Compared to the diverse characteristics of the new towns in the Holy Alliance, High Castle City, despite its long history, seems quite ordinary through the eyes of soone like Alexei who has seen many similar cities.
Narrow alleys, streets overflowing with sewage, old restaurants, and sharp-tongued housewives.
Contrarily, the cuisine of High Castle City provided many surprises to both Alexei and Taiomir.
The manager of Grace Market had sohow invited an authentic Falan chef and experienced an abundance of novel ingredients from Black Snake Bay.
This chef even developed three entirely new sauces based on Falan's oil and noodle sauce.
Brown sauce made from beef broth and black pepper, white sauce made from milk and butter, and red sauce made from Black Snake Bay's purple egg juice.
The three sauces had complex layers; so tasted odd, while others were unexpectedly delicious.
Beyond the three sauces, a dish of pork glazed in caralized sugar was particularly enticing, so much so that Alexei couldn't help but have oil drip from his mouth.
Gloev, having seen many things from all corners of the world, almost ended up swallowing his fingers in delight.
Even Taiomir, who had a poor impression of the Holy Alliance, welcod Godan with a toast because he found "hotown dishes."
Were it not for Alexei urging them onward, they would have loved to stay for three more days.
With luggage and an entry certificate reissued by the High Castle Town Monastery, Alexei was finally able to set out again.
This ti, he was to take a boat first to Rapids City, then to Joan of Arc Castle, and finally arrive at the ry Court Barracks before the quadrennial monastery central conference.
Standing by the dock outside the city, Godan personally bid farewell.
Alexei was sowhat reluctant: "Mr. Godan, I have already purchased lodging in the ry Court Barracks in advance; here's the address, you are welco anyti…"
"Repeal the 'Prohibition Order'!"
"This is the proposal made by Cardinal Chervis to monopolize alcoholic beverages!"
"If you agree, please cast your precious vote for Morne in October!"
"The 'Prohibition Order' is the conspiracy of the Abbot of Saint Scythe, Chervis!"
Hearing these unusual shouts, Alexei, who had just learned about the 'Prohibition Order' from Godan last night, suddenly looked up.
On Market Street by the dock, amidst a crowd of barbers, vegetable farrs, newspaper boys, and shopping housewives, was a young man waving flyers.
He wore a linen white shirt and leather vest and continued to shout at the surrounding people: "Please vote for Mr. Morne; he is truly the people's choice!"
This is not how monks usually dress.
Daring to criticize a cardinal so openly on the street, is it similar?
Alexei quickly grabbed Godan's arm. Godan felt a thud in his heart when grabbed; what's the matter now?
"Mr. Godan, look over there."
Looking blindly, clueless in a crowd, Godan glanced over with confusion, as Alexei quickly reminded: "Between the veteran barber and the veteran barbecue vendor."
"Oh, oh, I see it, what's the matter?"
Even Taiomir couldn't help himself: "Are you not going to report him? He is publicly defaming your Holy Alliance's cardinal on the street!"
"Isn't this gathering votes? Why should I report him?"
"Votes? Oh! Representative of the people!" Alexei hit his forehead.
This is the unique electoral system of the Holy Alliance's Advisory Council.
Electing representatives from among the people to serve as consultants for the governance of the Holy Alliance.
But the power of the Advisory Council is far from simple consultation; what struck Alexei the most was the impeachnt authority vested in the representatives.
Especially the authority of secret impeachnt.
Representatives can submit materials to the Purification Court to request a secret investigation of a certain local Holy Alliance official.
This is why many representatives openly call themselves the "Eyes of the Saint's Grandson."
"Yet to defa a cardinal so publicly is sowhat excessive, isn't it? Shouldn't it be managed?"
"I cannot manage it; if I did, I would violate the Monastery's principle of neutrality." Godan smirked, "However, my inaction doesn't an others won't act; look, here they co."
Alexei turned around to see three n wearing launderers' coats aggressively approaching the young man.
"Dare you publicly defa Cardinal Chervis?" The leading launderer pointed at the youth's nose and scolded.
