Volume 3: Artifacts Chapter 44: The trend is coming
When Prime Minister Meteorite first took office, he chose the western border as the first area to be inspected, and the entire court had been speculating on the purpose of his move.
Because no matter how you look at it, the nobles of the Western Territory have been very obedient since they submitted the letter of allegiance, and in terms of importance, the Western Territory should be ranked last among all parties. Some people speculate that the real purpose of the Meteor Prime Minister's trip to the Western Territory is to go to the Second Prince, and the Prime Minister's inspection of the Western Territory delegation staying in the Crescent Oasis seems to confirm this.
When the agreement on the empire's trusteeship of the Western Territory, signed jointly by the Western Territory nobles, was sent to the imperial capital, the entire court could not believe what they heard. Even the direct officials of Nutao City expressed doubts about the news.
After all, the special nature of the Western Territory determined that it was a troublemaker at the beginning of the establishment of the empire. Many emperors of the empire wanted to solve the problem of the Western Territory, but they all returned in vain. Even Augustine the Great , who was a man of great talent and strategy, mainly appeased these troublemakers.
Now, these old-fashioned nobles who regard land as their lifeblood are actually handing over their land to the empire for management. This is even more ridiculous than saying that the sun rises from the west.
But when one order after another was signed by the Queen Regent and issued from the palace, everyone realized... this was all true.
The Empire established the Western Frontier Office with its capital in Sun City and appointed Earl Urd as the first governor of the Western Frontier Office .
Order the Imperial Cabinet to immediately formulate a plan for the trusteeship of the Western Territory.
The palace selects officials for the western border.
The Imperial General Staff immediately sent officers to the western border to recruit the nobles' private soldiers.
Appoint Marquis Meteorite as the temporary chief executive of the Western Territory Administration, fully responsible for the political and military affairs of the Western Territory. Once the empire has selected a suitable chief executive, the government affairs will be transferred.
All the nobles in the Western Territory were given official titles, which were honorary titles that could be transferred and inherited.
…
Before the empire had recovered from the shock, the first batch of urgently selected officials and officers sent by the military boarded the train to the west.
At this time, Luke, as the highest official of the Western Territory Administration, held the military and political power of the entire Western Territory. He did not dare to be careless in the execution of the Western Territory's trusteeship. All the political and military affairs were handled in accordance with the principle of not seeking the best but the fastest, to prevent possible backlash.
Queen Christina also had enough political wisdom. She selected officials all night long, convened cabinet meetings again and again, and transported carts of personnel and equipment to the west.
The imperial court operated at an unprecedented efficiency, and in less than a month, it had deployed its Western Faction personnel to various noble territories in the western border.
All the nobles' private soldiers were reorganized into the empire's second-level reserve army. Those who were unwilling to serve in the army were dismissed, and then the various units were transferred away from their original territories for training in other places.
Security offices were set up in major cities. After the sheriffs mobilized from all over the empire arrived, the Security Offices managed the daily security and operations of the cities on behalf of the lords.
Imperial Secret Intelligence Services were also established one after another.
With the force of thunder, the empire, under the leadership of Prime Minister Meteorite, swallowed up the entire western border and directly governed it.
After the highest official of the Western Territory Administration, nominated by the Prime Minister and officially appointed by the Empress Regent of the Empire, arrived in Sun City, Luke, after completing the handover of government affairs, left with the Western Territory inspection delegation and embarked on the journey back to Saint Lun City.
Over the desert, a group of giant dragons , led by a golden dragon, flew eastward in a formation. When they met the delegation of the Prime Minister of the Empire inspecting the Western Territory, all the dragons roared together, as if to greet them.
Luke, riding on a camel, waved to the dragons and watched them quickly disappear into the air.
Count Urd rode a camel alongside Luke, his expression mired in shock at the sudden encounter with the dragon.
When he could no longer see the dragons, Count Urd couldn't help but admire: "Dragons are truly awe-inspiring creatures. I didn't expect that the Prime Minister has such a good relationship with the dragons and can invite so many dragons to protect the World Tree."
Luke looked at the undulating sand dunes ahead and said, "The dragons are willing to help because they can get what they want from me. These dragons are smart and will not work for us in vain.
Lord Urd, you are now the Governor of the West. Are you really leaving here to travel around the world?"
