"Have the five hundred apprentices from Nur decided to return to Brittany?" Holding Suria's hand, Laing said gently, "I heard that Emilia mentioned it, but I didn't see any news."
"If I did, I would've told you a long time ago." Suria leaned on Laing's shoulder with a smile. The female knight said calmly, "Emilia will be here soon. The five hundred students will come back with Emilia. You can ask her then. Emilia did not specifically send me a letter about it. She only mentioned it."
"Yes. The five hundred students who graduated from Nur University are all very important. They are the hope of our country's future." Laing nodded slowly. "Emilia has done great things recently. She is now famous all over the world. She is known as' the unifier of the Empire ',' the great patriot ',' the savior from Nur ', and' the coquettish bitch of Nur '. Her efforts have successfully prevented the Empire from falling apart and falling into the Chaos of the Three Emperors."
"Yes." Suria did not seem very interested in the topic. The queen said meaningfully, "Emilia is very strong now. I don't think she will acknowledge me as her sister anymore, will she?"
"Not necessarily." Laing put Suria on his lap with a smile. Under Teresa's envious eyes, the King of China hugged his queen and kissed her face. "Suria, why are you worried about that?"
"Her territory is fifty times bigger than mine, and twice as big as yours." Suria was obviously very reluctant to be too intimate with Laing in front of Teresa, but her husband's arms were very strong. The queen struggled for a moment. Seeing that Laing was determined, she could only lean on Laing and say in a low voice, "Laing, if you had married her, there wouldn't have been so many problems."
"Hahahahaha! My wife, you are testing me again. " Laing burst into laughter. He scratched Suria's delicate nose and said with a smile, "I really didn't know Emilia's real identity from the beginning to the end. At most, I guessed that she was the daughter of a great noble who escaped from war or persecution. Who knew that she would be the Duchess of Nur, the Elector of Brescia, and the Grand Duke of Wesson, the three top titles of the Empire?"
"… Is this the reason why you approached me even after you had Emilia?" Sulia also knew that she was a little displeased for no reason. After all, her identity and status as the Madam were unquestionable. However, the little maid who had been by Leon's side for many years, who had lived with him for many years, and who had always called her Big Sister Sulia, had suddenly become a Duchess of the Empire. Her power was overwhelming, and she had countless elite troops under her command. She even owned the military industrial center of the Empire, the academic center, and the strategic town of Nurr in the south.
Then, Emilia gave birth to a son, Frey Derick von Lebowitz Bernardino.
"It's okay, Suria. Emilia is not a bad person. When Teresa was not feeling well when she went on an adventure with me, Emilia took care of her. I discussed this with Teresa in the hotel. Am I right? My dear Teresa? "Laing hugged his wife and asked the sorceress.
"Ah, yes, that's right. Back then, Amelia took very good care of me. She purposely scolded me so that I wouldn't pay attention to her." Theresa smiled. "That wasn't a good experience."
"Ha, Emilia did not trust anyone back then." Laing nodded and continued to chat with Suria. "Madam, let me tell you. Emilia and I stayed in Marlin Castle for a while. At that time, this little maid …"
Sulia listened with interest when he talked about some of the interesting things that happened in Marlin Castle. Sulia couldn't stop laughing when she heard the interesting parts. Ryan took the opportunity to take advantage of Sulia's beautiful legs and feet in her stockings, enjoying the leisure time of traveling.
Teresa envied Suria for being able to become Laing's wife. More than once, she had thought about what it would be like if she became Laing's wife. But although the sorceress was stubborn, she was not a fool. She knew that she could not be like Suria and manage Laing's territory and palace well.
If she became Laing's wife and received a lot of resources, Teresa knew that her life would be a lot of magic experiments, potion-making, workshop production, and meditation. At most, she would only be able to accompany Laing for two or three days a week.
The sorceress also remembered Aurora's advice about having a child.
Teresa knew that Aurora was not wrong. Aurora was not only thinking about herself and the witches under her command, but also really thinking about Teresa. The relationship between Teresa and Laing was actually very weak. It was only the relationship between a noble lord and a magic consultant. At most, it could be considered as a private female courtier. It was not a strong relationship.
In terms of appearance, Teresa's appearance and figure were naturally top-notch. But who was Laing now? If he hinted that he wanted a new maid or courtier, the entire kingdom would quickly mobilize. In fact, many nobles and knights had already hinted at it, but they were all rejected by Suria. Laing also made it clear that he was not interested, and the Garland Council was the same.
