Chapter 326 Agenda
The second session of the Blooming Conference officially convened at the Kite Heart Palace. When summoned by the King, representatives from each of the three councils were to attend. The most important topic of this meeting was determining the legality of the "Thirteen Taxes"—a decision that was supposedly a vote, but anyone with a discerning eye knew it was merely a formality. The matter was already a done deal for the royal family.
The guards at the palace gates grew increasingly nervous. The Third Council had rejected the proposal for the various royal councils to convene separately. Rumors had it that the ghost had publicly threatened the two majesties, and many had heard it. Furthermore, the last time these country bumpkins had staged a sit-in protest, or rather, a protest, inside the Kite Heart Palace was still fresh in people's minds. The attendants responsible had been severely reprimanded, and many had even been expelled. Who knew what they might do this time?
What you fear will come to you.
First came the priests and ministers of the Holy Council, clad in white robes or colorful garments, followed by the nobles of the Royal Court, draped in silk and satin. They were not among those subject to guard or obstruction, and were quickly allowed through. However, just as the guards on both sides were about to close the heavy, ornate gates of Kite Heart Palace, Pavaton Miller, one of the foremost, paused slightly. He turned and looked, drawing the attention of everyone else, even the guards at the gate.
At the end of the road, a silent procession emerged. No ornate banners, no shining armor, no scent of incense or holy oils filling the air. Instead, it flowed forward like an ancient river.
You can find all the little people who are hidden in the corners of history books or have not even left a word for them. They are farmers, blacksmiths, small vendors, dock workers, scholars... representatives of the Third Council.
The ghost was among them, gray, thin, and shadowy, like a spirit from an unknown new world.
The palace guard's palms were damp with sweat. He didn't know what to do if the river rushed recklessly toward the Kite Heart Palace. Stop it? The Third Council had the right to enter the Kite Heart Palace and await the king's summons. Let it pass? This scene was enough to make even the most insensitive person uneasy.
So when the young man known as "Ghost" stopped and stood before him, the guard, accustomed to seeing important figures, actually stuttered, "The First and Third Councils must wait in the waiting room until His Majesty the King summons them in order. An attendant will lead you there."
"No need," the ghost said calmly, "we are here for a meeting."
The guard didn't realize what he was saying for a moment - how could they hold a meeting without waiting for the king to summon them?
As a result, several strong men rushed out from the crowd, holding rolls of coarse cloth, hemp ropes and several bundles of wooden poles of different lengths. In front of the guards, they began to unload the heavy burdens on their shoulders on the open space in front of Yuanxin Palace. They deftly spread out the coarse cloth, hammered in wooden stakes, pulled up hemp ropes, and in no time built a simple but stable prototype of an open-air venue on the wide and clean street outside Yuanxin Palace.
The guards were stunned, their mouths agape, and for a moment, they even forgot to stop him. For hundreds of years, no one had dared to so brazenly desecrate Yuanxin Palace... the open space in front of the gate.
The palace gates were quite a distance from the king's actual residence, so civilians were allowed to move around. This also attracted the attention of many civilians. They didn't dare to come over openly, but standing not far away and watching the excitement was also a good option.
"What are you doing?!" The poor guards finally found their voice. One of them trotted over to report to his superiors. The others tried to stop them, but were blocked by several strong men outside and were not allowed to approach the "construction site".
Those people didn't take action, and there wasn't even much anger in their eyes. Instead, they displayed a strange solemnity and determination, which even made the guards hesitate and dare not take action. During this time, more representatives of the Third Council entered the crudely enclosed "Council Hall", pulled out small stools from somewhere, and sat down in an orderly manner.
The ghost appeared on the podium made of a temporary wooden box at some point, holding a tin loudspeaker in his hand. The amplified sound mixed with a little metallic noise rang out clearly among the crowd.
"As you can see," those smoky gray eyes slowly glided over the Sacred Council and the Royal Court Council members who were blocked by the palace gate inside Kite Heart Palace, "We are fulfilling the rights and responsibilities granted by the Constitution and coming to attend the meeting."
"Ridiculous!" A slightly shrill voice rang out from among the nobles: "Only His Majesty the King has the right to convene a Blooming Conference. How can you, a bunch of lowly commoners, even be qualified to convene a meeting?!"
Perhaps the silent gaze of so many people was too creepy, the noble reluctantly swallowed back the word "untouchable".
