Although he had some initial ideas in mind, Sun Fei did not immediately begin to make sweeping changes to the current power structure and military organization of Chambord City. He had only been in this world for three days and there were too many things he did not understand. If he were to rush things, he would only make things worse.
Sun Fei planned to spend the next few days thoroughly learning about the current state of the kingdom.
The meeting continued.
Unlike the solemn and somber scenes of emperors holding court as depicted in many ancient dynasty dramas from my previous life, the atmosphere in the council hall was quite lively. Beneath the high throne, a narrow stone ditch with artificially drawn water flowed gently, and beautiful fish even swam back and forth in it. Neatly arranged stone chairs lined both sides, covered with soft animal hides. The attendees sat comfortably on the chairs, speaking freely. Everyone had the opportunity and right to express their opinions, and could stand up and express their views without the kingdom's permission. Disagreements even broke out at any time due to opposing viewpoints.
A subtle, nascent atmosphere of democracy or freedom silently spread throughout the hall.
Today, as Alexander regained his normal intelligence and officially convened the post-war conference as King, many people of some standing in Chambord City were given the opportunity to attend. Besides Brook, twenty-two warriors from the military, including Pierce, Drogba, and Ballack, also received official seats. These 'leaders' of Chambord City spoke freely, offering many insightful suggestions. Some well-prepared individuals had even written lengthy texts on white silk and tanned animal hides resembling paper and presented them to the authorities. In particular, five or six respected white-bearded old men from Chambord City magically produced a large stack of silk cloths covered in writing, all containing suggestions for Sun Fei Sun Fei, leaving him quite bewildered.
With a mountain of suggestions, coupled with the previous misrule by the messenger Bazel and Alexander's own incompetence, Chambord City was now overflowing with countless tedious affairs that required the King's attention. For a time, Sun Fei was almost buried under all the tasks that needed to be dealt with. Looking at the mountain of documents in front of him and the long list of suggestions written down by the scribe beside him, Sun Fei felt his head begin to ache. He rubbed his temples and shook his head in pain.
Seeing Sun Fei's state, the white-haired burly man Pierce and several other rough guys grinned gloatingly.
The handsome old man Best, also revealed a meaningful smile.
Sun Fei was annoyed, but suddenly an idea struck her. She spoke confidently to her future father-in-law, "Uncle Best, I'm not an adult yet and have no experience at all. As an elder, you have to help me, hehe. How about this, you first help me organize and classify all these manuscripts and documents, and then give me your opinions on how to handle them. I'll then decide. What do you think?"
Upon hearing Sun Fei's words, Best was stunned.
Perhaps Sun Fei himself didn't realize that the work he had just mentioned was actually handled by the ambitious messenger Bazel. This order was tantamount to entrusting the kingdom's administrative power entirely to Best... In other words, from today onwards, Best became the new messenger of Chambord City. This sudden and important appointment left the old fox Best somewhat at a loss.
Best was caught off guard, and neither was anyone else in the hall who had expected this to happen.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the entire council hall became somewhat eerie.
After three or four seconds of silence--
"Your Majesty, I object!" someone finally stood up.
" Your Alexander, I also object..." someone immediately echoed.
"That's right... Alexander Majesty Alexander, Best is a despicable traitor and a villain. He had the disgrace of embezzling royal property just half a month ago. Even if it's because of Angela, the fact that we haven't pursued his criminal charges this time is already a great act of leniency. How can we allow such an immoral and Glory evil person to serve in such an important position as the kingdom's messenger?"
"Indeed, young Emperor Alexander, you mustn't practice nepotism!"
"Oppose! Oppose! Oppose..."
A chorus of dissent erupted, turning the council hall into chaos. Sun Fei hadn't expected this turn of events. He glanced around discreetly and was surprised to find that Brook, Pierce, and the others sitting on the stone chairs on the west side of the hall remained silent. The loudest noise came from a dozen or so unfamiliar faces sitting on the east side of the hall. These were the first time Sun Fei had seen them. Most of them were dressed in fine clothes, wearing jeweled silver crowns, full of energy, with oily faces, speaking passionately and patting their chests, displaying an air of self-righteousness and superiority.
"Who are they?" Sun Fei turned his head and asked Torres, his personal bodyguard standing behind him, in a low voice.
Upon hearing this, the blond young man quickly leaned forward and whispered, "Your Majesty, the six men standing at the front wearing silver crowns are all nobles of high status in the city, while the five richly dressed men behind them are the kingdom's wealthiest merchants. According to the kingdom's tradition, these men have always played a very important role in the King's Council, even influencing the King's decisions."
I see.
Sun Fei nodded, understanding somewhat.
Whether in the past life or another world, every country and every place has such politicians who talk big. They occupy a lot of social wealth, enjoy privileges far exceeding those of ordinary people, shamelessly claim the credit and Glory of the army, manipulate power, engage in conspiracies, suppress public opinion, and advocate justice and Glory, all in pursuit of their own selfish desires.
At this moment, the true colors of these so-called nobles and big merchants in the council hall were exactly like this.
