“Max, sit down and listen carefully to what I will tell you. Now you are seventeen years old, and you are crown prince. Till now, we have been teaching you many things with teachers from our kingdom, and all that you know is a theory; you have to understand some truths outside the kingdom. You must spend at least a year traveling to other kingdoms to observe how people live, understand the challenges they face and the consequences of their actions, and experience all of this. You have to get wiser in order to rule our kingdom. You will get wiser when you get more knowledge. The question is how accurately you will evaluate the knowledge you acquire about morals and values. Good manners are the basis of excellent health and a successful life. The man is complete when he/she has spiritual, mental, and physical health. We have no doubts that we educated you for a crown prince. Our best teachers were teaching you. You can cope with all subjects, including sports. You have been living only in the castle, and you know only one side of the coin. It is essential to see the other side of the coin—how other people live. However, our kingdom is highly respected. How did you know that hundreds of years ago, your grandparents worked tirelessly, engaged in negotiations, displayed patience, and demonstrated selflessness to maintain the balance of all kingdoms? A one-kilometer area, bordered by the borders of the other kingdoms, serves as a free trading zone, allowing all traders to travel there and engage in trade with each other. This boundary is impenetrable, ensuring our safety from all threats. Moreover, we have four buildings on our side that serve as entrances to the free trading zone. Both of the buildings serve as courts. Kingdoms designate one building for resolving disputes and looting, while the other serves as a platform for arbitrage. To be more precise, we are the ones conducting the arbitrage. The other building houses the major traders who engage in cross-kingdom trade. The other two buildings are keeping money safe. Other kings can use one of them to safeguard their treasures, as it contains keys and rooms for each. We reserve the final building for the bid traders. We only keep them safe. Everyone is aware of their immense reserves, which is why they refrain from attacking us, fearing that their actions would incite others' anger. Our grandparents have done everything, and it is our duty to uphold and rebuild these laws. This explains why we possess the largest library. It is our most powerful weapon. We gather all stories and lessons for future reference. We know that knowledge is more powerful than every weapon. With speech control, you can conquer everyone by controlling their feelings. At your age, young people travel to other kingdoms and share information with us about their superior manufacturing capabilities, the news they have learned, the quality of their kings' rule, the taxes they have imposed, and their intentions. We require this information because it aids us in our interactions with kings and traders. When we comprehend new developments, we implement them in our kingdom to enhance the quality of life for our people. Moreover, we identify the areas with the best harvests, purchase them from them, and then sell them to other kingdoms at a profit. For instance, once we determine which village is selling the best wagons, we purchase them, travel to the free zone, and then sell them to other kingdoms. When an individual possesses knowledge, they are free from the fear of failure. To possess good knowledge, one must possess good manners, cultivate good habits, exercise control over their emotions, and adhere to all other factors that contribute to mental clarity. We take care of every person in our kingdom, and we are kind and respectful to people from other kingdoms; that is why they respect us. It's time to travel to other kingdoms to gain knowledge and implement what you see as beneficial and new in our kingdom. My advice is to describe everything that you think is good, and when you meet a wise person, visit her or him; that is very important for you. Those people are an unlimited source of knowledge. We maintain good health, love, and amity with both close and unknown people. We derive our knowledge from the good manners and habits we employ daily to navigate all situations without causing harm to anyone. For us, it is important to help everyone and everything. We must not only maintain fairness, but also ensure a correct understanding of the situation. To know the actual situation, we have to know the situation on all sides of the coin in order to judge the way that, even if convicted, will be satisfied. The Lord has created us in a way that allows us to injure ourselves while simultaneously fostering the development of our personalities, enabling us to leave a lasting legacy that is both meaningful and beautiful. In order to have balance, there will always be good and bad, black and white, and smiles and tears. The man lives with his/her body, mind, and soul. The Lord has created us in such a way that only two bodies, minds, and souls can create the new life of the new soul with a new body and a new mind. To remain in our human bodies, we require numerous allowances from healthy, thinking individuals who maintain balance and harmony. However, this can only be achieved with knowledge. Being born into a good family and achieving success is not enough; you need support to develop into a person with strong character and good manners, not just for the physical body but also for the soul and mind, for inner peace. That's why, son, tomorrow, dress like a normal person, grab your inkpot and quill, and write everything that's important to you. This will enhance your wisdom and make you wiser and fairer. With your writings, you will leave the knowledge to the new generation, and you will show them the mistakes that they should not make again. I wish you success in your journey and good luck on your comeback at eighteen years old. Let the Lord keep you safe.”
A story from the book, Manners in the Great Kingdom. If you are interested, you can find it in all e-stores. As an e-book and in soft and hard cover
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