The most shameless alchemist in history

But he was met with the cold muzzle of a gun; the guards of the inspection team were ordered to take Lord Pope away.

Not only Lord Pope, but also all fifty-three officials, both high and low, who attended the party were taken away and brought to the Inspectorate.

It should be noted that many of these officials are still in office, and they all have families supporting them.

The arrest of such a large number of officials in a short period of time has caused a huge uproar in Frost City.

But before the officials in the capital could recover from their shock, new news kept coming in.

First, 126 officials were arrested, followed by 46 military officers.

If it were just ordinary officials being arrested, that would be one thing, since officials are outnumbered and have no way to resist well-equipped guards.

But these officers were taken away from the military camp, and they had a large number of loyal subordinates.

These past few days, all sorts of news have been circulating throughout the capital.

"Let me tell you, my great-uncle's second aunt's husband's third nephew was in the military camp at the time and saw it all clearly. The inspection team had just come to the military camp to arrest people when they were surrounded. There was a huge, dark mass of people there. But guess what happened?"

"Those audacious guys actually opened fire right in the military camp. Although no one was killed, they just took an officer away from the army like that. Where did that leave the military's reputation? The situation was extremely tense..." Someone claiming to know the inside story spoke with great conviction.

"And then? What happened next?" The onlookers' curiosity was piqued, and they all listened with great interest, urging the story to continue.

"And then? What else could happen? The person was taken away, wasn't he? There are still several highly respected generals at the Inspectorate demanding his release. What's wrong with this new Inspector General? He's been in office for two weeks now. He didn't do anything in the first week, but in the second week, he arrested nearly two hundred people in one day, filling up the Inspectorate's prison. He even borrowed two prisons from the Military Police Headquarters and made all the officials take turns going to the Inspectorate to explain the situation. Don't you think this is going too far?" someone said worriedly.

"I don't know if it's excessive, but those men usually look down on everyone, and it's hard to even see them. Now they have to be mindful of others' feelings. At least in this respect, I think it's pretty good," someone else said.

"That's right. Let's wait and see for now. Maybe it's just for show, and they'll release everyone in two days?" Some people were cautious about this. Soon, the onlookers dispersed. What they wanted was a result, not just a show.

Wenli has been very busy these past two days, much busier than usual.

Because, compared to her usual work, she had another task to do these past two days: dealing with people pleading for leniency.

“Your Highness Winry, as you know, my little rascal grew up with you when he was young, so you know his personality better than anyone. Although he has many flaws and does some foolish things, he is a good boy and is loyal to the royal family.”

An elderly man, with tears streaming down his face, said that at his age, he should be enjoying his retirement at home, which was exactly what he wanted.

But there was nothing he could do; his grandson had been arrested by the newly appointed chief inspector.

Left with no other option, he had to ask Winnie to intercede on his behalf.

“Lord Tyrell, the royal family has been dissolved, and there is no longer any such thing as a royal family. Please don’t address me as such. I have heard about Taylor’s situation. There may be a slight misunderstanding, but I know our new Inspector General, Lord Durley, very well. I believe Lord Durley is a very fair person, and he will treat Taylor’s case fairly. As long as Taylor has truly done nothing wrong, he will be released safely soon. Please rest assured,” Winry said kindly.

After all, this old man named Tyron can be considered a veteran of the Snow Kingdom. For forty years, he held an important position. What is even more commendable is that he was very supportive of Winry's choices. When Winry chose to dissolve the royal family and revoke her title of Queen, most nobles did not understand, but Tyron stood up and called on many nobles to support Winry and not to cause her any trouble, and he even resigned voluntarily.

If it were anyone else pleading for her, Winry could have avoided seeing them, but she had no choice but to see Lord Tyrion.

“Miss Winry, I have also heard about Lord Dure’s style of doing things. Several noble sons have already been severely punished by him and directly exiled to the far-off, frigid lands to do manual labor. I know Taylor’s character best. He may have indeed made a small mistake, but I beg Miss Winry to forgive Taylor this once, for the sake of my many years of loyalty to the Snow Kingdom. At least don’t exile him to such a far place…” Lord Tyren said, his eyes welling up with tears.

Over the years, he has long since become indifferent to worldly affairs; the only thing he can't let go of is his grandson.

“Understood, Lord Tyren. I understand how you feel. I will bring this up with Lord Durrell. Please go back now,” Winry said gently as she helped him up.

This was the sixth influential former minister she had seen off in just one day.

