but in the end, it didn't matter. Claudius was a Celestial Dragon. Whether he was writing or even burning books, no one would dare question him.

Pushing aside these thoughts, Nia quickly fetched the pen and ink.

Claudius took the pen, paused for a moment, and thought to himself: if he wanted to influence Dragon's idealism, he needed a title that sounded grand!

After a few moments of consideration, Claudius made his decision and wrote two large characters on the paper: "Civil Rights."

But when he looked at his handwriting, Claudius froze. While the words themselves were fine, the writing was atrocious practically illegible.

"Ugh, my predecessor was truly useless. A noble who can't even write properly... It's embarrassing," Claudius muttered to himself.

Frustrated, he set the pen down. "Nia, you do it."

"Me?" Nia was taken aback. "But Your Highness... I'm not sure what you want to write."

"I'll dictate it to you. My handwriting is too awful to show to anyone. You can write decently, right?" Claudius asked, smiling.

Nia nodded hesitantly. "We do have to learn proper calligraphy in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Along with music, chess, painting, and so on..."

Claudius wasn't surprised. As a steward for the Celestial Dragons, it made sense for her to be highly skilled. After all, if one of the Celestial Dragons was in a good mood and asked you to play a tune or paint something, you couldn't very well say no. Otherwise, they might kill you for being useless.

"Good, then you can write for me," Claudius said with a grin.

Nia sat down in the spot Claudius had vacated. After neatly writing the words "Civil Rights," she paused, waiting for Claudius to continue dictating.

Claudius stood behind her, his voice calm and measured as he spoke:

"The people are like water, and the ruler is the boat. Dynasties may rise and fall, leaders may change, but the people endure. Water can support a boat, but it can also overturn it. Therefore, the well-being of the people must always come first, while the ruler serves as their guiding light..."

Claudius continued to dictate in a low voice while Nia diligently recorded his words. If Claudius wanted to influence Dragon's idealism, he had to craft this carefully, blending grand ideals with practical rhetoric. The title and the text needed to sound profound enough to inspire someone like Dorag.

Nia, listening intently to Claudius's words, couldn't help but feel a growing sense of disbelief. Initially, she thought Claudius's sudden interest in writing was just a passing whim, perhaps some lofty rhetoric praising the greatness of the Celestial Dragons. But these words...

The more Claudius spoke, the more shocked Nia became. His thoughts, his philosophy, seemed almost radical. As a member of the Celestial Dragons, Claudius's ideas about the people being the foundation of society, about rulers needing to adapt or face ruin were astonishing, almost blasphemous.

She kept her composure, though, continuing to write, her pen moving steadily across the paper as she recorded every word.