After Viscount Yinyue Lake left, Xiangxue took a long breath, raised her eyes slightly and looked at the venue. Because she was in the box on the second floor, she was overlooking the entire venue, and many details were not missed. In the venue,
Those intellectuals or aristocratic officials who were preparing to take revenge were making final preparations. Their expressions were either excited or solemn. Some closed their eyes slightly to think, and some were looking at the information in their hands.
Compared with the slightly noisy and slightly tense atmosphere below, the box area on the second floor seemed particularly quiet and relaxed. Because there were imperial flags placed between the boxes, and all the boxes that Xiangxue could see were empty.
So she didn't get to see the appearance of several princes, but she was sure that the people who could sit on the second floor were all really important people, but she was not so nervous at this moment.
She has not felt relaxed since she was with the Viscount. Although being with him can ignore all external crises, the pressure from the Viscount himself is oppressing her all the time. Xiangxue doesn't know why she is relying on this person.
Although he is a viscount, she will also have a deep sense of fear for him. He is obviously so handsome and gentle. The more he behaves like this, the more afraid she becomes, because she has never felt such a strong fear before. Even when facing
She was also filled with contempt for the prime minister and prince of the Liva Empire. But for the Viscount of Silver Moon Lake, she only had fear, pure fear.
Xiangxue didn't know why she felt like this, as if there was a voice in the dark telling her not to get too close to Viscount Yinyue Lake. If this voice was correct, why did this voice once tell her that only
Will Viscount Silver Moon Lake save her?
Relying on him, but keeping a distance from him, in such a relationship, she is destined to be only a servant and servant... Xiangxue was thinking wildly, and she had no idea that there was a hint of worry in her bright eyes. A
Sitting in a special box on the second floor, an aristocratic beauty with luxurious clothing, elegant and charming attitude will definitely attract the attention of many people in the venue, especially since she has never appeared before, and there is no man accompanying her who matches her status.
A burst of warm applause broke out in the venue, interrupting Xiangxue's thoughts. After a closer look, it turned out that the party had officially begun. Under the auspices of the emcee, all the guests were introducing themselves to the four imperial concubines, including their names, titles, and titles.
Xiangxue was studying for official positions every day during this period. At this time, she saw the guests standing up and taking their seats, which really aroused Xiangxue's strong curiosity. What kind of country was the Sbia Empire? Is it true?
Like other countries' nobles and ministers privately said, is it an empire composed of bedbugs?
Xiangxue is not just a pretty spy. If she hadn’t met Cohen on her first mission, she would have achieved very good results. As early as during the spy training period, she had been among the nobles of the Liva Empire and was arranged to work in the Liva Empire many times.
Observing the talks between ministers behind the screen, she is very familiar with the negotiations between noble officials. As soon as the party officially started, she would inevitably use the standards of spies to evaluate everyone in the venue... to see who is the most attractive.
value.
"...To sum up, the people believe that the proportion of civilian officials in the current political system is too small. In fact, His Majesty the Emperor may consider increasing the appointment range of civilian officials, which will be of great benefit to low-level management.
"A celebrity from Sibia's civilian background was speaking, completely ignoring the angry expressions of the nobles around him: "Public students have extremely high enthusiasm and strength. As long as His Majesty the Emperor gives an order, we can serve the empire. End of speech
,Thank you, Princess, thank you all."
The topic they were talking about did not interest Xiangxue. What interested Xiangxue was that once such remarks were made, they would surely cause a strong backlash. What method would the princess use to appease both parties? Sure enough, the celebrity who spoke had not yet sat down.
Next, an elderly nobleman stood up: "Your Royal Highness, I object to this gentleman's remarks!"
Looking down from above, Xiangxue's gaze passed over the badge on the old noble's chest and immediately determined his identity, knowing that he came from a very prestigious family among the nobles of the Sibia Empire.
At this time, the first imperial concubine who was sitting on the jade platform was smiling and raising her arm slightly, making a gesture to invite her to speak: "Baron, you have enough time, please explain slowly."
"Thank you, Princess." The old nobleman saluted. Perhaps because of the Princess's peaceful attitude, he stabilized his emotions: "I believe that the empire now appoints too many civilian officials. They not only account for the total number of low-level officials.
