King

"Sir Longxi, what should we do now? Do we want to cooperate with the Nether Sect?"

After leaving the castle, Mahat asked with concern.

“Cooperation, what do we need to cooperate with?

Yang Shi, you should understand that the members of my July Society are all in the Alpha Kingdom, and their interests are also in the Alpha Kingdom.

You want everyone to abandon their wives and children and go to the Principality of Hesse to take risks. Do you think it is possible?

Ever since the leader disappeared, the July Club is no longer the same July Club!

The current July Party is on the verge of splitting. The common belief of revenge against the five major families in the North is no longer enough to maintain the operation of the organization.

Especially those guys who gained territory in the Near East are now focusing on developing their own territories.

For the revenge thing, they've found a better partner.

Compared with the half-dead organization, following Marshal Hudson is much better than following us! "

While speaking, Long Xi sighed deeply.

If he had known that the situation would develop like this, he would not have randomly recruited people into the club.

When Baron Kettle was forcefully brought into the meeting, he never expected that an inadvertent move would actually lead to the wolf entering the house.

There is no way, it's all Ketele who is too insidious. After joining the association, he worked hard to climb up and made great contributions to the association.

In order to gain everyone's trust, he even personally killed a direct member of the five major families in the North.

I thought I had something in my hands that I could trust and reuse, but in the end, I turned around and sold a group of elites to Hudson.

What's even more tragic is that everyone didn't know it beforehand, and they used the resources of the association to provide support to these people, pushing them to the position of lord.

Originally, I thought I could take the opportunity to establish a foothold in the Near East, legally control the military, and improve the strength of the July Congress.

The plan progressed very smoothly, but in the later stages of development, these noble lords did not listen to the headquarters' instructions very much.

Realizing that something was wrong, these guys had formed a group and became the largest powerful group in the July Meeting.

The leader personally took people to deal with it, but as a result, he disappeared immediately after entering the Near East.

When things got to this point, everyone realized something was wrong. It's just that the headquarters is not strong enough to suppress these powerful factions, causing the situation to become a stalemate.

Even if you want to overturn the table.

Members of the July Society in the Near East had already defected to Hudson under the guidance of Kettle. Even if their identities were revealed, that was all.

The news that Keterai had killed members of the five major families was revealed by them, which aroused the anger of the five major Dukes.

Then he was just angry, and the official document seeking accountability was turned into a piece of waste paper when it arrived in the Near East.

Hudson personally intervened in the case and directly determined that the evidence was fabricated, overturning the findings.

For this reason, both parties took the lawsuit to the royal capital. In the end, with the king and Xini, the matter was settled.

Those with backgrounds are not afraid of exposing their identities, but it does not mean that people like them are not afraid of being exposed either.

If they expose each other's background together, nothing might happen to the powerful groups in the Near East, but none of them, the July Party bosses, can escape.

"Lord Longxi, if you don't participate, why did you sign the contract?"

Farley on the side asked with concern.

The contract is not signed randomly. If it is not fulfilled, the backlash can make life worse than death.

“The situation at that time, if we didn’t sign the contract, we wouldn’t have any chance of leaving alive.

Once this kind of thing is exposed, the cult organizations involved will be destroyed.

We can always be active in the underground world because the aristocratic group needs a cult organization.

Once they extend their tentacles to the royal power and challenge their bottom line, the big nobles don't mind replacing them with a group of more obedient people.

The five major families in Guangbei are able to force us to hide everywhere. If all the great nobles take action together, do you think they really can't find out our identity? "

After Long Xi finished speaking, the Yin and Yang Master's expression suddenly changed.

The truth is so heartbreaking.

I thought they were not caught because they hid deep enough. I never expected that the truth was that people didn’t want to dig up.

After carefully recalling what happened in the past, the two soon discovered something was wrong.

There are many cases that clearly could have been investigated further, but in the end they were dropped.

