Chapter 427: Two Matters
Chapter 427: Two Matters
"What is that attitude of yours?!"
Perhaps provoked by the playful glint in the Princess's eyes, the Queen, with her high cheekbones and downturned mouth, a face that seemed somewhat scornful, slammed her hand on the armrest of her chair and scolded with annoyance,
"If it weren't for your insistence on pushing for tax reductions, would my brother's Ministry of Finance be in such disarray? If the news leaks out and you're trapped in the Prime Minister's Residence, it's your own fault!
And, I can understand your forceful replacement of the sergeants, but to include even the Royal Family and my brother's people on the list, what exactly are you trying to do?!"
"..."
What am I trying to do?
Looking at the furious Queen and hearing her scolding, for some reason, the Princess, who should have been filled with anger, suddenly found it amusing.
Although the woman before her was her nominal mother, and they even lived in the same palace, they had never been on the same page. If one were to speak of 'distance,' the one who was closer to her was actually Lyon, who was far away in a different country.
Haha, it was quite funny. In this magnificent palace that had raised her, she had endured six years of nightmares and countless sleepless nights.
Yet, in that somewhat cramped apartment on Ship Bridge Street, she could sleep soundly, even amidst some absurd sweet dreams, until the sun was high in the sky.
Even more amusing was that after she was injured by a stone, the only person who cared about her wound was Lyon, who had always wanted to call off the engagement. But upon returning to her 'real' home, not a single person paid any attention to the bloodstains on her sleeves.
"Veronica!"
Seeing the Princess across from her in a daze, with a slight smile on her lips, obviously not listening to the Queen's words, the scowling woman couldn't help but become angrier.
"What are you smiling about?!"
"Nothing, I just remembered something pleasant."
"You... I am still your nominal mother, and this is the attitude you show me?!"
"Mhm."
After a casual reply, the Princess, not wanting to deal with the Queen's tantrum, turned to the Chancellor of Finance across from her and said calmly,
"Your Excellency, the day after tomorrow is the convening of the Two-Chamber Parliament, and I've been very busy lately. So, if our future interactions continue in this manner of tantrums and theatrics, please excuse me if I don't indulge you further."
"What are you..."
"Silence!"
Stopping the enraged Queen, the old King in the wheelchair coughed a few times, then raised the staff in his hand and pointed at the Chancellor of Finance, who was sitting upright and focused. In a hoarse and raspy voice, the King said,
"You speak."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Bowing slightly to the old King, the Chancellor of Finance turned to the Princess and said gently,
"Your Highness, I have come to visit you at this late hour to discuss two matters.
Firstly, while the cause of today's incident may be attributed to you, your replacement order itself is somewhat inappropriate. Otherwise, it wouldn't have caused such a stir. I believe you need to reconsider some of your measures.
Is that so?"
Hearing this, the Princess looked at him and said calmly,
"I would like to know what shortcomings my replacement order has, and I ask Your Excellency to kindly point them out."
"Your Highness is too kind."
After a slight nod, the Chancellor of Finance began,
"First, let's discuss the scope of the replacement targets.
Your Highness's intention to rectify the Military Department is not wrong, but it's a bit too hasty. There's no need to include all sergeants in the replacement assessment at once. Those from families of earls and above can be given some leeway.
Additionally, the assessment standards are too strict. While some sergeants may not meet the standards set by the Military Regulations, their experience is sufficient, and their loyalty to the Royal Family is unquestionable. They can be treated as exceptions."
Finally, some of the families of the sergeants have distinguished past service records. If they are all replaced just because they didn't meet the assessment standards, it's a bit unfair to the meritorious officers. They've been coming to me to complain these past few days, and I sympathize with their plight. So, Your Highness, I hope you'll reconsider."
"Minister, please be more straightforward."
After hearing the so-called suggestion from the Chancellor of Finance, Princess Veronica smiled and then summarized with a hint of mockery:
"Don't touch those with powerful backgrounds, those willing to support the Royal Family, and those who want to feed you... If I summarize it this way, Minister, do you think it's accurate?"
"The meaning might be similar, but Your Highness's phrasing isn't quite accurate."
The Chancellor of Finance smiled and said:
"If I were to summarize, it should be those whose actions could affect the stability of the kingdom, those who are willing to be the Royal Family's right-hand, and those who want to stand with us.
These three types of sergeants might be slightly inferior in ability, but taking action might bring more trouble than benefits, or they could have been valuable assistants. So, please reconsider carefully."
Reconsider... Is it still necessary?
Looking at the Chancellor of Finance's amiable smile and then at the emotionless old King, the princess couldn't help but take a deep breath, feeling as if she hadn't slept for three days and three nights, and her whole body felt heavy.
Setting aside this replacement decree that makes concessions everywhere, whether it can achieve the desired effect, this sudden change of decision is already a devastating blow to her credibility.
If, after being 'stirred up' by the sergeants once, she immediately compromises and changes the decree, it will be much harder to promote other bills in the future. It's as if the reform is already halfway doomed before it begins.
"I don't think there's anything to reconsider."
Seeing through the malicious intent behind the Chancellor's proposal, the princess refused without hesitation:
"Minister, you might think that having more power in your hands is a good thing. But if the Military Department continues to deteriorate, the Defense War of six years ago will inevitably repeat itself one day. There's no room for compromise on this matter. You can speak about the second matter now."
"Alright."
Unfazed by the princess's rebuke, the Chancellor of Finance calmly nodded and continued:
"The second thing I want to discuss with you is the Parliament session the day after tomorrow.
Today's siege of the Prime Minister's Residence by the sergeants also shows their attitude. If you attend the Parliament session the day after tomorrow and continue to propose the replacement decree, it might intensify the conflict. So, I think you shouldn't attend the two-chamber Parliament session the day after tomorrow."
?!?!
Hearing the Chancellor of Finance's words, Princess Veronica's pupils narrowed slightly, and she coldly asked:
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, for the Parliament session the day after tomorrow, let His Royal Highness Joshua attend on your behalf."
The Chancellor of Finance smiled and said:
"His Royal Highness Joshua is your brother, and he also has the qualifications to represent the Royal Family. Although he might be a bit young and lack experience, with my assistance, he should be able to handle it..."
"No!"
Princess Veronica was surprised and angered by the Chancellor's idea. She stood up immediately to refute:
"Joshua can't do this! This time, there's not only the replacement decree but also the proposal for expanded suffrage, support for the energy sector, and a series of other proposals..."
"You don't have to worry about those."
Interrupting the princess, the Chancellor of Finance smiled gently and said:
"The relevant documents have already been retrieved from your bedroom by my messenger. With your prior preparation and my assistance from the sidelines, His Royal Highness Joshua will definitely be able to control the situation and smoothly promote these proposals."
(End of Chapter)
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