dmims Page 103
Page 103
"when!"
"Silence, silence!"
The Speaker of the Imperial Council struck the gavel with the first strike, signaling a halt.
After the council chamber quieted down, the Imperial Speaker, wearing a white wig, coughed a few times, then glanced at His Majesty the Emperor, who seemed to have no intention of making any statement, before speaking:
“No matter what, the Duchy of Koschei is part of the Ursus Empire. Duke Koschei’s contributions to the Empire are evident to all.” At first glance, the Speaker’s words seemed unsurprising. “Moreover, His Majesty has visited the Duchy of Koschei before. Duke Koschei would never do anything to harm Ursus, absolutely not.”
"It is indeed very worrying that the Duke of Cosice acted rashly, without the approval of the parliament, or even with His Majesty's written authorization, to communicate with an independent city with ties to Colombia."
But soon, the Emperor realized that this incompetent Speaker, who somehow managed to sit in that position, was actually very dissatisfied with Duke Kosiché's "unilateral decision-making." If the previous members of parliament were almost all fighting amongst themselves for their own interests, then now? The Speaker seemed more angry about Kosiché's "disregard for parliament," but powerless to change it—just like his incompetence.
Therefore... His Majesty the Emperor paid little attention to this incompetent Speaker. Because this Speaker lacked ability, and his proposals offered no benefit to Ursus—perhaps for some, stagnation is indeed good. But for Ursus now, stagnation meant either succumbing to an economic crisis or dying in a massive rebellion. His Majesty the Emperor needed to eliminate this Speaker and this enormous council as soon as possible.
Because they are merely a hindrance in this era. They are of no help to Her Majesty Catherine's future dictatorship. She needs a parliament, but it doesn't need to be that large. She doesn't need anyone who doesn't support her existence, that's all.
......
After a while, the Imperial Speaker managed to temporarily quell the commotion in the Imperial Diet with his feeble words. The members began to discuss their respective needs and difficulties, as well as some issues concerning the development of Ursus—leaving aside the suggestions put forward by those members who genuinely cared about Ursus, the proposals of the others were nothing more than seeking benefits for themselves or their families.
Even so, many people, whether intentionally or deliberately, steered the conversation toward the Duchy of Kosiché. They hoped that the Duchy of Kosiché would impart its economic crisis reform policies to Ursus, and that the Duchy of Kosiché would take responsibility for its rash actions. At the same time, they subtly attributed some inexplicable credit to themselves—the credit that His Majesty the Emperor knew very well was due to that man's appearance, which brought about the turning point.
"Once the Imperial Ruble regains its credibility due to the policies of the Duchy of Kosiché, we will no longer need to issue tokens—"
"As long as Duke Kosichè extends her policies throughout Ursus, Ursus's economy will improve!"
"...a swarm of maggots."
Ekaterina thought she had seen enough—those parliamentarians, those corrupt politicians, and those generals who had developed some unknown vice. She thought she had seen enough shameless scoundrels. But seeing this now... she still couldn't help but feel indignant.
"When are you finally coming over...?" Empress Catherine lamented inwardly, desperately hoping that Yang Hao would arrive right now and burn this corrupt council to ashes.
...... ......
Her Majesty Catherine was struggling to maintain her already exhausted mental fortitude in the parliament.
Meanwhile, at the Duke's mansion in the Duchy of Koschie, Yang Hao was waiting for the Serpent Scales to confirm the good news. Since he had no work to do today and could rest, Yang Hao was discussing matters concerning the [heir] with Koschie and Monica.
"So, Koschche, when do you plan to get a new body?"
"It probably won't be long. Until the civil war ends and it's confirmed that Colombia is ready to take action against Casimir."
"I feel like..."
"Yes, just as you think, my dear—there's no better reason to go to war than the death of a duke at the hands of a Colombian spy, isn't there?"
"We just needed... to aid Kazimierz, didn't we?" Yang Hao was a little disappointed, after all, he really liked the cat's body... and now he was switching to an Ursus body, which he wasn't used to.
