In the quiet corner of the Royal Garden, several large barbecue grills were lit with blazing flames, and a dozen waiters and chefs were playing with the food to be grilled. On the grass behind, along the rockery in the garden, facing the garden
One of the largest lakes has more than a hundred small stools and more than a dozen tables.
The officers in ragged clothes came over and sat down in silence. They were waiting for the arrival of His Majesty the Emperor, and their uneasy expressions could not be concealed.
After a while, His Majesty the Emperor appeared at the lakeside with Princess Qinlun in his arms. Accompanied by several princesses, they walked slowly along the embankment. His Majesty the Emperor had a leisurely and contented expression on his face.
The imperial concubines were all smiling, and there was nothing unusual about them at all.
"Good afternoon, His Majesty the Emperor!" The officers stood up quickly: "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, the imperial concubines!"
"And more." His Majesty Cohen raised Princess Qinlun high: "Doesn't the lovely Princess Qinlun have a share?"
Although he had not been notified yet, His Majesty said that Qinlun was a princess, so that was absolutely correct, so the officers saluted again: "Good afternoon, Princess Qinlun."
"Everyone, sit down!" His Majesty Cohen looked at the embarrassed officers and nodded, with a smile on his face: "Why are they all like this? Have you been beaten?"
When His Majesty Cohen said this, most of the officers immediately lowered their heads and stared at their toes with sad eyes, not knowing how to answer. Fortunately, Princess Dill stood up from behind to uphold justice and stepped forward to push.
After shaking off his husband, His Majesty Cohen coughed dryly and sat down, no longer teasing the officers.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen, officers." Princess Feilin, who was wearing light makeup and casual clothes, also stepped forward and said, "You are all my husband's assistants. You have been fighting for days. We have wanted to meet you for a long time, but we have never had the chance. I heard that today
You are having a meeting in the palace, and I asked the emperor to summon you. I hope you will not feel presumptuous."
"No, no, it's an honor for us to be invited by His Majesty the Emperor and his concubines..." A noble officer replied fearfully.
"Don't worry! It's just to have something to eat and chat by the way. It's no big deal." His Majesty Cohen sat in his seat and said carelessly: "Why are you nervous? Please raise your head and smile.
."
His Majesty the Emperor gave the order, and the officers had to raise their heads to look at His Majesty and give an awkward smile.
Princess Dier ordered the chefs: "Everyone is here, let's start!"
"We haven't seen each other for a long time. Let's sit closer." His Majesty Cohen put Princess Qinlun down, dragged the chair to the middle of the officers, and loudly ordered the officers: "Sit over here and form a circle."
The chefs grilled the food and the waiters served red wine. Seeing that this was indeed a barbecue banquet, the officers felt a little more at ease. In addition, there were four kind-hearted concubines distributing the food in person, which always shrouded the hearts of the officers.
The uneasy atmosphere quickly faded away.
"There are quite a lot of people, and the official ranks are quite high." His Majesty's eyes swept over the shoulders of each officer: "Who can tell how long it has been since we last met?"
"Your Majesty, we haven't seen each other for a year!" an officer stood up and said.
"Then where have you been this year?" Cohen laughed and scolded: "Sit down and talk, this is an informal gathering, it doesn't have to be so rigid, everyone is the same!"
"Yes." The officer sat down with a smile: "I am an officer in the Field Infantry Regiment of the Third Army, and I didn't have the opportunity to see His Majesty. I did see His Majesty once, but His Majesty didn't see me..."
"See, that time you were stabbed in the buttocks and were lying on a stretcher, right?" His Majesty Cohen laughed loudly: "You're still embarrassed, just like a little daughter-in-law."
The officers burst into laughter, and the remaining tension disappeared.
"Who among the people here was the first to follow me?" His Majesty Cohen took a sip of red wine and said, "Explain it yourself."
"It's me..." Someone immediately raised their hands and shook them: "I'm the first! I'm the first recruit of darkness!"
