Chapter 410: The Imperial Court Hall
A/N: interesting time to stick around and find out how Simon plans to use Valerie’s defeat to his advantage.
TRUST ME YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THE FULL....
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Eldorian Empire, The Imperial Hall.
The atmosphere inside the imperial court hall was unusually tense.
Aleric Ashbourne stood before the assembled officials and generals, his face dark with anger. Suddenly, he flung a memorial scroll onto the floor.
It landed at the feet of the Third Prince.
"Read it. Go on!"
His voice echoed through the hall.
"This is the memorial just submitted by Prince Gerad. And this"—Aleric pointed angrily at the scroll—"concerns Prince Valeric you have defended so desperately."
He clenched his fists tightly.
"Look at what your uncle has done. He has embarrassed the entire Eldorian Empire!"
Hearing this, the Third Prince’s face turned pale.
He quickly bent down and picked up the memorial. But after reading only a few lines, his expression changed drastically.
The contents were far worse than he had expected.
Prince Valeric’s fleet had been defeated by the Dutch. And what made the matter especially humiliating was the scale of the defeat. Hundreds of warships had been defeated by a Dutch fleet of barely less than twenty vessels.
A mocking smile appeared on the Fourth Prince’s face.
With the Second Prince no longer in the court, the Crown Prince’s position had become increasingly secure. That left the Fourth Prince with only one real rival—the Third Prince.
He knew he had little hope of ever becoming emperor.
Still, he hoped that by performing well enough before their father, he could eventually be rewarded with a prosperous domain to oversee.
"Father," the Third Prince hurriedly said, "although Uncle was defeated by the Dutch, he fought for the dignity of the Eldorian Empire. He dared to confront the foreigners instead of surrendering without a fight. Even if he lost, his courage should not be condemned."
He understood the situation better than anyone.
His influence in court had grown largely because of the support he received from Prince Valeric.
Now that Prince Valeric had suffered such a humiliating defeat, the Third Prince’s own standing among the ministers would inevitably suffer.
And the report of hundreds of warships being defeated by only less than twenty Dutch ships had made matters even worse.
"A silver tongue indeed!"
An official wearing a crimson court robe stepped forward.
"Prince Valeric has brought disgrace upon the empire and damaged our national honor, yet Your Highness still praises him as though he were a national hero. How shameless!"
The official’s words immediately drew several approving glances.
The Fourth Prince’s smile deepened.
The northern and southern vassal Princes had never been on particularly good terms. Over the years, many officials had become aware of Prince Valeric’s secret dealings and ambitious nature.
They had long hoped that something would happen to weaken him.
Now that Prince Valeric had been crushed by the Dutch, they naturally weren’t going to waste the opportunity.
The Third Prince’s expression darkened.
He knew he was at a disadvantage this time, but that did not mean he would allow himself to be humiliated.
He glared at the official.
"Raymond, enough with your sarcastic remarks. At least Prince Valeric dared to fight the Dutch."
His voice grew louder.
"What about the rest of you? You sit safely in Eldorian while watching the battle from afar. If you think Prince Valeric performed so poorly, then tell me—who among you dares to face the Dutch fleet?"
The entire hall suddenly fell silent.
Not a single official answered.
The Third Prince swept his eyes across the silent ministers and sneered.
"What? No one dares?"
The silence became even heavier.
Seeing this, Aleric’s brow furrowed.
The Eldorian Empire had never possessed a proper imperial navy.
The only significant fleets belonged to the coastal vassal Princes—Prince Valeric, Prince Gerad, and Prince Aurelia. Among them, Prince Valeric and Prince Gerad possessed the strongest naval forces.
Now, with Prince Valeric’s fleet defeated, Prince Gerad was the only remaining vassal Prince with a considerable size. But Aleric understood something else.
If Prince Valeric, with hundreds of warships, could not defeat the Dutch, what chance does Prince Gerad stand?
The Third Prince’s question had exposed the court’s greatest weakness.
For a moment, even Aleric felt embarrassed.
"Is there truly no one in the entire Empire capable of fighting the Dutch?"
His voice was heavy.
The Third Prince’s eyes flickered.
"Father, Prince Simon’s domain is also located along the coast. Since Prince Simon has already driven away the reavers, perhaps he may be capable of dealing with the Dutch as well."
"Ridiculous."
Baker Hughes immediately stepped forward.
"Prince Simon’s domain has only been stable for two years. Where would he obtain enough warships to fight the Dutch?"
The Third Prince frowned.
Baker continued before he could respond.
"Third Prince, the matter before us is not merely the defeat of Prince Valeric. The greater problem is the treaty the Dutch are demanding."
The ministers’ expressions became serious.
"Yes, the Dutch are using the defeat of Prince Valeric to force concessions from the Emperor," Baker said.
"They demand that Dutch ships be exempt from taxes throughout the empire. They want six coastal cities opened as trading ports, and they demand that Dutch goods be exempt from taxation."
He paused.
"In other words, they want the empire to grant them treatment equivalent to the most favored status already enjoyed in the Valeric Domain"
Several officials immediately erupted in anger.
"This is outrageous!"
"The Dutch are treating the Eldorian Empire like a defeated nation!"
"This is all because of Prince Valeric’s foolishness!"
"Exactly! Third Prince, what do you propose we do?"
The hall descended into chaos.
The Third Prince’s expression became increasingly ugly.
