Hearing what Prime Minister Cullen meant, all the ministers shuddered.
Gilbert heard the implication and became anxious:
"Your Majesty Prime Minister!"
At this moment, a third voice joined the discussion.
"In fact, if the kingdom really has no other option but to bite the bullet, maybe..."
The unfamiliar voice attracted the attention of most people.
The ministers turned to the interrupter, who was also the only participant in the Royal Council who did not speak - Stylianides, the vicar general of the Sunset Church.
Stylianides nodded slightly:
"Can I try to persuade the Sunset Church to invest in solving the problem of expanding the standing army?"
Many people frowned.
"What? You?" Soduo asked doubtfully.
At the corner of the discussion table, the deputy bishop smiled and nodded humbly:
"Guy Stylianides, as the vicar general of the Central Diocese of the Church of the Sunset, attended the royal meeting today on behalf of Archbishop Zenon who was on sick leave..."
"I know who you are, boy," Advisor Thordo interrupted rudely:
"You said you can find the money we want?"
The deputy bishop named Guy smiled slightly, then closed his eyes and prayed: "I can't guarantee it, but I'll do my best."
Seeing the other party being so straightforward, Advisor Soduo looked suspicious:
"If I remember correctly, in the Sunset Temple in the center of the royal capital, Priest Diallo is the person who is most opposed to the standing army system. He once said: Standing armies fight for money and are greedy and despicable. Conscripted soldiers are obliged to wield swords, which is sacred and respectable.
?”
Guy's tone was modest:
"Yes, most of the chief priests of the Sunset Temple are of noble birth, visit the castle and palace, and have close relationships with nobles and princes from all over the world."
"But we are different, Lord Thordo," the archdeacon said firmly:
"Sunset Church is not Sunset Temple."
Sunset Church.
Soduo was silent for a while. He calmed down his emotions and looked at the priest seriously:
"You just said, who are you?"
On the other side, Prime Minister Cullen looked clear: "Ah, the dispute of faith between the temple and the church, the priesthood and the missionary department, the priest and the bishops?"
The archdeacon turned to the Prime Minister and smiled warmly:
"No, this has nothing to do with belief, only politics and stance."
"The temple will be close to the princes, and the church will be close to His Majesty. It's that simple."
"If the influence of the temple can be weakened by reducing the levy and increasing the standing army, the bishops in the church will definitely be happy to see it."
After hearing this sentence, many people began to think.
Cullen's eyes moved slightly:
"Oh, as a believer in the setting sun, you are really - unabashed?"
"cover up?"
Guy shook his head indifferently:
"No faith can exist independently of politics, and no religion is not related to the struggle for power."
"To avoid politics and talk about faith is to put aside human nature and only ask about divinity. This is cover-up and disguise, it is neglect and contempt for faith, and it is disrespectful and dishonest to the sunset goddess."
As soon as these words came out, even the king at the end of the long table raised his eyes slightly.
After hearing these unorthodox words, Cullen was stunned, then raised his eyebrows and said:
"I think I know why Gilbert recommended you. Compared with those priests who are full of sacred teachings, you are indeed interesting."
Gilbert forced a smile.
Archdeacon Guy sighed:
"Thank you for your praise, but this truth is not universally understood, especially the priests at the temple."
"Therefore, it is inconvenient for the church to intervene in the kingdom's military affairs in the form of direct funding."
Soduo, who was most concerned about this matter, instantly turned cold:
"What do you mean?"
Guy turned to him and said seriously:
"If they want to support the expansion of the standing army, the Sunset Church must have legitimate reasons."
reason.
Many people's expressions changed slightly.
Guy looked respectfully towards the end of the long table:
"If His Majesty can change the tradition and allow our clergy brothers to join the royal standing army, I will be more confident in persuading the bishops' conference to contribute funds."
Soduo was startled:
"But we already have sacrifices accompanying the army. Whenever there is a war, the temple will send a qualified chief priest to preside over the expedition ceremony..."
Guy curved his lips and nodded calmly:
"Drive them out."
"What?" Soduo couldn't believe it.
"I suggest, Lord Sodo, to expel the priests who accompany the standing army and replace them with priests who accompany the army," Archdeacon Guy explained patiently:
"What the temple can do for a standing army, the church can do the same, or even more."
