Taking a deep breath and admonishing himself thrice with "Don’t be angry," Horn walked into the Stag Chamber.

Accepting the tea tray from the maid, Horn approached the long table without greeting anyone.

Only after Horn finished pouring tea and coffee for everyone did the entire Stag Chamber quiet down.

Setting the tea tray aside, Horn sat directly at the main seat, intertwining his fingers, and surveyed the room slowly like a witch doctor consulting: "What’s the purpose of today’s gathering?"

Besides a few Imperial Cardinals, there were nine county monastery heads seated.

After the third constitutional amendment, Horn established county monasteries above the village monasteries, with the highest official being the monastery head.

Most of these monastery heads were formerly legion secretaries or senior pastors.

For instance, Adol, the Shangruifo County monastery head; Ansel, the Langsande County monastery head; Todd, the South Mande County monastery head.

And those remaining from former county governors.

For example, Martin, the Kasha County monastery head; Hylviss, the Mande County monastery head; Moro, the North Mande County monastery head; Seching, the North County monastery head.

The nine monastery heads looked at one another, and none spoke up.

Instead, Qianqian, as the Saint Vault Master, spoke, "They are discussing the issue of relocating the Shangruifo County bleaching workshop."

Simply put, the argument among these monastery heads is centered around the workshop.

More accurately, it’s about the workshop subsidies.

Under the unique system of the Holy Alliance, monastery heads at all levels have significant fiscal autonomy.

This has little to do with corruption; mainly, more fiscal income means more resources, which means more can be done.

Fiscal income is the monastery heads’ action points; naturally, everyone hopes for more action points each round.

As for whether the actions can bring good outcomes, that’s up to individual capability.

Therefore, as Shangruifo County’s monastery head, Adol is naturally doing his best to fight for his own.

"Your Grace." Adol even seems a bit aggrieved, "We all rely on the bleaching workshop to make a living here!

The population in Shangruifo County is already small, and it’s hard to keep people without a bleaching workshop.

I’ve nurtured it for three years, it took me three years to develop the bleaching workshop.

With it being relocated, it’s like handing over the child I’ve raised for three years to Langsande County.

Although Langsande County is the hub of the Holy Alliance, Shangruifo County is also your birthplace, your hometown.

Even if it has to be moved, I say nothing else, let Langsande County reimburse me for the money I’ve spent!"

"I’ll reimburse you for an egg! The workshop is Holy Alliance property, not your private asset, I won’t reimburse you an egg!" Ansel was uncompromising, "Adol, you keep rattling about it.

Shangruifo County wasn’t right for a bleaching workshop from the start, you made the wrong choice, who will compensate you for your losses."

"Since it’s all Holy Alliance assets, doesn’t it make no difference wherever it’s placed..."

Watching the pair about to quarrel again, Horn turned helplessly to Madlan, "Is what they say true?"

"Mostly true, it’s the decision from the Imperial Cardinal Conference, also why you and the monastery heads were invited today."

"Why was this resolution passed?"

Qianqian pulled out a map marked with trade lines and canal traffic routes and approached.

"See here..."

After Qianqian’s explanation, Horn finally realized.

Shattered Stone Plain’s wool enters Thousand River Valley via two paths.

The first path enters Shangruifo County from Bear Chomping Castle, but is impassable in winter.

The second path enters and exits North Mande County from Ladan Castle, accessible all year round.

The wool processing involves first descaling in South Mande County, carded, and rendered into spinnable wool.

Then handmade yarn through village workshops, woven into threads and transported via river to ry Court Barracks.

At ry Court Barracks it’s processed into woolen cloth using spring mechanism, then shipped from Ibe River to Narran River, upstream to Shangruifo County.

This woolen cloth is finally bleached and roughly processed in Shangruifo County, then sent to Rapids City for dyeing.

Afterwards, there are two directions.

One directed to Joan of Arc Castle for garment manufacturing or local sales for Thousand River Valley domestic markets.

Another involves shipping woolen cloth from Rapids City at the junction of three rivers towards Leia, Norn, Falan, and Black Snake Bay.

The problem is between Joan of Arc Castle and High Castle.

If the bleaching workshop is set near Joan of Arc Castle, then northern transportation of woolen cloth is unnecessary, saving substantial freight and loss, and easier for trade.

But doing so would surely cause severe impact on Shangruifo County.

As Todd mentioned, Langsande County has numerous industries, excluding the direct jurisdiction of ry Court Barracks, it also has garment workshops, paper workshops, printing houses, Black Snake Bay trade, etc...

Shangruifo County only has two industries, oil workshops and bleaching workshops.

Taking away a vital lifeline from Shangruifo County, it can’t be considered not urgent.

"The subsidies for cattle and sheep pastures exist in Shattered Stone Plain but not here, subsidies for steel and iron mines exist in North Mande County but not here, let alone Hotam County and Lower Reif County." Adol almost cried blood, "Where is the woolen textile economic belt, it’s just a periphery economic belt of Shangruifo County!"

"Don’t you still have oil workshops?"

"Don’t you have paper, printing, and garment workshops? What’s the matter with losing one bleaching workshop?"

Ansel looked toward Horn helplessly.

Shangruifo County was caught in a dilemma, neither side can be handled, but it happens to be Horn and Jeanne’s hometown.

Many of the Holy Alliance’s high-ranking officials have their hometown in Shangruifo County as well.

"Adol." Once Saint’s Grandson speaks, it’s like an Angel farting with an exceptional presence; everyone fell silent, holding their breath.

Only Adol stood nervously in place.

"The bleaching workshop is indeed too remote, I can’t give it to you, and asking Langsande County for compensation isn’t a solution.

The urgent task is to find an industry suitable for Shangruifo County, with accessible raw materials."

"But Shangruifo County is too ordinary, apart from rapeseed flowers, nothing else stands out." Adol complained, "We can’t plant rapeseed flowers everywhere, can we?"

Horn shook his head, "That’s too risky... Okay then, the bleaching workshop cannot be compensated, it must be relocated.

But the Holy Alliance Center can fund the construction of a horse-drawn railway track between North Mande County and Shangruifo County.

I can’t handle everything for you, the rest you’ll have to figure out yourself."

Adol nodded at Horn dejectedly, glaring resentfully at Ansel, and returned to his seat.

After resolving this core issue, the rest of the meeting process progressed rapidly.

If the discussion were to continue, the allotted time would certainly be insufficient.

But generally, the monastery heads only spoke broadly; only if Horn showed interest would they be invited for private discussions post-meeting.

Sure enough, after the meeting, Horn instructed them to duly prepare for next week’s public opinion representative assembly, then took Seching and Adol for lunch.

As for the remaining individuals, they naturally organized their materials and headed to the restaurant for meals.

Just as South Mande County’s monastery head Todd finished tidying up, he felt someone pat his shoulder.

"Your Highness Jeanne."

Jeanne looked at him with a slight grin: "Are you free after lunch? Come to my study after eating; I have something to ask you."