Chapter 441: Chapter 428 Corruption Issues
The term "royal kindred," if not understood by someone familiar with the workings of the Victor Empire, may be ambiguous in its meaning.
The majority might equate it with the Royal Family, perceiving it to mean relatives or family of the emperor himself.
While theoretically not all that different, there are noticeable distinctions.
Simply put, the relatives of the Victor Empire’s emperor are divided into the Royal Family and royal kindred. The Royal Family refers to those directly related by blood in the traditional sense, usually within three generations of direct lineage.
For instance, take Perfikot as an example; if her grandfather has a blood relation with the Royal Family or her grandmother within three generations, then she and her parents can be considered Royal Family.
Yet in the next generation of Perfikot, unless she personally marries someone within the direct lineage of the Royal Family within three generations, her descendants would not be considered Royal Family.
The royal kindred, however, are those outside the Royal Family who can trace their lineage to them. Many among them may no longer hold a noble title, but if their bloodlines are traced, they can be linked to the Royal Family. To distinguish them from ordinary citizens of the Empire, they are referred to as royal kindred.
Usually, the Empire does not offer any special privileges to the royal kindred, at most providing a subsidy or job arrangement in cases where their livelihoods are truly untenable.
However, to apply for this, royal kindred status must be proven with clear, traceable lineage, preferably with a complete family tree.
Otherwise, if anyone comes forward claiming to be royal kindred, the Empire does not have the resources to verify and arrange for each claim.
Since anyone with a blood relation to the Royal Family can be considered royal kindred, it becomes a large group that, in the past, was mostly assimilated into the Royal Family’s industries. Though not wildly wealthy, they at least had stable jobs and better income than the average person.
Nevertheless, such status fails to obscure the fact that they form a unique social group.
For instance, right now, the Empress personally inquires with Perfikot about how she intends to manage the royal kindred.
Facing the Empress’s inquiry, Perfikot hesitated a moment before responding, "Your Majesty, I have not provided special treatment to the royal kindred, but if you command it, I can prepare three shelters for them in the Northern Territory."
"That will suffice." The Empress nodded with satisfaction upon hearing Perfikot’s answer.
For the Empress, she needs to consider the issue of the royal kindred, but it remains a consideration only.
"Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty. At present, all resources are extremely precious, and we truly cannot squeeze out more balance." Perfikot explained and looked towards the others, asking once more, "Does anyone have any other questions? If not, please proceed with your tasks according to the issued documents and requirements! In this time of crisis, the Empire requires everyone’s dedication to their duties."
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Whether officials and nobles fulfill their duties, Perfikot does not know and is not in the mood to investigate these details.
But to ensure all plans proceed smoothly without unforeseen issues, Perfikot still organized a supervisory team, placing it under the command of Eldest Princess Annie to inspect various conditions within the Empire, preventing issues like corruption and neglect of duties.
After all, Perfikot knows all too well the nature of the Empire’s nobility and bureaucracy.
To say they lack ability underestimates them; to call them human might overestimate them.
The Empire’s nobility generally excel in the sense of "I have ability, but it’s all used to avoid behaving like a human."
Preferring not to entangle with these nuisances, Perfikot handed this troublesome task to Eldest Princess Annie.
In the current situation, Eldest Princess Annie taking charge of these matters seems appropriate. After all, given the present circumstances, only the Royal Family’s authority and the Knight Order’s swords and shields can make those who believe the end is nigh and that everything will collapse rein themselves in a bit.
Indeed, Perfikot does not even hope for them to truly fulfill their duties, just wishes these fools would use some common sense, understanding what time it is now.
If they truly have any sense, they would know that by complying well with the Empire’s policies and performing their own duties, they can have a chance to survive.
However, if they disrupt or abandon their responsibilities, what awaits them will be the swords of the supervisory knights.
In chaotic times, severe measures are essential. Even Eldest Princess Annie lacks her usual benevolence, dealing with corrupt and negligent officials by executing them upon confirmation of crimes, even skipping the trial process — execution follows directly upon evidence, allowing no room for negotiation.
"I didn’t quite understand before why you would execute so many people; now I finally see..." Within Perfikot’s office, Eldest Princess Annie, appearing exhausted, removed her armor and weapons, casting them on the table, while expressing to Perfikot: "Some people truly have no right to live! I can hardly imagine, in such times, there are still people daring to indulge in rampant embezzlement of the key materials meant for constructing shelters!"
And how do they dare do it? They embezzle the funds allocated by the Royal Family for comforting and aiding the impoverished, and if that’s not enough, they also embezzle the food. Do they so wish for the common people not to survive?"
Perfikot simply continued reading documents with an expression of indifference, responding in a flat tone: "Aunt Annie, you’ve seen too little if that surprises you. If you were like me, you would know that the Empire’s nobility and officials often truly abandon human behavior when they cease to act as humans."
"But they even embezzle the relief food. What purpose does embezzling serve?" Eldest Princess Annie still couldn’t comprehend.
"The relief food for disaster is embezzled and then sold at high prices, earning them a substantial profit." In Perfikot’s eyes, this level of corruption is nothing significant; history of the original world has long proven that in great disasters, there are always those seeking to profit: "Those slightly conscientious, or having to deal with superiors’ inspections, will purchase inferior food with embezzled money as a facade, so the people at the bottom have something to fill their stomachs with.
If even that pretense isn’t maintained, I can only say the Empire’s officials always manage to devise new tricks in inhuman behavior."
"Isn’t there any way to stop all this?" Eldest Princess Annie looked to Perfikot, hoping the person she regarded as the smartest genius in the Empire could offer a solution.