Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

Chapter Twenty-Four: Only the King Cares About His People (Part Two)

What is most important on the land of Terra?

Dollar! When the dollar arrives, so does one's life.

Wayne was just joking. In reality, money wasn't that important to him; no amount of money could disturb his attitude of regarding wealth as dirt.

But why did he agree to Urbino's request without hesitation and come to Langdon Abbey in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?

Money isn't important, what's important is getting it for free! How great is that? 500,000 Lateran gold coins, just put on a show, play the victim, and it's in your pocket. Anyone who doesn't do that is a fool.

Since Urbino called the money "missionary maintenance fees," Wayne didn't bother to call him out on it. He simply walked up, slammed the gleaming gold coin box shut, and smiled at Urbino:

"Thank you, Your Holiness, for your concern for the missionary work in Victoria. Wayne is deeply grateful!"

Five hundred thousand Lateran gold coins!

His Holiness the Pope is so generous, giving money as soon as he says he'll give it. Just how much money does the entire Papal Palace have?

Should we find an opportunity to take a few "relatives and friends" from the army group, pack dozens of "sugar-coated bullets," and go on a pilgrimage to Lateran?

With the Holy See's wealth, it is certainly more profitable than paying tribute to the Great Yan!

Seeing Wayne's grinning face, Urbino sneered inwardly.

People who are greedy for money are the easiest to control. Don't be fooled by Laterano's current efforts to protect and support you. When the country changes hands, they will definitely take back this money from Victoria tenfold or a hundredfold!

But now, we definitely have to go along with Wayne.

Urbino forced a smile, stepped forward, and took Wayne's hand, saying:

"This is not only His Holiness the Pope's support for Victoria's missionary work, but also His Holiness the Pope's condolences to his friend. Your Highness Wayne, thank you for your hard work during this time!"

Urbino spoke with deep emotion, and Wayne's face showed a hint of surprise, followed by a sigh of deep feeling.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Holiness. I haven't been able to eat or drink properly lately."

Every day it's fish and chips, and every now and then there's the stargazing pie that makes him lose his mind. Of course, this kind of food is unbearable for him, a transmigrator from the Celestial Empire with a taste for the extreme.

Actually, Wayne thought Vina might not be able to stand this damned food either, because Wayne noticed that Vina ate the most during afternoon tea, not lunch or dinner. She would stuff all kinds of cakes and desserts into her mouth without restraint, and scornfully ignore the maid's suggestion of a grand dinner.

It makes sense, as there is delicious food in Victoria, as evidenced by Wayne's recent nighttime stroll through the food street. However, the royal palace always prioritizes prestige and ignores the food that is closer to ordinary people, claiming it is to demonstrate the grandeur of the royal family and not to eat or live with the common people.

Haha, Wayne said, this is a huge bad habit!

If you don't understand the principle of "coming from the people and going back to the people" and "getting close to the common people," you'll be sent to the guillotine sooner or later!

What? I am the king himself?

That's fine.

Go back and start reforms. The first step is to hire a chef from Yan State.

Seeing Wayne lost in thought, with a confident smile that seemed to indicate that great things were about to be accomplished, Urbino was already half relieved.

It seems Wayne is already thinking about how to use this money to do something big!

Five hundred thousand Lateran gold coins—to be honest, that's a sum even he, the newly appointed cardinal, would envy—he hadn't even started selling indulgences yet. Such a large sum of money; only a fool would give it all away to an outsider if it weren't for his future and his life.

But from another perspective, 500,000 Lateran gold coins is no small sum. Even if it were him, it would take a considerable amount of time to spend it all. Moreover, Wayne is under Vina's surveillance, making it even more difficult for him to spend all the money. This money will be Wayne's operating expenses for a long time to come. In the long run, this investment in Lateran is worthwhile.

Let alone 500,000 gold coins, even if it were 500,000 pigs, it would take Wayne a year and a half to kill them all by himself!

"What's your name?"

“Xidejia”.

“I see that this church is so poor that they don’t even light candles at night, and all the facilities are dilapidated. It really needs repairs. Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll give you a thousand gold coins. You can take charge of repairing Landon Abbey. You can keep the extra money yourself.”

"Uh, this..."

Kongxian blinked in surprise, but then glanced hesitantly at Urbino beside him.

Urbino: "..."

Tsk, I forgot, besides liking money, Wayne also likes pretty girls.

Why would repairing a church cost a thousand gold coins? Landon Abbey is currently the most magnificent and complete Lateran church in Victoria. What need is there for repairs? Wayne is clearly just using the name I gave him to curry favor and pick up girls!

Borrow money from my Lateran and seduce the nuns of my Lateran convent.

Wow, this is truly the ultimate level of getting something for free?

Urbino closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded slightly to the open string.

Kongxian was overjoyed to accept the gold coins and bowed to Wayne.

"Thank you so much for your help to the church, sir. Without this money, we would hardly be able to afford food!"

To be honest, before Urbino arrived, Kongxian had even considered breaking the monastery's rule against interfering in secular affairs and going out to work to earn money and support the monastery. When Urbino arrived at Langdon Abbey carrying a large box of gold coins, Kongxian had also fantasized that it was a relief fund provided by His Holiness the Pope, far away, out of compassion for the Victorian Church, which was in dire straits. But fantasies are always ruthlessly shattered. The angel who came to the monastery ate all their bread for the next day, lit the candles they were reluctant to light, and before the sacred altar, gave all the gold coins that could save their lives, and even the entire Victorian Church, to a handsome young man whose name they did not know.

