Yes, Madam Prime Minister

Page 140

Neither Princess Isabel nor the Queen could understand why such a commotion had occurred. Was it simply to avoid returning to the capital?

Even Ambrina herself didn't understand.

"Taking over this city is just the beginning."

Ronan answered Ambrina's question.

“My original plan was to take a propaganda route. After leaving Bretu, I would travel around seven or eight important cities around the capital. In each city, we would stay for a few days and have a good chat with the local officials and those who control wealth and power. We would say different things depending on the characteristics of each place.”

"To give you an analogy, it's like the mayoral election in Dinia that you saw back then, Anli. The mayor went to different places and told the people in that area what she would do if she were elected."

"Our goal is to gain the approval of officials, nobles, wealthy merchants, landlords, and even the common people in the cities surrounding the capital."

"What era are we living in? Most countries are still feudal, and the vast majority of their income comes from the land. The capital city has a million inhabitants and is undoubtedly a blood-sucking city. The surrounding important cities are the blood supply stations. Although we can't really control these blood supply stations, as long as we can get them to side with us, we will have the right to speak in the capital city."

"Your sister and your mother, haha, they're all all bark and no bite. Your sister is surrounded by a bunch of empty talkers, and the rest are just mid-level officers in the northern army. They can only influence the capital. Your mother is surrounded by those impoverished nobles, none of them even have their own territory. They may have some connections in the capital, but what are they outside of it? And those capitalists, they can ride roughshod over peasants and workers all the time, but if we stir up the peasants and workers a little, they'll be scared out of their wits."

"That was my original plan, but after arriving in Rennes, I don't want to do it anymore."

"Because this place is so good, it has everything, we will carry out reforms right here. I will show everyone with my actions what this country will become if you come to power."

“But do I have that authority?” Ambrina questioned. What right did she have to carry out any reforms in Rennes? Although she was the heir to the throne, she had no real power and held no official position, only some empty titles.

"Power is sometimes like a claim; it can be fabricated. First, you declare that your life is threatened, so the city of Rennes implements strict control, and any suspicious person is arrested and interrogated rigorously. What is a suspicious person? Anyone who does not obey us is a suspicious person."

"Next, you announce that it is something you absolutely do not want to see, that your personal reasons affect the normal production and life of tens of thousands of citizens in Rennes. If your personal reasons affect the production and life of citizens, you would rather die. Therefore, Rennes will strictly control the situation on the one hand, and on the other hand, production will develop and life will be free."

"Based on these two points alone, you have the right to control the security and economy of Rennes City. Doesn't that give you the power?"

Ronan smiled and asked in return.

Ambrina suddenly realized that power could be obtained so easily.

Ronan saw through Ambrina's thoughts. "It might work for you, but it won't work for anyone else, not even at a different time or place. So, don't take this as a lesson learned."

Ronan said this because he was worried that Ambrina might think that Ronan's approach and actions during this process were worth taking as experience because it went so smoothly. This was absolutely unacceptable. Special methods for special times have no reference value whatsoever.

Many people have smooth sailing in their youth and middle age, but suddenly fall from grace in old age. Sometimes it's not because they've gotten old or stupid, but because they've taken the things they achieved during a special period in their youth as universally applicable strategies that are worth repeating.

“Understood.” Ambrina nodded thoughtfully.

Seeing that Ambrina understood this, Ronan was relieved. "Alright, the people who want to welcome you back to the capital should be arriving soon. Dinia and I won't go; you handle them."

"Me alone?" Ambrina was a little flustered.

“Just you,” Ronan replied.

“What if they try to take me away by force?” Ambrina asked.

“They wouldn’t dare. If they try to force you to go with them, just slap a charge of treason on you, and then Dinia and I will go there. That will save us trouble. We’ll force them to admit that it was your sister and mother who instructed them, and start a major treason case.”

“How could she possibly admit to that?” Ambrina didn’t believe it.

Ronan laughed. "Do we need them to admit it? Don't worry, your mother and sister's people are definitely among the people who picked you up. Just kill them and use the dead as leverage. Sometimes the dead are more useful than the living."

"However, that's basically impossible, so you just need to deal with them. If they want to stay and refuse to leave, just let them be."

"Alright, I need to go to the city hall to take over government affairs."

After saying that, Ronan left.

In the afternoon, just as Ronan had predicted, the procession to welcome Ambrina arrived. They were a little later than Ronan had expected, since Breteau and Rennes were not far apart and the road between them was well-maintained. If they had been traveling, they should have arrived in less than a day.

