Chapter 217
Chapter 217.
The New Year of 1991 in the Holy Calendar has arrived.
Perhaps in the eyes of historians, a lot of great events had happened in the past year, such as the great rebellion in the Kingdom of Aldo, the orcs plundering the northeastern borders of the Kingdom, the growing tensions between the Gabella Empire and its eastern neighbors, and the Horned Bay countries plotting against the Church, and so on.
However, if we look at the larger scale, these are just the norm in human history.
Society is still very hierarchical, and there is still an unbridgeable gap between the nobles and the commoners.
The rich still live in luxury and calculate how to accumulate more wealth.
The poor still have nothing to eat and worry about their livelihood.
At least on the surface, this world did not become different from the past because of the awakening of an exotic soul; it was as ordinary as the countless years that had passed before.
……
In the Jingyao Barracks, Her Highness Catherine, the Grand Princess of the Kingdom of Aldo, was reviewing a sealed document.
Although the New Year
A silhouette came into the room where she was working without notification, there was only one person who had the authority to do so – the princess’s beloved subordinate and bosom friend, Orphena.
“Is something the matter, Ofina?”
“Your Highness, a letter from one of our men stationed in the Northwest Bay.”
“Oh? Bring it to me quickly.”
Catherine couldn’t wait to take the letter from Ofina’s hands and read it with all seriousness.
The corners of the princess’s mouth gently lifted, and it was obvious that she was very happy right now.
She smiled while reading the letter once again and murmured, “This little ninja …… still manages to educate herself ……”
Seeing that the princess was so happy, did Orphena also reveal a hint of a smile and gently asked, “Education? What is little Erin up to these days?”
Catherine handed the letter to Ofina, “Haha, see for yourself, it’s rare for her to be so passionate and devoted to something.”
Ofina took the letter and quickly skimmed through it.
The letter reported the matter of Irene being appointed by Paul as the head of the Education Department, this is not a secret, the personnel changes of the Council of State will be publicized outside, ordinary people can know it by strolling around the Lake Town Square.
“Hmph, that Paul Gleeman didn’t think that his so-called ‘Council of State’ still has a titular princess of the kingdom, right, really aggrieved Irene.”
Catherine, however, didn’t mind waving her hand, “Don’t say that, Orphena, it’s rare that my little sister can be so focused, just think of it as letting her experience something outside. Her identity hasn’t been exposed, right?”
“There doesn’t seem to be any problems so far, Earl Gleiman didn’t have any suspicions about her identity, it seems that he really treats her as a noble lady exiled from the past in the Gabella Empire, and because the culture and education of that land is very backward, the identity of Irene’s scholar is very respected.”
“That’s good.”
“But that Earl Gleiman has recruited many commoner children as students, and Her Highness Aileen likes to run to that what’s-his-name academy all day long, is that not inappropriate?”
“It’s also good to get in touch with the lower class people more often, let our people keep a careful eye on it, so that nothing goes wrong.”
“Yes, Your Highness. Would it be a good idea to inform Her Highness Aileen’s identity to the royal commissioner we have stationed there, who has also been assigned a position by Earl Gleiman, and counts as a ‘colleague’ with the little princess.”
Catherine pondered for a while, and finally shook her head slowly and said, “It’s better not to tell him for the time being, the fewer people who know Aileen’s identity, the better.” “At your service.”
“But speaking of this Earl Greiman, his territory has produced a few good things.”
Catherine took the letter in Ofina’s hand and gently rubbed it.
“For example, the paper used for this letter, as far as I know it was produced in that Count’s territory. It’s really a good material to use for writing.”
Ofina couldn’t agree more, “This kind of paper is indeed lighter than parchment, and more importantly, it’s cheap enough.”
“There is another thing that is very useful to us – canned goods, also produced there, have you ever tasted it?”
“I have only heard of it from the quartermaster, and I have heard that it is a food that will keep for a long time, but I have not yet eaten it.”
“I have authorized the quartermaster to purchase this food in large quantities; we shall need it very much for our operations in the South after the beginning of spring.”
The princess said while pulling out a glass bottle from a drawer and handing it to Orphena.
“You go back and try it, it’s actually processed from ordinary ingredients, the taste is not as good as fresh, but it’s better because it can be preserved for a long time. It’s still recommended by the commissioner we sent there who personally brought it back. Oh, at that time, I originally wanted to get rid of those obstructive noble children, but I didn’t expect to get some results.”
Orphena surveyed the can, which was labeled with a slip of paper indicating the date of manufacture, and the shelf life – 6 months. (Off topic: the shelf life was actually made up, the first batch of cans hadn’t even been produced for six months yet.)
If this kind of stuff could really be preserved for that long as stated above, it would be a big boost to the army’s combat effectiveness, especially in terms of logistical stress.
“Your Highness, shouldn’t something this important be in the hands of the Royal Government.”
“I’ve considered it, but it’s a sensitive time for counter-insurgency, so it’s better not to do anything that would make the local lords suspicious.”
“Yes.”
“Also you go and make arrangements to notify the lords of the various places along the route from Arda to the royal capital in the name of the royal family that we will be purchasing a large amount of supplies from Arda, so that they can pay attention to it.”
Ofina nodded her head, she knew how ugly those lords were eating, a merchant caravan without a hard backstage would simply be skinned in layers along the way.
“Your Highness, on the side of His Majesty and the Queen ……”
Hearing her best friend mention this, Catherine’s face darkened.
“Alas …… are still in a cold war.”
His Majesty the King may have overestimated his position in his daughters’ hearts, merely revealing his idea of marrying the Duke of Veblen to his two daughters – the person in question, Irene, and his own good helper, Catherine – with the intention of not being able to get it right himself before asking the Queen to step in, and not realizing that his youngest daughter would directly play disappear.
Of course, Irene left home, this matter naturally can not be hidden from the Queen, as a mother, she naturally is sleepless, and at the same time resent her husband did not discuss with her in advance.
If she could have known earlier, Irene probably would not have disappeared. The queen was not against this political marriage, she herself was married this way, and also knew that the fate of a princess was not something she could control. But if it had been up to her, the outcome might have been better, rather than as it was now, with her youngest daughter living or dying unknown.
Later on, Catherine couldn’t accept her mother being scared all day long, so she revealed Irene’s trail to her mother so that she could put her mind at ease.
Although she had only said it to her mother alone, she guessed that her father had also already known the news that Erin was safe and sound ……
Transitional Chapter ……
(End of chapter)