Knight Lords: Infinite Simulation and the Path of Light

Chapter 213 Deliberately

'The quality of a matter often needs to be viewed from at least two perspectives, and sometimes even observing it from multiple perspectives is not enough; it may even require considering the length of time involved.'

In most cases, people's predictions and rehearsals of a good or great thing are short-sighted. After being tested by human nature and time, it is already a very fortunate thing if one out of a hundred things can retain its original appearance.

More often than not, a well-thought-out plan or policy can become distorted and corrupted over time, eventually turning into a foul-smelling cancer. Conversely, policies that were inherently bad may have less lasting impact; their destructive power is usually felt only in the immediate period after the plan or policy is implemented.

This passage, which is quite philosophical, is an excerpt from the memoir "My Chief Era" by the former Imperial Chief Minister, Pogart. This legendary figure, who witnessed the twilight of the empire, became a professor of history at the new Imperial College a few years before his death.

This book, "My Chief Era," was written by his grandson, Cumming Riessmann Pogart, based on his grandfather's daily autobiographical accounts.

This debate on good and bad, which has been widely discussed by the public, is one of the many highlights of this book. As for the idea, according to his grandfather, it was proposed by His Excellency Hevent, the Star of the Empire, when he was reorganizing MI8.

This also filled the young Cumming Riessmann Pogart with curiosity about this Imperial Star, after all, the other party had accomplished this feat at a age seven or eight years younger than himself. After all, at any time, completing the reform of a huge institution that has existed for hundreds of years at such a young age is an admirable thing.

So, the equally young and ambitious Cumming Riessmann Pogart wanted to find out from his grandfather what kind of person this White Lion was, after all, his grandfather had worked with this sun-like figure for a long time.

Unable to resist his grandson's pleading, Count Pogart, who was lying on a deck chair basking in the sun, opened his drowsy eyes. His frail body exuded an air of old age and death. However, after hearing what his grandson was asking, a rare glimmer of light appeared in his eyes, and he even looked a few years younger.

You mean Haven?

"Him~~~"

"Hehehe~ He's just an extremely audacious and reckless little bastard."

Looking back over time, this conclusion seems particularly accurate for Frederick IV now, since in the more than thirty years he has ruled the empire, no one has dared to act so recklessly in front of him.

Watching Haven and Downing, who were behaving like two slum dwellers fighting in the street over a trivial matter, Frederick IV felt as if his scalp was about to be ripped open by the surge of blood. In Frederick IV's eyes, such undignified behavior was no different from defecating in the street. An imperial viscount, the head of the imperial intelligence organization, and the heir to an imperial upper-class nobleman were fighting right in front of him without any regard for the face and dignity of the nobility.

"Damn it, you little brat, stop right now."

Frederick IV's voice became shrill due to his agitation. After all, the rascal Haven had not gained the upper hand in the fight against the enraged Chief Minister Downing this time, and was only briefly pinned down by Viscount Downing before being overturned.

Sensing he was about to suffer a loss, Haven decisively chose to disregard martial ethics, quickly bending his right leg and slamming his knee directly into Viscount Downing's groin.

As Viscount Tang Ning let out a shrill scream, all the men present involuntarily clenched their thighs, as if they were experiencing the same pain themselves. Viscount Tang Ning, severely injured, was now like a boiled shrimp, clutching his genitals and turning back and forth.

Hearing the commotion inside, the guards rushed in and quickly separated the two men even further. Bogart and Gene, who had innocently tried to break up the fight and had taken two punches themselves, also got up from the ground with the help of the guards.

Even as the guards lifted him up, Haven seemed still somewhat defiant, stretching out his leg as if to kick Viscount Downing.

"Hey old man, come on! You were so talkative just now, say something again~~~"

Looking at Haven's shameless face, Frederick IV rubbed his forehead in exasperation, wondering if he should have so hastily let this little rascal be the troublemaker.

Now, they're not just disrupting things, they're practically overturning the table.

"Havent!!!"

"If you don't behave yourself, I'll call your parents over right now."

