In Ark Simulator, why do I always get a tough start?

Chapter 28 The Regent's Throne

Several more months have passed.

As always, Chen Qi's region was bustling with endless administrative tasks, such as conscription, military expansion, and enterprise expansion.

Immigrants and infected individuals, regardless of race, were placed in jobs based solely on work experience, and everything was thriving.

Meanwhile, other regions continue to experience sustainable decline.

The nobles, indifferent to all this, remained engrossed in their studies of magic and music, letting time slip by unnoticed...

Of course, the Gemini Queen was not entirely inactive during this period.

They naturally understood Chen Qi's thoughts from his actions.

For Chen Qi, an ambitious man who even wrote his ambitions in a book and announced them to everyone, the Gemini Queen also began to build her own base.

They still set their sights on the aristocratic class.

After all, in Letania, controlling the nobles is practically equivalent to controlling the resources within their territory.

Therefore, even though the Gemini Queens wanted to reduce the tax burden on the people of Letania, they were somewhat powerless to do so.

After all, they all knew that the aggressive Chen Qi wouldn't give them time to raise public opinion.

Raising public opinion means infringing on the interests of the aristocratic class. These are two completely opposite options.

A leader like Chen Qi, who has both extremely high public support and a large number of nobles, is really too rare.

At least the Gemini Queen had never seen a leader who could do both of these things at the same time.

Even a powerful and outstanding ruler like the Witch King would be enraged and resented by both heaven and man in the later stages of his reign.

Most excellent monarchs are lucky if they can unite the power of a single class.

Therefore, in the eyes of the Gemini Queens, whose rule was under great threat, it was a choice to offend the nobles and give the common people a chance to breathe.

Let's sacrifice the interests of the common people for now and win over the powerful nobles who have private armies.

This isn't a difficult multiple-choice question.

If their rule becomes unstable, even if they have the heart to implement benevolent policies, they will be unable to do so if they cannot win over these nobles.

Thus, from the moment the twin queens jointly decided to develop the royalist nobility, the people of Letania once again became victims.

This predictably reignited public discontent in Letania, which had just managed to quell some of the grievances.

Chen Qi, who has always fought for the interests of the people of Letania and even made the leap from commoner to elector, once again won over more people's hearts because of the Twin Empresses' helplessness.

Even among the general public, people's approval of Chen Qi's governance has gradually surpassed that of the twin empresses...

All of this, until one day, finally erupted due to the pent-up public opinion.

"Sigh, now only in Lord Qi's territory can we live like human beings. The nobles in other territories don't care about us at all."

"Yes, among so many nobles, only Lord Qi is truly a man of action. He cares about our lives, worries that we won't be able to find jobs, that our children won't be able to go to school, and worries about Letania's future defense."

"Sigh, if only Lord Qi could become emperor, then we could live a good life."

Originally, this was just a street interview test conducted by a small newspaper.

The media wanted to use "commoners' evaluations of the nobles in their respective jurisdictions" to test a social issue and generate some buzz.

However, most of the commoners in the jurisdiction could not even name the nobles who ruled them, let alone speak a word about them.

But everything changed when the test reached Chen Qi's jurisdiction.

Within Chen Qi's region, whether it's under the tower or in the mobile cities on the border, wherever his power covers, almost every civilian knows him.

Their evaluation of Qi was vastly different from that of the common people in other districts.

This is thanks to Chen Qi's approachable nature and heroic image of resisting tyranny.

In addition, you have always been very active in publicity and public opinion.

Everyone in your jurisdiction knows that their comfortable lives today are all thanks to Qi.

All the common people praised Chen Qi highly, and everyone expressed their respect, admiration, and even fanaticism for him!
The tide turned completely after two ordinary people who held Chen Qi in the highest esteem uttered what could be described as treasonous words in front of the camera.

On this small media outlet, after publishing the interview video verbatim with the mindset of "fortune favors the bold," an unexpected change occurred.

The long-suffering citizens of Letania not only refrained from criticizing the two who uttered those words, but also felt a sense of relief after venting their emotions.

Yes.

Why can't Lord Qi be our emperor?
Just as such voices began to spread among the public, a bombshell report broke from major media outlets, causing a huge uproar in Letania.

After more than a decade, Lord Qi is going to convene a "Noble Council"!

Of all the topics they were going to discuss, the one that garnered the most public attention was—

Pray declared that he would set a precedent in Letania and become the Regent of Letania, above the nine Electors!

……

"Please be quiet, everyone please be quiet."

"Next, the council will discuss the vote on whether to promote Lord Shi Tong, the Marquis of Shi Tong, to Regent."

"Please raise your hands if you agree with this proposal."

"Whoosh!" XN
As soon as the speaker finished speaking, more than two hundred hands on the left side of the parliament immediately rose high in unison, becoming a particularly eye-catching sight in the parliament.

