Witch Wind

Chapter 215: Black Crow Empire (Part )

There is a ghost wandering in the sky above the West Land.

Well, isn’t Xing Tianli this ghost?

After the Farus Empire Army captured the city of Maro, the Empire Army's progress was unstoppable. Including the city of Maro, the thirteen armies advanced triumphantly. The Farus troops along the way were almost defeated at the first touch. In some places, the white flag was raised without firing a single shot.

Admiral Ruby, the Chief of Staff who had just retired from the active service of the Ingish Kingdom Army and was hired by the Farus Empire Army at great expense, and a group of senior advisers who had also just retired from the Ingish Kingdom Army were all terrified.

Yingjishi and Falushi, that's a family feud!
Once upon a time, the Farus Kingdom army had invaded Hillland Island many times, burning, killing and looting wantonly, causing extremely tragic war trauma to the Yingji people. On two occasions, the Farus Kingdom army had approached the Yingji capital and almost destroyed the Yingji people!
The history books of England are filled with the blood and tears brought by the French.

That is to say, in the last hundred years, the Kingdom of England has risen, exploded, and become powerful through maritime trade, overseas plunder, and the supply of a large number of colonies... As a result, the England people have gradually gained an overwhelming strategic advantage over the Faroese people.

Even so, the British only dare to say that they are the number one naval power in the Western Continent.

All along, in the hearts of all the people in the hundred countries in the Far West, Farus is undoubtedly the number one land power!

Thirty years ago, in that shocking war that affected the entire Western Continent, if it were not for the newly emerging classes of big capitalists, big bankers, big factory owners, etc. in Farus, who stabbed the Farus Kingdom in the back and caused the entire Farus Kingdom to collapse, and the revolutionary army directly wiped out the entire aristocratic circle, it would be hard to say who would have won the final victory in that war.

In the great war thirty years ago, even though Farus was in great chaos and the kingdom's army was almost completely defeated in the later stages of the war, the political situation of the hundreds of countries in the entire Western Continent changed drastically. Several kingdoms and principalities that were close to Farus were dismembered, and their territories were divided up by various countries.

However, the national strength of Farus itself was intact, and nearly 40% of the benefits of the dismembered kingdoms and principalities, their territories, people, minerals, resources, etc., were swallowed up by the newly born Farus Republic Federation.

Farus's comprehensive national strength was not only not damaged, but its on-paper strength was much stronger than before the war.

Such a powerful country.

How could a traditional powerful enemy that had dozens of chapters of tutorials in the history textbooks of the Kingdom of Yingjishi be so weak?
The Farus Empire Army under the Black Crow Emperor was not a strong army at all. It was just a motley crowd gathered from the poor and civilians of Yingji at a huge cost. Just three months of military training could not bring them much improvement in combat power.

They actually marched straight in and defeated the Farus army, known as the "No. 1 Army in the Western Continent"?
There is no such thing.

There is absolutely no such reason.

Therefore, Old Ruby personally ordered all armies to suspend the attack, stabilize their positions, build defensive positions in the occupied territories, increase the transportation of supplies from Hillland Island, replenish troops, and completely annex the occupied territories before making subsequent plans.

Just like when Xing Tianli was in the Dusk Mountains, the small bronze tripod created a human skin that was exactly the same as his own. He then summoned a ghost general of the highest level from the Tongtian Yuling Banner, had the ghost wear the human skin, and paraded around Maro City and the surrounding towns.

He changed his appearance and left the city of Maro leisurely with a few ghost generals who were also covered in human skin.

Baidanfeng City, the capital of Falushi.

Among the hundreds of countries in the far west, the pearl with the longest history, the brightest and the most attractive. There is a folk proverb in the West: "Outside the Baidanfeng City, there are only remote and poor places!"
Here are the most magnificent palaces, the most exquisite mansions, the most beautiful gardens, the most elegant art halls, the oldest and most advanced universities in the entire Western Continent... the best, the best, the best, the best, basically, everything you can think of that can exist in the human world in the Western Continent can be described with the word "best" in Bai Dan Fengcheng.

Among them, of course, are the most expensive jewels, the most exquisite jewelry, the most fragrant perfume, the most exquisite dresses, the most enchanting beauties, the most luxurious and comfortable enjoyment, the most fashionable trends...

In the history of the Far West Hundred Kingdoms, at least more than a hundred emperors and queens, after visiting Baidanfeng City, angrily announced publicly: "I wish I could live in Baidanfeng City forever!"

Throughout history, there have been more than ten foreign emperors who abandoned their own capitals and lived in Baidanfeng City, enjoying life here while remotely controlling domestic affairs.

Such a beautiful Baidanfeng City, one can imagine how many coveted eyes it has attracted throughout history.

Especially the traditional powerful enemy of the Farus, the Yingjishi, they had attacked the mainland many times, from the western coast, and attacked Baidanfeng City again and again. But no enemy could get within a thousand miles of Baidanfeng City.

This magical city, which has never had any city walls built, has since been honored in the Western Continent with the following title: the abode of God that will never fall.