More than 60%, even half of the mid-level officials, but they are not qualified for these important positions due to their own abilities. On the other hand, hundreds of aristocratic children who have graduated from the Royal Academy have not yet been able to serve the empire.
opportunities, capable people are not appointed, which is extremely unfair and a loss to the empire. Just because His Majesty the Emperor has begun to appoint civilians, this gap should not be opened too wide, and nothing should be done without careful consideration.
Generalizing it after careful consideration will only bring harm."
"Lord Baron, what do you mean by careful consideration?" The civilian celebrities who had already sat down stood up again. "If you are referring to the political achievements of civilian officials as officials, then I can tell you that after they took office, the empire
The low-level management has never been better. Since the restoration of the empire, there has not been a single riot, no villagers have starved to death, and public security is even better. Doesn’t all this illustrate the excellence and achievements of civilian officials?"
Because Xiangxue's studies had just reached the civilian stage, she only determined the identity of the civilian speaker at this time. He should be a famous person living in Folu Province, who was very prestigious among the local civilians and educated.
He has had thousands of disciples, many of whom have entered the political world. After understanding his background and comparing his speeches, we can find that this celebrity has a strong purpose. It is no wonder that his words aroused strong opposition from the nobles.
be opposed to.
Around the issues they raised, others continued to join the discussion, but the final result was that they were divided into two groups: civilians and nobles, and the arguments were very fierce. Fortunately, with the highly prestigious imperial concubine present, everyone only dared to discuss the issue itself.
, not daring to go beyond etiquette. Amidst the endless talk, new arguments kept appearing, keeping the ten record-keeping clerks at the side of the venue busy.
Seeing that the argument was getting more and more heated and was about to turn into a quarrel, the first princess stood up with a smile. Suddenly, everyone's attention was drawn to her.
Xiangxue knew that the imperial concubine named Feline Rona was now one of the few powerful figures in the empire, and her status was only lower than that of the emperor and the prime minister, so he set his sights to see how she would respond.
"Everyone is very enthusiastic, which is a good thing. To be honest, this is a sensitive topic and a big event. Normally we would avoid it. But today is different, because my husband hopes that this kind of gathering will become a national event."
It is a way and channel to reflect one's true thoughts, and today is the first time that this meeting is held, so I will not stop this issue - but it is only this time." Feline Rona walked slowly into the venue with a gentle expression.
His tone was gentle: "For us, and even in my husband's mind, civilians and nobles are both subjects of the empire and his subjects. You may think that His Majesty the Emperor does not like nobles and prefers civilians, but this guess is
There is no basis for it. The thing that my husband dislikes the most is that there are always people trying to separate common people from nobles and treat them with two different standards."
"Why do I say this? That's because there is such talk in the empire. Many people are advocating that His Majesty the Emperor will weaken the power of the nobility and appoint a large number of civilian officials. Let's not talk about whether my husband has done this.
Let’s all think about my husband’s background first. What is his family background? Such remarks are self-defeating.”
"As for the true thoughts of the royal family, I can take this opportunity to explain to you, but before that, I first ask this gentleman a question." Feline Rona smiled and walked up to the civilian celebrity who made the suggestion: "Between the nobles
So why are they called nobles? What have they done from generation to generation?"
"This..." Although the imperial concubine's eyes were calm, few people in the empire could accept it readily. The celebrity stood up quickly, not daring to add his own subjective opinions to the explanation. "This empire
The hereditary nobles are all descendants of all the heroes at the time of the founding of the country. At that time, there were a total of 87 noble families, and the scale later expanded to more than 200 families. Generations of people have been in politics and served the empire."
"You are right." The imperial concubine asked again: "Compared with the children of civilians, do the children of aristocratic families who have been in politics for generations have a better foundation during their learning and growth? In the future, they will be in the establishment of the empire, government management, and strategies for life.
Is it more advantageous to go up?"
"I have no objection to this. But Your Royal Highness, civilian officials are not inferior to noble officials in all aspects of politics." The celebrity paused: "Since facts have proven that civilian officials have such abilities, and these officials are closer to ordinary citizens,
Then there should no longer be restrictions on the size of civilian officials."