()

831 Gathering of People to Cause Trouble

For the traditional nobles who have been rooted in Frost City for many years, the past week has been fraught with difficulties. Winry's announcement of abolishing the monarchy and establishing a new council shook the interests of the old nobles and even sparked several large-scale rebellions. Although these rebellions were suppressed, it proved that the old nobles still occupy a pivotal position in the Snow Kingdom. After all, they have cultivated their influence for hundreds of years, and they all have deep roots and extensive connections in both the financial and military circles.

Although Southerners are financially stronger, they are unlikely to gain a dominant position in the council now that the situation in the Land of Snow has just stabilized.

However, the traditional old aristocracy believed that they could still get the biggest slice of the pie in the new parliament. A group led by Pope even attempted to establish a two-tiered system of upper and lower parliaments to firmly grasp power in their own hands. But before their attempt could be exposed, it was thwarted by the new Inspector General.

Hundreds of nobles were arrested and imprisoned, and the army underwent a massive purge, unprecedented in the history of the Snow Kingdom. Many nobles went to Winry to plead for them, but to little avail. In an attempt to turn the tide, some even put pressure on the newly appointed Inspector General.

Under covert planning, a large number of troops marched into the building of the Inspection Department and confronted the Inspection Team, demanding that the Inspection Department release the people. This caused a great sensation in Frost City!

"Where's that kid Dure? Get him out here! Isn't he supposed to be pretty good? Could he be hiding because there are so many of us?"

"Weren't you inspectors quite arrogant when you came to our camp to arrest people yesterday? Now, all six of our guard units are here to demand your release. Let's see if you'll let them go!"

"That kid named Du Lei, don't think you're so great just because you have connections. You'd better release him today, or you can forget about going home and you'll be hiding in the Inspection Department forever!"

Thousands of guards surrounded the Ministry of Supervision building, shouting loudly.

Besides the guards, many citizens were also gathered outside, completely blocking the outside of the Ministry of Supervision building.

"What are you all doing here? Which department are you from? I'm warning you, don't cause trouble here!" A young female military officer came out of the Inspectorate building, and frowned when she saw the commotion.

Although the Ministry of Supervision has its own inspection team, which is quite large and composed of elite personnel, most of the team members have now gone out on missions, leaving only a few dozen clerks remaining in the Ministry.

If these guards were to cause trouble and launch an attack, the situation would escalate and lead to serious consequences!

"Causing trouble? Who said we're causing trouble? We're on leave today and we've come here to see Inspector General Dure. Are you Inspector General Dure?" the leading officer shouted. None of them were carrying weapons; they were all unarmed.

"I am not Inspector General Du Lei. The Inspector General is out on business and not in the Inspectorate. If you have any issues, tell your direct superiors and have them come to the Inspectorate to explain the situation!" The female officer reprimanded the guards.

"Sir? Our sir was arrested by you yesterday. We're here today to demand his release. We need to see our sir and release him immediately!"

"That's right, we want to see our commander, and we must release him today!"

The guards were filled with righteous indignation and were extremely agitated.

"Your officer was taken away because he violated relevant regulations. We are currently investigating and asking him to explain the situation. If he has no problems, our supervisory department will naturally release him. However, if he has problems, he will have to face trial in court. Do you understand?" the female officer explained, trying to control the situation.

"I don't understand! All I know is that our commander led us in fighting on the front lines. We finally finished the war and were ready to come back and live a peaceful life. But it's only been two months, and you've already arrested our commander. Isn't this taking us too lightly? We sacrificed so much for the country, and this is the result we get?"

The lead guard shouted, which immediately resonated with the other guards nearby.

"That's right, you have to release them today no matter what, or we will not let this go!"

The guards were very firm in their stance, which left the young female officer unsure of what to do.

After all, she hadn't been in the job long and hadn't encountered such a situation before.

"Who said they wanted to see me?" Just as the two sides were at an impasse, a voice came from over.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was clear and distinct, and everyone heard it.

"Hey kid, who are you? This is none of your business, go cool off somewhere else!" The leading guard shoved a young man who was walking over.

However, behind the young man was a strong and bloated guard who grabbed his hand and glared at him angrily.

“I am the person you are looking for, the new Inspector General, Du Lei. I just heard you say that you have all been on the battlefield and fought on the front lines. So I would like to ask you, which war did you participate in? Hmm?” Du Lei’s gaze swept around, staring at the group of troublemaking guards.

"Well... I participated in the Battle of Spring Valley."

"I participated in the battle to defend the snow-covered plains, where I lost a leg."

"I lost my eyes during the defense of Zelda Fortress..."

