Yes, Madam Prime Minister

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“Exactly,” the other person at the table chimed in.

Both were farmers who came to the city to borrow money from relatives, and neither of them could find a job as a worker.

Under Ronan and Diniya's dual policy, many farmers went to the city to work, but many were still restricted to the countryside.

This is due to the different national conditions. The Wieland has a total population of four million, and the capitalists would love to drive all the farmers into cities to become laborers. In contrast, the Kingdom of Phos has a population of over twenty million. Even if half of the farmers were to become urban workers, it would directly paralyze the current urban management system.

Therefore, many farmers who want to enter the market and be exploited are not allowed to do so.

In the eyes of rural farmers, workers are not class brothers, but enemies. The reason these workers can sit here drinking and complaining is because of them.

The middle-aged foreman didn't reply, but muttered under his breath, "You ignorant country bumpkin."

The two short, stocky, and lean workers remained silent, only casting disdainful glances at the two farmers at the next table, as if to say, "What are you talking about?"

"What do you mean?" a farmer asked, clenching his fist.

The middle-aged foreman knew that there were police officers present, so he didn't dare to cause trouble. He just retorted lightly, "You guys are too kind. You get subsidies for farming and allowances for your sons' education. Stop playing the victim. We have mortgages and student loans to pay off our sons. We're not as well off as you."

Upon hearing this, the two farmers immediately became restless. "Ha, are you talking nonsense?" The farmers did have those things, but they had to join the farmers' association first. After joining the farmers' association, they were not so free. Simply put, their lives were guaranteed, but they didn't have any spare money and had to borrow money for anything.

Of course, the farmers' association was still much better than the landlords of the past.

With a snap, Candice knocked over and shattered her glass. She got up, wandered around the workers' table for a moment, and then went to the bar to call someone over to clean it up. Immediately, the middle-aged foreman, who had been preparing to provoke her and then feign innocence, abandoned his plan and fell completely silent.

Soon, the two farmers who had arrived earlier paid their bills and left, while the three workers received their drinks and dishes, and the atmosphere became even more lively. The three of them began to discuss national affairs on a larger scale.

It wasn't just these three; the other tables were similar. Anna looked down and said, "Why do these people in the capital always like to talk about these things? Can't they talk about how to make more money?"

"And what about you? Why don't you consider making more money?" Candice asked his subordinate.

"Sigh, my dad always said that becoming a civil servant would bring me money, but I never imagined it would be like this. I have no money at all," Anna couldn't help but complain. Actually, she did have money, but she just didn't want to take it.

Just then, a woman wearing an eye patch walked in and sat down at Candice's table. Anna couldn't help but look her over and noticed that the woman seemed to be taller than her team leader.

"What's wrong with you? You got demoted!" Agustina said bluntly as soon as she arrived.

“It’s a lateral move,” Candice replied expressionlessly.

"I give up, you're getting worse and worse." Agustina teased, then greeted Anna, "Hello."

Chapter 520 Reform: It Can Be Changed, It Cannot Be Changed

Anna quickly replied with a "hello." She didn't introduce herself or ask who Agustina was, because she knew that this was the important person the team leader had mentioned, and it was best for her to sit there quietly and remain invisible.

The tavern was a place for drinking, eating, and chatting. After a few drinks and snacks, Agustina recounted some embarrassing stories from Candice's younger days and got straight to the point, "So, what did you call me here for?"

“I heard that the kingdom’s police force is going to be reformed,” Candice said.

“That’s right,” Agustina replied. This place was very noisy, and even people at the next table might not be able to hear each other clearly, so she wasn’t worried about anything.

As for police reform, that was Dinya's idea; how could she not know?

Simply put, Dinia wanted to make the entire police system centrally and vertically managed, with local police departments no longer subject to local jurisdiction.

Coincidentally, the France in Ronan's original timeline was like this, or rather, the police in the civil law system were like this, as was Ronan's homeland. It must be admitted that the influence of those who studied in France on the foundation of that country was extremely profound.

Only common law systems have a hodgepodge of various local police forces, so local police are clearly not suitable for the national context.