"You are not the first, I am." Another officer shouted loudly: "I am the guard of the Dark Moon Governor's Mansion."
"I am the one..." the officers shouted in unison.
"Okay, stop arguing." His Majesty waved his hand and said to everyone with a smile: "I just want to tell you when everyone joined and what they did, I remember it in my heart. Even those who joined later, you
I remember his achievements clearly in my heart."
Hearing what His Majesty the Emperor said, the officers were very happy and looked forward to the next step with smiles.
"We have been together for a long time. From the defense war in the early days of the Dark Province to the recently ended war against rebellion, you have been following me in all my wars, and you have never lived a stable life for a day.
I keep these things in mind." Having said this, His Majesty Cohen sighed: "I also know that I don't have a good temper. When I get angry, no one can hold me back, and you can't bear it.
Don’t be aggrieved..."
"Don't say that! Boss..."
"After entering the Holy City, I thought a lot, and finally decided to be the emperor." Cohen raised his hand to stop others from interjecting: "Since I am the emperor, I have to be good and the best. But
I can't do this on my own. You have to know that the name of the Sibia Empire has spread throughout the continent, and its citizens already number in the tens of millions... To manage such a huge country, I will be exhausted to death by myself.
None of it is possible."
"Don't worry, Your Majesty, we are still here!" the officers shouted: "As long as Your Majesty says a word, we will risk our lives to fight!"
"It's not that simple." His Majesty Cohen smiled slightly, shook his head slightly and said: "Although we used force to regain the empire, we cannot use force to manage an empire!"
"Let's have a simple chat! Let's put aside all prejudices and status differences first." His Majesty Cohen put down his wine glass and crossed his fingers with the officers: "In a country, there are poor people, rich people, businessmen, and nobles.
No matter how many they have, no matter what they have been in the past, they are all my people, and they all hope to live a better life. In addition, we have government officials, the police, the army, alien races, and tribes, and they want their salaries.
, we need to eat, we need to wear clothes, there are a bunch of problems that we cannot solve by force alone."
"Then what do our troops do?" an officer asked, "Aren't we useless?"
"Who said the army is useless? At any time, the army is the foundation of an empire and the guarantee of stability. Even if the officials in the court are quarreling, as long as the army is stable, the country will maintain basic stability.
His Majesty smiled and said: "So! Since you are officers, your first priority is to maintain the stability of the army. You must have a firm will and not be affected by other factors. In other words, you must not get involved."
The political disputes in the imperial court."
The officers looked at Cohen intently, taking every word he said to heart.
"The army is a very special existence for the country. When there is no war, everyone will think that the huge army is a waste of money. But once we reduce the army, we will suffer the consequences when a war occurs."
His Majesty looked kind and talked about national affairs in a homely manner: "But the citizens cannot see so far. Although they are kind, they are limited by their abilities. And how do we face the nobles and how do we face the various problems of the common people?
What kind of remarks? Think about it..."
It was obvious that His Majesty the Emperor's conversation had reached the point. The officers sitting around him listened attentively and did not dare to blink, even the noble officers.
As an aristocratic officer, he had to receive all aspects of education since he was a child, not to mention the academy education before joining the military. Their promotion this time was also influenced by their family background. And in His Majesty Cohen's conversation, it seemed that
To bring them important information... information that no one has told them before.
They didn't have much contact with the emperor. Only a few officers met with the emperor during the war, and they didn't know each other deeply. Most people were influenced by rumors and thought that the emperor was just an ordinary warrior, far worse than the emperor.
The wisdom of the late Emperor. But today, His Majesty the Emperor, who is called a "rogue", gave them a very different feeling.
Yes, he is different from the late emperor, but his charm is no less than that of any emperor, and there is another royal demeanor in His Majesty Cohen's speech and behavior. More importantly, when the noble officers look at
When looking at His Majesty Cohen, they didn't feel nervous or afraid at all. They were even attracted to him and couldn't help but respect him.
