[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-reborn-king":3,"chapter-the-reborn-king-the-reborn-king-chapter-160":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Reborn King",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1100917,1437,"Chapter 160: Side Story 2: A Plan for ’Reform’","the-reborn-king-chapter-160",160,"\u003Cp>Isra sat before Alfred. She looked deep into his eyes. \"Alfred.\" Despite the power behind her eyes, her voice was gentle. \"You have told me a lot from your previous world and although I understand this isn’t the best time, it is something that we can’t push off.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alfred urged her to continue with his hands and she took a deep breath. \"I think it’s time to begin the democratic reforms.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re kidding me,\" Alfred answered instantly as he shook his head, not believing what he heard. Isra was expecting this if she didn’t elaborate and let him calm himself down. \"I’m not saying give real democratic power to the people. Instead, we give fake power.\" Isra reached into a bag by her side with a plan she had written up. She was happy she had done this before Raven’s death or she wouldn’t know if she could concentrate on it. Although a week had passed since the funeral, the memory was still vividly in the minds of those who were close to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alfred took the paper and as he read, a wide smile spread on his lips. \"As we know, Issac has already proposed to section the Empire militarily, but that isn’t the only way we can do it. We already have the lands split into land owned by the Crown, noble houses, and other branches of government. If we do the same for the people they will believe they have a voice. But because we follow the ideal of Mother’s Book, they all have equal voices, no matter how big, small, important or wealthy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alfred smirked hearing her words as he reached into his draw. Reaching in he pulled out a book. On its title’Khors Utopia’was written. It was displeasing to look at it, but Alfred knew how important this book was. He wouldn’t be the one to completely destroy it. Once he was long gone and the world had to change something like this needed to exist to guide the people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s a good plan, but it’s still too much.\" His words surprised Isra who leaned forward, interested. \"What you want to do is incorporate your plans into the already sections off, military garrisons, but there is a way to hinder them even greater.\" Going to the table he invited Isra over. Taking a map out of a draw he spread it across.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What we already have is the military garrisons up, but if we cut lines across them in certain places, any issues between the military and people will then be jumbled. Let’s say, for example, those in Far Mile have an issue they want to bring up with the army, if we make a split across the Southern and the Eastern Garrison, who do they go to.\" Alfred smiled at his words and Isra smiled back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Both.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Or one. And if they go to one, then they annoy the other. If we are truly precise then we can put numerous noble and crown lands in it as well. Now what should have been a meeting between two powers can extend to five.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It may be dangerous to do that for Crown Lands,\" Isra said getting a confused look from Alfred. \"Whilst the annoyance directed towards the nobles for any issues that arise from this can just be brushed off as nobles squabbling, the crown is a different issue. We can’t blame anyone. Enough realize this then they may start to look into the lines you drew and then we have a big problem.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The military is mostly safe from any complaints as long as they are issues that make people extremely desperate. The nobles have the wealth to pay off anything that comes up. And whilst we have both, we simply can’t afford to have big issues be blamed on us. After all with these reforms, they’re gonna want a place on the council or have a way to talk with you. We have to become the natural party in it, not the cause of issues. That way they keep loyalty to us, but feel dissatisfaction with the rest.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alfred smirked at her words and sat down. He was the one from the modern era yet he didn’t think about that. It made him wonder if Isra had been born in his own world, would she have been able to do what the few women in his world could of and rose to extreme positions of power?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The only problem is that a very hard thing to do. No matter where we draw a line, there will be those where we can’t avoid going over crown land and another form of power. Whilst the nobles are submissive, that will only last so long before their greed takes over again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Safrid nobles?\" Isra asked getting a nod in reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They only have rumors to go off. Whilst the original kingdom nobles will remember the Knight of Long Knives until they die, the Safrid never experienced anything like that. They go off rumors and the few disappearances that have happened but it’s not enough to keep them in line for ever. The same way when the Kingdom nobles die, their children may bear the fangs.