After the reform, the police were divided into two parts: one part consisted of ordinary police officers responsible for general public security issues, and the other part consisted of military police, or armed police.

The reason for establishing an armed police force is that after the kingdom started developing industry, large cities began to appear. With a large population in these cities, it was inevitable that there would be organized and extremely serious crimes with a very negative impact. Dinia absolutely could not tolerate such things, so an armed police force was needed.

On the other hand, it's because the kingdom is reducing its military strength. This doesn't mean reducing the size of the army; on the contrary, the number of soldiers in the kingdom's army has been increasing. The reduction is simply cutting back on those who originally served as pikemen and secondary musketeers. There's no other way; with the advancement of equipment, pikemen and secondary firepower are no longer necessary. In the future, the infantry will mainly consist of musketeers and mage musketeers.

Those who are laid off need to be reassigned, right? Letting a large number of soldiers lose their jobs will cause chaos. Moreover, even Ambrina felt that people who had shed blood for the country should not be left without jobs.

"I want a promotion," Candice said bluntly, clearly stating her desire for a higher position.

"Then what can you bring me?" Agustina asked bluntly.

"I will do everything in my power to improve the security of the capital and uphold justice," Candice replied firmly.

Anna was stunned. Although she was a newbie in the workplace and didn't take anything for herself, it didn't mean she was completely ignorant. Shouldn't asking someone for a promotion involve three steps: showing loyalty, offering a bribe, and making a promise? If it's a woman like the team leader who's pretty, then you can add another step. Otherwise, why would someone promote you?

Agustina said, "Alright, then you go find Maximian, the chief of the Royal Capital Police, and let him handle it. Oh, and remember what you said. You understand, the reformed police system must handle a few impressive cases. They have a few big cases they haven't acted on yet. If you go and don't handle them well enough, you'll have to buy a summons to the colony yourself."

It's not enough to just solve the problem; it has to be done beautifully.

Anna was dumbfounded. Could someone really deliberately hold back a major case, waiting until reforms were complete before handling it? What happened to justice? Are these police officers or politicians?

“Police officers are public servants too, Anna,” Candice said, adding only that.

Agustina nodded. This was why Elena's evaluation of her was "pretty good"—she had principles, was capable, and had political awareness. People without political awareness cannot be leaders.

After finishing our business, we started chatting casually.

Upon hearing about Anna's father's job, Agustina immediately became interested. "Your father works in a cigarette factory? What does he do?"

“He’s an old worker, but he was recently promoted to a junior management position,” Anna replied.

His daughter became a police officer, and was among the first graduates after the police academy was established. With such a bright future, it was only natural for the father to want a promotion.

“Oh.” Agustina nodded, then changed the subject, “Since he’s an old worker, writing a report shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

"Huh?" Anna exclaimed in surprise.

Agustina smiled and said, "It's like this. The tobacco industry is going to be reformed. In the future, it will be entirely state-owned, and a tobacco monopoly will be implemented. No private individuals will be allowed to produce or sell tobacco without permission. Before the reform is officially launched, we need to warm things up by picking a few typical cases. If your father is willing to write this document, it won't be a problem for him to get a position in a state-owned tobacco factory. If he can't write it, it doesn't matter. He can find someone to write it for him, or he can do it himself."

Reform requires money, so the nationalization of tobacco operations is inevitable.

This industry can not only fund police reform, but also cover future military spending.

"I...I'll talk to him about it," Anna said hesitantly. Just as she finished speaking, Candice kicked her from under the table.

Candice understood perfectly well that Agustina had only said it on a whim. If you didn't make a decision on the spot, you would never have the chance to meet someone like Agustina again if you wanted the opportunity later.

After a couple of seconds, Anna realized what she meant and quickly changed her mind, "I think it's fine."

“Okay,” Agustina replied, then stood up. “I’m leaving now, you guys continue.” With that, she left the tavern.

At the same time, Elena was still working overtime.

As the person in charge of overseeing the use of funds within the Farmers' Association, even with a large group of people assisting her in her work, she still inevitably has to work overtime quite often.

