Yes, Madam Prime Minister

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He was referring, of course, to Ronan.

Before Ashley could reply, Grand was already looking embarrassed. Was it really okay to ask her that in front of her? Wasn't she afraid Ashley would tell Ronan on him?

After a short while, Ashley asked, "Does it make a difference? Even if the matter with Seris is resolved in the future, and you go to Bengal, it's not like you're really separated."

“Don’t try to get away with this.” Isabel’s tone became more serious.

Seeing that she couldn't fool her anymore, Ashley had no choice but to give her answer, "If I had to choose, it would be you, my princess."

"You're really being perfunctory," Isabel said disdainfully, but the smile on her lips was hard to hide.

"Aren't you going to ask me?" Golan asked.

Isabel glanced at it and retorted, "Do you need to ask?"

There's no need to ask; Golan belongs entirely to Ronan's side.

"What if I fall for your charm?" Grand asked, looking heartbroken.

"Ha." Isabel sneered. "If I were truly charming, things wouldn't have ended that way." Decades have passed, but she still can't forget her defeat in the struggle for the throne. Sometimes she thinks she might never forget it.

She didn't lose to her sister Ambrina, but to the first man who made her feel affection for him.

The charm here refers to both the charm of a leader and the charm of a woman.

“You’re overthinking it. The most important thing in life is to be happy,” Golan said.

Whether it's Isabelle or Dinia, in Grand's view, they are often unhappy because they care about too many things, unlike her, who has no ideals or principles and is usually not unhappy.

At this moment, Ashley said, "Gollan, you don't understand. This is the true mindset of an aristocrat. One should have ideals."

"You're here again, aren't you?" Isabel said, somewhat annoyed.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Dinia, Elena, and Agustina are playing cards.

"Boss, when is it our turn to play?" Elena asked as she played her cards.

"Almost there, just waiting for the staff to arrive," Dinia replied.

The so-called manpower refers to the engineers, craftsmen, and people from the ship-faring nation that were recruited.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the people of the Ship Country can only scavenge garbage and do menial tasks like tightening screws and sowing seeds on the large ships to maintain their operation and basic survival. This is a far cry from the technologically advanced super-large airships.

Compared to people of this era, the people of the Ship Country are ridiculously skilled. Any one of them would be on par with top-notch craftsmen from the outside world. As for the engineers of the Ship Country, they are several levels ahead. After working in the West Indies for a period of time, they have become familiar with the current technical specifications and processes and can use them immediately.

In reality, the engineers and craftsmen recruited were mainly responsible for translation, since there are some things that people who don't understand the technology at all can't translate.

“Taking a business approach is one way, but the other party can’t just sit idly by,” Agustina said.

At the same time, Liu Menglong asked Ronan the same question that Agustina had asked him.

Instead of answering directly, Ronan asked, "Where is Chen Zuolin from?"

Liu Menglong thought for a moment and replied, "A person from Nanyang? What's wrong with that?"

"The officials under you are all from Guangdong. The reason they are willing to obey Chen Zuolin is not because Chen Zuolin has a strong backing. So what if Chen Zuolin has a strong backing? Can a mere Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works dismiss or investigate local officials like them, or can he promote them? To put it bluntly, it is because Chen Zuolin controls the iron and steel industry and they have enough benefits. As long as we can bring more benefits, they will naturally follow us."

Liu Menglong nodded, then shook his head. "They've been colluding for so long, Chen Zuolin must have something on them."

“If this Scholar Chen dares to use the incriminating evidence he has, wouldn’t that be the perfect opportunity for you, Brother Liu, to uphold justice? Family law and family law are no match for the opinions of superiors. Chen Zuolin is, after all, just an ordinary citizen. If he were to send the incriminating evidence to higher authorities, that would be breaking the rules and committing a taboo,” Ronan said.

Liu Menglong couldn't help but exclaim, "Ha, Brother Luo, you're a foreigner, yet you understand the rules of officialdom better than I do."

“Suing an official by bypassing the proper channels is taboo anywhere,” Ronan said.

