Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 606 Rebellion (Part 2)
"Everyone."

In the Ballard Chamber, King Kessel's voice came steadily, deep, serious, and resolute.

As he always has, every time he makes a decision for the discussions at the Imperial Council.

It seems the outcome is already decided.

With these thoughts in mind, the ministers composed themselves, straightened their postures, and some even relaxed slightly, preparing to welcome the end of yet another meeting.

But not this time.

Under everyone's gaze, the iron-fisted king raised his head and surveyed his ministers.

“You are right.”

As he spoke, the king's right hand suddenly emerged from the shadows of the throne, gently turned over in front of everyone, palm up, and hovered on the council table.

Just like a cold, drawn blade.

Even the warm autumn sun cannot diminish the chill.

Gilbert, Cullen, Juke, Sodor... all the officials were stunned, not understanding what was going on.

But Iron Fist King remained expressionless, still holding his right palm out horizontally:
"The considerations were very thorough."

Amidst the bewildered glances, only the scarred spy from the Secret Service noticed something amiss and stepped forward, picking up the "Petition for Substitutes in Emerald City" from the table.

The scarred man bypassed each astonished minister and respectfully and properly placed the letter into the king's hands.

"This letter is a malicious thorn."

King Kessel's words drifted out softly.

"It seems like a compromise and concession, but in reality, it has seized the weakness of the Fuxing Palace, kept a backup plan, and concealed a secret."

The king slowly held up the letter, revealing the iris pattern on it.

“We cannot even make it public, otherwise we will be putting ourselves in a passive and unjust position.”

Every servant who was touched by his gaze instinctively tensed up and sat up straight.

"'I'd rather die for a friend than for an enemy'—that's the kind of son old Leinster had..."

The next second, Iron Fist King's fingers suddenly tightened, squeezing the letter firmly!

The group of people, their eyes fixed on the letter, all trembled, startled.

Kessel then said calmly:

"Live up to the family name."

In the unspoken silence, Viscount Connie, the Minister of Commerce, coughed laboriously, trying to forget the oppressive feeling in his heart.

“He will pay the price,” Connie bowed respectfully to the king.
"Just for this letter."

King Kessel glanced at him but said nothing.

He still clutched the letter in his hand, tattered and crumpled.

“Of course,” Sodor gritted his teeth, “and also for his disrespect and disloyalty to you and His Highness…”

The Prime Minister of Kulun's trembling voice rang out:

"But not this time."

He seemed to revert to his decrepit old man, coughing once to conclude the heated meeting:

"At least, the issues of conscription cuts and regular army expansion will have to wait until next season..."

Just now.

"But it got out."

The king's words were rambling and uneventful, like a muttered monologue.

No one reacted.

"What...is it?" Qiu Ke asked, completely bewildered.

“My, Your Majesty?” Sodor asked tentatively.

"I said."

At that moment, the Iron-Fisted King raised his gaze, which seemed particularly imposing in the cramped Ballard Room:
“As we are speaking, every sentence, every word, every letter of this petition has been published, leaked and spread by those with ulterior motives, and rumors are rampant.”

The meeting room fell silent for a moment.

Gilbert couldn't believe it:

"Wha, what?"

Viscount Connie's surprised gaze darted back and forth: "You mean, this letter has been leaked?"

Prime Minister Cullen sat up straight, extremely serious:
"When? Why?"

However, the king simply shook his head calmly, stating the truth.

"The secret department is still dealing with it, but if things don't go as planned... I think it won't be long before everyone in the kingdom knows that the Restoration Palace is going to start with Emerald City, change the traditional rules, strip the lords of their military power, reduce conscripts, and expand the standing army."

"Keep changing it until...the entire star system."

Restoration Palace, Emerald City, tradition, lord...

With each word the Iron-Fisted King uttered, the chill in his tone intensified.

The Prime Minister was the first to understand, his eyes widening slightly:

"That means……"

“As you just said, Bob,” the King said in the calmest tone, making no attempt to hide what the other man was thinking:
"A huge upheaval is about to erupt in the Star Kingdom from top to bottom."