She had a much heavier workload than Agustina, which was unavoidable, given that there were far more farmers in the countryside than workers in the city.

After spending more than two years at the farmers' association, Elena increasingly understood why Ronan was so determined to oppose Dinia on issues such as abolishing the nobility, the church's influence in the region, and establishing collective farms.

Because if the power of the nobility and the church were to be driven out of the local areas, especially those that are mainly agricultural, to establish some kind of collective farm, it would require a very large and professional bureaucratic system. The current situation is that there is neither money nor people, and even if it were established, it would only create another group of corrupt privileged people.

The only advantage might be that officials could be appointed and dismissed at will, unlike nobles and the church.

Elena put down the documents and called to her secretary, "Mr. Ryan."

"Madam, please speak." A thin, slightly graying old man with an upright posture walked over.

"What did those documents submitted by the local authorities say?" Elena asked.

“Some reform suggestions,” the old man’s secretary, Ryan, responded.

"Throw it away, what's the point of reforming? It's a waste of money. We'll have a meeting tomorrow, and the anti-corruption campaign will begin next month."

Elena said that she never advocated for integrity. You can be greedy all you want. If you are good at it, that's your skill. If you are not good at it, don't blame me for confiscating your property.

As for reform, what a load of crap! Reform is laborious and expensive, while anti-corruption is easier and more profitable.

This is Elena's political philosophy: as long as the system works, that's enough. Stop thinking about changing this and that to make the system better. It's more practical, quick, and easy to catch corrupt officials, and it also gives the people an explanation.

Chapter 521 Acceptance, Why? Let's Talk While We Do It

Sunday afternoon, the royal palace, in the drill ground in the northwest.

Ronan and Zhao Yingqi finished a sparring match.

With a swift movement, the sword and shield vanished, and Ronan walked toward Zhao Yingqi, who was hunched over, panting, and holding a sword in one hand and a gun in the other.

"Are you alright?" Ronan asked with concern.

"Mm," Zhao Yingqi replied.

After Ronan's repeated explanations, she finally understood the truth: she came from five years in a parallel universe, and she did not belong to this world, or even to this time.

She accepted the fact, but it was still somewhat difficult for her to accept.

Ronan couldn't fully comprehend it, but he could understand it. Who could accept becoming homeless so easily? Besides, Zhao Yingqi was just a nine-year-old child.

"You've basically mastered the language, so it's about time you started learning magic."

Ronan continued.

Although some people on the Western Continent had already obtained some books and even some teaching materials about the Seris cultivation method, and Ronan had some as well, basically no one could understand those profound mysteries. Even Ronan, a genuine Seris, could only understand them superficially. Using such things to teach Zhao Yingqi? That was simply impossible.

Therefore, Zhao Yingqi can only learn magic.

She has absolutely no problem learning magic. As the first country to establish a magic academy, the Kingdom of Phos has accumulated a wealth of experience in teaching magic. Besides, Ronan himself is an expert and pioneer in the basics of magic.

No one would think that Ronan earned the respect of so many magicians just because of his official position and his own abilities, right?

Moreover, Zhao Yingqi is a summoner, a very special summoner. Coincidentally, the Freigo family is also a very special summoner, and they have a lot of experience in how to cultivate this kind of special summoner.

"Why?" Zhao Yingqi suddenly asked.

"Why what?" Ronan was confused by her.

"Why do you take such good care of me and treat me so well?" Zhao Yingqi asked in full.

“Well, although it’s mainly your own fault that you’re staying here, we also have a responsibility. After all, in a sense, we forcibly took you away, so we should take good care of you,” Ronan said very frankly. “Secondly, as a homeless little girl, anyone would feel sympathy for you. Finally, and most importantly, as you can see, I have two daughters, about your age, both of whom are troublesome. Compared to them, you are much more well-behaved, and everyone treats you like their own daughter.”

Zhao Yingqi paused for a moment, "Can I not be a daughter?"

Ronan chuckled. "You want to be my sister? No way, Ina and Lily won't allow it."