Soduo understood the other party's words, and his expression changed back and forth in those few seconds.
Others in the meeting looked at each other.
The king's eyes were still distant and unfamiliar.
Prime Minister Cullen snorted:
"The chief priests of the Sunset Temple will definitely not like it."
Guy turned his head and spoke sharply:
"The Temple doesn't like a lot of things."
"Such as the royal standing army."
"But this is just a political issue. If you do this, it will turn into a religious conflict." Cullen shook his head and said, "It has always been a tradition to offer sacrifices to the army, no matter..."
Guy replied calmly:
"Yes, just like the lords regularly recruiting militia, it was also a tradition-until the royal standing army came into being."
Soduo's eyebrows moved.
The archdeacon looked at the listless financial controller:
"And if there are priests who accompany the army, the Sunset Church can allocate permanent funds from believers' donations to legitimately subsidize part of the cost of the standing army and reduce the pressure on the Department of Finance and Taxation."
"This is something that a temple that is aloof and claims to be orthodox cannot do."
"Well..." Qiu Ke, who was originally bored, suddenly became energetic, his little eyes sparkling:
"It's not like we can't consider it?"
On the other side, the military advisor was quiet for a few seconds and asked cautiously:
"So, the Sunset Church can fund the expansion of the standing army, but the premise is that His Majesty will allow your priests to join the royal standing army to worship with the army instead, right?"
The archdeacon smiled: "Of course not."
But his eyes changed:
"But without this bargaining chip, my confidence in convincing the bishops' conference is indeed not that great."
Soduo snorted coldly:
"This is blackmail and robbery."
"This is more for the kingdom." Guy responded quickly:
"The priests of the temple are basically of noble birth, and are related to the princes from all over the world. They are naturally alienated from the standing army. Following the army is just a false story."
"And most of our priests come from poor backgrounds and are used to educating the lower classes. They will be more competent, more effective, more enthusiastic, and more suitable for standing armies than the priests."
"Yes, this is what I'm worried about." Soduo sneered.
Hearing this, King Kessel suddenly snorted, the meaning was unclear and intriguing.
"I said, Guy, you are a priest who serves the gods after all."
Prime Minister Cullen on the other side narrowed his eyes:
"Isn't it too vulgar to talk about interests and calculate chips?"
"Vulgar?"
Stylianides smiled slightly:
“Brother Prophet Mohasa, the faith mentor and close comrade-in-arms of the Revival King, has a famous saying: Theology is human knowledge.”
Gilbert moved slightly.
"Divinity exists in human nature, and human nature has its own divinity. Only by exhausting every corner of human nature can we hope to find the glimmer of divinity."
Guy smiled and said:
"Who says that the secular world is not sacred? There is a kingdom of heaven in this world."
"Ah, you are more than interesting, Guy," the Prime Minister's tone changed:
"You're still scary."
The archdeacon said another prayer, very piously:
"When the goddess sends tests, she always makes the road to truth look rough and rough."
"No."
After several hesitations, Soduo figured out the way and firmly refused:
"A royal standing army does not require priests to accompany it."
He said decisively:
"The standing army cannot be controlled by forces other than His Majesty, especially its financial resources."
As Sodor said this, he glanced at King Kessel, but to his disappointment, the king remained indifferent.
Guy did not feel dissatisfied and continued the discussion:
"If it is limited by the form of payment, we can discuss it. For example, the church will donate the money to the Department of Finance and Taxation, and then the Department of Finance and Taxation will allocate it to the budget of the Military Affairs Department..."
"sure!"
The financial controller’s eyes lit up:
"If this works, you have saved my life, Guy!"
Stylianides nodded politely:
"Thank you to the goddess, don't dare to take credit."
But Soduo's attitude remained the same: "What's the difference?"
"It took the stars a full five hundred years, with endless sacrifices and endless bloodshed, to drive religion and theocracy back to the temple."
"As long as I am in charge of the Military Affairs Department for one day, history will not go backwards."
Sodol was uncompromising in his words.
"That's not necessarily the case," Qiu Ke murmured from the side: "The way you acted just now, if anyone can help you expand your standing army, you might be willing to make him the prime minister."
Soduo's expression froze.
