"Everyone."
In Ballard Room, King Kessel's voice came steadily, heavy, solemn, and resolute.
Just like in the past, every time he made a decision for the Imperial Conference.
It looked like the outcome was set.
With this in mind, the ministers restrained their emotions and adjusted their posture. Some of them relaxed slightly, ready to welcome the end of another conference.
But not this time.
Under everyone's gaze, the Iron Hand King raised his head and swept his gaze across the ministers.
"All of you have a point."
As he spoke, the king's right hand suddenly reached out from the shadow of the throne and flipped it gently at the crowd. His palm faced up and hovered over the meeting table.
Just like a cold, unsheathed blade.
Even the warm autumn sun could not reduce its chill.
Gilbert, Cullen, Kirkirk, Solder … All the ministers were stunned and did not understand what was going on.
But the Iron Hand King remained expressionless and raised his right palm.
"You've thought it through."
As they looked at each other, only the scar-faced spy from the Secret Intelligence Department's eyes flickered. He tactfully stepped forward and picked up the 'Jade City Substitute Servitude Petition' from the table.
The scar-faced man walked past every stunned minister and respectfully and appropriately placed the letter into the king's palm.
"This letter is a barb with malicious intentions."
King Kessel's voice came out quietly.
"It appears to be compromising and compromising, but in fact, it has seized on Renaissance Palace's weakness and is hiding a trump card."
The king slowly lifted the letter up, revealing the iris print on it.
"We can't even make it public, or we'll be caught in a passive and unjust situation."
Every servant who was swept by his gaze subconsciously tensed up and sat up straight.
"'It's better to die for a friend than to perish for an enemy.' Old Leinster had such a son …"
In the next second, the Iron Hand King's fingers suddenly tightened and crushed the letter!
The few people who had their eyes fixed on the letter trembled and were startled.
Only then did Kessel say calmly,
"Living up to the family name."
In the indescribable silence, the Minister of Trade, Viscount Kenney, coughed with difficulty and tried to forget the depression in his heart.
"He'll pay the price." Kenney bowed respectfully to the king.
"Just for this letter."
King Kessel glanced at him without a word.
The letter was still in his hand, crumpled.
"Of course," Solder ground his teeth hatefully, "and also for his disrespect and disloyalty to you and Your Highness …"
Prime Minister Cullen's trembling voice sounded.
"But not this time."
He seemed to have turned back into the doddering old man. He coughed and concluded the meeting.
"At the very least, the reduction of the recruits and the expansion of the regular army will have to wait until next season …"
At this moment.
"But it got out."
The King's words came out of nowhere, as if he was mumbling to himself.
No one could react in time.
"Pass … what?" Qiu Ke looked confused.
"Mine, Your Majesty?" Solder probed.
"I'll talk."
At that moment, the King of the Iron Hand raised his eyes, which were particularly oppressive in the narrow Ballard Room.
"While we are talking, every sentence, every word, and every letter on this petition has been publicized, leaked, and spread by someone. Rumors are spreading everywhere."
The conference room was silent for a moment.
Gilbert was in disbelief.
"Wh-what?"
Viscount Kenney's surprised gaze kept darting back and forth, "You mean, this letter has been leaked?"
Prime Minister Cullen sat up straight and looked extremely serious.
"When? Why? "
However, the King only shook his head calmly and answered the truth.
"The Secret Intelligence Department is still handling it, but if it's unsatisfactory … I think it won't be long before everyone in the kingdom knows that Renaissance Palace is going to start with Jade City, change the traditional rules, strip the suzerains of their military power, reduce the recruits, and expand the regular army.
"All the way to … the whole of Constellation."
Renaissance Palace, Jade City, tradition, suzerains …
With every word the Iron Hand King said, the chill in his tone intensified.
The Prime Minister was the first to understand. His eyes widened slightly.
"That means …"
"As you said just now, Bob," the King spoke in his calmest tone, not mincing words from the other party's mind.
"From the top to the bottom of Constellation, a huge uproar is about to break out.
