RLQ - Chapter 33
Chapter 33: She is Roland
Heinrich could feel Adele's gaze lingering on him across the candlelight. He hoped she would ask something, yet didn't know how he would answer if she did.
After a moment, perhaps just a few seconds, or maybe a long few centuries, the Queen withdrew her gaze.
"The focus this time is on the Port Regulations," Adele said.
She didn't ask anything.
"Between navigation and ports, navigation is more sensitive." Heinrich didn't know whether to be proud that the student he taught was so excellent, capable of completely separating personal feelings from state affairs, or to feel bitter. He directed his gaze towards a document the Queen had placed on the table.
The reason the discussion had gone on so late was related to this document, which the Queen had instructed her private legal advisor to draft.
It was part of the Navigation Act that was about to be revised.
The document began with beautiful, printed-like script stating "Roland Empire Import and Export Regulations." If Heinrich were to describe it, it was the most terrifying part of the entire Navigation Act, the part most likely to ignite the whole situation.
"The nobles won't oppose it, the port cities won't oppose it, and the common people won't oppose it,"
Adele tapped her fingers lightly on the table, thinking deeply, and said slowly.
"But it will draw vigilance from more than just the Yage Kingdom," Heinrich said.
This matter was related to Roland's current port trade situation.
After the naval battle defeat over a decade ago, to avoid high maintenance costs and to repay some war debts, the ships of Roland's Royal Fleet were auctioned off to private owners. After that, the era of the Dual Kings in the Roland Empire ended, the vassal state of Kailailey rebelled, the Queen was sent to the guillotine, and domestic politics fell into prolonged chaos. The navy never recovered. The navy's weakness led to the decline of maritime activity in the Roland Empire over just a decade, and without the protection of a naval force, Roland's merchants were completely unable to participate in the maritime competition of the age of sail.
The reason the Queen could force Heinrich to yield, and Heinrich could persuade most nobles to give up control of the ports in favor of accepting privateering licenses, was precisely this.
Currently, merchant ships from the Free Commercial Cities, Tuva Duchy, and other places made the ports on the eastern side of the Roland Empire quite busy. However, at the same time, it was disheartening that over seventy percent of the trade goods entering and leaving the Roland Empire were transported by foreign ships.
For this reason, even though Roland's ports appeared busy – even busier than before – for the people of Roland, their textile industry, shipping industry, and shipbuilding industry were still rapidly declining.
"Gold coins falling into others' pockets at their doorstep."
This phrase perfectly described the Roland Empire's situation today.
And now, the "Roland Empire Import and Export Regulations" placed on the Queen's desk would undoubtedly become the fuse to ignite this situation.
For the Queen, this regulation was a necessary condition to promote the recovery and development of port commerce and the shipbuilding industry. Roland's merchants and port administrators, who envied the foreign merchants coming and going, would surely support it wholeheartedly – they had blamed their poverty on these foreign ships for a long time. As for the nobles... don't forget that most nobles also had their own merchant fleets.
And for the Empire as a whole, they had an even better reason to support this regulation –
Shifting resentment.
The Queen and her government could transfer the resentment that had arisen among the general populace over the years due to chaos and natural disasters abroad, onto those foreign ships arriving laden with money. They could also use this opportunity to consolidate the national consciousness of the Roland people.
But if they did this, they would face hostility from the Free Commercial Cities, interference from the Papal State, and instigation from the Yage Kingdom.
A war in the commercial sphere, potentially even escalating to the military sphere, would be ignited by this thin document.
"You could wait," Heinrich suggested. "Wait until the new market is opened before issuing it."
Heinrich held an opposing view on this matter.
There were many reasons: for the Empire, for his family, and more importantly, something he was unwilling to admit... for his personal feelings.
In his heart, he didn't want Adele to propose this regulation.
It might bring the Empire an opportunity to regain glory, bringing an unprecedented golden age to the ports, nobles, and merchants. But for the Queen, it would bring more crises, more accusations, and more deadly risks.
Everyone sober enough should know that the Queen's current authority was only temporary.
Once the Queen spearheaded this bill, there was no doubt that people would spare no effort to promote and implement it using her name as "God-Blessed." If the opportunities it contained succeeded, the Queen would be completely elevated to a divine status. But if it failed, if the Queen and her government couldn't withstand the risks it entailed, couldn't resist the pressure from abroad, and the Empire fell back into the mire, then the resentment that had been shifted away would be directed back onto the Queen with even greater intensity.
People wouldn't care if it was the government's implementation failure, or if the entire operating system should bear the consequences of the failure.
They would only pour all their anger onto the Queen.
At that time, the Queen was very likely to lose her crown again, and also her life.