At first I thought it was luck, but now it seems that it is clearly the big nobles who are deliberately letting them go.

After all, July would be an outlier among the cult.

In addition to shouting random slogans, the usual actions are only targeted at the five major families in the North and are completely harmless to the nobles of other kingdoms.

They didn't endanger everyone's interests. It just so happened that the five major families liked to stir up hatred, so everyone was happy to keep them and create trouble for the five major families in the North.

In comparison, other cult organizations are much more miserable. Like the Skull and Bones Society, they are often hunted around the world.

More than 90% of cult organizations have a life span of less than three years. Most of them will be strangled by the nobles within a few months of their establishment.

"Lord Longxi, if we don't participate in the operation, what will you do?"

The Yin and Yang envoys asked in unison.

The two are close confidants trained by Long Xi. Although they already hold high positions in the July Meeting, their relationship has not changed.

"There is nothing to worry about. The contract only requires confidentiality and participation. It is not up to us to decide how to participate.

What's more, such a big news can be worth a lot of money.

If someone bids high enough, it would be a good idea to use my life to change the future for everyone! "

Long Xi said with a smile.

Naturally, he would not be so selfless if he sacrificed his life for the future of his subordinates. It's just that people can't help themselves in the world, and now he is no longer barefoot.

Don’t think about yourself, but also think about your family.

While he was alive, he was still able to provide shelter to his family. But because of his blind pursuit of strength when he was young, he has already accumulated a lot of hidden injuries, and he doesn't have a few more years to live.

The identity of July Club has become the biggest safety risk for the family.

While he is alive, he can still rely on the power of the association to protect him. Once he dies, the children in the family will not be able to keep the family fortune.

The best option is to clear your identity in advance. It would be even better if I could sell everyone a favor.

Compared to cult organizations, the food appearance in the aristocratic world is still much better.

Especially those who have just come ashore need a good reputation. The Lord who owes a favor will naturally repay it.

…

"Marshal, the senior management of the July Club wants to negotiate a big deal with you. It is very mysterious. I have used all the contacts in the club, but I still haven't been able to find out."

Baron Kettle reported with a serious expression.

In recent years, it seems that Keterai has not changed much, but the actual power in his hands has increased significantly.

By betraying the July Meeting, he gained trust from Hudson; and by relying on Hudson's support, he continued to increase his influence within the July Meeting.

Up to now, Baron Kettle is also the number one figure in the Near East. If the situation wasn't too embarrassing, he could at least get a position as a county guard.

There was no other way. He was from the Northland aristocratic group and stabbed this interest group again. He joined the July Society and betrayed the July Society.

No matter what the reason is, such capricious people are not popular in politics.

Even with the support of Hudson, after arriving in the royal capital, Ketley's appointment as county governor was still rejected.

The revenge of the five major families in the North is on the one hand, but more importantly, the kingdom's top officials do not want to see traitors.

Originally, it was an unspoken rule to suppress small and medium-sized nobles. If traitors are allowed to hold high positions again, the powerful will have even less sleep.

As an insider, Hudson understands Baron Kettle's choice very well. He can sum it up in one sentence: he has no choice but to do so!

Once a person has a weakness, many things cannot be controlled by him. Caitley alone is powerful, but with a wife and children, Caitley is no longer invulnerable.

He betrayed the Northland aristocratic group and was forced to surrender by the July Society. Although he didn't put the knife on his neck, as long as he dared to refuse at that time, his wife, children, and children would all go with him to see the Lord of the Dawn.

It would be even easier to betray the July Meeting. It was Hudson who was the driving force behind the plan. The only difference was that there was no coercion. It just made Ketele realize that there would be no future in July.

No father wants his children to live as cultists. If you want to escape from a cult, you will inevitably have to pay a price.

What's more, Hudson's demands were not high. He was only asked to quietly poach the July Club, but he was not asked to publicly break with the July Club.