Upon hearing Frederick IV's threatening words, Hevent immediately became obedient. Things were done as they were; it wouldn't be good if things went any further and his parents were called in.

"Hum~"

"Old man, you're lucky this time. If His Majesty hadn't spoken up, I would have beaten you so badly your own mother wouldn't recognize you."

With the pain subsiding somewhat, Viscount Downing looked at Frederick IV through teary eyes and said in an unusually sorrowful tone:

"Your Majesty, this, this, that damned fellow, actually attacked you violently in front of you."

"This is utter contempt for you! As the Chief of the Eighth Military Intelligence Bureau, I have been beaten like this by this guy! Your Majesty must punish him severely!"

Despite the serious injuries he had suffered, Donnie, as the head of an intelligence agency, still wanted to quickly divert everyone's attention due to his years of political career. After all, the questions Haven had just raised were too pointed and could not withstand close scrutiny.

It's important to understand that the Emperor sitting on the throne is not like the previous Sleeping King Keane, who was completely indifferent to everything. This Emperor, who ascended the throne through the Crimson Road, is a man who truly knows how to wield the sword, although his methods and style have become more peaceful over the years.

But Downing believed that if necessary, Emperor Frederick IV would once again stir up unrest in the field without hesitation.

So even though the physical pain made Downing feel cold sweat pouring down his body, he still insisted on temporarily diverting everyone's attention, especially Frederick IV's, so that he would have time to contact his allies to see how to deal with the crisis.

"Tang Ning, please don't get agitated. I understand, I understand."

Seeing Downing's miserable state, Frederick IV could not say anything more and could only try to appease him. After all, some things could not be taken directly before they were finalized, even if there was suspicion or even strong suspicion. The empire had to follow rules to operate. If the empire was to maintain normal operation on the surface, the emperor had to be able to play the game. Even if he suffered some losses in the process, he could not retaliate with a thunderous force.

"Someone, take Viscount Tang Ning to the medical room for treatment, and then send Viscount Tang Ni back to recuperate."

The two guards who were originally supporting Viscount Donnie, at the signal of the chief guard, lifted Viscount Donnie up again and led him out of the conference room.

As Viscount Tang Ning's groans faded into the distance, the conference room fell into an eerily quiet atmosphere.

Everyone in the hall turned their attention to Havent, who stood quietly to the side, appearing harmless. Under their gaze, Havent scratched his face shyly.

"Hehe, um, um~"

"Your Majesty, you don't need to thank me. This is what I should do as your subordinate."

Upon hearing Haven's shameless words, Frederick IV's face twitched involuntarily, and he couldn't help but think to himself, "This little rascal is truly shameless."

"Little Vent, although I have a rough idea of ​​why you did this, I still want to ask, why did you do it?"

"You need to understand that what you just said would have been more effective if it had been compiled into a detailed report. But you've made things the way they are now, making many things that could have been done much harder."

When Frederick IV asked him a question, Haven responded with a dismissive look, as if he had heard a funny joke.

"Yes, Your Majesty, you are right. I will pay attention next time. I am still too young and do not have enough relevant experience."

Frederick IV clearly understood the teasing tone in Hevent's voice, but showed no anger or displeasure. To Frederick IV, this was simply a clever child sulking with an elder, a behavior that seemed exceptionally endearing compared to genuine political intrigue. "Hehehe, no, you've done very well. I wasn't referring to you when I said this; on the contrary, I have high expectations for you."

"The empire has existed for more than two thousand years. The long period of time has changed many things and events. In this process, there have been various political compromises and exchanges of interests."

"In this process, it is difficult to define whether something is truly good or bad. For example, from a long-term perspective, some things are good at the beginning, but after a period of time, they deviate from their original intention for various reasons. So how do you define whether something is good or bad?"

"Similarly, if a plan whose initial goal was not well-intentioned turns out to have a very good result in the end, how would you evaluate that poor initial plan?"

Hearing Frederick IV begin a serious discussion with him, Hevent could no longer maintain his nonchalant demeanor and began to seriously consider the meaning behind Frederick IV's words.