Leaving behind a ghost commander to argue with Old Ruby and others in Maro City, Xing Tianli held his head high and went straight into Baidanfeng City. He skillfully used gold coins to clear the way, and smoothly passed the group of old men and young people he had dealt with before, and booked an entire extremely luxurious hotel in a prosperous area just one street away from the parliament building of the Farus Republic Federation.

The hotel was booked in the morning. In the afternoon, Xing Tianli, also using gold coins to pave the way, entered the parliament building of the Farus Republic with ease. He went straight into the meeting hall where the national conference was being held without any obstruction.

In the tiered meeting hall that could hold seven to eight thousand people, Xing Tianli and a group of "social elites" who also used gold coins sat at the highest point of the tiered seats.

The huge meeting hall was packed with people, most of whom were "social elites", while those gathered at the lower level of the tiered seats, men and women with ribbons around their necks, looking dignified, were the parliamentarians who now controlled all the power in Farus, a traditional power in the Western Continent.

Well, it's not quite accurate to say that they are members of parliament.

After the collapse of the Kingdom of Farus, the revolutionaries seized power. However, the composition of the revolutionary party was too complex. They came from all walks of life and were leading figures from various emerging industries. They were numerous and only by combining their strengths could they overthrow the old dynasty.

Before the revolution, these guys were all civilians, all untouchables.

Whether they run a bank, a factory, or have hundreds of thousands of acres of vineyards in the countryside and employ tens of thousands of workers, in short, they are all low-class people. They do not have power, and none of them is more noble than the other, so when competing for the fruits of victory, none of them has an advantage.

Faced with the complex domestic and international situation at that time, the Faroese Republic adopted the approach of "spreading flour" - sharing the benefits equally.

The vast country of France was divided into 222 provinces.

After a passionate and even violent competition, the political system of the new Republic of France was finally finalized - the power is divided into six levels: village, town, city, county, province, and country. A parliament is established at each level as the country's highest authority.

I won’t mention villages, towns, cities, counties, and provinces because they are too complicated.

Let's talk about the 'national' level. Fallus has 222 provinces. In order to ensure that all the bigwigs who contributed manpower, money and effort in the revolution can get due power, each province fairly elects 30 primary members to enter the national parliament.

As a result, Falus had 6,660 primary voter members.

These primary voter representatives can have a say in all major national affairs. They can propose new bills for everything, or amend certain legal provisions...even pardon a serious criminal, arrest a celebrity, or even wage war against a country.

Any proposal will enter the processing process as long as one-third of the preliminary voter votes agree!

Among these more than 6,000 preliminary members, each province will elect three review members. These 666 review members will review any proposals put forward by the preliminary members. As long as half of the review members think that the proposals of the preliminary members are reasonable, they will pass the proposal and submit it to the final review committee. The final review committee is very powerful. Each province has only one seat!
They are the real top figures. Any motion submitted by the reviewed members of parliament only needs to be approved by two-thirds of the final reviewers, and then it will become the national policy of Farus and will be promoted with all its strength!

Seems like a very reasonable power structure!

Every process is reasonable and logical, and once every national policy is formulated, it definitely represents the voice of the vast majority of people from all walks of life, industries, and circles in Farus.

But this matter is extremely terrifying when you think about it carefully, so terrifying that it is beyond words.

Five years ago, the sewer in a public restroom on a busy commercial street in the center of Baidanfeng City was damaged and public funds were needed to repair it.

Originally, this was something that could only be decided by the city council of Baidanfeng City. The city hall could just swing a pen and allocate funds to carry out the project.

However, this matter was somehow known to a certain member of the national preliminary resolution committee. He immediately used the reason that the appearance of Baidanfeng City was related to the face and dignity of the entire country, and wrote a 100,000-word masterpiece on whether the sewer in the public restroom needed to be repaired, how to repair it, and how to better repair it, and submitted it directly to the preliminary resolution committee.

Thus, the matter changed from the municipal affairs of Baidanfeng City to a national affair concerning the dignity of the country.

The 6,660 preliminary vote members heard the news, started to get excited, started to get agitated, started to connect with each other, communicate with each other, compete with each other, and trample on each other...

There were so many bizarre and filthy things happening that it is impossible to describe them in words.

For example, one of the preliminary members seriously discussed that the sewer in the public restroom needed to be repaired, but was the budget too high? It seemed like a waste of public money.

Correspondingly, some members of the preliminary resolution had a serious debate: the sewer in the public restroom needs to be repaired, but isn’t the budget a bit too shabby? The sewer is not bright and beautiful enough, and when foreign friends see it, they say that the people of Falu are all country bumpkins.

Similarly, there was a suggestion that the preliminary members were very annoyed - what era is it, and the sewers in this public restroom are still using old-fashioned lead pipes? This is too backward, too ugly, and too undignified. It is strongly recommended that the sewers must use the most advanced stainless steel pipes, and they must use new products from a large steel factory.

As a result, some preliminary members protested angrily - no matter what era, the style of the sewers must remain consistent and must conform to the elegance and tradition of the historic city of Bledanfontein. Therefore, old-fashioned lead pipes must be used, and all processes and all structural details must be the same as all current sewers.

