A Measure of Remarkability

by rmaliet

Against love, hatred is just another side of the coin. Against Yang, there is nothing much for Reinhard to do. Reinhard von Lohengramm enlists the help of imperial concubine Yang Wenli and finds himself pulled deeper and deeper into a web of intrigue and heartache. [main posts are in ao3 under the username ramaliet]

p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"The late Kaiser Friedrich von Goldenbaum IV had a fondness for the color green./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"It was closely reflected in his choices of attire, decor, cuisine, and to a lesser extent, wine - the man had a peculiar affinity for the greener variants of vinho verde - though his taste in hue dimmed when his other, more em style="box-sizing: border-box;"despicable, /emtastes were brought to light, scandalizing the imperial courts./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Annerose had been a mere fifteen when she was abducted from the von Müsel abode and turned into a concubine. Two others - one male and another female, had been of a similar age./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"When the documents have been discretely released by Oberstein into the media, a predicted yet incalculable frenzy of the public had induced. Within a span of a quick week, the centuries-old legitimacy of the Goldenbaum dynasty had been usurped./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"That/em was the perfect paradox of a shameful secret left open - it was a terribly significant disruption to the empire's stability and security, but on the unwavering golden scale of justice it was a long awaited truth to be unveiled. Reinhard supposed that, like most things in life, was a double edged sword, though the edges on both sides were of different degrees of sharpness./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"The old Kaiser had died a sickly shade of a viridescent, an ironic reflection of his greed and his disgusting preferences. He had died without a ceremony, died without a heir./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"His passing had became the insignificant, yet unspeakable, death of a tyrant - quick and easily disregarded, though the same couldn't be said for the political consequences. A bitter question had wrapped itself in the stiff air of the courts, suffocating everyone in it with its assertion:/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Who was to become the next Kaiser?/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;""In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity./em/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;" Sun Tzu - The Art of War/em/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Fleet Admiral Reinhard von Lohengramm was an ambitious, resolute man. That had been strikingly apparent to his peers especially after the supposed disappearance of his older sister./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Court rumors had already speculated that the golden-haired man would seize the throne in an instant and crown himself the next Kaiser of the Goldenbaum dynasty, despite its hereditary traditions. After all, not only did he graduate at the top of his class in the most prestigious military academy of the Empire and possibly the entire galaxy, he had also been the youngest to gain the title of admiralty - credited to his strategic genius that would no doubt be imperative to accomplishing such a feat./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Those speculations had only been partially right, however. He was going to seize the throne - that was undeniably true - but not in the name of the disgraced Goldenbaum dynasty./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"No, he was going to do something unheard of, something that has never been done or perhaps even em style="box-sizing: border-box;"thought/em before. He was going to invoke a paradigm shift in both governance and popular thought, and create a new generation of kaisers through the establishment of another dynasty: the Goldenlöwe./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"The Golden lion./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Months after the previous Kaiser's death had proved that Reinhard needed to plan out his moves fast - while Friedrich IV had no direct heir after the death of his son, he had a male grandchild by the name of Erwin Josef II who was eligible and thus next in line for the throne./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Children thrust into the a high position of authority, especially in an autocracy, often meant the swift decline of said authority and inevitably leading to anarchy. That was something Reinhard sought to avoid./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"It also wasn't particularly pleasant to hear of von Braunschweig's loud dissatisfaction and blunt challenge for the throne from Oberstein either./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""Your Excellency, I would suggest supporting the current young Kaiser at the moment," the unexpressive man advised after telling him of the news, "and although the span of Your Excellency's power is certainly of grandiose proportions, I would also suggest further efforts to gather more support - particularly within the nobility. With the acceptance of more people, the seizure of the throne would be less troubling."/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""Oh?" He raised an eyebrow, setting the datapad he was reading down on his desk. "And how exactly should I execute it?"/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"The older man's eyes had flickered at that, whether from a malfunctioning biocomponent or interest. "Friedrich IV's had a total of three consorts - three of which whom would undeniably share similar sentiments about the current monarchy. Your Excellency's sister was one, was she not? No doubt that the Duchess's sentiments of the government would be similar to the other two."/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""Do not speak so freely of my sister," Reinhard warned sharply, though he clearly knew what his cunning courtier was insinuating./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""My apologies," Oberstein replied, not sounding very apologetic at all in his monotone voice. "But this is a viable course of action. If Your Excellency finds it of merit, I could compose a set of files of the other two concubines."