"So Your Majesty knows about what Chief of Staff Tang Ning and his men have been doing?"

In the end, Haven couldn't help but ask the question that had been on his mind, after all, Frederick IV's behavior was just too surreal in his eyes.

They seem to be both deceived and know everything, but if they know everything, this option of letting things go is very difficult to understand.

When asked by Haven, Frederick IV gave a smile that was hard to decipher.

"Hehehehe, your approach to things is as precise as ever, little Went."

"In a sense, what you said is correct, but as I just said, when looking at a problem or a matter, we can't just look at it from one perspective, but from multiple angles. You can understand this as a way of solving the problem."

For Haven, Frederick IV's words were, in a sense, equivalent to saying so, but Haven soon recalled a saying from his previous life.

Chinese people tend to prefer compromise and moderation. For example, if you say, "This room is too dark, we need to open a window here," everyone will definitely object. But if you advocate tearing down the roof, they will compromise and agree to open a window.

Such a line of reasoning applies in any other situation in the world, where the conflict between radicals and conservatives always ends in a way that is unsatisfactory to both sides but barely acceptable.

"So Your Majesty deliberately allowed such things to happen?"

"But what's the point of doing this? It doesn't seem to do any good at all..."

Faced with Havent's question, Frederick IV stepped down from his throne, walked over to Havent's side under his gaze, and flicked Havent's forehead with his finger.

"If you have various illnesses, can you tell which one is the most fatal?"

"So you're letting them run rampant so you can just let them pop out on their own and then deal with them all at once?"

Frederick IV was clearly very satisfied with Haven's comprehension, and casually patted Haven's head.

"That's right, so, little Vent, you must grow up quickly so that the empire can recover from its illness in the flames of your new life."

Hevent, who was already a little unhappy about having his head shaved, became even more displeased when he heard that Frederick IV was still eyeing him, and quickly said...

“Your Majesty, I haven’t graduated yet. The Royal Academy’s program lasts nine years. I need to study hard. Our Hailan family is counting on me, a college graduate.”

With a quick movement, Pan Zhou Dan seized the opportunity to break free from Frederick IV's control.

"Um, Your Majesty, I suddenly remembered that I haven't given you the report on this operation yet. I'll go back and write it for you right away."

Frederick IV watched as Hevant sneaked away through the door without stopping him. For Frederick IV, this was like a chocolate bean, a welcome relief from the bitterness of his busy and complicated workday.

"Your Majesty, are you just going to let this little fellow go like this?"

Chief Minister Pogart, sporting dark circles under his eyes, walked up to Frederick IV and looked up at his emperor.

"What else, dear Pogart?"

"Hahahaha, call Kevin over and give him a good spanking."

Hearing Frederick IV's teasing tone, Pogart knew that his emperor was in a very bad mood.

"We can't just let it go like this. This little guy is too lawless. Tang Ning is, after all, a viscount. It's not good for him to be beaten like this."

Frederick IV laughed even more heartily when he heard Bogard's veiled criticism.

“Pogart…”

"Why did we throw Haven into this?"

"Yes, find someone to disrupt the current situation and throw things into chaos."

"Is it chaotic now?"

Under Frederick IV's barrage of questions, Pogard paused for a moment, then nodded as if he had just come to his senses.

"It did achieve the desired effect, but the way this little guy does things is still very annoying."

"Hahahaha, this little guy did it on purpose. He realized that this matter was too troublesome, so he tried to extricate himself through this drastic approach."

Upon hearing Frederick IV's words, Bogart clicked his tongue in amazement, and his expectations of Hevent rose even higher.

"Then, Your Majesty, shall we now..."

"The more this little guy doesn't want to get involved in these things, the more I'll make him get involved. He'll enjoy his status, but he'll also have to pay the price."

"Tang Ning's injury is quite serious. I can't bear to let him continue working with his injury. It's too hard on him. He needs to rest."

Young people have plenty of energy, so let them do more.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will arrange it immediately."

(End of this chapter)