Volume 2: Empire Chapter 102 I'm Going to the North
The Imperial Court has reached a consensus on the situation in the North. Facing the elite legion of the Art County Alliance, the Northern Legion, which has too many recruits, would be courting death if it attacked against the elite legion.
Relying on the fortress to hold on is the only viable strategy.
Pure defense consumes a lot of soldiers' energy, especially when they are surrounded and have no support. The soldiers' fighting will is far more useful to the war than skills and tactics.
The war in the north is definitely an extremely difficult one. If the eldest grandson of the emperor of the empire appears on the front line and fights the enemy together with the soldiers, it will definitely greatly boost the morale of the army.
Moreover, Sinclair had served in the North for a long time and was familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of each Northern unit. He could smoothly command and mobilize the newly added Northern Legion.
Sinclair is undoubtedly the most suitable person to supervise the war in the North.
But no one in the palace dared to raise this issue publicly.
Sinclair is the only son of the eldest prince Fania and the only grandson of the empire.
In order to protect Sinclair, Fania did not allow him to go to the southern front to fight.
You have to know that on the southern front facing the Tedega Hills, the Empire has the military advantage and is the attacking party, and with the protection of General Joe Shuel, Sinclair's safety on the southern front can still be guaranteed.
In the north, the empire was on the defensive. Facing the initial offensive of the Art County Alliance, the north would inevitably lose a large amount of territory and troops. No one could guarantee that the northern army could stop the attack of the Art County Alliance, and Sinclair might die unexpectedly in the war.
Who would dare to publicly suggest at this time that Sinclair go to the North to supervise the war? No matter how the North fights, if the eldest prince Fania ascends the throne in the future, he will inevitably be liquidated.
Therefore, when Luke proposed sending Sinclair to the North, the meeting immediately became awkward.
Everyone glanced at the eldest prince Fania, waiting for his reaction.
Before long, Fania said to Luke with an unhappy look on his face: "Sinclair is of noble status and is related to the inheritance of the future empire. The North is too dangerous, and he is not the most suitable candidate."
The ministers looked at Luke again.
Luke said, "Your Highness, you know the North better than any of us. If there was a suitable general who could lead the newly added North Army, this person would not have been delayed until now.
The North has a complete group of fortresses. As long as the North can hold off the initial offensive of the Art County Alliance, the war can be dragged into a protracted war. By then, whether the New West Territory Legion is reorganized, or the war on the South Front is won, or there are other armies that can support the North, the war will turn around.
And if the northern fortress group is breached, the army of the Art County Alliance will march straight into the heart of the empire and then approach the imperial capital.
If they want to hold the North, they must let those new recruits know that the Imperial Family is with them.
If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince feels that Sinclair is not suitable to be the Commander of the North, then His Royal Highness the Princess can go there too."
Agatha immediately said to Queen Christina, "I can go to the North. According to the intelligence the Secret Service has now, the attack of the Art County Alliance is likely to be advanced to early winter. If the North does not have a commander, it will not be able to stop the opponent's attack."
Agatha asked for battle. Queen Christina considered Meteor's proposal and the overall situation in the North and said, "The issue of who will be the commander of the North cannot be delayed any longer. Although I don't know much about military affairs, I also know that the morale of the army is very important in a defensive battle.
Facing the Empire's old enemy, the Art County Alliance, the Empire must use the highest standards of means to deal with it and let the soldiers guarding the border for the Empire know that the royal family is with them.
Agatha is in charge of the Imperial Secret Intelligence Service and must stay at the center to monitor intelligence from all parties. She can no longer go far away from the imperial capital like she did to the West.
The North... I'm going!"
Everyone in the conference room was shocked by the Queen's decision.
Now, due to health reasons, Emperor Augustine has handed over the power of state affairs to the Queen. The Queen's visit to the North is equivalent to the Emperor's personal visit, which will definitely much more than the Emperor's grandson or the eldest princess.
but……
Prime Minister Gabriel immediately said, "Your Highness! You still need to handle state affairs on behalf of His Majesty, and you cannot leave the imperial capital easily."
Other ministers also said that the queen could not leave the imperial capital and suggested choosing another suitable person.
