Having a powerful lord as a father figure, what's wrong with just wanting to draw cards?

The two foxes, one old and one young, looked at each other and smiled, as if they had said everything, yet also as if they had said nothing at all; everything was understood without words.

After taking a sip of the health tea, Simon spoke up:

"By the way, to celebrate the great victory in this counter-attack operation, I plan to host a banquet at my home tomorrow night. I hope you, Minister Dominic, can come as well. I'm sure we'll have an even more enjoyable time together."

If Simon's attitude seemed a bit ambiguous before, it now clearly indicates his intention to get closer to Domi.

And that's exactly what Domi wants, so there's no reason for her to refuse.

"No problem, I'll bring Shia with me then."

"That's wonderful!"

In order to make a strong impression at the banquet and highlight her relationship with Simon, Domi started preparing in advance.

He put on a sophisticated and handsome black suit, having spent a long time carefully dressing up. He was certain that this was the most handsome he had ever looked in his life.

Shea also understood the importance of this banquet to Domi. As his female companion, she put a lot of thought into it, even wearing uncomfortable high heels because she wanted Domi to be the most eye-catching person in the room.

This was different from what she had previously told Domi to keep a low profile, because she knew how reckless Domi could be when he got arrogant, and that being dazzling at a banquet was nothing compared to that.

The carriage picked up the two and then departed from the palace, taking them all the way to the gate of the Grand Secretary's residence in the city.

The area in front of the door was bustling with activity, and Simon himself, along with his wife, son, and daughter, greeted guests at the entrance.

The two of them have attended countless such occasions since they were children; they're seasoned veterans.

Supporting Shia's small hand, he calmly stepped down from the carriage and onto the red carpet. Simon was taken aback for a moment, then greeted him warmly.

"Domi, you and the Fifth Princess are truly a perfect match."

"You flatter me, you flatter me~"

"Come, let me introduce you two. This is my son, my daughter, Kerry, and Susan."

The two children, three years younger than Domi, behaved remarkably well in terms of manners. Domi could even see their sparkling little eyes, which were practically screaming "adoration!" Another little fanboy and fangirl!

"It's a bit chilly outside, let's go inside quickly..."

In front of the emperor, one's words determine the distribution of credit, but at the banquet, Simon praised Domi extensively, which gave everyone present a completely new understanding of this young minister.

It turns out that he not only has a talent for management, but also a unique strategic vision.

Shia, standing beside him, truly understood what it meant to share in someone's glory. The boy beside her was like the sun, radiating boundless brilliance.

Once the main purpose of the banquet has been achieved, things become much easier. You can dance, drink, chat with familiar people, and simply wait for the banquet to end.

This is exactly the same as the drinking parties in my previous life, only on a higher level.

Having attended so many banquets, Domi was well aware of this. After exchanging a few perfunctory words with some people, he and Shia, having nothing else to do, left the banquet hall and went to the balcony to admire the moon together.

"What are you planning to do after you've established a good relationship with Simon Bolivar?" Shia asked curiously.

Domi shrugged: "Who knows? I'm not doing anything right now, I'm just waiting for things to come to me. If you find any problems, feel free to tell me, maybe I'll have something to do."

Shea thought about it for a moment and then said, "There really is. I don't know if you've noticed, but the national treasury's income and expenditure have become unbalanced again. Originally, the reforms had brought the income and expenditure to a balance, but recently, for some reason, the expenses have increased again..."

“I also noticed this in yesterday’s intelligence report. Then I went to the finance department to check the recent expenditure records and found that they were all military expenditures used to suppress the resistance forces within the new country.”

“Military spending…” Shia pondered, stroking her chin. “The resistance forces are indeed a real headache.”

"And they can't suppress them all."

“That’s right. After the Empire conquers Slamia, suppressing the rebellion will likely become the most important task in the country.”

Shia looked up at the crescent moon in the sky, a look of worry creeping into her eyes:

"What I'm worried about now is a large resistance organization suddenly emerging..."

Without a sound, Domi put his hand on Shia's shoulder: "Don't worry, it will take at least a few more years for the civilian resistance to grow."

"What if something unexpected happens, and the resistance organization is still around at that time?"

For no apparent reason, Shia always felt that it might very well come true in the future—was it a premonition...?

By then, the two of them probably weren't children anymore.

Domi's thoughts drifted far away, and she thought of many things.

"Then, let's go and suppress the rebellion ourselves. It might be quite interesting."

Practice has shown that when traveling, it's not that hotels are bad, but rather that bathhouses offer better value for money.

194. Chapter 191-190: Selling Official Positions and Seigniorage

A few years later, shall we go together to quell the rebellion?

They were probably of legal marriage age by then, and this new style of honeymoon was quite unique; probably no one but the two of them could have done it.

Shea couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle: "As expected of you, but I still hope that day will never come."

"Of course I don't want that either, but if there really is an opportunity, I think it would be a good one."

"What kind of opportunity?"

"I can't really explain it, but it's in our best interest."

