The Duke chuckled softly after hearing my words.
"There's no noble who doesn't want to gain absolute loyalty from their subordinates."
While the East and the West are two cultures with almost nothing in common except for being human, there’s one concept that transcends both.
"Power is maintained because it has the support of the people and subordinates, and it can grow stronger or weaker depending on their allegiance."
In Eastern, especially Confucian, cultures, this idea is interpreted as "public sentiment is the will of Heaven," which teaches that lowering taxes indiscriminately is an ideal.
In the West, however, it’s a matter of fulfilling one’s role—loyalty is a contract. A lord should be loyal to their vassals, and vassals should be loyal to their lord. Fulfillment of this is considered a moral duty and a divine obligation.
If that bond is broken, the lord’s head can be legally broken too.
"This is where the difference between the East and the West begins to show."
My thoughts drifted for a moment, but the key point is that the most important thing for a ruler to maintain their power is this: loyalty from their subordinates.
"And loyalty comes not just from treating your subordinates well, but from making them fear you, doesn’t it?"
I borrowed the words of one of the greatest Renaissance thinkers, Machiavelli.
In The Prince, he wove these complex ideas together, but to summarize in my own words: people who are loved and respected might still betray you when their desires outweigh their fears. It’s the people who fear you—who know that crossing you could mean the end for them and their families—that will remain loyal.
So, if you're a ruler, don’t strive to be loved, strive to be feared.
"Of course, if you’re not Jesus Christ, you can’t always be loved by everyone, so... well, good luck."
This theory holds true in the Tuscany Empire and, really, in any society based on Western thinking.
The King of Korea, King Yeongjo, who was both a monarch of science and ethics, emphasized the importance of filial piety while also killing his own son-in-law. That paradox worked for him, as it allowed him to rule effectively, even while suffering from dementia in his later years.
Had he been more like King Sejong, with his warm and gentle image, he likely would have been reduced to being a retired king in a corner of the palace, unable to maintain control.
"Everyone talks about being a noble who is loved and respected, but those who truly believe that are frankly people with low intelligence. Nobles are revered not because they are loved by everyone, but because they are feared."
This is the issue with most politicians—they love appearing easy-going and approachable. However, the moment they show weakness, someone is bound to take advantage of them.
Such lives are the foundation of most politicians' careers.
Hoping for an exception in such a world is naive.
I too am certainly not perfect—perhaps I’m more flawed than I care to admit.
But now, it’s time for the main course.
"Use accountants to audit the ledgers of the Duke's personal domain. Root out the corruption, and prove your efficiency."
This is the terrifying thing about audits.
When accountants flood in and start checking the books, corruption that even I didn’t know about starts to spill out.
Sometimes, missing budgets that were thought to be lost suddenly reappear.
"Once you prove your efficiency, you can recommend this method to other noble factions, and they won’t be able to refuse."
Medieval nobles are never fools.
Even if they don’t fully understand the concept of an audit, as soon as they hear someone is checking the books, they’ll swarm to oppose it.
But if efficiency is proven and you show that you can uncover the money secretly stolen by their subordinates...
Opposing the audit would be tantamount to branding themselves as guilty.
That’s why, whether in the past or today, when high-ranking individuals seek land or benefits, they always create a righteous cause.
For the sake of the gods, democracy, or the liberation of the people.
The Duke slammed his hand on the table, his face showing clear discontent.
“That’s a brilliant idea. But if I expose the corruption and punish someone, other nobles will lose trust in me. Which noble in the world would follow a lord who digs up and exposes their own corruption?”
It’s natural that high-ranking individuals tend to cover up the crimes of their own factions, minimizing their punishment.
It’s important to be feared, but it’s even more important to be able to gain something by following them.
But if the faction leader starts exposing my corruption, who would follow them? It’s only common sense.
"If you draw your sword, it’s a declaration of war, but showing that you can draw your sword is an excellent conversational tool."
Since the mid-20th century, the world has been extraordinarily peaceful, a rare historical phenomenon.
Of course, there are still daily civil wars and underground conflicts that don’t make the news, but...
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For ordinary people living in developed nations, war has become almost a distant issue.
This era is historically unprecedented.
‘This is all possible because of nuclear weapons.’
Whether it’s a world war or a war between countries, a simple threat of nuclear weapons is enough to deter most conflicts.
Without nuclear weapons, perhaps the modern world would be a much bloodier place.
"By auditing the ledgers and uncovering corruption, if you start accusing or punishing the families within the faction, you’ll break the contract with them. Why would I suggest doing something without loyalty? For the sake of the Rothschild family’s survival, for Erica, for Chris, and for my children, the Visconti family must thrive."
My power base is enormous wealth, political support from the Emperor and the Duke, and the ability to see things others miss.
If even one of those elements is lost, I’ll be finished.
No, my political rivals would burn me alive in the streets of Florence, literally.
‘The Visconti family and I are one in the same.’
This was likely why the Duke arranged my marriage to Erica.
"Just threaten them. If they show a non-cooperative attitude, tell them this information could be exposed."
In truth, nuclear weapons are not made to be used directly in wars.
After the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear weapons have never been used in combat, officially or unofficially.
But simply possessing them gives me the power to make others hesitant to challenge me.
And the information gathered from audits should be used in the same way.
“You sometimes speak such terrifying words without even a second thought, and you say them with a smile.”
“Am I smiling?”
I was just stating the obvious, the kind of thing anyone could think of.
Without the concept of an audit, any noble would be considering the same thoughts.
“And when we audit the ledgers, all the clues to the corruption will come out. There will be those who sold out our secrets or have already betrayed us. Use them as examples.”
There’s a saying, ‘Set an example by punishing one to deter others.’
It’s a concept that’s persisted from ancient times to the present.
It’s important to teach that committing crimes is wrong, but it’s also crucial that criminals face painful consequences.
Thanks to this simple truth, public safety is maintained, and you can walk home late at night without being robbed.
When nobles are shown what happens to betrayers, even those who never planned to betray will listen more carefully.
They’ll know that if they don’t listen, something bad might happen.
“If I hold their weaknesses, my power will become even more secure. But if that happens, won’t you end up handing over your own weaknesses to me?”
Since I can’t shave off my own head, the faction might bring in other merchants to audit their own books.
During that process, they’ll certainly find problematic records in my own ledger.
But I’m the one who first thought of the accountant system, and I’m the pioneer here.
I wouldn’t leave any unnecessary information to be found.
But instead of worrying about those trivial matters, I simply smiled and responded.
“We’re family, aren’t we? That’s what family is—complementing each other’s weaknesses.”
After exchanging some light conversation with the Duke, I had my servant fetch Erica, and we spent some time together talking about daily matters before I left.