Queen Christina insisted, "The biggest political issue facing the empire right now is the crisis in the North. If the North is lost, I won't be able to face Your Majesty. It would be better for me to die in the North."
As for government affairs...
I have convened many cabinet meetings on behalf of His Majesty, and I feel that the cabinet is fully capable of handling state affairs. And His Majesty also said that after he recovers, everything will be back on track.
After I went to the North, the court was handed over to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet."
Prime Minister Gabriel did not expect happiness to come so suddenly. Emperor Augustine handed over state affairs to the queen, and now the queen has handed over state affairs to the cabinet. Isn't it me who has the final say in the empire?
Gabriel suppressed the urge to agree immediately and replied in panic: "Your Highness, I am afraid that the cabinet is not up to the task of taking such a heavy responsibility. Please do not go to the northern border to take risks, and choose a suitable general."
Queen Christina glanced at the stunned eldest prince Fania.
"There are so many important officials in the cabinet who are more qualified than me to handle this responsibility. Moreover, the rumors that arose during His Majesty's convalescence have caused me great harm. I am very tired every day.
I'll go to the North!
There are so many generals in the North, let them handle the fighting. I will be in charge of the field hospital and do my best to take care of the wounded soldiers."
Queen Christiane's determination to go to the North has not wavered at all, which makes everyone present think... It seems that His Majesty has not passed away, and the rumors that the Queen kept the death a secret have been refuted.
This made the eldest prince Fania look embarrassed.
Fortunately, Sinclair was left in the imperial capital.
The northern border is really too dangerous at this time, and once there is a major change in the court, the imperial capital must have someone who can quickly take over the army.
As for the Queen going to the North...
Fania had no worries.
Queen Christina had no foundation in the court, let alone the army. She went to the North just as a mascot, and the war still depended on the generals of the Northern Army.
Anyway, given the situation in the North, the royal family must send core members to boost morale. Sinclair can't go, and Agatha can't go either. The Queen is the best person to go.
Queen Christina then took up the post of commander-in-chief of the Northern Army and went to the North to supervise the passage of the proposal for war against the Art County Alliance at the cabinet meeting.
Queen Christina then said, "I propose that Meteorite join the Imperial Cabinet as a special cabinet minister, and that Meteorite set up a special Northern Resources Mobilization Office in Raging Waves City. Relying on Raging Waves City's economic and transportation hub status, we will open up a second channel for transporting supplies for the Northern War."
This is to take power away from the cabinet and cut flesh from the Cross!
The cabinet was responsible for the collection and transportation of war materials, so the cabinet had the final say on who the orders for material purchases were given to. As the scale of the war grew, the Cross Society would surely make a lot of money during the war.
The huge profits contained in it made the cabinet hold this power tightly in its hands. Apart from the royal industry, non-Crusader factories basically could not get large military material orders.
Although Luke can get a certain share through negotiations with Prime Minister Gabriel, the right of distribution still lies in the hands of the cabinet.
This time, Queen Christina's proposal was to directly attack the cabinet in terms of distribution rights. First, push Meteorite into the cabinet, and then set up a special mobilization office for northern supplies, or set it up in Raging Waves City. This means that the cabinet has no control over this line, and everything belongs to Meteorite.
Luke felt very happy when a big gift bag was stuffed into his arms.
As for the cabinet... although all the ministers are hurt, compared with the complete decentralization of state affairs, these minor injuries and pains are nothing.
There are gains and losses, this is a political deal.
Prime Minister Gabriel gladly accepted Meteorite's appointment as a special cabinet minister, and promised to actively cooperate in establishing a special dispatch office for northern supplies in Raging Waves City.
A cabinet meeting chaired by Queen Christina ended in a happy atmosphere. Everyone got what they wanted more or less, the contradictions were appeased, and all parties in the empire devoted themselves to the war preparations in the north.
After the meeting, Luke realized that he was not the protagonist of this meeting. The political wisdom of Queen Christina had begun to slowly influence the imperial court.
After the Royal Cabinet meeting was adjourned, Luke and Agatha left the meeting room together.
Walking in the corridors of the palace, Agatha, as the eldest princess, ordered all the palace guards to leave.
The two walked slowly. On the side of the corridor were arches with exquisite sculptures. The sunlight shone in from the arches and sprinkled on the two people.