"There's no tail..." He sighed, kneading the cat's tail in his hand, knowing that he couldn't change Koschche's mind.
Chapter 221
Kosiché intends to change the body of her heir; this is a plan she made long ago.
After all, Miss Green's body has already exhausted most of its available political resources and advantages. If nothing unexpected happens, Koschchet plans to use a spectacular "death" to maximize the benefits of this body while simultaneously replacing it with another, thus beginning his own cycle.
"The new heir...Miss Karina is a highly educated noblewoman from Ursus, and she is 24 years old this year. As a newly promoted noblewoman who has studied at the universities of Victoria and Letania, she has a wealth of connections that we can utilize. After changing this body, I think we can further deepen our relationship with Victoria and Letania."
"Sigh... I can understand your thoughts. But does Miss Green's body really have to die in that kind of situation?"
“Of course. This will be in our best interest—and to be honest, the Kazimirs might not ask Ursus for help, especially for some old fogies who value face more than life itself. So we have to do them a favor so we can continue our plans.”
"Continue the plan to gradually erode Kazimir..."
"There are also plans to deal with Colombia. To be honest, since you came here, I've stopped thinking about using war to divert attention from the increasingly radical racial and class conflicts in the country... But war doesn't just stop because one side is unwilling. We need to be prepared before the worst happens."
Koschei's future new body, named [Karina], is a young, newly ascended high-ranking noble from Ursus. Yang Hao had just seen the photos Koschei had brought him—slightly taller than Monica, with a similar build. However, judging from her cool-toned, long, gray-white hair tied in a ponytail, her indifferent and aloof face, her deep blue eyes, and the staff she carried, she should be a rather [delicate] Ursus girl in Ursus tradition, right?
Well... Yang Hao wasn't saying she wasn't pretty, nor did he mean to complain about Koschche's taste. He just felt... without that pesky cat tail, it definitely felt like something was missing.
"You really like my tail that much right now?"
Faced with Yang Hao's regret, not only did Kosiché display a wry smile, but even the head maid Monica seemed to suddenly understand—she seemed to realize why Yang Hao always enjoyed patting the Kuranta people's butts. It wasn't just the Kuranta people that gave him the urge to pat them; their long tails were the real culprit!
Although Monica herself wasn't sure if she had actually guessed anything correctly, all things considered, this should be proof that she had gained a deeper understanding of her owner.
Seeing his wife's bewildered expression, Yang Hao first solemnly admitted his fetish, then turned around and questioned Koschie: "Didn't you make me like tails? Why are you so unaware of my current fetish, my dear wife?"
The culprit behind Yang Hao's sexual fetish, the esteemed Duke Kosiché, remained silent for a moment before sighing:
"I had considered that you might have some unusual fetishes, but I thought it was something like lying there motionless—but it turns out it's this?"
"...Shall we leave this topic here for now?"
Because it involved Yang Hao's unspeakable pain, he gave an awkward, dry laugh and decided to end the topic there—although he was still very regretful about the ending, his wife had already made that decision, and it wouldn't be good for him to interfere.
Instead of getting hung up on the kitten's tail, let's get to know the Ursus people better later. Sigh... I wonder what kind of expression Miss Grin will have when she regains consciousness after Koschei completes the next possession and faces her own death?
He was somewhat at a loss. But soon he realized that no matter how much he struggled, it would be futile—all he could do was remember the original names of each body possessed by Koschie. This time it was Miss Green, next time it would be Miss Karina... and the next time, no matter which lady it was, he would remember.
...... ......
In the afternoon, as they went to the audience hall to check on things and make sure they hadn't overlooked anything, Monica received news that the foals of Scales and Creed, who were active in the Duchy of Nicolai, had discovered an unexpected situation and needed permission from the two adults before deciding whether to continue their plans.
"What's going on?" Kosiché frowned. "What happened?"
Koschke didn't possess Yang Hao's [Puppet Stage] ability, not to mention that Yang Hao, who did have that ability, was currently completely bewildered. She needed to figure out what had happened before she could make her own judgment.
