Chapter 424: Contradictions Won't Disappear, But Can Be Transferred

Campbell Castle, the Grand Duke's study, the air was so quiet that one could hear the slight sound of pages turning.

The young Grand Duke Edward Campbell was sitting behind a huge oak table, his eyes deep and steady, staring meticulously at the crumpled newspaper in his hands.

Compared to when he first succeeded to the throne two years ago, his temperament had changed quite a bit.

Clearly, what grew with time wasn't just Lei Ming City; the once-ambitious reformer had also transformed from an inexperienced wader into an experienced captain.

Under his command, the small boat of the Campbell Duchy sailed against the current, creating an incredible miracle on the northeast coast of the Vortex Sea! Nowadays, the city-states along half the Vortex Sea coast regarded Lei Ming City under his rule as a dreamland, bringing countless goods and treasures to his duchy!

However, things weren't always so satisfying.

Just like the news in the newspaper in his hands at this moment, it was a small ripple encountered by the small boat he was steering.

Standing in front of the oak table, a baron wearing luxurious clothes cleared his throat and opened his mouth in a tone like chanting poetry.

"Your Majesty Edward Campbell, we all know that the prosperity of Lei Ming County today is precisely because of your wise reforms and the means of both kindness and severity. Now the citizens of the entire Lei Ming City are cheering for your wisdom, and your kindness and generosity are known to all..."

Edward turned a page of the newspaper in his hand.

He knew very well that this paragraph of fawning flattery was just a prelude; people were always good at hiding their true purpose in the last sentence of a long speech.

Sure enough.

The baron, as he had expected, changed the subject after the flattery ended and tactfully raised the complaint that had been brewing in his heart for a long time.

"... However, we all know that building a dam requires persistent effort, but destroying it only takes a moment."

"Baron Richard, there's no need for polite words; given our relationship, you can tell me your trouble directly." Edward said in a gentle tone, just like treating an old friend.

Although he said this to every supporter standing by his side, whether that person was important or insignificant.

Seeing that the Grand Duke valued him so much, the baron was overjoyed, hurriedly omitted the roundabout part, and went straight to the point.

"It's about your sister! I don't dare to gossip about your family affairs, but... you really should restrain your sister a bit; her behavior now is like a child who just got a new toy, using the toy in her hand to poke the fireplace in your house."

Got it.

It was indeed this matter.

Edward sighed, made a troubled look, and rubbed his sore eyebrows.

"What did she do again?"

The baron continued without stopping.

"The 6th Act! Or rather... the Labor Law, that's what everyone outside calls it! To be honest, this is simply nonsense! The Campbell Duchy has never had such a precedent. Employers cannot dismiss employees at will? Extra 'tithes' collected in the name of the Royal Family outside of legal taxation? This is neither in accordance with jurisprudence nor reason! No matter what high-sounding excuse she used!"

His voice became more and more excited, and spit even flew onto the Grand Duke's desk.

Until he saw Grand Duke Edward frown, the baron restrained his tone and apologized for his rudeness.

Regarding the criticism of Princess Ailin, Edward had heard too much, and even he himself was full of complaints.

He coughed lightly and went straight to the point.

"Your demand is?"

"Cancel the 6th Act!" the baron said without hesitation.

Edward pondered for a while, his index finger tapping lightly on the table, and said his concerns.

"She did indeed do this a bit inappropriately, but she has already announced it in the name of the Royal Family, so I can't just withdraw it immediately."

And—

This sounded like asking him to be the bad guy.

Seeing the Grand Duke's concerns at a glance, the baron laughed and immediately offered a strategy.

"Your Majesty, this is easy to handle! You can announce your support for Her Highness Princess Ailin's resolution, but the 6th Act is of great importance after all, and the relevant details need to be discussed further. The Royal Family must fully listen to the opinions of every citizen. After all, what it relates to is not just the factories in the new industrial zone, but also the bakeries and markets in the city area. It's not just my factory that has employees... cough, I mean our factories! In short, those small shopkeepers in Lei Ming City also have employees, and apprentices and child laborers also count as employees!"