"From this moment on, we are standing at the forefront of the storm."

There is no way to retreat.

The courtiers quickly grasped the significance of the matter, and the atmosphere immediately became tense.

"What are you doing?"

"Who did it?"

"Has anyone been caught?"

"What should we do now?"

"Investigate the mastermind behind this thoroughly!"

Amidst the differing opinions and shared panic of the crowd, the king leaned back thoughtfully, disappearing into the darkness.

"How could such important correspondence have been leaked?"

The advisor, Sodor, turned angrily to the other side, his tone accusatory:

"What did the secret service say? Is it just a rumor? What's the situation now?"

Beside the conference table, the scarred spy from the secret service bowed steadily.

"We are still tracing the source and cracking down on it, trying to reduce the impact of the rumors."

His tone was calm, as if he were not about to face a colossal wave that would shake the nation:

"But there were no problems with the delivery of letters, the defense along the way, or the secrecy within the palace."

The scarred man's voice took an interesting turn as he spoke:

"There is only one thing that cannot be taken into account—this letter was delivered directly to the palace by the Duke of Iris's messenger."

Everyone fell silent.

"You mean, Jen?" Prime Minister Cullen frowned.

"Did he decide to leak the contents and spread rumors the moment he delivered the letter?"

The scarred man neither denied nor confirmed:

"Still investigating."

With a target in mind, the anger of the Imperial Council erupted like a tidal wave:

"Kevin Deer, how dare he!"

"Damn..."

"He's even more cunning than his father!"

"Was he so enraged that he simply overturned the chessboard?"

Among the courtiers, Gilbert initially observed quietly, but finally let out a soft sigh:

"Perhaps after the banquet, when His Majesty will question him and demand retribution," the Foreign Minister said wearily, his dazed expression returning.

“Emerald City saw our weaknesses in the negotiation terms.”

But Prime Minister Kulun scratched his chin, his expression solemn:

"Not quite right."

“Jane is neither a kind person nor a madman. The fact that he wrote this letter is enough to prove his worldliness and shrewdness in protecting himself.”

The Prime Minister pondered:

“He’s not that stupid to put both the Palace of Resurgence and himself in a corner.”

“That would be even worse—it was someone else who did it,” Viscount Connie said suspiciously.
"They're plotting against both of us at the same time."

"Some are hoping for chaos in the kingdom, just like back then..."

Amidst the cacophony of voices, a sound rang out again from the end of the long table:
"It doesn't matter anymore."

Everyone fell silent and looked at the king.

"Whether he did it or not, it doesn't matter anymore."

A cold glint flashed in the king's eyes:

"The kingdom is never short of enemies."

"The important thing is..."

“How should we respond?”

After King Kessel finished speaking, he let the petition slip from his fingers and fall between the setting sun and shadows, the wrinkled fleur-de-lis emblem facing the ceiling alone.

A few seconds later, the royal council, like a pride of lions awakened by a crisis, abandoned its previous languid and slow pace, and everyone became shrewd and capable.

"Let the secret service work overtime, and at the same time, we will send out letters to clarify and stop these rumors..."

"Starting with the feudal nobles who have recently expressed their discontent, perhaps we can find some clues..."

"The wording of the announcement needs to be careful; there might still be room for maneuver..."

"We need to prepare contingency plans immediately regarding the reactions of the nobles, especially the feudal lords..."

“Send a special envoy to first appease the lords of the grain-producing areas and explain to them…”

"Preparations for military system reform will likely have to be postponed; we can't leave any grounds for misunderstanding..."

During the heated discussion, only Prime Minister Cullen and Gilbert remained silent.

The former gazed wistfully at Kevin Deer's letter, while the latter quietly organized the documents at hand, both seemingly lost in thought.

King Catherine V sat quietly in his seat, neither angry nor smiling, neither cold nor warm, seemingly the only outsider.

boom!
A muffled thud was heard as the military advisor, Sodol, slammed his hand on the table, drawing the attention of the Imperial Council.

"Everyone!"

Sodor's expression was serious, his gaze slightly hesitant, but it quickly became focused and firm.