/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""Do so, then." He always had time to further his own ambitions./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"***/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Oberstein had provided him with two files. One was noticeably thicker than the other./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Deciding the flip through the less bulkier one first, he was greeted with a miniature photo of a beautiful young redheaded woman. Her face was shaped in a way that was sharper and more serious than Annerose's./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Piercing green eyes stared steadily into the camera when her portrait photo was being taken taken. They were a hawk's eyes./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Jolene Jackowitz became a concubine at the age of sixteen, abducted from the neutral planet of Phezzan after she had caught an imperial diplomat's attention. However, her travel documents quickly told Reinhard that any attempts to contact her via low-profile means would be in vain, as she had quickly departed back to her home planet shortly after the late Kaiser's death./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Reinhard stopped reading after those words, turning his attention to the larger stack of thin datapads./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Those had to be for the em style="box-sizing: border-box;"male/em concubine. The Count didn't know what to think of that./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Male concubines and consorts in the royal courts weren't exactly unheard of, per say, but it reflected the Kaiser's own preferences, which were often deemed an unwelcome deviation./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Homosexuality had been made illegal during the early years of the Goldenbaum dynasty through the Inferior Genes Exclusion Act, though the law had started to reflect poorly in the empire after manifesting as sharp opposition from members of the FPA. It was quickly decriminalized after the Kaisers themselves started displaying those tendencies - yet the social taboo had remained./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"The Count thought it was more ironic than anything, for the lawmakers to be above the law themselves./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, Reinhard opened the file and was greeted by a very plain-looking man who gazed back at him through lazy brown eyes. Apart from the more foreign facial structure and hair color characteristic of descendants from the Orientals in the Earth Era, the man didn't look much like the seductive, enchanting portrait of an imperial concubine - he held an uncanny resemblance to an academic professor instead./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Strange./em/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"The man's name was Yang Wenli, which further confirmed Reinhard's budding theory that he wasn't born in the empire - most descendants from the East weren't, especially after the multiethnic cleansing facilitated by Rudolf von Goldenbaum - but rather the Alliance. That was interesting, then, if a bit risky./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"It was likely that the man was influenced by republican ideals rather than those of an autocracy in his more impressionable teenage years. He continued reading./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Yang was born in a fluid merchant family and orphaned at the age of fifteen, then he was made a concubine at sixteen as well. That was mostly credited to his father's - Yang Tailong - debt after his merchant wares were discovered to be fakes, which were then levied onto his son after his death./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Perhaps the debt collector had noticed the young boy's ethnicity and offered him up to the Kaiser; since the empire was composed mostly of white caucasians, other ethnic groups were regarded as exotic and rare, boarding the edge of a disgusting, demeaning fetish./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"What had truly caught Reinhard's eye, however, were the extensive reports on his military achievements, however, which were located immediately after the Early Life section./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Though Yang was nearly a decade older than himself, he was around the same age as Reuenthal and Mittermeyer, yet his military achievements far surpassed theirs - his most notable military campaign being the successful capture of one of the alliance's keystone planets, El Facil, while simultaneously limiting the amount of casualties from both sides as well as he could compared to many other battles./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"He had been an acting admiral - replacing Reuenthal - during that victory, and after the brief but intense wave of media attention he retreated back to a life of relative seclusion in the West Garden./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Since then he had been appointed a tactician within the Ministry of War while still retaining his position as a concubine. He'd only raised ranks from there, eventually serving as a prominent but unofficial courtier in the royal courts./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"That was enough for Reinhard. Setting the bulky portfolio back on his desk, he leaned back in his chair and pondered, the empty silver locket in his hand digging into the pale skin of his palm./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""Siegfried!" He eventually called after a few minutes, impatience lacing his sharp voice./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""Yes, Your Excellency?" His friend replied from the white door, bright red hair a stark contrast to the darker background. Reinhard gestured for him to come closer to the desk./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""What do you think of em style="box-sizing: border-box;"him/em?" He thrust Yang Wenli's file into the other's waiting hands. "In terms of political allies - what of him?"