People in Terra, governing a weird little country

"Welcome, Chancellor Ernst, please come in."

Ernst was also unambiguous. He put his hands together in front of his chest and solemnly performed the traditional Kjerag etiquette to the great elder.

This made the Great Elder's slightly frowned brows relax again, and a smile appeared on his face. He nodded to the maid beside him, and helped Ernst open the closed door of Manzhu Courtyard.

.............

Manzhuyuan is a pure wooden structure with an antique interior filled with various Yelagunde sacrificial supplies. In the middle is an oval boulder engraved with Yelagunde's seal placed on a cushion. It is said that it is the sacred stone left behind by Yelagunde during his last appearance, but no one knows whether it is true or not.

Enya had just learned from her maid Yaer that her brother had gone up the mountain, and she immediately hurried from the Holy Maiden Hall to the main hall of Manzhu Courtyard.

She loved her younger brother very much. When she was a child, due to the accidental death of her parents, Enthiotis often had to take on the responsibility of being the eldest son and head of a declining family, managing the business outside and ignoring the relationships within the family. At this time, it was often Ernst, the third brother, who stepped forward and acted as the mediator in family relationships.

When he was caught up in the conspiracy and was chosen as the Saint of Kalan and was about to complete the saint's ceremony, Enthiotis chose to remain silent and let his sister go through the test that might endanger her life. Only Ernst argued with him at the time and even had the first quarrel in history with Enthiotis at home.

Although the matter ended with Ernst's defeat and Enya's participation in the selection of the saint due to Enthiotis's ruthless suppression by force, she saw and remembered everything Ernst did at the time.

So, when she once again witnessed Ernst walking up to the podium representing the Speaker of the Parliament with a helpless look on his face today, she was so angry that she wanted to rush down on the spot, fight with Enthiotis, and blow his head off with the bell!

Once again, for the so-called "great justice", he pushed his relatives into such a position!

But she did not choose to do so after all. Life in Manzhu Courtyard made her gradually mature, and the accompanying maid Yaer also pulled her back at the first opportunity. As it turned out, her brother was not stupid either. After standing on that false "high position", he was not blinded by the sudden power. Instead, he realized at the first time that his foundation was like a castle in the air, and chose to show weakness and lie in wait.

Enya was pleased with Ernst's choice, but because of this, she felt confused - what was Ernst doing up the mountain at this time?

She knew the Great Elder's temperament very well. He would definitely not look favorably upon the National Assembly and Speaker Ernst who wanted to take away the power of Manzhu Courtyard. Wouldn't it be torture to come to Manzhu Courtyard?

Could it be that he came to find me?

Just like himself who was alone, fearful and without relatives when he was pushed into this position, Ernst also wants to find an embrace to rely on?

The more Enya thought about it, the more she felt that this was very likely. His brother was only 21 years old, far from being able to deal with those insidious power struggles. Of course, Enya was happy to help her brother. She was not a cold-blooded person like Enthiodis!

With this in mind, she pushed open the side door before Ya'er. But the next second, she froze in place.

Ernst and the Great Elder were indeed in the main hall of Manzhu Courtyard, but unlike what she had imagined, where Ernst was speechless due to the Great Elder's cold words, Ernst and the Great Elder were sitting casually on both sides of the table, with a very relaxed posture and a faint, easy-going smile on their faces. In front of each of them was a cup of steaming hot tea and a half-empty snack. The sound of conversation went back and forth without interruption, as if the two generations were intimate and sharing the joy of family.

"Ernst?"

Enya called out Ernst's name, which caught the boy's attention. He immediately stood up and waved at Enya:

"Sister Enya."

The Great Elder also noticed Enya's arrival. His expression, which had just been relaxed, suddenly became serious. He stood up slowly, looked at Enya, and asked:

"Lady Saint, what are you doing here? You should be reciting scriptures now."

