Darkstone Code-Chapter 781 - 0779 Process [Unknown additional content -1/?]
After the Prime Minister made a round in the Secretariat, he entered a more inner meeting room.
Since the Secretariat is an administrative institution, there certainly must be distinctions between superiors and subordinates.
In the past, when the Secretariat could still fulfill its duties, the highest authority of the Secretariat was called the "Elder."
There was also a period when the Secretariat was referred to as the "Senate," implying that the institution was the territory of the "Elders," and everything had to be according to them.
Beneath the Elders were the "Elders," and the method of distinguishing between them was quite simple. At that time, nobles weren’t as particular about their appearance as they are now.
Back then, it was popular among the nobility to wear linen robes, so the Elders’ robes would have golden barley spikes, while the Elders’ robes had silver wheat spikes to distinguish their status.
The rest were ordinary nobles who also wore robes, but with only their coats of arms and no spikes.
Later, as the power of the Secretariat gradually waned, the Elders began to drop their airs to unite all the nobles. Unfortunately, changes in the political system and shifts in power meant that even if they did, it had little significance.
This meeting room was for the use of the Elders and Elders, while the nobles in the outside hall were not allowed to enter without permission.
The Prime Minister wasn’t a member of the Secretariat, but he could enter directly without anyone’s permission. This is the nature of power; it can ignore most rules.
After everyone sat down, the Prime Minister looked around at the grand nobles, his smile vivid, "Have you reached any conclusion about who should take on the role of Minister of Finance during this time?"
The grand nobles around the conference table exchanged simple glances, and the grand noble in the principal seat lightly cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention.
"Your Excellency the Prime Minister, we have been discussing this issue during this time, but since it involves an important position and we don’t have enough time,"
The Prime Minister directly shook his head and said, "So you have no results, is that right?"
The surrounding nobles nodded one after another, and someone explained, "There are too many excellent candidates, and it’s challenging for us to make a decision. There’s only one position, and if we choose this one, we overlook that one."
"At that time, someone will surely argue, or even question whether our selection was fair and just. You know, those who lose always have many reasons."
After listening, the Prime Minister did not deny it, just like gamblers, anything could be a reason for their losses.
"Bad luck today, didn’t wash hands after using the bathroom, facing the window or turning away, someone borrowed money and didn’t return it..."
"Those gamblers can easily find dozens or hundreds of reasons for losing money, and the same goes for the unsuccessful nobles, coming up with things like shady dealings without even thinking about it."
That’s why selecting this candidate takes a long time.
The Prime Minister knitted his brows, "What we lack most now is time. We cannot keep the position of Minister of Finance vacant, waiting for you to choose someone before arranging the work. This would hold us back from many things."
"This is not just any position; it concerns the entire national financial budget planning and allocation, and we cannot give you so much time."
"You must choose a candidate by the end of the month."
At this time, one of the nobles suddenly reminded, "Your Excellency, it is already the end of the month."
"It’s already the end of the month?" The Prime Minister was momentarily taken aback. He looked down at his watch, which had a small calendar window.
Watches with calendars like this are very popular now, with key technologies mastered by only a few companies, making them scarce on the market.
He glanced at the calendar and sighed, "It really is the end of the month, I didn’t even feel it!"
He shook his head as he spoke, "I’ve been so busy lately, with so many things to handle, I really miss the calm days from before."
"Though boring, at least I had plenty of personal time."
The nobles in the room just laughed it off, not taking it seriously, just like how the things they’re discussing now are just discussions and don’t necessarily have any direct relation to the outcome of the matters.
"A few days is indeed a bit tight, should we give it a try?" the Prime Minister asked again.
He seemed to indeed be asking about this matter, but in reality, everyone knew what he was asking and how to answer.
"Your Excellency, although the Secretariat is mockingly called a nursing home, that does not mean we lack responsibility. We can’t select a suitable candidate in such a short timeframe, perhaps..."
The chief grand noble glanced at the nobles around him and softly said, "Why don’t you temporarily take on this role?"
The Prime Minister was somewhat astonished. He looked at the nobles in front of him and then smiled wryly while shaking his head, "That’s not possible. I previously suggested to His Majesty that I temporarily take on the role, but... he refused."
The chief grand noble smiled and said, "This time, we will personally discuss this matter with His Majesty, and surely His Majesty will agree."
The Prime Minister seemed tempted but showed some hesitation, "But those outside..."
