Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 436 Mrs. Bayonetta's Dilemma and Su Li's Powerful Entry

After listening to Senators Smith and Zoe's descriptions, Su Li couldn't help but sigh. Even with such corruption, the people of the empire didn't rebel; they were truly submissive.

The people of the Empire truly possess an iron will!
Their will may not only stem from pressure from demons and monsters, but also from the dark and corrupt political environment within the empire.

However, Su Li understood them. In this world where supernatural powers existed, knights possessed an overwhelming advantage over ordinary people. On the battlefield, 300 fully armed elite knights could easily crush tens of thousands of peasant thugs.

Revolutionaries and rebels throughout the empire could only hide in dark corners or twisted forests. In a head-on confrontation, even with their iron will, they were no match for the steel blades of the elite knights.

While Su Li was pondering, the group successfully arrived at the headquarters of the Hessian Merchant Guild in Maleburg and settled the caravan's vehicles and personnel there.

Then Smith went to report on Su Li's upcoming visit to the City Lord's Mansion and invited many councilors to attend, while Zoe continued to lead the city guards to protect Su Li as they headed to the City Lord's Mansion in the center of the city.

Su Li deliberately delayed the time, and by the time they arrived at the city lord's mansion, it was already evening.

The banquet hall of the city lord's mansion was brightly lit, with crystal chandeliers reflecting dazzling light that made the white marble walls, inlaid with gold trim, gleam. The air was filled with the luxurious aroma of expensive spices, roasted meats, and aged wines. The long dining table was covered with a snow-white linen tablecloth and set with the finest silverware and porcelain from the south of the empire.

Almost all the powerful figures in the Maleiburg Parliament were present. Senator Smith was chatting and laughing quietly with several colleagues, while the other members of parliament were also elegantly holding glasses of amber-colored liquor, chatting and laughing in small groups.

The most dazzling star in the entire hall was undoubtedly Mrs. Bayonetta. She sat regally, like a magnet in the eye of a storm. At twenty-nine, she was at the peak of her mature feminine charm; the elegance sculpted by power, wisdom, and time made her stand out like a crane among chickens among the jewel-adorned ladies. However, this brilliance also made her a target. The council members surrounding her maintained a facade of polite formality, but their eyes were mostly cold, scrutinizing, and even tinged with hidden hostility.

Before the dinner even began, the atmosphere became subtly tense, deliberately guided by the crowd. Edgar Finn, a councilor responsible for city infrastructure, seized the opportunity of the assembled guests to launch an attack; his voice, though not loud, carried clearly throughout the head table area:
“Speaking of which, madam,” he looked at Bayonetta, his tone carrying a seemingly humble confusion, “the Municipal Works Committee under the council has conducted three rounds of detailed studies and public hearings regarding the final route determination for the main sewer line in the new city area. The plan is mature, and the budget has been approved. According to Article 17 of the Amendment to the Charter of Free City Autonomy, the final decision-making power for such purely municipal engineering matters should rest entirely with the council. I wonder why… the City Lord’s Mansion has been so slow to sign ‘acknowledge’ on the filing documents?”

He deliberately emphasized "pure municipal engineering affairs" and "full responsibility of the council," as well as the highly symbolic action of "signing 'knowing'"—this was no longer a simple procedural matter, but a naked declaration of power: the council believed that the city lord's mansion had no right to even symbolically "know" and only needed to passively accept the council's decisions.

Bayonetta raised her eyes, her gaze calmly meeting that of Councilor Finn: "Councilor Finn, I am also familiar with Article 17 of the Amendment to the Charter of Autonomy. It stipulates that the Council has the 'leading decision-making power' in such matters, but it does not deprive the City Lord's Mansion of its 'oversight power' and 'right to know about major matters' as the ultimate guardian of the city. The new sewer line involves the supporting structure of several important historical blocks in the old city. This is a matter of great importance. The City Lord's Mansion requests a more detailed geological survey report and structural impact assessment. This is both its duty and a requirement of procedural justice."

Her voice was clear and articulate, directly pointing out the council's attempt to blur concepts and expand its power, and emphasizing the legal basis for the existence of the city lord's mansion.

However, another member of parliament, Lydia Crawford, who was in charge of commercial arbitration, immediately took over the conversation, her voice carrying a smooth sense of "fairness": "The oversight right that you mentioned is certainly necessary. However, times have changed, and Maleiburg is no longer the old imperial fortress that can operate efficiently by relying on a single military lord."

“Modern urban management is complex and sophisticated, requiring professionalism, efficiency, and collective decision-making! The council’s committee system, which brings together experts from various fields, is precisely designed to address this complexity. Does the city lord’s office’s oversight sometimes become an obstacle to efficiency? For example, in this case, the decision on the sewer route was delayed by one day, which meant additional waste of the city’s public budget and potential environmental risks.”