Enya's gaze shifted to Ernst, and the Great Elder immediately understood what she meant, and his tone became a little stern:

"Chairman Ernst is visiting Manzhuyuan as the chairman of the Kjerag National Assembly, not as the Shivaash family. You don't have to worry."

Enya felt a little aggrieved, and looked at Ernst with eyes that seemed to say: Aren’t you here to see your sister?

Ernst immediately tried to smooth things over, saying, "Grand Elder, Sister Enya, don't be angry. Didn't you also say that the account books of Manzhuyuan cannot be lent to outsiders at will? We need the consent of the Saint. Just as you finished speaking, Sister Enya came. This is also Yelagund's revelation, isn't it?"

Seeing that the elder's expression had eased a little, Ernst immediately stepped forward, first performed a standard courtesy to Enya, then quietly winked at her and said:

"Praise Yelagund. Then, Sister Enya, please."

Enya pursed her lips, looked at Ernst with some surprise, then nodded, greeted the great elder, turned and left the hall.

No one noticed that the ordinary-looking black-haired maid waiting at the side door looked at Ernst with a hint of surprise and curiosity in her eyes.

Chapter 4: Easy to Control

Walking in the corridor of Manzhuyuan, Enya seemed unable to suppress her curiosity and looked back at her younger brother from time to time.

"How did you do it? I thought the Great Elder would make things difficult for you."

Ernst did not answer immediately, but looked warily at the black-haired maid who was following Enya without saying a word, as if she was deliberately trying to reduce her presence.

Ernst had never seen her before, but the way she looked at Ernst made him feel inexplicably familiar, just like the look his mother had given him before he went out for an interview before he traveled through time, with a hint of kindness and expectation.

There is nothing abnormal about this emotion itself, but it is very abnormal to see such a maternal look on the face of a maid.

As if she had noticed Ernst's hidden worries, Enya glanced at Ya'er, but did not let her avoid him. Instead, she smiled and said:

"This is Ya'er, my head maid. She has lived in Manzhu Courtyard longer than I have. Don't worry, she is someone you can trust."

As if responding to Enya's words, Yaer, who had originally had a thoughtful expression, put away her doubts and gave Ernst a humble smile.

"She doesn't look like a head maid. She gives me the feeling of an elder."

Ernst made this judgment subconsciously, but he didn't dwell on it too much. Since his sister said she could be trusted, Ernst chose to believe it for now.

He shrugged and explained:

"It's very simple. The Great Elder's mind is easy to understand. He is against reform, but he can clearly distinguish between the primary and the secondary."

Enya nodded in understanding. "So, you explained to him the main contradiction that Kjerag is facing, so he agreed to it out of understanding?"

Ernst rolled his eyes and denied it, "No, I just told him that the person he has to deal with now is my brother, not me."

Enya choked for a moment, but soon burst out laughing, her whole face filled with gloating joy:

"Hahahaha, that's true. It's time to make that guy suffer a little bit."

After having fun for a while, Enya felt much better. She returned to the Saint's Hall and sat back in her chair. She watched Ernst sit down on the chair that Yaer had brought over before she formally asked:

"The Great Elder is not someone who can be easily dismissed. He has been annoyed with that guy for a long time, but he just has no suitable excuse to attack him. I thought the excuse would be you, but how did you convince him?"

The formation of the National Assembly and Ernst's coming to power were the result of compromise among all parties. This was no secret to anyone in Kjerag who knew a little about politics.

Manzhuyuan was not happy with the fact that Enshiodis had been operating under the official names of "Kalan" and "Shelagh", because before the establishment of Kalan Trade, Manzhuyuan was the only organization in Shelagh that could represent the official name.

The Bruntao family and the Perlochi family were not happy with the fact that the official Kalan Trade's foreign business income went into the pockets of the Shivaash family. This would lead to a gap in their strength and a tilt in the balance of power.