Even though they had just been beaten miserably by His Majesty the Emperor, they could not bear the slightest hatred in their hearts. Many people recalled the situation at that time and thought His Majesty the Emperor looked very handsome... After all, they had been soldiers for so many years, such as
The aristocratic shortcomings of being petty and arrogant have faded a lot.
"Our empire has just been established, and everything is still in a state of exploration. This is a challenge, but also a great thing." It seems that His Majesty the Emperor is in a very good mood, and broke down the government affairs and told everyone: "
Usually, why does an empire that has been passed down for more than ten generations decline? It is because the burden is too heavy, and the settings in all aspects are very outdated, and are far from meeting the requirements of the people. You can go to the library to check and see the history of the past dynasties.
The changes in government affairs after the establishment of the new empire will, without exception, lead to great progress."
This is something new. The rogue emperor is showing off his knowledge.
"And in these changes, there will always be some people whose interests are affected. There is no doubt about this. But if we look at it from another perspective, after the empire has gone through a series of changes, it is all the citizens who have benefited in the end, including the previous ones.
Including those people who have been impacted." Cohen got to the point. This is what the noble officers are most concerned about at the moment: "Just like now, the nobles in the empire are worried that their interests will be impacted, so they have all kinds of comments.
Come out and you will be affected to a greater or lesser extent."
Because they understood that His Majesty the Emperor was not seeking responsibility or ridiculing, the noble officers accepted His Majesty's words with a calm attitude.
"But since we are soldiers, we must have a detached attitude towards political disputes. The stability and neutrality of the military, although it cannot make things better, can ensure that they will not get worse." His Majesty Cohen smiled: "
To put it simply, put the matter on everyone... For example, your family was dismissed from office due to a political dispute, but your family still has an officer like you! You have provided this family with a
With a stable foundation, your family can rest and prepare until the next comeback."
Because the emperor's words were very clear, the officers were all laughing.
"It seems that you all understand. Let's talk about this job promotion. I know you are all impatient." Cohen picked up the wine glass and took a sip: "At present, there are many job vacancies in various systems of the empire.
Ah! The students at the Royal Academy are not qualified enough, so I can only choose some civilian officials from among you. No matter where you come from, no matter your family background, I still hope that you can face your new positions with a military mentality...
…To put it bluntly, don’t listen to anyone except my orders!”
Hearing what the emperor said, the officers laughed.
"Yes, you have feelings for the army, and some of you may be reluctant to leave the army, but this is the need of the empire. We have put a lot of thought into the selection of candidates, and we are not doing it randomly." His Majesty the Emperor did not stop him.
The officers smiled: "In the days to come, you may work with nobles or be led by officials from civilian backgrounds. How do you adjust your mentality? If there is a fight, the chief judge will definitely go to you to talk.
"
When talking about the cause of today's fight, the officers gradually became quiet.
"I am born into a noble family. Because I am a noble, I have received a certain amount of education... Of course, an unsuccessful study period does not count." Unexpectedly, His Majesty the Emperor said this about this issue: "I can lead
The restoration of the empire has a lot to do with my status as a noble, so I have no prejudice against the aristocracy."
These words are very pertinent and speak to the heart of the noble officer.
"Looking at the common people again, you know that I am a restless person. I often run around and see many things that the nobles have no chance to see in their lifetime." Cohen was silent for a moment and said seriously: "The common people are suffering...
The nobles may not know that everything you use is stained with the blood and tears of common people. I once saw a wine glass made of human bones, which was a living girl just a moment ago... Of course, I am not talking about this.
I don’t want to blame the nobles, I just want you to understand that what you heard, saw, and thought before is not necessarily true.”
The officers were fascinated by what they heard, and even their emotions were affected by the emperor's words.
