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"Who do you think it is?" Isabel retorted.
Ashley shook her head violently like a startled bird.
“Although you are an illegitimate child, you are just like your father, a master of playing dumb,” Isabel said. “Normally, you are like the clumsy, silly maidservant next to the innocent princess in a stage play, but every time I want you to get out, you always manage to get things done by accident, making me reluctant to let you go.”
Ashley chuckled. "Even someone as clumsy as me needs a bit of luck, right?"
At the same time, across the sea in Wieland, Alger, who had just completed the business negotiations for the porcelain deal, had just received the book "A Short History of Democracy" the night before. After reading the first few pages, he couldn't stop and read all night. He took a nap in the afternoon and then continued reading in the evening.
The opening statement proposes that the mode of production determines the form of social organization, the form of social organization influences the generation of culture, and the generation of culture determines the political system, thus highlighting the logical thread of Aegean civilization from its initial primitive tribal democracy to classical democracy.
Based on this cognitive theory, we will begin here to discuss, step by step, the different manifestations and roles of "democracy" in different periods.
But that's not the most impressive part of the book. The most impressive part is the author, Ronan. He wasn't a scholar; he was a bureaucrat, and a very high one at that. He governed everything from a city to an entire colony, including agriculture, manufacturing, and commerce.
He included the experience of a real ruler in his book, something that many other theorists simply do not possess.
Moreover, Ronan's perspective was far broader than that of contemporary scholars, at least compared to those in Willand whom Alger knew.
That's amazing, so amazing that Alger doesn't know how to describe it.
If Alger were a Seresian, he would know how to describe this book: it contains both principles and methods, and it is both easy to understand and profound in a simple way.
Even more impressively, in the second chapter, Ronan completely exposed the true nature of Willand, Fass, and Villa.
He incisively pointed out why Wieland, Fass, and Villa are the way they are now, and even predicted what the three countries would be like in the future.
Although the language used is playful and humorous, it sounds like the ramblings of someone who's had too much to drink in a street pub, and it's not credible at all.
But Alger believed it, because he had met Ronan and understood that Ronan's ramblings were conclusions drawn from logic, deliberately written to sound like a joke and to mislead others.
According to Ronan, Willand is bound to rise to prominence, which naturally excites Alger.
However, Alger was also worried because the premise for this prophecy to be true was that Ronan did not exist in this world.
"How can he be French? How could such an outstanding person emerge from those peasants who only know how to grow wheat? Alas, thankfully, he and that woman are not on the same side." Alger considered it a stroke of luck that Ronan and Dinia took different paths.
The reason for this judgment is, of course, based on the book "Communitarianism" and the two people's past. Their past experiences are not difficult to find. To be honest, whether in the colony or New Sea City, it can be seen from the decrees issued and the effects of their implementation that Dinia is indeed on the path of communitarianism, while Ronan is not so compatible with her.
However, Ronan continued to follow Dinia.
"Sigh, such an outstanding man is willing to serve this kind of woman." Alger couldn't help but sigh, "If it were me, I..." He couldn't finish his sentence, because if it were him, he probably would have made no difference.
Indeed, Dinia was Willand's number one enemy.
Almost simultaneously, in another country thousands of miles away, inside the royal palace, King Villa patted two books and sighed repeatedly.
His uncle, the emperor, used this identity to once besiege the Kingdom of Phos, and was only one step away from dominating the western continent.
His father inherited the throne. While the power of the kingdom itself did not decline, it gradually lost control over other "territories".
By the time he came along, the local area had also begun to decline.
His background is similar to that of King Felipe III of Spain in another timeline, but he was not that incompetent ruler who indulged in pleasure and handed over power to his favorite ministers. He wanted to reform and restore the country to its former glory, but he didn't know where to start.
He was not extravagant, but the upper echelons of the country were wasteful. He wanted to revitalize the manufacturing industry, but others thought that all they needed to do was keep digging for silver in the New World.
A nation, as Ronan described in his book, is like a sick tiger; if it fails to kill its opponent even once, it faces a pack of wolves.
"Perhaps it's time to change our foreign policy." Since a pack of wolves attacking us is inevitable, we should try to win over a few of them first.
Chapter 311 The party begins, what's there to be afraid to say?
The next day, at Four Seasons Manor.
The estate has a large flower garden with flowers blooming in all four seasons, hence the name Four Seasons Estate. Ambrina loves this place very much. She is chatting with the gardener and his wife about flowers, and judging by her expression, they will probably talk until evening.
Ronan stood on high ground, watching Dinia slowly disappear from her sight.
She is slowly walking towards the port.
Back then, it was in this city that she led a group of mages to attack the Weyland Navy, which had occupied the port. She was only eighteen years old then, and she became a hero of the kingdom, famous throughout the Western Continent. Now, she is almost thirty-two years old, and her identity is completely different.
Finally, Ronan could no longer see Dinia, and then he looked around.
The scenery here is beautiful, with sunshine, beaches, cliffs, islands, and green spaces that are not found on typical coastlines, but Ronan doesn't offer anything particularly special.