"Then I'm thankful to God." Prime Minister Cullen sighed and moved his big buttocks that covered the entire chair:
"Please do it, Archdeacon Guy?"
Archdeacon Guy smiled humbly at them.
"I understand your concerns, Lord Thordo, but what you are talking about is an ancient lesson: the priests of the temple fell into the self-righteous ways of young sons, being aloof and greedy and corrupt, allowing selfish desires to overwhelm public conscience, and allowing lies to obscure the truth.
, falsely claiming divine power for worldly gain, using faith to fight for authority, and have lost their way and will never return.”
Archdeacon Guy nodded, as gentle as ever:
"And my ancestors, the missionary priests, saw their mistakes, so they broke away from the temple and established themselves on their own, adhering to the goddess's teachings, and built the Sunset Church. It has been nearly four centuries ago. The chief priest and the archbishop exchanged views with each other.
There is no overall control. The Sacrifice Department and the Mission Department strictly abide by the boundaries. We do not..."
Soduo waved his hand impatiently to interrupt him:
"A temple or a church, a priest or a priest, there is no difference in my opinion. They are all the same."
"When you are weak, if you ask for help from others, of course you will obey."
"When you are strong and greedy, you will inevitably push for more."
He warned:
"Times have changed - the days when the Sunset Temple had unlimited authority, responded to hundreds of calls, and even dared to challenge the Fuxing Palace and interfere in the succession of the throne, are gone forever."
This statement made the entire imperial council tremble.
Guy let out a long sigh, not hiding his disappointment.
"I understand, Lord Thordo, it seems that the wish of the priest brothers to serve the country can only be realized in the future."
At the end of the long table, the king's cold gaze was once again obscured by the setting sun.
"So, in the face of such a predicament, it is impossible to force the reform of the military system." As the host of the imperial meeting, Prime Minister Cullen sighed.
After hearing this, Soduo glared at Qiu Ke again.
"Don't look at me. You want money? Guy and the church have it!"
Qiu Ke knew what the other party was thinking and didn't care at all:
"As for whether you want it or not, it's up to you..."
"It's not just about money." Unexpectedly, Prime Minister Cullen spoke up again, interrupting the military-financial war that was about to break out again.
This actually attracted the attention of the officials.
"In fact, when I mentioned the prince's banquet just now, I thought of something."
Duke Cullen’s eyes were burning:
"Last night, the little nobleman of the Western Wilderness made a big fuss at the royal banquet, but he was saved by the Duke of Thales."
Gilbert frowned fiercely.
"This can't help but remind people that His Highness returned to the country under the protection of the Western Wasteland Army, as well as Falkenhauser's sword. This can easily give people wrong expectations, and even be interpreted as the position of the royal family, and things will be different.
This is troublesome, especially at this moment..."
Cullen shook his head as he spoke, seeming extremely regretful.
"Your Majesty Prime Minister!" Gilbert reminded sternly.
Cullen trembled slightly, as if he just understood, and smiled apologetically.
But after listening to the Prime Minister's words, many people nodded thoughtfully.
"By the way, the Doyle family involved," Lord Clapham, the Minister of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry who had not spoken much all day, made a rare statement:
"Their Jinghu area has been a major grain-producing area in recent years, and it is also an important source of soldiers for the Canxing private army and the central standing army. Moreover, they belong to the Seven Stars, which may affect the attitudes of other families."
"This will also affect the process of military reform."
He looked at everyone cautiously:
"I think we need to characterize the case as soon as possible, sort out the clues, and make a judgment..."
"Indeed, what happened at the royal banquet brought us a lot of trouble, whether it was the subsequent military reform or this letter."
King Kessel's figure moved slightly on the throne.
Viscount Conney glanced in the direction of the king and saw that he had no reaction, so he cleared his throat:
"Excuse me, but I heard that the Mindis Hall has become a new place that everyone in the capital is flocking to. Look at the Doyle family. They made a big mistake but were still saved by His Highness... I am not
I want to blame Duke Thales, but his attitude at the banquet can sometimes be easily misunderstood..."
"Connie!"
Gilbert sensed the direction of the meeting and was shocked and angry.
"There is nothing wrong with His Highness's handling of the royal banquet! He is kind, generous and impartial!"
Manager Qiu Ke shrugged:
"But now, looking at this letter, the most important thing we need is kindness and generosity."