"There is no doubt that nobles have the advantages of nobles, and civilians have the advantages of civilians. There are a large number of outstanding talents in these two classes. At this moment, I am surrounded by these outstanding people." After a burst of laughter,
His Majesty the Emperor said easily: "The Empire is everyone's Empire. I hope that every outstanding talent will be used by me. I will provide you with a stage so that you can shine the most dazzlingly... In my eyes, in the Ministry of Interior
In my eyes, whether an official is a noble or not is not the criterion for judging an official."
At this point, Cohen named a familiar officer: "What do you think?"
"Your Majesty, I have figured it out. I try to get along well with other officials." The honest officer replied: "But other people... they may not think so."
"Yes! This is the problem that gives me a headache." Cohen nodded, and continued what the officer said: "The conflict between the nobles and the common people has been around for a long time, and it cannot be resolved overnight. But you will be important officials in the future.
You already have the power to change this situation. If you change it bit by bit, the situation will be alleviated. Your efforts will give hope to the nobles and common people. This is what I want you to do.
——Do you have confidence?"
"Have confidence!" The officers around the emperor responded in unison, with great momentum.
"But my hope is not just that. If you do this with the mentality of obeying orders, the final effect will not be very good." His Majesty the Emperor chuckled softly: "There are no perfect people in this world, including me.
Inside. What I hope most is that you can have more contact with each other, understand each other's strengths, and tolerate each other's shortcomings. Only with this mentality can you do your best. I want you to unite with each other, I want
You trust each other, just like the relationship between me and you is as solid... Do you understand? Can you do it?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" the officers shouted in unison: "We can do it!"
"Okay, I'm very satisfied. Then I won't let you pay for the things that were damaged just now. You can go get new uniforms later and don't put those strange things in the uniforms." His Majesty stood up and raised the wine glass in his hand.
:"cheers!"
"Cheers!" The officers raised their glasses and drank together, in high spirits.
The lively atmosphere here has obviously affected another group of people. The senior generals of the army, including the chief justice, are discussing military affairs not far away. Prince Visu Keda presided over it, mainly to make the final decision.
Promotion of military personnel.
"It seems that Cohen has solved the problem." Wei Su smiled slightly: "Such a thing would give anyone a headache, but the emperor did it very well."
"Uncle Weisu, I want to go too!" Haiert said with a bitter look on his face: "They are eating and drinking nearby, but we have to sit here..."
"None of you can slip away. The promotion list must be finalized today." The prince walked up and knocked Haiert on the head like a son: "You are already a dignified major general, why are you still so playful?"
"I am the major general! This one is already a lieutenant general!" Haiert held his head exaggeratedly and pointed at the general staff officer beside him: "This matter should be left to him... He talks so politely all the time.
It’s not over yet…”
"Then how much do you think I, the general, should do?" The general staff officer looked at the document in his hand and ignored Helter. Instead, Martin stood up and hit Helter again on the head: "Is it all?
Can I do it alone?"
"Hey, I don't dare to trouble Grandpa Martin." Haiert put on a smile and admitted defeat. He didn't dare to offend any of the elders here: "I will do it. Isn't it okay if I do it?"
"You have to do it carefully. These people will be Cohen's most important team members in the future." The prince sat down and said softly: "The internal affairs supervisors spent a lot of time to vacate these positions in the internal affairs system. We must choose the right ones.
Only in this way can Cohen achieve a balance of power with the aristocratic elders, and our decrees can face less resistance."
"Uncle, I have a question." Haiert raised his head and said, "Why do we still maintain the power of the noble senator faction? They have not contributed much, and we can completely get rid of them!"
"Everything must be done in an order. If we get rid of these people now, there will be great chaos in the aristocracy, which will directly affect the people's livelihood of the empire. The empire has just been restored, and the most important thing now is stability." The prince explained: "We want to
Whatever you want to do, you have to do it step by step, without affecting the stability of the empire... Do you understand?"
Haiert was not an idiot. Of course he knew what the prince meant and nodded with a smile.
"Then let's get started!" the general staff officer said: "Now we are discussing the selection of provincial governors. We need a few stable people and their merits must be great enough..." (To be continued)