Heinrich could feel Adele's gaze resting on him through the candlelight. He wanted her to ask something, but he didn't know how to answer if she asked.
After a while, maybe just a few seconds, or maybe a few centuries, the Queen looked away.
"This time the focus is on port regulations," Adele said.
She didn't ask anything.
"Between sailing and port, sailing is more sensitive." Heinrich didn't know whether he should be proud of the excellent students he taught, who could completely separate personal feelings from government affairs, or feel bitter. He turned his gaze to a document the Queen had placed on the table.
The reason why the discussion went on so late was related to the document drafted by the Queen's private legal counsel.
It is part of the upcoming revision of the Navigation Regulations.
At the beginning of the document, "Roland Empire Import and Export Regulations" was written in cursive fonts as beautiful as printing. If Heinrich had to describe it, it was the most terrifying part of the entire navigation regulations, and the part that was most likely to detonate the entire situation. .
"The nobles will not oppose it, the port cities will not oppose it, and the common people will not oppose it."
Adele tapped her fingers on the table lightly, meditating, and said slowly.
"But it will usher in the vigilance of more than the Yager Kingdom." Heinrich said.
This matter is related to Roland's port trade.
After the defeat in the naval battle more than ten years ago, in order to avoid high maintenance expenses and to repay part of the war debt, Roland's Royal Fleet ships were auctioned off to private ownership. After that, the era of the two kings of the Roland Empire came to an end, the Caesarean kingdom rebelled, the queen was guillotined, and domestic politics fell into long-term chaos. The navy never recovered. The weakness of the navy caused the Roland Empire's maritime activities to decline in just a dozen years, and without the protection of its armed forces at sea, Roland's merchants were simply unable to participate in the sea competition in the age of sail.
This is why the queen was able to force Heinrich to back down, and Heinrich was able to persuade most nobles to give up control of the port and accept a plunder license.
Today, merchant ships from the free commercial city-states, the Tuva Dynasty and other places have made the ports on the east side of the Roland Empire busier. But at the same time, what is distressing is that more than 70% of the Roland Empire's trade goods are shipped by foreign ships.
For this reason, even though Roland's port is still busy on the surface—even busier than before, for the Roland people, their cloth industry, shipping industry, and shipbuilding industry are still rapidly declining.
"Gold coins fall into other people's pockets at the door of the house".
These words could not be more appropriate to describe the current Roland Empire.
Right now, the "Roland Empire Import and Export Regulations" placed on the queen's desk will undoubtedly become the trigger to detonate this situation.
For the queen, this regulation is a necessary condition to promote the recovery and development of port commerce and the development of the shipbuilding industry. The Roland merchants and port magistrates, envious of foreign merchants coming and going, would agree with both hands—they have long blamed their poverty on these foreign ships. Nobles... Don't forget that most nobles also have their own caravans.
And for the empire as a whole, they have a better reason to support this regulation—
Pass on the hatred.
The Queen and her government are able to transfer the resentment that has been born among the general public over the years by chaos and natural disasters, and transfer it abroad, to the foreign ships that come laden with money. You can also take this opportunity to gather the national consciousness of the Roland people.
But if they do so, they will face the hostility from the Free Chamber of Commerce city, the interference from the Papal State, and the fuel from the Yager Kingdom.
A war that belongs to the commercial field, and may even lead to the military field, will be started with this thin document.
"You can wait a little longer." Heinrich suggested, "Wait until the new market opens up before issuing the award."
Heinrich dissented on this matter.
There are many reasons, for the empire, for the family, and more importantly, what he himself does not want to admit... for his selfishness.
In his heart, he didn't want Adele to propose this regulation.
It may bring a chance to restore the glory of the empire, and bring unprecedented good times to ports, nobles and merchants. But it brought more crises, more blame, and more fatal risks to the queen.
Anyone who is sober enough should know that the queen's current authority is only temporary.
Once the Queen takes the lead in this bill, there is no doubt that people will spare no effort to use her "God's blessing" name to promote it and implement it. If the opportunity contained in it succeeds, the queen will be completely enshrined in the altar, but if it fails, the queen and her government fail to withstand the risks it contains, fail to withstand the pressure from abroad, and the empire falls back into the quagmire , then the hatred that was originally passed on will be intensified on the queen.
People don't care whether it is the failure of the government's implementation, or whether the entire operating system should bear the consequences of the failure.
They will only pour all their anger on the Queen.
At that time, the queen is likely to lose the crown again and lose her life.
