The next day, Presidium, the resistance headquarters.
With Irelia's return from Mount Navoli, the high-level meeting of the resistance was held again under her convening and chairing.
The masters gathered together as they did the day before, but the difference was:
Not counting Irelia herself and Master Yi, there were 30 masters sitting in this venue the day before yesterday.
They are all the founding fathers of the Presidium Resistance, heroes of Ionia, and comrades-in-arms that Irelia once trusted.
And now, 6 people had "disappeared" in front of her without her noticing, leaving only 24 people.
"Will there be even fewer in the future?" Irelia sat in the main seat and suddenly sighed with emotion.
"Yes." Master Qingxia beside her sighed slightly: "The road you are going to take is too difficult and dangerous. There will always be people who fall behind."
Levi used a plug-in to avoid this problem.
But Irelia couldn't avoid it.
If she chooses her ideal, there will be fewer and fewer old friends around her. Some people will "disappear" in the future, they will definitely do so.
"Yeah..." Irelia was a little melancholy.
But melancholy did not affect her thinking. After yesterday's betrayal, reflection and self-awakening, she has grown up.
She looked at Master Yi in the audience, and Master Yi secretly gave her an encouraging look.
So Irelia became more determined.
She knew that she might lose many old friends along the way, but it was not a lonely road she was going to walk.
What she chose is the majority.
"Dear seniors." Amid the hesitant and confused gazes of the masters, Irelia stood up.
Her eyes were firm and deep, her voice was clear and powerful, and her temperament was very different from the young and gentle girl's demeanor the day before:
"I think you have a lot of questions now, right?"
"This..." The masters looked at each other and nodded.
Indeed, now their stomachs are full of questions.
They didn't know why Irelia had called a meeting with great fanfare as soon as she returned from the Navoli Mountains.
Why did only ? Where did the other six masters including Ravi go?
How were the negotiations with the Vastaya going? Why was Irelia so serious, and even her temperament had changed so much?
These problems can be summed up in one question:
"Master Irelia, what happened in the Navoli Mountains yesterday?"
The masters felt that something was wrong with the atmosphere, and they all turned their eyes to Irelia with concern.
And Irelia did not directly answer the question.
She first said: "Our negotiations with the Vastaya can be said to be very successful."
"I agree to return the land, and the leader of the Vastaya Freedom Army is willing to take this opportunity to form a strategic mutual assistance alliance with us."
"The Vastaya are willing to establish a joint army with us to facilitate unified coordination and command."
"In the future war against Noxus, humans and vastayan will fight side by side, without distinction."
As she spoke, as if to confirm Irelia's words, footsteps were heard outside the venue.
Xia and Luo walked in.
"Purple Crow?!" Xia's appearance caused a cry of surprise. The masters all recognized this legendary hero of the Vastaya.
You know, Xia is a well-known extreme anti-human element among the Vastaya.
So at the meeting the day before, the masters did not support returning the land to the Vastaya people.
On the one hand, it was the masters themselves who wanted the land;
But the other reason is that they all know very well that with Xia's character, even if humans kindly return the land, the Vastaya people may not necessarily coexist peacefully with humans in the future.
Before the repayment, Xia was anti-human; after the repayment, she was still anti-human.
Then wouldn’t the land be returned in vain?
Five cities today, ten cities tomorrow. If the Vastayans start making trouble again the day after tomorrow, won't we have to give back half of Ionia?
Because of this idea, almost everyone in the rebel army did not support Irelia's decision to make friends with the Vastaya.
But now, Xia actually took the risk with her boyfriend, followed Irelia, and came to the headquarters of the human resistance army openly.
This is enough to show her sincerity.
"Are the Vastaya people really willing to form an alliance with us?" The masters couldn't believe it.
But this scene is actually happening before my eyes.
Miss Irelia, who has always been secretly regarded as a political idiot, has actually achieved such great results in diplomacy.
You know, what Irelia negotiated was not just an empty alliance on paper.
