Chapter 419 If it were me
Chapter 419 If it were me
"Eel in red wine, duck leg confit, apple pie, onion soup, stewed potatoes... um... two servings of caramel custard!"
After calling the waiter waiting outside and listing a series of dishes, the princess handed the menu to Leon and said with a smile:
"Although the name sounds ordinary, the dishes in this restaurant are very good. I highly recommend you to try them... Are there any other dishes you are particularly interested in?"
"no need."
After glancing at the prices written in cursive on the menu, Leon, who felt a little toothache, shook his head and said:
"You've ordered enough, that's all... By the way, what happened today? Why did you suddenly ask me out for dinner?"
"Of course I miss you~"
After hearing Leon’s question, the princess who was sitting opposite him blinked, leaned forward slightly, and gently pressed her full chest on the table. Then she put her hand on her chin and said with a smile:
"Young couples in love are like this, they want to be together all the time, and I am no exception~"
"..."
After stepping back slightly and leaning back on the chair, Leon said with a headache:
"Can't you just speak properly..."
"Okay~"
After hearing Leon's request, the princess' bright smile faded slightly, her graceful back straightened instantly, her swan-like neck slightly raised, and she said calmly and dignifiedly:
"Your Excellency, I order you in the name of the First Princess Veronica not to snatch my favorite red wine eel from me. Also, when the apple pie is served, you have to cut it into small pieces yourself and feed me one piece at a time with a fork. Do you understand?"
"..."
When I didn't say...
There was really nothing he could do with the laughing and scolding princess. He knew that if he continued talking, he would only be teased again and again, so he had to take the initiative to change the subject:
"What are you going to do about the military? So many people are against it, and they even stormed the Prime Minister's residence and threw stones at you. Are you going to continue pushing for that elimination order?"
After hearing Leon's question, Princess Veronica was slightly startled, then she put away the smile in her eyes and hummed softly:
"Of course we have to push. Why not do the right thing? Even the colonels, lieutenants, and sergeants are not enough. After this round of selection is over, I will also move up to the general level!
The Kingdom's military has been rotten for too long. Moving some mid- and lower-level officers alone is not enough to change the status quo. If we don't take advantage of this opportunity to replace a group of energetic new blood, no matter how much the Minister of Defense and I reform the system, it will only be some insignificant repairs. "
Are you ready to move up further?
Looking at the princess' eyes that were shining with an inexplicable brilliance, Leon couldn't help but ponder for a moment and began to think about what she said.
The military system of the kingdom is very complicated when broken down, but generally speaking, it is the same as the civil service system's ruling, administrative, clerical, assistant, and general affairs systems. From top to bottom, it can be seen as five levels: commander, general, colonel, lieutenant, and private.
If the marshal is the head of the army and the general is the backbone of the army, then the officers at the levels of colonel, lieutenant and noncommissioned officer are the flesh, blood, texture, tendons and skin of the army.
The princess wants to eliminate those semi-hereditary lower third-level non-commissioned officers through parliament, which is really no different from pulling out the tendons and skinning them. The vested interests in the military will naturally not fail to react. It may even be that even the non-commissioned officers' attack on the Prime Minister's residence is tacitly approved.
"Are you sure you can push it?"
The princess’s answer aroused some curiosity. Leon endured his rumbling stomach and asked curiously:
"Although Parliament also hopes to limit the power of the nobility, your elimination order is equivalent to pulling out the roots of the nobility. They will definitely fight back desperately. Will the Prime Minister and the House of Commons stand on your side?"
"Indeed not. Most members of the House of Commons are profit-seeking. They are neither prepared nor capable of interfering with the military. For issues like this that do not directly benefit them, they will side with whoever offers more benefits."
After answering Leon's question, the princess also asked curiously:
"Leon, are you also interested in these political exchanges?"
"I wouldn't say I'm interested, but since we're talking about this, I might as well ask." Is that so?
After looking at Leon's expression, the princess couldn't help but raise her eyebrows slightly.
You thought that if you talked about something else, I might continue to tease you, so you found a very serious topic so that I could only be serious, right? You are overthinking it.
"Okay, it'll be a while before we can eat anyway, so I'll just talk about it."
After vaguely guessing Leon's plan, the princess first blinked cunningly, then lowered her head slightly and said with tears in her eyes:
"Thanks to my good prince, I have the final say in the military for now, so of course I must seize this opportunity and do something good.
In this case, if I fail to coax a little man and he suddenly changes his mind and doesn’t want me anymore, then at least I can still get a new military unit, and it won’t be in vain that I have been bullied by him for so many days~"
"..."
After hearing the princess' words, Leon's mouth twitched involuntarily, and then he pointed at his nose and said:
"I...bullied you? Before you say that, can you check your conscience first?"
"Let me try."
The princess blinked when she heard this, stretched out her hand and pressed lightly in front of her heart, causing a surge of blood in her chest, then she sighed quietly and said:
"It's too thick to touch."
"..."
"Are you staring at me like this to help me find my conscience?"
"I'm not looking for it!"
"Oh~"
Seeing Leon closing his eyes in embarrassment, not knowing where to look for a moment, Princess Veronica couldn't help but chuckle. However, in order to avoid Leon getting angry, she did not continue to tease him, but sat up straight again and spoke seriously:
"In short, I must push forward the elimination order.
Among the 37 generals in the kingdom, 31 are of noble birth, and more than half of the colonel-level officers are also nobles. In their eyes, the military's orders may not be as effective as the orders of the head of the family.
Only by replacing a large part of these people and ensuring that the military's orders can be smoothly conveyed, can I truly control the military, and then use this to force the parliament, the House of Commons and other departments occupied by the nobles to make concessions... Leon, what do you think?"
"I think... it's pretty good."
There was a feeling that the princess was not asking about government affairs, but what he thought of her "conscience". Leon had to keep a straight face and try to change the subject:
"Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. It is indeed the safest option to stabilize the military first and then push for other reforms."
Huh?
After slightly smacking Leon's evaluation, the princess's beautiful eyes flickered slightly, and then nodded:
"Your words are quite... well... I first contacted the Minister of Defense for this reason... Leon, let me ask you, if you were the princess, what would you do?"
What would I do?
Looking at the princess who unconsciously leaned forward slightly, waiting for the answer with a slightly expectant look in her eyes, Leon subconsciously glanced at her conscience, then raised the corner of his mouth and said:
"If it were me, I would probably gather a team of guards and charge into the palace, forcing your father to give up the throne immediately. Anyone who dared to object would be hanged... Oh, and I would also throw your brother across the sea and marry him to a bunch of female monkeys!"
"..."
(End of this chapter)