Her rhetoric was even more sophisticated, portraying the council as a synonym for professionalism and efficiency, while stigmatizing the city lord's supervisory power as an "inefficiency hindrance."

Bayonetta's fingers tightened slightly inside her sleeve. These seemingly concrete matters were all battlefields carefully chosen by the council, with the aim of taking advantage of the city lord's absence to reduce her power as the city lord's wife and even the power of the city lord's mansion behind her.

Beneath the surface of this seemingly peaceful city, a treacherous conspiracy is brewing.

Just then, Speaker Vigo Malcolm's deep, penetrating voice rang out. He didn't look at Bayonetta, but rather spoke as if stating a universally acknowledged truth to the air:

"Efficiency is the lifeline of Maleiburg." He slowly set down his wine glass, his hawk-like gaze sweeping across the room with an innate authority. "This city has become the jewel of the empire's south not because of ancient coats of arms and outdated scepters, but because of the wisdom and hard work of countless merchants, artisans, and citizens; it is the collective decision-making of the council that has given it vitality and order. Redundant power structures only bring constraints and the unnecessary waste of resources. Maleiburg's future needs a simpler, more efficient power core that better represents the will of all its citizens."

Although he did not directly name the abolition of the City Lord's Mansion, his intentions were already clear from the phrases "redundant power structure," "outdated scepter," and "a power core (parliament) that better represents the will of all citizens." He was setting the tone for the final action and sending a signal to the councilors present—the siege of the City Lord's Mansion was the unwavering will of the council.

Bayonetta felt a chill. Speaker Vigo's words were tantamount to a public declaration of war. These contradictions had existed since her husband's time. Now, she was isolated and helpless; the city lord was on an expedition, intending to use the momentum of a great victory to suppress the council's ambitions. Now she had to face this pack of wolves, sharpening their knives and seeking to overthrow tradition, alone. She felt acutely that she was the carefully orchestrated sacrifice, thrown into the eye of the storm.

Just then, the banquet hall doors were respectfully pushed open by a servant.

"Lord of Black Forest, Lord Su Li has arrived!"

All eyes instantly focused on the entrance. Su Li appeared there, dressed in a well-tailored dark suit, young and imposing, exuding a sharp edge that hadn't yet fully faded from the battlefield. His gaze swept across the room, passing over Smith's fawning smile, Zoe's amused eyes, and the councilors' insincere pleasantries, finally settling on Mrs. Bayonetta beside the head of the table.

Bayonetta looked up at the same time.

The instant their eyes met, a barely perceptible current seemed to surge through the air. Deep within Su Li's eyes, a fleeting glint of undisguised covetousness and ambition flashed once more.

Bayonetta's heart skipped a beat. For some reason, she could feel an unusual heat in that gaze, something far more than just a man's possessiveness towards a woman. This made her uneasy, but she could only suppress the strange feeling in her heart and maintain a calm facade.

Su Li smiled and strode in.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting." His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, carrying an undeniable sense of power.

Smith was the first to greet him, his face beaming with smiles: "Not at all! It is an honor for the council that Lord Su Li, with his busy schedule, could take time out of his busy schedule to come!" He eagerly led Su Li to the head table.

The councilors' gazes grew more complex. There was apprehension, scrutiny, and calculation. They watched Su Li walk step by step towards Bayonetta's location, as if observing a boulder thrown into stagnant water, anticipating the monstrous waves it would unleash.

Speaker Vigo finally turned around slowly, his hawk-like eyes sharply locking onto Su Li, his face bearing a formulaic yet cold "welcome" expression.

Bayonetta took a deep breath and gracefully stood up as Su Li approached, her face once again displaying that perfect, aloof smile: "Welcome, Lord Su Li. Your presence brings honor to the City Lord's Mansion." Her voice remained clear and melodious, but only she knew that her palms were slightly sweaty.

The eye of the storm has already gathered. In the carefully orchestrated game by the council, the two main players are now in place.

Su Li waved his hand with a faint smile, then sat down at the end of the long table as if he were the master of the place, exuding composure and authority, and said, "Please take your seats."

This scene instantly froze the insincere pleasantries in the banquet hall. The air seemed to solidify, and even the light from the crystal chandelier appeared dazzling. The smiles on the members of parliament's faces froze, and they exchanged bewildered glances. Some eyes flashed with surprise and suspicion, while others ignited suppressed anger. It truly felt like letting a wolf into the house, and this wolf seemed to have no intention of following their expected script, immediately taking the lead and occupying the seat symbolizing supreme power!