The conditions of alliance she negotiated were:
"Establish a coalition with humans and accept unified command in wartime."
what does that mean?
This means that the Vastaya people have almost given up their independent pursuits and have joined the Presidian resistance in a half-concealed manner, becoming a part of the resistance in disguise.
It can even be said that this is a complete reconciliation between the Vastaya and humans.
In exchange for a piece of land that originally belonged to the Vastaya people, they gained a practical military alliance, the growth of the resistance army, and even superficially resolved the racial conflicts within Ionia...
With this performance, it is not an exaggeration to rank Irelia as one of the top ten diplomats in the world.
But the problem is:
"Master Irelia." The masters all looked at Xia, who was smiling, thoughtfully, and then looked at Irelia: "In addition to returning the land, did you... agree to any other conditions?"
Everyone vaguely sensed that something was wrong.
That piece of land originally belonged to the Vastaya people. It is impossible for Xia to be so grateful to humans just because of this piece of land.
Irelia must have promised something more favorable to win the Vastaya's heart. Everyone thought so.
"As for the conditions, I guess there are some." Irelia explained to everyone with a smile.
The Vastaya did choose to reconcile with humans for other reasons, and those conditions were not short-term visible benefits, but:
“Windleader,” Irelia said. “The vastaya are not seeking an alliance with us, but with Windleader.”
"This will be an alliance between the Leaders, the Rebels, and the Vastaya. We the Rebels are only a part of this alliance, not the absolute leader."
This made the masters even more confused.
Didn't Irelia go to negotiate with the Vastaya yesterday? What does the Leader have to do with this?
"Of course." Master Yi stood up at the right time.
He revealed his identity: "Actually, I am one of the leaders."
Master Yi of the Gale Sword School is also a leader?
The masters felt more and more uneasy. Why did the Wind Leader send people to interfere in the negotiations between the rebels and the Vastaya? What did this have to do with the Wind Leader?
"Of course it is related." Irelia's tone turned cold: "Master Ravi and others colluded with the Navoli Brotherhood and set up an ambush in the Navoli Mountains in an attempt to assassinate me."
"If it weren't for the leader's secret help yesterday, I and Chief Xia would have become a corpse!"
"?!!" Everyone was shocked.
"Master Irelia, is this true?" The masters couldn't believe it.
Although they also disagreed with Irelia's political views, the cruel act of Ravi and others colluding with the Brotherhood to assassinate the leader was far beyond their imagination.
But looking at Irelia's extremely rare cold eyes, as well as the evidence from both the Vastaya and the Wind Leaders, the masters had to believe it.
Only now did they understand why there were 11 people when they left, but only 5 when they came back.
"Ravi and the others..." The masters looked subtle.
"Dead." Irelia replied coldly, putting on a tone: "I killed these traitors, as well as the leader of the Brotherhood. No one was left alive."
Masters: “…”
The atmosphere in the meeting room suddenly became serious and cold.
For a while, no one dared to act like a senior in front of Irelia.
Everyone then remembered that the girl in front of them was not some foolish emperor who could be fooled at will, but a leader who had become a leader through her own strength.
When facing her enemies, she never shows mercy when killing people.
"Good kill!" The masters came back to their senses.
Most of them were sincere, and a few were acting. They all expressed their opinions: "Ravi and others actually colluded with the Brotherhood to assassinate Master Irelia. This is really crazy!"
"I never thought that Ravi would do something like this...Alas!"
Soon, the vile nature of the Ravi reactionary group was determined by the masters.
Once this nature is determined, the Ravi Group’s previous routes and propositions will be characterized accordingly.
Master Qingxia secretly sent a warning look, and Irelia immediately asked: "Seniors, do you know why Master Ravi betrayed the resistance?"
“……” The masters remained silent.
In fact, they all guessed it, but no one wanted to say it out loud.
Because Master Ravi's purpose, in the final analysis, is actually the same as theirs:
"He wanted more land and privileges, and wanted to learn from Noxus' feudal system. I didn't agree, and they wanted to kill me."