Kettle did not disappoint Hudson. He was very capable of poaching and directly formed a faction within the July Meeting.

Relying on the strength in his hands, the July Club headquarters did not dare to fall out with them. Although he was obviously a traitor, in the end, it was because of interests that the two sides maintained a superficial and discordant relationship.

Understanding is understanding, but there is still hesitation in using it. When someone helps do evil, Hudson is happy to see it happen.

Now this situation is the best. Hudson has already given all his glory and wealth. It is the royal capital that suppresses Baron Catley's name and weapons. We cannot blame him for being unjust as the boss.

However, in the continent of Aslant, the most important thing is fame and weapons. Without the blessing of these things, no matter how good he is, Ketelai is still just a small noble.

It's impossible to make it big. The people from the July Meeting were able to be brought over mainly because they had the support of Hudson behind them.

Who would buy into a baron's account based on his own reputation alone?

"Tell the headquarters of the July Meeting that if you want to do big business, you must first show your sincerity. You are hiding it, you are not a business person!"

Hudson said without changing his expression.

The matter of poaching is not visible to both parties. Until the window paper is pierced, the two parties are still considered potential allies.

Privately, the business dealings between the two parties have never stopped. Especially when targeting the five major families in the North, the two parties have cooperated many times.

But these are all in the past. Sooner or later, the window paper will be pierced, and both sides have begun to be wary of each other.

At this time, when people from the July Meeting came to talk to him about big business, Hudson had to suspect that there was a trap inside.

Of course, if it is an action against the five major families in the North, then it is a different story.

…

Kingdom of Avarat. With the joint efforts of all parties, the delegation successfully brought back the inspection results.

It can be seen that at this moment, everyone has high hopes for reform, hoping that through internal affairs reform, the kingdom can return to the list of mainland powers.

However, the focus of contradiction also converges on the inspection results.

Although the core ideas of the political systems of the three kingdoms of Frank, Iliba, and Alpha were all about aristocratic supremacy, they all had their own characteristics in terms of specific details.

No matter whose work is copied, the interests of some people in the kingdom will be seriously damaged. Maybe after the reform is successful, it can be made up for in other ways, but who knows?

According to past political experience, whoever makes concessions first for the sake of the overall situation will suffer big losses in the reform.

The situation suddenly reached a stalemate, and only a handful of people, including those within the reform faction, were willing to sacrifice their own interests for reform.

Many reformist leaders have become conservative when it comes to their own interests.

You can't do this, you can't do that. They promised to carry out reforms, but in actual actions they encountered obstacles everywhere.

Prince Peter, who originally returned home with great honors, is now in an embarrassing situation. Many nobles had doubts about the inspection results and believed that the information recorded above was too one-sided.

As the leader of the reformists, Duke Glenarvan also had a headache. It was obvious that many problems had been discovered and could be solved through reforms, but when it came time to implement them, troubles occurred.

Reform bills were introduced one after another, but the result was that the decrees did not leave the royal capital. Nobles everywhere have a high degree of autonomy and do not pay attention to the orders of the royal capital.

Even the nobles who supported the reformists only chose and implemented the terms that were beneficial to their own families. They pretended not to notice all the clauses that harmed their own interests.

“Your Majesty, we can’t delay this any longer!

Unless compulsory measures are taken, the decrees we issue will be a piece of waste paper when it comes to the local government.

If it is delayed for a long time and the government's authority is undermined, it will only be more difficult to continue reform! "

The words of the Prime Minister Duke Glenarvan made Elton VIII very embarrassed. On the one hand, he wanted the reform to be successful, but on the other hand, he did not want to offend the noble lords in the country too much.

"Prime Minister, there are so many reform bills. If we want to promote them together, I'm afraid we won't be able to do it. It's better to pick the ones that are most likely to be accepted by everyone and promote them first."

Elton VIII said with a troubled expression.

It is easy to cut flesh from others, but it is different to cut flesh from yourself.

