King

Late at night, Emerald Palace.

"Grand Duke Madeleine, are you sure Hudson really wants to retire, and is not deliberately testing us?"

Grand Duke of Newfoundland asked with concern.

After receiving the news from Madeleine, these old guys got up from their beds and rushed over to discuss the matter overnight.

Hudson's recent actions are indeed a bit abnormal, and the Koslo family has not expanded in the court.

But this does not mean that he is going to retire. Without full certainty, any action of the royal family may lead to uncontrollable consequences.

"Grand Duke of Newfoundland, how can this be false!

Marshal Hudson has never been keen on politics, this is a well-known fact.

He was able to stay as the regent purely because of his brother's will, and he could not refuse.

As the strongest man on the continent, what he pursued was no longer secular power.

When his cultivation reached that level, it was common to be in seclusion for several years at a time.

He had already made clear the way forward, and if he crossed the current level, he would be able to enjoy a thousand years of life.

Perhaps the current disputes in the court are just a farce in his eyes.

All the recent actions are actually showing us his intention to leave.

If we don't take the initiative, the two factions will probably merge next.

With Marshal Hudson's reputation in the country, as long as he personally mediates the disputes between the new and old nobles, the probability of success is very high."

Grand Duke Madeleine preached hard.

The regent minister is not worthy of the title, mainly because her contribution to the royal family is far from enough.

She killed more than a dozen alien sanctuaries, but that was accomplished by the cooperation of many sanctuary masters, so she didn't get much credit.

It was completely incomparable to Hudson's record of killing dozens of alien sanctuaries.

Compared with the previous achievements, her military exploits suddenly seemed mediocre.

She was even worse in politics, and she couldn't find any opportunities to show her abilities, and she didn't make any achievements at all.

If she wanted to turn things around, the best choice was to facilitate this transaction.

The power of the royal family and the political power of the Ha family were superimposed, and they already had the strength to check and balance the conservative camp in the court.

Occupying the position of assistant minister, plus her own contribution in this transaction. Even if the royal family was reluctant, they had to give her a push.

The future faction's rulers would be these old guys in the royal family, but she could also serve as a nominal leader.

A nominal boss is still a boss.

As time goes by, her reputation and influence will naturally grow.

Turning the virtual into the real became a matter of course.

Anyway, she is a professional in designing and removing obstacles.

Whoever dares to stand in her way will be doomed.

She didn't dare to use it in front because Hudson, who has a higher level of cultivation, was watching her, and she was not sure she could fool him.

As long as she didn't use it too much and didn't use it directly on the big guys, she wouldn't attract the attention of the strong men in the Holy Land.

"If it is true, then we must do this deal.

We don't expect to take over Marshal Hudson's political power in its entirety, but as long as we can gather half of it, we can gain a firm foothold in the court.

The value of such an important political force is difficult to measure simply with money.

It is not so easy to trade with equal benefits.

Marshal Hudson would definitely not look down on ordinary things.

Money has no meaning to him. He can get three to five million gold coins in dividends from the Near East Development Bank every year.

As the first magic pharmacist on the continent, the price of the potions made by Marshal Hudson has always been high.

If he is willing, he can earn millions of gold coins every year just by selling magic potions.

Combined with the income from the territory, it is estimated that his total income is close to half of the empire's fiscal revenue.

The rapid development of Xueyue Territory is all made with money. Looking at the entire continent, only Marshal Hudson is willing to spend huge sums of money on the territory every year."

Grand Duke Efiero analyzed carefully.

Obviously, he still saw some bubbles in the Ha camp. But there is no accurate understanding of how much water there is.

Taking over more than half of the power is his psychological expectation. After all, this kind of change of power will itself cause factional turmoil.

Many people are willing to follow Hudson's name, which does not mean that they are still willing to follow after the boss is changed.

The changes in the court should not be too big in general. What Hudson can give, the royal family can also give. It is mainly the position of the local princes, and the range of change may be a bit large.

The supporters of the Ha camp in the local area are mainly concentrated in the grassland. Because the territory was conquered by Hudson and everyone, the influence in the local area is very high.

After the royal family took over, these local nobles may not be so convinced. It just so happens that these local princes have super high autonomy, and even if they leave the camp, the impact on themselves will not be too great.

There are too many people involved, and they can't be bribed with benefits.

"Money and resources won't work, so we can only use fame and fortune.

Marshal Hudson wants to retire, but he must not leave in disgrace, but must return in glory.

We might as well give him a big gift and order him to establish the Principality of Snow Moon on the basis of Snow Moon Territory, guard the eastern gate of the empire, and guard against the resurgence of orcs!"

Grand Duke Madeleine's proposal instantly caused an uproar at the scene.

When Caesar IV was crowned emperor, he conferred Hudson the title of Grand Duke of Snow Moon, which theoretically qualified him to establish a principality.

