The Vastness of Magical Destiny

Chapter 100 - 100 21 Nicosia (2)_2

?Chapter 100: Chapter 21 Nicosia (2)_2 Chapter 100: Chapter 21 Nicosia (2)_2 “Tez, regarding the first issue, I believe Mathew will resolve it for us; for the second issue, do you have any better methods to address it?” Perhaps it was because he was only with his two trusted ministers, the old man’s face gradually became more somber with a hint of coldness, and the way he asked questions became more direct and blatant.

“Your Majesty, the problem of the Great Lords cannot be solved overnight. They occupy the most fertile and wealthy places within the kingdom. According to my investigations, the Great Lords and the minor lords who are allied with them already control over three-fifths of the kingdom’s land. Moreover, most of this land includes the kingdom’s richest farmlands, forests, mines, ports, docks, and cities. The wealth they extract far exceeds the income of the kingdom’s treasury. Yet, they still complain of poverty before you, Your Majesty, dragging their feet on paying the taxes owed to the kingdom’s treasury and even resisting the Utrecht Regulation which has been in effect for several years. Meanwhile, the Central Kingdom still has to pay significant military expenses to defend our territory from foreign invasions. Your Majesty, you can see for yourself just how extravagant the lives of some Great Lords and the lords under them are. While we tighten our belts to raise military funds, while our soldiers shed their blood in battle at the Northern Border, and while our officials go hungry for months without receiving their meager salaries, those scoundrels indulge in opulent and decadent lives surrounded by wine and the glow of pleasure.”

The Minister of Internal Affairs, sensing that His Majesty the King intended to use this opportunity to solve all problems, spoke without his usual caution and prudence. Although using military means to resolve the issue was not the best strategy, possessing a strong military force would at least psychologically pose a great threat to the Great Lords. In many issues, once you possess certain things, you often do not need to actually use them to achieve a satisfactory resolution; this is especially so for those who are outwardly tough but weak inside.

“Just look at their behavior at Versailles. The night before last, Count Boninski gambled away 200,000 gold shields in one night with Marquis Hataki and Viscount Solon, but the next day he bought a 60,000 gold shield diamond necklace for his new mistress and spent an additional 23,000 gold shields on a mink coat made from black mink fur from the Mogan Wilderness for that strumpet. Yesterday, Marquis Bremen lost 250,000 gold shields in a deer hunting competition with Duke Zellin, while Duke Zellin himself lost 400,000 gold shields on a bad bet in a horse race,” the Minister of Internal Affairs said, pouring out a startling array of figures. “And that’s not all. Viscount Devon, Philip’s nephew, liked the wife of Baron Rom from the Evan Region so much that he offered Rom 50,000 gold shields to agree for his wife to accompany Devon to Lake Sinai for a vacation.”

Even though the old man already had some knowledge of the corrupt and opulent lives of these lords within his kingdom, he was still shocked by the detailed description from his Minister of Internal Affairs. The degree of debauchery of the Great and minor lords was barely believable to him; that these people could begrudge a few tens of thousands or even thousands of gold shields in taxes to his tax officers, yet spare no expense on gambling and women, creating a stark contrast that left the old man momentarily at a loss for words to vent his inner rage.

The Dressed Military Officer by his side was equally shocked by his colleague’s description. The Central Kingdom’s prestige was undoubtedly seen as nothing but trash in the eyes of these people; they could recklessly squander huge sums of money, yet they were unwilling to pay the taxes that should have been paid by the soldiers who were defending against foreign invasions on the Northern Border. This outrageous behavior was undoubtedly a tremendous insult to the brave soldiers who had dedicated their lives to the kingdom.

“Tez, are all these things you’ve said true?” The old man gasped for air, his complexion turning particularly ugly as the Minister of Internal Affairs’ words had a profound impact on him. Not only were these noble lords corrupt and degraded, but some of their actions were so despicable that even he, who was tolerant of private lives, found them unacceptable. Public knowledge of such blatant transactions involving the purchase of another noble’s wife’s chastity for money would undoubtedly damage the common people’s respect and fondness for the noble class, something that was intolerable.

“Your Majesty, I have grown accustomed to seeing these phenomena happen every day and night. Many officials at the Central Kingdom are just as intoxicated and lost in dreams as they are, but it’s not within my jurisdiction to elaborate on the private lives of the nobility. However, judging by the level of these lords’ expenditure, you can see how much they adore a life of luxury and how insignificant their contributions to the kingdom appear by comparison. This phenomenon must and should be changed,” the Minister of Internal Affairs said, regaining his composure and making pointed remarks. “Nevertheless, I believe that relying solely on military means to resolve this issue is not the best solution. The Great and minor lords all have complicated relationships with the Central Kingdom, and pulling one hair may affect the whole body. I prefer a multifaceted approach to gradually undermine the authority of these Great Lords, to first prevent them from controlling their affiliated minor lords, to gradually take back the management of these minor lords for the kingdom, and finally deal with the Great Lords.”