Chapter 1688: Chapter 101: Court Conference
Canglan City.
During the reformist administration, there were constant upheavals, making the capital, as the political center, bustling with activity.
When the Conservative Faction took power, everything changed.
As a vested interest group, they were most averse to reform, and apart from overturning most reformist policies after taking office, they made no major moves.
In the era of feudal lords, if the Kingdom Government didn’t actively seek out work, they truly didn’t have much to do.
The originally busy government departments suddenly found themselves idle. Conversations after meals shifted from domestic politics to international affairs.
Whether this change is good or bad can’t be determined in the short term, but at least the kingdom’s situation hasn’t worsened.
All parties were able to accept this, except for Caesar IV, whose days were rather frustrating.
If you don’t do anything, you won’t make mistakes. The Conservative Faction hadn’t done anything substantial, leaving the King without any chances to find faults.
Wanting to regain control of the court, who knows how long that might take.
For a young king, losing significant power is undoubtedly very serious.
Burdened with various anxieties, Caesar IV’s mental state deteriorated, desperately needing a major event to restore his royal authority.
“Your Majesty, good news!
A message from Snow Moon Territory says Marshal Hudson hopes you can convene a court meeting to invite the kingdom’s governors to collectively discuss dealing with the Orc Empire.”
Count Mitchell said excitedly.
As Palace Minister, his power is deeply tied to the King’s.
If Caesar IV were to be sidelined by the Conservative Faction, he, as the representative of royal authority, would also lose his political voice.
After anxiously waiting for half a year, a critical breaking point finally arrived.
The Conservative Faction might refuse anything else, but dealing with the “Orc Empire” is an exception.
“What happened?”
Caesar IV asked concernedly.
Regarding the orc issue, Hudson had early on stated that a full-scale war would only commence once the kingdom had accumulated sufficient resources.
The major forces within the Kingdom also accepted this notion.
In everyone’s eyes, a new round of warfare between the kingdom and the orcs would erupt in the next five to ten years.
With a few more years to recuperate, everyone’s overall strength would be at its peak by then.
“Your Majesty, recently the frontlines have been peaceful, with no signs of any orc movements.
Though international antics are frequent, none have deeply affected the kingdom.
The domestic situation, even more so, is as calm as stagnant water, without a single ripple.
Perhaps it’s Marshal Hudson who has new ideas and thus requested the court meeting!”
Count Mitchell hurriedly explained.
In recent days, he summarized the reasons for the reformists’ failure, one of which was: lack of cohesion between the ruler and ministers.
The reforms led by their own king were decided by consulting only the capital’s ministers, neglecting the powerful nobles in the regions.
In terms of loyalty, the capital’s ministers were indeed more reliable, but their power derived from the monarchy and, while appearing high in status, their actual strength was very limited.
Instead, the regional supporters of reform with real power were the true core of the reformists.
The lack of close contact between the two led to a scattered reformist power that failed to suppress the Conservative Faction during their advantage, resulting in a reversal of fortune.
Externally, it seemed like the emerging nobility betrayed the reformists at the court meeting, but in reality, tensions had arisen long ago, just hidden away.
Having suffered once, Count Mitchell dared not let his king casually speculate again.
If misjudgment led to compounded errors, handling matters afterward would become troublesome.
“Inform Marshal Hudson that I agree to the court meeting; let’s set it for one and a half months from now!”
Caesar IV thought and said.
No matter what plans Hudson had, he needed an opportunity to emphasize his presence.
The Conservative Faction comprised a bunch of old men, content with maintaining the status quo, but he, the King, was different.
If inactive for too long, the political prestige accumulated earlier would gradually dissipate.
…
Prime Minister’s Residence.
A gathering of Conservative Faction big shots, ever since receiving Hudson’s request to convene a court meeting, everyone’s mood became anxious.
There’s no undefeated general in politics.
Since the reformists’ defeat, the kingdom’s political scene turned stagnant, which is extremely unusual.
The emerging nobles surrendered too easily, without any means of counterattack, making these old folks suspect they were holding back a major move.
Even though many of their family members were entwined within the emerging nobles, once separate families were established, their political stances naturally diverged.
Different branches of the same clan being politically opposed is quite normal on the Continent of Aslante.
To mitigate risks, major clans rarely go all-in, fully betting on one political group.
“No need to worry too much, we haven’t done anything lately that could leave room for blame.
We’ve also been keeping an eye on the Emerging Aristocrat Group; they’ve been busy developing their territories, lacking energy to form alliances.
Perhaps Marshal Hudson proposed the meeting purely to deal with the Orc Empire!”
Duke Beckett said calmly.
As the newly appointed Chancellor, he had an intimate understanding of the kingdom’s situation.