Viscount Conney nodded in agreement and added:
"And impartiality."
Gilbert was anxious:
"Regardless of the consequences, His Highness saved two lives and two families with his superb skills, and avoided a worse situation!"
"But it's a barbaric method of bloody duel," another voice came:
"May the setting sun forgive him."
Gilbert turned his head in disbelief and looked at his best friend.
"Guy?"
Archdeacon Stylianides nodded apologetically:
"Before I entered the palace, the bishops were discussing this matter."
The ministers exchanged glances and understood each other.
The archdeacon made a gesture of atonement:
"Witnessed by the setting sun, the Duke of Xinghu dueled in person, resorting to barbaric and heretical ancient rituals. That is really a bad signal and demonstration."
"No, that happened at night," Prime Minister Cullen snorted sarcastically:
"It should be said: North Star Witness."
All the ministers in front of the imperial court bowed their heads.
Gilbert took a deep breath and explained to his friend:
"Guy, my friend, as far as I know, the duel was unreasonably proposed by the other party, and Prince Thales accepted the duel out of compassion and risked his life, which was just an expedient measure."
Guy nodded in understanding:
"Of course, I understand the prince's difficulties and appreciate his kindness and generosity, intelligence and wisdom."
"But what do you think, after this story spreads throughout the kingdom," Duke Cullen tutted and shook his head:
"When people think of a duel, will the first thing that comes to mind is the kindness and generosity of the prince, or the violent duel of the bright star?"
Gilbert frowned.
The Archdeacon also laughed:
"What Lord Cullen said is not unreasonable. Just like the bishops of the church are also very worried: in the Northland, the Exeter soldiers passed on to His Highness the spiritual courage to fight to the end, but they also numbed His Highness in the violence and blood.
His thoughts made him not reject the barbaric and backward ancient rituals."
Gilbert looked deeply at his friend, unable to conceal his disappointment.
But the king remained motionless.
"Over time, as the heir to the kingdom, His Highness the Prince has not shunned heretical beliefs and etiquette again and again..."
Guy's tone became worried:
"This will have a profound impact on people's attitudes and ways of doing things. It will make young people enthusiastic, desperate people will take desperate risks, and imitators will continue to follow suit. It will be greatly detrimental to the existing rule of the kingdom... Moreover, if you see believers shedding blood for barbaric duels,
The goddess will not be happy, and neither will her followers."
Earl Clapham looked at everyone's appearance and also interjected with interest:
"That, I think too..."
"enough!"
The foreign minister gave a rare outburst of anger and shouted, stopping the chattering crowd.
"Everyone!"
"His Majesty did not summon us to this room just for us to judge right and wrong and to investigate and investigate those who are responsible!"
Gilbert's breathing was rapid. He stood up and glanced at each of his colleagues angrily:
"Suduo, I know that the standing army mobilized troops and troops in the journey to the Western Wilderness, but it failed to achieve full success. You have a hard time talking about it and are worried about it."
The military adviser pursed his lips.
"Manager Qiu Ke, I also understand that the accident at the banquet caused the Department of Finance and Taxation to lose considerable fines and confiscations, which caught you off guard."
The Treasurer crossed his arms in displeasure.
"And Prime Minister, you want to try your best to avoid unnecessary conflicts between the Fuxing Palace and the vassals, so you have made His Highness the target of diverting the focus."
The old fat Duke smiled indifferently.
"Viscount Connie, please rest assured that no matter how much your Highness is supported by others or how many talented people you recruit, it will never affect your status as the backbone of the royal party."
The Minister of Commerce and Trade looked a little unhappy when he heard this.
"As for Guy, old friend, I swear to you that your failure to become the prince's theology teacher is definitely not His Highness's responsibility, nor does it mean that Your Highness is getting closer to the temple."
The archdeacon closed his eyes and lowered his head.
"And Lord Clapham, you have been silent for a whole day. You are already smart enough. At the end, you will not appear smarter if you follow everyone's advice!"
The Minister of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry coughed sheepishly.
After silencing the imperial ministers one by one, Gilbert took a deep breath and calmed down his mood.
He resisted looking at the figure at the end of the long table.