The youth placed his flyers on a nearby wooden cabinet, "I'm being polite by not calling you old drunkards drinking fake booze!"
"Alcohol is inherently an intoxicating substance, 'Prohibition Order' shouldn't be repealed; it should be changed to 'Ban on Alcohol'!"
"Nonsense, you're just afraid of not being able to buy grain cheaply at Grace Market!"
"His Majesty is too rciful; all remnants of nobility like you should be eliminated completely!"
"Who are you calling remnants of nobility? Who are you calling remnants of nobility!"
Their argunt grew fiercer, their voices louder, even pushing and shoving began.
A less verbal launderer couldn't find an opportunity to speak; looking left and right, he stepped forward and kicked over the youth's fundraising cabinet.
With clinks and clatters, copper and silver coins scattered all over the ground.
"Son of a devil!" Enraged, the youth punched the launderer in the eye socket, knocking him down.
"Alright, ti to call the Night Watcher now." Godan snapped his fingers.
The small attendant nearby swiftly wove through the crowd and returned shortly with three Night Watchers wearing helts.
"Toot toot toot—" the copper whistle sounded, a Sli rubber baton struck down, and several troublemakers were instantly pinned to the ground, bruised.
Seeing the subdued individuals still cursing one another, Alexei began to understand.
"Mountain Faction and Plain Faction?"
"Yes."
"I thought they disappeared after the third constitutional andnt in 1450 along with the nobility of Thousand River Valley."
"The nobility might be gone, but it's unlikely for the nobility to truly vanish." Godan wasn't as disillusioned as the young people, rather he was calm as water.
In the current Advisory Council, under the leadership surrender of a certain Duke, the apparent nobility has been completely driven out of power.
At the sa ti, as Jia Li predicted, once the "nobility" as a nominal target was eliminated, the "nobility of Thousand River Valley" indeed died.
All their feudal privileges were abolished, their estates were "redeed" by the Holy Alliance with bonds, leaving only a small amount of movable property and assets.
However, the "aristocratic force" itself didn't die; it was reborn on the corpse of the old nobility.
After removing the most extremist and conservative noble groups, the moderate nobility erged.
They don't use the previously derogatory term "nobility," often calling themselves gentry and patrons.
They even converted to Santoism faster than ordinary farrs, actively participated in public affairs, and attempted to enter the monastery.
Many of them were more devout, often citing the Holy Father than the monks who joined later.
Several mbers of the forr Plain Faction joined them.
As for the reasons, it's actually simple.
Previously they truly didn't have a horse, so they naturally wanted to pull the nobles off their horses.
Now that they have a horse, it's natural for them to ride it, otherwise wouldn't owning it be for nothing?
"Previously, it's understandable for the nobles, as a compensation from the Holy Alliance, but do commoners also have thoughts of political participation?" Taiomir couldn't comprehend how it differed from ants wanting to lead elephants?
"The Holy Alliance is a country created by the common people." Standing far away, Godan didn't correct, only spoke calmly.
Taiomir considered himself quite liberal, but the Holy Alliance was still too free: "Your Majesty Saint Sun even allows ignorant farrs to participate in national governance?"
"Firstly, in the Holy Alliance, there are only believers, no distinctions of profession or nobility, so they are not farrs."
Secondly, voters need to be registered in the household register, be over sixteen, have three years of tax records, and pass literacy examination certification, thus they are not ignorant.
Finally, the Holy Alliance is a nation of believers, the 1450 constitution stipulates the Holy Alliance was established by the covenant and the will of the Holy Father, believers naturally have political rights, so it's not a matter of allowance."
"Isn't this over-complicating things?" Taiomir shook his head, constipated, "Power is still held in the hands of Saint Sun; whether the Advisory Council agrees or not, does it matter?"
"There is a significant difference..."
Godan and Taiomir continued their open and subtle verbal sparring, but Alexei was staring at the arguing individuals, lost in thought.
Mist blew against his face, wet and ticklish, yet he seed unfazed.
Do the farrs of Fat Cow Castle know their own surnas?
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