/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Siegfried flipped open the thin plastic documents, blue eyes grazing over the words carefully. Eyebrows furrowed as the contents were analyzed./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""I think he'd have valuable insight," he said simply after a period of silent focus. "Given that he grew up in the Alliance and travelled frequently to Phezzan during his childhood, as well as lived in the empire up to this point, Herr Yang has a unique set of experiences that isn't seen much even in the empire. "/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""Isn't that a risk?" Reinhard demanded. In truth, there weren't many people whose advice Reinhard would listen too, but his companion was always an exception - hence his constant clarifying questions./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"The other shook his head. "Your Excellency's very goals are risky in nature, and I anticipate that this is more manageable. In order to properly make fair reforms one must consider the broader spectrum of ideologies."/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""But loyalties are fleeting." He's witnessed it before, manifesting often in the form of violent assassinations. Siegfried smiled as if he'd read his mind./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""If that were the case, then our friendship wouldn't have lasted long."/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"***/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"For a man who was portrayed to be one of the most decorated military admirals in the empire and a renowned senior tactician, Yang "The Magician" Wenli truly didn't look the part - even more so than the picture in his file./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"He was a scruffy, disheveled individual who didn't seem to bother dressing formally in the presence of Reinhard or his other admirals, instead opting for a thick brown sweater and worn-out pants, as well as shoes that might as well be slippers. His black hair was messier than in his photo, sticking up stubbornly in one end, as if he was sleeping just a few moments ago./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Siegfried had eventually advised him to give the man a chance, and those sentiments were shared later by Oberstein. Despite his budding regrets, he had sent Emil for some tea and coffee as he sat at his desk, his other half standing a little ways behind him./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""Right." Yang broke the silence first, after his ill-hidden, shameless appraisal of the Duke's lavish office in the palace. "I'm not quite sure why I'm here."/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"He had a pleasant enough voice, though the rest of his statement gave Reinhard an impression of a scatter-mind./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""Are you really Yang Wenli?" He asked bluntly in disbelief, instead of answering the other's hinted question. Siegfried flinched next to him./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"The man smiled mirthlessly, eyes crinkling in amusement as if Reinhard had made him privy to a joke. "Am I? I suppose that's an ambiguous question with an ambiguous answer, depending on what sort of debauchery you decide - Your Excellency decides - to use me for." The brief slip of words was ignored in favor of another segment./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Debauchery/em? I will never take concubines, if that is what you're insinuating."/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""Ah, so Your Excellency em style="box-sizing: border-box;"is/em planning to seize the throne, then," Yang said, crossing his legs and turning his head to the side, eyes flickering over the preserved paintings hung around the room. Only the Kaiser had the legal and social right to take consorts. "I suppose it can't be any worse than what's going on right now."/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Reinhard shared a brief glance with Siegfried, both surprised by how quickly the man caught on with him. He turned back to face the other a bit more cautiously. "Does that mean you'll support me?"/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""Again, respectfully, that will depend on the sort of debauchery Your Excellency decides to use me for."/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"He grimaced, feeling quite uncharacteristically powerless under the laidback yet incessant prodding from the older man. He barely resisted the urge to tug on the leather casing of the couch. "Your disgraceful insinuations of me are inaccurate. I'm not - I don't ever plan on taking concubines," he restated./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Yang shrugged. "That's not the only thing I'm insinuating, em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Mein Kaiser/em," he said, the title spoke in a mocking context but the tone deceptively neutral. Dark eyes refocused onto the Count, watching him like predator with prey; or prey with predator. "Debauchery comes in many forms of physical gratification. Perhaps the sort Your Excellency will inevitably partake in is different from Friedrich IV's lust for pleasure or Rudolf von Goldenbaum's pride, though I'm not quite sure exactly em style="box-sizing: border-box;"what/em."/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"The man's metaphorical canine teeth were revealed for a moment, his claws unsheathed - sharper than anticipated. But as soon as Reinhard was granted a glimpse, they retreated in a flash, behind a thick veil of nonchalance and innocent observation, and Yang looked away./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Emil had chosen that time to walk in with a silver tray of beverages, and quickly poured the liquids into their respective cups. Yang had thanked him and took a sip of his tea./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Another uncomfortable silence wafted through the air once the Duke's aide had left. Reinhard looked at Siegfried again, unsure of how to proceed./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""Herr Yang," the other started in place of the Duke, "I believe it would be beneficial to inform you of what exactly His Excellency Duke Lohengramm's purpose was to invite you to this meeting."/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""From a legal standpoint, I am still the property of the current Kaiser," Yang murmured, raising an eyebrow. "Thus, I wouldn't if I were you - Admiral Kircheis. Doing so is an unwise political move."/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""But you don't want to be, do you?" Reinhard interrupted hastily before his friend could reply. "I mean - continue being someone else's legal property. A concubine," he amended after seeing the man's brief perplexed visage./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"The tactician shrugged again. "Living in the Neue Sanssouci Palace's West Garden is certainly very comfortable for a lazy old man like me. I don't even need a pension."