Kingdombuilding: All My Inventions Are Novelty

The emperor’s stern voice echoed through the Imperial Hall.

None of the ministers below voiced any opposition. The Eldorian Empire had just shaken off the humiliating tribute to the Reavers. Could a bunch of fools who suddenly appeared from nowhere force the Eldorian Empire to sign another humiliating treaty?

Moreover, in the ministers’ eyes, the Reavers were the real enemy of the Eldorian Empire. These sea barbarians were insignificant— the ocean was just a strange word to them.

As for the Dutch continuing to harass along the coast, they do not care at all. After all, the one suffering was still Prince Valeric. Besides, the Dutch only dared to bully on the sea, never daring to set foot on land.

"Father, but if we don’t agree to the Dutch demands, they will completely cut off our maritime trade lines, which would be a huge loss for The Empire." the Third Prince pressed on.

He didn’t care about the empire’s dignity; what he wanted was a stable position. Prince Valeric’s power and his own status were intertwined.

The Emperor showed a trace of impatience. He had long harbored dissatisfaction with the foreign surname vassal Princes, but tolerated them for the sake of internal stability.

When the Third Prince took the initiative to bring up the Dutch matter and plead through Prince Simon, he had already become very displeased with Prince Valeric.

Although he was uninterested in the Dutch and didn’t care about Prince Valeric’s dirty dealings with them, the fact that Prince Valeric deliberately concealed this matter was an insult to him, a huge slap to his face.

These days, he had been reflecting on the mistakes he made at the time he ascended the throne. Excessive tolerance had not only made these vassal Princes become ungrateful, but also let their ambitions grow.

Now he could no longer cover for the foolish mistakes of these foreign-surname vassal Princes.

He said coldly, "The loss must have been heavy for Prince Valeric. If I’m not mistaken, because of the coastal pirate trouble, the imperial ships rarely sailed. The coast is mainly Prince Valeric’s business. Even Prince Gerad has to sit and watch Prince Valeric face. Now that this trouble originated from him, he must bear it himself. And remember, you are the Empire’s Third Prince." Aleric reminded.

By the time he finished, the Emperor’s voice was full of warning.

These princes had become completely shameless, acting as pawns for the vassal Princes in the capital, sacrificing everything for their own benefit. Before, the Emperor had turned a blind eye; now, his tolerance had reached its limit.

The Third Prince’s face turned pale. Before, he had looked down on his weak father on the throne, but now a fear suddenly welled up from his heart.

Since the Second Prince was demoted to Snake Town, the princes’ words and actions had gradually become more cautious. No one could challenge the supreme imperial authority.

Though the Emperor’s words were aimed at the Third Prince, his eyes swept over the Crown Prince, Fourth Prince, and other members present in the hall.

The Crown Prince and the others immediately lowered their heads in shame.

Snorting coldly, the Emperor continued, "Baker, stay behind. The rest should leave immediately."

"Long live the emperor!"

"Long live the emperor!"

The ministers shouted in unison, then gradually retreated. Many of the departing ministers looked on with envy.

The Baker family had four generations of grand ministers. Their disciples and former officials were spread throughout the empire. Now, with a son-in-law guarding the frontier, they had everything they could wish for.

After the ministers left, the emperor smiled, "Now, since Prince Simon asked you to speak, it seems I have no choice but to support him in the shipyard building."

"Hehe, Your Majesty can’t be kept in the dark. This matter is indeed serious. Currently, only Prince Valeric, Prince Gerad, and Prince Simon have a coastal domain. Among them, Prince Valeric and Prince Gerad have the strongest navies. If the Dutch continue provoking, Prince Valeric and Prince Gerad can still hold their own against them, but Prince Simon might have a hard time."

"Indeed, you make a good point. Before, I could still rely on Prince Gerad. But after the battle at Preston City, he had really disappointed me. I was fooled by his loyal appearance and didn’t expect him to harbor ill intentions." The Emperor sighed.

"Your Majesty need not be saddened. People can change. As long as Prince Gerad still supports the royal family, that is truly fortunate. And with Prince Simon by his side, Prince Gerad certainly dares not act recklessly." Baker comforted.

The Emperor nodded and said, "It’s just a pity that after all these years and all the silver I spent from the treasury, I’ve only raised a wolf cub, thinking I raised a lamb. As you said, the only way now is to try to support Prince Simon. Starting with the shipyards building."

"Your Majesty is wise," Baker said with a smiley face. "Prince Simon is Your Majesty’s own flesh and blood and much more reliable."

"Exactly." The Emperor stood up and paced back and forth, with his hands behind his back. "You may take my imperial edict and meet with Gareth. He is the supervisor of the Lesser Treasury. He knows exactly how many shipyards the court owns and how many craftsmen there are."

Hearing this, Baker was relieved. Gareth was Maxwell father and had always been friendly with Prince Simon. Gareth would surely give his full effort in this matter.

Receiving the Emperor’s orders, Baker responded and left with immediate effect.

Watching Baker disappear from the Imperial Hall, the Emperor sighed and said to Cail, "I hope I have not misjudged Prince Simon this time."

"Your Majesty’s vision is like a beacon. How could you misjudge him? I also think Prince Simon is excellent, at least far more down-to-earth than the other princes. And Prince Simon never liked playing political games, unlike NATO—"

At the mention of ’Nato’ Cail immediately stopped speaking, knelt in fear, and said, "Your Majesty, I have sinned against you, please forgive me."

"Ah, never mind. I forgive you." The Emperor said softly.

In the past, he would have been furious, but today he only sighed slightly. Time had passed, and he had gradually forgotten many things.

Hearing this, Cail cautiously stood and chuckled awkwardly, "Your Majesty, I have already arranged to transport the hot air balloon outside the city. Today is a perfect day for ascending and gazing afar."

"Let’s go." Since riding the hot air balloon, the Emperor had grown fond of ascending in it to survey the land. He smiled and walked out with Cail.

Meanwhile, Baker had arrived at the Lesser Treasury and found Gareth, who was going over the accounts.

"Registered shipyards?" Gareth asked in surprise.

"Correct. Your Majesty has issued orders to dispatch elite craftsmen from these shipyards to Prince Simon Check the accounts and see how many craftsmen there are." Baker said in delight.

Gareth smiled, "No need to check the accounts. All of this is in my head. The royal family currently owns twelve shipyards: one large, four medium, and seven small. In total, there are 26,000 craftsmen. If half are dispatched, that would be 13,000."

"The Lesser Treasury Supervisor is indeed diligent in his duties. In that case, please ensure that skilled craftsmen are sent to Prince Simon’s domain." Baker cupped his hands in respect.

Gareth returned the gesture. "Since this is for Prince Simon, I will do my utmost."