"I think that at this point, things are inevitable, and our next choice has become simpler."

Gilbert frowned and turned his head, as if he had anticipated something:
"Sodor?"

Sodor resolutely said:
Since there's no way to retreat, why not go all out to advance?

At that moment, the military advisor was full of vigor:

"Your Majesty, give a formal reply to Kevin Deer, grant his request, and proclaim to the whole nation: starting from Emerald City, military reform is imperative!"

Everyone was stunned, or rather, taken aback by the proposal.

“Sordor, have you considered the consequences?” Gilbert began with difficulty after a moment of silence, “Including what we just discussed…”

"Of course!"

Sodor turned around and interrupted him.

"But things have come to this point, and the plan to proceed gradually has failed. We have no chance to disguise or cover up, nor do we have any room for negotiation or compromise."

Sodor paused, his voice hardening:

"Let's do it."

"Or never do it again."

There is no such thing as a 'next time'.

His gaze swept around, and many colleagues instinctively lowered their heads and avoided him. Some looked solemn, while others hesitated to speak.

At the far end of the long table, the king remained silent, seemingly deep in thought.

But Sodor didn't care about any of that; he waved his hand dismissively:
"Qiu Ke, find the money."

The chief financial officer raised an eyebrow:
"what?"

Sodor stared intently at the treasurer:

“If it was Emerald City that did it, then we don’t need to rely on their financial support. But in this case, military reform should be put on the agenda! According to the previous plan, we should first reduce the private army of Shining Star from the royal vassals around Eternal Star City and expand the standing army. Only then will we have the strength to deal with what comes next.”

Qiu Ke paused for three seconds, then became furious.

"Alright, let's put aside the fact that things might not be that bad, and let's not forget that His Majesty hasn't agreed to your terrible idea yet..."

“Our budget is already tight. If this letter is leaked and causes trouble, the financial pressure will only increase. If there is no income, we may even have to cut other expenses to make up for it, such as officials’ salaries, or even raise taxes, which would be even worse…”

Qiu Ke appeared extremely flustered:

"Moreover, reorganizing an army is not as simple as registering and listing. Even if you have all the officers ready to be incorporated, do you know how much the maintenance cost of a standing army soldier, from salary, equipment, logistics to garrison, is equivalent to that of many private soldiers of the Starry Sky who are conscripted at any time?"

"I know!"

Sodor slammed his fist on the council table, startling everyone.

"Qiu Ke, I know, I know your difficulties, but I understand your resentment even more!"

He roared, "Whether it's your resentment when you were fooled by those southern bumpkins with their ledgers while collecting taxes, or His Majesty's anger when Kevin Deer turned the tables on you just now, I feel it all!" Qiu Ke pursed his lips.

Sodor stood up abruptly, placed his arms on the table, and leaned forward:
“But I swear to you, Juke, the standing army is the key to changing all this; expansion and reform are just the beginning…”

Sodor's expression held an indescribable fervor, which made Prime Minister Cullen frown.

"The price we pay now is for the future prosperity of the kingdom. And one day, the Kingdom's Wrath will come with His Majesty's decree, surrounded by countless soldiers, to personally enter the Emerald City's Sky Palace and 'persuade' Jann Kevin Deer and his cunning accountants to pay their taxes honestly, recoup all the costs of today, and make a sure profit."

At this point, Sodor's eyes gleamed, leaving no room for doubt.

"A sure-fire way to make money?"

Sodor was met with a cold laugh from Juke:
“Yes, when I was a kid, I had a relative who liked to gamble. He said the same thing when he came to my house to borrow money to ‘do business’—until he was taken away by loan sharks from the Blood Bottle Gang.”

At this point, the finance director leaned back in his chair and spat:
"What's the difference between you and him? A gambler?"

The conflict between the two caused everyone to frown.

The military advisor clenched his fists, his eyes shifting from disappointment to anger.

"Why can't you understand?"

Sodor was heartbroken:

"With a standing army, you'll have money!"

"How come you don't understand either?" Qiu Ke was equally annoyed.
"Without money, you have no standing army!"

