Volume 1: Raging Waves City Chapter 188 Father-Daughter Dialogue
The turmoil caused by the Alchemist Association fraud in Nutao City is gradually subsiding as investors get their money back and the World Bank takes over. All parties involved in the fight are unwilling to continue to escalate the incident, so after reaching various agreements, they all tacitly suppressed public opinion, and the city has regained its peace and prosperity. Nutao City has not suffered too much impact and is still a world-class trading city.
Just like throwing a stone into a pond, although the water surface in the center is calm, the ripples spread outward for a long time.
The status of Nutao City in the Golden Shield Empire determines that any incident within it will affect the situation of the entire country. As more and more information converges from various paths to the imperial capital, Shenglun City, many people can no longer keep their composure.
In a warm room in the palace, the fire in the fireplace was burning brightly, and the walls were hung with carpets that were both decorative and warm. Other decorations were also extremely luxurious, showing the prosperity and power of the empire.
The Imperial Emperor Augustine Whitehead sat in a couch, covered with an animal-skin rug.
Augustine the Great ascended the throne at the age of 23 and has been in power for 46 years. He witnessed the vigorous development brought about by the new technological revolution and seized the opportunities of the times to keep the empire up to date with the development of the world.
The monarchies in the surrounding countries were ended one by one, and Augustine the Great's former friends and enemies were exiled or sent to the guillotine.
The Golden Shield Empire is still one of the most powerful countries in the world. Not only has the power of the Golden Shield royal family not weakened in the slightest, but because the old aristocracy cannot keep up with the times, the imperial power has never been stronger.
Augustine the Great was described by the outside world as an iron-fisted dictator, but no one denies that he was a wise monarch.
However, no matter how wise a king was, he could not stop the passage of time. Emperor Augustine, who was nearly seventy years old, was suffering from many illnesses and was very old!
He was too weak to wear the heavy crown and sat there like an ordinary old man.
Emperor Augustine was in a very good mood today. He asked the eunuch to pour him a glass of red wine. He listened to the music played on the phonograph and looked at the documents in his hands.
When I see something happy, I can't help but hum the tune.
After a while, the eunuch came to his side and whispered, "Your Majesty, Her Royal Highness the Princess has arrived and is waiting for your summons outside."
"Agatha is here..." When Emperor Augustine heard his daughter's name, he immediately said, "Let her in."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Soon Agatha followed the eunuch into the warm room.
Agatha, wearing a palace dress, saluted Augustine: "Father, I wish you good health!"
Emperor Augustine waved his hand to let the eunuch leave, and then asked Agatha to sit in the chair opposite him.
"Being a member of the royal family is so inconvenient..." Augustine said with emotion: "As my daughter, it is also so troublesome for her to see me."
Augustine's tone was casual, but Agatha still sat upright and did not behave in an unruly manner just because the person sitting opposite her was her father.
"Father, you are the emperor of the empire . Respecting you is respecting the empire. As your children, we should always uphold your dignity."
"You are just too serious." Augustine knew his daughter's personality: "She is very similar to me, always keeping alert to deal with sudden events at any time.
What a pity... you are a woman. One day you will get married, and your heart will change, become soft, and become unadaptable to the need for ruthless political struggle. "
"Then I won't marry!"
Agatha's answer made Augustine laugh, and then caused a violent cough. Agatha immediately handed the red wine on the table to her father. After Augustine took a sip of red wine to suppress his cough, he said to his daughter: "Agatha, the empire does not need political marriage now. I will not interfere in your life. I believe that you will eventually meet someone you can't help but want to marry.
Let’s not talk about this anymore…
I received news from Nutao City that the meteorite you sent to the Secret Service of Cape District did a very good job. Nutao City will double the tax it pays to the Empire in the future, and this year's tax will also be paid according to the increased amount.
Although it is a little less than the five times tax that Viscount Iscolan mentioned, this is only the result from Meteorite to Raging Waves City in half a year. I am looking forward to what surprises he will give me in the future.
You have discovered a talent. Meteorite belongs to the Secret Service and the Empire. I know it is a bit too much to poach someone from you, but I think the stage of Raging Waves City is a bit too small for Meteorite.