In terms of strength, Teresa was still stuck at the peak of the legendary realm. Laing's Olica, Morgiana, and Veronica were all saints. When it came to magic, Laing no longer needed Teresa.
In these two weeks in the duke's castle, the only role the sorceress could play was …
You know.
That was why there were many times when Teresa didn't know why Laing was in such a hurry. However, the probability of a mage getting pregnant had always been very low. She had been with Laing for a long time, and she was already over forty years old this year. What could she do if she didn't have a child?
The ice element witches did indeed have a special secret technique. They used ice magic to freeze a person and then use a secret medicine to activate it. This would ensure a successful pregnancy. This was why Kislöw had gradually become the leader of the ice witches. The female Tsar was always able to carry on the family line. However, that would require one to reach the power level of a saint. Teresa currently wasn't strong enough.
"Teresa?"
What should she do? The sorceress' thoughts were all over the place.
"Teresa?"
If she wanted to quickly stabilize the situation and not be marginalized, she needed to have a child as soon as possible. But she also needed to reach the power level of a saint before she could use the secret technique and secret medicine. Then … the sorceress suddenly had a terrifying thought!
No, she absolutely couldn't!
"Lady Teresa!" Laing's voice grew louder.
"Ah? What's the matter? Laing. " Teresa's thoughts were interrupted. She found that her face was burning. The sorceress pressed down her skirt and closed her beautiful legs together. "I'm thinking about something."
"I'm asking you, when are you leaving and how long will it take?" Laing looked at the scenery outside the window and then focused on the sorceress.
"The grand assembly will last for three to five days. My mother and I will leave three days later. Veronica won't be with us. She will teleport there herself." Teresa nodded. "After the grand assembly, we will stay in Heaven's Castle for a week or two to deal with some follow-up matters. It's very likely that we will have to move."
"I see." Laing nodded.
The carriage traveled for another two hours before they arrived at their destination. Theresa was reluctant to part with Leon, but she still kissed him goodbye. She got on her hybrid elven warhorse and headed for the Frost Wizard Tower.
Now, only Suria and Laing were left in the carriage. The sorceress immediately felt that Laing was looking at her with evil intentions. She hurriedly refused. "No! Laing, you can't be here! "
"What are you talking about, Suria? I just want to hug you." Laing hugged his wife and didn't let her escape. "Let me hug you. I like hugging you."
Suria nodded shyly. The sorceress leaned on Laing's chest and thought for a moment. Then she asked tentatively, "Did Emilia say when she will arrive?"
"Should be in the next two days." Laing liked to make his noble wife show a shy and strange expression. The king hugged his queen and let her sit on his lap, smelling the fragrance of iris flowers in her golden hair. "She said clearly that she doesn't want us to welcome her, and she doesn't want us to do anything extravagant. Since she likes it, then let her be."
"What about your brother, Fulgen?" Suria nodded and asked.
"Fulgen won't be here so soon. It'll probably be a while." Laing thought for a moment. "I guess I'll have to go to Bordero to welcome him and his Ash Legion."
The two chatted for a while, discussing the various internal affairs and trends of the kingdom, as well as foreign policy. Suria felt that Laing's hands were becoming more and more naughty. She hurriedly reached out to stop her husband. "Wait … wait! Laing, if what Berliat said is true, Kislöw's situation is already so bad, and the Empire isn't doing anything about it? I remember that the Empire has always supported Kislöw, right? Why hasn't there been any recently? "
"Recently, Karl-franz has been troubled by the internal strife. How would he have the energy and spare money to support them?" Laing said casually. "Oster Hill has always had a good relationship with Kislöw. This time, the Great Northumbrian Expedition also gave them a lot of wealth. It's best that Kislöw doesn't fall. Although the kingdom's situation has been deteriorating since the great Holy War, it's still the first line of defense of the old world."
"Although the Empire has been in financial difficulties recently, that's because Emperor Karl asked Gelt to rebuild Saul Hill, so he spent a lot of money and energy. Once Saul Hill is rebuilt, the new trade tariffs and revenue will continuously subsidize the Empire's treasury. The Empire will also get a new elite army. Overall, this is a good deal," Laing said. "It's just that Emperor Karl has to get through the current difficulties."
"How about this, Laing, the whole old world knows that we're the richest now. Do you think the emperor will come to us for a loan?" Suria was concerned about another matter. The queen's political talent had been trained enough in the past two years.