Faced with Kosiché's question and the questioning look from Yang Hao, Monica simply shook her head, stepped behind the two adults, and explained:
"Miss Theresa and the others discovered that the soldiers of the Duke of Nikolai were changing at an unbelievable pace. They were becoming more energetic, and the mental state of most of the previously demoralized soldiers had changed to some extent—but most importantly, they were beginning to appear delirious, clearly being controlled by some kind of Originium Arts."
"Some kind of special Originium Arts?"
“Yes. The speculation is that it is the Originium Arts we guessed before…” Monica nodded. “Theresa wants to conduct further reconnaissance on the affected soldiers—but because the risk is too great, they need your consent.”
"...Let me discuss this with Kosiché."
After saying that, Yang Hao exchanged a serious look with Kosiché, implying that his [Puppet Stage] had indeed triggered the corresponding event.
To ensure safety and privacy, they did not discuss anything in the main hall of the audience hall, but instead went to an inconspicuous reception room inside the audience hall to conduct their discussion.
Monica stayed close to them the whole time, listening attentively and serving them as well.
[Event: Notable Anomalous Originium Arts]
Your secret forces have discovered an astonishing secret within the Duchy of Nikolai! If used properly and if they successfully conduct their surveys, perhaps that Originium Arts can be put to our use.
'Take a chance.' Effect: There is a 50% chance of success, a 25% chance of failure that will alert Duke Nikolai, and a 25% chance of nothing happening.
'It's best to be cautious.' Effect: Cancel this opportunity; proceed with the task as usual.
Yang Hao realized that this event might unlock a wealth of scientific research and humanistic concepts, but then again, could the unique Originium Arts of the Nikolai Duchy really have any miraculous uses? After all, from what they knew, it was nothing more than a special ability similar to hypnosis or mind manipulation Originium Arts. If it were just those things, there shouldn't be any need for such a grand effort.
However, with the help of the puppet stage, Yang Hao realized that the [Originium Arts] that could arouse Duke Nikolai's vigilance might not be as clean as he had imagined.
After explaining the potential gains and losses of this matter to Kosiché, the couple discussed it for a while and agreed that it was unnecessary.
“The unique Originium Arts of the Duke of Nikolai, as far as I know, are related to their cannibalistic tendencies. If we don't want similar cannibalistic incidents to occur in our territory, then it would be better if we banned that Originium Arts.” Kosichä frowned, afraid that Yang Hao wouldn't understand what would happen if a single bad apple dropped into a pot of porridge, so she explained again: “Their Originium Arts are completely useless. If anesthetics can still be used for medical purposes to serve the people, then the Duke of Nikolai's Originium Arts are most likely like arsenic, which will indiscriminately affect friend or foe upon picking it up. Perhaps it has some use, but that use cannot outweigh the drawbacks it brings.”
"That's what I think too. And then again, we're already on the same side as Her Majesty the Emperor. Given her personality, she definitely hates any Originium Arts related to cannibalism—so let's have the Creed's little ponies stop their search for this particular Originium Arts, but they also need to keep a close eye on the changes in the affected soldiers. Knowing your enemy is half the battle. If those affected soldiers become flesh puppets, we can prepare in advance, don't you think?"
"so be it."
The Kosichés reached a consensus that Monica would go to the Duchy of Nikolai in their place to bring their judgment over. After that, they had some time alone again, and the two adults naturally began to discuss some adult matters in their private space.
They were discussing how to trade with the people of the United City—how to maximize their own territory's profits while keeping the budget as low as possible.
"Why don't we start with their needs? We can provide them with a large amount of resources at once, and take this opportunity to give them most of the consumer goods that have been stockpiled until now, even with the work-for-relief policy, we still can't consume them. But we need [military independence guarantees], as well as [continuous economic and commercial support]... The current situation of the United City is not optimistic."
