Volume 3: Artifacts Chapter 45: Life and Death Decision
On the third day after Luke arrived at Crescent Oasis, the second prince Alex finally couldn't bear the pressure anymore and took the initiative to board the Prime Minister's special train.
Luke arranged a banquet in the dining car and asked everyone to leave the car. He wanted to talk to Alec alone.
The chef prepared baked lobster, caviar, fried venison with black pepper, Pluronic ham...
"Your Highness Alex..." Luke took the bottle and poured red wine for Alex, and introduced the dishes on the table: "Butter baked lobster. The lobster comes from the Qinsheng Bay, where there is the clearest water in the world, and the lobster meat produced is as good as egg white. But Qinsheng Bay is too far away from the empire, and even the royal family couldn't eat fresh Qinsheng lobsters in the past.
Now that Nutao City has widely available refrigeration technology, fishing boats fish in Qinsheng Bay, and all the harvest is frozen and stored immediately, and then transported to Nutao City at the fastest speed. Nutao City has established a full set of cold chain transportation, allowing the Queen to eat the original Qinsheng lobster in Saint Lun City.
Caviar is the roe of polar ice fish. This fish with extraordinary powers is rare and dangerous, so the number of ice fish eggs that can be collected is very small, not even enough to be sold as a commodity. However, not long ago, Nutao City established an expedition station in the polar regions and tried to domesticate ice fish. These caviar are the first batch of roe produced by artificially domesticated ice fish. It is very nutritious, and the magic contained in it gives it an extremely rich taste.
The black pepper in the fried venison with black pepper comes from the Eggerman Miasma area. The lizardmen tribe in the area has always been extremely hostile to humans and would eat people who broke into the Miasma area. But someone seems to have dealt with those lizardmen and established the Eggerman spice trade route. And the City of Raging Tide signed the agency rights for the Eggerman spice, which is more expensive than gold.
..."
Luke introduced each dish one by one, presenting to Prince Alex a business empire covering the entire world.
Prince Alex maintained his royal demeanor and tasted each dish one by one. Although he also lived a luxurious life in Crescent Oasis, the environment restricted his living environment to be far inferior to that of Saint Lun City, and many ingredients were not so fresh when they were transported here.
"Very delicious!" Alex took a sip of red wine and praised, "Since the Prime Minister is also the Governor of Nutao City, he can easily try delicacies from all over the world."
Luke said: "If Your Highness wants to eat these every day, it is actually very easy."
Alec picked up the napkin and wiped his mouth. He didn't touch the knife and fork again. Instead, he asked Luke, "You asked everyone else to leave. You must have something to say to me that cannot be heard by others. Then... no matter what kind of disobedient words you say, I will not be surprised and I can accept them."
Luke ate casually, and said to Alex while eating: "Your Highness, the troubles in the West are a thing of the past for the Empire. Now that the city garrison guarding the West is being reorganized and formed, there is no need to maintain a first-level legion between the West and the Empire.
This is a meaningless waste of national strength.”
Alec replied with the countermeasures he had thought of: "The Western Frontier Army should not continue to stay in the Crescent Oasis. Moreover, the Western Frontier Army was originally formed to serve as a backup and to be deployed to the Northern Frontier battlefield. Now the Art County Alliance is still occupying the empire's land. I am willing to lead the Western Frontier Army to fight in the North. I can definitely drive all the Art County Alliance troops out of the empire's land in one battle."
Alex wants to go to the North to join the war in order to keep his military power.
Luke smiled and said, "Your Highness does not need to worry about the war in the north. If I wanted to recover the lost territory, I would have ordered the Snow Legion to launch a full-scale counterattack long ago. Now in the war in the north, the empire is using a piece of barren land with little value to continuously consume the national strength of the At County Federation, and use a war of attrition to drag down the empire's powerful neighbor in the north.
The current situation in the North is like fishing. We can’t try too hard. If we scare Art County away, it will be a huge problem.”
This was the first time Alec heard about the Empire's northern strategy.
At the same time, he was surprised that Meteorite dared to use war to drag down the At County Alliance when all parties in the empire were in crisis.
Is it just arrogance, or is it self-confidence?