The two of them attacked together, forcing Enchiodis to settle for the next best thing and spit out the fat piece of meat that was already in his mouth, "Kjerag's political entity for external exchanges." But Enchiodis naturally fought back.

Although he couldn't eat this piece of meat by himself, he would not allow it to go into the mouths of the other two families or the Manzhu Court. Since everyone kept saying "for Kjerag", then, let's follow the example of other countries and formally establish a government organization recognized by all parties. This government organization will be responsible for Kjerag's foreign exchanges and official trade, and Kalan will only be responsible for docking and private transactions. Is that good enough?

This plan seems very fair. Judging from the literal meaning, it is just like the free trade treaty of "equal opportunity and equal benefits", and there seems to be nothing wrong with it.

But the problem is that this is actually an open conspiracy!

The entire Kjerag has remained closed to the outside world for thousands of years. The so-called politics has actually always been kept at the level of family power. The most intense political struggle is nothing more than running to Yelagund to complain that you do not follow the ancestral teachings and betray the Gang family. As for external exchanges?

What external exchanges? My kingdom of Kjerag is rich in resources and does not need that!

In this case, let me ask, if we really want to set up a modern government agency similar to those in foreign countries, where can we find those civil servants?

Will the warriors of the Perlochi family master the skills of writing official documents? Or will the merchants of the Blantao family take on the coordination of large-scale trade? Or will the head of government be a religious person from the Manzhuyuan, with financial reports and plans in the dark, and will all be told by Yelagund instead of the people?

Obviously, the Shivaash family still had to provide the manpower. In essence, they were just the people from the original Kalan Trade, who had transformed themselves into government officials.

The Perlochi and Brontao families were obviously aware of this, but the facts and conditions were there. They could force SilverAsh to spit out the meat, but they could not swallow the meat into their own mouths openly. There was no flaw in the barbecue method proposed by Enthiotis. All they could do was to choose "the chef who cooks the meat".

Just like when they sent Enya up the mountain to become a saint in order to divide the Shivaash family, this time they nominated Ernst from the Shivaash family to play the role of the cook.

But no matter from which perspective, the general rule is that the three major families are dividing the cake, and no one cares about the feelings of the original owner of the cake, that is, Manzhuyuan.

Manzhuyuan will definitely take revenge.

"So, I pointed out to the Great Elder the target and method of revenge."

Ernst said lightly,

"My brother's Kalan trading hands were not very clean. When they built the railway in Kjerag, they purchased steel that was obviously redundant. I told the Great Elder about this."

"Steel?"

Enya silently recited the word, still a little confused.

"I've never heard of this, but what does that mean?"

"It means that my brother deceived Manzhuyuan and the Great Elder, and also deceived you, sister. Deception, that's enough."

Ernst said seriously,

“Politicians hate to let others know what they are doing, but they also hate to let others know that they are not doing anything.”

Enya nodded as if she understood, and soon she couldn't help but smile faintly. She couldn't help but reach out and rub Ernst's head.

"You are so young, but you are talking about great principles that are hard to understand! Anyway, I hope you are okay. If you have any difficulties, tell me and I will do my best to help you!"

As she said this, she greeted Yaer.

"You came here this time to get the account books of Manzhuyuan, right? Those things are kept in the Holy Record Hall. You and Ya'er should go together. I still have to finish my lecture today, otherwise I will be scolded by the elders again."

.........

On the way to the Temple of Holy Records.

The maid named Yaer walked in front, and Ernst followed closely behind. The location of the Holy Record Temple was quite remote, and no one was encountered along the way.

Halfway through the walk, Yaer turned her head curiously and asked as she walked:

"Mr. Speaker, I am very curious about something. Can you answer it for me?"

Ernst was admiring the vast and lonely scenery from the top of the mountains. He turned around after hearing this:

"What do you want to ask?"

Yaer did not shy away from saying:

"Regarding what you just said to the Saint Lady about the steel. Why is the Great Elder angry about it?"

Ernst tilted his head, wondering why Yaer would have such doubts.