The biggest difference between the nobles in the council, each dressed in gorgeous attire but with different styles and colors, is that...

These nobles who raised their hands were all dressed in identical black military uniforms with black overcoats, and on their right wrists, they all wore a uniform red armband with a symbol whose meaning was incomprehensible to outsiders.

With their uniform attire and coordinated actions, they resembled an elite army, despite being in the noble council.

They were practically telling everyone present that they belonged to the same party and the same faction.

Everyone present, and everyone observing from the shadows, knew who they belonged to.

"The total number of votes in favor is 230."

"...And what about those who disagree?"

As the speaker spoke, hands were raised in a disorderly fashion, some showing unease and hesitation...

Although it lacked momentum, the number of those who disagreed was still slightly greater than those who agreed.

"The number of dissenting votes is 255."

"The results are announced: 230 votes in favor, 255 votes against, and 115 abstentions."

"The proposal was not accepted—"

"Wow!"

However, this time, before the speaker could finish speaking, Gertrude, who was sitting in the front row of the council and was also attending the meeting, stood up with a smile without saying a word.

The desired result was not achieved, but Gertrude's smile grew even more rampant. Arrogantly ignoring the Speaker, she turned to all the party members and said:

“All members of the Workers’ Party, it’s time for us to leave.”

"Yes!"

At Gertrude's command, all 230 party members rose without objection and walked towards the exit of the parliament without any hesitation.

This attitude of disregarding parliament and national affairs has caused the speaker, who is presiding over parliament, to lose face!
The speaker's face instantly turned ashen, and he began pounding his gavel to maintain order, shouting:
"All members of the Workers' Party, come back! Come back!"

"Without you, this council cannot continue. Come back immediately!"

However, the speaker's words failed to stop any party member from leaving, and soon a large number of seats were vacant, making it impossible for the parliament to continue.

The speaker, who had experienced this treatment before, was so ashen-faced that he could no longer maintain his composure.

"boom!"

With a loud crash, the gavel used to maintain order was shattered by the speaker. The speaker, furious but helpless, sat on the platform, angrily shouting:
"Son of the Witch King! Son of the Witch King! A bunch of madmen who act just like the Witch King!"

"They completely disregard the council! Let whoever wants the speakership do it! I, in *Leytanian slang*, am not taking it!"

"..." XN
However, such discordant scenes were nothing new to the nobles who had attended countless council meetings. Whenever the proposal to "pray for the election of regent" was rejected, this group of "sons of the witch king," who had all agreed on their own, would collectively withdraw from the council in protest.

They seemed determined to remain uncompromising if their proposal was not agreed upon.

This situation has been going on for two whole years.

In the past two years, apart from the proposal to make Qi the regent, the rest of the so-called "state affairs" were not even put on the table before the parliament was forcibly terminated.

The frequency of the council meetings, held only once a month, left many nobles in remote areas feeling exhausted, and even those who worked in Trinitylme were finding it unbearable.

But now, facing the "Son of the Witch King" and his increasingly powerful party with more and more seats, what do they dare to do?

……

"See that? Shi Tongling's supporters for the Elector have increased again."

“Yes, last month in parliament they had just reached two hundred members, and now thirty more earls have joined his party.”

"That's not all! Now, almost all the nobles in the four major regions are members of his party. The electors in the other three major regions are either dead or completely puppets!"

"What exactly is going on? How did these 'Sons of the Witch King' manage to expand at such a terrifying speed?"

"I don't know. It's rumored that they have a secret organization that specializes in finding dirt on people and creating incriminating evidence. All the nobles who refused to cooperate died at the hands of this mysterious organization!"

"Ah?! Could it be that Count Feuerbach's car accident was also because—"

"Shh! Be careful! Don't mention that organization. I don't want to be the next target!"

"I, I think we should just ally ourselves with Lord Qi... He already has actual control over four major regions. Even if he's not officially the regent, what's the difference between his power and that of the regent?"

"Hmph! Spineless cowards! My family has sworn an oath to serve Her Majesty the Queen for generations! That evil organization, and that bastard born of the Witch King, will not make me grovel before them!"

...After the parliament adjourned, the nobles who had left the meeting were filled with mixed feelings of fear and worry about the current situation.

Some sensed that a storm was brewing.

Others chose what they believed to be the right path and intend to continue on it resolutely.

What these nobles didn't know was that from the moment they stepped out of the council, their words were being secretly recorded by figures who appeared to be passersby in the shadows.

"Your Grace, these are all records of the words of the nobles."

"Among them, we also took into account the tone of the nobleman's voice when he said those words, as well as the people he was talking to, and all the other details."

"Well, thank you for your hard work."

In an unassuming bookstore not far from Parliament, no one would imagine that beneath the bookstore lies a huge basement.

