novelnext Page 236
Page 236
In Rudolf's view, the emperor's swift suppression of the rebellion was entirely correct, but his subsequent failure to exert full force and instead diverting troops to confront several major Protestant princes was simply reckless.
No matter how many routes you come from, I will only go one way and crush one of them with overwhelming force.
Now the situation has become a stalemate, and once a stalemate occurs, it is very difficult to regroup and form a unified force, because on the battlefield, it is always easier to send troops than to withdraw them.
"Rudolf, who do you think is our greatest enemy? Is it those Protestant princes? No, it's the Kingdom of Fas. I'm sure that French woman still has designs on the Rhineland. I can't commit all my forces at once, and I certainly can't attack in only one direction, leaving an opening. I have to wait, wait for those damned French to enter the fray, and then deliver a fatal blow to them."
Antoro shared his thoughts.
“Your Majesty, but if this drags on, the country cannot withstand the strain,” Rudolf said. As the prime minister, he did not concern himself with military affairs, but he was in charge of finances and provisions. Once the war broke out, money and provisions would flow away like water. How could the country sustain this situation?
“Let Villa enter, and let the Vatican pay for it,” Antoro replied.
Chancellor Rudolf sighed, “Although your brother has mountains of silver, he is a miser. If you want Villa to get in, you have to pay. As for the Papacy, if they were willing to pay, they would have done so long ago.”
“I know, so I will withdraw my troops from the peninsula and send someone to negotiate with Suleiman,” Antoro said.
Rudolf was stunned; he instantly understood the emperor's thoughts.
The emperor's meaning was very clear: if you don't send troops and don't pay, I'll just let the heretics over.
This is too much filial piety! The Heavenly Father is leading a filial son! What happened to being the most devout believer in the entire Western Continent? Is this all?
At the same time, King Villa also tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
We definitely have to send troops; bandits must be eliminated at any time.
He couldn't just stand by and watch his brother perish and the empire completely disintegrate, but when and how to act were matters of great importance.
His grandfather was once emperor and almost conquered the Kingdom of Fas, coming very close to dominating the Western Continent. Which grandson wouldn't want to do what his grandfather couldn't?
The main purpose of this military intervention was not to relieve my brother's predicament, but to strike a blow against the damned French.
Of course, money is still required; even close brothers need to be given money.
On the other side, in Wieland.
Wieland's group consisted of ministers and high-ranking nobles, who were currently busy discussing who would inherit the throne.
As for the situation on the mainland, it is not yet time for them to take action.
They will only take action when the Kingdom of Fas can no longer restrain itself. If the Kingdom of Fas does not have much ambition, then as brothers of the new religion, they should of course help out and fight against the "Imperial Army" together. If the Kingdom of Fas has too much ambition, then they must "pacify the internal before resisting the external" and solve the internal problems of the new religion brothers.
In the Netherlands, the king was very worried because the country was showing signs of division. The south no longer wanted to provide the north with cheap agricultural products and thought the northern industrial goods were too expensive, preferring to buy from the Kingdom of Phos. On the other hand, the north also thought the southern agricultural products were too expensive and preferred to buy grain directly from Phos. They felt that selling industrial goods to their own people was unacceptable, so they preferred to export them overseas.
In short, I'd rather be independent.
Independence is fine, the problem is, if we become independent, won't we have a republic? If it's a republic, will there still be a king?
Compared to the worried, balding King of the Netherlands, the young King of Sweden was full of vigor and had long, flowing hair. Although the Dane was still on his last breath, he hadn't exerted any effort at all, so there was nothing to worry about.
At this moment, the young king was thinking about what it would be like to officially step onto the stage of the Western Continent.
He, Olos II, will bring something unprecedented and usher in a completely new era.
I don't aspire to be the one in charge, but being someone who can speak up shouldn't be a problem, right?
Chapter 536 Money, Business, Turns Out There Was Such a Talent Hidden Among Us
July, summer.
In the large bathroom of the Marquis de Ronan's mansion, Ronan and Isabel are taking a bath.
Although technological advancements have made taking hot showers much easier than in the past, and many public bathhouses have been built in the capital over the years, large privately owned bathhouses are still rare. After all, only a minority of people have enough space in their homes to have a bathhouse. For example, the two-story detached house where Isabel, a high-ranking civil servant, lives cannot fit a bathhouse and can only fit a tub.
"You've been working hard lately."
Ronan said.
Amidst the chaos within the empire, spies from all sides have become active in the capital of the Kingdom of Fass.
Isabelle, the head of the security agency, was naturally very busy.
“They’re all minor figures; the big shots are in the central government,” Isabel said, leaning back against the pool. “The restrictions should be lifted so we can properly investigate the officials in the central government.”
“You can’t investigate like that, Isa,” Ronan said with a smile. “There aren’t many clean officials in the central government. If we were to conduct a broad investigation, it wouldn’t be catching spies, it would be a purge.”
