89. Seeds of tomorrow
The golden dawn stretched across Suryagarh's horizon, casting long beams over the fields of golden wheat and the expanding towns beyond the walls. The once modest kingdom was now a thriving beacon of prosperity, with its influence spreading far beyond its borders.
But within the halls of power, the work was far from over.
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Though the noble class had been politically broken, their presence remained—their estates still held wealth, and their influence lingered in remote regions. Some of the nobility had accepted the new legal code begrudgingly, adapting to the changing times in order to preserve their status.
But others clung to their dying power, quietly resisting the changes.
In certain villages, landowners still demanded extra grain from farmers.
Some nobles imposed secret taxes, forcing laborers to pay for using the wells and roads.
Old caste customs remained entrenched in smaller regions, where priestly families refused to bless lower-caste weddings or grant them equal access to temples.
Harsh knew these battles could not be won overnight.
Thus, he turned to the one weapon the nobles feared most—knowledge.
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One morning, Harsh stood before a crowd of farmers, blacksmiths, and artisans in the town square.
"If you are to be free, you must be armed—not with swords, but with knowledge."
Beside him, Vidur unfurled a royal decree—one that would reshape the very foundation of Suryagarh.
Public schools would be established in every major town and village.
Education was declared a right for all castes, with children from all backgrounds attending the same schools.
The curriculum included literacy, basic arithmetic, history, and law, ensuring that every citizen understood their rights.
Within months:
Former peasants learned to read and write, able to challenge unjust contracts and taxation demands.
Lower-caste artisans began to teach their children trade skills, breaking the generational cycle of ignorance.
Temple scribes, once exclusive to the upper caste, now taught farmers' sons and daughters to interpret legal texts.
The once insurmountable chasm of caste slowly began to narrow.
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But as the commoners grew stronger with knowledge, the nobles grew more desperate.
In the northern provinces, Lord Varun Singh, one of the few remaining high lords, held a secret council with other nobles who had fled Suryagarh.
"He is turning the peasants into scholars and the laborers into judges," Varun seethed, his eyes glinting with rage.
"If we let this continue, there will be nothing left of our houses. Our bloodlines will be no more than dirt."
The nobles pledged their loyalty to each other, forming a covert coalition, scheming to disrupt Harsh's reforms by targeting:
Schools and magistrate courts, aiming to burn records and destroy the newfound legal protections.
Village officials, hoping to bribe or assassinate those who enforced Harsh's laws.
Wealthy merchants, seeking to undermine Harsh's taxation system by manipulating trade routes.
But Harsh, ever vigilant, had his own informants—commoners and former serfs who now acted as his eyes and ears.
The conspiracies were uncovered before they could cause true damage.
The traitorous nobles were seized, their remaining wealth distributed to the people.
Their lands became state property, used to fund public works and expand the education system.
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As Harsh's kingdom expanded, so did his vision for equality.
He introduced a structured welfare system:
Food granaries were constructed, ensuring that no family went hungry during droughts or poor harvests.
State-funded healers treated the sick for free, regardless of caste or wealth.
New taxes were introduced—progressive and fair, taxing wealthier merchants and landowners proportionately more while easing the burden on farmers and laborers.
For the first time, lower-caste citizens could:
Own land without noble oversight.
Freely trade their harvests without yielding to lordly tariffs.
Bring grievances directly to royal-appointed magistrates, bypassing local noble courts.
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As years passed, Harsh's children grew into their own roles, each shaped by their parents' legacies.
At eight years old, Rudra had already begun his training with General Raghunath and the seasoned commanders.
Despite his young age, Rudra was disciplined and showed fierce determination, wielding his wooden sword with grace beyond his years.
Raghunath saw in him the early makings of a leader—his sharp instincts and natural authority.
The soldiers treated him with admiration but never knelt, honoring Harsh's decree.
The young boy rode with the cavalry, observing formations, learning tactics, and training with the kingdom's finest archers and swordsmen.
One evening, Harsh watched his son sparring with a veteran soldier. The boy's face was bruised, but he fought on with dogged resilience, refusing to yield.
After the match, Harsh knelt before his son, gripping his shoulders.
"You have nothing to prove, my son," he said, his voice gentle.
But Rudra's eyes were already sharp with resolve.
"I will lead by your side, Father. I will protect our people."
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Meanwhile, his daughter, Arya, now five, displayed a strikingly sharp political mind.
Raised under Ishani's tutelage, she absorbed politics with a natural ease.
She listened intently to diplomatic meetings, picking up on subtle power plays.
She accompanied her mother to public hearings, learning how to read the tone of the crowd, the hidden meanings in nobles' words, and the silent agreements made in brief glances.
One afternoon, Harsh found Arya sitting beside Ishani, listening to a group of merchants negotiate tax exemptions.
When the merchants made an exaggerated plea, Arya quietly leaned toward her mother and whispered,
"They are lying. They trade with two caravans, not one. Their ledgers showed it last week."
Ishani smiled faintly, proud of her daughter's sharp observation. She turned to the merchants with a piercing gaze.
"I will require both of your ledgers for inspection," she announced evenly.
The merchants blanched, realizing they had been caught by a five-year-old.
Harsh watched with admiration, seeing the seeds of future leadership in both of his children.
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As the sun set over Suryagarh, Harsh stood on the palace balcony, looking over the city.
The streets were clean, lit by lamplight, and filled with people of all castes walking freely.
The schools glowed with torchlight—the voices of children reciting the legal codex from memory.
Farmers and merchants traded without fear of exploitation.
Ishani approached, standing quietly by his side.
"They will inherit a kingdom unlike any before it," she said softly.
Harsh smiled faintly, his eyes on their children playing in the courtyard below.
"Yes, they will. And they will fight to keep it free."
With each passing day, the kingdom of Suryagarh grew into a beacon of equality—one that would shape the generations to come.
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