Chapter 719
The Devers sitting on the throne announced loudly, "You don't have to worry about the food problem at all, because Diónia has formed an alliance with Egypt. The Egyptian Pharaoh Nektanib has promised to provide Diónia with a large amount of wheat free of charge until the autumn harvest. The first batch of grain, nearly a hundred thousand tons, has been delivered by a fleet from Egypt. "
When the councilors heard the news, they cheered in unison. Their faces were filled with joy. Some even shouted excitedly, "Victory to the Kingdom! Victory to the King of the Devers! " They knew that the natural disaster was no longer a threat to the people in the towns and cities of the Kingdom of Diónia.
In such a festive atmosphere, the Minister of Military Affairs, Hilos, began to talk about the military situation of the Kingdom last year and the daily military work. He focused on the formation and training of the 11th Legion, as well as the construction of the barracks. He expressed his gratitude to the towns and cities in the Downey region for their active cooperation.
Next, he talked about the causes of the two wars that happened last year. From the fact that the Kautini repeatedly violated the covenant and invaded Diónia's ally, the Campanian Alliance, to the fact that the Campanian messengers came to Turií to ask for help. The Diónia messengers went to Kautini to stop the war but were rejected. In the end, the Kingdom had no choice but to send Legio III to crush the Kautini's attempt to invade the Campanian Alliance.
Then, he talked about the long-term support and aid that the Carthage had given to Rome, the sinister purpose of this move, and Rome's large-scale attack on Wolsey. When Wolsey asked for help, he talked about the reason why Diónia formed an alliance with it and sent troops to support it. He also briefly described the whole process of Wolsey's battle.
Hilos's main point was at the end. He loudly reminded the people in the hall, "Because Carthage took the initiative to tear up the friendly agreement with Diónia and declared that if Diónia and Rome go to war, it will declare war on Diónia. And according to intelligence, Carthage is actively preparing for war, so the war with Carthage this year is inevitable! "
By the time Hilos was done speaking, the meeting hall was relatively quiet. After all, most of the councilors from these towns were well-informed and kept an eye on the major events that happened in Turín. Moreover, when they arrived in Turín, they would usually visit the Senators from the towns to get some information about the meeting in advance. Therefore, they did not blame Diónia for participating in the two wars and the possible war with Carthage. On the contrary, they were more concerned about the impact of the upcoming war on their town.
For example, the councilors from Enona and Kopsa were worried that once the upcoming war broke the peace between Diónia and its surrounding forces, the Samonese, who had already fallen out with Diónia, would take the opportunity to attack the entire western region of Campania. Although the Legio III had now gone to guard the Campania Alliance, they still hoped that the Ministry of Military Affairs could continue to strengthen the defense of this area.
The councilors from the Downey region had the same idea. They believed that compared to the well-defended northwestern border of Diónia, the Downey region, which had just been annexed to Diónia, was weak in military power and might become the focus of the Samonese's attack. The Ministry of Military Affairs must pay attention to it.
The councilors from Sicily were more direct. At this time, the territory of Diónia in Sicily had already begun to mobilize for war. They believed that if Carthage's army attacked, the army in Sicily alone would not be able to withstand it. They hoped that a few more legions could be sent to Sicily.
The councilors from Hera and Hebita brought some suggestions from the Sikell tribe. They hoped to join the Kingdom of Diónia and obtain fertile land through the upcoming war.
Of course, more councilors from the towns and cities called for a delay in the gathering of the legions to ensure the smooth progress of the spring sowing.
…
Of course, the King of Devers and his ministers did not have to respond immediately to the questions and suggestions of the councilors in the conference hall. The clerks of the conference hall would record their suggestions. These would be the topics discussed by the elders and councilors in the next few days. They would find a solution and form a final proposal. After it was passed by the majority, the King of Devers would sign it and finally form a new bill that would be implemented in the kingdom.
It was the first time that the newly appointed elders, Alcibidus and Fedun, attended the Kingdom's Council Assembly. As Lijim had just been incorporated into the Kingdom of Diónia, the councilors and protectors of the city council had yet to be elected, let alone elect a representative to attend the assembly. Therefore, the two of them were completely unfamiliar with the process and did not prepare for it.