This was no longer merely a dispute between Prince Valeric and the Dutch. If the empire accepted these conditions, every coastal lord would be affected. While the Dutch would gain enormous commercial privileges throughout the empire. And after finally breaking free from the humiliation of paying annual tribute to the northern reavers, the empire would once again be forced to bow its head before a foreign power.
Naturally, the ministers were furious.
But anger alone could not change reality.
The Dutch had demonstrated their naval superiority.
"Father," the Third Prince finally said, his voice hesitant, "for the time being, perhaps our only choice is to accept their demands temporarily."
The court immediately fell silent.
"The Eldorian Empire does not possess a navy capable of defeating the Dutch. If we refuse their treaty, they may continue attacking and harassing our coastal regions."
"Absolutely not!"
Blackbones stepped forward and shouted.
"Your Majesty, we cannot accept such humiliation!"
His voice thundered through the hall.
"The empire has only just defeated the northern reavers and avenged the humiliations our empire suffered in the past. How can we bow our heads again?"
He turned toward the Third Prince.
"Prince Valeric lost only a portion of his fleet. He still possesses enough strength to continue fighting!"
Hearing this, Blackbone’s expression hardened.
"We should order Prince Valeric to continue resisting while having Prince Gerad cooperate with him. If their fleets join forces, perhaps they can defeat the Dutch!"
Aleric’s face became increasingly gloomy.
He looked at the Third Prince.
Then at Blackbones
Then at the furious ministers surrounding them.
"Enough."
His voice silenced the entire hall.
"I will consider this matter carefully before making a decision."
He swept his eyes across the ministers.
"Is there anything else?"
No one immediately responded.
"Then court is adjourned."
"Your Majesty."
Just as Aleric was about to leave, Baker stepped forward.
"I have another matter to report."
Aleric stopped.
"What is it?"
Baker smiled.
"Your Majesty, I have recently received some interesting news from Prince Simon’s domain."
"Interesting news?"
"Something called a potato has recently been brought from Brambleford."
At the mention of potatoes, Aleric’s expression immediately softened.
"This thing tastes quite good," Baker continued. "Many merchants in the empire have already begun selling them. I wonder if Your Majesty has tried them?"
"Hahah!"
Aleric’s mood visibly improved.
"I have. I’ve been eating them for the past few days."
A rare smile appeared on his face.
"Prince Simon sent me several sacks and even included instructions on how to prepare them. I had never tasted anything like them before."
He chuckled.
"But those potato fries suit my taste surprisingly well."
Among all his sons, it seemed that only Prince Simon could consistently bring him some happiness.
Baker smiled.
"I have tasted them as well. Their flavor is indeed remarkable."
He paused deliberately.
"But I heard something even more interesting."
Aleric raised an eyebrow.
"What?" He asks.
"It is said that these potatoes came from overseas."
"Overseas?" Aleric’s voice carried a hint of surprise in it.
"Yes. According to the reports, Prince Simon seized them from foreign reavers."
Aleric was even more shocked.
"Seized them?"
"Indeed."
Baker nodded.
"It is said that Prince Simon dispatched three warships to the Southern Seas. They encountered a fleet of foreign reavers, defeated their warships, and seized the potatoes."
He glanced around the hall.
"And according to the information we have received, those reavers came from the same region as the Dutch."
Aleric’s eyes narrowed.
"The same region?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"I wasn’t aware of this."
Baker nodded.
"This was actually mentioned in a letter my daughter sent me. I found the story rather interesting myself."
He smiled faintly.
"I never expected Prince Simon to be so fierce at sea."
The Third Prince immediately sneered.
"Are you suggesting that Prince Simon can defeat the Dutch simply because he defeated a few foreign ships?"
Baker looked at him calmly.
"I never said that. However..."
His gaze shifted toward Aleric.
"It may not be impossible."
The Third Prince frowned.
Baker continued.
"Prince Simon’s greatest weakness is that he lacks shipyards. If the imperial court were to assist him in establishing more shipyards and expanding his fleet, perhaps the Prince Simon could eventually make a name for himself at sea."
The ministers exchanged glances. The suggestion was bold. But it wasn’t entirely unreasonable. After all, Prince Simon had already demonstrated that he was willing to venture into the Southern Seas.
And unlike Prince Valeric, who had suffered a disastrous defeat at the hands of the Dutch, Prince Simon had actually won his first naval confrontation. What no one in the court knew was that this entire conversation had been carefully arranged.
Elin had indeed sent the letter. But its contents had been dictated by Prince Simon. The moment he learned of Prince Valeric’s defeat, he understood that an opportunity had appeared.
The imperial court was now desperate for someone capable of challenging the Dutch. And he intended to make sure that person was himself.
By using Elin to inform her father about his naval victory, Simon had created the perfect reason for the court to assist Brambleford with shipbuilding.
Aleric’s expression gradually became thoughtful. His confidence in Prince Valeric had been shattered. As for Prince Gerad, he could no longer place complete trust in him either. But only Simon was different.
Prince Simon had repeatedly surprised him.
Whether it was the potatoes, the southern trade routes, or his recent naval victory, the young Prince seemed to possess an ability that none of his brothers had demonstrated.
After a moment, Aleric finally spoke.
"Baker is absolutely right."
His voice carried unusual determination.
"Regardless of what happens next, the Empire must not compromise with the Dutch this time."
After hearing this, a glimmer of satisfaction flashed through Baker’s eyes.