But the fact is that under the control of Meteor, the empire did not collapse in various crises, but instead gradually shrunk power to the palace. Each faction was eliminated one by one by Meteor, and the power of the palace reached a peak that even Augustine the Great did not have.
The empire's finances have not become unstable due to wars and power struggles. The heart of the empire, Raging Waves City, is constantly transferring the world's wealth to the empire.
If I were the emperor of the empire, and Meteorite was the prime minister of the empire who was loyal to me...how great it would be!
Alec said to Luke: "Marquis is the highest title the Queen can give you, and I can make you a duke and give you a large piece of land to pass down to you and your family for generations.
Meteor! What the empire needs most now is an emperor, a young and vigorous emperor. If you support me, I can give you more power and more honors after I ascend the throne."
Luke nodded as if he was persuaded. "Yes, the Empire does need an emperor now. In the future implementation of national policies and handling of foreign relations, the Queen Regent's words still have a little less weight."
Alex immediately asked happily: "Do you agree to support me to ascend the throne and become the emperor of the empire?"
Luke shook his head and smiled, "Prince Alec, if you were capable of leading the current empire, you would have been the crown prince long ago."
Alec asked doubtfully, "If it's not me, who else is qualified to be the emperor of the empire? Fania is dead, Sinclair just announced that he would give up his right to inherit the throne, and my father...he should not be able to continue to lead the empire.
Could it be Agatha?
You are indeed a loyal dog to my sister!"
Luke was not angry at Alec's cursing. He said, "Agatha once made it clear to Emperor Augustine that she had no ambition to be the emperor. It was the case before, and it is the case now..."
"Who is that? The other royals?"
Luke said: "You are right! I am preparing to support your mother, the current Queen Regent Christina Augustine, as the new emperor of the empire."
"This is absolutely not allowed!" Alec shouted angrily, "Christina is Ruth's benefactor. She is not qualified to be the emperor of the empire! The nobles of the empire will never agree to this, and the subjects of the empire will never agree to this!"
Luke said calmly, "If Your Highness Alex acknowledges that Queen Christina has royal blood and supports her to ascend the throne as the emperor of the empire, I think the nobles and subjects of the empire will not object to the first empress in the history of the empire."
"How can Christina have royal blood..." Alex was about to deny it, but he immediately thought of the frequent intermarriage between the Augustine family and the Ruthen family, and that a prince became the king of the Ruthen Kingdom. Alex immediately changed his words and said, "Even if Christina has royal blood, she is not qualified to become the emperor of the empire! Since my father did not appoint a crown prince, I am the first in line to the throne.
No one can take the throne away from me!"
Alec had fought with Fania for the throne for decades, and now that Fania was dead, he had long since taken the throne for granted.
Luke knew that Alec's obsession with the throne was much stronger than Sinclair's, and it would be very difficult to get him to give up.
"Prince Alec, we want to take the throne away from you. There's really nothing you can do?"
"You!" Alec pointed at Luke and shouted, "Do you know what you are doing? This is usurping the throne. If you dare to do this, there will definitely be countless people standing up against you. I will also lead the Western Territory Legion to take back the throne that belongs to me."
Luke smiled and said, "How many people do you think will follow you?"
"Many, all those loyal to the Empire will support me."
"Don't fool yourself, Your Highness Alex. This era is different from the past. You must know how many people are truly loyal to the Empire.
You have also seen the fall of many monarchies. When those monarchs were sent to the guillotine, where were those people who shouted their loyalty to them all day long?
If I now announce in my capacity as the Prime Minister of the Empire that I will relieve you of your command of the Western Frontier Army, how many people do you think will truly follow you... and choose to disobey me! "
Luke looked at Alec in a menacing manner, which made him lose all his royal bearing.
In the past two days, Alex has deeply felt the pressure that the meteorite has brought to the entire Crescent City. He has not stepped out of the special train, but it is like a mountain pressing down on the city. Every stakeholder is in a state of fear and trepidation, calculating their own future.
Loyalty is conditional.
When a ship is destined to sink, there are very few people willing to sink with the ship.
The Western Frontier Corps was not the Northern Frontier Corps, and he did not have such a deep relationship with the officers of the Western Frontier Corps. They had supported him before because he was worth investing in.