Irelia's eyes were filled with disappointment. This disappointing look should have been given to Ravi and the others, and it also brought great psychological pressure to everyone present.
The masters couldn't help but feel their scalps tingling:
Damn Ravi! Damn traitor!
The reputation of the reformists will be ruined by these extremists!
They had originally thought of using their power to force Irelia to change her course peacefully.
Now it's ok...
After what Ravi and others did, anyone who now proposes feudal reform will be suspected of being an "evil rebel group colluding with external forces" and become the public enemy of Ionia.
As a result, the venue fell into a strange silence.
Irelia, taking advantage of the remaining momentum of eliminating the traitor, announced her decision in an orderly manner:
"I called everyone to a meeting today to resolve a few issues."
"First, thoroughly liquidate the Sharma family and the other six families and sects that participated in the rebellion."
"All the land and property under their names will be confiscated. The high-ranking generals from these six families will be suspended from their posts and investigated. The legions under their command will be disbanded and reorganized. From now on, they will be under my direct command."
"Of course!" The masters expressed their support.
Ravi and others did stupid things themselves, and they will have to pay the price if they fail.
It is understandable and there is nothing wrong with Irelia being backstabbed and wanting to liquidate the remaining forces of these traitors in anger.
but……
"The armies of these six major family sects will be under your direct command from now on?" The masters all vaguely sensed that something was wrong.
Wow, Irelia is about to take charge of the military power!
Although Irelia was called a leader in the past, she never built up territory or power for herself, nor did she establish a "personal tribe" that directly obeyed her orders .
This means that while other masters have transformed into warlords, Irelia is still at the "anti-Nox" level at the beginning.
To put it nicely, she is a one-man army; to put it bluntly, she is a commander without troops.
Even when war really comes, Irelia can mobilize the troops of these masters in the name of leader.
But if she encountered a situation like the day before yesterday, where the masters collectively opposed her opinion, she would be completely alone with no one to use.
And now...
"Master Irelia, it's finally time to build up your own power." Everyone felt uneasy.
For the masters who are used to freedom, Irelia's desire for military power is not a good thing.
But there was nothing to be done. This time it was Ravi and the others who were seeking their own death, giving Irelia the reputation of being righteous, so no one could say much.
As a result, this item did not cause any controversy and was quickly passed unanimously with everyone's approval.
At this time, Irelia continued: "The second thing is what I mentioned before:"
"We will form an alliance with the Wind Leaders and the Vastayans to assist the Wind Leaders of the Baroo Province in fighting against the invasion of Noxus and saving the Baroo compatriots who are now struggling in the war."
"Support Barue?" The masters were slightly stunned.
Then without giving it much thought, they quickly responded, “We agree!”
Looking at the masters' serious expressions this time, a little hope ignited in Irelia's eyes.
Although these masters all have their own selfish motives, at least when facing foreign enemies, they have lived up to their reputation as Ionian heroes.
"We can now sit here and hold a meeting peacefully, all thanks to the leader who attracted the main force of the Noxians away, allowing the long-awaited peace to be restored in the Navoli Province."
"The lips and teeth are in danger. The situation in the province of Barou is critical now, and millions of our compatriots are trapped in the center of the war zone. We really can't sit idly by."
When it comes to fighting the Noxian devils, the atmosphere of unity and vigor and vitality filled the venue again.
Irelia felt as if she had returned to Presidium more than a year ago, the battlefield where countless heroes were born.
At that time, even Master Ravi, who later betrayed her, was her most trusted comrade-in-arms. Everyone was working towards a common goal, fighting bloody battles for the future of Ionia.
However, this wonderful memory only lasted for a while.
Soon, Irelia talked about the next topic: "The third thing is to cancel the land return policy."
"Cancel the land return policy?" This sentence instantly aroused the masters' vigilance.
They immediately put aside their previous passionate feelings for their country and family, and looked forward to Irelia's next words with great interest.