Earl Urd looked at the back of the team and saw that most of the long camel caravan were members and servants of the Urd family, as well as the wealth they brought with them.
"Since I have decided to let the Empire take over the territory, there is not much to miss. I have been looking at the sand here for my whole life, and I am really tired of it. Now I want to see the sea. When the Empire develops Sun City well, I will come back to stay for a few days."
Count Urd saw it clearly. If he continued to stay here, it was inevitable that someone would use him to cause trouble. If he was really implicated, the rights and interests he had obtained might be lost. The Empire's custody of the Western Territory would not be so smooth, especially without the support of the Prime Minister of Meteorite, some things would rebound.
Therefore, by hiding away at this time, I can avoid blood splattering on myself and protect my family.
It’s not too late to come back once everything is settled.
Luke could understand Count Urd's thoughts. He smiled and said, "If you want to see the sea, go to Raging Waves City. I have already asked someone to prepare the manor for you. I will also ask the Innovation Society to set up a brokerage group for you. You can invest in Raging Waves City with confidence. They will tell you what industry in Raging Waves City can make money."
"Thank you, Prime Minister!" Count Urd smiled happily. It would be hard not to make money if the Governor of Nutao City took him to invest. Then Count Urd asked, "Prime Minister, we are almost at the Crescent Oasis. How long do you plan to stay in Crescent City?
If it's too long, I'll leave first."
Earl Urd was testing the risks of Crescent City. If the Prime Minister of Meteorite planned to stay for a while longer, it meant that he might have to deal with the Second Prince Alex, so he should leave as soon as possible to avoid danger.
Luke smiled and replied, "Probably not for long."
In Crescent Oasis, in Crescent City, a messenger has delivered the news that the Prime Minister of Meteorite has completed his inspection of the Western Border and will be returning via Crescent Oasis.
The second prince, Alex, urgently convened a staff meeting to discuss how to respond.
"Everyone, you have all seen what happened in Crescent City these days. The Empire sent officials to the Western Territory one after another. Our Prime Minister Meteorite once again created a miracle. Moreover... now that the Empire has recovered the Western Territory, is there any need for our Western Territory Legion to exist?"
Alec asked, but no one among the staff and officers dared to answer.
Because the answer is obvious, the Western Territory Legion no longer has a basis for existence, and the Meteor Prime Minister's passage through Crescent City this time is definitely not a simple stop.
But what good is knowing the answer? There is not much the Second Prince and the Western Border Legion can do.
Faced with the silence, Alex angrily said, "Aren't you usually very talkative and smarter than each other? Now it's time for you to show your talents, why are you all silent!"
Still no one dared to speak.
"Leonard!" Alex simply named him directly: "You are my number one think tank, you should be able to give me some good advice."
Leonard was a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar with a neatly trimmed mustache. When he heard Alec call his name, he stood up and saluted, then replied: "When Meteorite went to Triumph Fortress to express his condolences, His Royal Highness Sinclair announced that he had given up his right to inherit the throne, thus retaining control of the Northern Army.
I think...if Your Highness also announces that you have given up your right to inherit the throne, I think the Prime Minister of Meteoric Star will also allow you to continue to control the Western Frontier Legion."
Alex didn't expect that his top think tank would give him such a bad idea.
"Is this what you suggest? Give up the right to inherit the throne? Then what do I need the Western Border Legion for?"
Another think tank offered his own suggestion: "Your Highness! When the Falling Star arrives at Crescent City, you can pretend to be sick. He can't see you, so he can't talk about the Western Frontier Legion. After a long time, he will naturally leave."
Another bad idea.
Alec angrily shouted, "The Meteorite secretly entered the Western Territory and swallowed up the entire Western Territory in less than two months. If I pretended to be sick and didn't see him, when he left Crescent Oasis, he would probably take the Western Territory Legion with him.
Don't use your cleverness to challenge the wisdom of the meteorite. Hiding is to let him play freely! "
Another think tank stood up: "Since the meteorite is so dangerous, why don't we..."
The think tank made a cutting gesture, the meaning of which was self-evident.
Alec covered his head in pain: "What a bunch of rubbish! General Joshuel has tried your suggestion, what was the result?
I warn you, don't do anything beyond the boundaries with the meteorites. You are not nightingales, and I will not let you go like I let the nightingales go...