Edward looked at the baron in surprise, a touch of interested appreciation appearing on his face.

This guy's brain is quite good.

No wonder he was able to earn such a large sum of money in just two years.

Of course, he had thought of this idea long ago, just needing someone with status to say it for him.

Looking at the Grand Duke who seemed "moved," the baron immediately struck while the iron was hot and continued.

"In this way, you don't need to act at all; as long as you hand this bill to the City Council, those mascots you raise will absolutely not reach a result for five or six years! Those farmers will go to hate those weak citizens, and no matter what, they won't hate you."

"And this way you can also persuade your sister that her 6th Act isn't not being passed, just being passed slowly, and needs to be passed cautiously!"

A smile finally appeared on Edward's face, and after a moment of thought, he nodded.

"I think your idea is good and worth a try."

"It is my honor to serve you!"

Seeing that the Grand Duke really listened to his advice, the baron bowed excitedly.

Saint Xisi is above! Fortunately, their Majesty is a reasonable person and didn't accompany his useless sister in making a mess.

She always said she wanted to lock power in a cage, but she didn't realize at all that she was the one who should be locked in a cage the most.

Today she could destroy the freedom of commerce in Lei Ming City with one sentence, and tomorrow she would put a noose on the future of the entire duchy!

Perhaps it was because he was a bit carried away, and seeing the Grand Duke so easy to talk to, he couldn't help but say one more thing.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me for being blunt... although the harmony of the Royal Family is something we subjects are happy to see, aren't you a bit too indulgent toward Her Highness Princess Ailin? She doesn't seem to consider your opinions too much."

The moment the words fell, the air in the study suddenly quieted down, as if one could clearly hear a needle falling on the ground.

Noticing that Edward was looking at him with sharp eyes, the baron felt his hair stand on end, and cold sweat climbed up his back.

No matter if the problem existed or not, the Duke's family affairs were not something he could gossip about at will.

He realized that he had overstepped...

However, as a wise monarch, Edward Campbell didn't make things difficult for him.

"Baron Richard, I have heard your advice, and I will talk to my sister about this matter."

The baron breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly stepped down the stairs.

"Praise your openness, Your Majesty, please believe that I have no malice... I just did it for, our duchy."

After saying that, he hurriedly took his leave.

After the baron left.

The aide standing on the side finally spoke, sighing lightly.

"Your Majesty, these upstarts are really getting more and more unruly; sometimes kindness can indeed win over wavering supporters, but occasionally you should also appropriately show your majesty."

"Can't blame them; they have just become rich, and adapting to the etiquette of the upper class takes time."

Putting the newspaper aside, Edward continued expressionlessly.

"We need their strength; only by letting the emerging class grow can we use them to check and balance the conservative forces within us."

A feudal kingdom is not a piece of iron, and a smaller duchy is naturally the same.

Although he is the King in name of this country, his vassals do not follow his lead, and occasionally sing against him.

Just like now.

Those big nobles who already have a lot of land are extremely disgusted with the movement happening in the duchy.

In their view, those small nobles are like wild dogs gone mad, encroaching on public land, modifying genealogies and traditional jurisprudence like graffiti, trying their best to drill into every loophole they can, and then driving the farmers on the land to the neighboring territory.

The farmers driven away by these guys either become refugees or become bandits, robbers... bringing huge trouble to their territories.

A population exceeding the territory's carrying capacity has never been a good thing for nobles; they wish these guys would be even fewer, maintaining a quantity that is just right, living a life that is neither rich nor poor.

This is the easiest to manage.

Besides this, those big nobles also have huge differences with him on the Grain Import Act.

That is another of Edward's policy platforms.

In order to avoid famine caused by a decline in grain production, he promoted the act of using industrial tax revenue to subsidize grain imports while vigorously developing industry.

