I will be crowned king

"That's very interesting what you said." Anson said with an expressionless expression on his hands.

"According to the National Assembly, in order to prove their absolute loyalty to the Kingdom and understanding of His Majesty, they have made huge concessions?"

"Concession? Is the concession you are talking about an adjective for some new type of financial bond?"

Ludwig sneered: "I don't want to get too entangled with you on trivial matters. A slight concession is not unacceptable, but you actually want to supervise various expenses during the war and even set up a special logistics committee. Is it too much to come to supervise the accounts?!”

"It's too much. Isn't this a matter of course?" Anson asked back: "The representatives of the National Assembly are a mixed bag, including farmers, landlords, small businessmen and property owners, but very few understand military affairs. A special logistics committee was established to solve professional problems. It’s a long question – by the way, doesn’t the Privy Council do the same thing?”

"When did I talk to you about the Privy Council?!"

Ludwig almost couldn't help it anymore: "You want to supervise tax expenditures. This is an absolute trespass!"

"Why did you overstep your bounds?" Anson still seemed to be completely confused: "The National Assembly can set tax limits and organize national public debt. Why is it that as soon as it wants to supervise the whereabouts of tax money, it becomes an unforgivable crime?"

This... Ludwig was speechless on the spot.

It's not because he's angry or confused, but because the problem is seriously beyond his scope of cognition - supervising taxes is an unforgivable crime, and it's already extremely merciful to allow you to set taxes on your own here!

In the minds of the ruling lords, the National Assembly can at most be used as an advisory body to help the royal family and itself understand the actual situation of all classes in various places, and at the same time provide a little extra sweetness and reputational compensation to the provinces and the bottom.

As for now, the finance is completely under the control of the National Assembly. It is not in Ludwig's plan at all. It is an emergency in an absolute sense - he still doesn't really understand what is going on. .

Of course, everything depends on comparison. Among the upper echelons of the Kingdom of Clovis, the distinguished eldest son of Franz is already a veritable "parliamentary expert".

"... Even if you take a step back and say that you have the power to supervise the use of taxes and whether there is corruption, that doesn't mean you have to use it, right?" Ludwig sighed:

"The money has been spent anyway, so why should you care about how it was spent? When you buy rum, do you care about the mood of the brewing workers who produced it, or the salary of the workers in the place where the bottles are produced? "

Facing the consul's earnest persuasion, Anson's answer was a sigh and a smile, as if he had expected this: "Sure enough...it's a question you would ask, Lord Ludwig."

"……What did you say?"

"You are a rich man, and you are richer than many people imagine. I believe you will not object to this, right?" After receiving a positive reply, Anson continued:

"If a person is as wealthy as you, as long as the money can solve his own problems, he will not care whether the money is spent cost-effectively."

"Let me take the Battle of Thunder Castle as an example. At that time, you directly bought the levy regiment I was in, and even later directly invested two-thirds of the entire infantry division. This is because the Thunder Fort Infantry Division is not a sure profit. Is it a potential stock that will lose money?”

"Of course not. You are doing this just because you can control the entire army without interference. It doesn't matter whether you make a profit or lose it. As long as you achieve your goal, even if you spend five times, ten times or even twenty times more than the cost, If it’s twice the price, it doesn’t matter at all.”

"...So you think that my concept of financial management is wrong, and that money should be spent every penny, not just as a tool to complete the purpose?" Ludwig frowned slightly. He was not angry, but working hard. Understand what the other person means:

“Should I be getting more bang for my buck rather than just meeting my goals?”

"On the contrary, I agree with your idea more; money is valuable only at the moment it is spent, and stored gold is a metal that gets in the way. At the level of realizing pathological possessiveness, it, like houses and collections, There is no essential difference between luxury goods and even newspaper headlines." Anson shook his head:

"The problem is that the representatives of the National Assembly don't think so. They take it for granted that every penny is exchanged. They even think that if they don't do this, the royal family and the nobility are deceiving the National Assembly. Otherwise, why don't they agree to the regulation? It must be because they have something in their hearts. ghost."

"What kind of logic is this that is beyond ordinary people's understanding?!" Ludwig couldn't laugh or cry.

"No."

Anson's expression was extremely serious: "This is the representative of the National Assembly. To be more precise, it should be the logic of the vast majority of people in the Kingdom of Clovis."

After the words fell, Ludwig's expression finally became more serious.

"...Okay, I, as the governor, can make concessions on this and allow the National Assembly to form a logistics committee to oversee the expenditures during the war. Anyway, the person actually responsible for allocating funds will be the Ministry of War. The Privy Council no longer has much say in the Army. .”

Although he had to endure it, his tone was still uncomfortable: "But National Assembly will be established all over the country, even in villages and towns... You don't really think you are very popular, do you?"

"Of course not, and I want to emphasize that this is the proposal of the National Assembly, not mine." Anson spread his hands helplessly: "The kingdom is divided into thirteen provinces according to the governor's palace, autonomous cities, border noble territories, and directly governed territories. , each followed different historical traditions, served His Majesty by submitting to the Kingdom of Clovis, assisted professional officials, and established a very complex, but at least effective and smooth-running management system... Well, this is my secretary Alan Dawn told me."

"In my opinion, in essence, the way the kingdom is managed is to deprive local governments of their financial and military rights. Although local troops have garrisoned troops, recruiting systems, and arsenals, the command of the military is entirely in the hands of the War Department; although the local governor's palace, The village elders' meeting and several local wealthy families who are almost aristocratic and republican take turns serving as the mayor of the town. However, the tax collectors of Clovis City can directly reach out to the township level because there are also troops stationed by the kingdom there. Anyone who dares not to pay taxes will be exterminated. who."