"People treat kings as gods," Heinrich whispered, "but kings are ultimately mortals."
Adele gazed at the "Roland Empire Import and Export Regulations" on the table for a long time. The candlelight flickered and danced, the flame's light and heat coexisting. She could, of course, wait until the new market was opened and then implement this regulation with absolute certainty.
However, she could wait, but Roland could not.
If they waited until the new market was opened for Roland to slowly develop its shipbuilding industry and train its sailors and merchants, by the time they reached the new market, the Yage merchants and merchants from other countries who had heard the news would have already divided it up.
They were about to open a completely new cake, and before opening the cake box, they should prepare the weapons and strength to guard it.
"Opportunity and risk coexist."
Adele replied.
She was the Queen, she was Roland, and she was responsible for all the Empire's destiny. She picked up a pen, added a line at the bottom of the regulation, and finally signed her name:
Adele Roland.
The handwriting was sharp, like a battle saber drawn from its sheath.
The one-month preparation period for the National Assembly had passed. On the day the Assembly officially convened, the imperial capital, Gelt City, was enveloped in autumn colors.
Gelt's autumn was beautiful enough to be painted. To the east of this ancient imperial capital lay the vast, sprawling Royal Forest. In autumn, the maple trees there ignited in swathes, their deep red and golden leaves as magnificent as a noble lady's gown. Light swept over the forest, falling upon Gelt City, which it guarded. The spires and walls of this ancient city, built of stone, also became somber and elegant. The White River flowed through the entire city, changing its hue throughout the day with the shifting sunlight.
Special checkpoints were set up on both banks of the White River for mooring the royal barges.
When Adele wasn't too busy, she would appear before the people as much as possible, either sailing on the White River by barge or riding horseback along Gelt's Royal Avenue. In this regard, her view was always contrary to Heinrich's. Heinrich believed maintaining the monarch's mystique was more conducive to consolidating authority, while Adele believed that every step a ruler took away from the people was a step closer to the guillotine.
On the day the National Assembly convened, the Queen chose to travel by barge.
"People say she is the chosen rose."
As pirates, Saran and the Magician (Gurian) were not qualified to attend the National Assembly's opening ceremony with the Queen; they mingled in the crowd.
At this moment, the banks of the White River were already filled with citizens waiting to see the Queen. Some of them had personally witnessed the Queen emerging from St. Mary's Cathedral surrounded by Dalton and others, while some regretted not going to the square that day so much they wanted to bang their heads on the ground.
The scene of "God Save the Queen" had been re-depicted by countless skilled painters and goldsmiths during this time. People who missed the miracle bought them up, placing them in their homes like sacred objects. Soon, items like jewelry boxes, hanging paintings, and holy boxes became the most popular decorations in the imperial capital.
When the Queen's exclusive barge, decorated with glass windows, appeared on the river, the people cheered sincerely.
"Truly a monarch worthy of awe."
Saran sighed softly.
The Queen wore a crown and a pure white long gown. Every carefully crafted pleat and lace detail on the dress was adorned with diamonds, reflecting tiny, star-like points of light in the sunlight. Over the gown, she wore a deep red cloak. The shimmering river light fell upon her, her face in the light like an angel descending to earth.
The Queen smiled at the people along the White River banks and raised her hand.
It was a smile completely different from the proud or artificial smiles of the nobles.
Saran could feel that she loved her people wholeheartedly. The smile she showed them was so gentle, so kind. And he believed that not only he felt this, but everyone felt it.
The cheering grew louder.
An old man was moved to tears when the Queen nodded back at him in greeting.
Saran stood in the crowd, witnessing all this, and suddenly became somewhat silent. The Magician (Gurian) raised a hand to press down the brim of his wide-brimmed hat, thinking this scene had made him abandon the idea that would be enough for Dalton to blow his brains out, and was about to turn and speak to him. Unexpectedly, he then heard a remark:
"...She looks even more beautiful."
The Magician (Gurian) was silent for a moment, then moved a little further away from him.
Dalton didn't know what was happening here, otherwise, he would probably want Saran to get out of Roland overnight and roll all the way to the Elmiya Continent.
As the royal barge arrived at the National Assembly hall, Heinrich was just about to step forward and reach out to help the Queen disembark. Dalton, standing nearby, stepped forward first and extended his hand to the Queen.
As the Queen's Knight Commander, he had been granted the right to wear the royal exclusive red coat. Today, he was wearing the Knight Commander's attire rather than the Imperial Marshal's uniform. On his shoulder, he wore the golden rose inlaid with rubies, and he wore white gloves.
The Queen placed her hand in his.
Heinrich stood up straight without a word, watching Dalton help the Queen off the boat. The Queen tilted her head and gave him a slight smile to express her thanks.
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