His Majesty the Emperor sat on the steps and watched the Prime Minister talk about how to deal with the aftermath of Yuan Rong Capital.
He didn't think much about the demands of the shareholders. Instead, he threw the question to the Prime Minister. "What do you think?"
The other ministers naturally wouldn't interfere. Plus, the Prime Minister wanted to get his hands on wealth and power. It had nothing to do with them, so they wouldn't take the initiative to get involved.
As for the other ministers, they had the power now and there was no possibility of losing it in a short period of time. Therefore, they didn't have to take the initiative to do anything stupid.
After a moment of silence, the Prime Minister said, "Your Majesty, it's not shameful to admit mistakes. We should admit that there was a mistake in our work that caused an unsuitable company like Yuan Rong Capital to be listed.
"In the process, some people relied on certain methods to earn a dishonorable sum of money. I think we should let them take out this sum of money and compensate others. Also, we should give them a corresponding penalty.
"We should let these speculators and even those related to Yuan Rong Capital understand that some money can't be taken!"
His Majesty the Emperor fell into deep thought. The person who made the most money in this incident should be Lynch, right?
If they took away the money he earned and fined him a sum of money, it seemed like a good idea. Whether it was from a public or private point of view, it was a great choice. The Emperor was very tempted.
However, he didn't agree immediately. Instead, he pondered for a while and thought about the details of this matter.
The Prime Minister had sorted out the crimes and had a reason. The illegal income would be confiscated and then the fine would be added. This way, some merchants and foreign merchants wouldn't be afraid.
The Emperor nodded. "Implement it as soon as possible …"
If he wanted power, then he should be the one to offend others. How could there be such a good thing as not paying a price and pocketing all the benefits?
Everything that happened in the Ruler's Hall spread quickly. The already lively Privy Council became even livelier. Many nobles who hadn't been to the Privy Council for a long time appeared here. They chatted with everyone as if they were there every day.
In the past, other than killing time, the only thing they could do in the Privy Council was to sulk.
There were so many nobles, but only a small group of people held power. The rest of the nobles were only left with skin. How could they not be angry?
However, it was different this time. The new finance minister might be born from the Privy Council. Regardless of whether they had the chance or not, everyone was trying their best to gain as many supporters as possible. What if they were lucky and something good happened to them?
Moreover, the Privy Council also had its own rules. Those old nobles would definitely choose someone from the Privy Council. It was very likely that they would choose a representative from the hereditary nobles.
Even if he became the lucky one in the tribe, it would be a good investment to have a good relationship with the future finance minister in advance.
Who knew when this kind of investment would come in handy. Even if he was just a small official, at least he would have power in his hands.
Even if the Prime Minister became the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the end, they would still be able to demonstrate their existence and value in the process. This was the motivation of the nobles.
Looking at the bustling hall, the smiles on the old nobles' faces were somewhat helpless.
At this moment, the sound of discussion suddenly came from the door.
These discussions were a little different from the others. The pitch was a little higher, and there seemed to be something … strange hidden in the tone. It wasn't completely friendly.
Everyone looked towards the door. Lynch and his group walked in. The nobles at the door gradually spread the news to the depths of the hall.
"Lynch and his group are here …" Everyone said so. There was a hint of schadenfreude in their tone. There was a flash of greed in their eyes.
In just over a month, this group of people had earned at least a few million, and some had earned tens of millions. Even the nobles with deep backgrounds were a little tempted.
Unfortunately, the ones who benefited in the end were these small nobles. They couldn't even protect their own interests. This was the tragedy of the small nobles.
The jealousy and mockery after seeing others earn money was hidden under the noble's elegant and humble appearance. It wasn't as beautiful as they appeared on the surface.
The news that came out of the Ruler's Hall was not only about the Privy Council discussing the nomination of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, but also that the Prime Minister intended to use Lynch and his group as well as some other speculators to deal with the marchers.
They would have to compensate for the amount of money they earned this time. There would also be a punitive fine.
Let's not talk about whether Lynch had the money or not. In short, he wasn't the Guevara People. When the time came, he could just leave and the remaining fines wouldn't even be enforced.
This way, the Emperor and some people who didn't like Lin Qi could always hang Lin Qi high up in the air, making everyone in the Empire feel disgusted with him.
