Imperial Crown.

Chapter 424 Do it!

Xuefeng Castle is an ancient castle with a history of nearly 700 years.

Before becoming the territory of the Griffith family, the castle was occupied by five families, including the Luke family of Viscount John.

Each family will expand on the original basis according to their own preferences.

The scale of this castle built along the ridge has reached the limit of that of a viscount. The main body of the castle alone has 5 floors and is 27 meters high.

The annual castle maintenance costs and labor wages combined would cost at least 600 gold coins.

After taking over the castle from Viscount John, Raven had maliciously speculated that Viscount John had exchanged territory with him because he was unable to afford the upkeep of the huge castle.

But now, Raven no longer has to pay for this expense.

On March 1204, 3 in the Guangming calendar, Xuefeng Castle welcomed its sixth true owner.

Denise Ota Griffith, newly crowned Viscount.

At this moment, she was sitting upright in a high-backed chair on the platform at the end of the hall of Xuefeng Castle.

Her long black hair was piled high, and she wore a silver ring-shaped crown on her head with three pearls, one large and two small, in the middle, representing her status as a viscount.

The standing collar that reaches up to the cheeks is part of the white outer robe, which is embroidered with eagle feather patterns in gold thread, which appear and disappear in the sunlight.

Under the cloak was a tight-fitting purple silk dress with a waistband, decorative jewel buttons on the front and a circle of dark red mink fur at the end of the flared cuffs.

A white and slender hand stretched out from the cuff, holding a slender silver scepter embroidered with gold patterns. On the top of the scepter was an eagle with spread wings.

From the headdress to the scepter, everything embodies nobility and majesty.

"Lord Viscount!"

Shouts and the sound of clothes rubbing against each other echoed in the hall, which was the sound of hundreds of people saluting together.

Denise's expression remained unchanged and solemn, taking in the entire scene in the hall.

Under the high platform, the three groups were clearly divided.

One was headed by Kuman, and behind him were a group of civil servants from Xuefeng's territory, including government officials, tax collectors, clerks, etc.

One was headed by Manson, and behind him were a group of military officers from Xuefeng Territory, including sheriffs, militia officers, night patrol officers, etc.

The third group was the most gorgeously dressed and the smallest in number.

They were representatives from the surrounding barons, and their leader was the newly appointed Baron Eric himself.

Denise's eyes fell on Kuman:

"Kuman, are all the people here?"

The moment his name was called, Kuman's heart skipped a beat.

Ever since Denise was crowned Viscount, Kuman had anticipated that this day would come.

As a political officer of the Snow Maple Territory, Kuman once served Viscount John and worked under Raven for a long time. It was very common for him to report to Denise, and he was very familiar with Denise.

However, standing in the hall as Denise's subordinate, he still felt tremendous pressure.

Because she seemed like a completely different person!
In Eagle City, Denise was always gentle and generous. Whenever Lord Raven got angry, she would be the first to comfort him, showing the loving motherly demeanor of a mistress of the house.

But now, she was as cold as an iceberg while holding the scepter, her delicate face was full of majesty, even with a bit of authority that shouldn't appear on a woman!

This reminded Kuman of the legend of the "Empress".

This is a story that has been circulated since an unknown time to satirize the Insa Empire. It says that Insa IX was a woman, and later generations of Insa erased it in order to cover up this humiliating history.

This is indeed a wonderful irony, but also a rumor full of loopholes, because Kuman could not imagine a woman becoming an emperor.

But now, Kuman believes this legend a little bit.

He had never seen an empress, but if there was one in this world, she would look like Denise!

Taking a step forward and saluting respectfully, Kuman whispered, "Yes, Lord Viscount."

"All officials from 11 towns in Xuefeng County, including Xuefeng Town, Liujing Town, and Rust District, totaling 134 people, are here!"

Denise nodded slightly, her voice steady and serious:
"In that case, I will announce my first order as Viscount."

"From today on, all officials in the castle - including the butler, clerk, treasurer, recorder, cashier, all officials, will be dismissed on the spot."

"All matters will be taken over by the people I brought with me!"

This news immediately shocked all the officials and guests present!

It is not unusual for a noble to employ his own team when taking office, but such a swift and decisive change is extremely rare.

Especially the original butler of the castle, he didn't react at all, he thought it was a joke, until a group of beautiful women dressed neatly and like men rushed into the hall, he realized the seriousness of the problem.

So he quickly winked at Kuman.

Kuman didn't want to step forward at this time. No matter who was the first to do so, they would inevitably be targeted by Denise.

However, the low discussions in the hall at the beginning were getting louder and louder, and it seemed that they were about to get out of control.

Kuman was about to speak when a rough voice suddenly rang out.

"My Lord Viscount." Eric stepped forward and said loudly, "I think your decision is ill-considered."

As an old-fashioned and conservative man, Eric did not like women in power.

But he would not speak out against it simply because he didn't like it, but because he had more practical considerations.

Over the past 11 years, Eric has been overwhelmed by the changes in the Griffith family's territory.