Senator Smith's fawning smile froze for a moment, then grew even more eager. He almost jogged forward, diligently pulling out the heavy, high-backed chair adorned with the imperial eagle emblem for Su Li—a seat that should have been reserved for the city lord, or perhaps the highest-ranking Speaker Vigo. Zoe Ramsey's amused smile deepened as she gently swirled the amber liquid in her glass, as if watching a sudden dramatic turn of events.

Speaker Vigo Malcolm's hawk-like eyes were fixed on Su Li with sharp, piercing gaze. His hardened face was expressionless, but the slightly taut jawline and his hand gripping the armrests so tightly his knuckles turned white betrayed his inner rage. Su Li's actions were tantamount to a resounding slap in the face to the entire Maleburg Council! He disregarded Vigo's presence, and even more so, the symbolic status of Lady Bayonetta, the city lord, declaring with an almost arrogant attitude that he was the most powerful being present at that moment.

Lady Bayonetta's elegant ascent paused for a moment. Su Li's domineering attitude had exceeded her expectations; this blatant overstepping of authority was even more alarming than the council's previous harassment. It wasn't just a provocation of the council, but a disregard for the authority of the city lord's mansion she represented. However, beneath that alarm, a very subtle thought quietly took root—had the council, this tiger, truly introduced an even more ferocious dragon? The situation might become more complicated, but it might also… bring her an unexpected turning point? She took a deep breath, suppressing her turbulent thoughts, maintaining perfect composure, and sat down again, though in a more delicate and awkward position.

But Su Li didn't care at all. He absolutely had to take Maleiburg, as it would greatly help him unify the entire border princely territory.

After all, this is the most important passage and city for imperial supplies to enter the border princely territories, and the trade here can be said to have strangled the throats of countless pioneering lords.

To use a fitting analogy, Maleiburg is the imperial seal of the entire border princely domain. With it, one can easily subdue a large number of territories by issuing proclamations! Otherwise, it would take countless years to conquer them one by one.

Moreover, the Empire had one advantage over the East: its nobles lacked the same resistance as the East, who preferred to be the head of a chicken rather than the tail of a phoenix. They weren't all focused on achieving unification and resisting to the bitter end. They also weren't as resistant to submission and tribute as the East. On the contrary, they were quite adept at kneeling and doing so in accordance with the law; submission and tribute were second nature to them.

If Su Li truly obtains the de jure title of Grand Prince of the Border Princely Territory, then the earls, barons, and knights below him will readily pay him vassal taxes, without Su Li needing to subdue them one by one. After all, within the empire, nobles also have to pay taxes to the Elector.

However, all of this is predicated on Su Li possessing the "Imperial Seal of the State" and a powerful army capable of subduing the world at any time. He must be able to uphold righteousness and martial spirit, and eliminate any troublemakers.

This is precisely what Su Li can achieve most easily. As long as his finances improve, he can easily muster an elite infantry and cavalry force.

Unless a coalition of several, or even a dozen, counts were to confront him, other counts would have virtually no chance of winning. After all, Su Li truly possessed legendary-level combat power, along with an overwhelming numerical advantage in Chosen Knights. More importantly, his Chosen Knights could double in number at any time. When the decisive battle truly came down to the ownership of the entire border princely territory, Phyllis would support him at all costs, sending Chosen Knights from the Surland Province to reinforce him.

Of course, this situation could easily attract interference from other electors, since if Su Li were to actually obtain the entire border princely territory, it would harm the interests of all electors.

Therefore, Su Li currently has no intention of quickly unifying the entire border princely territory. As the saying goes, governing a large country is like cooking a small fish; he plans to proceed steadily, relying on farming and management to gain an overwhelming advantage before stepping into action. For example, he might cultivate 2-3 legendary knights before unifying the border princely territory. At that point, even if the Electoral Council wanted to intervene, they would have to think twice. After all, to fight against 3 legendary knights, and legendary knights who would fight to the death, the Electoral Council would need to deploy at least 6-8 legendary-level warriors.

This level of decisive battle and civil war is something the Empire absolutely does not want to face. The last civil war of this magnitude dates back to the era of the Three Emperors, a period that was arguably the darkest in the Empire's history.

Given the current political climate of the Empire, such a thing would absolutely not be allowed to happen. Firstly, if three legendary knights truly emerged in the Blacksin Territory, the Electoral Council's attempt to intervene would fail, as the southern provinces and various southern churches would desperately vote against it. It could even trigger a religious war between the North and South. The losses and costs would far exceed any benefits the Imperial Electoral Council could gain from the border princely territories.

Su Li's primary goal right now is to take down Maleburg, the pearl of the south!
This city is incredibly wealthy, especially considering the barren lands of the border princely territory. While many of the other territories are newly reclaimed wastelands, this city stands out as exceptionally prosperous. It's like a fifth-tier, top-tier metropolis, standing out from the crowd, while other cities are merely first or second-tier towns. Whoever captures this city will possess an unparalleled advantage.