"From this moment onwards, we are standing at the heart of the struggle.
"There's no retreat."
The ministers quickly understood the meaning of this matter. The atmosphere suddenly became tense.
"What's going on?
"Who did it?
"Has the culprit been caught?
"What do we do now?
"Investigate the mastermind behind this!"
Amidst everyone's varying opinions and the same panic, the King leaned back thoughtfully and melted into the darkness.
"How could such an important exchange of letters be leaked?"
Adviser Solder turned angrily to the other side and said accusingly,
"What did the Secret Intelligence Department say? What about the rumors? What's the situation now? "
Beside the conference table, the scar-faced spy from the Secret Intelligence Department bowed steadily.
"We're still tracking down the source, encircling and intercepting it in an attempt to reduce the impact of the rumors."
His tone was calm, as if what they were about to face was not a monstrous wave that could shake the country.
"But the delivery of the letter, the defense along the way, and the confidentiality of the palace are all fine."
At this point, the scar-faced man's voice had an interesting rise and fall.
"There's only one thing we can't take into account — this letter was delivered directly into the palace by the Duke of Iris Flowers' messenger."
Everyone suddenly fell silent.
"You mean, Zayen?" Prime Minister Cullen frowned.
"When he delivered the letter, he made up his mind to leak the contents and spread the rumors?"
The scar-faced man neither denied nor confirmed it.
"We're still investigating."
With a target in mind, the anger of the Imperial Conference erupted like a tidal wave.
"Covendier, how dare he!"
"Damn it …"
"He's more cunning than his father!"
"Did he fly into a rage out of humiliation and overturn the chessboard?"
Among the officials, Gilbert only observed quietly at first, but at the end, he sighed softly.
"Perhaps after the banquet, when His Majesty questions him for his crimes," the Foreign Affairs Minister put away his dazed expression and said tiredly,
"Jade City saw our weakness from the terms of the negotiations."
But Prime Minister Cullen scratched his chin and looked solemn.
"Something's not right.
"Zayen is not a good person, but he's not a lunatic either. The fact that he wrote this letter is enough to prove his slyness and self-preservation. "
The Prime Minister pondered.
"He's not stupid enough to force Renaissance Palace and himself into a dead end."
"That's even worse — it's done by someone else." Viscount Kenney looked suspicious.
"Plotting against both of us at the same time.
"Someone is looking forward to chaos in the kingdom, just like back then …"
Amidst the chatter, the voice at the end of the long table rang out again.
"It doesn't matter anymore."
Everyone fell silent and looked at the king.
"Whether he did it or not, it doesn't matter anymore."
A cold glint flashed in the king's eyes.
"The kingdom never lacks enemies.
"What's important is …
"How should we deal with it."
After King Kessel said this, he let the "Petition" slip from his fingers and fall between the sunset and the shadows. The wrinkled iris insignia faced the ceiling alone.
A few seconds later, like a pride of lions awakened by a crisis, the Imperial Conference was no longer languid and slow, and everyone became shrewd and capable.
"Let the Secret Intelligence Department work overtime. At the same time, we will send a letter to clarify and put an end to such rumors …
"We might be able to find some clues from the feudal nobles who have expressed their dissatisfaction recently …
"We have to be careful with the wording of the announcement, there may still be room for maneuver …
"We need to make contingency plans immediately for the reaction of the nobles, especially the feudal vassals …
"Send special envoys to appease the feudal lords of the grain-producing areas and explain to them …
"I'm afraid the preparations for the military reform will have to be delayed. We cannot leave any clues that could lead to misunderstandings …"
Amid the intense discussion, only Prime Minister Cullen and Gilbert remained silent.
The former gazed at Covendier's letter quietly, while the latter quietly tidied up the documents beside him, both deep in thought.
Meanwhile, Kessel the Fifth sat quietly in his seat, expressionless, indifferent, as if he was the only outsider.
* Bang! *
There was a muffled sound. It was Military Advisor Solder striking the table with his palm, attracting the attention of the Imperial Conference.