The empire needs young blood, and the future emperor needs close ministers like Meteor."
When Agatha knew that her father was going to summon her, she had already guessed that it might be related to the incident in Raging Waves City.
The series of things that Meteorite did in Raging Waves City and the results it achieved were far beyond Agatha's expectations. It only took him half a year to cut off such a big piece of the pie from Raging Waves City, which was tightly held in the hands of the new nobles.
The reputation of the City Alchemist Association of Raging Waves was greatly reduced after this incident, and the control of the city government office over merchants reached its lowest point. The Innovation Society of the Meteorite Organization won three important seats in the city council and controlled the city security department and the city finance and taxation department.
The new aristocratic forces entrenched in Nutao City were defeated by the meteorite, and the staff sent by the Prime Minister returned to the imperial capital in embarrassment.
Nutao City agreed to double the tax payment!
This is a big win! A very beautiful big win!
If this were a real war, this achievement would be comparable to expanding the empire's territory.
No wonder father is so happy today.
If there is no problem with the identity of the Meteorite Inspector, Agatha will be very happy. After all, the subordinates' contributions are also the superiors' contributions, and commendations and rewards are inevitable, and it will also leave a very good impression on her father.
But... who is this meteorite ?
Moreover, her father wanted to poach him from the Secret Service, which made Agatha very embarrassed.
"Father..." Agatha thought about what to say, and then replied: "Although Meteorite has made some achievements in Raging Waves City, now is not the time to recall him back to the imperial capital. The Raging Waves City Reclaiming Plan that Meteorite and I have formulated has just begun, and he also needs to stay in Raging Waves City to resist the counterattack of the new nobles."
Emperor Augustine thought about Agatha's answer, and then asked, "Is there no one in the Secret Service who can replace Meteorite as the abbot of Raging Waves City? I am very satisfied with the current situation in Raging Waves City. Don't touch the interests of the new nobles too much.
Imperfection is more conducive to the stability of the empire. In recent years, some people in the Brotherhood of the Blade have been very restless. We need the support of the new nobles and cannot take the risk of fighting on two fronts.
Letting Meteorite come to the capital at this time is a form of protection for him. I can help the new nobles let go of their hatred for him."
Emperor Augustine thought that Agatha wanted to launch another attack on the new nobles in Fury City, so he stopped the next move of the Secret Service. He had been an emperor for more than 40 years, and the biggest gain was to stop his greed in time and not test the bottom line of any party.
Agatha also wanted to transfer Meteorite to the imperial capital, tie him up, and ask him about his origins.
but……
She knew that Meteorite would never come to the imperial capital.
If Meteorite disobeys orders, then everyone will know that it is an impostor.
Now Meteorite has completely controlled the Cape District and has won three important seats in the Raging Waves City Council. He has already established a firm foothold, and even if he turns against them... Agatha doesn't know who Viscount Iscolan, Councillor Ibel, and Lady Michelle will choose to follow.
If Meteorite and the new nobles reached a reconciliation, he would be left alone to face his father's wrath.
"Father, Yunxing is a very capable person, and the Secret Service can't find anyone to replace him. If we rashly change the situation, I'm afraid the new inspector will have trouble controlling Yunxing's subordinates.
Moreover, Viscount Iscolan is a member of the Brotherhood of the Blade, and Councillor Ibel and Lady Michelle were both councillors of the New Nobles. They all joined us because of the personal charm of Inspector Meteorite. If it were someone else, they might alienate us. "
Agatha's answer made Emperor Augustine fall into deep thought.
With the situation in Raging Waves City still not stable, it was indeed inappropriate to transfer Meteorite back to the Imperial Capital. But Augustine wanted to summon Meteorite, for reasons he had said and reasons he hadn't said.
After careful consideration, Emperor Augustine said to Agatha in a fatherly tone: "You sent Meteor to Raging Waves City to do these things very suddenly. Even I didn't know that you were going to launch such a large-scale operation there. I know you did this for the sake of the empire. There are too many places that need money for internal and external troubles.