"So, everything is ready now?" Liu Menglong asked.

“No, it’s still a little short,” Ronan said. “There’s an old saying in Seris: ‘No reward can be given without power.’”

"Hmm?" Liu Menglong asked, puzzled.

Ronan took a bite of his side dish and continued, "Translate this: you have to give them a slap before you can give them a treat. You have to teach the officials below a lesson first before you can give them benefits. Otherwise, they'll think you're trying to curry favor with them and that you're something special."

"How do we clean it up?" Liu Menglong asked curiously.

“None of the accounts from the various government offices match up. You can go check the granary first,” Ronan said.

"Look? I'll probably be out the door one minute and the next the next, and the granary will be on fire." Liu Menglong joked. Although he wasn't as shrewd as Ronan, he wasn't a new official either. How could he not know these things? Don't think that just because Foshan is a major industrial and commercial center, no one will be involved in grain trading. They still are.

"It's just to watch the fire dragon burn the granary. Every government office goes, and they are notified in advance. Even if the other party is clumsy and doesn't have time to burn it, it's treated as if it burned and nothing was seen. This is just to send a signal that you know, but you can pretend you don't."

"Next, we can start looking for trouble."

"Looking for trouble?" Liu Menglong was confused.

"Yes, you're just making trouble out of nothing. You're the big shot. If you really want to use a real case to prosecute someone, you have to follow the procedures. Officials are least afraid of following procedures. If you put on an image of fair and impartial law enforcement, you'll scare a lot of people into banding together against you. On the contrary, if you're just acting like an impotent rage, deliberately picking a fight, trying to make things difficult for someone, people won't be surprised. After all, it's not a big deal, and they won't be the ones being targeted. They won't easily jump out and oppose you."

"Once the warnings are given, naturally some restless individuals will emerge to deal with the lower-level officials under these bureaucrats, as a test."

Ronan patiently taught Liu Menglong the ways of being a mid-level official.

In short, if you want to burn someone, you have to start a fire first.

Chapter 774 The Genius Ronan, Operation "Fire Dragon," This is Just the Beginning

He Xinjin's eldest son, He Zhiyuan, died, and at the same time, rumors began to spread.

It is said that after hearing He Zhiyuan imply that he was the murderer and threatened to take revenge, Chen Zuolin once again took drastic measures to eliminate him completely, so she hired someone to kill him.

The previous rumors that He Xinjin was to be investigated were just that—rumors. They were all spread by Chen Zuolin to coordinate with his actions and make everyone believe that He Xinjin had truly committed suicide out of fear of punishment.

A smart person would know that this is nonsense.

After all, if the initial rumors were spread by Chen Zuolin, and he wanted to create the illusion that He Xinjin committed suicide out of guilt, then if he killed He Xinjin's eldest son, He Zhiyuan, wouldn't that be admitting that he killed Master He?

Unfortunately, there are more fools than wise people in this world, and many intelligent people are willing to act like fools and fuel the flames at this time, because Chen Zuolin has too big an appetite and has eaten too much.

After all, He Xinjin's eldest son was killed, and the blame was shifted onto Chen Zuolin, which meant that someone had fired the first shot against him.

Following suit is impossible; we'll stick with whoever wins. But secretly sabotaging things is still possible.

"What a good idea."

Chen Zuolin couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Such rumors may not seem to cause him any financial loss, including damage to his reputation or prestige, but in reality, they dealt him a heavy blow.

Because this is equivalent to firing a signal flare.

Just as those in power are not afraid of a small group of people rebelling, Chen Zuolin is not afraid of a few people jumping out to oppose him. If only a few people jump out, they will be used as a "chicken" to scare the monkeys. However, just as those in power are afraid of rebellion and responses from various places, Chen Zuolin is also afraid of this.

Normally, they wouldn't all jump out at the same time, but things are different now.

"Moreover, this also contains a calculated scheme."

Chen Zuolin couldn't help but sigh, and at the same time turned to look at the distance, where his local collaborator, or rather, the man in the black gloves, that bear-like figure, was hurrying towards them.