Ambrina went alone outside the city to meet the welcoming party.

Most of the people in the welcoming party were seeing the princess for the first time, and their first impression was that she was very different from the rumors. According to the rumors, Ambrina was a person who was not very skilled in magic, not strong in any other aspect, kind, polite, easy to talk to, and even somewhat weak.

But the person in front of us is clearly not like that.

Ambrina immediately activated her magic, conjuring up the "restaurant" in reality. Instantly, all the magicians were stunned, not only because their own magic was suppressed, but also because no one had ever accomplished this since the founding monarch, Orlans. Even though Ambrina's talent and magic were worlds apart from Orlans's, the fact that she could do this was still far beyond what was rumored about her.

While the other side was still in shock, Ambrina spoke up, saying to the attendant Lucia, "Go to the factory and find a job."

No anger, no questions asked, just a simple sentence, two words: heartless.

Who the hell said this princess is weak? Dare to stand up? I'd beat him to a pulp.

Chapter 318 Rhetoric, Tactics, and New Policies

Before Lucia could respond, Ambrina turned to the deputy director of the Royal Capital Police Bureau. "Are you from the Police Bureau? I have been assassinated. They disguised themselves as members of the police force. I would like you to send one person back to the capital to report this situation, and the others will stay behind to guard me."

The deputy director of the Royal Capital Garrison dared not answer. He had never expected to bring Ambrina back in the first place. He planned to stay behind as an informant to promptly relay information about Ambrina, Ronan, and Dinia's group.

But now, he was truly afraid, afraid that Her Highness the Princess would repeat the same tactics she used against the mayor and secretary-general of Rennes City, accusing him of treason at the slightest disagreement and then chopping him up.

Ambrina then looked at the young secretary. "This gentleman is very young and must be an outstanding person. If possible, I will definitely keep an eye on you in the future. However, Rennes City is currently short of staff."

She didn't finish her sentence.

The secretary's eyelids twitched. Translated, Ambrina's words meant one thing: you need to consider your future. If you're smart, stay and be a mouthpiece, and I'll consider you a talent and give you a boost. If you're not smart, I might not have a future, but yours is definitely gone.

His main purpose in coming here was to observe the princess; his secondary purpose was to try to bring her back.

His mission was now complete. While the princess's rhetoric and skills were mediocre among bureaucrats like them, she was a master among the powerful and wealthy.

After glancing at the man wearing the insignia of the Mage Order, Ambrina had no intention of speaking to him, because the Mage Order members were her father's men, and there was no need to say anything more.

Finally, Ambrina looked at Ashley. "I remember you, Isa's maid. It seems she really cares about me."

“Of course,” Ashley replied; she was the only one to respond.

“Then you should go back and tell her that I’m fine,” Ambrina said.

"Yes, Your Highness." After saying that, Ashley turned and left. It was useless, and she couldn't use her signature shadow magic.

After Ashley left, Ambrina looked at the others. "Is there anything else you want to say?"

No one responded.

Lucia turned and left, sighing in admiration. Since returning from the New World, Her Highness's skill level had risen to a new level. It was obvious that this was thanks to Ronan. Ambrina had had many teachers, but it seemed that none of them could compare to Ronan.

She was somewhat disappointed, but also happy. She understood that although she had been banished, she was still a former member of the princess's faction. Given the princess's current status, she would surely promote her again on the day she ascended to the throne to demonstrate her open-mindedness and magnanimity.

Ambrina ignored the two who left and said no more. She put away her magic and headed straight back to the city.

Upon returning to the city, the welcoming party was immediately surrounded by local police officers led by Agustina, while Ambrina went to the city hall alone.

Upon arriving at the mayor's office in the city hall, Ambrina hugged Ronan from behind, nuzzling her head against his ear for a while before unceremoniously sitting down on the desk, swinging her white-stockinged feet, and telling Ronan what had just happened.

“Beautiful, Annie,” Ronan complimented.

Ambrina was quite pleased with Ronan's praise and continued, "I don't think they were really determined to take me back. They wanted to stay and keep an eye on us, but I think it's good to keep them around as mouthpieces."

“Hmm, very good.” Ronan nodded, while continuing to read the information about Rennes City’s agriculture, manufacturing, commerce, and population. As expected of a hub city and the former capital of a duchy, the information was very detailed.