"So, aren't we here to attend the meeting?" The ghost looked quite surprised. "Right now, representatives from the three major councils have gathered at Yuanxin Palace, but only one is outside and one is inside. Unfortunately, it seems the main hall of Yuanxin Palace can't accommodate so many people. We can only do this to help His Majesty."
After saying this, he ignored the others' reactions and immediately ordered a few people to hang up the banner. It clearly read "Blooming Conference Third Council Branch Venue."
"Don't worry, we'll ensure you can clearly hear the Third Council's voice even from within the palace." He said calmly, despite the swirling expressions of the crowd. "Of course, if anyone is interested, you're also welcome to attend the branch venue's activities."
Everyone: “…”
Who wants to participate?!
As a result, Ghost completely ignored the reactions of the guards and the members of the other two parliaments. He took out the summary of public opinions collected in Yuanxin Square and various districts across the country and began to read it out in public.
"Your Majesty the King, Your Majesty the Queen, and all representatives of the Sacred Council and the Royal Court Council. Based on the powers granted to the Third Council by the Constitution, and in light of petitions from representatives of various regions, industries, and the public, the Third Council hereby makes the following formal demands during the Blooming Conference."
His voice was amplified by the simple iron speaker and clearly penetrated the gate of Yuanxin Palace.
"First, we firmly oppose the implementation of the 'Thirteen Taxes' and initiate a comprehensive review. This tax policy fails to fully consider the people's actual ability to pay and is pure exploitation and oppression. We demand the establishment of a progressive tax system based on income stratification and the implementation of a basic livelihood security system."
"Secondly, we demand a thorough investigation of all acts of treason, dereliction of duty, desertion, abandonment of soldiers, corruption in military supplies, and dereliction of duty during the Northern War with the Kingdom of Fernloth. Those found responsible must be fairly tried and punished according to Imperial law, without regard to their status or position."
"Third, the 'Citizens' Assembly' will be officially renamed the 'Citizens' Council', and legislation will be passed to clearly define and expand the Citizens' Council's statutory scope of deliberation and powers, establishing it as the highest organ of state power."
The ghost's voice was calm and solemn, accompanied by a gasp. "Abolish slavery. All human beings within the empire, regardless of origin, race, or gender, shall enjoy personal freedom and basic dignity protected by law. The privilege of religious figures above the law shall be abolished, and they shall be subject to the law on an equal basis with all citizens. Noble lords shall be deprived of the power to arbitrarily levy additional taxes within their fiefdoms. All tax policies shall be reviewed and authorized by the Citizens' Assembly, and the king shall not arbitrarily add, delete, or amend them beyond legal procedures."
There is no fourth one yet.
The first three points, especially the third, were enough to send everyone into an uproar. It was simply unbelievable—no matter how absurd Cassius II was, he was still the supreme ruler of the empire. And now a bunch of ragged commoners dared to say they would step on the king's head, and not even the king could go against their will?!
Duke Kamu suddenly raised his head. He knew that this "ghost" had radical views, but he never thought that the other party would dare to stand outside the Yuanxin Palace and so calmly and as a matter of course demand that the supreme ruler of the empire hand over what they wanted.
"This, this is rebellion! Inciting subversion in front of His Majesty!" The noble who had questioned the ghost earlier had turned pale, spitting on the guards' faces. "Soldiers! What are you waiting for? Arrest them now!"
The guards, however, were perplexed. Strictly speaking, the Third Council was indeed holding a "legal meeting" in a "legal venue," and without orders, no one dared to rashly ignite this shaky spark.
The clergy and priests of the Holy Council remained even more silent. Pavardon Miller's handsome face was emotionless. After the previous debate in the forum, the old Pope's health had deteriorated, and he was even unable to attend the Blooming Conference. Now, strictly speaking, the Radiant Church only had two powerful cardinals left, and he was the most competitive candidate for Pope. His will would largely represent the future direction of the Radiant Church.
Pawanton Miller looked at the black-haired young man and tightened his grip on the scepter. This man...
The civilians outside the palace reacted differently. Some members of the Third Council excitedly slapped their thighs, muttering "Well said!" Others removed their tattered hats and clutched them tightly to their chests, tears welling in their cloudy eyes. As for the civilians further away, there was silence at first, then an uncontrollable commotion. Scattered but resolute cheers began to drift from the crowd. A near-pilgrimage-like excitement spread across the faces of those who had suffered from the exploitation of the nobility, been manipulated by the clergy, and had lost loved ones repeatedly in the war.
The civilians began to involuntarily flow towards the Third Council. They simply gathered and surged forward like an ocean about to swallow everything.
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