If future generations were to evaluate this event, this meeting would likely be one that changes the course of human history.
Lilith has already reached this realization.
The meeting passed a large number of resolutions, and these resolutions were quite extreme, with some even making a complete 180-degree turn.
For instance, although the demon clan in the royal capital was not directly expelled, strict punishments would be enforced against high-interest loans, thorough investigations would be conducted into the industries in the royal capital owned by foreign entities, and foreign races would be strictly prohibited from engaging in certain jobs, while also launching an investigation into the deaths of the previous two kings.
While the bills referred to foreign entities, a discerning eye could clearly see that they were targeted directly at the demon clan.
At the same time, efforts would be made to restore order and control speech within the royal capital.
Although, in terms of outcomes, this merely shifts from one extreme to another, Lilith had no choice but to take this course of action.
The most troublesome factor was the Lars Family, as if the demon clan is the enemy, then the Lars Family, which had always resisted the demon clan, would need to restore order. What of the treaty that Caudic had signed? Is it still valid? What should be done about the two Lars currently on the battlefield?
Lilith chose to sever ties, stating that those matters were internal affairs of the Lars Family and had nothing to do with the royal capital. This essentially meant giving up the king’s control over the Northern Border, which had long been nominally obedient to the king. Lilith simply tore away the veil concealing this truth.
At the meeting venue, just as Lilith had predicted, even if Caudic fell, there were still reckless nobles unafraid of death continuously rising to criticize Lilith.
These were mainly liberal nobles, many of whom hailed from the Eastern Border, because only the Eastern Border among the four did not require fighting. Furthermore, aside from Fang Ge’s territory, the demon clan was gradually beginning to cooperate with the Eastern Border.
The reasons for opposition were quite simple: Lilith’s policies were too extreme. The demon clan and the kingdom were not devoid of normal trade relations. Let’s not forget, the demon clan holds the largest mining area in the Northern Border; the Southwestern Borders desperately needed those raw materials.
A normal king would have followed the windows principle and negotiated well with those people at this time.
Lilith couldn’t. Once she turned back, it would lead to an abyss. Originally, the reformist organization Lilith had put together was quite loose; if she showed even a hint of hesitation, her compromised policies could end up trivialized into minor issues.
Fortunately, the goodwill of the other men was very high, helping Lilith withstand immense pressure to implement these policies.
“All these matters should have been presented by me.”
After the meeting concluded, Lilith tiredly looked at the reports on the desk.
Nora Les, the newly appointed chancellor, said, “Your Majesty, this will damage your reputation.”
This new chancellor took on all the blame, in the eyes of the world, the queen merely nodded at all the policies; the real person issuing and enforcing them was the current chancellor.
Just like Augustus III and Caudic back in the day.
“Nora, you are not Caudic; you can certainly have better choices. I will eventually abdicate; it doesn’t matter if I bear a bad reputation. But you’re different; this country still needs you.”
Lilith was serious. She understood the consequences of her policies’ implementation, and even carried a mindset of “fish dying and nets breaking” in executing them. Lilith did not want Klan to leave her a country riddled with issues.
“Your Majesty, you have always understood my intentions.”
Nora offered a bow.
“We will protect you well.”
After saying this, Nora exited.
Lilith didn’t expect these other men to be so genuine; as a deceiver, an actor, a thief who stole the position of women, was she really worthy?
—
Frustrated, Lilith reopened the letter sent to her by the governor of Graywhite Territory.
Originally, due to the strange things gradually coming from Graywhite Territory, Lilith had some doubts that the governor might have crossed over, especially after confirming that the woman was no longer in his territory.
Perhaps this world really had some kind of self-repairing mechanism, after Lilith had stolen the woman’s storyline and position, it had spontaneously refreshed a person crossing over to help.
But this crossing over had actually made the original plot increasingly chaotic, and moreover, this crossing over had no emotional connection with the woman; instead, he had really married Lena Lars.
In fact, this marriage was one Lilith had originally orchestrated simply because the name pronunciation of this crossing over, or perhaps the NPC, was identical to her previous brother’s, leading Lilith to take a momentary interest.
Alright, Lilith admitted that she had completely messed up the storyline.
Seeing a fellow countryman in another world wasn’t as exciting as imagined; the fellow countryman seemed to have some ulterior motives.
How did Lilith know he was indeed a fellow countryman and not some foreigner? Why did she think he had ulterior motives?
If an outsider saw this letter, they might think that this son-in-law of the Lars Family, like Duke Lars, had a die-hard loyalty to the royal family. After all, he had publicly stated that whoever caused the current queen to step down, he would force them to do so.
If there were treacherous ministers against the goddess, the Graywhite Territory would follow the goddess’s will, hoisting the banner of resistance, and help Her Majesty eliminate the treacherous ministers and flatterers by her side.
In anyone’s eyes, this is a staunch royalist.
Indeed, that is how outsiders see it; isn’t this Duke Lars’s second move? After all, the royal family had caused the division of the Lars family; while they were still fighting, they wanted to protect the royal family completely. It is too loyal, too moving.
However, in reality, in another letter, the governor’s wording was simpler.
“Serve Heaven to pacify chaos, to clear the court.”
Although this was written in the ancient lingua franca of this world, it was so meticulously balanced that one could tell it was written specifically for Lilith, fearing she wouldn’t understand. Lilith could almost be a hundred percent sure this was a fellow countryman, and his ambitions were not small.
Lilith found it hard to describe her feelings upon seeing these eight words, especially since the signature was that of her brother’s name.
Should she be grateful that the signature was her brother’s name and not her uncle’s? For this joke, Lilith couldn’t laugh; if one day he really pacified the Northern Border, would he genuinely shout about serving Heaven to pacify chaos? Oh, it’s to serve the goddess to pacify chaos, and treacherous ministers would come at the queen?
Upon careful thought, it wasn’t impossible, but she still couldn’t turn against him now. Lilith still needed his help to cover her own back, and he was indeed helping her. It’s just that the cover was a bit too large, so big that it enveloped Lilith.
“If only brother were here.”
Lilith leaned back in her chair, staring blankly at the ceiling. From childhood to now, it had always been her brother helping her clean up her mess, but now she had to rely on herself.
Just as Lilith was lost in her thoughts while leaning back in her chair, the night in the royal capital was not peaceful.
Everything comes at a price, and the army Lilith had brought into the city was no exception.
Some units claimed they had received orders from the queen and the new chancellor, beginning to make large-scale arrests of the demon clan and nobility associated with them within the city.
There were even cases where soldiers lapsed into vigilante justice and committed murder, revealing their fangs as they gained power. Even though those men were loyal to Lilith, they could not completely control every soldier, and much of the violent enforcement was tolerated under these people’s approval.
The only thing Lilith could do was keep these riots and disturbances contained in the Inner City.
Closing her eyes, Lilith knew that tonight, many would likely suffer from insomnia; however, there was no way around it. This was all self-inflicted. Even if later they truly cried out to serve Heaven to pacify chaos, truly cleared the court, and vanished in the burning royal palace, Lilith would not regret it.
The reckoning had begun.