/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Reinhard gaped./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""What about the principle of the matter?!" He nearly shouted, incredulous at the man's willful stubbornness. "Freedom of choice: is that not a worthy incentive?"/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""em style="box-sizing: border-box;"That/em principle hasn't been in motion since the start of the Goldenbaum dynasty, though I can hardly blame them. Governments operate in an endless cycle of autocracy and democracy. Autocracy, as a means to stabilize and secure, and democracy, as a means to liberty and the truest pursuit of happiness. May I speak honesty, Your Excellency?"/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""Please do." The man's statements seemed to be genuine from the start of their meeting; why would he feel the need to ask?/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Yang sighed, suddenly looking very tired. "I don't know the exacts of Your Excellency's motivations, nor do I particularly care. I doubt I'm going to live long enough to really witness anything of note, either, so even if I do support Your Excellency, my contributions are going to be of very little note." He paused, gaze traveling across the ivory bookshelves in the room, before he continued. "I just want to drink brandy and read - those are my aspirations."/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""Those are very mediocre ambitions," Reinhard huffed disapprovingly, crossing his arms. "I've see your military reports. Your talents are wasted with your inaction."/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""The freedom to waste my talents is one of the only ones I have left," came the even reply, "and I fully intend on exploiting that liberty as much as I can."/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""At the expense of possible reforms?"/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"The other man leaned further back into the cushions of the soft couch, though he redirected his gaze to Reinhard. "What sort of reforms?"/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""Freedom of speech, for example." It was the most championed, decorated right in much of human history despite its limited applications./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""How free, then? If Your Excellency were to fulfill the goal of becoming Kaiser, and I called Your Excellency Reinhard von em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Goldenbaum/em instead of the legitimate surname because I am a Goldenbaum dynasty sympathizer, what would happen to me?"/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"The very thought irked him considerably, as well as how specific the example was, but he willed for his expression to stay flat. "That is acceptable. There wouldn't be any legal consequences."/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""Oh?" Yang narrowed his eyes in challenge, seemingly dissatisfied with the answer. No doubt he noticed the slight pause. "And what if I were to bring Annerose into this as well-"/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""You-!" Siegfried uncharacteristically interrupted, hands clenching into tight fists and reaching for his sword. "Don't speak of Duchess Grünewald with such disrespect!"/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Dark eyes focused on his companion, watching his movements. "And why not?" He asked, objective appraisal mixed in with genuine curiosity, "I do not mean any disrespect for her when I say this - consider it a test run of potential free speech - but what I am saying here right now is only the tips of the depths people will express. And imagine, centuries later, when Your Excellency's supposed Kaiserdom has ended - the history will become even cruder, the titles and names disregarded further. What of that, then?"/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""So you're not arguing in favor of free speech, then?" Reinhard grit out./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""No. I am instead saying that if free speech were to be considered, were to em style="box-sizing: border-box;"ever/em be considered in any sort of government as a em style="box-sizing: border-box;"protected right/em, then it should be protected at em style="box-sizing: border-box;"all/em em style="box-sizing: border-box;"costs/em."/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Later, historians would say that this quote truly marked the archetypal union between the Goldenlöwe dynasty's first Kaiser Reinhard von Lohengramm and enigmatic tactical genius Yang Wenli, even though said union had not occurred yet and was in serious threat of ever becoming one./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"Both the Duke and his friend were positively bristling at this point./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Insolence!/em Reinhard thought angrily. It was clear that the man was baiting him, but what a powerful bait it was! He was trapped in a tight political stalemate, woven intricately and unobtrusively like a spider's delicate silk web by the Magician himself - the cunning specimen! He was neither an enemy, nor was he an ally./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;"That was what was most threatening about him and his displacement./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""May I speak honestly again, Your Excellency?"/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""Out with it. Haven't you spoken without tact since the start?"/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""Yes, yes, but I'm also very motivated by self-preservation. I'd rather be more cautious around powerful political and military leaders than not, and reap the consequences."/p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""I am not a tyrant," Reinhard spat, hands turning into fists. His coffee had gone cold./p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;" /p
p style="cursor: text; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; counter-reset: list-1 0 list-2 0 list-3 0 list-4 0 list-5 0 list-6 0 list-7 0 list-8 0 list-9 0; font-family: cabinregular, sans-serif; font-size: 1.2em; letter-spacing: 0.05em; line-height: 1.8em; color: #333333; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: #f0f0f0;""We'll see about that," Yang smiled bitterly. "But I'd really like to go home now."/p