I will be crowned king

Clovis City, War Department.

Just after the riots in the city finally subsided and Ludwig finally received formal permission to dissolve the Privy Council, Sophia started her next action without stopping.

That's the Army Integration Plan.

As Miss Franz who has almost never left the city of Clovis, Sophia is very aware of her shortcomings: she does not understand military affairs, she is not an officer, and she is the only woman in the entire army among hundreds of thousands of people.

This is an extremely critical problem for any leader of the Army Department, and she has been involved in it all; let alone outsiders, even Sophia herself is not confident that she can truly take charge of the entire Army Department, let alone obtain all the original works of the Army Department. The loyalty of soldiers and officers.

Therefore, she initially chose to accept the arrangement of Ludwig and Anson and form a military committee, allowing the more experienced and senior generals to assume the management responsibilities of the Army Department. She only served as the nominal leader, and all major decisions were made by the military committee. Decide.

However, as time passed, especially after witnessing many major decisions, reorganizations and department reconstruction efforts of the Army Department, the girl suddenly had a new concept:

Is there a possibility that it is not necessary for the Secretary of War in the War Department to know military knowledge?

It is true that she has not held any official position in the kingdom, but when it comes to institutional operations... Sophia personally operates all the business activities of the Franz family, and she often replaces Archbishop Luther and is responsible for the Clovis Cathedral Bank. daily resolutions.

In her eyes today, the position of "Minister of War" is basically the same as that of a bank executive or committee leader. It does not require any professional skills at all. Just like the vast majority of bankers do not understand economics at all, most school principals do not either. What about education experts or famous scholars? The professional titles of professionals are generally consultants or heads of lower-level departments.

Their real work is nothing more than resources, personnel, external negotiations, and internal coordination...the real professional work is actually allocated to various specialized departments; all information, intelligence and affairs are reported to themselves after they have been handled, and then It's just a matter of choosing from a variety of possible options.

If this is the case, then he no longer needs a huge board of directors - the military committee - to restrict his power, especially since half of them are still fighting with Ludwig and taking the power of the veteran generals. Take it back and replace it with a joint departmental meeting composed of more professional and loyal department heads.

Of course, this is like any executive change in a bank or committee. It requires patience and careful operation, and most importantly, she must have a proper reason.

But now, the reason "self" comes to the door.

"...According to information, after the formal dissolution of the Privy Council, the various provinces have received news of the National Assembly bill, and there has been varying degrees of confusion."

In the War Hall of Loyalty Palace, Anson, deputy to the Minister of War, stood in front of the map table, pointing at a national map with his sword and talking: "Most of them were affected by the Bill of Citizens' Assembly passed in Clovis City. There are also voices in local communities, villages and towns about 'self-government' and 'parliament'."

"Among them, the situation in Beigang was the most intense. Sailors from the Royal Fleet, small traders, ocean-going ship owners, and local labor groups united to form the so-called 'Beigang Patriots', calling for the dissolution of the city council and reorganizing elections."

"Their slogan is that Beigang is now completely controlled by big businessmen and nobles who own estates and land. They are completely unqualified to represent the real Beigang. Beigang must be managed by real Beigang people, and Beigang must be made a real Beigang people. Beigang—it sounds a bit hard to pronounce, but that’s probably what it means.”

"The riots that broke out in other provinces were nothing more than this, but the intensity was slightly lower than that of Beigang. Please allow me to mention this name one last time. It is worth mentioning that many people who were loyal to His Majesty took the initiative to acknowledge His Majesty's actions. Province, the impact will be more intense."

After saying that, Anson showed a slightly apologetic expression and smiled at everyone present.

The generals present were either silent, expressionless, or thoughtful... No one expressed surprise that the chief of the Royal Guards, who had just been rumored to be assassinated, now appeared in front of everyone alive and kicking.