"Yes, I can feel it, I know that you all have reasons of one kind or another, thoughts that may or may not exist, grievances of one kind or another..."
The Foreign Secretary said solemnly:
"But, gentlemen, I implore you to put yourself in the prince's shoes and understand the prince's situation."
"Then you will understand that for the sake of the kingdom, His Highness Thales often has no choice, many things have to be done, and many encounters are unexpected."
"And he has done the tasks he was supposed to complete to the best of his ability."
Gilbert slowed down his speech, with a hint of sigh unknowingly.
"From the State Council to Longxiao City, from the Great Desert to Mindis Hall, facing the eager northern princes, the undercurrent of domestic politics has changed for any one of us, even His Majesty, even Midir back then.
Your Highness, it is impossible for anyone to do better than him!"
His voice was so high and passionate that it shook the Ballard Room.
"Not to mention that we all owe him a debt of gratitude - whether it is to prevent the Northlanders from going south, or to stabilize the Bright Star royal family and the political situation of the stars."
On the throne, King Kessel leaned back on the chair again, but his eyes were dim and he didn't know what he was thinking.
"As for other unintended consequences caused by Thales' actions, whether it is the chaos in the Western Wilderness, Doyle's case, the duel or the controversy, or this damn letter and the dilemma it brings, in fact
This is all the result of our careless planning and failure to succeed. This is the dereliction of duty and incompetence of our ministers, and it is our own responsibility."
Gilbert exhaled, paused, and looked at everyone.
Everyone turned their heads to avoid meeting his eyes.
When Gilbert said this, he felt heartbroken:
"Shifting the blame to Your Highness? This will neither cover up our incompetence nor solve more problems, and the child should not be responsible for the mistakes he did not know about."
At this moment, Duke Cullen suddenly said:
"Even if he is a shining star?"
Gilbert's expression changed, and he suddenly looked back, showing no sign of weakness:
"Because he is the shining star!"
Prime Minister Cullen frowned.
After a pause for a few seconds, the Prime Minister sighed:
"I know, Count Casso, you are his teacher..."
But Gilbert interrupted him very quickly:
"I say this not just because he is my student!"
Gilbert turned his head, faced his other colleagues, and said decisively, leaving no room for doubt:
"It's more because of His Highness Thales himself."
"Whether it is his bravery and meritorious service in going north to take hostage, or his journey of thousands of miles back home, or his boldness in rescuing people at the banquet, they all prove that he is worthy of being the Queen of the Bright Star, the Duke of Star Lake, and the..."
At this point, Gilbert's voice trembled slightly:
"We should all feel honored and proud to have such a prince."
"We should be the sword in his hand, not the stone in his boot."
"We should help him!"
"Not to hinder him!"
After the words fell, Gilbert raised his hands to press his eyes and took deep breaths continuously.
The Imperial Council was silent, and the king's eyes were still as sharp as snow, radiating cold light.
Archdeacon Guy sighed, patted Gilbert's arm and motioned for him to sit down:
"Gilbert."
Gilbert waved away his friend's arm and took a deep breath.
"Please forgive me, gentlemen," he tried to adjust his emotions and calm his tone:
"As His Majesty said, I am tired and old."
There was silence in the Ballard Room.
"At least you're not fat."
Prime Minister Cullen took over the conversation with some decadence and emotion:
"It won't be an eyesore to some people."
This sentence has profound meaning, and no one dares to accept it.
Until the King of Stars tapped his fingers to break the dull atmosphere.
"Gilbert," Kessel V's gaze came straight at him, unable to conceal the complexity and subtlety in his tone:
"Old friend."
But Gilbert suddenly looked up.
"And you, Your Majesty!"
The Foreign Secretary's voice suddenly rose!
Many people were shocked.
Gilbert stared straight into the king's pressure-filled eyes, his chest heaving:
"Forgive me for overstepping my bounds, but..."
"but……"
Gilbert raised his right arm as if to point to something, but gave up halfway.
He gritted his teeth, his cheeks tangled:
"But as of today, in Star Kingdom, in Yongxing City, and even on this table, His Highness Thales has received all the unfair scrutiny, accusations, criticisms, and embarrassments after returning to China..."
Facing King Kessel's sharp eyes, Gilbert made up his mind and spoke out:
"It's all because of your attitude towards him."