It should be noted that in the current kingdom, many city halls only have rough data on population and land, and that is already considered good. Some countries are still completely feudal and do not even have statistical data. They rely on the lords to report it themselves. It must be admitted that in this respect, the Western Continent is far inferior to Seris.

Once Ambrina comes to power, she will definitely expand the civil service and conduct a comprehensive census.

“However, Ronan, I still think these people are unreliable. They might spread rumors and affect our plans,” Ambrina added.

“That’s a one-sided view,” Ronan said. “Each person, each of these people, has three perspectives.”

Seeing that Ambrina didn't understand, Ronan explained further, "For example, that official from the Security Bureau, first of all, he should be the Queen's man; he has to consider the Queen's thoughts—that's his first position. But at the same time, as the leader of the Security Bureau, he also represents the interests of the Security Bureau. A leader who can't represent the interests of the group can't be a leader. Are the interests of the Security Bureau completely aligned with the Queen's? Not necessarily, especially in the current situation. There's also a third factor: himself. Everyone has to prioritize themselves. If he speaks recklessly, and the Queen wins, will he get a share of the rewards? If we win, he's doomed."

"Believe me, as long as he's not stupid, he'll remain neutral and avoid harm; it's human nature, and everyone else is the same."

Ronan gave an example to explain.

The welcoming party from the capital entered Rennes City without anyone receiving them or intervening, allowing them to roam freely.

After two days, with the help of a group of local officials, Ronan had a general understanding of the situation in Rennes.

And so, the new policy began.

The first shot of the new policy was fired at the dairy industry.

Before the advent of high-temperature sterilization, milk was very unsafe. Freshly squeezed milk was easily contaminated by bacteria, and a few hours in the hot summer was enough for it to spoil. Wealthy people basically didn't drink fresh milk, for fear of causing diarrhea. Only poor people drank it. At most, wealthy people would eat some dairy products, and even then, they would only choose the best of the best. What counts as "best"? If others can eat it without any problems, then it's considered "best".

Rennes is a place where a large number of dairy cows can be raised. On the one hand, there are pastures, which provide the conditions for raising dairy cows. On the other hand, the temperature here is mostly below 30 degrees Celsius, and the transportation is convenient. Otherwise, who would you sell your dairy products to?

Ronan knew that short-term high temperatures combined with sugar to inhibit bacterial growth could effectively extend the shelf life of milk and also make it safer for producing dairy products.

He had steam engine technology, so he could easily start a milk processing business along the way.

This one thing alone is enough to make Rennes' economy take off.

Then, if industry exploits agriculture, wouldn't it develop?

On the third day, Ronan announced that a cow beauty pageant would be held, and two thousand tickets would be given out. The owner of the winning cow would receive ten golden eagles as a reward, and the princess would personally present the award. This was a considerable sum of money, but it was nothing to the farmer. The key was that the princess would personally present the award, which was extremely attractive.

As soon as the news came out, all the farmers were excited. What did it matter to them if the mayor or the secretary general died? What mattered now was to show their faces in front of the princess under everyone's watchful eyes.

Citizens with a little spare cash were also very excited, as it was the first time in many years that they had such a grand spectacle to witness.

Chapter 319 To Sell or Not to Sell: Dairy Farmers and Ranchers

Luc Martin, 26, is a dairy farmer unlike any other hired laborer, a father of two boys and a girl, and is going through a midlife crisis.

Yes, it's a midlife crisis. He married a 19-year-old widow when he was 16, and the following year they had their eldest son. The eldest son is now nine years old and has reached the stage where he needs to leave home to make a living. The best option, of course, is to go to the city to become an apprentice, but that would require paying a sum of money.

Luc could afford the money because he owned eight dairy cows, a vegetable garden, and a small plot of farmland, all of which were his own, not rented.

There are many people like him in the Rennes area.

Of course, it's because the ranchers are "kind-hearted" and "clever." After all, livestock are easy to kill, and if they die, you lose everything. Besides, fresh milk and low-quality dairy products can only be sold to the poor, so the profit is not high.

So they sell the calves directly to the farm laborers, collect the rent for the pastures, sell the fodder and feed, control the sales channels for milk and dairy products, and even provide the farm laborers with plenty of food. They are definitely making money steadily without lifting a finger.

Even if the cattle you hire die, you still get paid the land rent, the feed costs are prepaid and non-refundable, and the distribution fees are also non-refundable; they'll be converted into the equivalent of a calf's worth.

