Chapter 403 John Bull’s House of Lords?
After receiving Bruno's order, Claire left in a hurry.
As Bruno's confidant and the director of Idar's CIA, Claire knew clearly what kind of weight the Church of Light held in the Duke's heart.
Compared to other forces, the CIA has actually put the most effort into the Church of Light.
But the results achieved are minimal.
Because...what the Church of Light hides is really too deep.
Even clergy at the bishop level may not know exactly what the church wants.
Whether it's Mike, who once served as a cardinal, or Will Roche, the former commander of the Crusaders who has now defected to the Principality of Idar, even they, the core forces who were once trained by the church, only have a vague understanding of many things.
Although Idar agents have been trying to use money to corrupt the clergy outside the church, the useful intelligence they get from them is still pitifully little.
Moreover, the accuracy of much of the information is questionable and difficult to cross-check, which has instead added a lot of work to the intelligence personnel of the Idar CIA.
so……
Although the current Idar CIA sounds so awesome, Claire knows very well in his heart that it is far from enough! ! At least... there is still a big gap from the requirements of his Lord Duke!
The establishment time is too short, there are too few people available, and the coverage is limited...
All of the above are the problems that the Idar CIA has exposed.
Due to the shortage of manpower, most of the intelligence personnel of the Idar CIA are now distributed around the Principality of Idar.
A little further away is the center of the empire, with important cities like the imperial capital, St. Lawrence.
As for places like those in the western part of the empire, far away from the Principality of Idar...
It's not that the Idar CIA doesn't want to deploy personnel, it's really because it doesn't have the capacity.
That is why, when the Graf family came to this land in the eastern part of the empire and took the initiative to decide to join the Principality of Idar, old Ford attached great importance to it.
If the Idar CIA can successfully integrate the Graf family's intelligence network throughout the empire, then the "business" capabilities of the Idar CIA will undoubtedly soar! So...
Not long after Claire left, old Ford walked into Bruno's study wearing a thick coat.
"It was Claire who urged you to come here..."
Bruno took a sip of steaming coffee and said with a smile.
Seeing this, Old Ford did not hide it, but nodded very seriously: "The Ferona siblings have lived in Idar City for a long time. As for... the CIA, Clare has also had people conduct several investigations. They should sincerely want to join us. Since Your Excellency the Duke has returned... then you must give us a reply as soon as possible."
If it were an ordinary aristocratic immigrant, there would be no need for Bruno's personal approval.
But the problem is...
The Graf family is no ordinary noble family!
Although the Graf family, which holds the title of Marquis of Soto, is not considered the most powerful family among the many nobles in the central empire, but... the intelligence network possessed by the Graf family can just make up for the shortcomings and deficiencies of the Idar CIA in many aspects.
Therefore, this makes the seemingly weak Ferona siblings qualified to negotiate with Bruno and fight for more rights for themselves.
Before this, because Bruno was temporarily away from Idar City, the Ferona siblings had been delayed for a long time, but now that Bruno has returned to the Principality of Idar, they naturally cannot delay any longer.
Although according to Bruno's idea, it would be better to train the personnel of Idar CIA personally, but... the increasingly frequent actions of the Church of Light forced Bruno to make arrangements as soon as possible.
Bruno also made the decision to incorporate the intelligence network that had been run by the Graf family for generations out of his vigilance against the Church of Light.
You know, if the Church of Light rebels,
Then it will definitely be a much more terrifying opponent than any other force on this continent.
after all……
Not only are there countless secrets hidden behind the church, but it also has a large number of believers.
Admittedly, the number of Crusaders may not seem large.
However, with the power of the Church of Light, once the church decides to intervene in worldly power, it can easily raise a very large army in a very short period of time.
Nowadays, the influence of Protestantism is mainly distributed in the eastern part of the empire, and the indulgences issued by the church did not cause a large-scale backlash in a short period of time.
Even though the development of Protestantism was very good, it still failed to shake the foundation of believers accumulated by the church over hundreds of years.
And once the church is really determined to intervene in the disputes in the secular world, the Stuart family, as the guardians of the Protestant faith, will inevitably become a thorn in the eyes and flesh of the Church of Light.
because……
The ideological conflict between the church and Protestantism is absolutely the most direct and inevitable!
"I have already read the conditions proposed by the Graf family..."