In fact, in modern times, this is no longer possible. Unless the country is divided and the imperial power collapses directly, it is difficult for local princes to be independent.

Without the support of the feudal lord, if you force yourself to establish your own power, you will be branded as a traitor. Not only will you have to bear the pressure of public opinion and morality, but you will also be suppressed by the empire.

"Grand Duke Madeleine, you are splitting the empire!"

Venerable Terran couldn't help but forcefully said.

Every human empire is a behemoth. Once it is established, the threat of external enemies will become a secondary contradiction. The biggest hidden danger is internal division.

The collapse of empires in history was all caused by internal divisions without exception. If the threat of external enemies is serious, then the duration of persistence will be longer.

"Venerable Terran, the situation we are facing is different, and we cannot completely apply historical experience.

After the establishment of the Snow Moon Principality, there are at least three benefits:

First, we no longer need to worry about Marshal Hudson's monopoly of power and long-term control of the government and the imperial power.

Second, we can regain our foothold in the court and check and balance the conservative government.

The last and most important one.

Marshal Hudson's life span is long enough. He will still be here a thousand years later. No one knows whether the empire can last that long.

With his character, as long as he makes a promise, he will definitely fulfill it.

At least for a thousand years, the Snow Moon Principality is loyal to the empire. If something unexpected happens in the middle, the emperor can still summon him to protect him.

As for the adverse political impact, it is possible, but it will not be too big.

We are afraid of Marshal Hudson's control of the court, and the conservative camp is also afraid. They also want to be able to send Marshal Hudson out of the court with a legitimate reason.

After all, Marshal Hudson is not only the marshal of the empire, but also the marshal of the entire human race.

In terms of treatment, the empire cannot be harsh.

With his reputation, as long as he does not commit a serious crime such as treason, even if the future emperor takes power, he cannot be dismissed.

If he keeps this person in the court, even if he does not want to take power, all the civil and military officials will sooner or later become his students and old officials! "

Grand Duke Madeleine explained calmly.

It is not painful to sell the father's land, only she can think of these reasons. If it were someone else, it would be impossible to consider this aspect.

The main reason why Hudson chose her to be the middleman is that Grand Duke Madeleine does not have such deep feelings for this country.

If a better way appears, it is not impossible to abandon the empire.

In her mind, the empire can be used as a bargaining chip. Hudson's desire to jump out of the cage is naturally forgivable.

In fact, if Hudson talks to the royal family in person, the probability of success is higher, but he is careful about his reputation.

The nature of asking for it yourself and the royal family taking the initiative to propose it is completely different. Even if insider trading is spread, there will be more sympathizers, and there is no need to bear the stigma of traitors.

Everyone wants to refuse, but they have to admit that Madeleine is right. If Hudson is allowed to stay in the court, his students and former officials will definitely be all over the world in the future.

A super-long standby regent who cannot be revoked has too much political influence. Once he is in office for a long time, the outside world will realize that this is a tumbler in the political arena.

Those who play politics want to follow a reliable boss. Compared with other factions, a power reshuffle will be carried out every few years or decades, and a stable backer like Hudson is definitely the first choice.

The siphon effect occurs, and fission is just a matter of time. The conservative camp is so wary of Hudson, in large part because he has time to outlast all his opponents.

In the interests of the empire, such a capable marshal must not be kicked out; but from the standpoint of the royal family, measures must be taken to eliminate this threat to the imperial power.

Hudson has no ambition now, but people always change. No one can guarantee that he will still be loyal to the emperor after accumulating prestige for a hundred or eighty years.

If one day, the empire has become one's own people, then the legal basis may not be unshakable.

In essence, the legal basis is not something that falls from the sky. In the earliest empire in human history, the emperor was elected by the people below.

With the development of the times, there was a saying of legal succession. Later, with the growth of theocracy, the emperor chosen by God appeared. It was just the fall of the gods that ended with it.

If the gods had not fallen, the Alpha Empire would most likely inherit the legal system of the Empire of Light and hold high the banner of divine right of kings.

In a sense, the fall of the gods is also a blow to the monarchy, and they will no longer have sacredness.

Of course, in the extraordinary world, these shocks are not a big deal.

The royal family and the aristocratic group control absolute military power, and even if the ordinary people below have ideas, they can't make any big waves.

Seeing that everyone was slow to express their opinions, the Queen Mother on the side couldn't hold back and urged: "If you have any ideas, please speak up quickly!

Marshal Hudson has a split heart, and he must give an explanation. If it takes too long, the conservative government may have reached a deal with him first."

This is a realistic issue!

The royal family can support Hudson to establish a principality, and the conservative government can do the same. The regent has been issuing decrees to all directions in the name of the emperor for more than one or two days.

Although this operation is prone to criticism, the final result is the same. Under the current situation, the emperor cannot stand up to veto these decrees, which will not affect the legal effect of the decrees.

"Queen Mother, we have no more choices now. If the establishment of the principality is Marshal Hudson's own idea, then no one can stop it under the current situation.