And so, two more uneventful days passed at the manor.
On the fourth day, a cocktail party was held.
The party was not particularly grand.
Although Bretude is an important military and commercial port, it is actually a small place with a permanent population of only 20,000 to 30,000. This seemingly prosperous city is actually largely populated by seasonal migrant workers from surrounding towns.
Therefore, even though the threshold for this party has been lowered, not many people are qualified to receive an invitation. There are businessmen, but many of them happen to be doing business here; there are not many locals who are qualified.
Then there were the main officials of the city hall, several important figures in the council, local minor nobles, the highest-ranking officers in the local garrison, and a few local intellectuals. Excluding the women, there were only about forty people in total.
Of these forty-odd people, only the mayor, the secretary-general, the speaker, and a few major businessmen whose main businesses were in the capital were actually able to speak to Ambrina and offer her a toast.
The others were just there to ride the coattails of the party's popularity.
On the other side, Alice and Elena were greeting the ladies brought by the guests. Although Elena was a typical ruthless official under Ronan, she was once the woman in charge of Ronan's wardrobe. She had plenty to talk about with these ladies, from matching clothes, shoes, handbags, and jewelry to using various cosmetics, managing her figure, and skin care. There was nothing she couldn't talk about.
Elena would even occasionally tell a dirty joke that would make a noblewoman cover her mouth with her fan and smile, or make a young lady blush.
The air around us was filled with a joyful atmosphere.
Alice, on the other hand, was not very sociable. She would give perfunctory responses when others tried to talk to her, and she felt from the bottom of her heart that these socialites were particularly low-class and uncultured.
Dinia was on the other side, talking to several officials.
Ronan was much more approachable. He chatted with several businessmen and councilors who hadn't had a chance to meet Ambrina. Soon, more people gathered around, including other businessmen and councilors.
As soon as Ronan heard them talking, he knew that few of them had actually read the book, and probably none of them had read it in its entirety. They were not interested in the history and politics described in the first two chapters. The only thing they were interested in was Ronan's advocacy of protecting private property and supporting free and fair commercial transactions in the third chapter.
These businessmen don't even care about democracy.
That's true. Businessmen at this level just want to make more money. They don't care much about politics, nor do they dare to.
As the group drank and chatted, they got carried away and began to complain about the many deficiencies in the current laws, which allowed some nobles, officials, and even church members to act recklessly under various pretexts.
Ronan is also outspoken, saying that if he were to revise the laws, he would definitely introduce many provisions on civil rights, property rights, and ownership to ensure the inviolability of private property.
In fact, these things are just parroting others; they're all stuff from Napoleon's legal code.
Although everyone knew that Ronan was just saying it casually, since the legislative power was in the hands of the king, how could the king possibly enact such a law? Wouldn't that be setting a trap for himself?
They understood, but it still struck a chord with them, and they all chimed in with their own words.
They say the law should be this way or that.
Of course, everyone talks about things like the freedom of the people, economic development, and the strength of the country, but no one mentions anything about making more money for themselves.
There are no unscrupulous capitalists, but there are plenty of patriotic entrepreneurs.
Just then, a businessman asked, "Mr. Artes, do you think the composition of the Tri-Council is reasonable?"
Ronan glanced at the merchant, recalled his identity, and remembered that this man was a trader who ran between the port and the capital. He was somewhat influential and could probably barely get close to the outer circle of the Queen's faction.
This is a pleasant surprise!
So he replied, "For the city council, a three-party council is reasonable, but if it were to be expanded, for example to the state level, the current composition would not be so reasonable."
The merchant from the capital city's eyes lit up. He was no longer so concerned about money. To be precise, given his "connections," his wealth had already reached its peak. If he wanted more money, he would have to find a way.
Then, Ronan sighed helplessly, "Unfortunately, this is not something I can control. I am just a minor bureaucrat."
“I’ve heard that Mr. Artes is very close to Her Highness the Princess,” the merchant added.
Instantly, everyone around widened their eyes and stared at Ronan.
“Don’t talk nonsense. I’m not in that kind of relationship with Her Highness. Uh, I mean, we just know each other.” Ronan explained loudly and excitedly, then his voice lowered. “Her Highness knows Governor Egis, and I’m very familiar with the Governor’s wife, so we got to know each other. I’d say I’m friends with Her Highness.”
When everyone saw Ronan first speak loudly and then softly, they immediately understood that this was the kind of relationship they were talking about.
He couldn't help but feel jealous. Why couldn't it be his turn? Then he looked at Ronan's appearance and his mentality collapsed. He was so handsome, so young, and already a high-ranking official, a true magician, and he could even write such works.
The merchant from the capital didn't have these thoughts; he simply remarked, "If only Mr. Artes could get into the central government."
Ronan also adopted a joking tone, "If I could get into the central government, maybe the legislature could be expanded to the state level, change the current environment, and establish a truly democratic system."
The merchant from the capital remained silent, but his mind was racing. Given Ronan's relationship with the princess, if he fully supported Ronan, there might still be hope.
Ronan didn't speak. His mission was complete. This unexpected merchant from the capital would, barring any unforeseen circumstances, convey his attitude.
