I will be crowned king

As a royal family that has ruled Clovis for hundreds of years, the wealth accumulated by the Osteria family in the past few years is astonishing; especially unlike all other kingdoms in the world of order, the territory of Clovis has truly achieved "universal rule". "Underneath, could it be the royal land?" There is no wealthy family that can compete with the royal family.

The officer corps closely united around the king, the tax collectors and provincial governors who only obeyed the king's orders, together formed a stable process that could continuously extract wealth from the king's territory; in theory, as long as the king wanted, he could do it anytime, anywhere. Add any mine or river within the national border to the name of "royal property".

Of course, this is only in theory.

The way the Osteria family really amassed wealth was far more "smart" than direct expropriation: first the central province, that is, the mines and manors in "Ancient Clovis", and then the conquered land, that is, Each other province has divided into special "royal direct leaders".

These lands are often dubbed "Royal Palaces", or given to a certain royal family member in the name of a title; therefore, the population and resources within the territory are tied to the names of these palaces and castles; not only do they not need to pay taxes, but if they operate When a loss occurred, the king would often use the treasury to settle the account, or order the local provinces to make up for the deficit under various names.

In addition, the royal family also has its own bank, which is only smaller than the church in Clovis. This bank is involved in the tax payment of each province, the allocation of funds by the Privy Council, and the allowance of the officers; all large-scale projects in Clovis are , including but not limited to railway, metallurgy, maritime trade and other industries, all of which must be handed over to the royal family in different proportions.

Not to mention the largest military brand in Clovis, half of the shares of Leiden Military Factory are in the name of the royal family; at the same time, anyone in Clovis who wants to open a factory, especially military factories and steel plants, must obtain it from the royal family. Purchase a "charter" - this means that the royal family will automatically own three-tenths of the equity in the factory under your name.

As for the various fancy ways to make money under the name of the Privy Council and the War Department, there are too many to mention: the establishment of a committee requires a "guarantee" to be paid to the royal family, the recruitment of corps requires the payment of "military service fees", and middle and lower-level officials are required to pay "advance payments" when they take office. "It is even more extraordinary to want to work as a tax collector in other provinces. According to the differences between the rich and the poor in various places, you will definitely not be able to escape the "tax package" of no less than 70% of the local tax revenue for three years.

Although the Franz family has become extremely wealthy with the support of the archbishop, the wealth of the Osteria royal family is placed in front of Sophia. Even if it is only part of the real estate, it is still enough to satisfy her heart and soul. of feast.

Faced with the extortion from the Minister of War, no matter how much Anne Herred's heart was filled with blood and she wished to put this money-hungry and treacherous woman in jail, she had to agree with a smile and not pay back a penny.

This is not because she is not really afraid of being blackmailed, but because the Queen Mother is afraid that if she hesitates or shows reluctance, she will immediately arouse the other party's vigilance - Sophia Franz's status in the business community of Clovis City, her I have heard that the royal family's assets have to be transferred through the church bank, and it is really difficult to escape from the other party's eyes.

After a pleasant afternoon, Sophia Franz had two more palaces and twelve castles under her name, plus no less than twenty to thirty thousand tenants, rangers, servants, and nearly a hundred people. A priceless horse, four libraries, and eight manors that can provide stable income every year, with no loss of income.

The price paid is just that in the next five days, the girl who holds the media in Clovis City must stabilize public opinion for the royal family, nothing more.

"This...this is too..."

In the carriage that was moving slowly, the little maid looked at the list in her hand dumbfounded, and then at the proud girl opposite: "My lady, now you are really rich as an enemy; even the Marquis of the Empire ...No! Even the great dukes may not have wealth comparable to yours!"

"And this is the charm of the era we live in." Swaying the victorious wine in her hand, Sophia, who was happy both physically and mentally, lay lazily on the bench, closing her eyes to rest:

“Some people can accomplish in just one year what it took ancient kings and warlords a lifetime or even several generations to accomplish; some people can make as much money as they once needed by just drinking a cup of coffee in the afternoon. Over hundreds of years, families pass on the wealth earned through hard work.”

Regarding Sophia's discussion, the little maid Angelica just smiled and did not comment.

"Of course, I also paid a heavy price - forcibly suppressing public opinion. If it goes wrong, I will be ruined; newspapers are not completely obedient to me. If the method is not appropriate, it will not only be counterproductive, but may even intensify conflicts."

Although she was proud, the girl did not lose her mind; on the contrary, she understood the risks involved, but the huge benefits were really tempting: "But compared with the rewards, this risk is completely worthless; after all, it is natural The only chance to take away such a big piece of the pie from the royal family is now!"

"Hey, now?"

The little maid tilted her head in confusion: "But didn't you say, Miss, that the royal family will escape soon?"

"It is because the royal family wants to run away that the opportunity becomes increasingly rare." Sophia opened her eyes: "Once they leave Clovis City, the country will never be divided into loyalists as they expected. The two factions, the party and the rebels, will stand clearly behind the National Assembly."

"Why?"

"Because only in this way can the powerful factions in each province divide the local wealth of the royal family as they should; if we wait until then to take action, we in Clovis City may not get anything, and we can only Watching those bastards under our banner carve up the final fruits of victory."

After letting out a breath, the girl's expression became serious: "So even if it's just to ensure that we won't get nothing in the end, it's necessary to give in; let them temporarily relax their vigilance, so that more flaws can be exposed at the last moment. "

"Soon, Angelica, soon the Clovis people will understand that they... do not need a king."

………………………………

Although she showed no mercy when setting the price, Sophia still carried out her agreement meticulously and mobilized the power of major newspapers in Clovis City to stabilize public opinion in Clovis City.