Su Li ignored the angry, fearful, or probing gazes directed at him from all around. He calmly sat in the chair that symbolized the highest power in Maleburg, his gaze sweeping calmly over the wealthy or shrewd faces below him, finally settling on the long table.

This long table itself is a microcosm of Malecón's wealth. The tabletop is covered with a silk tablecloth from the Far East, as smooth as moonlight, and even the silverware on it is not simple tableware, but masterfully crafted works of art, intricately engraved with patterns, gleaming with a warm yet cool luster under the light. Solid gold candlesticks, inlaid with perfectly cut gemstones, flicker with candlelight, illuminating the delicacies on the plates.
Large lobsters from the warm waters of the south are carefully dissected, and the snow-white lobster meat is soaked in a sauce that exudes the aroma of herbs and white wine.
The whole roasted rare bird, with its golden and glossy skin, is stuffed with expensive truffles and nuts; the silver platter is piled high with deep-sea caviar from the frozen sea in the far north, each bead plump and round, shimmering with the luster of black pearls.
There were also various tropical fruits that Su Li had never heard of in the border prince's territory, their colors as vibrant as jewels, exuding an alluring sweet fragrance. The aroma permeating the air was a luxurious symphony of countless spices and top-quality ingredients, so rich that it was almost indistinguishable.

The waiters, dressed in impeccably tailored uniforms, moved silently and precisely, like the most sophisticated machines, continuously pouring priceless wines into crystal glasses. The rich red liquid swirled in the glasses, reflecting the dazzling light like flowing rubies. The cost of this single banquet would likely be enough to arm an elite squad in a border princely territory, or allow a barren baronial estate to weather a harsh winter.

All of this was a world apart from the world outside the walls of Maleiburg, a sight that was chillingly different.

Su Li's thoughts briefly drifted away from this luxurious cage. He recalled the scenes he had witnessed while traversing the border princely territories: on barren, parched lands, sparse crops trembled in the wind; in dilapidated villages, farmers hunched over, their eyes numb, their faces sallow and emaciated; occasionally, one could see families, ragged and displaced, migrating towards unknown "paradise" to escape war, exorbitant taxes, or the threat of chaos, their final destination often the gates of Maleiburg, isolated by high walls and guards. In those impoverished pioneering territories, a golden crown might be the lifeblood of an entire family for a year, and a complete set of iron armor was enough for a minor lord to treasure as a family heirloom.

Maleiburg, the jewel of the empire's south, every gleaming brick, every exquisite carving, every drop of flowing wine, is imbued with the wealth of the empire's heartland, the blood and sweat of the border princely territories, and the resources of the entire Old World. Like a giant diamond meticulously polished and set in a barren wasteland, it is dazzling yet cold and hard, separating the decadent nobility within its walls from the struggling masses outside. It guards the throat between the empire and the border princely territories, controlling the lifeline of the flow of goods; its wealth is not from nowhere, but built upon a near-monopolistic exploitation of the entire region.

This is why Su Li must take Maleiburg! It's not merely a legal symbol like the "Imperial Seal of the State," but an inexhaustible goldmine, a vital lifeline for his unification cause! With it captured, the numerous minor lords of the border princely territories will have no will to resist his military might and material blockade. The empire's subservient culture will be on full display in the face of absolute power and wealth.

“Lord Su Li,” Speaker Vigo Malcolm’s deep voice broke the silence, carrying a deliberately suppressed calm yet containing undeniable power, “the City Lord’s Mansion and the Council welcome your arrival. The prosperity of Maleburg is inseparable from powerful neighbors like Blacksin Territory. However…”

He abruptly changed the subject, his hawk-like gaze sweeping over the pale-faced Bayonetta. "Malayburg has its own operating rules and power structure. When the Lord is away on campaign, his wife performs his duties, and the council represents the will of the citizens in handling specific matters. Any overstepping of power could disrupt the hard-won balance and damage the stability and efficiency of Malaiburg."

He appeared to be explaining the rules, but every word he spoke was a rebuke to Su Li for overstepping his bounds, while reiterating that the council was the true administrator of the city. It seemed the power struggle within Maleburg had reached a fever pitch.

But Su Li wasn't as easily manipulated as Lady Bayonetta. She completely ignored him and changed the subject, asking, "Have the officials from the Imperial Elector Council arrived?"

Speaker Vigo was left standing there, his eyes instantly filled with anger.

But at this moment, Bayonetta suddenly smiled and said, "The barons of the Electors' Council represent the high-ranking officials of the Empire. We always invite them to important banquets in Maleburg, but for some reason, the council, which they usually attend enthusiastically, has refused this time out of the ordinary."

(End of this chapter)