NABC Page 81
Page 81
"hehe."
Miss Elegy smiled and personally saw Yang Hao off.
Chapter 173
5 month 26 day.
For the Duchy of Kosiché, it was an extraordinary day.
The road leading from the city customs to the Duke's Palace and Kotka Palace has been cleaned and tidied like never before.
Soldiers and police were patrolling everywhere, and ordinary people living in the martial law area were asked to stay at home as much as possible and not cause trouble unless necessary.
Not only are there curfews and strict sanitation measures on the streets, but all medical facilities in hospitals and fire stations are also under emergency measures today.
For no other reason than—His Majesty the most esteemed Emperor of Ursus has arrived.
"Although it's called an incognito visit, it's practically impossible to actually do it—at most, it'll be a surprise inspection or something like that." Sitting in the carriage, dressed in rather ordinary court attire [compared to her formal wear], Her Majesty Catherine gazed at the scenery outside the window. "But that's enough. The Duchy of Kosiché truly lives up to its reputation as one of the first duchies to gradually emerge from the economic crisis. The atmosphere here is better than anywhere else, even better than St. Arthur's Castle."
"Your Majesty, we are about a 20-minute drive from Kotka Palace. All the nobles who are holding a gathering there, as well as Duke Kosiché himself, will be there to greet you—except for Duke Kosiché's husband, who is unable to greet you due to illness a few days ago."
"A few days ago? Our itinerary wasn't exposed, and even if it was, it was this morning."
"Yes. So the speculation is true."
"That's settled then—let's go over there first. I need to take a good look at the condition of this territory."
Her Majesty Catherine came here not only to inspect the gold mines in the Kosiché Duchy that have recovered from the economic crisis, but also to meet the man who was worthy of her presence. Moreover, if possible, she hoped to bring him back with her—after all, it would be a waste for such a capable and competent person to be confined to a small territory in the Kosiché Duchy.
He should stand on a wider stage. Ekaterina thought to herself, her eyes fixed on the construction sites along the way.
She noticed many details about the Duchy of Kosiché's work relief program that could only be seen on-site. For example, their work relief program wasn't just for building factories; it was also used to construct civilian buildings. Some buildings that were no longer functional were demolished during this period and replaced with better ones, while some buildings that had to be used due to design flaws but were forced to continue due to investment issues could be rebuilt directly.
In this scenario, the cost of rebuilding or demolishing buildings would be significantly lower than before the economic crisis, and the current cheap labor force would be needed in many places. Furthermore, the economic crisis cannot last forever; in the future, these people will need factories or places to provide stable employment.
"The buildings they are constructing will be their future homes, their workplaces, and all sorts of facilities to provide for them—and schools too? Does the Duchy of Kosiché have so many scholars who need schools to educate them?"
"Your Majesty, the school built here is for all children of school age."
“All school-aged children?!” Ekaterina raised an eyebrow sharply. “Where would they get the teachers? Where would they get the resources? And if they did this, wouldn't those minor nobles and big merchants…”
Only by seeing it with your own eyes and doing it yourself can you understand just how complicated it is to build a basic education system that caters to all school-age children.
On the one hand, in the Ursus Empire—no, in most regions—child labor is a vital source of labor. Two children can do the work of one adult, and two children plus one adult working 12-hour shifts a day doubles the output.
Moreover, the combined wages of two child laborers might not even equal the wages of a typical adult laborer. Upon closer examination, the profits are simply enormous... With such massive profits, factory owners, entrepreneurs, and even nobles would not agree to implement basic compulsory education for school-age children—although the nobles' ideas would be more convincing.
The nobles simply didn't want the lower classes to control their children's education. But thinking about it that way makes them even more despicable—without a doubt, they were a group of short-sighted people who disregarded national interests.
What's even more distressing is that Her Majesty Catherine is currently unable to condemn those nobles in the Imperial Diet—the power of these reactionaries and beneficiaries is simply too great. Catherine cannot wipe them out in one fell swoop and can only resort to compromises and constant concessions based on the interests of the war.
Given the current situation on my end, why is the Duchy of Koschche able to implement this policy normally? Logically, shouldn't those minor nobles use the Imperial Diet or even His Majesty the Emperor as an excuse to resist? That was initially what Catherine thought, but she quickly realized...
"Ah, I forgot, from now on, the Duchy of Koschche will only have three surviving minor nobles left."
The Duchy of Kosiché originally had more than 30 minor nobles, and including the scattered large merchants, there were probably more than 50 people who could influence the implementation of the duchy's policies.
But now, only three remain.