You won’t know unless you get involved. Once you get involved, more preliminary members will give more suggestions and insights.

Repair the sewer?

OK!

But why only build a sewer for a public restroom?

Oh, look at the map, isn't this public restroom close to the home of a certain reviewer? Are you using public funds for private benefit? Ugh, you are a national parasite, I will impeach you!
Repair the sewer?

OK!

But if you build a sewer, do you have to dig up the road? Will it affect the transportation of nearby citizens? Will the stench from the sewer have a negative impact on the daily life and business transactions of the surrounding cafes, bakeries, hotels, and houses?

Will you compensate for the loss of travel, business, and mental damage? How much? How? At what time and in what way is it most reasonable to compensate?
If there is corruption in the calculation, review and payment of compensation, who will supervise? On what basis should this person supervise? Does this person who is selected have any shady dealings with some legislators behind the scenes?

Investigate, investigate thoroughly, investigate thoroughly!
In short, it was a question of whether the sewer in a public restroom should be repaired five years ago. It was originally a very simple matter, but five years have passed and more than 6,000 preliminary vote members have not reached a consensus!

The bill has not yet been submitted to the reviewing councillors. As for when the sewer, which is now filled with sewage and stinking with stench, can be repaired... God knows, no one knows!
Similar things happened countless times in the thirty years after the establishment of the Farus Republic.

A clogged drain in a restroom is certainly not a big deal.

However, the main battleships of the Home Fleet need repairs, and new warships need to be developed and supplemented. Isn’t this a big deal?

The natives of a certain colony rebelled and directly chopped off the governor's head. The rebels even defeated the colonial army. Tens of thousands of colonial troops have been wiped out by the natives. This is a big deal, right?

In the city of Baidanfeng, gangs are on the rise. A large number of old and young people have occupied a large number of gray and black areas under the cover of gangs. They do evil at will and even extend their hands into the General Intelligence Bureau and even the National Defense Force base outside the city. Is this a national event?

Even more so, when winter comes, should the local garrison be given one gold coin or how many silver coins for their cold protection? Why should they be given one gold coin? How should other expenses such as clothing, food, allowances, etc. be calculated? This should also be considered a big deal, right?

It has been five years since the issue of whether or not to repair the sewer in a bathroom and how to repair it has come to no conclusion.

Ha ha!

Xing Tianli sat quietly at the highest point in the meeting hall, overlooking the congressmen whose faces were red, who were furious, waving their arms and shouting wildly.

Poor Farus, the once powerful country, now finds it difficult to hold a proper national political conference.

More than 6,000 preliminary members, more than 6,000 people... Can they be ordinary people if they can become preliminary members and become one of the final 30 lucky ones in each province?
Can they not be busy?

Can they be free?

Could they stay in Baidanfeng City all year round, cursing in the streets all day long for some bullshit?
impossible!
Therefore, in the meeting hall in front of us, there are only more than 2,000 preliminary review members wearing silver ribbons, and only more than 300 review members wearing gold ribbons; on the contrary, almost all the members of the final review committee wearing blue and white striped ribbons are present.

These congressmen are all angry, roaring, cursing, and hysterical.

They kept greeting the old ladies of Yingjishi, and they frantically advocated the complete elimination of the remnants of the old kingdom. Some even shouted at the top of their lungs at a certain "Black Crow rebel", declaring that they would capture him alive and hang him at the muzzle of a cannon to execute him!
Xing Tianli found it interesting, but he was a little worried.

This time he came to Baidanfeng City, just to use the old trick, use gold coins to pave the way, and directly attack Farus's heart, so that they would be in chaos and it would be easier for his imperial army to sweep Farus.

However, he did not expect that the national conditions in Farus would be like this?
More than 6,000 preliminary review members, more than 600 review members, more than 200 final review members... Damn it! Xing Tianli was at a loss for the first time. If he bribed them one by one, money would be a small matter. Money has never been a problem. The problem is, there are too many people who have the say in the country of Farus, right?
With his legs crossed, Xing Tianli looked down at those passionate and generous congressmen with a bad look - with so many noisy guys, perhaps the only advantage they have is that they don't have to worry about being beheaded by foreign enemies?
Sitting quietly in the meeting hall, Xing Tianli listened to the chatter of these new Farus elites.

They kept clamoring for a full hour and a half, and finally quieted down under the pressure of several members of the final review committee in charge of today's meeting.

Then, three completely opposing proposals were submitted by these brilliant guys.

A group of preliminary members mainly engaged in trade proposed that peace be the most valuable. They first sent envoys to negotiate peace with Earl Black Crow, and at the same time, issued the most severe protest to the Kingdom of England through the diplomatic department!
A group of primary members, whose main business were steel, munitions and overseas colonial trade, proposed - fight, fight hysterically, recruit troops, distribute munitions, and finish the unfinished continental war thirty years ago!
A group of primary members, mainly large landowners and estate owners, with some old and young people as their background, also shyly submitted a proposal - war is cruel, inhumane, and unsupported, so why choose war? Peace talks, peace talks, Falusi needs an emperor, Falusi can have an emperor!
(End of this chapter)