"Everyone!"
Solder's expression was solemn. His gaze was slightly hesitant, but it quickly became focused and determined.
"I think, at this point, things are unavoidable. Our next choice is actually simpler."
Gilbert frowned and turned his head, as if he had expected something.
"Solder?"
Solder said resolutely.
"Since there's no way back, why not go forward with all our might?"
At that moment, the Military Advisor was in high spirits.
"Your Majesty, give Covendier a formal reply. Grant his petition, and announce to the nation that starting from Jade City, the military reform is imperative!"
Everyone was stunned. Or rather, they were shocked by this suggestion.
"Solder, have you thought about the consequences," Gilbert said with difficulty amid the silence, "including what we just discussed …"
"Of course!"
Solder turned around and interrupted him.
"But at this point, our plan to take things slowly has gone south. We have no chance to disguise ourselves, nor do we have room for compromise."
Solder paused. His voice turned fierce.
"We do it.
"Or never do it again."
"There's no such thing as' next time '."
His gaze swept across the room. Many of his colleagues could not help but lower their heads to avoid his gaze. Some looked solemn, while others hesitated to speak.
Only the king at the end of the long table remained silent, as if deep in thought.
But Solder could not care less. He waved his hand.
"Kirkirk, find the money."
The Chief of Finance raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Solder stared at the Chief of Finance.
"If Jade City did it, then we don't have to count on their financial aid. But under these circumstances, the military reform must be put on the agenda! According to the previous plan, we should first reduce the Jadestar Private Army from the vassals directly under the royal family around Eternal Star City, and expand the regular army. Only then will we have the strength to deal with what comes next. "
Kirkirk paused for three seconds, then became exasperated.
"Alright, let's not talk about the fact that the situation might not be that bad, and let's not talk about the fact that His Majesty hasn't agreed to your rotten idea …
"Our budget is already very tight. Once this letter is leaked and causes trouble, the financial pressure will only increase. If there's no revenue, we might even have to use other sources to make up for it, such as the salaries of the officials, or even increase taxes. That would be even worse …"
Kirkirk was in a great deal of trouble.
"Moreover, reorganizing an army is not as simple as registering and creating a register. Even if you have prepared all the officers who are waiting to be incorporated, do you know how many Jadestar Private Soldiers who are called up at the right time cost to maintain a regular soldier, from the salary, equipment, logistics, and station?"
"I know!"
Solder slammed his fist on the meeting table, startling everyone.
"Kirkirk, I know, I know your difficulties, but I understand your anger even more!"
He shouted angrily, "Whether it's the indignation you felt when you were fooled by those Southern bumpkins with their account books when collecting taxes, or the anger you felt when Covendier turned the tables on His Majesty, I can relate to it all!"
Kirkirk pursed his lips.
Solder stood up abruptly, pressed his arms on the table, and leaned forward.
"But I swear to you, Kirkirk, the regular army is the key to changing all this. Expansion and restructuring are just the beginning …"
There was an indescribable fanaticism in Solder's expression, which made Prime Minister Cullen frown involuntarily.
"The price of a moment is for the future prosperity of the kingdom. And one day, the Kingdom's Wrath will personally walk into Jade City's Palace of Clarity with His Majesty's decree, surrounded by countless soldiers, and 'persuade' Zayen Covendier and his cunning accountants to pay their taxes honestly, and recover all of today's costs. It's a sure win without loss."
At this point, Solder's eyes shone with an unquestionable light.
"A sure win without loss?"
Kirkirk answered Solder with a sneer.
"Yes, when I was young, I had a relative who liked to gamble. He said the same thing when he came to my house to borrow money for 'business' — until he was taken away by the Blood Bottle Gang loan sharks."
At this point, the Chief of Finance got up from the back of his chair and leaned forward.
"What's the difference between you and him? A gambler? "
The conflict between the two made everyone frown.
The military advisor clenched his fists. The emotion in his eyes turned from disappointment to anger.
"Why don't you understand?"
Solder said bitterly.