"Then find the money!" Sodor's furious roar shook Ballard Chamber:
"You are the kingdom's treasurer! Be a beggar, sell your ass, or even borrow money from loan sharks—for the sake of the kingdom, find me that damned military expansion budget!"

The two officials' unrestrained shouting caused their colleagues to frown, but the Prime Minister, who was supposed to preside over the meeting, and the highly respected Foreign Minister remained silent, while the King remained seated on his throne, unmoved.

"You finally got one thing right, soldier!"

Juke stood up; although she was a head shorter than Sodor, her imposing presence was in no way inferior.
"I am the chief financial officer!"

"Remember? Last year, it was your Military Affairs Department, right here, that shamelessly and arrogantly touted the benefits of sending troops to the heavens! You forced the Finance and Taxation Department to approve the budget, forced the Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Department to contribute grain and fodder, forced the Foreign Affairs Department to pull strings for you, and forced the Secret Service to pave the way for you, inexplicably sending a large number of retired, active, reserve, training, and new recruits of regular troops to the Blade Fang Camp! To the Western Wilderness! To the desert!"

The people at the imperial council exchanged glances, recalling the events of that time, and felt a pang of sympathy.

"If it weren't for that losing business deal of yours, would we need to ask Emerald City for money? Would we have been played like this by Kevin Deer?"

Qiu Ke glanced at his colleagues who agreed with him and said in a gloomy tone:

"What, you want to do it again?"

"Hey!"

Sodor clenched his fist:

"That's to welcome back Prince Thales, the bloodline of the Star, the heir to the kingdom!"

"That's so right!"

Qiu Ke retorted angrily:

"Then why don't you go ask him for the money!"

Sodor was so angered by this rogue's sophistry that he was speechless and utterly dumbfounded.

"Qiu Ke, watch your words!"

Gilbert could no longer stand it, and he sternly stopped him:
"Sit down, all of you. Do not behave improperly before the Emperor."

Qiu Ke readily accepted the offer and sat down, even deliberately bumping the chair to express his dissatisfaction.

Sodor snorted angrily and sat down heavily, but he had no intention of quelling the fighting:
"Stop being sarcastic, shirking responsibility and playing innocent, you bastard."

"You were aware of and even supported the idea of ​​sending troops to the Western Wilderness to welcome the prince—you harbored selfish motives and sought to profit from it!"

Now it was Qiu Ke's turn to be taken aback.
"Me? Selfish motives? Profiteering?"

Qiu was caught off guard, both shocked and furious:
"Fine, you uncouth country bumpkin who grew grapevines..."

But Sodor was unceremoniously pointing his finger at the other man's nose:
"I only realized it after the banquet, but yes, Qiu Ke, it is you!"

"After the Desert War, many nobles in the Central Territory set their sights on the Western Wilderness, where the situation had changed dramatically, and illegally seized and annexed land to seek personal gain."

"Now, the deadline for settling accounts under the Land Measurement Order is fast approaching, and they are all trying their best to clear their names..."

Qiu Ke's face turned pale.

"You supported our expedition to the desert and even bribed several frontline officers in secret, all so that the standing army could create a huge upheaval in the Western Wilderness! To catch these greedy nobles and landowners off guard, force them to expose their true colors, and turn them into a huge source of wealth for your tax bureau to confiscate and fine!"

The news revealed by the military advisor was of great importance, causing an uproar at the royal council, and King Kessel's gaze also shifted.

Qiu Ke was furious: "You're spouting nonsense! You're talking rubbish..."

"I have the list of those officers. What, do you want to confront them? Or do you want the secret service to investigate?"

"You, Your Majesty, I—" Qiu Ke was extremely anxious, but stammered.

Sodor gritted his teeth and relentlessly pursued the attack:
"For this reason, you even secretly leaked the news of the standing army's westward expedition!"

"And that unlucky guy at the royal banquet, Doyle of Mirror River?"

"They're just one of the easy targets on your list!"

At the imperial council meeting, the ministers were surprised and began to look at Qiu Ke with new respect.