However, those who couldn't leave might become the first batch of nobles to go bankrupt. They definitely wouldn't be able to afford the huge fines. They could only really sell all their family assets to pay the compensation. Soon, they would be living on the streets.
The nobles in the Privy Council were very excited to see a living bankrupt noble in their lifetime. This kind of thing wasn't common.
While people faintly rejected this small group, it also made the small group more united.
The young Earl stood behind Lynch. He clenched his fists and released them helplessly. He couldn't do anything.
The most direct "bitter consequence" of his father's unexpected death was not only the fragmentation of his family, but also the severing of all his connections with the outside world.
These connections weren't inherited by the young Earl because there was a lack of an heir to carry on the connections.
He didn't like coming to the Privy Council very much. This place made him feel unfamiliar, just like now. Not only did the nobles not give him any sense of security, but they also made him feel uneasy.
Lynch happened to block the seemingly malicious gazes of some of the nobles. He strode inside, not afraid of the malicious gazes of some of the nobles.
"What's wrong?"
He smiled at the nobles around him. "Did you see that I'm so shocked that I'm speechless?"
Everyone was very lively just now, but since Lynch walked in, those who were closer to him all shut their mouths.
This was a very strange phenomenon. These people didn't owe Lynch anything and didn't have any problems with him, but at this moment, when they saw Lynch, who was about to be unlucky, they wanted to keep a low profile.
Even if he said something that seemed to be provocative, they wouldn't take him seriously.
"Do you have something to say to me?"
He looked at the nobles around him. They still kept their mouths shut. Lynch smiled. "If you don't have anything to say, then move aside …"
As he spoke, he walked forward. The moment he took a step, the nobles who were closest to him had the illusion that the mountains were collapsing and the earth was cracking. It was as if the whole world had begun to shake with this step.
The expressions of these nobles changed one after another. They became gloomy and stepped aside, making a path for Lynch.
Lynch walked towards the middle of the hall with his head held high. The nobles who followed behind him seemed to have regained their morale after this short confrontation.
When they arrived at their most frequented place, the waiter quickly brought over drinks and pastries.
"Mister Lynch …" A nobleman in his thirties couldn't hold it in any longer. He said softly, "I heard that we might be in trouble!"
There was a trace of uncontrollable fear in his eyes. After all, their opponent this time was the prime minister.
The prime minister of the empire. Even if he was just a mascot in the past, this position and his family weren't just for show. He could easily make these 'small fries' pay a heavy price.
Not to mention, this was a decision made by the ministers and His Majesty in the ruler's hall. Other than the prime minister, their opponents were also His Majesty the Emperor and the ministers.
Once he thought of the terrifying strife they were about to face, a layer of sweat formed on the face of the middle-aged nobleman who spoke.
As he apologized, he wiped away the seemingly endless sweat. In the end, his handkerchief was soaked with sweat.
Lynch looked at him, then at the others. He shook his head casually. "So what?"
He used his attitude to appease these people, including his words. "In my eyes, even the prime minister can't make people bow their heads!"
After he finished speaking, he smiled easily and picked up the teacup on the table. "Besides, we haven't lost yet!"
"But …" The nobleman wanted to say something but was interrupted by the young count.
He glared at the nobleman. "No buts. If Mister Lynch says we haven't lost, then we haven't lost!"
His worship of Lynch was almost engraved into his bones. There was a blind worship complex. Even if Lynch said that the Emperor and the prime minister would duel tomorrow and both of them would die suddenly, he would still believe it to be true.
People were willing to believe in miracles not because they were too miraculous, but because they appeared too ordinary, making it difficult for people to question them.
Who would have thought that in such a short period of time, they had completed what might have taken one or two generations, or even two or three generations of accumulation?
Lynch raised his hand and motioned for the young count to shut up. "When facing an external enemy, what we need to do is not to question my decisions, but to unite. Only then can we defeat the enemy."
"Every one of us is important to us as a whole. We can't lose anyone."
"As for the problem you are worried about, you don't have to worry about it. Like I said, no one will do anything to us."
He spoke very confidently, and his confidence also infected the others. These people's uneasy feelings gradually calmed down.
They gradually stopped paying attention to the discussions around them.