In reality, only a few people could be found to be traitors, and even those few wouldn't necessarily be accused of voluntarily selling out any crucial information.
However, if officials at the central level are investigated, they will inevitably uncover other problems.
In that situation, it would be very difficult to resolve the situation.
"So we're just going to leave it like this?" Isabel retorted.
Ronan reached out and pulled Isabel close. "Investigate secretly, and then publicly destroy the information after the war is over."
Isabel then launched into a barrage of questions, “Do you think the Security Bureau is omnipotent? Or do you think those people are stupid enough to expose themselves directly? How can you possibly find the traitors hiding in the central government who are colluding with the enemy and betraying the country without arresting and interrogating all the suspects? It’s almost impossible to find out who is in trouble and obtain evidence without alerting the other side.”
“Don’t get excited, Isa,” Ronan said. “I don’t want you to actually get the evidence, but to pretend you do, and then destroy it in public.”
"A boring political charade," Isabel commented dismissively, but did not express any disapproval.
After a while, the two finished their bath and went to a room with aromatherapy burning.
Isabel was completely naked, lying face down on the flatbed.
Ronan took the essential oil, poured some onto Isabel's back, then poured some more onto his own hands, and began to quickly apply the essential oil all over her back.
After applying the ointment, Ronan looked at the slightly oily body and began massaging it.
Having honed his skills on Ambrina for many years, Ronan's massage techniques were already quite proficient.
Ronan's rhythmic, slightly forceful kneading made Isabel close her eyes and want to sleep, but then came a burst of forceful pressing and pounding, which woke her up and made her make a sound. This continued for a while before slowing down again.
After finishing a massage, Ronan turned Isabel over and, instead of immediately applying essential oils, took the moisturizing cream and applied it to Isabel's feet, then massaged her feet first.
Isabel sat up, used her spatial magic to pick a watermelon from the yard, concentrated her magic as a blade to cut it open, took a slice in her hand, and said while eating the watermelon, "Recently, the Security Bureau has not only had a lot of internal missions, but also many international missions. There are a few important figures who are very expensive, and although salaries have been increased, our bureau consists of special people, so I don't think the current salaries are reasonable."
She said it all, and it all boils down to one thing: give me the money.
“Isa, this country isn’t mine to run. Do you think I can just take money whenever I want?” Ronan retorted.
Isabel glared at Ronan. "Say that again, this country isn't yours to own?"
“Okay, it’s my family’s business, but we really don’t have any money.” Ronan had just finished speaking when he saw Isabel take a big bite of watermelon, her mouth full of seeds, ready to pounce. He quickly raised his hand to cover his face, “No, no, no, we have money, we have money.”
Isabel precisely spat the watermelon seeds into the plate next to her. "I don't care how you do it, I need funding, enough funding."
“I can give it to you, but only slowly,” Ronan said.
Isabel finished eating the watermelon and put it aside. "Then allow us to earn some extra money."
“That won’t do, absolutely not,” Ronan firmly objected.
Are you kidding me? If intelligence agencies were to make extra money, wouldn't that make them the CIA?
“Well, let’s do some business, we’ll contribute some effort, and then we can split the profits, right?” Isabel said.
Ronan instantly understood. After all that, Isabel just wanted to do some business. However, Ronan was very curious: would someone like Isabel actually be good at business?
"Over there with the Haidi people, the experiment produced a byproduct: a very beautiful flower that can be cultivated from bulbs. Ambrina probably doesn't have any yet. Before the next banquet, have her show it off to the nobles and officials, turning this flower into a luxury item to flaunt, and subtly hint that it was bought from overseas merchants. The nobles and officials will definitely be too embarrassed to ask the seller on the spot, but they'll inquire about it privately when they get back, and naturally, they'll find the seller I've arranged."
"Soon, the price of this flower will skyrocket."
"Then we'll take this trend to the Netherlands and Villa, where there are an extraordinary number of wealthy people."
“Especially in the Netherlands, I’ve heard they have something called futures trading.”
“We can manipulate the market. We’ll go long first, make a small profit from those damned nobles and corrupt officials in the capital, heat up the market, and then move the trading market for this stuff to the Netherlands. Then we’ll go short. The method is very simple: spread the word that there’s a huge supply of this stuff, that it’s practically commonplace, and that the price will immediately plummet.”
"This wave will definitely be faster than when you sent troops to rob the banks in the Netherlands."
After Isabel finished speaking, she looked at Ronan with anticipation.
As a time traveler, Ronan understood this kind of thing all too well. "Who gave you this idea?"
“Ronan, what do you mean?” Isabel questioned.
“This is not what you, a violent princess, want.” Ronan said, his eyes turning serious. The person who gave Isabel this idea was a dangerous individual, and he had to be wary.
Isabel looked at Ronan and said directly, "Ashley."
"Huh?" Ronan was stunned. Ashley had this kind of ability?