Viscount Connie coughed and asked with concern:

"Well, my father-in-law's family also has some businesses in the Western Wilderness, you wouldn't happen to..."

"How could that be, Lord Connie!" Joker said with a fawning smile.

But he immediately turned to the king, his face contorted in grief:
"Your Majesty, I just... that..."

King Kessel simply squinted at him.

“Juke, you truly are a ‘money bag’.” Gilbert, seeing Juke’s expression, had already guessed the truth and couldn’t help but sigh.

"No wonder they all say that you can even pull money out of your crotch, that you're a master at making money and supporting the kingdom."

Qiu Ke's cheek twitched.

"Yes."

On the other side, Prime Minister Cullen scoffed and added a cryptic remark:
"Someone else's crotch."

Sodor snorted angrily, his attitude self-evident.

Facing everyone's gaze, Qiu Ke swallowed hard and quickly raised her hand:

"Alright, Your Majesty, everyone, listen to me..."

"That's right. We originally had a few extra fines and confiscations from this expedition, which could be included in the next quarter's budget..."

“The Doyle family?” Gilbert whispered.

Qiu Ke paused, sensing the doubt in everyone's eyes, and her voice immediately softened.

He took a deep breath:

“That’s right! But the Doyle family deserved it! Over the years, they’ve committed a whole host of crimes, including illegally occupying land across borders, illegal tenancy, smuggling, tax evasion, underreporting population, and violating traditions. They should have been dealt with long ago! Our Finance and Taxation Bureau is dedicated to serving the country and acting impartially…”

"Enough nonsense, where's the money?" Sodor ignored his excuses and went straight to the point:

"Now that the prince has been back for several months, and our mission is complete, shouldn't your tax bureau have eaten and drunk your fill?"

The military advisor was aggressive:

"Why are you still making excuses and claiming poverty at the Imperial Conference! When the Southern Territory has us cornered and left with no way to retreat, you're still clinging to your wallet and hindering His Majesty's military reforms!"

These accusations, delivered with such confidence and conviction, filled Qiu Ke with a mixture of shock and anger:
"You, you, me, me—"

He looked around, but none of his colleagues dared to speak; Sodor's gaze was sharp and piercing.

Qiu Ke felt a wave of dizziness. He had to take a deep breath and shout:
"Prince Thales!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback once again.

"What?" Sodor asked in confusion.

Qiu Ke gasped for breath and said angrily:

"I'm sorry, but I didn't originally intend to say what I'm about to say here, after all..."

He calmed his breathing and resigned himself to his fate:

“That’s right. Doyle’s case, Sodor, is enough for you to expand your heavy cavalry force by eight hundred to a thousand by the standard of the standing army, plus their squire equipment and logistics, and maybe even more.”

Sodor slammed his fist on the table and mouthed "I knew it."

But Qiu Ke changed the subject:
"But! After Prince Thales, I mean, that incident at the banquet, Doyle's case was exposed to the light of day, turning from a simple case into a hot potato attracting national attention. Even the case files were taken away by the Royal Secret Service overnight!"

Someone couldn't help but turn their head: the scarred man from the secret service was expressionless, as if he hadn't heard a thing.

Sodor frowned: "The Western Wilderness is a vast land, and your sources of income certainly don't just include them."

Juke sighed pitifully:

“Yes! But don’t forget, Prince Thales stood up for the Doyle family last night in His Majesty’s name! Now everyone thinks that Doyle has the Duke of Starlake backing him, and is the heir to the kingdom…”

"This has affected our other cases. Now, no one dares to touch, let alone handle, anything involving land annexation or the old and new aristocrats."

Sodol's expression changed slightly.

"So when I said 'go ask Prince Thales for money,' hey, it was true!" Joker said indignantly.

Gilbert angrily rebuked:
"Qiu Ke!"

Qiu Ke realized what was happening and waved her hand in regret:
"I know, I know, that's why I said it. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say that!"

Since the matter involved the royal family, no one dared to speak easily, and many people secretly glanced at the king at the end of the long table.

But King Kessel remained unmoved, as if Juke had not just complained about his son and heir.