Bruno paused, thought for a moment, and then continued: "In fact, in many aspects, we can discuss...but some requirements must be changed."
"So what you mean is..." Old Ford asked cautiously.
Bruno looked at the sky outside the window, rubbed his slightly deflated stomach, and said, "Let's eat first, and talk while we eat!"
Man is iron and food is steel. If you don't eat for a meal, you will feel hungry.
Although the affairs of the Graf family are really important, when discussing things, one always has to fill one's stomach first before one has the energy to think.
The cook who was in charge of Bruno's diet had already mastered a large number of cooking methods under Bruno's careful training. The dishes she made were very much in line with Bruno's taste, and finally allowed Bruno to escape from the misery of bread, steak and French fries.
By the time Bruno and old Ford walked into the restaurant, a steaming stove had already been placed on the table.
hot pot!
In Bruno's mind, cold winter days and steaming hot pot are a perfect match.
Imagine that it is a cold winter day outside, and there is a steaming hot pot in the room. After eating, your whole body will be warm. If you add a spicy hot pot base, it will be especially comfortable!
Hotpot naturally involves boiling meat and vegetables.
Therefore, there are a wide variety of vegetables and meat on the table, including many vegetables such as baby cabbage, Chinese spinach, and chrysanthemum, and even a beautifully presented fruit platter.
If it were anywhere else on this continent, even if you were a noble, you wouldn't be able to see these extremely fresh green vegetables on your winter dining table.
But in the Principality of Idar, vegetable greenhouses are no longer such rare and precious things.
Not to mention other places, just on the hillside outside the city of Idar, there are many vegetable greenhouses that have been built in recent years, one after another, and they are all full of vegetables that are growing vigorously.
So, at the beginning everyone was amazed, but now most people have become accustomed to it.
It's just green leafy vegetables!
The Idar people are not those unworldly bumpkins from the inland of the empire!
As for the meat, the lord's kitchen selected the best parts of cattle and sheep, and then the fat cook with superb knife skills was in charge of the cooking herself.
Although it is not cut into slices as thin as cicada wings, the thickness is even and the texture is clearly visible.
By the time Bruno sat down, the fat cook had already lit the fire below, and the thick soup in the hot pot was already boiling.
The base of the pot is spicy, with a lot of chili peppers floating on it. It looks red, which makes Bruno salivate.
"Sit down now..."
Bruno waved at old Ford, signaling him not to be restrained.
For old Ford, although he had always been trusted by his lord the Duke, he had only had meals with him a few times, let alone eating from the same pot with the Duke, so he was a little nervous.
"These red things..."
Although old Ford had tried hot pot, a cooking method invented by his own Duke, and praised it highly, he couldn't help but hesitate when he saw the peppers floating on the bottom of the pot.
But this cannot be blamed on old Ford, because the cultivation of peppers has just started this year after all, and it is still quite unfamiliar to many people. It is also the first time that Bruno has used it to entertain guests.
"This is chili pepper. It may feel particularly spicy and irritating when you eat it for the first time, but it can remove dampness and dispel cold. Eating a moderate amount will have great benefits for the body."
Seeing this, Bruno introduced it enthusiastically.
Chili pepper is a good thing! Bruno's favorite thing is chili pepper.
But before that, since he did not have enough glory points in his pocket, he could only be thrifty and did not dare to buy pepper seeds for planting in the system mall. Therefore, it was not until this time that the first batch of peppers in Idar County was produced.
"Can it also remove dampness and dispel cold?"
Hearing this, old Ford was immediately moved.
After all, he is old, and it is inevitable that he will develop various diseases as he gets older. Therefore, he naturally developed a great interest in the chili pepper that his Lord Duke highly praised.
After Bruno picked up a piece of blanched beef and put it into his mouth, old Ford then picked up the beef and put it into his mouth.
You know, even old Ford, who is a high-ranking official, does not often eat beef, because beef is, after all, livestock needed for farming, and the number of animals to be slaughtered each year given by the Department of Agriculture has clear limits.
At the moment of entrance,
In addition to the tenderness of the beef itself, the stimulation brought by the spicy taste also burst out in old Ford's mouth.
In just a moment, a faint red glow appeared on old Ford's face.
“Huff…”
He couldn't help but take a few gulps of the cold water beside him and said, "This taste... is really strong..."
