bookandnovel Chapter 8: Prison Inmates
Chapter 8: Prison Inmates
To everyone's astonishment, Edmund launched a fierce attack, his knight's greatsword clashing directly with Douglas's weapon!
A deafening roar!
The overflowing battle aura sent several guards flying!
In the end, the confident Douglas was forced back several steps by Edmund before he could barely regain his balance.
Minister of War Douglas was horrified: "I broke through to the Dou Zun realm a year ago, and the Prime Minister ordered me not to publicize it. Today, I intended to make a name for myself and intimidate the King! I never expected to be suppressed by my former subordinate!"
The look in Douglas's eyes towards Edmund no longer held contempt, but rather deep apprehension.
Edmund remained calm; he had already ascertained Douglas's strength from their earlier exchange.
In terms of sheer force of will, Douglas is indeed more robust than Edmund.
However, Edmund possesses both the Titan Muscles and the Silver Dragon Secondary Heart, making his physical explosive power extraordinary.
In conclusion, if it came to a life-or-death struggle, he was absolutely confident that he could completely subdue his superior within a hundred moves.
"Your Majesty Li Ang, you have cultivated a fine subordinate! Edmund has now reached the Dou Zun cultivation level, and I will report this to the Prime Minister to offer my congratulations."
Douglas waved his hand dejectedly.
Treasurer Sancher trembled with fear: "Battle Master? Edmund, that boorish legion commander, has become a Battle Master?"
On the mainland, there is a fundamental difference between a human Grand Warrior and a Battle Venerable!
Even among the most powerful warriors, one could find nearly a hundred throughout the entire Kingdom of Grant.
However, the number of Dou Zun powerhouses on the surface has always hovered around five.
Every veteran Dou Zun is a renowned figure, a pillar of the kingdom!
In war, the existence of a Dou Zun can influence the course of events.
Douglas weighed the pros and cons, and after a moment, bowed and said, "This time, I will follow Your Majesty's will!"
Finance Minister Sancher was still unwilling to leave the comfortable capital city, and he was particularly reluctant to leave his luxurious mansion.
"Douglas, am I really going to leave with my entourage? Aren't you going to send the Griffin and Flame Legions to reclaim the Royal Treasury and the Grain Depot?"
Sancher lowered his voice.
Douglas said helplessly, "Give up your illusions! Edmund is a Battle Venerable even stronger than me! The garrison alone has over 30,000 soldiers. If we were to wage war against His Majesty the King, that would be a grave crime of treason!"
"Moreover, once war breaks out, we will suffer heavy losses! This is not what Your Majesty would like to see! The Treasury and the Food and Supplies Offices have branches in other towns and cities, and Your Majesty needs you and some financial officers to assist in mobilizing them."
"Furthermore, you can no longer stay in the capital. Once this matter is over, everyone will know you're the Prime Minister's man. Do you think His Majesty the King will let you off the hook?"
Upon hearing Douglas's words, Sancher instantly understood: "Okay, I understand! I'll take my family and trusted officials away immediately!"
Two days later, the Griffin Cavalry Regiment and the Flame Infantry Regiment set off and withdrew from the capital.
..................
Li Ang summoned Minister of Ceremonies Andrew and shared his thoughts: "Andrew! Minister of Finance Sancher has already gone to the Western Frontier with Minister of War Douglas! Currently, who do you think would be suitable to temporarily manage the vacant Treasury and Grain Office?"
Minister of Rites and Law, Andrew, paused for a moment, then said, "The Second Office of Finances and Grain is of utmost importance! His Majesty can appoint the incomparably loyal and valiant Commander Edmund to manage it!"
Li Ang shook his head and said, "Edmund is a warrior; he knows nothing about money and finance!"
Andrew continued, "The head steward of the palace, Mike, is a man of discerning judgment, meticulous in his work, and a trusted confidant of His Majesty. He can be entrusted with the management!"
Li Ang shook his head again and said, "Mike is the Grand Steward of the Palace and is not suitable for a cabinet position. Besides, Mike is too busy managing palace affairs to be distracted!"
Andrew's expression immediately froze: "Your Majesty, what do you mean? Who will fill the vacant position of Minister of Finance?"
Li Ang pointed directly at Andrew: "Andrew, you come from a hereditary marquisate, and thirteen years ago you were the Minister of Etiquette and Law. Twenty years ago you also served as the head of the Royal Treasury in the capital. You are proficient in both etiquette and finance. The position of Minister of Finance vacated by Sancher will be filled by you!"
After saying that, Li Ang gave a signal with his eyes.
Chief Steward Mike produced the imperial edict and read it aloud: "By the grace of Heaven, the King decrees: Minister of Rites Andrew shall, effective immediately, concurrently serve as Acting Minister of Finance, directly responsible for all affairs of the Treasury, the Grain Bureau, and other relevant departments! So be it!"
Andrew was excited, never expecting that Li Ang would directly appoint him to be in charge of the core Finance and Grain Department.
With Prime Minister Tobias still far away in the West, isn't Andrew the head of the cabinet in the capital?
Andrew immediately knelt down and performed the grandest bow: "Thank you for your high regard, Your Majesty! Andrew will certainly not fail in his mission!"
Li Ang nodded slightly. After entrusting him with an important task, Andrew's loyalty level rose directly from 70 points to 80 points!
After calming himself down, Andrew began to analyze the current situation of the kingdom for Li Ang: "Your Majesty, in the Kingdom of Grant today, you are the nominal king, but Prime Minister Tobias has long stationed troops in the west, and they don't obey orders. In the south, your cousin, Duke Carloch, is ambitious! And externally, there are alien creatures from the continent, eyeing us covetously!"
Li Ang's heart skipped a beat. The Minister of Rites and Law, Andrew, was right. It was really difficult for him, the king, to just relax and enjoy life!
"However, this time, Tobias's desire to mobilize troops is exactly what I want!"
Li Ang's gaze turned cold.
"Unrequited loyalty is absolute disloyalty! The Griffin Cavalry and the Flame Infantry Regiment have always been under the command of Douglas and his cronies, and they were never truly loyal to me. With them transferred, the capital is actually safer!"
Andrew advised, "Your Majesty, that is true, but the capital only has one garrison regiment, which is ultimately in danger of being understaffed. You still need to recruit soldiers as soon as possible."
Li Ang suddenly had an idea.
"Andrew, you are the Minister of Law and Ceremonies, in charge of the kingdom's judicial and criminal law! Let me ask you, how many prisoners are currently held in the capital?"
"Your Majesty, the capital's several prisons hold over 100,000 prisoners in total!"
Andrew replied.
"Why are there so many people?"
Li Ang was somewhat surprised.
"It was a great purge! In the three years before his death, the former king Gudroni was extremely paranoid. Many nobles, and even commoners, were caught up in the turmoil."
"These 100,000 people are considered lucky; previously, the old King Gudroni had already ordered the beheading and hanging of over 300,000 people!"
Andrew said in a chilling tone.
"You shall immediately begin preparations to make a simple distinction among these prisoners. Try to divide them into two groups: one group consists of those whose evidence is questionable and who may be wrongfully imprisoned; the other group consists of those whose evidence is conclusive and who deserve their punishment."
"I'm going to visit those prisoners in prison myself in a week!"
A bold plan suddenly popped into Li Ang's mind.