The doctor suffers from amnesia, but not complete amnesia.

"Um, shall I take you to the living room?"

"Okay, please."

Qiao Yelan politely expressed his gratitude.

Once Qiao Yelan sat down at the table, the lady released his hand and poured him a glass of water.

"Please excuse me, we haven't made tea yet. Would you like to have some alcohol first? We should still have some vodka left."

"No need, madam. Please attend to your own business. I'll wait for Mr. Yegor here."

The sound of footsteps clearly indicated that someone was coming downstairs.

"Mom? Is Dad coming home?"

The little girl's clear voice rang out, attracting Qiao Yelan's attention. When she saw that it was a strange man, she was not afraid at all, but instead showed a happy expression.

"Mom! We have guests! Now we can have steak again!"

"Don't make a fuss, Laisa. If you're naughty, Mommy will cut your steak smaller."

The girl quickly covered her mouth, leaving only her big eyes blinking.

Chapter Forty-Six: Invitation

"Your daughter is very lively."

"Thank you, sir. If you need anything else, just call me—Little Raisa, would you like to watch your mother cook?"

"Want to see!"

Mrs. Terekin led her daughter toward the kitchen, while Qiao Yelan carefully observed everything in the house.

Old, clean, and cozy.

It's hard to imagine that this is the home of a ministerial-level official in Ursus.

It seems that I guessed it right.

Qiao Yelan silently pondered in her heart until the door of the house was opened again.

"Ah, Mr. Qiao Yelan, I apologize for keeping you waiting. I had to work overtime to deal with some issues."

"No, it's my arrival that's too sudden. I'm glad you'd be willing to entertain me, Minister Yegor."

"You're joking. I would never turn away a guest."

The man hung his coat on the coat rack, changed into casual clothes, and sat down opposite Qiao Yelan.

"You've come to see me today to discuss the issues of mineral resources and road construction within the Grand Duchy of Kosiche—"

"No, it's about what happened at noon today."

Qiao Yelan's directness made Yegor's pupils contract for a moment. He subconsciously glanced at his wife, who was still busy in the kitchen, and lowered his voice.

“Mr. Qiao Yelan, although this matter is a done deal, I don’t want to discuss it in my home until it is officially made public.”

“I’ve come seeking help, Minister Yegor—I want to stop this plan from going through.”

The man was stunned.

"This is an absolutely wrong policy. No matter how you try to beautify or cover it up, even if you write a thousand or ten thousand laws, this matter will eventually be exposed to the world. What we are provoking is not war, but the anger of all people in the world who still have a conscience."

Qiao Yelan's face was filled with anger.

"If that's the case, why don't you go see the Speaker?"

“I have just returned from Speaker Witt’s place—we sat in the magnificent hall, watching dozens of servants fill a long table with delicacies, and then he invited me to taste the freshly slaughtered, tender meat of the Great Yan River pig.”

Yegor's expression twitched, and he forced a strained smile.

"So you've already had dinner... I wonder if the food Speaker Witt recommended suited your taste?"

"In fact, I didn't even touch the knife and fork."

Qiao Yelan said coldly.

"I didn't even voice my opposition, because I already knew his attitude—how could someone who's already settled in another position possibly care about the fate of the class he was born into?"

Yegor held his forehead with his hand, not letting Qiao Yelan see his expression, but the deathly silence in the living room was enough to tell the minister's mood.

"Honey, dinner is ready. Come help me."

Yegor stood up, and the man sitting opposite him spoke again.

“Minister Yegor, your dinner smells very tempting. I wonder if I would have the honor of tasting it? — If you would prefer to try the braised pork, then I suppose I should go find someone else to invite me to dinner.”

Yegor stopped and looked at Qiao Yelan.

This wasn't him inviting Qiao Yelan, but rather Qiao Yelan extending an invitation to him.

He didn't know who else Qiao Yelan had invited, but he did know which people's invitations Qiao Yelan had declined.

Those who should have been...