"This is normal. Because Manzhuyuan used to be Shelag's leadership organization, and Kalan Trade secretly hid steel from its subordinates without telling Manzhuyuan, of course he would be angry. For example, the saint asked you to go out to buy candy and gave you money, but you secretly hid one of the candies you bought every time without telling her. Wouldn't she be angry if she knew?"

Yaer nodded thoughtfully. Ernst paused, as if a little bored, and pursed his lips, muttering:

"To put it bluntly, I just satisfied the Great Elder's sense of ownership. I, the current Prime Minister Kjerag, have to ask this old man who has been left behind by the times for help in doing things. This makes him feel very proud and also makes him feel that I am not a big threat to him. I have manipulated his mentality a little bit, and that's about it."

Yaer's face was full of astonishment and disbelief, as if it was the first time she had heard of such a way of doing things, and her worldview was greatly shaken.

After a while, she came to her senses and spoke again:

"I have one last question."

Ernst was also a little bored, so he nodded and said, "Ask."

Yaer narrowed her eyes. "The Great Elder didn't know that Kalan Trade secretly hid the steel. The Saint didn't know. The Council of the Three Clans didn't know. Shelag had never heard of such rumors. Enthiodis must have done it very secretly. So, Mr. Speaker, where did you get the news from?"

Ernst paused for a moment. Noticing the footsteps behind him disappear, Yaer turned around. As if it was an illusion, she only saw a confident smile flashing across Ernst's lazy and tired face:

"After all, I am the Speaker of the House and the Prime Minister. I must have my own channels."

"Aren't you afraid of offending your brother? I heard from Enya that he is very scary."

Ernst sighed helplessly and spread his hands. He knew how powerful Boss Yin was. "So what? I'm sitting in this position, all for Kjerag."

Chapter 5: Nosis, don't regret it

Kjerag, Kalan Trade headquarters, office of Chairman Enshiodis Shivaash.

A small cement brick building that looks ordinary from the outside, with a signboard of "Kalan Trading" hanging on the upper left. It looks more like a shabby hair salon in an alley in Colombia than a large enterprise engaged in large-scale multinational trade.

This is the headquarters of Kallan Trading in Kjerag, and also the most modern building in the entire Kjerag.

The chairman and founder of Kalan Trading, Enthiodis Shivaash, usually works on the top floor of this somewhat shabby three-story building, in an office with an entire wall converted into a floor-to-ceiling window.

After finishing the three-tribe meeting, Enthiotis returned to his home ground. He took off the slightly bulky cold-proof cloak in the air-conditioned office. Before he could take a breath while sitting on the chair, Liberi, a man with black hair and red highlights, rushed into the office.

"Nosis, you should have knocked first." Looking at Nosis Edwards, who was not only his best friend, business partner, and competitor, Enciodis reminded him helplessly, "Your style has caused a lot of opinions within the company. Many technicians think you are a bit too 'rude'."

He never knocks on the door, and he yells at even the slightest mistake. He even calls frustrated researchers "dumb people who don't work hard" or "trash people with no talent," which instantly quiets down the lively scene. He perfectly hits everyone's nerves and ruins everyone's fun. Regardless of what Nosis's original intention was, these low EQ behaviors have gradually changed his reputation in the company from "a serious and meticulous technical executive" to "a sarcastic and disgusting boss who makes things difficult for his subordinates."

But the strange thing is that Nosis seems to know nothing about these things. Or maybe he knows, but he doesn't think it's something worth paying attention to.

"Being rude to them is not what I want them to be rude to the data. I hope the bad reviews of me come from doubts about my work ability, but it's a pity that they can never do that in their lifetime."

Nosis answered as usual, with a confidence that almost turned into arrogance coming out of his mouth, but it was difficult to refute.

"I'm here to ask you about the results of the three-tribe meeting."

He said, Enthyodis raised his eyebrows and asked back: