Chapter 63: Imperial System

Sun Fei had some initial ideas in his mind, but he didn’t immediately launch drastic changes to Shampoo City’s current power structure and military organization right away. He had only been in this world for three days. There were far too many things he didn’t understand. Pursuing speed blindly might cause the very opposite, as haste makes waste.

Sun Fei decided he would take these next few days to properly understand the kingdom’s actual state.

The council meeting resumed.

This scene wasn’t solemn and oppressive like many ancient imperial court sessions in the dramas of his previous life would be. On the contrary, the atmosphere in the Council Hall was quite lively. Below the elevated throne, a narrow stone channel flowed with clear, artificially diverted water. Beautiful fish even swam back and forth within it. On both sides were neatly arranged stone chairs, covered in soft animal hides. The attendees sat comfortably and spoke freely. Everyone had both the opportunity and the right to express their views. Anyone could directly stand up and voice their opinion without the king’s permission. Arguments even erupted now and then over opposing viewpoints.

A very delicate, nascent air of democracy or freedom silently permeated the entire Great Hall.

Since today was the first formal wartime council that Alexander, having regained normal intellect, convened as king, many people in Shampoo City who held some status were granted the opportunity to attend. Besides Gordon Brook from the military, Pierce, Drogba, Ballack, and the other twenty-two Braves also received formal seats. These ‘leaders,’ big and small, spoke their minds freely. They truly did offer many pertinent suggestions. Some well-prepared individuals even presented lengthy writings they had penned on silken cloth or parchment made from processed animal hides. Particularly those five or six revered, white-bearded elders of Shampoo City. They miraculously produced large bundles of written silks stuffed onto their persons, all covered with suggestions for Sun Fei. Seeing this, Sun Fei felt a headache coming on.

Piles of suggestions, compounded by the mountains of tedious matters that had accumulated during the era of the power-grabbing Herald Bazel and Alexander’s own incompetent weakness – it felt like Sun Fei was being buried alive under the sheer weight of tasks requiring his attention as king. Looking at the towering stacks of documents and the clerk’s lengthy written summary beside him, Sun Fei felt genuine pain in his head. He massaged his temples and shook his head painfully.

Seeing this, the white-haired strongman Pierce and several other rough fellows unashamedly grinned with schadenfreude.

The handsome older man Best also wore a meaningful little smile on his face.

Sun Fei was annoyed. But then, an idea struck him. He turned righteously to his future father-in-law and said, “Uncle Best, I haven’t come of age. I have absolutely no experience. As an elder, you have to help me. Heh, how about this: Could you help me sort and categorize all these documents? Then give me your suggested handling for each. After that, I’ll make the final decisions. Does that sound good?”

Best was thoroughly dumbfounded by Sun Fei’s words.

Sun Fei himself probably didn’t realize that this work he’d just assigned used to be handled entirely by the power-hungry Herald Bazel. This order was tantamount to handing over the kingdom’s entire administrative power to Best. In other words, starting today, Best became Shampoo City’s new Herald. Such a sudden, significant appointment left even the sly old fox Best momentarily speechless.

Best hadn’t recovered his wits, and neither did anyone else in the Great Hall anticipate this.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the Council Hall turned a bit awkward.

Three or four seconds of silence passed—

“Your Majesty, I object!” someone finally stood up.

“Your Majesty Alexander, I also object…” someone immediately chimed in.

“Exactly! Your Majesty Alexander, Best is a vile, shameless traitor and scoundrel! Just half a month ago he was caught embezzling royal property and fleeing. Just because of Miss Angela, we’re not prosecuting him crimally – that’s already immense mercy! How can you possibly appoint an unscrupulous villain like this, utterly lacking in morals and honor, to such an important post as the King’s Herald?”

“That’s right, young King Alexander! You cannot practice such blatant nepotism!”

“Objection! Objection! Objection!”

Protests echoed one after another. The entire Council Hall grew chaotic. Sun Fei hadn’t foreseen such an uproar. His gaze swept the room. He was surprised to find that Gordon Brook, Pierce, and others seated on the stone chairs on the western side weren’t speaking up. The loudest voices of dissent actually came from a dozen unfamiliar faces seated on the eastern side of the Great Hall. These men were appearing before Sun Fei for the first time. Most were richly dressed, wearing silver circlets adorned with gemstones. They looked well-fed and energetic, speaking passionately, thumping their chests, projecting an air of noble righteousness.

“Who are these people?” Sun Fei turned his head and asked his personal attendant Torres in a low voice.

Hearing this, the blond young man quickly leaned over and whispered in response, “Your Majesty, the six men wearing silver circlets standing at the front are honored nobles of the city. Behind them are five extravagantly dressed men; they are the richest merchants in the kingdom. Before this, according to the kingdom’s traditions, these people traditionally played quite important roles in the King’s Council. They could even influence the king’s decisions.”

So that was it.

Sun Fei nodded, his understanding deepening a little.

Whether in his previous life or this different world, every country, every land, always had these eloquent politicians. They occupied vast amounts of social wealth and enjoyed privileges far exceeding those of ordinary people. They shamelessly claimed military achievements and honor, played with power, hatched schemes, stifled the people’s voice, preached justice and glory – all of it was actually just a pursuit of personal gain.

And now, the faces of these so-called nobles and merchants in the Great Hall were precisely the same.

This insight made Sun Fei sigh again. Turns out, he, as king before now, had lived quite a pathetic life. He’d let these rotund, greedy merchants barge into the Royal Council Hall, turning the Great Hall into a noisy marketplace. It seemed Shampoo City’s so-called kingship and kingdom were essentially no different from a bandit warlord fortress on a hill. Just as he’d suspected before, it probably wasn’t even equivalent to a village chief in the remote northwestern countryside of his previous world. Sun Fei realized: the road to forging his ideal kingdom was indeed long and arduous.

“Quiet! Stop this racket! You!” Sun Fei waved his hand sharply, cutting through the swarm of buzzing objections. He pointed straight at the silver-circled middle-aged man standing at the front who’d shouted loudest. “First, tell me your name, sir noble.”

“Louis, Your Majesty. I am Viscount Louis.” The silver-circled man stepped forward and bowed gracefully, performing a perfect noble salute. He answered with an air of ingrained pride.

“Oh… Louis… Viscount?”

Sun Fei found that a bit unwieldy to say. Honestly, he had no grasp of this Westerosi-style noble hierarchy. However, that didn’t hamper his next question: “Viscount Louis. If Uncle Best is unfit, who do you believe would be better suited for this task?”

“Your Majesty Alexander,” Viscount Louis puffed out his chest proudly. “First, I want to clarify, I do not lack humility. But I firmly believe… I am the most suitable candidate.” He thumped his chest. “I am Shampoo City’s most purely bred noble. My father was even once personally summoned to meet the Emperor of the Zenit Empire! My family boasts a glorious history here in Shampoo City. My house is synonymous with honor! Therefore, appointing me as the next Herald would absolutely be the most fitting choice!”

His words weren’t even finished when the several nobles and merchants behind him stood up loudly in agreement and endorsement.

Gordon Brook and Pierce, however, showed clear expressions of disdain.

Sun Fei shook his head, unable to stifle a mix of amusement and exasperation. Of course he recognized this was nothing but petty court power grabs. Only these spectacularly incompetent politicians could orchestrate such a ludicrous display. Disgusted at the sight of Viscount Louis smugly boasting about his noble heritage, Sun Fei suddenly cut him off: “Fine. Viscount… Louis? Sir. I’ll ask one question. If your answer satisfies me, then you shall become the Kingdom’s next Herald!”

Louis was overjoyed. Swelling with confidence, he responded, “Please, Your Majesty, ask away! I wager that no one surpasses me in matters of governance!”

“Good. My question: When soldiers and ordinary citizens were shedding blood to protect Shampoo City… where… were… you?” Sun Fei sat high on the throne. Cold sarcasm dripped from his voice as he spoke each word deliberately.

“I…” Viscount Louis froze.

“HAHAHA!!! When we were fighting alongside His Majesty Alexander, bleeding and sacrificing… Lord Viscount must surely have been hiding trembling in his woman’s skirts, weeping in terror!” The blunt, dark-skinned warrior Drogba finally couldn’t hold back. He stood up and mocked openly. Gordon Brook and the burly fighters sitting on the western side immediately roared with raucous laughter.

“YOU! You filthy ruffians! Lowbred bilge rats unfit to lick noble boots! What qualifications do you have to stand in the King’s Hall?” Viscount Louis’s face flushed deep red. Veins pulsed in his neck as he retorted furiously: “Nobles possess immunity from conscription! As Shampoo City’s most pristine noble bloodline… I naturally cannot behave like you base, low peasant scum — dirtying my hands with killing!”

“Killing… is a trivial thing?” Sun Fei’s expression instantly froze. He shouted angrily, “ENOUGH! This matter ends now, Viscount Louis! Your answer is utterly and profoundly unsatisfactory! Therefore… I regret to inform you… you are not getting the Herald’s position!” His voice turned icy. “Furthermore, Viscount… Mind whom you insult. The ‘ruffians’ you sneer at are the heroes who defended the kingdom! If I ever hear you slander Shampoo City’s heroes like that again… you will have the distinguished honor of being my first subject… to have his noble title stripped!”

By the end, unconcealed killing intent flashed in Sun Fei’s eyes.

Louis shuddered, utterly stunned. He dared not say another word.

Sun Fei then continued smoothly, turning back to his ‘uncle’: “Uncle Best, I’ll trouble you to organize these documents. Heh. Lord Viscount Louis actually did me a favor just now. I hereby formally announce it: From this day forward… you are Shampoo City’s new Herald!”

By now, Best had fully regained his composure after the initial shock. Facing this official appointment, the handsome older man offered no resistance. He bowed with practiced grace and accepted.

“HUMPH! Your Majesty! I object!” A man stood up defiantly from the group of rotund merchants on the eastern side — one with thick mutton-chop whiskers and the face of a bloated pig. Seeing the silent signal from Viscount Louis, he mustered his courage. His tone brimmed with opposition: “You cannot do this! This is cronyism! Appointing a convicted villain as Herald?! You’ll ruin Shampoo City!”

Sun Fei exploded with fury.

Fighters bled? They cowered beneath their trousers like cowards! Celebrate the victory? They scramble forward for a slice! Cowards should just lie low playing dead! Yet these fools kept shoving their faces forward to lecture him? Acting so righteous? Sun Fei loathed these politicians putting on self-righteous airs! Unpleasant memories from his past life flooded back. His inherent temper flared uncontrollable. Leaping from the throne, he jabbed a finger straight at the ‘pig-faced’ man’s nose — devoid of royal decorum — and bellowed angrily: “SCREW YOU! WHAT’S IT TO YOU? YES, I AM PLAYING FAVORITES! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU? DARE POLICE ME? MY PALACE IS OUTFITTED NO PLACE FOR EYESORES! HOW DARE SUCH UTTER FOOLS LOUDEN ITS SPACES?! GUARDS! TAKE THESE TRASH-SACKS AND THROW THEM OUT — THEY DISGRACE THE EARTH THEY STEP!”

No sooner had Sun Fei spoken than a dozen armored warriors rushed forth. Like snarling hounds, they efficiently seized the portly merchants and bodily dragged them towards the exits. Amidst gasps of shock and appalled stares, the remaining six nobles looked at each other, terrified. They stood awkwardly placed and finally slinked back to their own stone chairs, sitting down without a peep.

Sun Fei stood tall upon his throne.

His gaze swept imperiously downwards. No noble dared meet his eyes.

Feeling the decay of royal power firsthand and the sight of the kingdom’s crumbling administrative structure only strengthened his resolve to reform. Since fate had made him King of this troubled land, irrevocably intertwined with the destiny of everyone in this room… he’d have to fight desperately to change circumstances… to protect what was uniquely precious to him.

Thinking this, Sun Fei acknowledged a critical illness demanded strong medicine. The time for drastic action was immediate.

His mind flashed inward. Instantly, he shifted into Paladin Mode. An aura of radiant authority, undeniable justice burst forth from him. Towering before the throne, his voice rang clear, solid, and incontestable: “By the Royal Mandate of the King of Shampoo City, I hereby decree: Ten days from this moment—a conceptual transformation of the Imperial rights, Shampoo’s governing structures, and military formations commence! Today marks the hour when every statute regulating royal protocols concerning governmental or military structures — becomes void! Tear the scrolls! Wipe the slates clean! The city now enters a ten-day Post-War Adjustment period. For its duration — all domestic administrative affairs rest entirely with the newly appointed Herald, Lord Best! Military command remains solidly with Commander Gordon Brook! Anyone who holds truly beneficial notions for Shampoo City’s change? Voice them to either Lord Best or Commander Gordon! Reports will promptly ascend unto my throne!”