The chief grand noble raised his hand for silence, "Grasping for power is never as important as the stability of the Empire!"
This matter is essentially just a process, as Lynch and others have said. From the very beginning, the Emperor never intended to fight the Prime Minister to the end; he was making concessions from the start.
However, these concessions did not give away everything, and the Prime Minister also did not receive everything without giving anything in return.
If these conversations were to leak out, most of the nobles outside would inevitably feel resentful.
They have been busy forging connections, hosting secret meetings, and working tirelessly everywhere for the sake of that position.
If they can’t get that position, they should at least gain some benefits. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦
But what they didn’t expect was that the major nobles in the Secretariat would turn around and betray them, helping the Prime Minister claim this financial power, leaving them happy about nothing and even losing something. If at this time, the Emperor shows some goodwill, some of these nobles would unhesitatingly side with His Majesty.
In other words, the Prime Minister essentially pushed some of the Noble Group toward the Emperor as a cost to gain the opportunity to concurrently hold financial power, realizing his plan for power.
Did the Emperor lose out?
It seems so, but not entirely.
Although he lost financial power, the development plan for the whole country is already there, and the Prime Minister cannot arbitrarily violate it. Moreover, everyone agrees on the general direction, which is for the country.
The Emperor lost some power but gained the support of a large number of nobles. These nobles will become the cards he regains in the future.
It’s known that the Prime Minister is quite old, and no one knows how many more years he can sit in this position.
Three to five years, at most ten years!
Ten years later, a new war will inevitably break out, affecting the entire world. By then, the Prime Minister’s physical, mental, and intellectual capacity will be declining; how could he possibly continue to cling to this position?
Once he steps down, with the Noble Group’s support, His Majesty the Emperor will have a certain level of opportunity and possibility for dictatorship. As long as enough nobles support him, he could even concurrently serve as both Prime Minister and Minister of Finance during the war!
Plus, with royal permission for his military control, administration, finance, and military governance highly unified, a dictatorial Emperor will be born!
Even if those nobles do not support him in achieving his dictatorial dreams, he at least has the chance to reclaim financial power. As long as he holds financial power, even if the choice of Prime Minister is compromised, he still wields great power.
By exchanging the current opportunity for infinite future possibilities, the Emperor has not made a loss in this deal.
The Prime Minister is well aware of His Majesty the Emperor’s intentions, but he doesn’t mind; he even cooperates. They are both gambling, gambling on who will reveal flaws first!
The contents of the meeting room have not been leaked in the short term, but it won’t be long before they do.
In three days, at next Monday’s morning assembly, it will inevitably be known across the nation!
By then, a grand drama will unfold with His Majesty the Emperor as the "victim," starting to pull those resentful nobles to his side.
Of course, the Secretariat will also try to unite the nobles as much as possible. They can’t just allow all the nobles to side with His Majesty the Emperor; that would be irresponsible.
The Prime Minister stayed at the Secretariat for less than an hour before leaving. Shortly after he left, some rumors began to flow into the Secretariat from the outside.
People somehow heard about some things related to Lynch.
They heard that Lynch plans to take the money they’ve earned and invest in the Amelie Province, with some preferential policies being granted by His Majesty the Emperor.
If this news concerned someone else, it would just be ordinary news, but since it’s about Lynch, it must capture people’s attention.
It’s known that not long ago, Lynch, along with his group of useless nobles, swallowed billions in profits in the financial market, leaving other nobles still green with envy.
Those major nobles might not care, but not all nobles are that wealthy; there will always be some nobles who only retain the facade of nobility without much wealth.
Just as everyone was preparing to leave for lunch, several nobles approached Lynch.
"Mr. Lynch, I heard you plan to invest in the Amelie Province over there?"
Lynch looked at these people. A young Count deftly introduced Lynch to them; they were all minor nobles, most of whom had varying degrees of connection with the Imperial Family, such as close blood ties.
The Emperor, though brutal, is still human, and like any human, he has some "small problems," such as preferring to trust blood relatives over strangers.
Thus, among the current minor noble group in the Gafura Empire, about half have ancestors who were once members of the Imperial Family or closely connected to it, earning favor consequently.
After the young Count finished introducing these people to Lynch, Lynch smiled and nodded, "Indeed it is so!"
The leading minor noble appeared very humble, "Could you talk to us about the matters concerning Amelie Province?"