This discovery made Sun Fei sigh once again. He realized how stifled he had been as King before, that even these fat, foolish, profit-driven merchants could appear in the King council hall, making a ruckus like a marketplace... It seemed that the so-called King and kingdom of Chambord City were essentially no different from mountain bandits, just as he had suspected, even less capable than a Cunzhang from a remote mountain village in his previous life... Sun Fei realized that the road to building his ideal kingdom was long and arduous.
"Quiet down, everyone stop arguing. You, state your name first, sir." Sun Fei waved his hand, loudly interrupting the swarming argument, and pointed to the middle-aged man with the silver crown who was standing at the front and arguing the loudest.
" Louis, Your Majesty, I am Viscount Louis." The middle-aged man with the silver crown stepped forward, bowed slightly in a standard noble salute, and then answered with pride in his expression.
"Oh, Louis...?"
Sun Fei found it a bit convoluted. To be honest, he had no idea about this Western-style division of titles. However, that didn't stop him from asking the following question, "Viscount, if Uncle Best isn't suitable, who do you think would be more appropriate to do this job?"
"Of course, Your Majesty Alexander, first of all, it's not that I lack humility, but I firmly believe that I am the most suitable candidate..." Viscount Louis patted his chest and said proudly, "I am the purest-blooded nobleman of Chambord City. My father was even summoned by the Emperor of the Zenit Empire. My family has a glorious history and splendid Glory here, so I am absolutely the most suitable candidate to serve as the new herald."
Before he could finish speaking, several nobles and wealthy merchants behind him stood up and loudly echoed his agreement.
Brook, Pierce, and the others, on the other hand, showed disdain on their faces.
Sun Fei shook his head, both amused and exasperated. He understood perfectly well that this was nothing more than a power struggle within the court, a farcical scene born from the utter stupidity of a few incompetent politicians. Looking with disgust at Viscount Louis, who was smugly recounting his aristocratic Glory, Sun Fei suddenly spoke up, "Very well, Louis ... uh, Your Excellency Viscount, I only have one question. If your answer satisfies me, then you will be the kingdom's new herald!"
Louis was overjoyed and replied confidently, "Your Majesty, please ask away. I bet no one is more suitable than me to handle political affairs."
"Very well, I'll ask you this: while all the soldiers and civilians were shedding blood to defend Chambord City, where were you?" Sun Fei sat high on the throne, sneering, making no attempt to hide his mockery, and Earth Inquiry.
"I..." Viscount Louis was stunned.
"Hahaha... While we were fighting alongside His Alexander, the Viscount must have been trembling and wailing in a woman's crotch, hahaha..." The straightforward, black-haired strongman Drogba finally couldn't help but stand up and make sarcastic remarks. Immediately, Brook and the strongmen sitting on the west side of the hall burst into laughter.
"You... you filthy scoundrels... what right do you have to appear in the King's Hall?" Viscount Louis's face flushed red, and he angrily retorted, "Nobles have the right to be exempt from conscription... As the purest nobleman of Chambord City, I certainly cannot be like you lowly peasants, doing those pointless things of fighting and killing."
"What a pointless affair of fighting and killing?" Upon hearing this, Sun Fei's face immediately turned cold, and he angrily said, "Alright, this matter ends here. Viscount Louis, your answer has left me extremely dissatisfied, so I'm sorry, you will not be granted the position of messenger... Also, Your Excellency, be careful of the people you are insulting. The scoundrels you speak of are heroes who defended the entire King. If I hear you insulting the heroes of Chambord City in this way again, you will be the first unfortunate soul to be stripped of your noble title."
At this point, Sun Fei turned to his father-in-law and continued, "Uncle Best, I'll leave the task of organizing these documents to you. Hehe, Viscount Louis just reminded me. I hereby officially announce that, starting today, you are the new Herald of the Kingdom of Chambord City."
By this time, Best had completely calmed down from his initial shock. Upon hearing the formal appointment, the handsome old man did not refuse at all and bowed gracefully to accept it.
"Hmph, Your Majesty, I object! You can't do this! This is nepotism... Appointing a lowly person as a messenger will ruin Chambord City!" Among the several fat merchants on the east side, a man with a full beard and a face like a fat pig stepped forward and loudly retorted with a defiant expression.
Sun Fei was furious.
During the bloody battle, they all cowered in their pants, but after the victory celebration, they couldn't wait to jump out and grab the cake. If you're a coward, you should just stay put and play dead, but instead, you're oblivious to your own mortality, acting all self-righteous. Sun Fei hated these politicians who put on airs like saints. Unpleasant memories from his past life flooded back, and his temper flared. He couldn't hold back any longer. He jumped up from his throne, pointed at the "fat pig's" nose, and cursed without any King decorum, "Go to hell! I'm just a nepotist! Who do you think you are? What right do you have to interfere? From now on, no more such despicable and stupid trash will be allowed in my palace... Where are the guards? Throw these stupid pigs who don't deserve to stand here out of here!"
As soon as Sun Fei finished speaking, more than a dozen soldiers in leather armor rushed in and threw the pot-bellied merchants out like wolves. Amidst gasps and incredulous stares, the remaining six nobles looked at each other, pale with fright, and stood there awkwardly before silently returning to their stone chairs and quietly sitting down.
Sun Fei sat high on the throne.
His gaze swept across the crowd, and not a single nobleman dared to meet his eyes.
Sensing the decline of royal power and the chaotic state of the kingdom's power structure, Sun Fei reaffirmed his determination to reform the kingdom's administrative system and military organization. Now that he was the King of this royal family, and since his fate was inextricably linked with the people before him, Sun Fei had no choice but to strive to change the status quo and protect everything he cherished.
Thinking of this, Sun Fei knew that a serious illness requires a strong medicine, and it seemed that he had to administer strong medicine as soon as possible.
With a thought, he switched to [ Paladin Mode ], emanating an aura of righteousness and nobility. Standing before the high throne, his expression resolute and unwavering, he declared, "In the name of the King of Chambord City, I hereby declare that in ten days, I will thoroughly reform the royal power, the administrative system of Chambord City, and the organization of the army. From today onward, all previous administrative and military order and etiquette within the kingdom are abolished. The entire city will enter a ten-day post-war adjustment period. During this period, domestic administrative affairs will be fully handled by the newly appointed Best Uncle Best, and military affairs will be fully handled by Gordon Brook. If any of you have any good suggestions or ideas regarding the reforms, please report them to Best and Brook, and they will convey them to me."
The King's imposing majesty and the paladin's noble bearing, two superior qualities, merged into one in that instant. Sun Fei's voice echoed throughout the entire hall. No one dared to refute him; everyone bowed their heads in submission, and even vaguely felt that everything should be this way.
This is the advantage of [ Paladin Mode ], and it's also the new cheating method that Sun Fei has just figured out.
With this resolution passed, the meeting proceeded smoothly thereafter.
As the competition was drawing to a close, Brook, who had risen to become one of the two giants of the military and political spheres, suddenly stood up and brought up another matter. "Your Majesty, in six months, the triennial military exercises between the various vassal states under the Zenit Empire will begin. If we want to achieve good results in the competition, we must start preparing now."
Upon hearing Brook's words, everyone in the hall echoed his agreement, and the atmosphere became lively again. Drogba stood up, pounded his chest, and shouted, "This time, we must defeat our old rival, Blackstone City, and advance to a fifth-tier vassal state!"
Sun Fei was greatly surprised and asked, "Military exercises and warfare in a vassal state? Uh, what's that for?"
Everyone was used to His Alexander forgetting many common-sense things after recovering from his illness. Brook patiently explained, "Your Majesty, the military exercise is a competition held by the Zenit Empire to measure national strength. All vassal states under the Zenit Empire must participate. If we perform well in the battle, we will have the opportunity to improve the status of Chambord City and be promoted to a fifth-class vassal state. This is a very good opportunity for us."
"Promoted to a fifth-tier vassal state? What are the benefits?"
"Your Majesty, you dare! Chambord City is currently a sixth-tier vassal state of the Zenit Empire, ranking at the bottom in strength among all vassal states. The support we receive from the Zenit Empire is also very limited. If we seize this opportunity to advance to a fifth-tier vassal state, we will not only receive better material and financial support from the Empire, but we will also be allowed to expand the number of residents and troops in the city, acquire more land, and even receive Star Class Dou Qi manual as a reward. With these, the strength of Chambord City can be greatly enhanced!"
This was the first time Sun Fei had heard of such a thing, and he couldn't help but ask, "Are there restrictions on the population and army size of Chambord City now? Also, what about the land and Dou Qi manuals you mentioned earlier?"
"Your Majesty," Brook patiently explained, "According to the laws of the Zenit Empire, a sixth-class vassal state can have a maximum of 10,000 residents, an army of no more than 500, King who owns no more than one castle, and land that is no more than 500 hectares. Exceeding these limits will result in either forced confiscation by the Empire or, more seriously, violation of imperial law and severe sanctions from the monarchy. Furthermore, a sixth-class vassal state can only possess two-star Dou Qi manuals and Dou Qi technique manuals; the circulation of manuals above two stars is strictly prohibited, and the consequences of violating this rule will be even more severe. Once Brook vassal state is promoted to a fifth-class vassal state, the conditions will be doubled, and Chambord City's strength will increase by leaps and bounds... Correspondingly, if a vassal state is promoted to a fourth, third, second, or first-class vassal state in the future, the conditions will be further relaxed."
"What kind of bullshit rule is this? Doesn't the Zenit Empire want its vassal states to become powerful?" Sun Fei couldn't understand it for a moment.
An ancient proverb circulates across the Azeroth Continent: "An overly vicious hound will bite its master's throat." For monarchies, ensuring their rule isn't threatened by their own people is crucial; therefore, the power of vassal states must be strictly limited.
A long chapter of 5300 words, I'm frantically begging for favorites and votes.