Isabel laughed instantly. "Heh, you don't know this, do you? Back when I was still a princess and she was my maid, she pulled off a scam in the princess's palace and made a lot of money."
"Oh, what kind of scam?" Ronan asked curiously.
As Isabel recalled, she explained, "This Ashley said she had a beauty secret I used that could be made into some kind of product. She then told the other servants that they could become agents. She even designed a system, which I can't quite explain, but it was something like high-level, intermediate, and basic. The higher the level, the higher the commission. At the time, she tricked most of the more than one hundred servants in the entire princess's mansion into joining her scheme."
Chapter 537 Hidden Talent, 37, 73
"Those people were like they were possessed."
"In the end, someone complained to me, and I made her disband the organization and return the money, which finally settled the matter."
After saying that, Isabel breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't felt it at the time, but now that she thought about it, she felt a little scared.
After listening, Ronan had to admit that Ashley was truly multi-talented and a born scoundrel. No wonder she could make a name for herself on the streets at such a young age and even attract the attention of the late king. He should have realized that most of the gang leaders in the capital at the time were low-level mages, and Ashley would never have been able to rise to the top with just her personal strength; she also had to know how to make money.
Ashley has had a natural talent for making money since she was a child.
Unexpectedly, there was such a special talent hidden by his side.
After a moment's thought, Ronan made a decision: "Ashley will be in charge of this financial scam, and her work will be temporarily transferred to Golan." Professional matters should be handled by professionals.
“After it’s done, we’ll split the profits 30/70,” Ronan added.
"Seventy percent is alright." Isabel felt it was alright.
Ronan waved his hand, "You've got it wrong. Seventy percent belongs to the state, and your entire organization takes thirty percent."
Isabel looked at Ronan in surprise.
“Without the endorsement of King Anri, who loves flowers, this stuff wouldn’t be priced any higher,” Ronan explained. “Besides, we’re all serving the country, so let’s not worry about these things.”
"Are you being unreasonable?" Isabel's face showed a hint of anger.
Ronan avoided the question, "Oh, right, I almost forgot to tell you something important. In a few days, the central council will pass a regulation that ministers will automatically retire after serving six years. Of course, if they reach the age limit before that, they will retire early. After resigning or retiring, they will join the Officials Evaluation Advisory Committee for a six-year term. The main function of this committee is to recommend candidates for new ministers, and the King will ultimately decide on the candidates."
Wasn't it agreed that the king would nominate ministers and then the election committee would select them?
Ha, so what you say after drinking counts?
Bureaucratic matters can only be decided internally by the bureaucracy.
The bureaucrats wouldn't object to this; after stepping down, they could still decide on their successors and make use of their remaining influence, which would be enough.
As for the prime minister, the old rules still apply. After all, the prime minister has too much power, and he must be someone recognized by all the representatives.
“However, the Ministry of the Interior is not included in this scope.” This was the key point Ronan wanted to make. “The Minister of the Interior is appointed and dismissed by the King, the Director needs to be reviewed by the King, and the promotion and demotion of other staff members of the Ministry of the Interior are decided internally, and the Prime Minister cannot interfere.”
For Ronan, Ambrina, and Dinia, this was just a formality, because the three of them were in cahoots.
The Ministry of the Interior is now completely at Ronan's beck and call, since he and Dinia founded it.
However, considering those who come after, the issue of the power structure must be clarified.
"Next month, Isa, you will be promoted to Director of the Security Bureau."
The position of Director of the Security Bureau has always been vacant. Ashley, Golan, and a number of other directors are all at the same level as Isabel. However, since Ashley and Golan listen to her, Isabel is effectively the head of the Security Bureau.
Upon hearing this, Isabel chuckled lightly, "So, if I don't agree to this 30/70 split, I still have to remain the department head?"
Ronan shrugged. "If that's how you put it, there's nothing I can do about it."
Isabel shoved Ronan away, saying, "You two are really something."
Ronan, shameless as ever, pressed on again, "Isa, stop it. Once you become the director, you'll be much louder when you ask for funding, right? Right now, you're just a section chief. Who cares if you ask the government for funding? Does that make sense? I'll figure out a way to get some special benefits for the Security Bureau then. That's it, okay?"
"Are you trying to fool me like a child?" Isabel snapped, shaking off Ronan. "Get out!"
Ronan chuckled, "This is my house, how am I supposed to leave?"
“Fine, I’m leaving.” Isabel stood up to leave.
Ronan grabbed Isabel's leg and said, "June 4th, is June 4th okay? The country is really short of money, Isabel."
Isabel looked at Ronan, at the most powerful man in the kingdom begging her in such a manner, and her feelings were quite complicated.
“Alright then,” Isabel finally agreed.
Ronan burst into laughter, deliberately making it sound exaggerated.
With that smile, Isabel understood. Ronan had been faking it all along; he had originally intended to go through with the June Fourth Incident.
"I'll kill you, you bastard!" Isabel shouted, completely naked, raising her fist to punch Ronan.