As the largest aristocracy in the country, the royal family is also a victim of reform.

There is no way, the reformists want too much. When formulating the bill, I took advantage of the respective advantages of the political systems of the three countries and wanted to copy them together.

For example: the military mobilization system of the Alpha Kingdom, the taxation system of the Frankish Kingdom, and the foreign trade system of the Iliban Kingdom.

These systems are the most advanced in contemporary times. Theoretically speaking, as long as it is copied, the Kingdom of Avarat can have the common advantages of the three countries at the same time, and it will be difficult not to rise.

The trouble is: the deeper the reform, the more interest groups need to be touched.

“Your Majesty, if the reform is to be carried out in batches, I suggest starting with taxation.

The traditional tax package system is too mechanical and rigid, causing a large amount of tax revenue to be wasted every year.

The kingdom suffered heavy losses, and the people below were also miserable. If the kingdom could collect taxes uniformly, not only would it be able to significantly increase fiscal revenue, but those unreasonable and exorbitant taxes could also be abolished.

When the government's financial situation improves, those projects that were forced to stop due to financial pressure can be restarted.

As long as everyone can see the results, the resistance to reform will definitely be greatly reduced! "

The prime minister's words made Elton VIII happy.

Almost all dynasty declines begin with finances. The Kingdom of Avarat is no exception. Even though it has done nothing, the government is still poor at demolishing the eastern wall and repairing the western wall.

This impact is all-encompassing. If the financial problem can be solved, the Kingdom of Avarat will survive.

If other reforms are to be carried out in the future, the government will also be able to provide financial support. Military pay and government personnel salaries that have been in arrears for a long time can all be settled at the same time.

"Okay, let's do it!"

The king said it easily, but the faces of the ministers below did not look very good.

Compared with reforms in other fields, tax reform involves the largest number of interest groups.

Which group in the Kingdom of Avalat has not benefited from the tax farming system?

Playing a big game right from the start is obviously a big gamble.

We all knew it, but no one raised the issue. Because this problem is too difficult, being able to find the problem does not mean being able to solve the problem.

Even with such a big game at the beginning, Duke Glenarvan was unable to do anything. If the government is not freed from its financial difficulties, subsequent reforms will not proceed at all.

…

With the promulgation of the law to abolish the tax farming system, the reform of the Kingdom of Avalat was completely opened.

Thousands of miles away in Hudson, people felt the breath of reform. However, his focus was not on reform, but on the "return gift" sent by the Avarat nobles.

The old kingdoms were different. The nobles who suffered from overpopulation did not take population seriously at all.

Hudson just sent out some magic potions in exchange for thousands of serfs. But the other party still felt that he had made a lot of money, which made him feel a little embarrassed.

This complicated emotion didn't last long before it was broken by an old friend from the July Club who came to the door.

…

"Marshal, these are our thoughts, please accept them!"

Long Xi said cautiously.

The last time the two met, it was to purchase weapons and equipment. When they met again, the status of both parties was already completely different.

Looking at the dozens of boxes neatly arranged in front of him, Hudson had a new understanding of "a little bit of heart".

This is no longer a business deal, but more like a bribe. It's just that the method is a little rough. Under normal circumstances, the owner will not accept such a gift without technical content.

“Let’s talk business first!

You have put in so much effort and risked your life to come here, you can't just come here just to give me a gift, right? "

Hudson said with a half-smile.

Whether the things can be accepted or not depends entirely on the outcome of the subsequent conversation. He is well-known in this regard and will never accept gifts for things he cannot handle.

"Marshal, this matter involves a lot. Once I say it, I will immediately be hit by the contract and almost die, so I hope you can make a promise.

You can rest assured that the news I am about to say is definitely worth the price! "

After speaking, Long Xi looked at Hudson expectantly.

"You are really generous by directly betting your own life. First, let's talk about what kind of promise you want from me."

…