Nightingale, why are you here? "
Alec looked at the door of the conference room, and standing outside the open door was Nightingale. She was wearing a ranger outfit, carrying a large bag, and covered in dust.
Nightingale looked at Alex and said, "I have made a lot of money, enough for me to leave the Empire and live a stable life for a while. This time when I passed by Crescent City, I wanted to come and say goodbye to you.
Don't blame the guards, I broke in by force."
"Come in..." Alec let Nightingale in and sat next to him. Looking at Nightingale's current appearance, he said with some guilt: "It can be seen that you have suffered a lot, and I hope you can understand that I had no choice but to drive you away.
Facing the relentless pressure from Meteor, I have been feeling uneasy day and night. If he finds evidence to assassinate me again, I am afraid I will end up like General Qiao Xiuer."
Nightingale said: "I can understand you. Especially after spending some time with Meteorite, I can understand why you are so afraid of him."
Alec asked, "Where did you see the meteorite?"
Nightingale replied, "In the tavern at the Scorched Wood Camp. Meteor recognized me and hired me as his bodyguard. It was originally agreed to be for half a month, but it was extended to two months. I also received a large sum of money from Meteor."
Alec asked in surprise: "You mean... during the period when the meteorite entered the West, you were always by his side?"
Nightingale thought for a moment and answered, "Most of the time. There are some things that need to be kept secret, so he didn't let me follow."
Alex didn't know why Meteorite hired Nightingale as a bodyguard, but since Nightingale had been following Meteorite during this period, it meant that she knew a lot of first-hand information, which was more valuable than hearsay.
"Can you tell me in detail what Yunxing has been doing during this period? If Yunxing doesn't allow you to disclose the secret, just pretend I didn't ask."
Nightingale laughed at himself and said, "I once asked Meteorite if I could tell others what I heard and saw. He told me that I could tell others what I heard and saw.
It seems that he knows that I can't help but come to you."
Alex understood that Nightingale did not come here to say goodbye, but to tell him what Meteorite had done in the West.
Alec waved his hand and asked all irrelevant people to leave.
Then he grasped Nightingale's hand affectionately: "Since Meteorite has forgiven you, you can continue to stay with me."
Nightingale pulled her hand back, straightened a strand of hair that was covering her eyebrows, and said to Alex, "Your Highness, I have always known that you can't give me the future you talked about. I have been deceiving myself. Because I really love you, I can give you everything, including my life.
Now I understand that even if I come back to you this time, you will still abandon me without hesitation next time.
I came here this time just to let you know what kind of person you are facing.
And you... you are ruthless when you should be ruthless, and ruthless when you should be ruthless. If you were an ambitious monarch, you should not have brought me back from the City of Raging Waves; if you were a benevolent monarch, you should not have brought me back and then driven me away.
Now I will tell you what Meteorite did in the West. You must listen carefully."
Alec's mind was in a mess, and he seemed to be listening to what Nightingale said. Nightingale's evaluation of him just now was something that others would never dare to say. They would only flatter him endlessly, making themselves believe that he was a prince who was willing to accept advice and had many friends.
If I ascend the throne, I will definitely be a wise ruler who can achieve great things.
But why hasn’t my father appointed a crown prince?
Why did the emperor always dislike me and Fania?
Indecisive, wavering, irresponsible... This is probably the reason why I was trapped in Crescent Oasis step by step.
After Nightingale told Alec everything she knew, she left and prepared to start a new life in another place.
The next day, the delegation of the Prime Minister of the Empire to inspect the Western Territory arrived at Xinyue City. Prime Minister Yunxing did not go to pay a visit to the Second Prince Yarik, but directly entered the special train that had been waiting here.
All the accompanying personnel and supplies entered the train, but the Prime Minister did not order the special train to start heading for Saint-Lon City.
Crescent City entered a calm before the storm.
Everyone knows that the Prime Minister of the Empire, Meteorite, will not leave Crescent City without taking anything. Since he can seize the opportunity to conquer the Western Territory, he will not miss the opportunity to eliminate the Western Territory Legion.
And his ultimate goal must be the second prince Alex.
How will Alec respond?
Should he give up his right to inherit the throne, or give up the Western Legion, or give it a try?
The atmosphere in the entire Crescent City was extremely depressing, and those with connections fled this place of trouble.