"Is the truth really what you said?" The imperial concubine said nothing, but tilted her head slightly: "Are there any civilian officials here? Please stand up."
Immediately, more than a dozen officials stood up in the auditorium of the venue: "Your Majesty is here, please give me the instructions from the First Governor of the Interior."
"This gentleman said that since the restoration of the empire, there has not been a single riot, no villagers have starved to death, and public security is even better. All of these are your political achievements." Princess Feline asked softly: "Please tell me, tell everyone.
the truth is."
These civilian officials were obviously unprepared, and it took them a long time to elect a representative to answer: "Reporting to the Internal Affairs Supervision, these are not the achievements of the subordinates, but the inevitable result of the decrees issued by His Majesty the Emperor in various ministries of the Interior. The subordinates are just
Act in accordance with government orders. As for ability...it is precisely because of lack of ability that the lower officials and others returned to the Royal Academy to study again this time."
As soon as such words were said, the celebrity's face was naturally a little confused. If he wanted to retort a few words, but he lacked practical experience in serving as an official, his words would certainly not be strong. And all the nobles present were smiling, especially the old baron.
It's gratifying.
"Civilian officials have indeed done an outstanding job in low-level management. They are from civilians, have no barriers with civilians, understand the sufferings of civilians, and are meticulous in arranging basic affairs. These are all advantages. But for them to go further now, they must not only manage
The ordinary people under their subordinates have to manage a certain number of officials, so their ability shortcomings will be exposed. This is the fundamental reason why the empire does not expand the number of civilian officials at present." The imperial concubine smiled and looked at the celebrities in front of her: "The empire
The evaluation of officials is based on ability as the basic condition, without emotion, let alone aristocrats or civilians as the criterion. Do you understand?"
"What the imperial concubine said is very correct, I will teach you." The celebrity nodded, bowed and saluted. Since there was no stronger reason, he had no choice but to admit defeat. If he made unreasonable troubles in front of the imperial concubine, who is loved by the people, he would be surrounded by angry people when he walked out of the door.
Tear it to pieces.
"We have already talked about civilian officials in our conversation just now, so let's talk about aristocratic officials now." Princess Feline moved her steps and walked up to the old baron: "There are hundreds of aristocratic students among the students who graduated from the Royal Academy. This is true.
, but why does Mr. Baron think that the empire should immediately arrange official positions for them?"
"Your Highness, your Royal Highness, it has been a tradition since ancient times for the children of nobles to enter politics after completing their studies." The old baron stood up and gracefully saluted the princess on the jade platform: "Since the restoration of the empire, the nobles have
Acknowledging our own value in the empire, we have been educating the next generation, and their loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor and the Empire is a lesson. Our Emperor has become the idol of the younger generation, and the noble children are ready.
"
"No one doubts the loyalty of the nobles to His Majesty the Emperor, but I personally believe that the most important tradition of the nobles is to use military merit as their official position." Princess Feilin smiled, and her soft voice echoed everywhere in the hall: "Civilians
The reason why the officials have such a large scale is inseparable from the military merits they have achieved. How many village chiefs in the empire are scarred by old wounds? How many town chiefs are not from the battlefield?"
"I completely agree that officers should be used to determine official positions, but the current situation of the respected imperial concubine is slightly different." The old baron waved his hand to his chest and said very seriously: "First, there is no war in the empire now. Second, before the emperor
Since Your Majesty has not given official positions to noble children, they lack a stage to display their talents."
"Military merit is just a metaphor, and contributions in other ways are equally valid. If these noble children are as outstanding as the Baron said, they will definitely find a stage to display their talents." Faced with the old Baron's question, Princess Feline replied this way
: "In fact, I recommend more than a hundred officials to the Prime Minister every month, but few of them are nobles. Previously, there was an open recruitment of 300,000 soldiers. How many nobles applied? A few days ago, three military academies recruited students.
How many noble children have signed up? Baron, can you understand my regret?"
Princess Feline's words also saved face for the old Baron. In fact, in recent months, not even a single aristocratic child has entered politics. This fact is enough to make the old Baron feel embarrassed.