"I love keeping people in suspense~"

Just as the two were chatting casually on the balcony, a commotion arose in the banquet hall. Domi peeked through the gap in the door and saw that it was a guard from Simon's house holding a letter, looking very anxious.

Intelligence agencies only handle non-real-time intelligence, such as agricultural harvests. Real-time, urgent intelligence is delivered point-to-point by dedicated personnel, and the current situation falls into the latter category.

When Simon opened the envelope and read it, his expression changed drastically, a mixture of surprise and worry on his face.

Domi quickly went back.

"what happened?"

Simon shook his head and simply handed the envelope to Domi:

"See for yourself."

Domi suspiciously picked up the envelope, scanned it, and then did the same as Simon.

"Come with me. There are too many people around here. Let's talk privately."

"Sia, I'll be right back."

"Ah? Okay, then... I'll wait for you."

Following Simon into his study, both men stood, or rather, had no desire to sit down.

"This is getting complicated..."

At this moment, Simon and Domi were probably worried about the same thing; they understood each other with just a glance.

"His Majesty the Emperor will likely convene a court meeting tomorrow. The fact that the national treasury is constantly empty is an urgent matter."

Domi gave a wry smile: "I was just talking about this with Shia, and I didn't expect them to hit our sore spot so quickly."

"It's impossible to say it's just a coincidence. We need to thoroughly clean up the domestic spies. Could your Strategic Deception Bureau handle that while we're at it?"

"The Strategic Deception Bureau is full of liars. You expect them to find spies? They're lucky if they don't get caught by the spies themselves."

"Alright... Domi, in your opinion, now that the six kingdoms of the Central Plains have collectively declared war on the Empire, what should we do to reverse the Empire's disadvantage?"

The six states of the Central Plains united as their final barrier was about to be breached, a move made only after they suddenly realized the principle of interdependence.

The letter just now also mentioned that the Central Plains people have begun to send a joint army thousands of miles away to help defend Slamia. Recently, the nation's legion has been not far from Slamia and will arrive tomorrow. It is unlikely that the Imperial front-line legion can take Slamia now.

After thinking for a moment, Domi said from the most objective angle possible:

"The empire's military strength is definitely stronger than any three of the six countries combined, but that's only if there's enough funding. Without funding, the empire's military strength can't be considered dominant."

That's the situation now, Lord Simon. The best-case scenario right now is that the Empire can temporarily hold its own against the Allied Forces and not retreat.

"What about the worst-case scenario?"

"Forced to retreat on a large scale, abandoning at least half of the territory already captured and retreating to the rear. But this is not the end. You should know that there are rebels everywhere in those ruled countries. Yesterday, the Ministry of Finance allocated a large sum of money to suppress these rebels."

At this point, Domi's eyes became wary:

"If the people of the Central Plains were to raise the banner of restoring their freedom and independence at this time, the empire's army would be caught in a pincer movement, making it extremely difficult to transport anything from the rear, and more troops would have to be diverted to prevent the resistance from raiding along the way."

The more Domi talked, the more he thought about, and before he knew it, he had figured out the main problems that needed to be solved in the military field!

"Lord Simon, I suspect the topic of tomorrow's court meeting will be how to raise more military funds in a short period of time!"

Simon is getting older, and he's a bit disoriented by Domi's leaps of thought.

"how you said that?"

"The solution is simple, just two words—make money!"

"As long as the money is in place, maintaining the fighting capacity of the frontline troops and suppressing rebellions within the new kingdom will be a piece of cake. No matter how much the Central Plains people instigate, the resistance will still fail to gain any traction due to continuous suppression."

Simon carefully considered what Domi had just said, then his eyes lit up, but quickly dimmed again: "You're right! But... where will this money be deducted from?"

"To my shame, the people have been almost completely exploited. I thought the war was about to end, and that would stop them from suffering, but alas..."

Domi left Simon's study, while Simon himself locked himself in his room. Domi could imagine him scratching his head in frustration.

Making money is a simple matter, but also a difficult one, especially when it comes to making money at the national level. In the eyes of the people, landlords, and nobles, it is nothing short of blatant exploitation, deception, and ruthless exploitation!

Anyway, no matter what you do, you can't get any benefit; the difficulty is extraordinary.

Domi does have some methods, drawing on his past experiences, but he doesn't know if they will still be applicable if he changes to a different planet, a different country, or a different national condition. If they don't work, he will become a sinner for all time.

Taking everything into consideration, let's wait for others to propose 'local' methods for reference before making any decisions.

Back in the banquet hall, Xia immediately asked about the reason, and Domi told her everything truthfully.

"how so……"

"rest assured."

"The nation is on the verge of collapse, how can you expect me to feel at ease?"

"Because I will take action, do you trust me, Shia? If nothing unexpected happens, I am confident that I can extend the life of this empire by another five years."

"Of course I believe you, I believe you unconditionally, but..."

"Since you trust me, then don't doubt me anymore, okay? Go back and get a good night's sleep. Don't let these trivial matters affect you."