"...Of course, Your Excellency Qiao Yelan, you will find that, at least in my home, a regular steak is far more delicious than a large Yanjiang pig."

This man, who had once been ridiculed by nobles and despised by soldiers, and who mingled among the powerful and wealthy with a smile and servility, accepted the invitation.

-----------------------------------------------

"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Excellency Terekin. Your wife's cooking is superb—it must be the most delicious meal I have ever had in this city."

"You flatter me too much."

Mrs. Terekin covered her mouth and laughed.

“My dear, I’ll leave this to you. I have some things to discuss with Mr. Qiao Yelan.”

"Daddy, Daddy! Raisa will help too!"

"Alright—thank you for your trouble, little Laisa."

The man smiled, picked up Rajisa, and put her on a chair, watching the little girl pick at her food, getting her hands all dirty.

Qiao Yelan didn't speak, but just quietly watched Yegor and his family being affectionate.

A moment later, the man came over and pushed Qiao Yelan toward his study.

The wooden door opens and closes, completely separating the quiet study from the cozy dining room outside.

"The premise of our cooperation is that you must transfer my wife and daughters to the Grand Duchy of Cosice, and if I die, you must guarantee all their expenses for a normal life thereafter."

Yegor abandoned his previous demeanor and began negotiating terms with Qiao Yelan with extreme composure.

"We might not lose, otherwise I wouldn't have come—"

"Winning or losing is different for the infected and the Empire, but for me it's the same. If I lose, I will die; if I win, I will not escape the reckoning—the nobles, the military, and even His Majesty and the Speaker will not allow me to live."

The man took out a cigarette, and even as he spoke of his inevitable end, his hand did not tremble in the slightest when he lit it.

“I have no background, no powerful backer, or rather, my only powerful backer is buried in a cold grave—and I am just a stray dog.”

"The only reason I wasn't fired, for everyone, was because I didn't belong to any side. It was acceptable for them to have someone as neutral as me take over—especially since I had a decent work record."

The smoke drifted and floated towards the ceiling.

"But you didn't resign."

Qiao Yelan accurately hit the key point.

"Ha, you have a keen eye—yes, I didn't resign, but instead became a sycophantic good guy, managing to keep my position as Minister of Labor amidst the turbulent currents of St. Eagle's Castle."

"Based on my observation today, you should resign and leave this cannibalistic city with your wife and daughters."

Yegor nodded.

“You’re right. I’ve always been an ordinary citizen. I’m more interested in the warmth of family than in being an official who’s constantly scheming against each other.”

"But the problem is—His Majesty died in a mystery, and no one wants to carry on his legacy, nor is anyone capable of doing so."

Qiao Yelan nodded slightly.

Yegor was right about this; everything Vladimir had vanished with his death, and the reason wasn't solely due to the opposition—

Because those who supported and followed him couldn't even preserve his legacy.

Chapter 47 Vladimir's Legacy

"Now that you've returned from Speaker Witt's office, I think his intentions are also His Majesty's—could you tell them exactly what the plans are?"

"First let it go, then oppose it, then manipulate public opinion, split the military, and challenge Grand Duke Nicholas."

Qiao Yelan succinctly explained their plan.

Yegor's face was so dark it could drip water—he knew, of course, what the Emperor and the Speaker were thinking.

The people are clueless about politics, so they cannot clearly feel the pain until the knife falls on them.

So the emperor wanted the knife to fall—but he didn't want the people to see him holding it.

Only when the people begin to cry out in pain and a wave of resistance begins will they stand on the moral high ground with an air of righteous indignation, condemning the nobles and the military, while tearfully denouncing these treacherous officials for deceiving and suppressing His Majesty the Emperor and Parliament—not that they do not oppose, but that their opposition is futile.

At this time, a large number of infected soldiers and officers who originally obeyed the army will also stand up. They did not dare to resist before because of a lack of understanding and obedience to orders, but now His Majesty the Emperor is standing behind them, and they have gained righteousness and affirmation.