At the grassroots level, most women who used to stay at home, weaving, taking care of children, and feeding chickens, now go into factories and start making money.

There are even more vivid examples at the political level.

Fiona inherited old Gordon's position and title, and actually became the housekeeper of Eagle City; Julia was transferred from an Eagle Eye Guard to Earl Raven's personal guard, and performed brilliantly in the battle; and now that Denise has become a viscount, a group of women will be promoted as officials of Snowmaple Castle.

All of this made Eric uneasy.

If it is not stopped, more and more women will appear in various positions, which will undoubtedly squeeze men's resources and opportunities.

"First of all, I want to thank Baron Eric for coming to witness my first day in office." Denise said calmly, "I also welcome you to judge the success or failure of my administration."

"But Snow Maple Castle is my castle. It's my own business who I want to employ in my own castle, right?"

"This..." Eric swallowed his saliva: "I am being presumptuous."

Seeing that Eric was defeated after only one round of fighting, Kuman had no choice but to step forward:
"My Lord Viscount, Xuefeng Castle is of course your castle, but as the center of Xuefeng Territory, it is the key core of the operation of the entire territory."

"I understand your desire to get rid of the old and bring in the new, but this matter cannot be rushed."

"The Earl is about to attack the Orc Empire, and the Snow Maple Territory is the largest territory of the Griffith Family. Even the slightest mistake will affect the Earl's plan!"

"You might as well use March as the limit to examine their abilities. Those who are capable can stay, and those who are not can leave. This can be considered a smooth transition period."

Denise nodded slowly, not getting angry at Kuman's objection:
"What you said makes sense, but the premise is that I am just acting out of selfish motives. I simply want to replace the officials in the castle with my own people."

Cold sweat broke out on Kuman's forehead: "My Lord Viscount, I didn't mean that!"

"I know you don't have it." Denise glanced at the officials, "But it's hard to say whether others have it or not."

As she spoke, she pointed to the group of women who had just walked in: "When you see them, you only see a group of women, and you see the stereotyped labels of women being weak, petty, and willful, but you can't see what kind of people they are."

"As it happens, I know it very well."

Denise pointed to the woman in the front, who looked very well-behaved and docile, like a housewife. "Her name is Angie. She used to be my personal maid and will be my next housekeeper."

"She has been with me for many years and has been taught by me. She has been involved in many projects independently when I was in charge of the finances of Prime Minister Griffith's family."

Then he pointed to a middle-aged woman with simple clothes and a calm expression and said, "She, Jeanna, is the one I left in the Mon'en City Chamber of Commerce to take care of many internal affairs of the Chamber of Commerce on my behalf. In the previous Eivor War, she transported hundreds of millions of pounds of materials and never made any mistakes. Is she not qualified to be my treasurer?"

Finally, Denise introduced a young woman who wore golden earrings and had very short nails. Although she was not as beautiful as Denise, her appearance was also very delicate, and her pointed ears showed that she had a slight elven bloodline.

"And she, Aijiaer, is not only in charge of the laws and paperwork of Mon'en City, but is also proficient in the tricks of communicating with the Imperial Council and other institutions. She can complete the procedures that others may take half a year to complete in just one month." "Each of them has their own strengths and advantages, and they all have at least five years of work experience."

At this point, Denise paused and said, "Now, do you still think I was just acting on impulse?"

Kuman's heart skipped a beat.

In recent years, Denise has stayed in Eagle City all year round, and Kuman almost forgot that Denise also serves as the president of the Chamber of Commerce in the Lower City of Mon'en City.

Managing such a large Chamber of Commerce is no less difficult than managing a Snow Maple Territory. Moreover, in the past nine years, all matters of Snow Maple Territory, big or small, have been decided by Eagle City, and the officials in Snow Maple Castle are indeed somewhat inexperienced.

If we really compare our abilities, I'm no match for him.

But these people who were about to be eliminated were all old friends who had been with Kuman for more than ten or twenty years. At this moment, all eyes were on him, making him quite uncomfortable. He could only try to fight for it again:
"My Lord Viscount, I have no intention of questioning their abilities, but..."

"No buts." Denise interrupted Kuman: "This is my order, not a negotiation with you."

“Do it!”

Faced with this unquestionable tone, Kuman's scalp tightened: "Yes, sir."

The discussions died down, and the officials present were silent, but their eyes were full of complicated expressions.

Not only was I shocked by Denise's decisiveness, but I was also surprised by her ambition.

Although those women had different appearances and ages, they behaved very calmly since entering the hall. It was obvious that they were not temporarily brought in to make up the numbers, but were really used to all kinds of big scenes.

This kind of team cannot be created overnight.

Could it be that Denise had already anticipated the day when she would be crowned Viscount?
Denise saw the suspicion in the officials' eyes and knew why they were doubting.

But Denise herself knew that it was not because she was so far-sighted, but because the reality forced her to do so.

Before marrying into the Griffith family, Denise ran a chamber of commerce.

In the Middles continent, women rarely show their faces in public, let alone run an independent business.