The other party's goal is simple: to retaliate and establish their authority.

Because the tiger was provoked, if it doesn't show its power, the jackals, foxes, and even monkeys below will start to have ulterior motives.

Chen Zuolin is a high-level white glove; he can sit back and relax, while others are black gloves and cannot.

Stopping the other party? Even if you offer them benefits to appease them, it will still create enmity, which is clearly what Ronan wants to see.

If we don't stop it, and let the black glove do whatever it wants, it will only further escalate the conflict, which is exactly what Ronan wants to see.

No matter which option you choose, it's wrong; this is a calculated move.

"What's worse is that this is just the opening move in a combination of punches."

Chen Zuolin was certain that this was just the beginning, and the real trouble was yet to come.

"Alas, playing power games is definitely not my forte."

Chen Zuolin couldn't help but sigh. Although he was the unsung leader of Foshan, and the former deputy prefect of the coastal defense prefecture had burned through his three fires and was eventually transferred away in a fit of anger, as a fifth-level scholar, his focus and concentration were always on cultivation.

He had never seen anyone like Ronan before, someone with such high cultivation who was also skilled in political maneuvering; he was simply an anomaly.

Moreover, he couldn't discern Ronan's cultivation level. Logically speaking, this meant Ronan was higher than him, meaning he was at the sixth level. Why would a sixth-level cultivator be here acting as a clerk, getting involved in power struggles instead of focusing on cultivation? It's completely illogical.

Oh, and there's Ronan's so-called concubine, a woman named Dinia. According to intelligence, she's the former prime minister of the most powerful country in the West. Why would she give up her premiership to come here and do this? No, it's pointless.

It's only because he has good self-control; otherwise, he would have been spewing profanities and cursing his ancestors.

"Scholar Chen, something terrible has happened!" the bear-like man said urgently. Despite his rugged appearance, he was anything but. He knew that as the leader of a dynamic social organization, if he didn't do something at this moment, the organization's vitality would decline.

"I understand. Go ahead and do whatever you want," Chen Zuolin said.

He ultimately chose not to stop the black gloves below, and was too lazy to say anything more. He had already lost a round, and needed to think about how to turn things around.

Meanwhile, Operation "Fire Dragon" began.

Liu Menglong, carrying a list of several problems nominally commissioned by Zhao Yingqi but actually requested by Alice, prepared to investigate the issues at various government offices in the coastal defense prefecture.

Of course, since no one in the entire government was Liu Menglong's man, unsurprisingly, the list was leaked.

So, for the next two weeks, Liu Menglong, who went to inspect the various government offices in a grand manner, only saw all kinds of "fire dragons burning the granaries." The "granaries" could be granaries, silver, accounts, receipts, any kind of physical objects, or even people.

As for why there were so many errors and even contradictions in the original files, that was the work mistake of a temporary worker; simply dismissing the relevant clerk would solve the problem.

Of course, after being dismissed, the officials in charge of various government departments arranged jobs for these minor officials. After all, Foshan was a commercially developed city with all kinds of businesses, so there were plenty of positions available.

Why not silence them? Because there are too many low-ranking officials involved. If they were all silenced, the entire group of officials wouldn't just feel a sense of shared fate, but would be filled with fear, lest they be next. This would have very serious consequences.

After Operation Fire Dragon came Operation Shoes.

Liu Menglong may appear to be a fifth-rank official, a high-ranking position as the top official in Foshan, but in reality, he couldn't really do anything to the officials below him. He couldn't appoint or dismiss them; any action required following procedures. Every official in charge of a government office had a powerful backer and a group of lower-ranking clerks supporting them, making it impossible for him to actually get rid of anyone.

All he could do was make things difficult for others, which was truly an act of impotent rage.

In fact, these people are not afraid of being targeted or treated unfairly.

But soon, they realized the situation was spiraling out of control. Some clever people, and others less clever but secretly instructed, began harassing lower-ranking officials in various government departments. At this critical juncture, those in charge dared not openly protect them. The harassed officials, fearing Liu Menglong would punish them, had no choice but to take the risk and gravitate towards Liu Menglong, hoping he would protect them.