But you should know that what you did in Raging Waves City brought you many political enemies. There are new nobles and your brothers...
The meteorite made them feel the challenge from you. In the past few days, more people have come to me to discuss your marriage than in the whole year. The royal family does not need political marriages. I can only give you this kind of protection, pull yourself out of the vortex of Raging Waves City, and tell others... that you have no desire for the throne. "
Agatha felt so miserable!
As the ultimate boss of the Imperial Secret Service, she knew all the rumors about herself within the empire.
The eldest princess joined the battle for the crown prince and backstabbed the eldest prince, the second prince and the imperial cabinet in Nutao City.
It can be said that she had offended everyone in the imperial political arena who could not afford to offend. If it were not for her status as the eldest princess, she would have been thrown into prison and disappeared from the face of the earth.
The best way to dispel this rumor is to recall Inspector Meteorite and hand him over to my father. In Raging Waves City... the Secret Affairs Bureau gradually withdrew from it and maintained the current status quo.
Agatha knew that her father's words, as well as the words he said at the beginning of the conversation, meant that he thought the same.
"The royal family does not need political marriages!"
It's actually a threat.
If necessary, Emperor Augustine would decide her marriage to eliminate the threat to the throne.
Agatha was in a dilemma.
Finally, she mustered up the courage to look directly into the eyes of Emperor Augustine and said, "Father, you haven't appointed a crown prince yet. I guess you are not satisfied with the first and second princes."
Augustine's expression suddenly changed: "This is not what you should say. If it weren't for the fact that you are my daughter..."
"Father!" Agatha said stubbornly, "You are too outstanding. In your eyes, none of your children satisfy you. And the so-called revolutions that broke out in the surrounding countries frightened you. You were afraid that the new emperor would destroy the empire."
"Agatha, shut up...you're so bold today!"
"Father, I swear that I have no desire for the throne. I just want to do what a royal princess should do. We all know how important Raging Waves City is to the empire. This is why someone would come out and frame me the moment I made the slightest move in Raging Waves City.
You compromised with those people, and they were afraid of your majesty and dared not do anything. But when... when the new emperor ascends the throne, they will hold the lifeblood of the empire, will they still submit to the imperial power?
Father, you have led this ancient empire to move forward cautiously in this new era. You should be wise enough to see that your daughter is doing these things... for her own selfish reasons? Or for this country?"
Agatha's words made Emperor Augustine let out a long sigh.
If it were in the past, he would have appointed a crown prince to stabilize the empire's political arena. However, this era does not need a monarch who can maintain the status quo, but needs a monarch who can lead the empire to seize every opportunity of the era like himself.
These opportunities are fleeting, and if you fail to seize them, you will be eliminated by the times.
This empire is as old and sick as itself. Without a wise ruler to lead it, it will surely collapse!
How much Augustine the Great hoped that one of his sons would be able to take up this responsibility after his death, but they were all manipulated by the new nobles.
Augustine was very disappointed. He did not appoint a crown prince, but waited and watched them fight. Winning at least showed that he had ambition and ability, and was more aware of the ruthless way of being a king.
At this time, Augustine looked at his daughter.
Agatha showed extraordinary abilities since she was young. She participated in political affairs at an early age and was canonized as the "Princess" for her abilities. Now she is mainly in charge of the Imperial Secret Service, which is also the department she is most assured and comfortable to use.
Now that the Secret Service has made such great achievements in Raging Waves City, it shows Agatha's ability to identify and employ people, as well as her courage to take action against the new nobles.
If she were not a woman, she would be a good candidate for the crown prince, but she would marry and give birth to children for others.
Augustine suppressed the sudden thought that came to his mind.
"I believe in you. You will loyally assist the future emperor of the empire and make this empire continue to prosper.
Do what you think is right! If I can't find a crown prince that I am satisfied with, I can train an excellent princess for the future emperor of the empire.
Go back, I'm tired."
"Yes, Father."
Agatha stood up and left, secretly relieved. She barely managed to get through this difficult time, but what about the future...
Agatha had a premonition that the meteorite would bring her more trouble.
"Damn it, don't let me catch you!"
