Chapter 832

Chapter 832: Court Meeting

In the dimly lit room, the cake and pastries on the table had been cleared away, and the three stood by the window bidding farewell.

“It’s time to go, Lily,” Lolan Hill looked at the girl before her. Though she was the empress, her figure remained delicate, evoking sympathy.

“Hmm, goodbye, Lolan, and Nightling,” Lily’s emotions were more stable now, forcing a smile onto her face.

“Take care of yourself, Lily,” Nightling waved her hand.

“I will,” she softly took a deep breath.

“Until we meet again.”

After saying that, Lolan Hill held Nightling’s hand, and the two floated upwards like ripples, gradually becoming ethereal before disappearing from the room. With the power of the Moon Crown, Lolan could suppress the spatial fluctuations to a minimum, almost imperceptible. Currently, there were no beings with a Sequence higher than eight in the palace, so it wasn’t difficult to conceal their departure.

Once they vanished, only Lily remained in the room. She sat for a while, dazed, touching her cheek to confirm that what just happened wasn’t a dream.

After a long while, she put on her coat, left the room, and found two loyal maids still guarding outside.

“Let’s return; it’s time to rest,” she said.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” they replied.

—

After leaving the palace, Lolan Hill and Nightling followed the caravan southward towards the empire’s border. The south had recently been pacified, though there was some martial law, the security was decent, and they didn’t encounter any special situations along the way. Perhaps this was due to the badge given by Earl Howard’s daughter. As a well-known noble in the imperial capital, his influence was considerable.

After pacifying the southern rebellion, Prince Edren returned to the imperial capital. As regent, he would address the many issues accumulating within the empire. Upon reaching Titania, everything would change.

In the court meeting,

The luxurious hall adorned in gold and red was filled with nobles from across the empire. Many wielded real power; some wore lavish gowns, others military uniforms, and some priestly robes, representing the church.

“His Highness Prince Edren has arrived! Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!”

The loud announcements by the court attendants quickly silenced the hall, with everyone lining up on either side, respectfully looking toward the entrance.

Prince Edren, dressed in a sharp gold-red military uniform, and the Red Empress Lily Aisote, in a floral dress, walked side by side down the carpet, entering the hall and sitting on the thrones at its center.

The empress’s throne was slightly back and higher, symbolizing her precedence in the empire’s hierarchy.

Holding the little prince, Lily looked at the unfamiliar faces below, feeling somewhat tense. She took a deep breath, adjusting herself before raising her right hand lightly, signaling the start of the meeting.

“Long live Her Majesty the Empress and the Prince!” The nobles bowed deeply, then stood quietly.

“What matters do you have to report today?” the court official asked the assembled crowd before the two monarchs.

“My lord, your loyal servant has something to report,” a noble with short dark blue hair stepped forward. He was tall and thin, with a gray-blue bird emblem on his chest, suggesting he was a vassal from the northern region.

“Please speak, Lord Evanthe,” the official invited.

“In my territory, this year we faced heavy snowfall. Many fields yielded no crops, and hunting in the forests became impossible. The granaries lack food. I pray Your Majesty can offer some assistance,” he described the dire situation vividly, evoking sympathy among the audience.

Lily hesitated momentarily but couldn’t afford to appear weak and helpless. “What kind of help does Viscount Evanthe seek?”

“Just some grain would suffice,” he replied.

“Could you specify the number of residents in your territory?” Lily, despite her petite appearance, was quite adept at mathematics.

“About 200,000 households,” Evanthe said after a moment’s hesitation.

That seems like a lot, Lily thought. If she readily agreed, might it make her seem weak? But refusing could also appear harsh. And if they truly suffered from the snow disaster, those people would indeed be struggling.

If she were to allocate grain, at least 8 million kilograms would be needed, which was no small amount. How could she verify if he was lying? She pondered urgently, yet couldn’t pause too long in front of the courtiers.

After a few seconds, Lily asked again.

“Lord Evanthe, how much grain do you need to alleviate the crisis?” She decided to leave the decision to him.

“Approximately 15 million kilograms,” Viscount Evanthe claimed sorrowfully.

“In that case… then,” Lily bit her lip, hesitated, but ultimately decided to allocate the grain, as she couldn’t let the citizens suffer during winter.

“Cough, Your Majesty, please hold,” Prince Edren finally spoke. He turned to Lily, nodding slightly.

“May I ask Lord Evanthe a few questions?”

“Of course, Your Highness,” he responded.

“Did you never stockpile grain in the past? As a lord, ensuring the stability of your people is a basic duty. It’s hard to imagine you never considered the impact of cold disasters in the northern regions.”

“Moreover, if your territory has nearly 200,000 households, did you collect taxes based on that number? During the empire’s campaigns, how many troops did your territory contribute?”

“I remember the empire provides annual compensation to the families of fallen soldiers, directly allocated to local lords. If such funds exist, they should alleviate the situation somewhat.”

“This…” Evanthe lowered his head, speechless, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

“Bring me last year’s tax reports,” Edren instructed, gesturing to the nearby attendants.

“Yes, Your Highness,” they hurried out of the hall.

“No need, Your Highness. I was just nervous and gave incorrect numbers. Actually, only 100,000 households in my territory are affected,” he quickly defended himself.

“Very well, an honest noble is commendable,” Edren remarked, and the attendants preparing to fetch the tax documents paused.

“I suggest allocating 3 million kilograms of grain to Earl Evanthe’s territory, escorted by the royal army, and distributed per household, to ensure fairness,” Edren proposed.

“Then let us follow His Highness Edren’s method,” Lily said, slightly relieved.

The nobles below discussed quietly among themselves.

The situation differed from what they expected. Prince Edren seemed not to be undermining the Red Empress but rather supporting her. Was he content with his position and not aspiring to become emperor?

A subtle tension filled the air, and the subsequent major nobles dared not probe further. Thus, the court meeting proceeded smoothly.

(End of Chapter)