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Another purge?\" Isra asked but Alfred shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not possible. I wouldn’t neve be able to carry out something like that again. It was a card I could only play once. No, we need to do something else to remove or scare them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isra sat down and the two fell into deep thought. Ideas would pop into their heads but they quickly brushed them off not seeing it as feisable. \"Has Adrian made any plans?\" Isra asked and Alfred nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He also said a purge wasn’t possible. But instead, he said something else. Whilst the memories are still fresh, force their hands.\" Isra was confused and Alfred smiled towards her. \"They will happily follow my laws and disarm themselves. With the large military presence in the old Safrid land even more so. After disarming themselves we put more tax on them. First is the religious tax, one that has been happily received by the nobles who only worship money. They could avoid that one as we have no real way to tax them as Followers unless we get hard evidence.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But if we tax them for more things. Defense tax, grain tax, tariffs, we overload their expenses until they start going into a deficit. Once they are fed up and even show a glimpse of traitorous thoughts, we get rid of them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isra sat leaning on her hands. \"It’s dangerous. There are many nobles within the Safrid lands. We will have enough troops to crush them all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We don’t need to. Adrian is already in the works of finding those who will be useful to keep around. He has many he colluded with during his time on the Sultan’s councils and as Regent. Once he gets it down to a manageable level, we go after those who weren’t spared. Get rid of the families and send the children to Charles. We increase the number of Unyielding soldiers and remove any pests that may pop up in the future.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s dangerous. People talk. Some may be able to see what we are doing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And those that do should be smart enough to make moves to avoid that fate. I don’t want the complete eradication of the Safrid nobility and if we can move them instead of killing them then I will happily do so. But as of now, there are too many. Besides, do you think those who realize they are safe will move to help those who are damned? It putting a target on your back that never existed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s a dangerous gamble.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know.\" Alfred’s head fell as he nodded weakly. \"I know. But it’s the only way we have to increase the Crown’s control.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’It always comes back to that.’Isra silently said in her head as she heard Alfred’s last words. \"We need to talk to the others before we do anything.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah. Your plan will take at minimum three years to put into place. But if we can get ahead of it, we may be able to avoid a situation that we saw in Nakhla.\" Alfred grabbed his eyes. \"You should meet with the man that arrived in the capital. The Record Keeper. He got sent here to avoid any issues arising. As much as I hate to say it, it was a good thing he was sent here before Raven’s death got announced. The Followers might feel bolder now. We need to get the tax completed before a new ArchBishop is put in place.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Any news on that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No. The Church is strangely quiet, but it also means they stopped talking to us now. I think there waiting for word from the Blessed Seat. I have Esmond keeping checks on all mail that come to them, but its easy to miss one letter.\" Alfred clicked his tongue as he thought about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isra watched in silence but eventually sighed and asked the question she had been dying to know. \"To you truly plan to break from the church?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head but a strange smile spread on his lips. \"No. But that is only if we can keep the church in check. If not, my hand may be forced. Whilst Constance has been slightly more lenient to us due to my title, he can only do so much. If I wanted to move away from them, I would have done so already with Raven in power.\" He took another deep breath. \"Things have simply got harder is all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isra got up and walked around. Sitting next to Alfred she leaned her head on his shoulder and grabbed his hand. \"I’m always here for you. Don’t forget it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alfred smiled at her words as he planted a kiss on her forehead. \"I know.\" Looking down into her eyes, Isra lifted her head to look back. \"So you follow me down this path if I must.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her smile was bright as she flashed her teeth. \"Always.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1690,"2026-06-03T11:17:48.775Z","2026-06-03T11:17:51.400Z",1,"novelbin.me","a68e565748d046d90ffbf21baf3a07fcb39926ec6087bbef8e9f356a7e530407","the-reborn-king-chapter-161","the-reborn-king-chapter-159",487,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-reborn-king-cover.jpg"]