That supreme regal aura of kingship harmonized perfectly with the sacred serenity befitting a Paladin — coalescence into an unstoppable force projecting invisibly throughout the Chamber — stifling protest before any articulated word formed. Everyone bowed deeper. Those secretly resistant nobles sweated cold beads, utterly intimidated. Opponents swayed mentally in that atmosphere — a strange illusion implanted: This decision is fundamentally natural.

This effect lay precisely within the Paladin Mode’s power—subconsciously bolstering persuasiveness and entrenched authority over those near. A fresh discovery Sun Fei strategically weaponized to dominate the chamber.

Once passing this decree, the remainder flowed surprisingly smoothly.

An item surfaced near closure. Gordon Brook—elevated now as dual Grand Master of Military & Administration—suddenly addressed another matter critically urgent: “My King, a crucial event I must remind all present: Six months remain. Zenit Empire’s triennial Martial Arts Tournament between its multi-tier Vassal States approaches soon. Securing reputable ranking then requires immediate preparatory steps!”

The moment Gordon finished, an animated outburst of assent erupted throughout the hall. Drogba leapt up once more, beating his chest dramatically: “This time! Let shatter black-hearted Blackstone City! Upsurge!” He smashed a fist downward. “Ascend by force into Fifth-Class Vassal State!”

Utterly perplexed, Sun Fei inquired: “Vassal States Martial Arts Tournament? …I don’t understand.”

Council members already expected common knowledge gaps from Alexander’s restored sanity hiatus. Gordon explained patiently: “Your Majesty, the Martial Arts Tournament is a competition hosted by the imposing Zenit Empire — a competitive metric measuring subordinate strength. Each Vassal State beneath Zenit’s substantial might participates without exception. Displaying admirable martial excellence gains valuable status credits—potentially elevating Shampoo City to classification ranking above essentially Sixth-Class. Incredible chance for advancement!”

“Rise as Fifth-Class Vassal State? Honors?”

“Assuredly! As matters currently lay… Shampoo City languishes as the very lowest Sixth-Class ranking within Zenit’s regional dominion structure. Assistance received consequently remains severely tightbound.” Gordon explained earnestly: “Achieving Fifth-Class attainment fundamentally alters our standing considerably. Material resources blossom beyond present minimal supply. Financially, guaranteed imperial allocations significantly increase! Additional benefits appear: Permission expands—our populace growth cap lifts meaningfully! Military upscaling meets fewer restrictions now! Critical land holdings strategically surroundable might fall annexed! Additionally—Star Ranked Leveled combat technique manuals become acquirable as imperial awards! Possessing these treasures dramatically strengthens Shampoo’ sbattle potential!”

Astonished, Sun Fei asked: “You mean Shampoo City’s population… army size… they’re government fixed limits? Also… properties like lands and fighting techniques—regulations bind them?”

“Correct, Majesty.” Gordon confirmed patiently: “Zenit imperial law ruthlessly dictates parameters. Sixth-Class Vassal status imposes strict ceilings: Citizens maximum capped below ten thousand inhabitants; defense personnel fewer than five hundred soldiers; royal estates restricted strictly to one fortress; agricultural territory realistically sustainable restricted below five hundred hectares. Exceeding quotas is doomed either to imperial confiscation of assets or severe penalties for transgressing imperial prohibitions. More deadly: Sixth-Class permits merely Two-Star level aura development manuals strictly—higher grades impermissible! Violating secrecy regulations invites exponentially worse consequences!” Gordon watched Sun Fei’s growing rage. Continuing: “However—reaching Fifth-Class doubles every quota limit! Sustainable expansion swiftly achievable! Further ascension as Fourth-Class, Third-Class, Second-Class — brings wider, sweeter liberations!”

“ABSOLUTE INSANITY!” Sun Fei slammed an armrest, voice stonily perplexed: “Does Zenit want its Vassal States to remain forever weak?! Training pets — permanently limiting fight potential?!”

“Across Azeroth Continent drifts an ancient proverb: An overly ferocious guard-hound might eventually tear his owner’s throat out.” Gordon remarked somberly: “Thus Zenit’s grim necessity—prioritizing imperial dominance security above distant subjects ambitions. Vassal States kept starving yet functional provides favored equilibrium—adequately powerful militarily without threatening Zenit unquestionable supremacy.”