Farm laborers could not own their own pastures, not even with money. They could not buy feed themselves, because the price they paid was far higher than what ranchers could buy in bulk. They also lacked access to supply channels, as they had no connections with officials or merchants in the city. Their best option was to buy food from ranchers, for the same reason: bulk purchases were cheaper.

However, the ranchers do raise cattle. In fact, they still have the most cattle. There are also many real farm laborers on the ranches. These real farm laborers are usually outsiders who come to Rennes to beg for food. They are not worthy of the ranchers' "kindness".

The ranchers didn't raise cattle themselves because they wanted to make money from it, but because they were afraid the dairy farmers would band together and force them to stop producing. There was no other way; these troublemakers were old residents of Rennes, after all. They couldn't very well cause a scene where thieves came in at night and killed their entire families—that would tarnish the reputation of Rennes as a civilized city.

If he owns cattle, these troublemakers can't unite. At worst, he can use his cattle to hold out for a while. Ranchers can hold out, but dairy farmers can't. If they don't produce for a few days, they might go hungry.

Luc is one of those people who might go hungry if they don't produce for a few days.

Luc's wife, Leona, rushed into the house. "Luc, I have some good news for you."

Luke, with a straw in his mouth and still thinking about his son becoming an apprentice, casually asked, "Is that damn mayor dead?"

“He really is dead,” Leona replied.

"Huh?" Luke was surprised at first, then delighted.

“That’s not important,” Leona said, a hint of displeasure on her face at her husband’s interruption.

“That’s not important. With that bastard dead, maybe some regulations will change. I’ve always planned to get everyone together and chip in to buy feed,” Luke said. He had been thinking about this for years, trying to break free from the ranchers’ control.

But this damn mayor introduced a new law as soon as he took office. To prevent smuggling, he required that large-scale purchases of commodities must be made in the name of a company and guaranteed by a local celebrity.

They're talking like it's the truth, but what they really want is to kill any possibility of these people uniting.

“I think you’re overthinking it.” Leona poured cold water on her husband’s enthusiasm. As the daughter of a blacksmith in the city, she knew better than her husband, who came from a family of farmers, that those officials were all cut from the same cloth. Did the officials give face to the ranchers? Bah, they gave face to the ranchers’ money. You stinking farmers, if you could offer enough bribes, the law prohibiting joint purchases could be repealed immediately. If not, you might as well go to sleep.

Seeing that her husband was about to speak again, Leona quickly stopped him and took out a piece of paper. "Look at this."

Luc thought to himself, "What a joke, Dick. Apart from the picture of the cow, I don't recognize a single word on this paper."

Luc is illiterate, but Leona is literate, not because she went to school, but because she is the daughter of a blacksmith. Blacksmiths usually have a small booklet containing common words and symbols used in the blacksmithing industry.

Leona put down the paper and explained to Luc what it said.

"A dairy cow competition?" Luke exclaimed in surprise.

“Yes, the cow competition. If you win, you’ll get ten little golden eagles. Not to mention the kickbacks for our son’s apprenticeship, we’ll even have enough for our daughter’s dowry,” Leona said. She spoke with confidence, because everyone on this ranch knew that Luc’s “Jenny” was the best dairy cow.

Leona had barely finished speaking when someone knocked on the door. When she opened it, she found Maxim, the owner of this large ranch.

Before Luc and Leona could even greet him, Maxim greeted them warmly, "My dear Luc, and beautiful Mrs. Martin, hello."

As he spoke, Maxim clapped his hands, and a Lag slave walked in carrying a large piece of smoked bacon. Maxim laughed, his fat jiggling three times. "This is a gift for you."

“Sir, please speak plainly.” Luc didn’t want to be polite with this man.

Maxim glanced at the paper on the table, sat down, and casually took a bite of the apple that Luc had prepared for his youngest daughter. "I told you long ago that your apple tree growing skills are top-notch. I can rent the orchard to you, but you just won't. It really hurts my heart."

Luc remained silent. He rented the orchard and became associated with Maxim. How could he possibly have the energy or the standing to connect with other dairy farmers?

Seeing that Luc didn't respond, Maxim casually tossed the apple to the slave and held up a finger, "I'll offer a small golden eagle to buy your 'Jenny'."

"The first prize is ten coins, and the third prize is five coins each," Lu Ke said, somewhat annoyed.

"Sixty-four cows in the competition, and you're already guaranteed to win? Two prizes, enough for your son's tuition." Maxim said. He had come prepared, and besides, he knew a thing or two about Luke, the troublemaker on his ranch.