The Duchy of Kosiché swiftly purged all the minor nobles who opposed them, presenting the Imperial Diet and their own guards with irrefutable evidence—of plundering the people, smuggling narcotics, human trafficking, and even blatant treason. The Duchess of Kosiché and her husband, with unprecedented ruthlessness, silenced all the members of the Imperial Diet, wiping out those mere parasites... Thinking about it this way, Catherine truly envied them.
Catherine didn't believe this was the achievement of the immortal being, since the immortal being had lived for a thousand years and hadn't necessarily made her territory any better. The reason the Duchy of Koschche was improving was because of that man, that Mr. Yang Hao...
"Your Majesty, we are almost there."
"After a brief meeting with those nobles, we'll head to the Duke's mansion."
"Yes. And what about Duke Koschche..."
"I'll handle it."
It would be a waste to put such a capable man in a small duchy.
Ekaterina smiled, thinking to herself that she would definitely bring that man from Duke Kosiché's mansion to her own palace.
Chapter 174
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
"Greetings, Your Majesty the Emperor."
When Catherine, dressed in her everyday clothes, arrived at the banquet hall of the palace to meet her nobles, she found that there were more nobles gathered there than she had imagined, and even several army generals.
However, those generals and nobles were rare and loyal individuals among the vast number of nobles in the Ursus Empire. Therefore, Ekaterina would not unjustly bring disaster upon them.
After accepting the greetings and formalities from the nobles and generals as an emperor, she turned her attention to the main figure of the occasion, the only one who did not bow to her.
Even the Victorian nobles and guests from Yan Kingdom who were standing nearby offered him their respects as guests, but Duke Koschche did nothing. She simply stood there holding her wine glass, looking at him with a strange expression.
How interesting. Did you realize I wanted to borrow your man? Ekaterina thought to herself.
"Your Majesty the Emperor."
Seeing Catherine slowly approaching him, Duke Kosiché calmly offered the understanding he should, without changing his expression. "Greetings."
"Greetings, Duke Kosichè. The purpose of my trip is to see the actual effects of the 'work relief' program in your territory."
"Hehe, Your Majesty, why go to such lengths? Your loyal guards will provide you with all the intelligence. If you require it, then let me take you to see it."
"But some places can only be understood by seeing them in person, can't they? I heard that your husband was the main proposer of this policy. If this 'work relief' program is indeed effective, based on his achievements, I should grant him a noble title to fulfill my responsibilities as emperor, shouldn't I?"
"It's a pity my husband hasn't been feeling well lately. I hope that Your Majesty won't force him to come and receive you despite his illness, unless absolutely necessary."
The seemingly ordinary conversation between the Emperor and the Duke is actually quite complex. Koschie is trying to steer the conversation towards herself, while the Emperor is trying to steer it towards her man. The two protagonists circle around this topic, while the surrounding nobles and generals exchange bewildered glances.
After a while, Her Majesty the Emperor temporarily gave up. While expressing her wish to "rest here for the time being," she approachably inquired about the well-being of the nobles in front of Duke Kosiché. Her diplomatic skills were remarkable; in no time, Her Majesty Catherine had gleaned some crucial information.
Rather than asking, it was more like the information that the nobles inadvertently revealed under subtle guidance.
For example, Mr. Yang Hao's health has indeed been poor recently. He had symptoms a couple of days ago, and yesterday he simply said that he might not be able to come over at any time. Considering the level of secrecy on her side, Yekaterina tentatively believes that he was unaware of her arrival and therefore deliberately went back.
Furthermore, Catherine hadn't revealed any information about her private clothing store to him on that phone. Although she felt guilty about the recent inquiries and venting during their chats, this was, after all, a matter of empire politics. How could such a vast empire prosper if it were only concerned with personal feelings? So, Catherine quickly made a decision in her heart:
1. If possible, she tried to get the gentleman to come over on his own initiative.
2. If all else fails, then you should try to persuade them yourself. But try your best not to damage the harmony between the subject and the master.
3. If none of this works... then we'll just have to take them back first. The economic crisis within the Ursus Empire could escalate into something even worse if it drags on, and the strange events at the [Sherlock Nightclub] could bring even more terrifying consequences to the Ursus Empire—to prevent these two bad things from becoming intertwined and turning into something even worse, Ekaterina must resolve one of the bad things in advance, namely the economic crisis.
While it's uncertain whether a quick solution can be found, at least some relief is needed. Furthermore, considering how quickly the work-for-relief programs in the Duchy of Koschche and other territories, even those in St. Arthur's Castle, have taken effect, Ekaterina concludes that Mr. Yang Hao is an indispensable necessity—therefore, even if it might strain relations, she has to tie him up.