Contempt and covetousness from men are everywhere.

Incompetent men always deliberately make trouble under Denise's command, and even take the initiative to cause trouble and ask to be fired, as if that is a kind of honor.

A capable man either wants to take over the Chamber of Commerce or Denise, or both.

This is also the reason why Denise has never had an extraordinary guard.

Female extraordinary people were too rare, and as a mortal at the time, if she dared to keep a male extraordinary person by her side, she would only end up being swallowed whole.

Therefore, for the smooth development of the Chamber of Commerce, Denise had to cultivate her own talents.

Character has nothing to do with gender, there will still be women who betray her, but at least in the current environment, these women will know that if they leave the Chamber of Commerce, they will have no other place to go.

After 20 years of hard work, she finally had a group of trustworthy and available people.

Denise looked at the officials below and raised her voice to attract everyone's attention: "This time, I just replaced the officials in the castle, but it does not mean that you are safe."

"I will review your work next. If anyone is not competent for his position, be prepared to be replaced."

"I still have a lot of talented people under me."

"Minister Cuman has just said that the Count's expedition is imminent. Anyone who dares to drag his feet or fail to deliver at this time, or even deliberately sabotages production in order to oppose me..."

A few inexplicable syllables suddenly burst out from her throat, and a ball of dark light suddenly flew out from the top of the scepter, passed through the crowd, and sank into the wall at the top of the gate, instantly creating a clear and round hole.

"Although I am a woman, I am not afraid of killing people!"

The pupils of the officials present all shook.

Magician!?

Lady Denise, no, Viscount Denise, is actually also a magician! ?
Compared to the common users of fighting spirit, magicians are synonymous with mystery, power and terror. All kinds of inexplicable phenomena in daily life can be attributed to the power of magic.

The officials all felt a chill in their hearts and bowed their heads in greeting:
"We will carry out your will, sir!"

At the same time, I also had some complaints in my heart - you had told me earlier that you were a magician, and we didn't dare to have any objections.

Denise took a deep breath and calmed the magic in her body.

Although she became a magician after taking the magical fruit, Denise was not interested in this. She only meditated occasionally during her rest period. Her magic power was only level 1, 8 stars, which was still some distance away from level 2.

But it is barely enough to intimidate these mortals.

Denise slowed down her voice and said, "But you don't have to worry. As long as you do well, not only will there be no punishment, but I will also be generous in giving you rewards. Wealth, status, and even titles are all possible."

"Kuman."

"Yes, sir!"

"Under your governance, Xuefeng Territory has been running quite well before, and I am not going to make any drastic changes."

Kuman heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that. He was really afraid that Denise would make changes to the administrative divisions of the territory in order to establish her authority, which would cause too much trouble.

Now it seems that Denise is still very sensible in doing things.

Denise continued, "But next up is the war against the Orc Empire, and military supplies are a top priority."

"So, I hope you can recruit people and speed up the construction of a new blacksmith factory. I hope to see the blacksmith factory's production capacity increase to more than three times its current level within this year!"

After a moment's thought, Kuman understood Denise's intention.

Now the Eagle Army has expanded to 6 legions, with a total of 33000 people, and the demand for equipment has also increased.

But it was not so bad in Griffith's territory. If the army really set out, it would inevitably face the damage of armor and weapons.

It is very likely that in a war, there will be thousands of armors that need to be repaired and tens of thousands of weapons that need to be repaired, and the blacksmiths accompanying the army alone are simply not enough to meet the demand.

Therefore, it is much more efficient to expand production capacity, prepare more weapons and armor, replace them directly after the war, and transport the scrapped items back than to repair them on the spot.

"Understood, Your Excellency the Viscount!" Kuman took note of it carefully.

The meeting continued, starting in the morning and ending in the afternoon.

Thor walked out of the gate of Snow Maple Castle irritably, his face covered with oil and sweat.

A pair of men walked by, and Thor took a glance and recognized them as messengers sent by Baron Mark and Baron Kate.

The two men did not notice Thor and whispered:

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, if you live long enough, you will see enough new things. Denise is just a woman, but she speaks and acts like a real person."

"Yes, that majestic look is more terrifying than our master's temper. Even Baron Eric was put out by a word."

"I can't help it. Denise is a viscount after all."

"That makes sense. It seems that after we go back, we have to persuade our master. Women are women, but she is a viscount after all. It's better not to care about your own face and damage your actual interests!"

As the two talked, they walked further away, and Thor's face became worse and worse.

Although there were many outsiders, they had little influence in the Griffith family.

Now that Kuman has been assigned to Denise's command, it means that the strength of Denise's subordinates is mainly composed of these outsiders, and naturally they have to rely on outsiders to do things.

The balance between the two sides was suddenly reversed.

The importance of Viscount Denise is much greater than that of Thor's father, the Baron!

Thor was in a very bad mood, but on the other side, someone was in a very good mood.

For example, Pip, the son of Juna.

He had just done a great thing for Lord Raven.

……

(End of this chapter)