"The entire royal family hopes that all citizens will integrate into our empire. What is integration? Waiting for His Majesty the Emperor's appointment is not integration. There are many opportunities to perform meritorious service and display talents, and these opportunities are open to everyone. We hope that civilians,
Noble children are more active. After graduating from the Royal Academy, you will not get an official position by waiting at home." Princess Feilin walked back to her seat, turned around and concluded the topic: "I hope civilians understand that civilians
This call will never become a weight to increase its own value. I hope the nobles understand that the title of nobles only represents the glory of the past and is not a symbol of special rights - the Sbia Empire only values facts."
The last words of Princess Feline Rona made everyone in the venue stop breathing for a moment. Most people were unable to digest these words in a short time. Later, with most people in the venue,
Xiangxue, who was also stunned, heard applause coming from the box next to her. After that, applause rang out from all the boxes on the second floor. Only then did Xiangxue realize that the growing applause was a symbol of support. She remembered that she was also in the box.
On the second floor, I quickly took off my gloves and joined.
Finally, applause swept the entire audience, except for the busy scribes - because of the shock, they had not yet finished recording the princess's words. A chamberlain was waiting beside the scribes and sent the manuscript they had recorded to the royal gathering.
Outside the building, after a while, there was applause like a lake, which could be faintly heard through the magic shield.
Xiangxue had never thought that a princess could get such respect and love. She had seen the princess of Riva more than once, and she would inevitably compare them in her heart. The more she compared, the more attracted she was to the princess in front of her.
, not only the appearance and attitude, but more importantly the princess's wisdom and the demeanor of looking down on her ministers... After her mood calmed down, she also started to look forward to the other three princesses who had not yet shown their performance.
"Wahahahahahahaha - it turns out to be Viscount Yinyue Lake! Long time no see, what have you been doing?" Just when someone in the venue was about to speak, someone who was deliberately suppressed came from outside the curtain behind Xiangxue's seat.
In a very low voice: "Sir Viscount, do you know? The girls on Fengyue Street in the Holy City have been unable to find you for a long time, and they are all clamoring to go on strike!"
Xiangxue was stunned. She was sure it was a young man's voice, and she was sure it was a joke, but she didn't know how to deal with it for a moment - should she scream or just ignore it?
Without knowing the identity of the other party, any reaction may be inappropriate.
And this is the second floor of the Royal Gathering Building. Every box has a dedicated passage guard. No one without special status can enter. But if it is a person with such a noble status, how can he make such a joke?
"Hahahaha - let me tell you! I recently went on a mission to the Liva Empire. Not only did I accomplish my mission, but I also earned a dozen beauties back. Those girls from Fengyue Street, who cares about them!" said in a low tone.
The voice vividly imitated the Viscount of Silver Moon Lake, and seemed to be a young man who was very familiar with the Viscount.
Xiangxue looked to her side, but found that there was no one around. It seemed that she had to solve this problem by herself. Fortunately, the fence of the box was relatively high, so it was not easy for others to observe her, so she turned her head slightly and looked towards the curtain.
.
It's okay not to look, but when she looked at Xiangxue, she didn't know what to do, because what she saw was a scene that should never appear in a formal gathering. One hand passed through the curtain, with a hand on both hands.
Two rag dolls with cute expressions are doing various actions with each other, and the voice that made Xiangxue nervous before is dubbing the two rag dolls alternately.
"Really? Really? Are they all beautiful girls? I want it too. I want it too. Lord Viscount, you have to give me half of it!"
"In your dream, if you dare to steal someone from me, your skin is itching, aren't you?"
"Ugh... Sir Viscount, you are bullying me..."
In the venue below, hundreds of nobles and civilian celebrities showed off their talents in front of the four peerless imperial concubines. Only in the adjacent boxes on the second floor sat the three most noble princes of the Sbia Empire.
.In such an extremely solemn occasion, where countless people are vying to enter but cannot get into it, there is a young man hiding behind the curtain, performing for Xiangxue in a low voice.
Xiangxue's mood suddenly became lighter. The pressure and fear she had felt since Viscount Yinyue Lake disappeared at this moment. Even though the person the young man wanted to perform was not herself, Xiangxue was still moved. She gently
Move the chair so that your posture is less stiff and avoid being noticed by others. (To be continued)