As soon as these words came out, all the officials in front of the imperial court changed their expressions!
"Gilbert!"
Guy warned sharply.
Prime Minister Cullen frowned and fell into deep thought.
But His Majesty the King just looked back at Gilbert quietly and said nothing.
Only Gilbert swallowed his throat, closed his eyes and sighed:
"To be honest, Your Majesty, I am not very qualified as a minister or a father, and I am not qualified to teach you a lesson."
"But as a friend," Gilbert opened his eyes, sincerely and seriously:
"Kai, your highness, the fifth prince."
These titles made everyone's thoughts move.
King Kessel said nothing.
But at that moment, he stopped tapping his finger on the table.
"You should really be proud of having such a son, for his consciousness and ability, for his character and intelligence, for his strength and optimism, and for him not collapsing under the heavy burden of the entire kingdom..."
and gratified.”
Gilbert looked at him from a distance:
"I believe it, and I'm not the only one, we all believe it from the bottom of our hearts."
"Prince Thales, he will be the future we all look forward to."
At this moment, no one in the imperial meeting spoke.
The silence lasted for a full ten seconds.
"You teach him every day, Gilbert," the king's thick voice came, without distinguishing emotions:
"You're too close to him."
Gilbert paused for a moment, then smiled.
"No, you are too far away from him."
"Just like the late king."
At that moment, the Iron Fist King's eyes suddenly moved.
Just like the first crack in the flawless iron wall.
"But back then, you still had Mindis Hall."
Gilbert looked at the throne dimly, but seemed to be looking at something else.
"And now, he has nothing."
King Kessel seemed to be frozen on his chair, without even moving his eyes.
"Get closer to him, Your Majesty. At least try to get closer to him."
"At least, talk to him."
Gilbert took a deep breath and sat down shakily. He pressed his eyes and smiled ashamedly at the people around him:
"Sorry, everyone."
The Ballard Room seemed to have sunk into an ice cellar.
All the monarchs and ministers were silent, either bowing their heads or looking at each other in confusion.
Only the sound of breathing remained.
After a long, long time.
"Everyone."
Everyone trembled slightly.
King Kessel's voice is like the first ray of sunshine that breaks through the ice and breaks the dullness.
"Don't worry about my son, I've already talked to him."
At the end of the long table, the Iron-Fisted King slowly raised his head, but did not look at anyone.
"He won't be a problem."
He closed his eyes and exhaled softly:
"Everything is under control."
The voice fell.
Prime Minister Cullen curled his lips.
Gilbert gave a difficult smile.
Others had mixed reactions and felt sad.
Duke Cullen picked up the tea cup, sat upright, and performed his duties:
"Okay everyone, now, back to what we were doing..."
But the Prime Minister's words stopped abruptly.
Everyone looked around in confusion, and then realized that Cullen's expression had changed.
The Duke of Donghai was staring at the tea cup in his hand.
There, tiny water waves were rippling.
Almost at the same time, the officials in Ballard's room felt something strange and all turned around.
"Tap! Tread! Tread!"
Groups of footsteps came from outside, causing obvious vibrations.
This was a rare situation, and all the ministers in front of the imperial court looked at each other in confusion, not knowing why.
"There are at least thirty people in these footsteps," Sodo, as a military advisor who has served for many years, raised his head warily:
"what happens?"
But no one answered him.
On the contrary, different orders penetrated the cracks in the door and came from outside the door.
"The Vanguard Wing gathers reinforcements...Run, run, run, run!"
"The situation is unknown..."
"The guard wing is deployed on the spot..."
Something was wrong, and the officials were shocked and confused.
The king also frowned.
"Strange," Gilbert frowned:
"Are the Royal Guards conducting drills today? Near the Ballard Room?"
The next second, a rapid and harsh ringtone penetrated the wall and rang in everyone's ears!
"Ding--"
Many people were startled and looked around in panic.
"This is, this is from the royal guard..."
Advisor Sodol was stunned.
He blinked and looked at the dark stone door, unable to believe his reasoning:
"Emergency alert?"
The king remained calm, but his brows became more and more furrowed.
The scar-faced spy from the secret department was the first to make a move and stretched out his hand towards the door.
But before he could touch the doorknob, the door to the Ballard Room was slammed open!