"Congratulations, Special Cabinet Minister of Meteorite! Without checking the archives, I can be very sure that you are the youngest cabinet minister in the history of the empire.
At this rate of promotion, you will soon become the youngest Prime Minister in the history of the empire. Gabriel must be under a lot of pressure now.
It can be seen that the Queen admires you very much."
Luke could tell that Agatha's tone was strange, and it was true that Queen Christina paid too much attention to him during the meeting.
“This is perfectly normal… With my abilities, anyone with a bit of vision will appreciate me.
I am now the Prime Minister of the Moonlight Royal Court. When I become the Prime Minister of the Empire, I will be the Prime Minister of both countries."
Agatha laughed at Luke's amusement: "I am looking forward to that day coming soon. What do you think of this Royal Cabinet meeting?
The Queen's decision to go to the North and delegate power to the Cabinet was beyond everyone's expectations."
When it came to business, Luke couldn't help but stop.
"It is indeed beyond everyone's expectations, but we can be sure that His Majesty is fine. Once His Majesty recovers, the power delegated to the cabinet can naturally be taken back. Perhaps His Majesty saw that the cabinet was doing a good job and gave them the power.
I think during this period, the cabinet will definitely work with unprecedented efficiency, which will at least be beneficial to the current situation facing the empire.
Whether Her Majesty the Queen is trying to avoid suspicion and not want to be involved in government affairs, or has other purposes, today's meeting was a great success!"
Agatha followed Luke and stood under the arch. When she heard Luke hinting at the queen, she asked quietly, "Do you think the queen has other purposes?"
Luke thought of Queen Christina in the game world again.
When the Empire Collapse storyline begins, most players have the power to influence the direction of the storyline. Depending on the player's participation, Queen Christina's ending will also be different.
Some became emperors, while others died suddenly...
But what is certain is that Christina is a person who enjoys power and is very good at manipulating politics.
At this time, Christina should not have the desire to become emperor after being in power for a few days, but she definitely wanted to maintain the power she had.
For someone like her who has no roots in the empire, she is just a puppet pushed forward by Emperor Augustine in the court, and the cabinet will not really take her seriously.
When Augustine recovers, or actually dies, her current power will immediately disappear.
That was why she was thinking of pushing new people into the cabinet, and even when she saw opportunities in the North, she would seize them .
"Maybe I'm used to playing tricks, and I think there's a conspiracy in everything I see." Luke didn't tell Agatha his true thoughts, and he couldn't explain it clearly, so he just pretended to be confused: "The rumors have dealt a heavy blow to the Queen. If Her Majesty recovers, it will be easy to deal with, but if...
During his convalescence, His Majesty still thought about the Kingdom of Lucien."
Agatha was successfully distracted by Luke, and at the same time she had a deeper understanding of the meaning of Emperor Augustine letting the Queen handle state affairs.
We have to admit that...Emperor Augustine was in really poor health.
The result of this rest period is nothing more than death and recovery.
If Augustine the Great could recover, or even just get better, it would only take a word to take back the Queen's power.
If Augustus the Great died, the new emperor could add any crime to the Queen's body at will. Once the Queen was charged with the crime of regicide, the survival of the Kingdom of Lusien would depend on the mood of the new emperor.
Even after death, we must open up new territories for the empire.
After Agatha figured this out, she couldn't help but admire her father deeply. In his eyes, there was no family affection at all. He only wanted to achieve his own goals. He only wanted to be the greatest emperor of the empire...no one else!
"I feel a little sympathetic towards the queen... marrying such a person is the greatest misfortune in life. It's okay to go to the North. She might die on the battlefield, but at least she won't die at the hands of the person who should be her closest.
She can also protect her motherland.
I feel ashamed to have such a father!"
Agatha looked very depressed; the name Augustine was a burden to her.
Luke didn't expect that his casual extension of the topic would have such a big impact on Agatha. He wanted to say a few words of comfort, but at this time a palace eunuch came over.
"Lord Meteorite, Her Majesty the Queen requests an audience with you. She has something to discuss with you regarding the war in the North."
Agatha said to Luke, "You go see the Queen. I'll wait for you here. I also want to be alone."
Luke said, "Okay... wait for me to come back, and then go to your Tulip Manor for a drink."