Are there any complaints? Of course there are.

Was I disappointed? Of course I was.

But Kongxian didn't know how to release this resentment that was suppressed deep in her heart. In her heart, the church was always above all else. Although this angel was not as kind, magnanimous, or helpful as she had imagined, he was, after all, a Sakorta, a bishop of the holy city, and not someone that a lamb from a remote area like hers, yearning for God's forgiveness of sins, could slander.

When Wayne offered her a thousand gold coins, Kongxian was overjoyed and wanted to accept them, but then hesitated and withdrew her hand. She was afraid that her presumptuous behavior would displease Urbino, so she turned to him for his opinion. Only after he nodded in agreement did she accept this timely gift.

This action disappointed Wayne somewhat. But he was not discouraged. The liberation of thought takes time. He had already learned from Vina about the tragic situation of the Lateran Church in Victoria. Wayne's action was a test, a test of whether a nun in extreme poverty would choose life or faith.

As it turned out, the devout nun ultimately chose her faith.

But Wayne also got the results he wanted.

He saw the wavering in Kong Xian's heart, whose human instincts had been suppressed, when he extended the olive branch of life; he saw the hand that was halfway outstretched before suddenly withdrawing.

This is enough.

Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is a stone worn away by constant dripping. Lateran's faith, established over millennia, cannot be easily broken down overnight. This stubborn rock requires both hard blows and gentle polishing. If he fails this time, there will be another.

Wayne believes that one day, Kongxian will gladly accept the help from the country and see himself as part of Victoria, rather than blindly following Lateran's lead.

Because God only guides people toward good, while only a king cares about his people.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Self-Produced and Self-Sold

Wayne tiptoed open the palace gates and had the guards carry in several large chests of gold coins. Turning his head, he saw those striking brown eyes that stood out in the darkness.

"Oh my god, you scared me! Vina, you're still up so late?"

Wayne clutched his chest, took a few breaths, and looked frightened. He asked with concern.

But Vina just glared at Wayne with a "keep performing" look and turned on the lights in the main hall.

After spending so many days together, she had a general idea of ​​what kind of person Wayne was.

Intelligent? Brave? The former is insufficient to describe him, and the latter has nothing to do with him.

In Vina's memory, Wayne was a very "despicable" person.

The word "cheap" here is not meant to be derogatory towards Wayne; it's just that even with her extensive vocabulary, Vina couldn't find a better adjective for Wayne than "cheap."

He would use his status as the eldest brother to show concern for Vina, and he would also use his family status to make jokes with her. He was always engrossed in playing harmless pranks on Vina in various ways, and would unexpectedly apologize when Vina was blushing, panting, and about to lose her temper.

He thoroughly embodies the spirit of humbly accepting advice but never repenting, always managing to make Vina's punches land on cotton. Vina can't find any other way to describe Wayne's wicked character except for being despicable.

However, Vina didn't dislike this kind of playful fighting.

Wayne was her only possible family member in the world. She didn't want to lose him, and she didn't want him to leave her side. Lions are social animals, and Aslan also possessed humanity and emotions.

Although life in the Glasgow gang was filled with friends, friendship could never compare to family, especially for someone as precocious as Vina, who had already passed the stage of adolescence where she focused solely on friendship and neglected family ties.

The reason she schemed against Wayne at the end of the coronation ceremony, keeping him in the palace in Londinium by bestowing upon him the title of prince, was for this very reason—if possible, she would rather sacrifice a little more and indulge Wayne's wild antics than let him go out and find other wild lions.

This is the possessiveness of the Lion King.

However, this doesn't mean that Vina would always give in to her cousin; that's not in her nature.

She is the Queen, possessing the dignity of a Queen, and is shaping the character and qualities of a Queen. She can joke around when she is relaxed, but when she has serious business to attend to, she is more serious than anyone else.

For example, right now, Vina only gave Wayne a look at his obviously exaggerated expression.

You keep acting.

If you, Wayne, are scared by my eyes, I'll eat this box right now!

With a cold snort, Vina spoke:

"Did you get the money?"

Wayne pursed his lips, dropped his acting, and said calmly:

"With your brother in charge, what can't be accomplished in no time?"

"You're just bragging."

Vina chuckled:

"Is it all here? Or have you been hiding some money?"

Wayne frowned, his face stiffened, and his voice rose three fen:

"No, I didn't! Rather, Vina, why are you acting like a nagging housewife? You're making me look like a henpecked husband!"

Vina's lips twitched: "Am I your wife?"

"Yes!"

"Get out! You're shameful! I'm your sister!"

"The watch!"

"That's because blood is thicker than water!"

Vina, her face flushed, pulled out her notebook and muttered under her breath, writing in her memo as she spoke:

"Tomorrow I'll discuss with Lord Ernest and draft a family law based on the laws of Letania, specifically to crack down on people like you who never speak properly!"

Wayne scoffed.

Haha, Ernest is one of my men, do you think your law will pass?

“You’ll regret this later!” Wayne said with certainty.

Vina put away her notebook and glared at him fiercely: "Yeah, right!"