And Anson continued his speech as if he had already explained: "The response methods of each province are also different. Most of them seem to have chosen suppression, but they dare not alarm the army - they have all received the news, and the Ministry of War In this action, we clearly stand on the side of support.”

"Some also made compromises, or acquiesced, but the final result was no different; numerous small and large spontaneous groups and organizations broke out with the local governor's office, tax collectors and the army; farmers in villages, towns and cities The employees here openly resisted taxes and refused to perform hard labor, posing a serious obstacle to the local social order."

"Of course, unless a serious rebellion breaks out, or there is widespread burning, killing and looting, local security issues have nothing to do with the Department of the Army and are not the focus of our discussion today." Anson smiled slightly:

"The real key is the representatives who are about to arrive in each province, as well as the missions sent by the countries in the world of order."

"Let's put aside the matter of the mission for now. The 'representatives' from all over the country are so mixed that it is even difficult to distinguish the authenticity of their identities. At the same time, such a large-scale movement of personnel is already comparable to the level of legion mobilization. For the city of Clovis, Even the national transportation system, logistics transportation, and local security environment will be a severe test."

"Now that the Privy Council has been disbanded, a large number of committees have either died out or been merged into the Prime Minister's Office. They are in a stage of transformation and cannot bear such a heavy burden. At this point in time, we can mobilize enough manpower and material resources to have the strongest team in the kingdom. The only department with executive capabilities is the Army Department!”

"Your Excellency, Minister of War Sophia Franz, has decided to take over this important task and help your Majesty solve your problems." Anson nodded slightly, raised his chest and saluted to the girl opposite:

"It is our job to ensure that representatives from all provinces across the country arrive safely in Clovis City, confirm their identities, and properly accommodate outsiders."

There was silence.

The generals either looked at each other in confusion and didn't listen at all, or they didn't take it seriously and didn't want to talk about it at all.

Finally, under the almost murderous gaze of the Minister of War, a major staff officer in the back row raised his hand tremblingly: "Um... may I ask what are the benefits of the War Department taking over this job?"

"Ah! Of course, I'm definitely not saying that I won't solve your Majesty's problems if there is no benefit; as a soldier of the kingdom, this kind of thing is bound to happen, but..." He twitched his throat and considered it under the gaze of countless pairs of eyes. Use your own words:

"It's just that this matter is obviously suspected of exceeding authority, and it will almost certainly involve the Prime Minister's Office in terms of power and responsibilities afterwards. In this case, it is best to make it clear in advance..."

The more he spoke, the more frightened he became, and his trembling voice finally became so low that almost no one could see him.

But it doesn't matter. Anyway, Sophia just needs such a tool to open up the situation, so the girl nodded in approval: "Your idea is very good, interests are rights, and rights are responsibilities... If the boundaries between rights and responsibilities cannot be clarified first, it is true that It creates a lot of problems.”

"Well, first of all, I want to tell you that this matter was first raised by the Ludwig administration, and he begged the Ministry of War to take on some of the work that should have been the responsibility of the Prime Minister's Office; therefore, the rights and responsibilities have actually been determined." The girl replied softly.

Of course, she also knew that the people present did not care about this, but really related to core interests: "So in the next period of time, the Railway Committee and more than twenty committees involved in related work will allocate Assist us in our work under the name of the War Department."

"The profits and losses generated by these committees during this period should naturally be borne by the Ministry of War; since the resettlement of foreign personnel requires a large amount of manpower and material resources, the Prime Minister's Office will also allocate a special fund to pay for the corresponding expenses; In addition, some properties under the original name of the Privy Council will be specially allocated to house representatives from various provinces."

"After my discussions with the Ludwig administration, these properties will not be returned to the future Privy Council after the relevant matters are completed, but will permanently exist as fixed assets of the War Department; their losses and gains will of course also be borne by the War Department. bear."