This was originally a good thing, and the cheap bread benefited the citizens of Lei Ming City.

However, for the three earldoms that rely on grain income, this act undoubtedly destroyed their money bags.

Of course, those conservative nobles would find a high-sounding excuse. For example, the grain produced by the Campbell Duchy is just enough for the Campbell people to eat, and using industrial tax revenue to subsidize agricultural product imports is equivalent to hanging those farmers protected by the castle.

Edward naturally sneered at this; he had never seen any earl take a look at the farmers in his territory, but now these guys were worried about them.

Actually, there are as many reasons as one wants; in the final analysis, it's still the industrialization wave of the Kingdom of Lain affecting their money bags.

To be honest, Edward very much hoped that those big nobles would also participate in the wave of industrialization, but the actual situation was far more complicated than imagined.

The Campbell Duchy only has one Lei Ming City, and it can only have one Lei Ming City.

All the land besides this follows the most traditional feudal rites, and all rights are divided level by level, completely unable to adapt to complex production relations.

This is also why the same person can be a worker in Lei Ming City, but can only lie on a haystack and bask in the sun when returning to the North Creek Valley Earldom. This has nothing to do with laziness, nor is it related to intelligence level.

Every time he thinks of this, a burst of irritability arises in Edward's heart.

The rise of the Campbell Duchy is inseparable from the support of those emerging nobles and merchants, but Princess Ailin's behavior has unknowingly stood in the camp of the conservative nobles.

Even if he is clear that his sister has no ambition to usurp the throne, she can't stand her unrealistic kindness, which will become a tool in the hands of those with ulterior motives.

Rubbing his sore eyebrows again, Edward cast his gaze toward the aide standing on the side, and said a bit wearily.

"What do you think of the 6th Act."

The aide pondered slightly, seemingly answering the question irrelevantly.

"Your Majesty, I don't want to comment on where this act will lead our duchy, but I think Her Highness Princess Ailin is indeed a bit inappropriate; she seems to have treated the sword at her waist as a crown."

Edward laughed through his nose.

"This is a very severe criticism."

"But I don't intend to take back this sentence," the aide nodded slightly, bearing the monarch's sharp gaze, "Your Majesty, if it were a muddled monarch, I wouldn't say anything. But if it were you, you must know that Richard didn't tell you the truth. The citizens of Lei Ming City are cheering the name of the Campbell family, but the person they are truly praising is actually your sister, the one who truly inherited the light of transmission—"

"Enough! I know."

Looking at the suddenly angry Grand Duke, the aide was slightly stunned, then lowered his head.

"... Perhaps marrying her off is a good choice; that way she should, according to jurisprudence, return the sword to you."

Leaving the last sentence, the aide respectfully nodded and took his leave, gently closing the door of the study, leaving His Respected Majesty sitting alone at the desk, thinking with a heavy face.

Only himself remained in the room.

Edward felt his mood calm down a bit, but the complexity in his eyes didn't fade.

To this day, he still didn't understand why his father did that before he died.

He wasn't afraid of sacrifice.

Dying for glory is the mission passed down through the Campbell family, and it is also the fate of every Grand Duke.

If one day he needed to draw that legendary sword, he would fulfill his sacred duty without hesitation and bloom like lightning, then, like his father had done, pass the duchy to his children.

If his father had handed that sword to him, all the problems he faced today would absolutely not be so thorny!

Not even just him—

And Princess Ailin!

If she hadn't inherited the light of transmission, she wouldn't have to force herself to become strong, nor would she need to bear things that didn't belong to her. She could live a carefree life like her peers, fall in love with the person she liked and build a family, and those flies with ill intentions wouldn't be staring at her at all...

And he, who inherited both the sword and the crown at the same time, would build the Campbell Duchy into an incomparably powerful country.

Hell would no longer threaten them!

Edward ===== CHAPTER 425 =====