Chapter 170: Sanitary Reform and Change (4)
In every era and every nation, there exists at least one idiom expressing the unpredictability of life.
This universal acknowledgment across different cultures and histories serves as proof that all humanity deeply resonates with the truth that life is inherently uncertain.
Duke Sforza, at the age of 72, once again grasped this reality all too painfully today.
"How dare a mere baron humiliate me like this?"
He felt an overwhelming urge to crush him, even if it meant mobilizing every ounce of power his faction could muster.
A mere baron—a petty noble whose voice barely carries weight in the central political arena—had dared to disgrace the Duke of an Empire.
The insult alone bordered on treason. Had there been any pretext, he would have acted immediately, perhaps orchestrating a tax audit and search of the Rothschild barony, or leveraging his connections with influential archbishops of the Church of Deus to accuse him of heresy.
He could have rallied the nobles of his faction to file lawsuits accusing the baron of misconduct and causing havoc.
Any of these actions, if successful, would have confined the young upstart to his estate for the next five years. And if all three hit their mark, he would either live out his days as a recluse or face a complete stripping of his title.
"How is it possible for him to handle matters so impeccably that there's not a single flaw to exploit? Tell me, Count Ajaccio! How can someone commit such atrocities and yet leave no grounds for impeachment?"
Count Ajaccio, the Duke's right-hand man and the second most powerful figure in the Sforza Duchy, let out a deep, weary sigh.
“I ordered the judges affiliated with our faction in the High Court and officials in the Ministry of Justice to scour for even the smallest speck of dirt. But after analyzing the documents in detail, all we received in response was, ‘No grounds for impeachment.’”