"Ah... In addition, the Prime Minister's Office will not ask in detail about the detailed bills required for people coming to Waiwai, such as travel expenses, food and accommodation, etc. The acceptance work is completely independently handled by the Ministry of War; as long as it does not exceed a certain amount, the Prime Minister The executive office will directly approve it, and there is no need to go through layers of verification."

Sophia smiled faintly: "In addition, the officers and soldiers of the Army Department who participate in actual work will also receive corresponding temporary allowances, which are about twice the officer allowance. The list and specific work are also independently arranged by the Army Department. The Prime Minister’s Office will not interfere.”

"Finally... and what concerns me the most is the permission I have sought and received from the Prime Minister's Office: from now until the dust settles on the National Assembly Act, the postal system of the Kingdom of Clovis will be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War."

"There is no doubt that in order to confirm the identity of representatives from various provinces and ensure that there will be no impersonation or untimely delivery of information, the security of information is absolutely the first priority; I hope everyone can understand the importance of this matter. Don’t betray His Majesty’s trust.”

After the words fell, Sophia, who was a little thirsty, picked up the coffee on the table and sipped it to herself.

Dead silence, still death silence.

But unlike what happened just now when Anson finished speaking, this time everyone present no longer had the initial indifferent and indifferent expression; shock... was written almost directly on everyone's faces.

The income of the Railway Commission, the subsidy without third-party verification, plus the postal system of the entire Kingdom of Clovis... This is almost a direct package of the two largest cakes in the kingdom, plus a budget that does not give up the upper limit, and sent it to the Ministry of War!

This is not counting the various "privileges" attached to the railway system and the postal system: the former is almost a well-known smuggler in Clovis, and the latter controls almost the largest information network and countless secrets in the kingdom; if the two Being controlled by one force at the same time will have a qualitative impact.

And when they are controlled by the Ministry of War with hundreds of thousands of troops... it is absolutely no exaggeration to call it "holding half the kingdom in hand".

"What's wrong? Why aren't you talking?" The girl put down the coffee cup with a smile, a confident smile on her face: "Everyone, if you have anything to ask, please feel free to speak."

"Ah, by the way; if you really don't want to participate in this operation, I will never force it. Although I really want to win some benefits for everyone in the Army Department, according to early estimates, only a quarter of The War Department, plus the Storm Legion, will suffice."

After the words fell, the generals finally couldn't sit still this time: "How can that be done?!"

"That is, it is the honor of all Clovis soldiers to serve His Majesty and share your worries. How can we fall behind others?!"

"As a soldier, you should be proud of your dedication and ashamed of your incompetence!"

"The Ring of Order is above. I will put my words here now. Anyone who dares to quit will be my lifelong enemy!"

...The whole crowd was excited, and even the middle and low-ranking officers in the back row who had just pretended to be deaf couldn't sit still - that's twice the allowance, twice!

Looking at the chaotic scene in front of her, the girl focused on Ansen, who squeezed through the crowd and silently walked next to her: "It is exactly the same as your initial judgment, Your Excellency, the Chief of the Royal Guards."

"Everywhere, the respected Minister of War is well-led." Anson quickly complimented him again: "It seems that you are becoming more and more comfortable in controlling the Ministry of War."

"Yes, it all depends on someone who was suddenly assassinated and disappeared immediately - if we continue to be content with the status quo, the Army Department will really be in chaos." Sophia rolled her eyes coldly:

"But then again, what did you give Ludwig that could make him so generous all of a sudden?"

"Me, nothing."

"……No?"

"Yes, of course, to be precise, someone else has already given it to me." Anson explained: "So our ruling lord is busy with other things, such as receiving and managing representatives from various provinces, and has no time to take care of such small things."

To be able to make Ludwig give up so much, he must get something first... The pensive girl frowned slightly: "Could it be..."

"The empire was involved in the previous riots and the evidence of my assassination." Anson nodded:

"If nothing else, he should be rushing to the Imperial Embassy now to arrest the culprit, right?"