"With a regular army, you'll have money!"
"Why don't you understand?" Kirkirk was equally displeased.
"Without money, you won't have a regular army!"
"Then find the money!" Solder's furious roar shook Ballard Room.
"You're the Chief of Finance of the kingdom! Be a beggar, sell your ass, even if you have to borrow from loan sharks — for the sake of the kingdom, find me that damn budget for army expansion! "
The two men's disrespectful shouting made their colleagues frown. But the prime minister and the rather prestigious Foreign Affairs Minister, who were supposed to be presiding over the meeting, did not make a sound. The king, on the other hand, remained motionless on his throne.
"You've finally f * cking got one thing right! Soldiers! "
Kirkirk stood up. Although he was a head shorter than Solder, he did not lose in terms of grandeur.
"I'm the Chief of Finance!"
"Remember? Last year, it was precisely your Military Affairs Sector that shamelessly boasted here, bragged about the benefits of sending troops to the heavens! You forced the Department of Finance to approve the budget, forced the Department of Agriculture to contribute rations, forced the Department of Foreign Affairs to open up a path for you, forced the Secret Intelligence Department to pave the way for you, and inexplicably sent a large number of regular soldiers — retired, active, reserve, training, and new conscripts — to Blade Fangs Camp! Sent to Western Desert! Sent to the desert! "
The expressions of the people at the Imperial Conference changed as they recalled the incident with sorrow.
"Without that unprofitable business of yours, would we need to ask Jade City for money? Would we have been fooled by Covendier like that?"
Kirkirk glanced at the colleagues around him who agreed with him, and said darkly, "
"What, do you want to do it again?"
"Hey!"
Solder clenched his fists.
"That was to welcome back Prince Thales, the Jadestar bloodline, the heir to the kingdom!"
"You're absolutely right!"
Kirkirk retorted angrily.
"Then go ask him for money!"
Solder was so infuriated by this scoundrel's quibble that he was rendered speechless.
"Kirkirk, be careful with your words!"
Gilbert could not take it anymore. He stopped him sternly.
"Sit down, don't be disrespectful in front of the Emperor."
Kirkirk sat down and even banged his chair to express his displeasure.
Solder snorted angrily and sat down heavily, but had no intention of extinguishing the flames of war.
"Stop being so sarcastic, shirking responsibility and pretending to be innocent, money bag.
"About sending troops to Western Desert to welcome back the prince, you knew about it and even supported it — you had your own selfish motives and were trying to profit from it!"
It was Kirkirk's turn to be stunned.
"Me? Selfish motives? Profit? "
Kirkirk was caught off guard, shocked and angry.
"Very well, you coarse country bumpkin who grew up planting grapevines …"
But Solder did not hold back. He pointed at Kirkirk's nose.
"I only figured it out after the banquet. But that's right, Kirkirk, you, it's you!
"After the Desert War, many nobles in the Central Territory targeted Western Desert, where the situation had changed drastically, and illegally invaded and annexed land for personal gain.
"Now, the deadline for the Land Assessment Order is approaching, and they're trying every means possible to clear their names …"
Kirkirk's face paled.
"Back then, you supported our expedition to the desert, and even privately bribed several frontline officers, all because you wanted the regular army to cause a huge commotion and turmoil in Western Desert! You wanted to catch these greedy nobles and landlords off guard, force them to give themselves away, and turn them into a rolling source of income for the Department of Finance to confiscate and confiscate! "
The news that the military advisor revealed was no trivial matter. The Imperial Conference was in an uproar, and King Kessel's gaze shifted.
Kirkirk was exasperated, "That's slandering, nonsense …"
"I have the names of those officers. Why, do you want to confront them? Or have the Secret Intelligence Department investigate? "
"You, Your Majesty, I —" Kirkirk was extremely anxious, but he was tongue-tied.
Solder gritted his teeth and pressed on.
"For this reason, you even secretly leaked the news of the regular army's expedition to the West!
"And that unlucky Doyle of Mirror River who got into trouble at the royal banquet?
