Chapter 10 chapter Ten

Shortly after joining the Freemasons, Pierre, armed with a set of territorial rules written for himself, went to Kyiv province, where most of his peasants worked their fields. Arriving in Kyiv, Pierre summoned all the managers at the head office and explained to them his intentions and desires.He told them that measures should be taken soon to completely liberate the peasants and free them from the dependence of serfdom. At that time, the labor burden of the peasants should not be increased, and it is not appropriate to send women and children to work, but to help the peasants. Punishment should be persuasive, not corporal punishment, and hospitals, orphanages, nursing homes, and schools should be set up in various territories.Some stewards (including stewards with little literacy here) listened to him in surprise, speculating that the meaning of the words was that the young earl expressed dissatisfaction with their stewardship and hidden money, and some stewards felt that Pierre I pronounce the "C" and "C" sounds a bit like "D" and "E", and think that the new terms they have never heard are very interesting. The third kind of manager thinks that listening to the master's speech is simply It's a pleasure, the fourth type of managers are all smart people, including the chief manager. They understand from this speech how to treat the master so as to achieve their own goals.

The Director-General was sympathetic to Pierre's intentions, but he noted that, alongside these reforms, those messy operational studies had to be taken seriously. Count Bezukhov has acquired a huge wealth. It is said that he has an annual income of 500,000 rubles, but compared with the time when he received 10,000 rubles from the late old count, he feels very poor.He was vaguely aware that he had a rough budget as follows.Each territory pays 80,000 rubles to the Administration; about 30,000 rubles are paid for the consumption of houses in the suburbs of Moscow and in the city of Moscow, and the living expenses of the princesses; 15,000 rubles each for the payment of pensions and funds allocated to charities about 1,000 rubles; the cost of living allocated to the Countess accounted for 150,000 rubles; the payment of debts was about 70,000 rubles; He himself did not know how to spend it, so he had to borrow money every year.In addition, the tails are also linked. "("East and West") Mao Zedong said: "All contradictory things, each other, every year, the chief manager sometimes reports disasters in letters, sometimes reports bad harvests, and sometimes reports the need for improvement of workshops and factories.Therefore, Pierre felt that the first major task was the one that he lacked the most will and ability to deal with-research, research, business, and business.

Pierre and the chief steward study the business every day.But he felt that his research could not move the business forward.He also felt that his research was not business-oriented, that they were not grasping the business, not moving it forward.On the one hand, the general manager saw the business as bad, and made it clear to Pierre that it is necessary to pay off the debts and start new activities with the labor of serfs, but Pierre disagreed; on the other hand, Pierre demanded to start emancipating The serfs, but the steward made it clear to him that the debt to the Administration had to be paid first, so the mission of emancipating the serfs could not be carried out quickly.

The steward did not say that the emancipation of the serfs was absolutely impossible, and that in order to achieve this he proposed to sell the forests of the Kostroma province, the lands of the lowlands and the Crimea.But the manager said that the procedures involved in these transactions were so complicated, not only to withdraw the ban, but also to apply for it, wait for approval, etc., so that Pierre was at a loss and could only say to him, "Yes, yes, you will this is how." Pierre lacked the indomitable practical ability to do things seriously, so he didn't like business, but only tried to pretend to be busy with business in front of the managers.The steward also tried his best to pretend in front of the count, as if the handling of these transactions was extremely beneficial to the master, but an embarrassment to himself.

Acquaintances met in the great cities, and strangers were busy making friends with him, and welcoming the new rich man, the largest landowner in the province, with enthusiasm.The temptation, which Pierre had confessed to when he joined the Masonic chapter, was his chief weakness, was now so strong that he was powerless to control himself.Pierre's life was just like in Petersburg, the whole day, the whole week, the whole month was spent in parties, dances, breakfasts and lunches. Time brought him to his senses.Pierre was simply living his old life in another environment, not the new one he had hoped to lead.