"You really dare to say that." At this moment, Dinia's cold and murderous voice suddenly rang out.
Everyone turned around, and Dinia's scarlet eyes were right in front of them, making them tremble with fear.
“What’s there to be afraid to say? Is it illegal to say a few words?” Ronan retorted, showing an attitude of going head-to-head with Dinia.
Chapter 312 Fake Provocation, Deadly Question, and Occasionally a Little Womanly
The merchants were all shocked; they never expected Ronan to speak to Dinia like that.
Haven't lived enough yet, huh?
At this moment, several officials also came over and walked behind Dinia.
The atmosphere suddenly became even more tense, as if the air itself had frozen.
Aside from Ronan himself and Dinia, no one knew that all of this was a script written by Ronan. Dinia had just gone to talk to those officials about communitarianism. In fact, the officials didn't care about any ideologies or anything like that, and they didn't even understand them. What they knew was that Dinia's approach was to strengthen civil service politics so that they could have more power.
A silence that seemed to stand still lasted for a while before Dinia suddenly broke the deadlock, "What, aren't you going to say anything?"
"What are you saying? You're talking about your ideology that treats the people like machine parts, trying to control everything?" Ronan said in a very impolite tone. "Only free and fair trade can lead to economic development, and only a democratic system can prevent the king from making mistakes."
“More than a hundred years ago, that king almost brought ruin to the kingdom. Although the wise Emperor Lawrence saved the country, can we always expect such a wise ruler?”
"Freedom, fairness, democracy, that's what I'm talking about."
After Ronan finished speaking, everyone except himself and Dinia was dumbfounded. This was courting death! How dare he say that he wanted to prevent the king from making mistakes? This wasn't the constitutional monarchy of Weyland next door; this was France. Moreover, the royal family, the Freigo family, weren't genuine French; they were barbarians from the Black Forest region of the Empire of Will.
Just as everyone was about to beg Ronan to stop talking, but no one dared to be the first to speak, Ambrina arrived.
"What's wrong?" Ambrina asked.
“It’s very simple, he said…” Dinia repeated what Ronan had just said to Ambrina.
"Huh?" Ambrina seemed surprised, then, "Oh," she said, seemingly not too concerned.
Her reaction almost made people's eyes pop out.
“Ronan sometimes likes to joke around when he’s drunk. You guys don’t take it seriously, do you?” Ambrina said, then looked at Dinia with a hint of hostility and provocation in her eyes. “I thought you knew him well, but I still hope you can get along well.”
Everyone noticed Ambrina's demeanor, from displeasure to softening. It was clear that she didn't care about Ronan's words at all, and even wanted to side with him, but she was also concerned about Dinia, so she ended up trying to smooth things over.
The relationship between the princess and Ronan is truly...
In an instant, everyone rolled away like slices of bread spread with butter.
If we stay any longer, we might hear things we shouldn't hear and see things we shouldn't see.
Soon, only Ronan, Dinia, and Ambrina remained in the surrounding area.
Seeing that everyone had left, Ambrina skipped over and grabbed Ronan's hand. "Ronan, how was my performance?" According to the script, she was supposed to portray a heir to the throne who wasn't very bright, who was biased towards Ronan because of personal feelings, but who chose to mediate the conflict between Ronan and Dinia.
In short, she is a woman who lacks assertiveness, is easily influenced, and has a relatively weak personality.
"Nine points, I'm afraid you'll get arrogant if I lower the score by one," Ronan said with a smile.
"Hehe." Ambrina laughed.
"And what about me?" Dinia suddenly asked, a playful smile on her face.
This question took Ronan by surprise, leaving him frozen in place. No matter how he answered, it would be wrong.
With one hand behind her back and the other gripping Ronan's arm, Ambrina looked at Dinia and said, "Of course it's a perfect 10, right?"
Ambrina's opening remarks were meant to smooth things over, but her "Right?" carried a strong sense of provocation. Unlike before, this time she was truly playing herself.
Dinia didn't reply to a word, and simply turned and left.
The party lasted until the sun began to set in the afternoon. These days, nighttime lighting is poor, so outdoor parties usually last only an afternoon.
After that came the banquet, which was attended by only a few people who had previously been qualified to stand before Ambrina.
It was another French feast, which lasted from dusk until it was completely dark.
During the gathering, everyone believed they had completely understood the relationship between Ronan, Princess Ambrina, and Dinya. Ronan and Princess Ambrina definitely had that kind of relationship; the princess was practically subservient to Ronan. Ronan and Dinya had completely opposite views on the route, but they were very close friends, so close that it gave the princess a lot of complaints. However, Dinya was an important guarantee for her rise to power, so she wouldn't really turn against her because of Ronan; in fact, she even had to consider Dinya's opinion.
In conclusion, whether the goal is to support Ronan to elevate the status of merchants or to strengthen the power of civil servants through Dinia, both options are promising.
This dinner was worth it.
After the banquet, Ambrina immediately changed her clothes, untied her corset and crinoline, and ran to Ronan's room in a loose silk dress.