Now... the entire Western Territory was destroyed by a meteorite, and the Crescent Oasis is now an isolated island.
Food, drink, and military pay are all in their hands. Does the Western Border Army listen to me, or to Meteorite?
As for his staff and the heroes he supported, true friendship was revealed in times of adversity.
At the last meeting, the top think tank actually suggested that he voluntarily give up his right to inherit the throne. It is obvious what the people around him are thinking.
And there were those words that Nightingale came to him specifically to say.
Perhaps they have already seen through themselves clearly, and if they take off all the honors and identities, they are no different from ordinary people.
How can you fight against meteorites if you don’t have any outstanding qualities?
Now that my hands and feet are tied up and the guillotine is in someone else's hand, how many people are willing to give up their heads with me?
Helplessness and powerlessness made Alex depressed. He asked, "Why Christina? With your current power and means, the emperor of the empire is just a puppet. What's the difference between me and her?"
Luke said: "I didn't say that the emperor is my puppet. On the contrary, I hope that the emperor will be able to provide me with a space to display my talents. Queen Christina and I are cooperating, not controlling each other.
For example, Her Majesty the Queen did a great job in controlling the Western Territory this time. She is my helper, not my burden. A puppet cannot do that."
"What is the purpose of doing all this?"
Luke looked at Alec and said, "You have too many questions, and they are boring. Give me the answer... Do you support Queen Christina to ascend the throne as the Empress of the Empire? Or do you not support it?
You only have one chance to get it right.”
After Luke had said everything he needed to say, he threatened Alec directly.
Correct answer!
Wrong answer!
Alec's face turned pale. He had never thought that he would face such a life-and-death decision. As a prince of the empire, he was actually threatened by a subordinate.
"I..." Faces emerged in Alec's mind, including Emperor Augustine, Fania, Agatha, Dale... and Nightingale... Finally, Alec answered helplessly: "As a prince of the empire, I acknowledge that Christina Augustine has royal blood and the legal right to inherit the empire. I am willing to support Christina Augustine to ascend the throne and become the empress of the empire."
After he finished speaking, Alex slumped down in his chair. He knocked the wine glass askew, and the red wine spilled all over the table and dripped onto his body.
After dealing with the second prince Alex, the empire designed by Luke has removed one of its biggest obstacles.
Queen Christina's ascension to the throne as Empress of the Empire had legal support, as well as the support of the princes and princesses of the Empire. The court was also under the control of a group of officials from Nutao City, so this major transition of imperial power could be completed with minimal fluctuations.
No matter what you want to do in the future, the order of the Emperor of the Empire will definitely be more important than the order of the Empress Regent.
Alec made a great sacrifice, and Luke did not forget to comfort him.
He propped up the tilted wine glass, used magic to clean the wine stains, and then refilled it with red wine: "Your Highness Alex, don't be too depressed. Your right to inherit the throne is still there."
Alec smiled bitterly: "What's the point of still having the right to inherit the throne? Our future queen is younger than me. She is still young, she will marry a prince, and she will have princes and princesses.
You... have been having an affair with the Queen for a long time, and that's why you assist her so attentively."
Luke raised his glass and invited Alec: "You can't keep things in your heart. You will either say it or show it on your face. A shrewd monarch would not say such a speculation without evidence but with great influence, and ask the person who should not be asked.
If I really had an affair with Her Majesty the Queen, can you, a poor prince, still be alive?
If I hadn't had an affair with Her Majesty the Queen, how would I have dealt with you?"
The hand holding the wine glass trembled: "You, you want to kill me?"
Luke raised his glass and clinked it with Alex's: "You are lucky, the Queen and I don't have the kind of relationship you think, and I probably won't become your father in the future.
Drink this wine and you will be free.
When Queen Christina ascends the throne, you will be crowned king, but you will still have to hand over the military power of the Western Frontier Army. It will be useless if you keep it in your hands."
"Yes..." Alec took a sip of wine: "Military power is useless to me, but will harm me. I want to ask, can I go abroad after the matter is accomplished?"
"do what?"
"Go find the nightingale."
"Can!"