At first, the editor-in-chief and reporters of the newspaper were very confused as to why Miss Sophia, who had always been keen on making big news, suddenly changed her temper and actually spoke from the perspective of the royal family.

The answer of the Minister of War was also very concise and clear: "First of all, the previous suppression incident has been proved to be a misunderstanding, and the vast majority of the people in Clovis City do not actually dislike the king, and even if they have temporary disagreements, they will not call for beatings. To the extent of shouting to kill.”

"As the eyes, ears and mouthpiece of the public, our media industry, in addition to actively speaking out, is also very important in terms of credibility. We can make false accusations, but unless we find conclusive evidence, we must not deliberately guide public opinion in a radical or extreme direction. "

"Perhaps in the eyes of many people, the people have no memory, or are even too stupid to think; but even if you really think so, please keep your prejudices in your heart; always remember that credibility is important to a newspaper. What a precious treasure; only a newspaper that truly tells the truth, only tells the truth, and never spreads invalid information or malicious speculation, can its front page headlines have the power to shock people!"

After the impassioned speech, the reporters and editors present either burst into tears, or superficially agreed, or were dismissive; but in any case, at least a tacit understanding to calm down the commotion temporarily was reached.

After all, there is indeed no big news in everyone's hands that "the Queen Regent kidnapped the king and used power for personal gain." In addition, Sophia's almost unshakable status in the media world also made everyone silently choose to respect her decision.

Yes, because Nicholas publicly expressed his goodwill towards the National Assembly before, all the gossip in the market now seems to be that the king is under house arrest and the Queen Mother Regent plans to proclaim herself king.

So with Sophia's efforts to refute the rumors, these remarks were finally alleviated to a certain extent. Only a small group of forces led by the Black Flag Party who were clamoring to open the palace and meet with the king were left. .

Anne Herred breathed a sigh of relief. Frankly speaking, she had actually made plans for Sophia to take the money and do nothing. However, the other party did not play her cards as she expected, which made her feel somewhat guilty.

After experiencing the aftermath of the review, the Queen Mother had clearly felt that Sophia Franz was actually an ally that could be won over. Even if she was a complete rebel, the officers of the War Department were all natural royalists. Originally, They should stand clearly on the side of the royal family.

As a result, because of the influence of that damn traitor Anson Bach, I actually pushed the Army directly against the royal family, which led to the merger of the War Department and the National Assembly. It has to be said that it was a huge mistake.

Of course, even if she feels guilty, it only lasts for a moment; Sophia Franz... The bond between her and Anson Bach is too deep, and she will not continue to serve the royal family no matter what.

With some regrets, the Queen Mother refocused her energy on sending letters to her royal brother in the empire, as well as on the important work of transferring royal assets; it was impossible to completely avoid outsiders with this kind of action, and it was only a matter of time before it was exposed, and of course the sooner the better. good.

Waiting until the fourth day after the public opinion subsided, Anne Herred finally got the reply she had been expecting for a long time.

[Dear Anne, blessed by the Ring of Order, I have forgotten the last time I called my sister this way. I just hope that you and your child are well. 】

[Your letter has been sent successfully. In fact, I had been making preparations for you and my little nephew long before you sent the letter; it’s just that things completely exceeded my initial judgment; who would have ever wanted to covet him? His throne was not held by a member of the Osterian family, but by a rebel from the lowest level. 】

[From now on, the nature of this matter has completely changed. Those traitors... They have been challenging the world of order for nearly a thousand years. The laws are perfect and should not be shaken. This is the most serious thing for me as the guardian of the world of order. provocative! 】

[I am gradually gathering my knights. In order to avoid being discovered by Clovis's traitors, this army cannot be exposed to broad daylight immediately; but please rest assured, my dear sister, I will protect it in the name of guardian Order the order of the world, get back the justice you deserve, and keep the crown they deserve for the Osteria family - even though I hate them. 】

[Please protect my dear nephew, and more importantly, protect yourself; escape from the hell cave in Clovis City as soon as possible, and take your most trusted cronies to Red Moon Town. I have also arranged for my most trusted The knights are there to meet you. 】

[When an army holding high the flags of fleur-de-lis and bloody unicorns appears on the border of Clovis, and when the city of Clovis is burned to the ground by flames, the criminal traitors... they will completely understand their status...]

It has to be said that although the imperial brother's ambition for Clovis can be seen just from the lines, after reading the letter, Anne Herred couldn't help but feel a strong sense of security.

That is the feeling that outsiders can never give, the feeling brought by relatives connected by blood.

Of course, the moment she got the letter, she knew she had to take action as soon as possible; but it was still quite difficult to escape with most of the royal family under the eyes of nearly a million people in Clovis City.

"We have to find a way to confuse the other party and create a little commotion, so that we can take advantage of the chaos and leave..." The Queen Mother muttered to herself, her eyes moving, and she gently rang the bell placed next to the throne.

Soon, a royal guard walked into the hall and knelt down on one knee in front of her respectfully: "Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

"It's not something too important. I just need you to go to the National Assembly." Anne Herred said solemnly: "Tell those... ah, distinguished representatives, just talk about the opening of Osterley before. His Majesty the King has given permission for Ya Gong’s matter.”

"It's just that the time is still a bit uncertain. After all, this is equivalent to showing His Majesty's life in front of his subjects. It will definitely not work if you are not prepared." The Queen Mother said in an extremely friendly tone:

"In addition, rashly increasing the number of subjects entering the palace will also be a big security problem, so we have to ask the Ministry of War to send a trustworthy general and army to take on the task of maintaining order and security in the palace."

"If you don't mind, please send a few more and let His Majesty personally choose the one he likes."