"You'll get used to it. I've had someone prepare some sauce for you. Dip your food in it first, and it shouldn't be that spicy anymore..."
Bruno said with a smile.
Hearing this, old Ford couldn't help but nodded.
It must be said that although it tastes hot, for old Ford, the spicy taste brings a unique attraction.
…
The two of them sat around a table and had a hearty meal.
When they were almost done eating, Bruno asked, "What do you think of the Felona siblings?"
In fact, Bruno already had some preliminary considerations in his mind, but he still wanted to hear what old Ford thought.
After all... In Bruno's opinion, it might not be a good thing to realize some of the things he had imagined now, because it was a bit too early for the current Principality of Idar.
But in order to fight against the church, Bruno must unite all the forces that can be united in the shortest possible time!
This naturally includes giving more favors to the nobles who surrender to the Principality of Idar! Old Ford wiped the oil from the corners of his mouth, pondered for a moment, and then said: "The issue of land is the bottom line of the Principality of Idar, and there is no room for negotiation. As for the Ferona siblings... I have two immature ideas for the time being."
Bruno asked calmly, "Oh? Tell me about it."
"In my opinion, Miss Ferona is a noblewoman with some talent. She is completely different from those Norman nobles who only know how to eat and wait for death. Perhaps she can be granted a certain official position and given enough respect and status, but... it must be strictly stated in advance that the official position of the Principality of Idar cannot be inherited by the descendants of the Graf family."
Bruno nodded upon hearing this, picked up another piece of blanched meat, dipped it in the oil dish, and continued, "What about the other idea?"
"Another idea is to set up an institution that is only responsible to you. Nobles can serve in this institution, but they only have the power to propose opinions and plans. They cannot directly interfere in the daily affairs of the Principality of Idar, let alone interfere with the administrative law enforcement of civil servants."
Good fellow! Old Ford is indeed the man whom the Duke trusts the most!
The moment Bruno heard old Ford's second idea, his heart was suddenly filled with a feeling of...extraordinary relief.
Isn’t this politics...
Oh no,
Isn't this the House of Lords of John Bull's Parliament? In John Bull's House of Lords, the identities of the members include royal descendants, hereditary nobles, life peers, judges of the Court of Appeal, and archbishops and bishops of the church.
By the time Bruno crossed over, the House of Lords had undergone several reforms and its powers were relatively limited.
Although they still have the power to veto bills and can review bills passed by the House of Commons, they mainly ask oral or written questions to the government and debate various policy issues issued by the government.
Prior to this,
In fact, this idea had already appeared in Bruno's mind.
It was for this reason that Bruno specifically called old Ford to see what old Ford thought about the resettlement of the Graf family.
only……
Bruno has always felt that it is too early to launch such an institution at this time, and even if a similar institution is to be launched, he will impose stricter restrictions on the relevant powers.
For example... just give some suggestions, don't think about other twists and turns! But what Bruno didn't expect was that old Ford also put forward a similar point of view.
And since even old Ford thinks it is feasible... then it seems that the relevant institutions can also be arranged.
After all, as the ruler of the Principality of Idar, Bruno himself is a member of the aristocracy. Although he is now constantly supporting civilian officials of humble origins, it is impossible for him to kill all the nobles with one blow.
Bruno thought for a moment and finally made up his mind: "Regarding the establishment of the House of Lords, the Government Affairs Office should draw up a plan in the next few days. The power given to them is mainly to question and supervise the work of the Government Affairs Office, and to put forward their own ideas on the problems of the Principality of Idar."
"Of course, there is no need to be too anxious. As for the Graf family, we can reserve a noble seat for them. As for whether it can be hereditary... you can discuss it first. After the plan is prepared, I will weigh it."
"In addition, you also need to conceive a House of Commons composed of civilians. As for the power... it can be a little greater than that of the House of Lords, but there is no need to rush this. If you can come up with it within three to five years, you will have completed your mission."
Hearing this, old Ford couldn't help but be stunned.
But he still suppressed the trembling in his heart and replied in a deep voice: "Understood."
——
The fan title activity has started, and friends who are interested can go to the book club circle to take a look.
The requirements for participation are not as strict as written above. Just write something relevant. I mainly need to copy book reviews~ (End of this chapter)
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