Translator: Cinder Translations
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As the gazes of everyone in the room gathered on him, Schroder immediately stood up and saluted.
"The army will resolutely obey your decision."
"Very good." Paul was quite satisfied with Schroder's reaction.
In fact, there were already several layers of safeguards within the army. For instance, the Equipment Department and the Logistics Department operated independently of the General Staff and reported directly to Paul. Notably, the soldiers' salaries were issued directly by the Logistics Department to personnel at all levels, bypassing the military commanders.
However, Paul felt that it would be better to add another layer of protection.
Schroder asked, "Um… Lord Grayman, what if the instructor and the military commander disagree on marching and combat tactics…"
He felt it necessary to clarify a few things.
Paul replied, "Don't worry; I won't let an outsider command the experts. Marching and combat will still be under the military commander's responsibility. The instructor will only have advisory power in this area."
"Your wisdom is commendable."
Schroder felt a weight lift off his shoulders.
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Thomas slowly walked through the dimly lit corridors of the lord's castle. It was nearing 5 PM, and he had planned to finish his day's work and head home. However, he suddenly received a summons from Earl Grayman. As the chief judge, he couldn't afford to delay and hurried to the lord's castle.
Upon arriving at the door to the Earl's office, he entered after the announcement from his secretary, Mr. Bernard Wood Francis.
He saw that his lord was not seated at the desk as usual but was instead slumped in a single armchair in the corner. The Earl was supporting his head with his right arm, his elbow resting on the armrest. The last rays of the setting sun filtered through the window and illuminated the floor in front of him, but the Earl himself was shrouded in shadow, making his face difficult to see.
To Thomas, it seemed the Earl was not in good spirits and appeared somewhat dispirited, prompting him to remind himself to choose his words carefully.
"My lord, Thomas has come at your summons."
"Please, have a seat."
"Yes."
The chief judge sat down not far from Paul.
"Thomas, I have been contemplating an issue lately."
"Please, speak your mind."
"Shouldn't we limit the powers of those so-called 'people's courts' spread throughout the countryside, or perhaps abolish them entirely and centralize all cases in Alden Town?"
A look of surprise crossed Thomas's face as he quietly asked, "Why have you suddenly thought of this?"
Paul stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I believe that if we continue to allow those landlords to hold punitive power, their intimidation over the farmers will be too great. The farmers will find themselves in a position where they cannot resist. Take the recent incident…"
His expression turned to one of anger. "That was Ferb using his power to arbitrarily decide that farmers must use their fields to pay off debts. If this matter had been adjudicated by Alden Town, we could have uncovered Ferb's despicable methods much sooner."
Thomas was aware of this incident, as he was present when Paul had raged about it.
Thomas furrowed his brow. "Um… Lord Grayman, I advise you to think carefully. Abruptly abolishing these private courts may lead to results that contradict your intended goals."
"Why? If it weren't for Ferb abusing his power, would such an unjust incident have occurred? Can't we simply strip him of his power?"
After considering for a moment, Thomas explained to Paul, "Lord Grayman, the lord's court, including myself, only consists of ten officials, overseeing the towns in Alden, Byerldine, and Emden, responsible for relevant local cases. However, for the vast rural areas, we are indeed lacking in resources. In places we cannot effectively manage, we rely on local respected gentry to form people's courts to handle cases. This has been the way of things since ancient times."
In fact, the Alden lord's court having ten officials was already a result of expansion. In the northwest region (and possibly beyond), most lords only had one legal advisor, as the lords themselves were the natural judges; they simply couldn't remember all the laws enacted by themselves or their ancestors, needing an assistant to help them keep track.
"If the vast rural areas lose their authority to mediate disputes, I personally fear it will quickly descend into chaos. Those local bullies can still play a role in maintaining order when their interests are not involved."
"Why can't people just go to the nearest city to litigate?"
"Uh…" Thomas said awkwardly, "It may not be a big deal for you to go to Frand Port, but for most people here, traveling a long way to a town just for a lawsuit of which they are uncertain of winning would be a significant loss compared to what they gain; perhaps… this would lead them to prefer resolving matters privately."
Hearing Thomas's words, Paul buried his face in his hands, feeling frustrated. "Is there really no good solution?"
After a moment of silence in the room, Paul suddenly sat up straight.
"Very well, Thomas!"
Paul fixed a solemn gaze on the chief judge, causing Thomas to tense up.
"I will increase the number of judges, and the lord's court will operate independently from the Administrative Council, establishing itself as a separate system."
"Do you mean… um, I didn't mishear, did I?"
Thomas felt a rush of excitement; did this mean he would be on par with the two bigwigs, Old Ford and Schroder?
"You heard correctly. I ask you, if all cases were adjudicated by the lord's court, how many personnel would we need?"
"It's hard to estimate, as this has never been done before. Moreover, Lord Grayman, I must remind you that a qualified judge cannot simply be someone who can read and write and do arithmetic like your ordinary bureaucrats. They must possess sound logical reasoning and be familiar with various legal provisions, which may require years of training."
Time! It requires time!
Paul tapped his fingers against the armrest, yearning for an instant solution.
"Fine, but the reforms must begin now. I have decided to quickly establish one or more small circuit courts to conduct inspections throughout the region. They must delve into every village, checking for any wrongful accusations or miscarriages of justice. We must instill the lord's authority in everyone's hearts and not just bow to those local bullies. You go back and immediately draft a proposal for me."
"Yes, Lord Grayman."
Thomas inwardly sighed; a circuit court? This would be a difficult task.
"Additionally, the power to sentence to death will be revoked. Even for criminals whose guilt is evident and deserving of execution, a detailed record of the interrogation process must be submitted to Alden Town, reviewed by the lord's court, and then sentenced."
"Understood!"
Thomas wholeheartedly agreed with Paul's decision.
(End of the Chapter)
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