Chapter 244
Chapter 244
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 244
Chapter Title: Invasion of Warsaw (1)
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As soon as I mentioned the gift, His Imperial Majesty couldn't hide his delighted expression.
“You've sunk 40 Warsaw ships, burned everything around the port city, and even managed to bring back a gift—what a loyal subject you are! So, what have you brought?”
“Eight enemy battleships, along with gold, silver jewelry, gems worth 120,000 gold collected from the villages, and these ledgers here.”
“I've already heard that you encountered the Warsaw Grand Duchy's navy, fought a naval battle, and won. But how on earth did you get your hands on 120,000 gold worth of valuables? Normally, they'd pack up all the gold, silver, and precious jewelry when evacuating...”
“They're illicitly acquired treasures. If they took them openly, they'd risk getting caught. Corrupt officials hide that stuff in secret spots like walls or floors, so I tracked them down.”
Truth be told, the finances of lowly civil servants without even a fief are an open book.
Yet when one of them suddenly flaunts wealth beyond their rank or starts living too lavishly, people rarely think, “That guy's doing well lately—what's his secret?” Instead, they assume:
“That bastard's living high on the hog, so he's got dirt on him. Should I dig into it?”
With that kind of prejudice, they dispatch investigators for tax and asset audits, exposing the corrupt officials' embezzlement to the world. In the end, the once-prospering official gets hauled off in disgrace.
So their best bet is to pray the enemy doesn't find it and stash it in some hidden compartment.
If only those idiots had lived decent, honest lives, they wouldn't have gotten stripped bare.
“When we mustered 110,000 troops to strike Stockholm, they saw their chance, declared a marriage alliance, and threw in 50,000 men—the kind of sneaky move you'd expect from officials serving that cowardly Grand Duke of Warsaw. Truly despicable and underhanded.”
“If the lord's an idiot, his subordinates naturally follow suit, don't they? And here—these are gifts prepared for Your Majesty by Warsaw's administrators. Take a look. There are dozens like this.”
With that, I selected the most meticulously kept ledger from the pile and presented it to him.
His Majesty took it and read slowly at first, sighing in disbelief. But gradually, as some clever idea dawned on him... a wicked smile crept across his face—the one he gets when plotting something devious.
He must have felt a pang seeing the atrocities committed by those Warsaw fools, wondering how many of the Empire's own bureaucrats had lined their pockets similarly.
Then, grasping the ledgers' true value, he likely started scheming how to turn them against the Grand Duke of Warsaw.
“These ledgers hold far more value than the eight captured ships or the 120,000 gold in jewelry and bullion. What do you think?”
“I agree. We could use them to blackmail Warsaw's bureaucrats into defecting, or force them into acts of espionage like opening the gates.”
“How many would choose execution for corruption over betraying their country, earning merits, and living comfortably on a pension?”
In Confucian cultures like Choson, China, or Japan, loyalty is an absolute virtue. But on the Euro continent, loyalty is give and take.
You give as good as you get—that's proper conduct. That's why even among exceptional low-level officials, some defect to other nations and thrive.
Even within the Empire, there are those who sold out their nation's secrets, castles, and armies in past wars. They didn't get official posts, but they feast on pensions and undue favors.
So for corrupt greed-mongers facing death in their homeland, selling out for a cushy life must seem like a no-brainer. There'd be as many as stars in the sky.
And if these common, incompetent, greedy types open the gates for the Empire or betray at a critical moment, the impact would be enormous.
“How do you wish to use these ledgers, Your Majesty?”
“Didn't you already say? When we invade Warsaw, we'll pull their bureaucrats and officers to our side to stab the Grand Duke in the back. I agree.”
“That's a solid plan, but I have an even better scheme.”
“I've never once regretted following your advice. Speak.”
I placed every secret ledger we'd seized from countless villages on the desk—excluding the one I'd already given him. None were missing.
A rough count showed over 30 to 40, each averaging 20cm thick.
His Majesty stared in shock, his face paling as he spoke.
“The Reich Empire's situation is far better than Warsaw's, but seeing not one but dozens of ledgers detailing corruption... it makes me think. Before launching the Warsaw expedition, shouldn't we audit our own officials first? Purging corrupt bureaucrats and soldiers beforehand would benefit the Empire far more.”
Rooting out corrupt officials is a vital task in governing a nation.
One corrupt official can cause suffering to dozens—no, thousands—of the Empire's people. And the taxes painstakingly collected don't end up in the treasury but in some back-alley whore's cleavage. It happens endlessly.
That's why the Imperial Intelligence and Audit Departments pull all-nighters and weekend shifts like clockwork, hauling in corrupt officials left and right.
No wonder there's a joke that one of His Majesty's morning duties is reading resignation letters from the Audit and Intelligence Departments, then shredding them.
Even with constant audits, if you shake vigorously, the dirt keeps pouring out. If His Majesty got serious, the purges would be on an unimaginable scale.
Unlike the others, I don't have time to splurge at night—I'm held captive by Louise, Charlotte, Anya, and Laura—so no corruption worries for me.
Still, a massive audit right before war would be insane.
“I understand Your Majesty's anger and concerns. But please hold off on a full-scale audit for now.”
The Emperor sighed deeply at my words.
“Why delay the audit? This isn't your purview as army commander. I don't mind, but if the ministers find out, impeachment petitions could pile up like a mountain against you.”
His tone carried a stern warning, but his voice and expression showed genuine worry for me—and an invitation to explain.
“The Warsaw expedition starts in a few months, doesn't it? If we arrest and purge corrupt officials now, we'll have gaps in administrative manpower. Even if the Minister of Military Affairs does his utmost to support us, delays from those gaps could mean insufficient supplies arriving—or arriving late—which would be disastrous.”
Large-scale audits are generally beneficial in the long term.
Every administrative system has clear pros and cons.
The upside of a massive audit is eliminating corrupt officials, boosting efficiency and making the Empire's administration far healthier.
The downside? As I said, vacancies until replacements are filled.
Work that ten people handled now falls to eight or nine. The slack piles onto the rest.
Processing slows, errors rise.
Plus, though His Majesty enjoys overwhelming support over past emperors and wields strong imperial power...
Civil officials' power struggles simmer underground. Give them the spark of a massive audit, and they'll tear each other apart on a massive scale.
“Auditing corrupt officials is necessary, but losing a war would cost more than the embezzled fortunes of a thousand of them. In other times, it might seem like meddling in civilian affairs, but when it concerns wartime logistics and operations... I understand.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“Then I'll ask again. What's your plan?”
At that, I handed him one of the ledgers with a wicked grin.
“How about we hand this ledger straight to the Grand Duke of Warsaw?”