Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 712 New Policies of the Kingdom
The capital city of Xinghuo.

Today's plenary meeting of the government's top leadership was unprecedentedly moved to the newly completed administrative conference hall behind the royal palace.

As the kingdom's administrative departments have grown, the obsidian castle, which was built during the pioneering era, has become cramped. The bedroom and living room on the third floor are sufficient for His Majesty the Emperor's daily use, but the private office on the second floor and the council hall on the first floor are not spacious enough.

The five independent secretariats that liaise with various departments alone occupy a large portion of the already cramped space. Officials, not wanting His Majesty the Emperor's living standards to be lowered as a result, naturally dared not cram more government functions into the small castle, thus affecting Harvey, who has always preferred to live a secluded life.

So, with the emperor's permission, only the guards' and attendants' quarters were retained in the original Blackstone Castle, while the secretariat and council chambers were moved out and rebuilt in an open area behind the palace castle.

Even so, when the newly completed council hall was put into use, it was still packed to capacity when plenary meetings were held... Many officials from peripheral departments did not even have standard seats and could only ask the waiters to bring them small wooden stools, sit awkwardly behind their superiors, curl up their legs, spread their notebooks on their knees, and listen attentively.

The numerous administrative clerks and secretaries of various departments were treated even worse, without even a bench. They could only stand close to the wall of the hall, and if it weren't for their dark blue government uniforms, they would look almost like waiters and bodyguards.

The so-called high-level meeting naturally required the attendance of all high-ranking officials from the kingdom's military and political departments. Nearly three hundred people gathered in the council hall to await the decree from the kingdom's supreme ruler.

Harvey sat on the throne atop the steps, gazing at the throng of heads below, and couldn't help but shake his head in exasperation... He beckoned his chief bodyguard, Tommy, to his side and whispered, "Tell those scribes and secretaries who are standing against the wall as punishment to go to the reporting room next door. At least give them a bench to sit on. They can listen to the rest of the meeting using their alchemical communicators."

"Yes! Your Majesty."

After Tommy hurriedly went to make arrangements, he slowly picked up the newly cast imperial scepter and awkwardly tapped the handle against the armrest of the throne twice. After a crisp thud, the entire hall fell silent.

"Gentlemen, I'm sure most of you are aware of the topic of today's meeting..."

"Since the beginning of spring, the two-month-long ice-sealing operation has been a complete success. We have completely defeated the advance force of the Demon Lizardmen along the Ice Sea coast and successfully established several early warning bases in the area to closely monitor possible enemy movements at the estuary. In a short period of time... the threat from the northern alien races has been effectively contained."

As soon as he finished speaking, enthusiastic applause erupted from below, echoing throughout the entire hall.

Harvey waved his hand, smiling as he gestured for them to control their emotions, and continued, "Although we have not yet achieved final victory, we have at least fulfilled the goals we set at the beginning... keeping the enemy outside the borders, ensuring that neither the capital Starfire City nor the people of the kingdoms south of the Divine Spine Mountains are affected by the cruel and bloody war, and allowing humanity to have a peaceful and prosperous land even if they are confined to this small corner of the southern continent."

He paused, then suddenly changed the subject, “But we cannot forget… the peace of Saint Valen and the Northern United Kingdom alone cannot be considered true peace for the human race. The Lizardmen, using floating islands to navigate the Abyss, have secretly crossed the Divine Ridge and invaded our neighboring country, Eisengard. They have sent a large army to wreak havoc on that fertile grassland that rightfully belongs to us for a long time. The Kingdom of the Flying Cavalry is now a mere shell of its former self… This can be clearly seen from the number of refugees continuously pouring south from our defenses along the Wolf Fang Ridge border.”

These words immediately silenced many officials below… Indeed, it made no sense that humans could defeat the Lizardmen on the icy plains thousands of miles away, yet turn a blind eye to the calamity befalling their neighboring kin. While political barriers existed between nations, ultimately, they all needed to join forces to resist the invasion of other races. Continuing to passively allow them to ravage and erode Eisengard was a way of indirectly depleting humanity's manpower, which was detrimental to population growth and future development.

Many high-ranking officials from various departments, who were already planning and waiting to submit their reports, were greatly encouraged upon hearing this... It seems that His Majesty's will and ideas are, to some extent, in line with the policies they are currently discussing, creating a sense of tacit understanding between the emperor and his ministers.

As the head of the court, Leiner naturally took the lead and stood up, saying loudly, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. Now that the threat north of the capital has been temporarily resolved, we do need to turn our attention to our neighboring countries. The situation of the alien races running rampant in Eisengard urgently needs to be eliminated."

As he spoke, he took a thick stack of documents from his secretary, bowed, walked up the steps, and solemnly presented them to Harvey's desk. "Therefore... the Ministry of State believes that breaking through the Wolf Fang Ridge defense line to the east, completely eliminating the remaining alien remnants in Eisengard, and accepting the large number of people who have fled south from that country will be our top priority for a long time to come."

This document had actually been presented to Harvey two weeks ago and had undergone detailed discussion and revision. Now it was merely a formality in the administrative process, and also an internal notification to the officials in the lower departments.

Harvey quickly flipped through a few pages, nodded, and said, "Indeed, what we need to solve next is indeed the urgent problem of our neighbor, Eisengard... However, in addition to that, expanding into the vast wasteland north of the capital is also of utmost urgency."

As he spoke, he stood up and raised his voice, emphasizing each word: "Not just today, nor just for the foreseeable future... Humanity will not forever remain confined to the southern border, which is contemptuously called the 'Continental Horn' by the alien races. After completely liberating Eisengard, we will head north and completely conquer this primitive and wild, yet resource-rich, wasteland!"

He paused, then held up one finger and continued, "I call this long-term development plan, which may last for decades, the 'Northward Expansion and Eastward Advancement'."

Thunderous applause erupted in the hall once again.

Indeed... resisting foreign tribes and expanding territory are almost equally important achievements for a powerful kingdom and the supreme ruler who governs it.

Leaving aside the big picture, the officials under the emperor and the upper class who are closely attached to the kingdom also need to seize enough benefits in the wars that will continue year after year, and the ordinary people are no exception... Only when everyone can get a share of the spoils can the whole country be closely united around the ruler and work hard to contribute their respective strengths to the common goal.

The desolate and defunct neighboring country of Essengard was the first piece of the pie under the "Northward Expansion and Eastward Advancement" strategy. In the decades to come, there were even more fertile and prosperous northern wastelands waiting for them to explore and reap the rewards under the emperor's will.

The vast and boundless northern wilderness... that is a golden virgin land with an area comparable to the combined size of all the southern kingdoms!

(End of this chapter)