Chapter 822: 419 If It Were Me

"Red wine eel, oil-confit duck leg, apple pie, onion soup, braised potatoes... hmm... let's have two caramel milk jellies!"

Calling the waiter waiting outside, after reporting a series of dishes like a family heirloom, the Princess handed the menu to Li Ang and smiled:

"Although the names sound very ordinary, these dishes in this restaurant are all done very well. I highly recommend you try them... Is there any other dish you are particularly interested in?"

"No need."

After scanning the prices marked in fancy script on the menu, Li Ang, who had a toothache, shook his head:

"You've ordered enough, just these... By the way, what happened today? Why did you suddenly want to invite me to dinner?"

"Of course, it's because I missed you~"

Upon hearing Li Ang's question, the Princess, who sat in the opposite seat, blinked, leaned her upper body slightly forward, pressed her full chest lightly on the table, then supported her chin with her hand and smiled:

"Young couples in love are like this, wishing they could be stuck together every moment. I'm no exception~"

"..."

After avoiding slightly and leaning back on the chair, Li Ang said with a headache:

"Can't you speak properly..."

"Okay~"

Upon hearing Li Ang's request, the bright smile on the Princess's face faded slightly, her back with beautiful curves straightened instantly, her swan-like neck lifted slightly, and she said calmly and dignifiedly:

"Prince, I order you in the name of the first Princess Veronica, don't grab the red wine eel I love most. Also, after the apple pie is served, you have to cut it into small pieces yourself and use a fork to feed it to me piece by piece. Do you understand?"

"..."

Should have known better...

Really having no way to deal with the Princess who teased and scolded, knowing that continuing to talk would only lead to being teased repeatedly, Li Ang had to take the initiative to change the subject:

"What are you going to do about the military? So many people are against it, and they even publicly attacked the Prime Minister's residence and threw stones at you. Are you still going to continue pushing that so-called selection order?"

Upon hearing Li Ang's question, Princess Veronica was slightly stunned, then put away the smile in her eyes, and said softly:

"Of course, I'm still going to push it. Why not do the right thing? Even the colonel, captain, and sergeant levels are not enough. After this round of selection is over, I will even move the general level above them!"

"The military department of the Kingdom has been rotten for too long. Just moving some middle and lower-level officers is not enough to change the status quo. If I don't take advantage of the current opportunity to replace a batch of new blood with vitality, no matter how the Minister of National Defense and I reform the system, it will just be some painless repairs."

Still planning to move the ones above?

Looking at the Princess's eyes, which were shining with inexplicable brilliance, Li Ang pondered for a moment and thought along with her words.

The military system of the Kingdom is very complicated, but generally speaking, it is similar to the administrative system of civil servants—executive, administrative, clerical, assistant, and general affairs—which can be seen as five levels: marshal, general, colonel, captain, and sergeant.

And if the marshal is the head of the military, and the general is the bone of the military, then the colonel, captain, and sergeant officers are the flesh, muscle, and skin of the military.

The Princess wants to use the parliament to select and replace those semi-hereditary lower-level officers, which is truly no different from pulling tendons and peeling skin. The vested interests of the military naturally won't have no reaction, and it's even possible that the sergeant's attack on the Prime Minister's residence was tacitly approved.

"Are you sure you can push it?"

Hooked by the Princess's curiosity, Li Ang, enduring his grumbling stomach, asked curiously:

"Although the parliament also hopes to limit the power of the nobles, your selection order is equivalent to pulling the roots of the nobles. They will definitely fight back to the death. Will the Prime Minister and the Lower House stand on your side?"

"Indeed not. Most of the members of the Lower House are profit-seeking. They are neither prepared nor capable of intervening in the military. For this kind of issue without direct benefits, whoever gives more benefits, they will stand on that side."

After answering Li Ang's question, the Princess also asked back curiously:

"Li Ang, are you also interested in these political exchanges?"

"I can't say I'm interested, just since we're talking about it, I'll ask by the way."

Is that so?

After looking at Li Ang's expression, the Princess's eyebrows couldn't help but lift slightly.

Thinking that talking about other things might lead to me continuing to tease him, so he found a very serious topic, making me have to become serious too, right? Then you're thinking too much.

"Okay, anyway, it will take a while before we can eat, so I'll talk about it by the way."

After vaguely guessing Li Ang's intention, the Princess first blinked slyly, then lowered her head slightly, looking like she was about to cry:

"Thanks to my good Prince, the military is temporarily under my control, so of course, I have to seize this opportunity to do something."

"In this way, if I don't coax a certain little man well and he suddenly regrets not wanting to cancel the engagement with me, then at least I can have a brand-new military department, which is not in vain for being bullied by him for so many days~"

"..."

Upon hearing the Princess's words, Li Ang's mouth couldn't help but twitch, then he pointed at his own nose and said:

"I... bully you? Before you say this, can you touch your conscience first?"

"I'll try."

The Princess blinked upon hearing this, pressed her hand slightly in front of her heart, set off a surge of waves, and then sighed faintly:

"It's too thick, I can't touch it."

"..."

"You stare at me like this, do you want to help me find my conscience?"

"I'm not looking!"

"Oh~"

Looking at Li Ang, who closed his eyes in embarrassment and didn't know where to look for a while, Princess Veronica couldn't help but laugh. However, to avoid Li Ang becoming angry from embarrassment, she didn't continue to tease him, but sat up straight and recounted seriously:

"In short, I must push the selection order down."

"Among the 37 generals in the Kingdom, 31 are of noble origin, and more than half of the colonel officers are also nobles. In their eyes, the military regulations are not necessarily as effective as the family head's orders."

"Only by replacing most of these people and ensuring that the military regulations can be smoothly conveyed, can I truly control the military, and then use this to force the parliament to let the Lower House and other departments occupied by nobles make concessions... Li Ang, what do you think?"

"I think... it's quite good."

Having a feeling that the Princess was not asking about government affairs, but what he thought of her "conscience," Li Ang had to stiffen his face and try hard to pull the topic back:

"Political power comes from the barrel of a gun. Grabbing the military first and then pushing other reforms is indeed the most stable choice."

Eh?

After tasting Li Ang's evaluation slightly, the Princess's beautiful eyes flashed, then she nodded:

"This sentence of yours is quite... hmm... my first contact with the Minister of National Defense was also out of this consideration... Li Ang, let me ask you, if it were you who were this Princess, what would you do?"

What would I do?

Looking at the Princess, who was leaning forward slightly and waiting for the answer with expectation in her eyes, Li Ang subconsciously glanced at her conscience, then curled his lips:

"If it were me, I should gather a team of guards and kill my way into the palace, make your father hand over the throne immediately, and hang anyone who opposes it... Oh right, I also have to throw your brother to the other side of the sea and marry him to a female monkey!"

"..." ===== CHAPTER 823 =====