Chapter 1672: Chapter 95: Trepidation
After the departure of the local lords, the atmosphere inside the grand hall became exceedingly somber.
Facing the angry stares of his ministers, Caesar IV’s expression was very grim.
In times of difficulty, a leader not safeguarding his followers immediately scores poorly in political terms.
Moreover, the reformists were only formed under his impetus. Without his royal guidance, they could never have developed and expanded.
However, politics is cruel; once he realized the situation was hopeless, the original political alliance collapsed directly.
As a king, Caesar IV decisively chose to abandon them, with no intention of giving them a helping hand.
Faced with the resentment of his followers, Caesar IV was also very helpless.
In such a situation just now, if he continued to stubbornly support the reformists, he might have gotten himself involved too.
Many of the power players supporting reform defected, even the consistently strong Marshal Hudson chose to compromise.
Fighting alone is the biggest taboo for a monarch.
“The situation has worsened, preserve your usefulness for the future,”
Caesar IV slowly said.
The collapse of the reformists and the power vacuum filled by the conservatives made the reshuffling of the court inevitable.
Intuition told him that today’s scene had been long planned by the conservatives.
The previous inaction was just waiting for the reformists to jump into a pit themselves. Yet, they were completely unaware and helped the enemy set up the stage.
If he had received information in advance, Caesar IV would never have convened the meeting of provincial governors without assurance.
In the previous political struggles, the conservatives had already been squeezed out of the court.
As long as these provincial governors weren’t gathered together, the conflicts wouldn’t escalate directly, nor would there be a scene of forcing the king.
Following the rules of political games, even if the reformists were to decline, they could still sustain themselves on the court for years.
“Your Majesty, given the current situation, we might not be able to retreat just because we want to.
The conservatives are fierce, and they will certainly bring up old issues.
In the process of pushing for reforms, we encountered many problems, which are leverage for the enemies.
Once uncovered, not only would we fail to withdraw without harm, but even you would be affected!”
Prime Minister Duke Delgado’s words made Caesar IV frown.
Though seemingly considering him, it was in fact a veiled threat.
Playing politics is hard to keep clean, and while many ministers have their issues, so does Caesar IV.
Having worked together for so many years, they were long tied together.
When the followers fail, even Caesar IV as the leader can’t escape blame.
Diminishing the monarch’s prestige is a minor issue; the greatest fear is the conservatives expanding their power and rendering him ineffective in the court.
“Rest assured, I will strive for you.
The subsequent political fight will be limited to the court and will not affect your clans!”
Caesar IV replied with a gloomy expression.
He didn’t want to make such a promise, but the losers needed reassurance, lest they be pushed too hard and fight to the bitter end.
Moreover, these people were serving his mission; if their fates were too tragic, it might cause other subordinates to feel similarly anxious.
“Your Majesty, quickly decide on a replacement, as the conservatives won’t leave us much time.
Perhaps tomorrow, an impeachment motion against the government will appear in the Noble Parliament.
Destined to leave, we want to do so with some dignity!” Latest content published on noⅴelfire.net
Marquis Delgado’s words made the atmosphere increasingly bleak.
In previous political battles, everyone tended to leave some room for maneuver to meet again later.
Even if the struggle failed, they would usually resign on their own, with the worst being removal by the king.
Only once in the history of the Alpha Kingdom had it come to a decision by the Noble Parliament, and that was due to a government downfall caused by a military defeat.
Once it gets to the parliament, their dark histories will be exposed; losing office is basic, and in severe cases, they might lose their titles.
Without a doubt, the reformists have gathered enough hatred this time. Those harmed by reform wish them to be torn to pieces.
To warn later generations, the conservatives are likely to be very harsh on them this time.
After the meeting, Hudson’s house was still thronged with guests.
The failure of the reformists somewhat affected his reputation, but it wasn’t fatal.
In the prior reform processes, the agriculture reforms led by Hudson were exceptionally successful.
The conservatives can deny the other policies of the reformists, but the achievements of the agricultural reform cannot be erased.
Having tasted the benefits of increased grain production, it’s impossible to return to the past.
With such political achievements, the conservative backlash couldn’t possibly direct their fire onto him.
Of course, this is just the apparent reason.
The history of tearing down bridges after crossing rivers is replete, and no great political achievement can surpass backing the wrong side.
What really kept the conservatives at bay is Hudson’s special status and strong power; no one wants to provoke such a problem.
Seeing the awkward crowd, Hudson felt a mix of emotions in his heart.
If it weren’t for this group of people defecting at the last moment, the situation wouldn’t have deteriorated so quickly. Even if the reform would fail, it wouldn’t be so completely.
Hudson could understand the choices made by the emerging nobility.
Essentially, these guys supported the reformists to quickly amass the kingdom’s strength and lay the foundation for the Orc Empire’s downfall.
Now with a better option available, there’s no need to cut their flesh to support the reform.