If he just wants to retire decently and has no intention of setting up his own business, then there is still a certain amount of room for operation.

It's just that the public's criticism will be very loud, which may easily affect you and even your majesty."

The Grand Duke of Newfoundland said in embarrassment.

You can't have it both ways.

If you want to bring a respected regent back home, you must come up with a plan for proper placement, otherwise someone will have to come out and bear the infamy of criticizing the meritorious ministers.

The most important thing is that when the emperor needs to be summoned in the future, people will have a reason to be passive and lazy.

"Think of another plan, your majesty's reputation must not be affected!"

The Queen Mother rejected it outright.

Having seen the cruelty of politics, she knew very well that some black pots could not be taken.

Without listening to the specific plan, you know that it is definitely not a good thing. It seems that Hudson was only slightly offended, but in fact, all the military nobles in the empire were offended.

If the imperial marshal can be treated unfairly, the political treatment of the people below will definitely be affected.

Whoever sets such a precedent is the enemy of the military. If the real master of this country is offended, the queen mother will not be able to hold it back.

If someone takes advantage of it and takes the opportunity to expand the contradiction, it may trigger a coup.

The military system of the Alpha Empire is a hotbed for coups. It can be stable until now, mainly because of the political skills of the bigwigs in the court.

No matter what the cause is, as long as a military coup occurs, someone needs to take responsibility. If you take the blame now, you will be a national sinner in the future.

...

When the royal family was in a dilemma, Hudson and the conservative camp fought fiercely, as if they were about to become a family.

Affected by this, the situation in the court also stabilized. The two camps, which had been fighting each other, quickly drew closer thanks to the efforts of spies planted by the conservatives.

Except for a few officials who were competing, the remaining bureaucrats changed their faces in various ways, as if they had become friends overnight.

The sudden change made officials from other factions very uncomfortable.

Originally, they were able to survive in the cracks by relying on the internal fighting between the two camps. Now that the two factions have begun to merge, the impact on them is too great.

The changes in the court have brought heavy pressure to the royal family. Reason tells them that if they don't stop it, the merger of the two factions will become a reality.

By then, the government's personnel appointments and dismissals, and financial disposal power will all be monopolized by others.

By then, officials from other camps will either defect or be squeezed out of the court.

To be precise, this situation has already begun to happen. After realizing that the situation was not good, many officials contacted the two factions privately.

Including some officials from the royal camp, they are also secretly preparing a way out for themselves. If the situation continues to deteriorate, they will switch to a more promising camp.

After discovering something was wrong, the bigwigs in the royal family immediately realized that things could not be delayed any longer. The senior members of the royal family, who had not made up their minds, stood up and strongly demanded this transaction.

Now everyone can no longer care about the chain reaction that may be triggered. The bad political consequences of establishing the Xueyue Principality may only cause a crisis, but the current political crisis is imminent.

After weighing the pros and cons again and again, in the 100010th year of the Holy Calendar, an edict issued from the palace directly broke the tranquility of the empire.

The last time the emperor authorized the princes to establish a principality was a thousand years ago. The establishment of the principalities and kingdoms in the future was all done by the princes themselves.

After being shocked by the content of the edict, many officials immediately realized that the situation was not good. Although the principality belongs to the empire, it is already semi-independent.

It is obviously a bit inappropriate to continue to serve as a regent and hold the military and political power of the empire.

Thinking of the court struggle, anyone with a little political mind knows that this is a counterattack made by the royal family.

If no action is taken, Hudson's other sons will also marry the bigwigs of the conservative camp, and the situation will be even more out of control.

It just so happens that normal marriages between nobles cannot be brought to the court.

After all, the top circle is so small that it cannot be avoided at all.

What everyone is concerned about now is: Will the imperial government veto the edict?

In a joint-stock country, although the emperor holds great power, he is not the only one who has the final say. The government has the right to veto major political decisions.

If the emperor still insists on implementing the edict after the government vetoes it, and the government is unwilling to make concessions, then it will be submitted to the noble parliament for a vote.

Under normal circumstances, things will not get to that point. As long as one party realizes that it cannot gain an advantage in the vote of the noble parliament, it is likely to choose to make concessions.

When it comes to himself, Hudson needs to avoid suspicion. The dominant power to decide whether he stays or leaves is in the hands of the conservative camp.

There is no surprise. The conservative bigwigs who have long wanted to drive Hudson away said as soon as they received the edict: obey the emperor's will.

...

Marshal's Mansion

After receiving the imperial edict, Hudson immediately fulfilled his promise and directly summoned his faction's younger brothers and introduced them to a group of royal leaders.

Now, it is up to you to decide how many people you can take away.

For a while, all kinds of promises and bargaining became the mainstream at the banquet. It was a little vulgar, but it was efficient.

In order to avoid being harassed, Hudson, the protagonist, left the scene early and drank tea and ate melons in the backyard.