Yang Hao, being a native of United City, had no intention of showing any mercy to it at this moment. After all, background is one thing, present is another. It's fair to say that if Jack weren't still supporting his family in United City, Yang Hao would have devoured it completely.
As a Ussarian, Kosichrie was naturally incredibly adept at scheming against outsiders. She immediately began analyzing with great interest several potential weaknesses of the United City for Yang Hao:
“You’re right, darling. But my personal assessment is that what’s most important to United City right now is the support of a force that can guarantee their independence. The reason they’re willing to accept our communication requests is most likely because of this.”
"But the problem is, we're just a duchy, aren't we?"
"But the same problem is that I am the Duke of Kosichea—those who know my name should also know my relationship with the Kings of Ursus. They probably want to use our assistance to seek better supporters for their military security. Nothing is more powerful than the military support of the world's leading military power, isn't it?"
"Um..."
To put it simply, the fundamental purpose of the United Cities' trip is likely military security. And not only for the military security of the Koschei Duchy, but also for the military security of the Ursus Empire behind the Koschei Duchy.
As for the remaining commercial and economic support, and the need to obtain a large amount of resources at once, those are secondary! For them, if they cannot even ensure their own independence, then everything else is practically just empty words.
Therefore, if Yang Hao and Kosiché intend to squeeze every last drop of profit out of the United City, then they have many opportunities to leverage the issue of "military independence guarantees"...
But the problem remains. Even in a life-or-death situation, Colombians won't give up easily. They'll use their last, most important, and most valuable possessions as bargaining chips, fighting tooth and nail to avoid losing even a hair, or adding to their own gains. It's easy to imagine a difficult negotiation ensuing. However, knowing they'll ultimately win, the Cosice couple remain optimistic that Colombia will be the first to give in.
...
Of course, that's what they thought, but they hadn't forgotten the fact that Her Majesty the Emperor was struggling to maintain order in the Imperial Diet. But with the Emperor there, wasn't it only natural to ask her to temporarily increase pressure on the Diet and buy them more time?
"I'll text Her Majesty later... and ask her to help quell the situation with the Imperial Council—I remember Her Majesty saying before that their emotions had reached a certain point of madness, right?"
"When things get crazy to a certain point, it becomes meaningless without our presence. Sigh, let His Majesty watch for now. As long as the council doesn't directly demand that His Majesty impose sanctions on us, and the council votes to approve it, then there's nothing to worry about."
"Let me ask you this: what would happen if it were passed with full authority?"
When asked this question by Yang Hao, Kosiché remained silent for a while before shaking his head, indicating that it was not good news.
Chapter 222
That afternoon, when Her Majesty Catherine returned to her residence exhausted, intending to rest and recover from the humiliation she had suffered in Parliament, her mind was still filled with the ugly faces of those members of Parliament and the bill, which Parliament had almost unanimously approved, to "warn Duke Koschche."
Although Her Majesty Catherine was utterly disillusioned with the Parliament, it would still take considerable time to transform that disillusionment into the motivation to kill them. Just as she was preparing to rest in bed, she noticed her phone buzzing; it was clearly that gentleman sending her a text message.
"Does that mean he's coming soon?" Catherine took out her phone expectantly, then put it down and picked it up again, her face filled with disappointment. Clearly, Mr. Yang Hao still couldn't come anytime soon, but he asked her to help him delay the parliamentarians' impeachment of the Duke of Koschche—what was that all about? Even if Her Majesty Catherine wanted to do that now, it would be futile!
Since the parliament had already decided to issue a warning to them on the first day of the meeting, the parliamentary team responsible for issuing the warning probably went there this afternoon to put pressure on them. Even if Catherine wanted to help them, there's not much she can do for the time being.
Moreover, even if she wanted to help, even if she wanted to—Ekaterina couldn't find a third method besides military force and violence. Otherwise, she wouldn't have needed to wait for Yang Hao to come and thoroughly clean up the council; she could have simply prepared for the upcoming civil war.
