The next day.

  "Does Baron Arno not even listen to you anymore?" The prince, with faint dark circles from his hangover, waved his hand. A maid lifted the hot towel from his face, and his heated skin contracted sharply at the sudden contact with cold air, causing goosebumps to rise and invigorating him. He let out a long breath; he had drunk too much last night, partly due to the excessive enthusiasm of others and partly due to the intoxicating taste of power. Now sober, he remembered every detail of the previous evening clearly, rather than forgetting them.

  Deep down, Arno’s absence felt like an insult to him. He lacked the sophistication of a crafty politician; the joys and sorrows of a young man were all visible on his face, making his emotions easily discernible. He was not a fool; the sudden mention of his absence at the banquet was clearly directed at him or, more precisely, at his status as a prince. He was certain of this. But there are times when, even knowing something is wrong and shouldn’t be done, one has to choose the wrong path.

  Yoberg smiled bitterly and said, "Your Highness, you are unaware: Baron Arno, relying on his status as a Golden Noble of the sacred bloodline, does not take me, the governor, seriously at all. Do you know what he has done? He has monopolized several highly marketable goods by taking advantage of Pramisburg’s special geographical environment. He has also appointed city defense officers without regard for imperial law and even issued armed licenses to bandits under the guise of proving their innocence!" Yoberg spoke in one breath, pausing to catch his breath, his face filled with worry. "By the Light God, he is almost completely going against the Imperial Code!"

  The prince was slightly taken aback. Although he had no right to inherit the throne and thus paid less attention to political matters, this did not mean he was ignorant of politics. Born into the imperial family, even a dog would know that the dignity of the royal family was built on strict legal codes. The so-called Imperial Code was, in essence, the rules set by the royal family. No matter who they were, everyone had to abide by these rules; non-compliance was tantamount to rebellion.

  The seriousness of the matter suddenly skyrocketed. As a prince, he naturally had to defend the dignity of the royal family. He looked at Yoberg, his mind racing as he weighed how much of his brother-in-law’s words were true and how much were false. After a moment, he asked, "Have these matters been reported to the chancellor and the imperial central government?"

  Yoberg nodded with a pained expression. "Of course I reported them. His Majesty has rebuked Arno for his recklessness, and the chancellor has also said he cannot be allowed to act arbitrarily. But he continues to go his own way, ignoring His Majesty’s rebuke and even intensifying his actions. Some time ago, Terman, the head of House Bohr, went to war with Arno because Arno blocked the trade routes to create monopolies, harming imperial interests. Unexpectedly, Arno soon bribed some lords to wipe out House Bohr. Now, many in Bell Province are afraid to speak out, lest they incur Baron Arno’s frenzied revenge!"

  The prince drew a sharp breath. In the capital, he knew all too well what it meant for a family to be "wiped out." He could no longer sit still and stood up to pace back and forth, calculating the gains and losses in his mind. He did not doubt Yoberg’s words, for he knew that simply asking anyone outside would confirm their truth, so he did not question them at all.

  Watching the prince fall into the trap, the corner of Yoberg’s mouth twitched slightly. Not a single word he said was a lie; all the events were true. He had merely used a certain art of language to lead the unsuspecting prince into a misunderstanding, following the path he had prearranged.

  After a long time, the prince took a deep breath, grabbed his collar, and tugged at it. "I am going to Pramisburg."

  Yoberg was overjoyed in his heart but showed hesitation on his face. "Are you really determined to do this? He is a thug, a butcher, an executioner! I must consider your safety. It would be better to have Arno come here!"

  The prince stopped in his tracks and gave Yoberg a sideways glance. "Are you sure he will come? Fool!" He waved his hand dismissively. "Go and make arrangements. I will set out today!"

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  While Arno’s actions were indeed appalling, Yoberg had omitted some details, and the prince had been misled. He was unaware that his father, his sister who was likely to ascend the throne in the near future, as well as the chancellor and the grand marshal, were all well-informed about everything Arno had done. They had not stopped him, and apart from some insignificant rebukes, they had not expressed a single word of opinion about his actions.