What's even more unimaginable to ordinary people is that this basement was the headquarters of the "Ministry of State Security," a location personally chosen by Gertrude!

Deep within this fortress-like basement, where the identities of every agent, spy, soldier, and even nobleman must be rigorously verified before entering.

Gertrude looked at the various intelligence reports brought by her subordinates and a satisfied smile appeared on her face.

When she saw the nobleman who showed obvious signs of wavering in the intelligence, her sweet smile widened.

She noticed that some nobles, despite being invited by her repeatedly, remained extremely arrogant.

Even when she expressed hostility towards them during conversation, her smile became even more dangerous.

"...Your Majesty the Duke?"

As a member of the intelligence department, the agent standing in front of Gertrude, despite his relatively ordinary status, still keenly sensed the dangerous signal in Gertrude's smile.

After swallowing hard, fueled by fear, the member still forced himself to ask:

"Your Grace, what should we do?"

"What do you mean, 'how to do it'? You're not new here, you know exactly what to do."

Gertrude glanced at the agent in front of her, and even though there was nothing particularly special in her eyes, it made the agent's hair stand on end.

But Gertrude clearly had no time to pay him any attention, and simply gave her orders:

“We will review the files we have compiled, investigate the interpersonal relationships and family backgrounds of these nobles, and see what methods we can use to win over the nobles who have already wavered.”

"Although there aren't many left who admire and like us, if we talk to them about the substantial benefits they'll reap after Qi takes power, I believe they'll be tempted."

"As for those who are still hesitating... we'll just use a few tricks."

“Kidnap their children, set their mansion on fire, or stage some car crashes that won’t work.”

“If we scare them a little, they will naturally understand our methods.”

"As for those loyal lackeys of Her Majesty the Queen..."

As Gertrude spoke, the dangerous smile on her face widened further, and she casually waved her hand, saying:
"You don't need to worry about these things. My trusted men and I will make them disappear."

"As for you..."

Gertrudena has been suffering from insomnia due to her recent work ethic.

But her surprisingly bright eyes, while coldly sweeping over the agent in front of her, maintained a sweet tone as she said:
"As long as you work hard and remain loyal to me and Lord Qi, your treatment will not be low."

"But if I find out that any of you dares to betray us..."

Gertrude's smile finally revealed a hint of malice.

"That traitor who had his limbs severed and bled to death hanging on the bridge is your role model."

"--yes!"

"Long live the son of the Witch King!"

In a state of extreme terror, the agent almost instinctively stood at attention and saluted!

However, his trembling legs could not conceal the fear in his heart.

After all, everyone who joined the "Ministry of State Security" had been deeply terrified of the methods of this beautiful but venomous woman after two years of work experience.

In just two short years, despite the popular support for Lord Qi and the terrifying deterrent effect of the SS, it was only a matter of time before the vast majority of the nobles of Letania chose to submit to him.

However, everyone in the "Ministry of State Security" knows that their party now occupies nearly a third of the seats in the Noble Council, making it the second largest party in the council.

Their leader, Gertrude, deserves much credit.

However, the specifics of how Gertrude persuaded those wavering nobles to surrender are little known even within the "Ministry of State Security".

Most people only know that the nobles who have spoken with Duke Gertrude have all chosen to join the party and become its staunchest members!
And all the nobles whom Duke Gertrude was to deal with personally, without exception, died due to various "accidents"...

Even potential traitors from within, or spies from other nobles trying to infiltrate the ranks, would be dragged out one by one by Gertrude and subjected to incredibly cruel torture...

And every time Gertrude used extreme punishment, she had a habit.

That is to make all members of the "Ministry of State Security" witness the entire process of her execution.

To this end, she even "created" many new forms of torture by studying books...

Just listening to the explanation was enough to terrify the newly joined members, causing them to have nightmares for days on end.

This made the "Ministry of State Security" the most strictly controlled and terrifying department in the entire party.

At this moment, the agents who had retreated to continue gathering intelligence also recalled what Gertrude had said to them and several new recruits when they first joined the team.

That was about the significance of the establishment of the Ministry of State Security.

"We are the shadows of the Witch King's son."

"Wherever there is sunlight, there will be shadows."

"The sun is our leader, and we are the shadows that help him manage these dark corners."

"We will be present in every sunlit place in Letania. This is the purpose for which we were founded, and it is the goal we will surely achieve."

The Gemini Queens' "royalists" seem to still hold the advantage, but this pitiful advantage is being gradually eroded by Gertrude's hard work.

Gertrude, and indeed everyone in the Ministry of State Security, knew that the seemingly high and mighty Gemini Queens were practically lambs to the slaughter.

The time they have left to sit atop the Twin Towers is dwindling...

This is the first chapter today; barring any unforeseen circumstances, there should be a second chapter tonight.
Please give me your support! (Begging on the floor)
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(End of this chapter)