"It's possible." Laing was not surprised by this. "If he comes personally, we can borrow some. The return will definitely be greater."
"Okay." Suria nodded first. Then, she probed, "By the way, as for the new tax chief, I'm leaning towards Sylvia's father, Vincent. Mr. Vincent is an upright and dedicated person. He's also Sylvia's father, so he's trustworthy. What do you think?"
"Since my wife has said so, what else can I do other than agree? Okay, I'll appoint Mr. Vincent as the new tax chief when I return. Gasparton has served me for almost twenty years. It's time for him to retire. "Laing nodded.
This decision was considered approved. Laing suddenly thought of the tax system. He could not help but feel a little emotional. In this world, the most difficult tax system problem was not encountered by him and the Empire.
What did he not encounter?
He did not encounter the famous "preferential treatment of the gentry" in the later period of the Celestial Dynasty.
Ever since Ludwig's reforms in the Empire, both commoners and military nobles had the obligation to pay taxes.
In Brittany, the great nobles also had to pay taxes, including the king's shield tax and the tithe of the Church of the Lake. Every noble had to pay, and no one dared to not pay the tithe of the Lake Fairies. Laing's close relationship with the Lake Fairies and the Lake Fairies meant that he could directly use the astonishing wealth of the Church of the Lake Fairies.
Due to Laing's strength, the king's shield tax was now paid in the entire kingdom except for the Duchy of Kacason. Laing had specially ordered for the Duchy of Kacason to be exempted, because as long as it could stop the invasion from the south, it would be the greatest contribution to the kingdom.
All classes were paying taxes, which greatly reduced the pressure on the kingdom's finances. It also ensured that Laing's administration was more efficient. With the full support of the Church of the Lake Fairies and his personal prestige, the dukes did not dare to disobey the king's orders. They were not like Guo Jia in the late Dameng period, who was so poor that the local gentry was oozing with oil and enjoyed preferential treatment. Land tax? Sorry, that was an ancestral rule! Business tax? Sorry, that was emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce!
To a certain extent, Laing was cheating.
Of course, if he did not cheat, he would have to use a knife. The kingdom could not continue to rot like this.
Kislöw had this problem. The Poillé did not pay taxes, and so did the great nobles.
"Suria, let me ask you something." Laing thought of this and asked, "Did Lilith mention a specific time?"
"Time? She did. " Suria's sea blue eyes revealed a playful look, "Can't wait, my husband?"
"Heh heh heh ~ Didn't you and Lilith make an agreement?" Laing kissed his wife's cherry lips, "Tell me."
"The Lady said that on this year's Day of the Lake Fairies, she will consummate with you in the tower." Suria blushed, "The Lady also said that I will be there at that time, to be a witness for you and the Lady."
"Okay, I know."
… I am the invincible dividing line of the gentry's preferential treatment ….
A few hours later, Laing returned to his Duke castle. He held Suria's hand as they got off the carriage. The couple looked at each other and smiled. They saw Angelo squatting in the corner of the castle's gate, laughing. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
"Brother, what are you laughing at?" Laing curiously asked Angelo. "What is so funny?"
"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Angelo laughed so hard that he covered his face. The World Eater geno prototype pointed at the gate and laughed. "Ha ha ha ha ha!"
"???" Laing quickly stepped forward to listen.
There were two children's voices arguing inside.
"My dad is the strongest dad in the world!"
"My dad is the same!"
"No, my father is. He's the best!"
"Nonsense! My dad is the strongest!"
"No, my dad is the strongest! My dad is a hero!"
"My dad is the same!"
"Huh! I am telling you, my dad is very strong. He dares to eat sh * t! "
"My dad dares to eat sh * t!"
"My dad dares to f * ck a cactus!"
"My dad can do it, too! He dares to f * ck a cactus and stuff it into the barrel of a Hawk gun. Can your dad do it? "
"Of course my dad can do it! He can even put his head into the soup of Nurgle and stir it up! Can your dad do it? "
"My dad can not only stir it up, but he can also drink it!"
Laing frowned as he listened. He wondered where these two children had come from to argue. Why were they so arrogant?
The king quickly walked into the castle.
He took a closer look. Little Devin Hill and Little Frey Derick were holding two toys and arguing fiercely. Not far away, the Duchess of the Empire was sitting next to them. She was laughing so hard that she could not straighten her back.
Laing suddenly felt all the blood in his body rushing to his head. The veins on his head were popping.
Great! You two are talking about the same dad!
Rebel! Rebel!
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