  Even those rebukes were actually meant to appease certain people. See, they seemed to say, he has acted recklessly, and I have already scolded him. Before he causes any irreversible consequences, isn’t this handling sufficient? After all, these were rebukes from the emperor himself, not the words of some insignificant person, and this in itself represented an attitude.

  In this situation, the royal family, along with the chancellor and grand marshal, were also watching coldly, wanting to see what kind of "monster" Arno would unleash and what changes he would bring to the empire.

  Pramisburg, and indeed the entire Bell Province, was like a special zone used to test whether Arno’s methods were effective and beneficial to the empire. No matter what he did, the top rulers would not interfere with his progress.

  Unfortunately, the prince still did not understand this.

  When news spread that the prince was going to Pramisburg, Bowen felt troubled. As a noble who had just swallowed the largest share of Westflow City’s spoils, his interests were now closely linked to Arno’s. If the attack on Westflow City and the destruction of House Bohr were defined as wrong political actions, he would soon face a heavy blow. Arno might be safe, but he certainly would not escape, for he was not a Golden Noble and would not receive forgiveness from the top rulers.

  As the head of a family and a qualified noble, Bowen never hesitated when it came to making crucial decisions.

  The prince’s upcoming visit to Pramisburg was no secret. Unlike others who felt threatened, Arno was calm and composed. He had a broader knowledge base and a better understanding of what the ruling class desired. These advantages ensured that he would not come to harm; not only did the chancellor want to protect him, but the emperor himself did too.

  Heines had already managed to recruit many outstanding scholars from other provinces through a mix of deception and persuasion. For these scholars, the two things they had strived for their entire lives were simple: fame and fortune.

  They already had more than enough fame, so now it was time for fortune. Faced with the exorbitant salaries Arno offered, far higher than their current earnings, they did not need to consider twice before agreeing. As for Heines, who had fallen from grace, they did not care much. After being scholars for so many years, who could honestly claim they had never had an affair with one or two students? Heines had just been caught, while they had been more discreet.

  He had chosen the wrong time, place, and person!

  One good news after another continued to pour in, and the morale of the Pramisburg people soared wildly.

  The construction of a new church and the establishment of an academy both signified that the living environment of the Pramisburg people was about to undergo earth-shaking changes!

  Who had brought hope and a future to this city?

  Of course, it was the city lord!

  To repay the city lord, everyone worked with all their might, ensuring the city changed drastically every day.

  Leaving the city lord’s mansion, Arno strolled through the streets with Blair and his guards. Every pedestrian greeted Arno with heartfelt respect, bowing and offering greetings. Arno sometimes returned the greetings, sometimes just smiled, but this did not diminish the people’s affection for him, even though he was not as approachable as the knights in novels who conversed intimately with every resident.

  Arno had his own views on this.

  There was a natural divide between those in power and those below, a divide that could be bridged through familiarity, but breaking it would cause those in power to lose their inherent advantages. A qualified ruler should establish their authority and prestige, which could only be cultivated through a sense of distance. If he truly fraternized with ordinary people, it would only make them more presumptuous.

  "The ground is paved well, but I feel something is missing," Arno said, frowning as he looked at the straight street. "Ah, right, greenery. The city lacks greenery."

  Greenery could bring people good moods and soothe their irritable emotions. Pointing to both sides of the road, he said to the construction official, "Plant a tree every five meters."

  The construction official, noticeably fatter than when he had first taken office in the city lord’s mansion, touched his protruding belly and rolled his eyes a few times. "City Lord, if we follow your vision, it will consume more funds."

  "Do as I say," Arno said in a tone that brooked no argument. "And the streetlights should be more densely placed. It would be best to adorn the streetlights with some flowers or something. Don’t be afraid to spend money."

  The construction official could only agree. Calculating Arno’s requirements, the plump cheeks on his face twitched—another large sum of money!

  But what did it matter? It wasn’t his money, and maintaining the city was a good thing for him as a local native, wasn’t it?

  At least his children and family could enjoy the benefits and live in a city as beautiful as a garden.