...Unless Duke Kosiché can offer her satisfactory terms at the negotiation meeting, Her Majesty Catherine has decided to continue along this path.
"Then, please tell me, what is the current economic situation of the Duchy of Kosiché?"
After the tedious small talk, Catherine and Duke Koschche sat down in a relatively secluded spot. Under the protection of her own bodyguards, Catherine chatted with Duke Koschche, who was also protected by snake scales, about one of the purposes of her trip.
Although she had noticed some signs of economic improvement following the work-for-relief program on the train, Her Majesty needed more information—and she would not allow anyone to keep anything from her.
Faced with His Majesty's serious business, the Duke of Kosice made no attempt to interfere. She merely took a sip of wine and then said:
"My duchy is gradually improving. People have jobs, factories have orders, poorly designed residential areas have been replanned, and those merchants and nobles who monopolized necessities have been punished—the rest is just a matter of time."
"That's right. I heard there are refugees coming from the Duchy of Nikolai?"
"Yes. Duke Nikolai clearly has no intention of solving his economic crisis. His territory is in dire straits, and the poor refugees, unable to survive, naturally have no choice but to flee to our territory."
"You took them in. But the way you settled them doesn't seem like that of an Ursus who has lived for thousands of years. If those refugees had walked to your territory on their own, there would probably only be about 2 left, and the vast majority of them should have been adult men—but now, under the control of your army, more than 7000 refugees have arrived alive in your territory, and the vast majority of them are women and children who would have been [screened out]."
No traditional Ursus noble would be willing to provide assistance to these women and children, especially you, an immortal who has lived for thousands of years. In your eyes, who has experienced countless years of suffering, they should be people you can abandon at any time, and it wouldn't matter if you didn't accept them [Sand].
You, who love all people of the Ursus Empire, might provide shelter for the adult workforce, but you would never willingly accept them, because you know that in the face of an economic crisis, sacrificing those women and children would allow more Ursus people to survive. Furthermore, constrained by the long history and knowledge of Ursus, you are unable to transcend Ursus's way of thinking and devise a policy with a... peculiar style that I don't know how to describe.
Reforms were implemented to the traditional Ursus administrative structure, including a large-scale purge of corrupt nobles and merchants. Work relief programs were implemented, scholars were brought in from Saint-Germain to conduct academic and scientific research, and separate planned settlements were provided for the infected. Even refugees considered worthless by others were actively accepted...
I think this change must be due to your husband, a Colombian who isn't from Ursus. Tell me, how much of this was arranged by your husband?
Ekaterina smiled and recounted, word by word, all the changes Yang Hao had made since arriving in the Kosichite territory. There might have been omissions, but she was fully aware of the core administrative and economic reforms.
There was no point in hiding these things, so after a long silence, the Duke of Kosice smiled sinisterly and said that His Majesty the Emperor had guessed correctly.
"...Yes. It was all arranged by my husband."
"Sure enough."
Catherine's smile widened, and although Duke Koschche was temporarily at a disadvantage, he showed no sign of giving up.
"But my husband is currently ill, so Your Majesty should not disturb him."
“I understand perfectly well. But he must be present for the matter of bestowing a noble title upon him, mustn’t he?”
“Your Majesty is right. But in the near future, before his achievements are known throughout the Ursus Empire, and before he has recovered his health, he cannot risk leaving here.” Kosichrie’s lips twitched incessantly, and her tail began to wag restlessly.
Faced with Duke Koschche's repeated hints of "refusal to contact," Catherine's smile gradually faded. She truly couldn't understand why this immortal being, who had lived for over a thousand years, would value a short-lived being so much, and why he had been subtly expressing his refusal.
Logically speaking, for Duke Koschche, a long-lived being, shouldn't a short-lived husband be a consumable item, used for a few decades and then discarded? Does this long-lived being truly possess the concept of love between short-lived beings?
Ekaterina didn't know. Oh well.
“It’s alright. I didn’t expect to see him so soon anyway—and Duke Kosiché, to be frank, I’m asking you to lend him to me for a while. It won’t be long; I’ll return him to you once the Empire has emerged from the shadow of the economic crisis.”
Catherine was not someone who couldn't lower herself. When necessary, she could abandon her dignity as emperor, all for the sake of making the Ursus Empire stronger and greater.
...
As the Duke of Kosiché looked at Catherine, who had humbled herself and pleaded with him to lend her her husband, with a gloomy expression, he merely smiled:
"Perhaps lending him to you will make the current Ursus Empire stronger."