Sure enough, Irelia wanted to change, but not in the way everyone expected.
"Our original land return policy is indeed outdated. However, the land division system advocated by Master Ravi will plant many hidden dangers for the future of Ionia."
“So I decided:”
Unknowingly, Irelia has mastered the essential skills of a leader.
After saying “I’ll just talk about a few issues,” she added “I’ll briefly talk about two more points” after each issue:
“1. Cancel the land repatriation policy.”
The rebels no longer recognize the property rights of the previous dynasty. The land will no longer be returned to the original owner unconditionally.
“2. The ownership of the allocated land remains unchanged;”
The hardest thing in the world is to make others spit out the fat that has already been in their mouths.
And now the war is not over yet, and the 24 masters and their legions are the main force in fighting against the Noxian Empire.
Irelia still needs them, so of course she can't destroy their jobs right away.
So under the advice of Master Qingxia, she proposed such a compromise plan, temporarily recognizing the land, resources and privileges already occupied by the masters.
“3. No distribution will be made to the newly occupied land for the time being.”
"We used the same method we used to deal with the no-man's land before, adopting wartime military control, recruiting refugees to set up military farms, and letting the rebels be responsible for management and operation."
For fear of scaring the masters, Irelia didn't want to follow the leader's example and distribute the wealth to everyone right away.
Therefore, "wartime martial law" was implemented first to let the masters know that this was a temporary policy implemented during the war and that it could be flexibly adjusted after the war.
It also gives them a thought so that they won't be forced to imitate Ravi.
"This..." But the masters' faces still didn't look good.
They say martial law during wartime... To put it bluntly, it means not allowing them to continue expanding their power and not allowing them to occupy more land?
So for them, how different is this from the original land return policy?
"That's my opinion." Irelia nodded in confirmation, and then looked around with a determined look: "Then..."
"Who's for? Who's against?"
"I object!" Soon a master stood up.
"I object too!" Everyone followed suit and expressed their opinions.
They still have the same old argument: "If the land is not distributed, how can the soldiers be motivated to fight?"
"That's okay." Irelia was prepared: "We are just implementing martial law during wartime."
"After the war is over, we will redistribute the land. I promise that all the meritorious soldiers in the resistance army will get the land they deserve."
Indeed it does.
But it is hard to say how much the masters will get by then.
They all realized this and continued to make excuses to question: "No!"
"Master Irelia, all the land in Ionia has its own owner. If you take the land under military control without any explanation, it will probably cause resentment among the people!"
"Oh?" Irelia's face turned cold.
Recalling the betrayal she suffered yesterday, her young face became more stern: "Senior, the feudal system you want is also to snatch the land from the original owner, right?"
"Why didn't you think about causing public resentment when you discussed the division of land?"
"This..." The masters were embarrassed.
After yesterday's battle, Irelia's rank seemed to have grown by several levels.
Two moves in succession were blocked, and the masters could not find a suitable reason to object.
In addition to the adverse effects brought about by the "Ravi Rebellion Group", they should not excessively advocate the superiority of the feudal system, lest Irelia, who is already angry, find a reason to investigate and liquidate them.
What should I do now?
Irelia was determined not to divide the country.
You can't really follow the example of that bastard Ravie and collude with outsiders to rebel against Irelia, right?
"Ahem." Seeing that the atmosphere was becoming increasingly tense, Master Qingxia coughed twice at the right time.
He stood up and said to everyone: "Master Irelia has now realized that tradition cannot continue and reform is imperative."
"But she still has various concerns about how the law should be changed."
"That's why she cancelled the land return policy and decided to implement wartime martial law - in fact, she wanted to put the issue of distribution on hold and discuss it slowly later."
"We don't need to come to an agreement right now. We can put aside the dispute and fight the enemy together. After we drive the Noxians away, we can discuss how to distribute the land."
Master Qingxia's detailed explanation gradually calmed the masters' restless hearts.