The treasurer recovered, and seeing that no one spoke, his confidence immediately returned by a third:

"Alright, let's not talk about the prince... so stop blaming me, soldier."

"If you had done a better job in the Western Wilderness, been more economical, more efficient, and more profitable, we wouldn't be in this situation."

Sodor wanted to speak out in rebuttal, but hesitated repeatedly.

"For more than half a year, we mobilized a large army, traveled long distances, and even inexplicably fought a war with our own people. How much money and food did we waste in the process?"

Qiu Ke became more and more fluent as he spoke, to the point that he slammed his fist on the table, his voice carrying clearly throughout the narrow conference room:

"What did you bring back? Aha, a report saying you want to expand your army!"

"They've spent such a huge sum of the kingdom's budget, and not only have they accomplished nothing, but they haven't even gotten any spoils..."

"We didn't even make back the money we spent on shoeing horses!"

"Then what else do you want?"

Sodor could no longer contain himself and slammed his fist on the table, standing up:

"Do you want my warriors to shed blood and sacrifice their lives in the Western Wilderness, attacking the Wasteland? Looting Wing Fortress? Or swallowing up Heroes' Fortress? Ravaging the homes of all the local nobles?"

"How about we burn the entire Western Wilderness to a wasteland and send all the spoils to the tax office, so that you won't have so much whining and complaining when you're sitting here leisurely counting your copper coins?"

Qiu Ke scoffed lightly:
"Then why don't you guys do it!"

"And what was the result? It turns out you all just went on a vacation, and even the prince himself was brought back by the nobles of the Western Wilderness!"

The military advisor angrily said:

"What? His Highness is elusive and unpredictable in the Western Wilderness, and he even took a sword and a flag from someone!"

"The procession escorting him back to the capital by Cloma and Bozdorf was large and respectful!"

"What can we do? What should we do? What should we do?"

Having regained his confidence, Qiu Ke, knowledgeable and shrewd, remained fearless: "Then why are you yelling at me?"

"Go find the prince!"

"Why not tell him about your grievances? Ask him why he sided with the enemy, blocking your army, cutting off my source of income, giving Kevin Deer an opportunity, leaving everyone at a loss, putting His Majesty in a dilemma, and ultimately ruining the kingdom's military reforms..."

"That's enough, you two!"

Gilbert gave a stern warning.

"You'll never understand, money bag!"

Sodor, enraged, laughed, completely ignoring the Foreign Minister's reprimand:
"You'll only ever see the glint of copper coins, only hear the jingling of gold coins, and never understand the significance of our expedition to the Western Wilderness, nor the sacrifices we made for the kingdom—"

Boom!Boom!
Everyone turned their heads at once, and saw the scarred spy from the secret service standing there with an apologetic look on his face, and a broken teapot on the ground.

“I’m sorry,” the scarred man said hastily, bowing deeply. “It was my fault.”

"I'm just... thirsty."

Only then did the ministers turn around.

“Yes,” Prime Minister Cullen muttered to himself, head bowed, then his eyes lit up:
"It is indeed your fault."

Interrupted for a moment, Sodor and Joker both snorted, sat back down, and turned their heads away from each other.

But the Foreign Secretary was furious.

“Sodor, Joker, watch your words! This has nothing to do with His Highness Thales!”

Gilbert's words were harsh:

"Your Highness's life is of utmost importance; your safe return to the capital is the greatest contribution you can make to the kingdom! Nothing else matters!"

"And don't forget, we're here to discuss countermeasures to deal with the predicament caused by the leak of this letter. This is a matter of official business for the kingdom. Don't turn this into a personal grudge."

Sodor and Qiu Ke then calmed down a bit.

At that moment, the Prime Minister coughed.

"Don't blame them, Count Cassel, Lord Sodor, and Lord Joker had no choice..."

Duke Cullen shook his head:

"Whether it's sending troops to the Western Wilderness or hosting a royal banquet, it's just that Prince Thales' timing is always too coincidental..."

"Just like this letter."

The prime minister shook his head at the king, making a pointed remark.

"They've put us in a very difficult situation."

"There is no way out."

(End of this chapter)