Just then, a maid came over and relayed Ambrina's message, asking Ronan and Zhao Yingqi to go for afternoon tea.

"Let's go," Ronan called out, heading towards the back garden to the north.

Upon arrival, besides Ambrina, Ina was also there, along with three-year-old Louis. Little Lucien was not present. As the heir to the throne, his studies were far more demanding than Ina's. Ambrina herself was a tyrant, and she did not expect her son to be as tyrannical as she was.

As soon as Louis saw Ronan, he came over and begged for a hug, which gave Ronan and Ambrina a great sense of parental joy.

He was the only one of Ronan's children who truly acted like a child. He was almost four years old, and his speech was still a bit unclear. He would cry, fuss, and act spoiled. He didn't know many words, and he wasn't a born magician. Think about how when Lucien and Ina, the twins, were three years old, they were already skillfully using sarcasm and magic to fight each other. By the time they were six, these two little rascals had even skipped school and argued with their teachers.

Upon seeing Zhao Yingqi arrive, Ina immediately pulled her to her side and began to instill those harmful ideas in her again.

Ronan and Ambrina were playing with little Louis; aren't sons born to be played with by their parents?

Before you know it, it's nighttime at Alice's house.

Ronan lay half-reclined on the bed, while Alice's white-stockinged feet were giving him a footjob.

Alice was a little distracted. She had been hard, but after being teased by her for a while, she almost went soft.

"What's wrong? Are you in a bad mood?" Ronan asked.

Alice looked up and sighed, "I never expected that a series of corrupt officials would emerge from within the Bureau of Supervision. Three years, only three years. They had just entered the bureau three years ago. Back then, every one of them was a passionate young man determined to punish evil and uphold justice. Three years have passed, and several of them are not even thirty years old yet, and they have already degenerated into this state."

"It took three years for him to fall into depravity; you've managed things quite well," Ronan said with a smile.

"You..." Alice glared at Ronan angrily, but helplessly didn't say the rest of the sentence. She had to admit that it was indeed not fast for it to take three years to fall into depravity.

Ronan pulled Alice into his arms. "Alright, just be principled and focus on your work."

"I really can't imagine what this country will become after we're gone." Alice was a little disappointed. She had tried so hard, but she could only clean up the termites that had already caused a lot of damage. She couldn't stop the termites from multiplying at all.

Moreover, even if these termites are removed, it's too late to undo the damage.

Because these corrupt officials turned their ill-gotten gains into large houses, luxury carriages, gardens, jewelry, fine wines, works of art, and even slaves. Even if these things were confiscated, what use would they be to the people? For example, a luxurious villa costing tens of thousands of silver coins was built by embezzling the taxes contributed by hundreds or thousands of workers and farmers. But if such a villa were confiscated, could it be returned to the workers and farmers in its entirety? No, it cannot.

"We just need to do our best to let the people of this country see a glimmer of hope. People will die and forget, but history will not forget that there was a glimmer of light. As long as history does not forget, the sun will eventually rise again."

Ronan comforted her while caressing her.

We cheer for Sun Wukong today, only because the demonic fog has returned. This may be a tragedy, but it is also a hope, because Sun Wukong has been here before.

Alice simply nodded silently.

Ronan reached out and pinched Alice's face, which was filled with three parts disgust and two parts indifference. "You should trust the people of our country, especially the people of the capital. Whether they are ordinary people or those mages who are not doing well, they are all troublemakers among troublemakers. Who knows, my great-great-great-grandson might send these people to the guillotine in the future."

This isn't just Ronan making things up; the unruly people in the old revolutionary base areas are really capable of doing such things.

Upon hearing this, Alice was initially indignant that Ronan had labeled people as troublemakers, but when she heard Ronan mention that his descendants would end up on the guillotine, she couldn't help but laugh.

Alice smiled, and Ronan casually pulled down her white stockings and underwear together.

"You're so annoying, let's get down to business," Alice said reproachfully, giving Ronan a light punch on the chest.

"Let's chat while we work," Ronan said, stepping forward to join in.