Chapter 257: Hiding a tree in the forest
Coming up with this plan had given Li Wei quite a headache.
After all, this was nothing like the era he came from. The Empire's upper classes clearly weren't good people, either, and serving the public wasn't even a concept to them. Outlawing slavery already counted as extraordinary generosity on the part of those noble lords. Expecting them to focus on building the nation and protecting the people's interests was about as realistic as expecting pigs to fly.
Even Her Majesty the Queen might have wanted the Empire to prosper, but she didn't necessarily care how its subjects lived, so long as they didn't die. Or rather, without enough benefits offered in exchange, getting such terms approved would be extremely difficult.
So Li Wei had no choice but to find another approach.
The plan he proposed had sound reasoning, a solid justification, and benefits to offer.
First, Li Wei was a Thistle Knight and an earl, so he was certainly qualified to take the lead in proposing this motion. His rank and status presented no problems. Had Inspector Lestrade done it, he might have been more professionally qualified in matters of public order, but nobody would have cared what a mere police inspector thought.
Second, Li Wei had only just received his title. As the saying went, a new official started his tenure by making a few bold moves. This is my first motion as the newly appointed Thistle Knight. Surely you can't refuse to show me some respect? After all, I represent the Royal Family. If you reject me, aren't you snubbing them?
Moreover, Li Wei had been a detective to begin with, so proposing a motion to crack down on crime in Fog City was perfectly natural. A motion about