But I refused.
The Duke of Kosiché gave his reply.
...... ......
Meanwhile, confined to his palace, Yang Hao couldn't freely go out because of his feigned illness, so he simply had Monica bring Theresa over—because he needed to gather more information.
However, Monica seemed to have misunderstood something. She left with a look of disgust, and when she returned with Theresa, who was dressed in a formal gown, she stood directly by the bed, seemingly to keep an eye on Yang Hao and the pony's every move, lest her adult really go astray.
Yang Hao, who was lying in bed with nothing to do, didn't really care about this. After all, Monica was someone he trusted, so it didn't matter if she listened to him.
"Theresa, is there any new information?"
“New intelligence? Yes. But it’s not good news for you, boss.” Theresa first looked around the enormous palace with curiosity, then obediently turned her gaze over to bring Yang Hao bad news: “It’s just that the soldiers of the Duchy of Nikolai… they are not ordinary soldiers, and there are far too many of them. It’s impossible for the population of the Duchy of Nikolai to support them. Especially under the economic crisis.”
"specific?"
"During this economic crisis, the Duchy of Nikolai lost more than 40 people, including those in the surrounding small settlements and towns, to starvation or disease. Now, the total population there is less than 400 million, yet it has an army of about 8 men—not counting their reserves. In total, it probably has about 15 men."
"400 million people supporting an 8-strong standing army? If you include reserve troops, that's an army of 15? But my sources say he only has a maximum of 6 troops."
This... is different from the data on my [Puppet Stage]? What I see is an army of 4 to 6 people. Yang Hao blinked and asked Theresa.
“Because a large portion of the soldiers are just militiamen who were issued only a military sword. Under normal circumstances, who would consider them regular troops?” Theresa rolled her eyes, while Head Maid Monica frowned at her impolite behavior. “And to be honest, those militiamen aren’t very morale-wise... but my sisters have discovered that they seem to be under the control of mental Originium Arts—or at the very least, the influence of suggestive Originium Arts.”
"Mind-controlled...irregular army? I see. That matches my data."
If we calculate it this way, an army of 6 people, including about 1 logistics troops who are not combat-ready... and excluding the civilians who just went to the battlefield with a knife, does indeed match the data of [Puppet Stage].
But those mind-controlled militiamen are indeed a problem—there are just too many of them. Even if it were 7 pigs, it would be impossible for Duke Kosice to capture them all in a short time with his current soldiers, right?
And what about sending it to have the tracks cleaned? That's such a waste, such a huge waste...
Yang Hao frowned, pondering some future policies.
Meanwhile, Kosic, who had parted on bad terms with His Majesty the Emperor, realized that the ensuing wrangling would likely continue for several days.
Chapter 175
A regular army of 6 men.
A logistics force of approximately 1.5 people.
There are also more than 7 people who are mind-controlled "militia"... No, according to Yang Hao's understanding of the Nikolai Duchy, they may not be "militia," but cannon fodder who can rush in during wartime, and also "human and animal" who may be eaten as "food" after the battle.
Although Yang Hao couldn't understand how the Duke of Nikolai could conceal such a terrifying act from the surrounding territories, nor could he understand why the Emperor of Ursus and his guards couldn't find any useful information, upon reflection, he realized that Originium Arts of the mental influence type were indeed very difficult to find any clues about.
Not to mention... if Duke Nikolai's "Sherlock Nightclub" is a large, peculiar organization that only dukes, those of equal or higher rank can join... this would be a dangerous signal for the Ursus Empire, no, for all of human society.
"...It seems the Ursus Empire is about to erupt into civil war." Sitting on the bed, examining the intelligence report in his hands, Yang Hao murmured to Miss Theresa, under Monica's silent gaze. "Duke Nikolai has at least two dukes supporting him; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to conceal so many heinous crimes from his superiors. If things are even worse, Duke Nikolai might also have several army group generals supporting him..."
"Boss, I have to tell you beforehand that we in Kazimir have never infiltrated the Duchy of Nikolai, and our infiltration of St. County Castle and other cities near the imperial center has not been successful either, so don't expect me to have any intelligence to give you."
"Alright, alright, don't say anything for now, let me think about it. Or is your butt itching again?" Yang Hao waved his hand, subconsciously replying with this remark, when he suddenly felt a terrifying, piercing gaze from Monica's side...
Yang Hao swallowed hard, regretting his subconscious answer as he continued to think deeply.
After he had given it some thought, the Puppet Stage popped up a new message for him at just the right time.