They also witnessed the opening of the assembly with their own eyes. The ministers of the kingdom talked about the work of the various departments in the past year, the questions from the councilors, the heated debates and compromises between the councilors in the following days, and the various proposals that were finally agreed upon … All of these were eye-opening experiences for the two of them, especially Fedun, who could not help but exclaim, "The people of Diónia have created a great political system that not only facilitates the centralized management of the vast territory, but also satisfies the demands of the various towns and cities to express themselves democratically. How could such a country not become prosperous and powerful!"
Alcibidus could not help but say, "It is said that this system was initiated and formulated by my brother-in-law!"
"It is the fortune of the Kingdom of Diónia to have such an amazing and wise king!" As a relative, Alcibidus could not help but feel proud of Fedun's compliment. He said excitedly, "Fortunately, we have also become citizens of Diónia!"
Fedun said with a straight face, "This is the most correct thing that the people of Lijim have done in the past ten years!"
While the councilors were having a heated discussion the next day, the Devers arrived at the council hall of Turií. Compared to other cities, Turií had the largest population and councilors, so naturally, the council hall was the largest, able to accommodate four to five hundred people. The annual assembly of the Kingdom's protectors was held here.
The Devers made an opening speech, sincerely thanking the protectors for their contributions in maintaining the security, stability, and fairness of the entire kingdom in the past year.
Then, the Supreme Inspector Sesta summarized the overall situation of the protectors in exposing lawbreaking incidents in various cities and protecting the interests of the people last year. Then, he focused on some bribery cases that they had cooperated with the Ministry of Supervision to solve. Finally, he named and commended ten outstanding protectors and their outstanding deeds in the past year.
The ten protectors from various cities in the kingdom who had been notified in advance walked to the center of the hall, and the Devers personally put on their Bolton medals.
It was a small buckle made of silver and carved into the shape of a snake's head whip. The idea came from the nickname of the protectors. They were called the 'Whip of the Kingdom' by the people, which meant that they supervised and whipped those who broke the law. This was the highest honor that the protectors had received, so when they walked onto the stage, they were all excited to accept the congratulations from the king of the Devers.
Unlike the Council Assembly, the protectors played the leading role in the Assembly of the Protectors. In the following time, they would go onto the stage and talk about some of the situations, problems, and suggestions in their respective cities. Most of them came from the villages and were more used to discovering and looking at problems from the perspective of the people. This was greatly beneficial for the Devers, ministers, and the Senate to have a more comprehensive understanding of the situation at the grassroots level in the kingdom. Therefore, the scribes would carefully record the speech of each protector, and some of their useful suggestions would be summarized in the Senate for discussion.
At the end of the day's meeting, the Devers once again thanked the protectors for their contributions to the kingdom and reminded them that in the new year, there was a high possibility of a major war breaking out in the kingdom! During the time of war, it was very important to ensure the stability of the kingdom!
He hoped that the protectors could assist the local officials in managing the place, be vigilant against suspicious strangers, and prevent the outbreak of unrest. At the same time, they also wanted to help the families of the citizens who served in the army and protect their interests. Whether the whole of Diónia could work together to defeat the enemy depended on their efforts!
The words of the Devers made the protectors' blood boil. One by one, they made a promise to the king, and they would bring this promise back to their colleagues in their cities.
… …..
While the Devers were using the two Assembly of the New Year to unify the understanding of the people in the cities of the kingdom and prepare for the upcoming war, Cynthia was receiving Adoris who came to visit her in the mansion of Patroclus on the south bank of the Krati River. She asked the chef to prepare good food and wine for her brother.
"Sister, are you sure you don't want to eat some? This fish tastes good!" Adonis asked casually as he ate the food.
Cynthia touched her belly and shook her head. "I just want to vomit when I see fish and meat now. Mother specially sent a chef to make me dishes suitable for pregnant women."
"Mother treats you so well!" Adoris sighed.
"Don't tell me your parents don't treat you well!" Cynthia asked in return.
Adoris was speechless for a moment and quickly buried her head in her food.
Cynthia looked at her and suddenly asked, "You're usually busy with training in the barracks and rarely even go home. Why are you here today? Is there something wrong?"
Cynthia's sudden question surprised Adoris. He was obviously not prepared. He stammered, "No … Nothing. I just heard … heard that you're pregnant, so I came to see you."
Cynthia immediately put on a stern face and put on the airs of a big sister. "I'm your sister. Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? Don't beat around the bush. What do you want to say? "
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