"People regard kings as gods," Heinrich whispered, "but kings are mortals."
Adele stared at the "Roland Empire Import and Export Regulations" on the table for a long time, the candlelight flickered and danced, and the flames were both bright and scorching. Naturally, she can wait until the new market is opened, and then implement this regulation without any risk.
However, she can wait, but Roland cannot.
When the new market is opened, Roland will slowly develop the shipbuilding industry and train his own sailors and merchants. When they arrive at the new market, the Yager merchants and merchants from other countries who have heard the news have already Divide it up.
What they will open is a brand new cake. Before opening the cake box, they should prepare the weapons and power to protect it.
"Opportunities come with risks."
Adele replied.
She is the queen, she is Roland, and she is responsible for all the fate of the empire. She picked up a pen, added a line of words at the bottom of the regulations, and finally signed her name:
Adele Rowland.
The handwriting is sharp, like a sword out of its sheath.
……………
The one-month preparation period for the Congress has passed, and on the day the Congress was officially held, the imperial capital, Gelt City, was shrouded in autumn.
The autumn of Gelt is so beautiful that it can be painted. The vast royal forest crawls on the east side of this ancient imperial capital. In autumn, the maple trees there are burning in patches, and the deep red and golden leaves are as beautiful as Lady's skirt. The light passed through the forest and fell on the Geltic city guarded by it. The spiers and walls of this ancient rock building also became gloomy and elegant. The White River flows through the city, changing its colors throughout the day as the sun's rays change.
There are special inspection posts on both sides of the Baihe River to dock the royal barges.
On her less busy days, Adele is seen as often as she can, either sailing the White River on barges or riding the royal route through Gelt. In this regard, her views have always been the opposite of Heinrich's. Heinrich believed that maintaining the mystery of the king is more conducive to consolidating his majesty, while Adele believed that every step a ruler takes away from the people is a way to guillotine himself. Send it one step closer.
On the day of parliamentary session, the queen chose to go by barge.
"People say she is the chosen rose."
As pirates, Saran and the magician were not eligible to accompany the queen to the opening ceremony of the parliament, and they were mixed in the crowd.
At this moment, the banks of the White River were already full of citizens waiting to see the Queen. Some of them had witnessed the Queen walking out of the Cathedral of Santa Maria surrounded by Dalton and others, while some People regretted not going to the square that day and wanted to grab the ground with their heads.
During this period, the scene of God Blessing the Queen was repainted by countless skillful painters and goldsmiths. People who missed the miracle bought them one after another and placed them in their homes as sacred objects. Soon, such things as jewelry boxes, hanging pictures, holy boxes and so on became the most popular decorations in the imperial capital.
There was a heartfelt cheer when the queen's own barge, adorned with glass windows, appeared on the river.
"What an awe-inspiring monarch."
Saran sighed in a low voice.
The queen is wearing a crown and a long pure white dress. Every carefully crafted fold and lace undulations on the skirt are decorated with diamonds, which reflect small round bright spots like stars in the sun. A crimson cloak was added to the skirt. The rippling light of the river fell on her body, and her face descended to the world like an angel in the light.
The Queen smiled and raised her hand towards the people by the White River.
It was a completely different smile from the arrogant or false smiles of nobles.
Saran could feel that she loved her people wholeheartedly, and the smile she showed them was so gentle and kind. And he believed that not only he felt this, but everyone felt it.
The cheers got louder.
An old man was moved to tears when the woman courted him with a nod in return.
Standing in the crowd, Saran suddenly became a little silent after witnessing all this. The magician raised his hand and pressed the wide-brimmed hat on top of his head, thinking that this scene would dissuade him from the thought that Dalton would blow his head, and was about to turn his head and talk to him. Unexpectedly, I heard a sentence right after:
"...it looks more beautiful."
The magician was silent for a moment, and stood a little away from him.
Dalton didn't know what happened here, otherwise he might want Saran to get out of Roland overnight and go to the continent of Elmia.
When the royal barge arrived at the parliament, Heinrich was just about to step forward and reached out to help the Queen off the boat. Dalton on the side took the first step and reached out to the queen.
As the Queen's Knight Commander, he was given the right to wear the royal red coat. Today he is wearing the costume of a knight commander instead of a marshal of the empire, with a golden rose inlaid with rubies on his shoulder and white gloves.
The queen put her hand on his.
Heinrich stood up straight without saying a word, watching Dalton help the queen off the boat, the queen turned her head to thank him with a slight smile.