Athena stood beside Xander, secretly chuckling to herself. No wonder he intentionally delayed; this was his plan all along. Xander looked down at the kneeling ministers and then at the King on the dragon throne.
He did not lower his arm holding the official hat. “Your Majesty, I am not acting on impulse. After years of fighting in the north and south, I am exhausted both physically and mentally.
“Now that the country is peaceful and the people are safe, I only want to stay with my wife and children and live out the rest of my life in my fief.”
“Prince Xander!” The King quickly walked down the dragon steps and personally helped him by the arm. “The Northern Frontier is not yet settled, and the court is not at peace. How can I be without you?
“I will punish those officials who spread rumors about you! But don’t mention resigning from your post again, Prince Xander!”
The King’s eyes were red with anger. Today was supposed to be a celebration banquet for Xander, but these officials had spoiled the fun.
He turned to look at the kneeling officials, his face filled with fury. “Listen to me, all of you, from now on, if anyone dares to make wild guesses and maliciously slander Prince Xander and Princess Consort, I will definitely not spare him!
“From now on, Baptiste and the Minister of Finance and others will be punished with three months of reflection behind closed doors, and their salaries will be halved!”
“Your Majesty, thank you for your kindness!” The ministers hurriedly kowtowed, sweat already seeping from their foreheads.
Xander looked at the King’s red eyes and felt a warmth in his heart. His voice softened a little. “Thank you, Your Majesty, but I have made up my mind about resigning, and I hope Your Majesty will grant my wish.”
Athena also knelt on the ground and echoed, “I beg Your Majesty to grant my wish.”
The King looked at Athena, then at Xander, and was so anxious that he didn’t know what to do. He should have expected this day to come, but he didn’t expect it to come so soon. In the end, he closed his eyes and made up his mind. “You two are meritorious officials of the Grand Luminary Empire. Please rise and speak.”
The King personally helped the two up, his eyes full of reluctance.
“Now that the war has just stabilized, if you resign now, people would think of me as a foolish King.”
The King cupped his hands at Xander and said, “Please, Prince Xander, for my sake, stay a little longer.”
The King personally tried to persuade him to stay, and his attitude was so sincere that it was really embarrassing. Athena looked at Xander, but saw him sigh slightly. “I obey.”
After the banquet, Xander and the King had a secret conversation in the imperial study. Athena went to see the Queen.
Inside the imperial study.
“The Civil Examination System you mentioned earlier has met with considerable opposition in the court.” The King tapped the dragon desk and sighed, “If this happens, those officials who control the official positions will lose their income, so it would be strange if they didn’t make trouble.”
The King pointed out incisively why everyone at today’s banquet made things difficult for them and their wives. After listening, Xander chuckled. “Of course they will object; it would be odd if they didn’t.
“The recommendation system makes it hopeless for the poor students all over the world to study. Ten years of hard study cannot match the tens of thousands of taels of silver from wealthy families.”
Under the light, Xander’s eyes sparkled. His deep voice, with a unique cadence, echoed in the room. “If you want to make the country strong, these parasites must be eliminated. Only by allowing poor students to have a chance to succeed will Grand Luminary Empire go far.”
The King nodded repeatedly. “You are right, I think so too.”
“There is one more thing.” Xander cupped his fist towards the King. “Your Majesty, please open canals and dig rivers to open up the north–south canal, so that the water in the south can alleviate the drought in the north. Once the waterway is open, it will save a lot of travel and enable the fruits from the south to be transported to the north.”
The King pondered for a while, his brows furrowed tightly. “But opening canals and digging rivers will consume a lot of manpower and material resources. Many river channels have been in disrepair for a long time. In addition, many houses have been built on the river channels.
“If we were to dredge the river, these people would have to be relocated, which would also be a considerable expense.”
Xander said firmly, “But has Your Majesty ever considered that if there is a war in the Southern Border, it would take ten to fifteen days to travel by land alone, but only three to five days by water.”
He leaned over and pointed to the main line of canal transport on the map, his fingertip heavily tapping the paper. “It seems to be a waste of manpower and resources now, but it is actually paving the way for the long- term development of Grand Luminary Empire.”
The King was moved. “It’s not that I haven’t thought about what you said, but where does the money come from?”
Xander’s finger pointed to the border on the map and tapped it heavily. “Here, of course.
“This is the border between Grand Luminary Empire and the Thirteen Tribes.” The King looked at Xander in confusion. “Prince Xander, what do you mean?”
“Open the market.” Xander said clearly, his hand drawing a circle at the border. “The Thirteen Tribes have surrendered to Grand Luminary Empire, and the surrounding small countries are trembling under the majesty of Grand Luminary Empire. The strength of Vietom, Wikland, and other small countries in the Southern Border is not worth fearing.
“Although there are occasional frictions with our country, it is only to fill their stomachs. They have copper and iron mines, jade, and we have silk and tea.
“Opening the trade market can not only exchange what each other has, but the court can also collect tariffs from it, and this income is enough to support the canal project.”
The King stared at the border line on the map, his brows furrowed.
“However, these small countries have always been unruly, and trade may cause trouble.” The King still had concerns. “Besides, there will inevitably be ministers in the court who object, saying that trading with barbarians is detrimental to the national prestige.”
“National prestige lies in the hearts of the people, not in empty names.” Xander’s eyes flashed with sharp brilliance. “If it can bring stability to the borderlands and fill the national treasury, why not do it?
“As for those who object…”
The corners of his mouth curled into a sneer. “They are simply afraid of losing their private smuggling routes.”
These words hit the nail on the head, and the King slammed the table. “Okay, then. Let’s do what you said! Tomorrow morning, I will announce this matter in the early court, and first conduct mutual trade in the Aeridon border area on a trial basis. The Grand Canal project will also be surveyed and prepared immediately.”
Speaking of this, he looked at Xander. “However, this project is by no means a matter of short duration, and we need to find a reliable and stable person. Prince Xander, do you have anyone in mind?”
Xander shook his head. “Most of the ministers in the court are students of the Grand Secretariat, and I don’t trust his people.
“We can only wait until after the imperial examination. At that time, you can select a few confidants to keep for his own use. In this way, we don’t have to be restrained by those old guys.”
The King looked at Xander, feeling immense admiration in his heart. The late King said that he had the talent to govern the country, but he didn’t take it seriously before. Now he understood.
Xander was proficient in both civil and military affairs. The King felt inferior to him. However, he really couldn’t trust others with such an important matter.
He cupped his fist at Xander and said, “I’m counting on you, Uncle, for the imperial examination.”
“It is my duty to serve His Majesty.” Xander bowed to the King with a firm look in his eyes.
After coming out of the Imperial Study, Xander saw the figure waiting for him quietly ahead, and his heart couldn’t help but warm. He walked up to Athena, held her hand tightly, and protected her in his arms against the night wind. “Why didn’t you wait for me in the hall? Look, your hands are cold.”
“Are you done talking? Seeing your brow relax, it must be a success.” Athena asked him with a smile.
“Half a success.” Xander pretended to sigh. “The road ahead will be even harder.”
Athena leaned against his chest. “No matter how difficult it is, I will be with you.”