The Hearts of the People Can Be Used

"Let's go, Minister Thomas. That looks like where the Royal Relief Committee is distributing supplies. Since we've come this far, let's go take a look," Arthur said, suddenly noticing the crowded street ahead. The people seemed to be queuing for something, and he spoke to Thomas with a hint of interest.

"Yes, Your Highness," Minister Thomas immediately followed, speaking respectfully.

Directly in front of the crowd, several officials from the relief committee were busily and orderly registering people and distributing food.

Although a rough estimate showed these lines alone comprised at least several thousand people, it was astonishing that these thousands had formed three long, winding queues, stretching from the center of Sydney all the way to Port Road in the south.

Moreover, as Arthur walked along, he had barely seen any instances of cutting in line or scuffles. The people in line were anxious but orderly, poor but polite, and occasionally, a few strong men would even make way for the elderly behind them.

"Thomas, is this also something your Ministry of Public Security did? To have so many people so orderly while receiving supplies, without any chaos or fighting, it seems your ministry's achievements go far beyond this!" Arthur said, looking at the orderly procession of people with some surprise, unable to suppress his inner questions.

"No, no, no, Your Highness. This is not the Ministry of Public Security's credit; it is yours!" Minister Thomas quickly shook his head and explained, "Everyone knows that it is you, Your Highness, who is distributing the food. Most people will line up with joy and gratitude. Occasionally, if there's a selfish individual trying to cut in line, they will be taught a lesson by those who respect you. Because of this, so many people appear so orderly."

Arthur suddenly understood. He hadn't expected to have such influence in Australia. Seeing the orderly crowd before him, an immensely proud spirit rose within Arthur.

"Your Highness has arrived!"

"Long live Your Highness!"

Finally, a few sharp-eyed individuals spotted Arthur's arrival. Forgetting their place in line, they rushed to Arthur, shouting excitedly and fervently.

"Long live Your Highness!"

As the saying goes, a thousand words converge into one. This was the sentiment of the Australian crowd at that moment. Facing a Monarch who had reduced their taxes and given them free food, they spared no affection.

"My friends, I know you may come from the British Empire, perhaps from France, perhaps from Germany, or even other parts of Europe. But you are now in Australia, in this beautiful land. Now, please tell me loudly, who has exempted you from most of your taxes? Who has given you free food in your time of need, so you don't have to worry about a single bite to eat?" While the crowd cheered loudly, Minister Thomas had quietly moved to the highest point near the distribution site, where the officials of the Old Sites Committee were located.

As Minister Thomas, who had risen from a minor official to a member of parliament and even a Colonial Premier, his oratory skills were outstanding.

Seizing this opportunity, Minister Thomas decided to show his favor to Arthur. Any intelligent person could see that Arthur placed great importance on cultivating his status and prestige in the hearts of Australians. Therefore, Thomas decided to go with the flow, using this grand occasion to publicize some of Arthur's achievements.

It had to be said that Minister Thomas was a very eloquent speaker, or perhaps the Australians were very satisfied with Arthur's actions so far.

After Minister Thomas's two questions, continuous shouts of "Your Highness!" and "Long live Your Highness!" echoed from several nearby streets.

A flicker of satisfaction crossed Arthur's eyes, but his expression remained calm as he signaled the crowd to stop and then said, "My subjects, as your Monarch, this is what I should and must do. Australia is a great nation, and Australians are a great people. I hope we can advance hand in hand, making Australia the pinnacle of the world, and leading Australians to the pinnacle of the world!"

"Long live Your Highness!"

"Long live Australia!"

There was nothing more fortunate than having a Monarch who loved their subjects and country, at least in the hearts of modern Australians.

If there were a way to measure public sentiment, Arthur was confident that his approval rating in Australia would be well over eighty percent. At least, among the more than a million Australians receiving food, half would become his staunch supporters.

"How is the food distribution going? How many people received our food today?" After quieting the crowd, Arthur began to inquire with the officials responsible for distributing the food.

New South Wales, as the most populous state in Australia, did not have the largest number of impoverished residents.

There was a significant difference between immigrants in New South Wales and those in other states. Immigrants in New South Wales were recruited from Europe as formal settlers, generally possessing higher educational qualifications and a wider range of skills, thus earning comparatively higher incomes than in other states.

While other states, particularly Western Australia, also received a considerable number of immigrants each year, most of these were gold prospectors drawn by the gold rush. Although a small minority managed to make a fortune from the gold rush, a large portion remained as gold mine workers, living a life where their expenses exceeded their income.

"Your Highness, up to this point, our food relief has been ongoing for two days. In Sydney alone, over nine thousand three hundred portions of food have been distributed in these two days. Additionally, three particularly impoverished families received an extra portion of food," the official reported.

Under normal circumstances, each person was only allowed to receive one portion of relief food. However, in cases of particularly impoverished families or individuals, an extra portion could be granted at the discretion of the officials.

This determination of poverty was up to the discretion of the officials distributing the food, but generally, as long as they fell within the category of particularly impoverished, there were few restrictions.

After all, Arthur's distribution of food was for his reputation and prestige, and he would naturally not let his reputation suffer for the sake of minor gains.

Therefore, this food distribution adhered to the principle of rather giving out a thousand extra portions than missing one person, with some extra prepared.

"Mm, besides the food distribution, ensure that names and addresses are fully registered. There will be many future relief policies, and much of that will rely on the information registered now," Arthur instructed.

Without a proper identification system, it was quite difficult to find the poor in Australia.

The officials of the relief committee came up with this method: registering the names and addresses of recipients during food distribution, which would make it easier to locate people for future policies.

Second update, a bit late, apologies! Also, please support me. Tomorrow's data is very important, so please be sure to follow along and vote! Follow and vote, I beg you!