I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 287 The Annoying Old Man

Arya was very uncomfortable while waiting, fearing that her request would be rejected. She only felt better after a servant came to inform her.

Chris probably doesn't realize that in Bagnia today, his reputation has reached an unprecedented level.

His victories in the civil war, his repeated defeats of powerful and arrogant foreign invaders, his use of precious food to aid refugees, and his implementation of new policies to improve people's livelihoods—all these actions have made Chris almost a god in the eyes of the people.

This is one of the main reasons why Chris's suppression of the Church of the Earth Mother in Waterladnoy did not provoke much of a backlash.

If Chris hadn't subsequently ordered players like Crazy Slash to take action and launch a targeted purge against those in the country who had participated in the purge of the nobles, his reputation would have been even higher.

Even so, Chris's current high reputation still makes the Church of the Earth Mother and the Goddess of Agriculture feel wary and even fearful.

Kindness cannot make others obey, but fear can easily achieve this goal.

Arya felt it was all worth it to have this opportunity to meet Prince Chris alone, even though she had been punched in the face and spent a night in a cold cell.

Although the planning process encountered unexpected setbacks, as long as the outcome is good, things are not bad.

After Arya calmed down, she realized that she was not presentable, so she quickly asked the chainmail-clad servant in the reception room for a basin of water and a towel.

Soon, a servant brought a basin of warm water and a clean towel, which made Arya very grateful. She even gave the servant a silver coin as a tip, but he kept a straight face and did not accept it.

With hot water and a towel, Arya could carefully wipe the bloodstains from her cheeks. The warmth on her face also brought her back to her senses. She looked at her reflection in the water... The once elegant and composed priestess now had a bruised left eye, a cracked mouth, and her white robes were covered in mud.

But her gaze was more resolute than ever.

After a long time.

"Priest, it's time. Please proceed to the garden."

The servant's voice interrupted her meditation. Arya tidied her messy black hair one last time, tucking a few stray strands behind her ears. When she stepped out of the reception room, her steps were much more steady than when she arrived.

As Arya followed her attendants through the corridor, she could sense that this palace was more like a fortress on the front lines than a royal palace. There were many soldiers standing guard in the corridor, all fully armed, wearing armor and carrying swords and shields and flintlock pistols suitable for indoor combat.

Arya noticed that the soldiers' armor did not have any noble coats of arms; instead, it bore a simple red and gold double-headed eagle emblem... This was the symbol of Chris's new regime.

Does this mean that Prince Chris is expressing that he doesn't have much of a connection with the former Kingdom of Bagnia?

At the end of the corridor was a glass door. The servant stopped in front of the door, gently pushed it open, and gestured for Arya to go in.

"The lord is waiting for you in the greenhouse."

Through the stained glass door, Arya could vaguely see lush green plants inside, a stark contrast to the snowy landscape outside.

Is this... a greenhouse?
As a priestess of the goddess of agriculture and a high-ranking figure in the church, Arya was well-informed and naturally knew about greenhouses. The church had two greenhouses built inside, where sacred crops were grown to demonstrate the greatness and grace of the goddess of agriculture to the believers.

As the servant pushed open the door and Arya stepped through the glass door, a wave of humid heat hit her. To her surprise, Arya discovered that the greenhouse was not filled with brightly colored flowers and rare ornamental plants, but with countless crops.

Various staple foods and vegetables are planted in different areas. Wheat, rye and barley are growing vigorously in a corner of the greenhouse. Their stems are upright and their leaves shimmer with a healthy green luster under the sunlight, as if telling a story of hope for a bountiful harvest.

On the other side, the leaves of potatoes and carrots intertwine, dense and lush, seemingly striving to absorb nutrients from the soil and store energy for the precious roots underground.

In the center of the greenhouse, tomato and pepper plants hang high, their bright red fruits like strings of rubies, adorning the green leaves and adding vitality to the entire greenhouse.

Near the entrance stood rows of neatly arranged lettuce and spinach, their leaves broad and tender, seemingly bursting with juice at the slightest touch. Their vibrant green was a sight to behold, a glimpse of spring's hope. Arya was deeply moved by the scene. Seeing these crops thrive in the cold winter felt like being in a warm haven. As a priestess of the goddess of agriculture, she knew all too well the difficulty these crops faced in the harsh winter.

"These crops..."

Arya's voice held a hint of disbelief as she slowly walked into the greenhouse, as if afraid of disturbing the vibrant plants.

"Yes, as you can see."

Chris's voice came from the other end of the greenhouse. He was standing next to a row of tomato plants, holding a half-eaten tomato in his hand, with bright red juice dripping from his hand.

"This is the future national planting base..."

Chris casually tossed the remaining tomatoes into the compost bin next to him, the juice splashing onto the wooden walls of the bin with a soft "plop" sound.

"But right now, it's just the beginning."

Prince Chris's action successfully made the player who was tending to the tomato plant stand up, staring at him with wide eyes and dissatisfaction, as if he would have cursed at the former if there hadn't been a third person present.

With nothing better to do, this farming enthusiast comes here to eat and drink, and even throws away uneaten tomatoes. If Chris weren't the sponsor of this crop greenhouse, this farming enthusiast certainly wouldn't have been so polite to him.

Chris noticed the player's gaze and quickly led Arya to the side, hastily escaping the latter's death stare.

"Alright, to make a long story short, I only have half an hour to rest. If you need anything, please tell me as soon as possible."

"Your Highness, regarding the Church of the Earth Mother, are you aware that the overthrow of the Kingdom of Bagnia three years ago was inextricably linked to them?"

Seeing Prince Chris's emphasis on agriculture, Arya was now incredibly confident. She felt that the Church of the Goddess of Agriculture could satisfy his preferences, since no other deity on this continent knew more about crops than the Goddess of Agriculture... not even the Earth Mother.

Chris raised an eyebrow upon hearing Arya's words.

“If that’s all you’re going to say, then I don’t need to listen anymore. I already know that.”

"However, you probably don't know that the reason the Church of the Earth Mother Goddess opposes the former king is because the latter is prepared to submit to the Church of the Goddess of Agriculture and use us to fight against the increasingly domineering former king, who even wants to interfere in the succession to the throne..."

Arya rattled off a lot about the Church of the Earth Mother's involvement in the opposition to the Kingdom. Chris couldn't deny it, because most of what she said matched what he knew, but there was one part that was completely opposite.

Chris was skeptical. He didn't think Arya was lying, but the same thing could have completely opposite meanings depending on who described it.

The Church of the Earth Mother Goddess was certainly involved in the plan to drive out the king, but Chris didn't care. He couldn't completely ban religion and achieve the control and suppression of faith that ancient China had.

The social environment, local customs, and cultural differences mean that Chris can never replicate this. China is unique and cannot be easily copied. Some things that are commonplace and taken for granted in China are very rare abroad.

"I already know what you're talking about, nothing new. Let's talk about the second thing."

Chris glanced at the time; there were only ten minutes left before they had to start work. So, he interrupted Arya, who was still tattling on about the Church of Mother Earth.

The latter paused for a moment, then immediately realized the reason for Prince Chris's impatience, and quickly organized her thoughts.

“We know that the Church of the Earth Mother Goddess has recently been in contact with the former king of Minicia, who, with the support and encouragement of the Minician royal family, is preparing to return to Bagnia…”

(End of this chapter)