"Brother Liu, look, now you have people at your disposal, don't you?" Ronan asked with a smile.

"Sigh." Liu Menglong was truly impressed, he had to admit it. In just half a month, without any bribes or threats, he had so easily gained the allegiance of a group of officials. "But I really don't want to use these people." In Liu Menglong's eyes, these petty officials were simply scum.

“Don’t be disgusted by the chamber pot,” Ronan said. “Besides, the real show is yet to come. We can’t give Chen Zuolin and these bureaucrats any breathing room or time to retaliate. We must seize Foshan’s political power and economy with lightning speed.”

Ronan didn't underestimate Chen Zuolin and his group of officials; they were only temporarily stunned. Given time, Ronan would be in trouble. After all, he and Liu Menglong were newcomers, while the others had been operating here for years.

"You decide," Liu Menglong said, having already chosen to give up.

Anyway, you can win without even lying down.

Chapter 775 Using Public Funds for Dining and Drinking – One Word: Forgot the Line

Shunde, a water town, is crisscrossed by waterways, dotted with ancient bridges, lush greenery, and rustic dwellings, showcasing the charm of a water town with its bridges, flowing water, and traditional houses.

In a small garden called "Remembering Jiangnan" in the water town, Liu Menglong, Luo Nan, Zhao Yingqi and Diniya, along with the heads of various government offices of the Foshan Coastal Defense Sub-Prefecture, the chief clerks of the government offices, the head of the Inspection Office, the Imperial Censor, the commander of the Foshan Garrison, and the three county magistrates of Nanhai County, can be said to be the original group of people who were welcomed back at the banquet.

In addition to the original two tables, a new table was added, which consisted of the officials who had recently defected to Liu Menglong.

However, last time it was a group of officials who welcomed Liu Menglong, but this time, it was Liu Menglong, the Assistant Magistrate, who led everyone on a field trip.

That's right, "collecting local customs" means investigating the people's conditions.

Although it was actually a dinner party, the official purpose was to go deep into the countryside to investigate the local conditions. Otherwise, how could public funds be used?

It was hot, but the water town was relatively cool, though not really cool, so ice buckets were placed around, and young girls were fanning themselves. These girls were all young and beautiful mortals; in Seris's words, they were like ephemeral flowers, because mortal beauty is only fleeting.

The first dish was snake soup. Although it's said that snakes are fattest when the autumn wind blows, these snakes were farmed and were just as good in the summer. Served with shredded shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and dried scallops, the snake soup was fresh and fragrant, with a slightly bitter taste followed by a unique sweetness.

"Is it good?" Liu Menglong asked. His Cantonese accent, which he had specially learned, was still a bit awkward, but he spoke with great enthusiasm.

Everyone nodded in agreement, saying it tasted delicious.

Liu Menglong put down his spoon and small bowl. “This period of time has been like this snake soup. The first bite is fresh and fragrant, a little bitter after chewing, but it is sweet in the end. Don’t you all agree?”

"Lord Liu's insights are truly remarkable."

"It's extreme, it's extreme."

The officials echoed the sentiments once again, a far cry from their demeanor at the welcoming banquet.

Liu Menglong was not very happy at first, because he really looked down on these officials who had come to him. When Ronan called them chamber pots, he just reluctantly accepted it.

But at this moment, these officials who had previously ignored him were now bowing down to him, making him realize that using a chamber pot wasn't such a big deal.

One word: Worth it. Another word: Awesome.

All of this was exactly what Ronan had expected.

Back then, Dinya was incredibly intolerant of any flaws, even Ronan himself was considered a flaw in her eyes. Liu Menglong, a scion of a prominent family, was nothing but arrogant. Compared to Dinya, who came from an orphanage, experienced war, witnessed the suffering of the people, and was driven by the ideal of changing the country through the sacrifices of her deceased teachers and classmates, what was he?