"They're just one of the fat sheep on your list!"
At the Imperial Conference, the ministers were surprised and could not help but look at Kirkirk in a new light.
Viscount Kenney coughed and asked worriedly,
"Well, my father-in-law's family also has a few businesses in the Western Desert, you wouldn't …"
"How could I, Lord Kenney!" Kirkirk smiled obsequiously.
But he immediately turned to the king and put on a mournful face.
"Your Majesty, I was just, that …"
King Kessel just stared at him with narrowed eyes.
"Kirkirk, you're indeed 'Money Bag'," Gilbert saw Kirkirk's expression and guessed the truth. He could not help but sigh.
"No wonder they say that you can even take money out of your crotch. You're good at making money, and can support the kingdom."
Kirkirk's cheek twitched.
"Yes."
On the other side, Prime Minister Cullen snorted and added a sentence with an unclear meaning.
"Someone else's crotch."
Solder snorted angrily, his attitude self-evident.
Under everyone's gaze, Kirkirk swallowed hard and hurriedly raised his hand.
"Alright, Your Majesty, listen to me …"
"That's right. We originally had a few extra fines and forfeitures from this expedition, which can be included in the next quarter's budget …"
"The Doyle family?" Gilbert said in a low voice.
Kirkirk froze. Sensing the suspicion in everyone's eyes, his voice immediately weakened.
He took a deep breath.
"That's right! But the Doyle family deserved it! Over the years, they've crossed the border to occupy land, illegally rented tenancies, smuggled taxes, concealed the population, and violated tradition, all these crimes should have been dealt with long ago! Our Department of Finance is dedicated to the kingdom and does things impartially … "
"Cut the crap. Where's the money?" Solder ignored his excuses and went straight to the point.
"Now, it's been several months since the prince's return, and our mission is complete. Your Department of Finance should be full by now, right?"
The military advisor was aggressive.
"Why did you make all sorts of excuses during the Imperial Conference about being poor! When South Coast Hill forced us into a corner, you still held onto your wallet tightly and obstructed His Majesty's military reform! "
Kirkirk was both shocked and angry at the same time at this accusation:
"You, you, I, I —"
He looked around, but none of his colleagues dared to interrupt. Solder's gaze was sharp and threatening.
Kirkirk felt dizzy. He had to take a deep breath and yelled at the top of his lungs,
"Prince Thales!"
As soon as these words came out, everyone was stunned again.
"What?" Solder asked, puzzled.
Kirkirk panted a few times and said angrily,
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to say what I'm about to say here, after all …"
He calmed his breathing and said in resignation, "That's right.
Solder, based on the standard of the regular army, Doyle's case is enough for you to expand the staffing of eight hundred to a thousand heavy cavalry, plus their squires, equipment, logistics, and perhaps more. "
Solder slammed the table and mouthed, "I knew it".
But Kirkirk changed the topic.
"But! After Prince Thales, I mean the incident at the banquet, Doyle's case was exposed to the public. From a simple case, it became a hot potato that attracted the attention of the entire nation. Even the case files were taken away by the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department overnight! "
Someone could not help but turn around. The scar-faced man from the Kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department was expressionless, as if he had not heard anything.
Solder frowned, "Western Desert is vast. Your sources of income are definitely not limited to just them."
Kirkirk sighed pitifully.
"Yes! But don't forget, Prince Thales stood up for the Doyle family last night in the name of His Majesty! Now everyone thinks that Doyle is backed by the Duke of Star Lake, the heir to the kingdom …
"This has implicated our other cases. Now, no one dares to touch anything that involves land annexation or the old and new nobles, let alone handle it."
Solder's expression changed slightly.
Kirkirk said angrily, "So when I said 'ask Prince Thales for money', heh, that's true!"
Gilbert rebuked him angrily.
"Kirkirk!"
Kirkirk reacted and waved his hands regretfully.
"I know, I know. That's why I said, sorry! I didn't want to say that either! "
No one dared to speak rashly when the matter involved the royal family. Many stole glances at the king at the end of the long table.