Among the three tenets of Freemasonry, Pierre realized that he was not fulfilling the mission that every Freemason is required by law to be a model of spiritual life.Among the seven virtues, he himself lacks two: good conduct and dedication.He can console himself with the fact that he has fulfilled another mission: to transform humanity, and possesses two other virtues: love for others, and especially generosity. In the spring of 1807 Pierre decided to return to Petersburg.On his way home he wished to visit all his dominions, and to assure himself of what was prescribed to him, and to examine the state of his good people whom he had entrusted to God with whom he sought to do favor.

The steward considered the young earl's various intentions almost a sign of insanity, unfavorable to himself, to him, and to the peasants, but he made concessions anyway.He still thought that emancipating the serfs was impossible, so he ordered the construction of schools, hospitals, orphanages, retirement homes and tall houses in the territories; everywhere was ready to welcome the lord, he knew that Pierre did not like extravagance but as far as he knew his lord, rituals of religious thanksgiving, such as offerings of statues, bread, and salt, could influence the count and coax him for a while.

In the spring in the south, the peaceful gallop in a Viennese carriage and the solitude of the journey made Pierre feel refreshed.The territories he had not set foot in were picturesque, each more beautiful than the last; everywhere the common people seemed to him happy, and grateful for his favors.Everywhere there were ceremonies of welcome, which, though embarrassing to Pierre, aroused a pleasure in the depths of his soul.Peasants in one place offered him bread, salt, and icons of Peter and Paul, and asked him to allow them to build a new side altar in the church at their own expense, in memory of his angels Peter and Paul, who loved Pierre and loved him. Gratitude for grace.In another land, women with babies came to meet him, to thank him for freeing them from heavy labor.In the third domain, he was greeted by a priest holding a cross surrounded by children. He was favored by the count and taught children to read and believe in religion.In the various estates Pierre saw with his own eyes the masonry buildings of hospitals, schools, nursing homes, which were being built and were being built according to a plan, and which were about to be commissioned.Everywhere Pierre saw the steward's report on the reduction of labor, and heard the words of deep gratitude from the representatives of the peasants in blue gowns for this.

Pierre just didn't know that the place where bread and salt was offered to him and where the altar of Peter and Paul was built was a commercial village with a market every St. The side altars have been built for a long time, but the peasants, who account for nine tenths of the village, have been reduced to abject poverty.He did not know that, in accordance with his order, the nursing women--women with babies--were no longer being sent to labor, and these nursing women were then doing extremely hard domestic work in their own houses.He didn't know that the priest who came to welcome him with a cross imposed exorbitant taxes on the peasants, increasing the burden on the peasants. The students he recruited were sent to him by their parents with tears in their eyes, and they spent a lot of money to redeem them. here.He didn't know that the masonry houses were built according to the plan by the peasants' own labor, so that the labor of the peasants was increased, and the reduction of labor was just a dead letter.He didn't know that the steward had shown him from the book that the rent had been reduced by one-third in accordance with his will, while the local tax and labor had been increased by half.Pierre, therefore, was quite satisfied with his tour of the domain, fully restored to the philanthropic mood he had left Petersburg, and wrote an enthusiastic letter to his brother, whom he called president.

"How easy and effortless so many good things are done," thought Pierre, "how little we care about them." It made him feel very happy to be thanked by others, but he felt ashamed when he accepted the thanks.This kind of gratitude made him think that he had better be able to do more for these ordinary and kind people. The superintendent, a very foolish and cunning man, knew the count, who was both intelligent and childish, he played with him like a toy, and he saw the effect on Pierre of the pre-arranged entertainment. , they put forward all kinds of reasons to him even more firmly, saying that the emancipation of the serfs was impossible, mainly unnecessary, because the serfs were very happy if they were not emancipated.

Pierre also agreed with the chief steward in his secret heart, thinking that it is hard to imagine anyone happier than a serf, and God knows what future awaits a free serf. Although Pierre did not have this desire, he still insisted on his Consider what is just.The Steward undertook to use all his powers to carry out the Count's will, knowing full well that not only would the Count never be able to check whether he had taken steps to sell the forests and estates, and whether he had paid off the Board's debts, but in nine cases out of ten he would never ask and Ask how the houses that have been built are left empty, and how the peasants, like other serfs, continue to give everything they can provide in the form of labor and money.