"In short... I'll do my best to stop the next wave of impeachments..." she repeated what she had written in the text message, tapping it with her finger. "But if possible, I hope you can come over as soon as possible... Ugh. How can you do politics while hanging around those parasites in Parliament? Sigh... But I also need to be prepared. Internal Security, Internal Security! I need you."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After Catherine sent the text message, the Imperial Guards appeared in her bedchamber. Her Majesty Catherine looked with satisfaction at the Imperial Guards who had appeared at her summons, and then assigned them two tasks.
The first task was simple: to gather information on the families of all the members currently in the Imperial Diet without alerting anyone. Ekaterina knew the necessity of eliminating any potential threats, and she understood that leaving no loose ends was the best strategy if she wanted to maintain her future dictatorial rule.
The second task, however, was much stranger.
"I need you to go to the fiefdoms of the high-risk councilors on the list and find those worthy of being cultivated as 'quasi-nobles'."
"A quasi-noble? Your Majesty, you mean..."
“Some incompetent officials should be replaced, but we can’t rashly consolidate those future vacant noble territories and take full control of them ourselves—I plan to enfeoff some new nobles later, who will have the right to manage noble territories, but those territories will nominally still belong to the royal family. Do you understand?”
"Yes."
In short, this is a bold idea from His Majesty the Emperor of Ursus.
She knew she was absolutely incapable of managing all the minutiae of the Ursus Empire. However, to prevent powerful nobles who did not support her from gaining real power in the future, Her Majesty the Emperor decided that, while the noble territories remained under the name of [Ekaterina], she would entrust their management to qualified new nobles through a [delegated administration] process.
This right differs significantly from the previous system of aristocratic autonomy. The most crucial difference is that under the old system, a noble's land belonged to the noble, while under the new system, the noble's land still belongs to Her Majesty the Emperor and her family. In simpler terms, Her Majesty Catherine the Great has entrusted the new nobles merely with the "right to use" their land.
They can collect taxes and build various non-military facilities on their territories as usual, but they only have the "right to use" the territory for a certain period of time. Whenever the "right to use" expires, these new nobles must be re-evaluated. Capable and trustworthy nobles can still "use" the territory, while nobles who are unable to continue working will have their territories reclaimed by His Majesty the Emperor, leaving them only with the property and mansions that they are entitled to.
As for the buildings that nobles painstakingly constructed on their territories? Those do not belong to them. The final beneficiary of any building constructed on a territory will be His Majesty the Emperor—this is the decisive difference between the [appointment] system and the original [noble autonomy].
In Catherine's vision, this system should effectively suppress the rise of the nobility, and once it has fully expanded within the Ursus Empire, it will establish the foundation for royal dictatorship. However, as loyal to the royal family, Duke Koschche naturally enjoys his own privileges.
"Then, you guys go ahead."
"Yes."
Duke Koschei, as an immortal who has always been loyal to the Ursus Empire, is not someone His Majesty the Emperor would mind granting her a permanent title and territory—Ekaterina knows this black serpent's character very well; as long as her dictatorship makes Ursus greater, she will not deny her rule.
Moreover, granting the Duke of Kosiché a duchy and a permanent title would also make it very convenient for her to carry out her grand plans.
And what about the Duke of Kosice's husband? He is certainly someone who must be given preferential treatment!
Catherine promised him the position of permanent speaker of the new Imperial Council and the right to educate the future crown prince, but this was not merely to gain his loyalty. Her Majesty the Emperor desired his seed, his heir—to completely bind a father through the child, to have him teach and impart all his skills to the child, and then to utterly tie him to this great empire.
This is one of the common tricks used by higher-ranking nobles against lower-ranking nobles. Sigh, although Catherine feels guilty towards Duke Koschche, what's the loss? Don't you think?
No matter how much of an empress she was, she would probably die in her eighties at most. Is it too much to ask Mr. Yang Hao to lend her his name for a decade or so? You old snake have lived for over a thousand years, isn't this just a matter of opening and closing your eyes?
So just lend it to us! Lend us two or three more heirs, and for the sake of the children, you probably won't... right?