But King Kessel remained unmoved, as if what Kirkirk had just complained about was not his son and heir.
The Chief of Finance regained his composure. Seeing that no one spoke up, he regained some of his confidence.
"Alright, let's not talk about the prince … so don't always blame it on me, soldier.
"If you had done a better job in Western Desert, more frugal, more efficient, and more profitable, would we have ended up in this state?"
Solder wanted to retort, but hesitated again and again.
"For more than half a year, we mobilized a large force, traveled a long distance, and even fought a war with our own family for no reason. How much money and rations did we waste in total?"
Kirkirk spoke more and more smoothly, to the point that he slammed the table fiercely. His voice spread clearly throughout the narrow meeting room.
"And what did you bring back? Ah ha, a report saying that you were going to expand the army!
"We ate up such a large sum of the kingdom's budget, but not only did we not accomplish anything, not to mention the spoils of war …
"We didn't even earn back the money we spent on horseshoes!
"What else do you want?"
Solder could not hold it in any longer. He slammed the table and stood up.
"Do you want my warriors to shed blood in Western Desert and attack the Ruins? Plunder Wing Fort? Or take over Brave Souls Fort? Ransack the homes of all the local nobles?
"Do you want to burn the entire Western Desert to the ground and send all the spoils of war to the Department of Finance, so that you won't have to complain so much when you're sitting here leisurely counting your copper coins?"
Kirkirk scoffed.
"Then why don't you do it!
"And the result? It turns out that you were just there for a vacation. Even the prince himself was sent back by the Western Desert nobles! "
The military advisor said angrily.
"Do it? His Royal Highness' whereabouts are uncertain in Western Desert, and you even took a sword and a flag from them!
"Kroma and Bozdorf escorted him back to the capital in a grand manner, and they were very respectful!"
"What can we do? What should we do? What should we do? "
Kirkirk, who had regained his confidence and was knowledgeable, said without fear, "Then why are you yelling at me?
"To find the prince!
"Why don't you tell him about your suffering? Ask him why he mixed with the enemy, blocked your army, cut off my source of income, and even gave Covendier an opportunity to take advantage of him. Everyone was at a loss, and His Majesty was in a dilemma. In the end, he ruined the kingdom's military reform … "
"Enough, both of you!"
Gilbert reminded him sharply.
"You'll never understand, Money Bag!"
Solder was so angry that he laughed. He did not hear the Foreign Affairs Minister's reprimand at all.
"You'll only see the reflection of copper coins and hear the hum of gold coins. You'll never understand the meaning of us sending troops to Western Desert, you won't understand that for the kingdom —"
"Thud! Thud! "
Everyone turned in unison to see the scar-faced spy from the Secret Intelligence Department standing apologetically. On the ground was a broken teapot.
"I'm sorry." The scar-faced man hurriedly bowed, "It's my fault.
"I was just … thirsty."
Only then did the officials turn their heads around.
"Yes," Prime Minister Cullen mumbled with his head lowered, but his eyes lit up.
"It's indeed your fault."
Interrupted, Solder and Kirkirk snorted and sat back in their seats, turning their heads away from each other.
But the Foreign Affairs Minister was furious.
"Solder, Kirkirk, watch your language. This has nothing to do with His Highness Thales!"
Gilbert's words were harsh.
"His Highness's body is priceless. His safe return to the capital is the greatest contribution to the kingdom! Nothing else!
"And don't forget, we are here to discuss countermeasures to deal with the predicament brought about by the leak of this letter. This is a kingdom's official business. Don't turn this into a personal grudge."
Solder and Kirkirk's expressions softened a little.
But the prime minister coughed at that moment.
"Don't blame them, Count Caso. Solder and Sir Kirkirk had no choice either …"
Duke Cullen shook his head.
"Whether it's the expedition to Western Desert or the royal banquet, it's His Highness's fault for appearing at such a coincidental time …
"Just like this letter."
The prime minister shook his head at the king, implying something.
"He's forced us into a tight spot.
"There's no other way."
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