Although everyone knows that this is just a pie in the sky to appease them, how the land will be divided in the future depends on how the two sides negotiate.
But now they seem to have no better option than to accept this promise.
To put it bluntly... even if they are crazy and want to rebel, they have to bide their time and prepare, right?
"Besides..." Master Qingxia pointedly reminded: "Master Irelia never intended to be an enemy of everyone. She just wanted everyone to understand her difficulties and give her more time to make a decision."
"After all, our Presidium Resistance Army is supported by all of you comrades."
"Even if we impose martial law during wartime, we still need your full support, right?"
Qingxia's words were meaningful, as if she was avoiding Irelia and quietly reminding everyone something.
"This?!" The masters suddenly understood.
Yes! So what if we impose martial law during wartime?
If it's military control, the resistance army will have to send people to take charge.
Who should be sent to take charge?
Of course, we can only send masters.
Because almost all the officers and generals of the rebel army, from top to bottom, are descendants of these masters' families and disciples of their sects.
If we don’t send their people to take care of it, who else can we send?
And as long as the land is in their hands, hehe...
Then this so-called "military land" can be completely managed by them as "officers' land";
The so-called "military households" could be trained by them to become their own tenants or even serfs.
All the income from this land must pass through their hands before being handed over to the "imperial court".
"This..." The masters thought carefully and said, "This method is not unacceptable."
As long as it is handled properly, martial law can make their operation almost the same as feudal rule.
The only drawback is:
After all, this was not a real fiefdom, and they were not legal lords.
If Irelia tracked them down, they would have to spit out everything they had swallowed.
"What should we do?" The masters were a little worried.
After all, their knowledge is shallow.
They didn't consider that if the land belonged to the rebels, it meant that the responsibility also belonged to the rebels.
If the masters behave recklessly in the local area and something goes wrong, the people will never hate the masters, but only the resistance organization.
Because even if ordinary people are harmed by a "master", they may not know who has harmed them.
After all, there are not many people in this world who know the name of the mayor, and few can tell you which wealthy people are in their hometown and what kind of collusion of interests they have with each other.
But people who know Irelia's name are everywhere.
You are the leader of the resistance army. If something goes wrong, who else should we blame if not you?
Therefore, as long as the masters perform consistently, it won’t be long before Irelia’s reputation among the people becomes unbearable.
She would fall from her pedestal, her deeds would be distorted and discredited, her name would be smeared, and she would go from being a savior hero to a villain in the eyes of the Ionians.
By then, the masters will hold high the banner of "speaking for the people and fighting for freedom", and they will be able to kill the "evil dragon" Irelia amid the cheers of the people and seize the power of the resistance.
Finally, after some operations, the rebels' military land can be legitimately turned into private property. The masters can be heroes and make money at the same time, which is the best of both worlds.
Due to their short-sightedness, the masters cannot think that far.
But the huge room for maneuver behind martial law is enough to make them excited.
"Okay..." The masters finally chose to compromise: "We support the cancellation of land return and the implementation of wartime martial law."
…
The meeting ended successfully.
The reform plan proposed by Irelia was also successfully implemented.
"What's the next step?" Irelia asked Master Yi.
"Wait." Master Yi conveyed President Levi's instructions.
"What are you waiting for?" Irelia was puzzled.
"Wait for our comrades." Master Yi said, "They may still be farmers working in the fields, merchants walking the streets, refugees who have left their homes, soldiers fighting bloody battles, young masters of large families who have awakened their consciences, or untouchables with nowhere to go in small villages..."
“They haven’t woken up yet.”
“But they will eventually come together with us.”
The masters thought that they were the ones in charge of martial law and the earth would stop spinning without them.
But what they don't know is that this is just a delaying tactic by the leader.
Martial law is only to allow them to take charge temporarily, so that future leaders can take over.
"As long as Ionia has enough leaders, and the leaders have enough grassroots cadres, enough to completely replace the disciples of these masters—"
"These remnants of the old era can disappear from the stage of history forever."