Amid Dure's reprimands, some veterans stepped forward. Most of them had physical disabilities, and they all spoke in hushed tones.

"Yes, you are all respectable veterans who have given your youth, sweat, blood, and even parts of your bodies to this country. So what was the purpose of all this?" Dure continued to question.

"We... of course, want to live a peaceful and stable life."

"That's right, that's right. While we're fighting on the front lines, our families can live a more peaceful life in the rear, as the war won't affect them."

"I sent all the military pay I earned in battle to my wife back home. This leg was worth sixty silver coins!"

After whispering among themselves, the veterans continued to talk.

"Yes, everything you did was for your families. Now that the war is over and there's no more fighting, what do you hope for?"

Dure's gaze was cold as he continued to question the veterans.

()

832 Someone's messing with you

While thousands of veterans were besieging the Inspectorate and causing trouble, some people would occasionally report the situation to Pope's mansion.

Having learned his lesson twice before, Mr. Pop did not hold a grand party this time, inviting only a handful of guests.

Although the scale could not compare with the previous two gatherings, these people were all among the most prominent old nobles in Frost City.

"The people we've arranged to cause trouble this time are all veterans who have retired from the battlefield. Let's see what that kid Du Lei can do. Do you think he can arrest all these honored veterans? Don't even mention that the prison can't hold so many people. If he dares to do that, his job as inspector is over!"

Brigadier General Salen of the Military Police Headquarters chuckled. As the head of the Military Police Headquarters, he originally had enough say in Frost City, and he believed that he should exist as Winry's right-hand man.

But then this guy named Dure appeared. Not only did he, as the inspector general, have a higher rank than him, but he also had a close relationship with Winry. This really annoyed Brigadier General Salen. When Pope found him, the two hit it off and decided to join forces to deal with Dure.

"These veterans have given their lives for our Snow Kingdom. No one dares to touch them. That guy, Dure... he's really too ungrateful. He even dared to arrest me? If we don't bring him down, how can we survive in the capital?"

Pope spoke angrily. He had only been released from the Ministry of the Censorate two days ago. As the former Minister of Finance, he was such a prominent figure, yet he was sent to the Ministry of the Censorate for investigation. This was the greatest humiliation he had ever suffered in his life!

“Let’s just wait and see how that guy handles this situation… Hey, he’s back? Tell me quickly what’s going on at the Inspectorate. Has that kid Dure already been dragged out and given a good beating by those hot-tempered veterans?” Brigadier General Salen asked his subordinate.

He specifically assigned a subordinate to report back to the supervisory department at any time, so that they could keep abreast of the situation.

"Reporting to you, sir, the Ministry of Supervision... they..." The guard looked troubled and hesitated to speak.

"What do you mean by 'this side' and 'that side'? Tell me what's going on!" Salen frowned, urging impatiently.

"The veterans at the Inspectorate have all dispersed," the guard said weakly.

"What? They all scattered? No way? Those veterans are really that useless, they just scattered like that?" Brigadier General Salen stared wide-eyed, his face full of disbelief.

In fact, not only Brigadier General Salen was incredulous, but even the young female officer standing next to Dure was incredulous.

She witnessed firsthand how this young man used his sharp words to persuade a group of veterans to back down.

"I hope you won't be used by those with ulterior motives. The war is over. What we need to do next is to reorganize the entire country and bring about a new look, so that your wives and children can live better lives instead of living in fear under the shadow of war. If you trust me, please leave here and return to your respective military camps. You are heroes of the war, but if you continue to blockade here, you will be breaking the law, and I will have no choice but to arrest you all. You are the pride of your children, the ones they can boast about to their peers. You don't want your children to know that you have given up your honor and become prisoners, bringing shame to your families, do you?"

Du Lei rebuked them righteously. His voice wasn't loud, but it was full of momentum. The previously noisy veterans immediately fell silent.

"Well... what that kid said seems to make some sense. If I get arrested, won't I stop getting paid? If I don't get paid, how will my child go to school?"

“Yesterday I received a letter from my wife saying that all my family members are proud of me as a war hero, but if I get arrested and become a prisoner, how am I supposed to go back to see them?”

"No, no, I have something to do, I have to go back first. You can continue to surround it if you want."

After someone started it, the thousands of rioting veterans dispersed and returned to their own camps.

"Hey, don't go! There are many of us, don't be afraid, please don't go... come back!"

When all the veterans chose to return to the camp, some tried to dissuade them.

"It seems you're the one who instigated these veterans to riot, aren't you? Arrest him," Dure ordered, waving his hand.

His men quickly stepped forward and tied the suspicious man up.