Sitting in the carriage and feeling drowsy, Rangbang suddenly felt a jolt beneath him. He leaned his head toward the door and saw an iron gate approaching.
With the coachman's call of "Whoa—", the carriage stopped in front of this approximately 9-ter-high three-story U-shaped building.
Compared to the carriage full of "big shots", as a small figure, Rangbang naturally jumped off the carriage first, followed by Liborole, the dyer.
Rangbang was a wealthy ard farr with a hundred mu of land, while Liborole was temporarily replacing his sick father as the guild head. He also had five younger brothers.
In terms of age, living standards, and family property, there wasn't much difference between Rangbang and Liborole, so they subconsciously stayed close to each other.
"What is this place?" Rangbang asked softly as they followed the guiding servant.
Liborole, who seed to have seen the world, pointed to a sign nearby and said, "This used to be the White Gate Hall for foreign priests to stay, and now it's been turned over to us."
The residence for people's representatives was definitely not placed in so small inn but was arranged in the White Gate Hall next to the constitutional eting venue.
This monastery was not large, built with square stones bonded with slurry and egg whites, and the outer walls were painted with ochre, having about 90 rooms in total.
This ti, only 62 representatives traveled to Feiliu Castle to discuss state affairs, far from filling all the rooms.
There were ostensibly only these 62 representatives, but in reality, those gathered at Feiliu Castle were far more.
Estate stewards at all levels, landlords, rchants, notaries, artisans, laicized priests... Almost all the prominent figures from Thousand River Valley had co.
They wore silk robes, shook the lace on their linen shirt cuffs while looking down upon the mud-stained commoners debating national affairs, regretting not having run for representative in ti.
Rumors were rampant in Thousand River Valley during this period; at one mont, the nobles were being stripped of land, at another, rchants were being ransacked, and yet again, it was said farrs and citizens could legislate.
Naturally, they ca to Feiliu Castle to gather intelligence, in case they had to flee in a hurry.
At this point, many of them had gathered at the entrance of the Saint Shelley Monastery. Seeing a new carriage arrive, they dashed out from under the trees, starting to call friends and inquire about news.
"When is the constitutional assembly being held?"
"Are you from Lower Reif County? I am from Lower Reif County too."
Knight Ovid and those two monks surely had news; they had an internal network of information, but such information naturally couldn't be shared with people of unknown backgrounds.
Entering the monastery courtyard, a dozen people dressed in high society fashion sat on stone tables, playing cards while glancing toward these newcors.
"Are you the people's representatives from Lower Reif County?"
A tall knight, with an open shirt collar and reeking of alcohol, stood up from a stone stool, placing his cards on the table.
Several of the representatives quickly caught a supernatural scent, a high-level one at that, and their previously arrogant expressions swiftly turned submissive.
Being a titular knight (with a title but no breathing technique), Ovid with his bulky body properly perford a courtly salute.
This courtly salute clearly did not get this knight's recognition. He snorted contemptuously: "People from Pingyuan County are really sissies. I'm Steve, the overseer of this monastery. Do you know what you're here for?"
"To attend a eting."
"Yes, the constitutional assembly. Do you know what it is about?"
Liborole instinctively replied, "About what?"
"We've chased away Prince Kongdai, and next is establishing a country that belongs to us Kush people... hic..." Knight Steve burped, "You're called here to listen to your opinions, then acknowledge the future monarch, pledge allegiance, and that's all."
"Isn't there sothing about legislation too?" Unable to resist, the head of the stonemason guild asked.
First stunned, Knight Steve then curled his lips into a smile: "The two highnesses made the law, you're against it, who do you think you are?"
He looked disdainfully at the obliging representatives: "This war isn't fought by you, you contributed nothing, what face do you have to legislate? This war, we mountain people have bled dry, oh, you plain people reap the benefits?
Not to ntion the Salvation Army, they're mountain people too, just went down to Pingyuan County.
Originally, Her Highness Moliat wasn't going to let you mud-stained commoners create chaos. If it weren't for His Highness Saint Sun insisting, you wouldn't even have the right to see ... don't know what they were thinking..."
Knight Steve muttered a final word, then took nine keys from his pocket and threw them over: "Here are the keys, you sort them out yourselves, I still have a card ga."
A few representatives, having been humbled at the start, awkwardly entered the small building to find their rooms.
These rooms seed sowhat shabby to people like Ovid, adequate for Liborole, and to Rangbang, they were simply like the Falan King's Palace.
Standing before the white, soft bed, Rangbang found himself at a loss for a mont.
Walking around the bed several tis, hesitating for almost a quarter of an hour, he finally made up his mind and gently lowered himself onto it.
The soft sensation beneath his behind gave Rangbang, who had slept on wooden beds all his life, an unexpected sense of happiness.
Even though he had a hundred mu of land, a flood, drought or crop disease could bankrupt him into debt.
It's not that he couldn't afford such a bed, but one needed to have enough savings to handle disasters.
This was a habit passed down from his father: don't spend lavishly before becoming a gentry-class landlord.
"Knock, knock, knock—"
Rangbang jumped up from the bed, unsure of why he suddenly felt nervous but definitely feeling tense.
"Open the door, Rangbang, it's Liborole."
Relieved for so reason, Rangbang opened the door, and Liborole made himself comfortable by dropping half a block of gift cheese on the table and plopping down on the soft bed Rangbang couldn't bear to step on.
"Have you thought about what proposal to submit?" Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Liborole looked up and asked Rangbang.
"Didn't they say our opinions don't matter?"
Liborole waved his hand: "It's not that our opinions don't matter; it's that our opinions don't matter to Her Highness Moliat, but His Majesty Horn is willing to listen to us.
Just now, I heard from a friend that every morning, monks from the Saint Father's Association co here for a whole morning. Whatever suggestions and opinions we have can be written and submitted as a petition to him.
If they're reasonable by then, His Majesty will bring them up at the eting."
Rangbang felt dizzy just listening: "So troubleso, do we have to write? What are you planning to write a petition about?"
"To prohibit the stealing of crafts, perhaps even execute those who steal them." Liborole gritted his teeth and complained, "A dyeing apprentice from my uncle's workshop stole the formula and craft and ran to another city.
The guild can't punish him in another city, so we can only hire people with our own money to kill him, and those rcenaries often subcontract and take money without doing anything.
If there's a law, as long as he doesn't flee Thousand River Valley, the Night Watcher will hunt him down, now that makes sense."
Rangbang couldn't understand Liborole's words, just frowned and said: "That Knight Ovid..."
"Why be afraid of him? Even during Catherine's administration, it was said that everyone is equal and knights can no longer kill people at will." Liborole patted Rangbang's shoulder, "Don't you hope that the future Duke can enact a law that sets a minimum grain price, ensuring you won't suffer losses annually?"
"Can that get passed?" Rangbang's heart quickened.
Liborole shrugged: "If you don't submit it, it'll never pass. You might as well give it a try."
Rangbang initially ward up and rubbed his hands, then rembered sothing, despairing: "But I can barely read; I can't write, though."
"No worries, artisans and farrs from Pingyuan County and so folks outside have ford a small association. We can join them, and they'll help you write for free." Liborole raised a finger, "But they said, since it's collective, the petition can't harm any association mbers."
"That's definitely not a problem!" Rangbang eagerly shook his head.
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