"Since you know so much, you should know that the core of the normal operation of this system is not only power, but also the tacit understanding between the kingdom and the locality." Ludwig frowned:

"The expansion of the National Assembly will completely destroy this tacit understanding and put many things on the table that could be negotiated privately before. Do you think this is good?"

"Is not it good?"

"What did you say?"

"Bring the matters that were discussed in private in the past to the table for discussion." Anson said sincerely: "I feel from the bottom of my heart that this is the best way. Don't you think so?"

"I think……"

Ludwig's eyes almost popped out of his head: "Why, you really want to bring the matter we discussed today to the table and make it known to everyone?!"

"Of course not, otherwise why would I come to you privately?"

"Then what was that you just said?!"

"I think a public solution is better than a private solution, because the kingdom is restrained by local forces because of this so-called 'tacit understanding'." Anson shook his head: "Look, if all the messy administrative agencies in various places obey the local parliament, If the local parliaments are subordinate to the provincial parliaments, and the provincial parliaments are subordinate to the National Assembly, won’t many issues become simple and clear?”

"Yes, because you directly invited the local faction into Clovis City!" Ludwig stared at him: "The local faction directly became the supreme ruler of the kingdom, and the laws enacted can even restrict King, of course they are united and can handle things clearly!"

"As long as we can solve the problem and make the Kingdom of Clovis more united, what's wrong with it?" Anson asked: "After all, our goal is to defend the interests of the Kingdom of Clovis, right?"

"...I don't know. I used to think it was, but now I'm not so sure."

Ludwig shook his head deeply: "The Clovis in my mind and the one in your mind seem to be different."

"But there's only one Clovis."

"Yes, there is only one Clovis." He looked at Anson meaningfully: "There can only be one."

"And we all dedicated and sacrificed for this one and only Clovis."

Anson nodded: "All our efforts are to make it united, strong, and independent."

"Yes." Ludwig agreed: "But shouldn't the order be independence, unity and strength?"

"No."

"Oh, why?"

“You cannot be strong without unity. Weak people do not have the luxury of discussing ‘independence’.”

"So you think the National Assembly can do this?"

"Perhaps, but our respected Majesty Nicholas and his loyal noble ministers will definitely not be able to do it."

"Why?"

"If they can, how did the National Assembly come about?"

"...You are really good at saying things that others cannot refute."

"You're welcome, it's just a trivial specialty."

Looking at Anson who was still "humble", Ludwig smiled, but it was a smile without joy.

At this point, he finally fully understood why his father stood by Sophia, why Anson Bach was running around for the success of the National Assembly even though he could not get any benefits at all, and why he would rather lose his own interests than to Standing together with the group of middle and lower-level officers and soldiers.

Yes, Ludwig considered himself to care about the soldiers, but at that time he would never deduct money from them, recognize their abilities and fulfill their duties...but it definitely did not include allowing a group of soldiers to be on an equal footing with him, or even asking him to Opinion.

The answer to everything is simple: change, and they want to change everything.

But Ludwig didn't want to think about it. Whether it was the king ruling the country or the Church of Order uniting the people's faith, all this had long been ingrained in his bones. He unswervingly believed that Clovis needed a strong power, a cohesive enough force. With his core and sufficiently good skills, he believed in all this and was even willing to accept that he was not the one who mastered it.

If Nicholas I was strong enough, he would be willing to serve the little king; but he was weak and easy to bully, and he was procrastinating and looking back, so you can't blame Ludwig for going it alone.

But Anson still has his father...they really want to subvert all of this.

The "new system" they wanted to create was too foreign and too scary for Ludwig - a system that needed to be truly loved, not feared, by everyone, at least in his eyes.

Ludwig couldn't accept all this, let alone get used to it. All he could do was tinker with the world he was familiar with, trying to make it last until it could no longer support it. That day comes.

He finally understood that it was not his excessive greed that led to the break with Anson Bach, but the path chosen by the two... which was destined to be in conflict and opposition from the beginning.

"...So, can we really not cooperate anymore?" Ludwig's tone suddenly became melancholy: "Put aside your grudges, be honest with each other, and defeat the invading enemy together with sincerity and unity."

"Of course we can, but Lord Ludwig, what you want is not cooperation, but obedience."

Anson smiled: "You want the National Assembly to obey like soldiers and are not allowed to bargain with you and His Majesty the King... This will not work."

"Why not? Didn't we succeed at Thunder Castle?"

"Yes, but have you forgotten?"

"Forgot something?"

"The Thunder Fort we attacked was an empty city." Anson looked at him meaningfully: "Even if we did not attack the siege at that time, it would still collapse - if we attack, the fortress will be captured in less than a month. If we do not attack, The fortress was still captured in less than a month, and it doesn’t matter whether the regiment is united or not.”

"...If you didn't tell me, I almost forgot about it."

Ludwig burst into laughter... Yes, it doesn't matter if he is not united with the regiment, the important thing is that the enemy has been a complete paper tiger from the beginning.

He had already understood what Anson meant: The National Assembly agreed to go to war, but they would never make any compromises on the current situation because of the war; on the contrary, they would go one step further and completely control all aspects of the country through war, and destroy the past Olympics. The ruling system established by the Strian royal family was completely ended and replaced by the National Assembly.

The king and nobles must either accept it or prepare for a complete civil war before facing the empire: this time it is not just the more than 5,000 representatives, but the provinces behind them, and many people in the army. A middle- and lower-level officer who heard Anson Bach's lies.

If all these people are not purged, the war will be endless until this group of representatives fully understands the situation and embarks on the road to overthrow the king.

But this time, Ludwig suddenly felt more confident than ever before.

He was absolutely sure that the little king and his dear mother, the regent and queen mother, would 100% compromise.