The State Council Chamber
I was gathered in the State Council chamber, conversing with all five ministers of the Five Ministries. These were men I had personally selected to fill the vacancies left after Valorang's purge.
"Your Grace. It has been some time. I trust you have been well?" asked Victor, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He had previously been a representative of our Grand Duchy in the Imperial Parliament, but I had newly appointed him to lead the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"Yes. Thanks to you, I have been doing well."
As I shook his hand, Frank, the Minister of Finance, spoke up with a warm smile.
"Haha, marriage seems to agree with you, Your Grace. You look absolutely radiant."
"Indeed he does," Gaston, the Minister of Internal Affairs, chimed in, agreeing with Frank.
Radiant? I had nearly startled myself when I looked in the mirror to wash my face this morning. It was the first time in my life I realized dark circles could actually sag all the way down to one's nose.
"Of course. After all, Her Imperial Majesty is a beauty beyond compare," Anthony, the Minister of Justice, added with a sly, knowing smirk.
"Haha, let us not stand around. Please, everyone, take a seat." At my invitation, I took my seat, and the others followed suit.
"And how about you, Minister Marcus? Did you rest well during the holiday?" I asked, looking at the only man in the room wearing a military uniform while everyone else was dressed in formal suits.
"Yes, Your Grace. I rested well," Marcus replied. In the entire Empire, the Minister of Military Affairs was the only person permitted to attend State Council meetings in full military uniform.
"Her Imperial Majesty will be arriving shortly," I announced.
At my words, the ministers—excluding Marcus—began to speak in hushed, cautious tones.
"Haha, Your Grace... Is it truly necessary for Her Imperial Majesty to be present here?"
"Indeed! Exactly. After all, do you not hold absolute authority, Your Grace?"
"Furthermore, she has only just ascended the throne. How could she possibly comprehend the complexities of statecraft?"
Most of the men gathered here were members of the Anti-Emperor Faction who had not defected, or individuals hailing from the Free Cities. It was only natural that they did not look upon Theodora with much favor.
"Well, she is the Empress, is she not? Besides, there is no legal avenue to bar the sovereign from attending the State Council." Under imperial law, the Emperor was the chairperson of the State Council. A meeting could not legally proceed without the chair.
"Then perhaps we should take this opportunity to amend the law..." Victor suggested, stepping slightly over the line.
"No. I hold the veto power anyway, so there is no need to court unnecessary conflict," I replied firmly. At that exact moment—
"Her Imperial Majesty has arrived!"
At the herald's announcement, the ministers and I rose from our seats.
Creak.
The heavy doors swung open, and Theodora swept into the chamber. With elegant, measured strides, she swept her gaze over the gathered officials before seating herself at the head of the table.
"Everyone, be seated."
At her command, the ministers and I took our seats.
"As this is the first State Council meeting presided over by Us as Empress, We expect each minister to guide their department with diligence."
To Theodora's address, the ministers and I responded in unison.
"We are deeply moved by Your Imperial Majesty's boundless grace."
With that, the council meeting officially commenced.
"Currently, the Allied Kingdom monopolizes the major maritime trade routes," Victor reported, fulfilling his duty as Minister of Foreign Affairs to brief the Empress on the current geopolitical landscape. "While they do not yet match the Empire's might, should we lose our initiative in the New Continent, they may well grow into a formidable rival."
Theodora listened in silence before opening her mouth to speak.
"Although the Allied Kingdom has amassed great wealth through their colonization of the New Continent, our own domestic situation has remained unstable since the passing of the late Emperor. Therefore, for the time being, we must focus our efforts on stabilizing the realm rather than expanding our shipyards."
Next came the report from the Ministry of Finance.
"The current economic situation in Roman is highly precarious," Frank stated. "Having narrowly averted a civil war, the price of gold has skyrocketed, making the minting of new gold coins exceedingly difficult."
At this, I stepped in.
"However, if the circulation of gold coins diminishes, the economic fallout will be catastrophic. To prevent this, our Grand Duchy will sell thirty tons of our gold reserves to the Empire at a heavily discounted rate."
This was an announcement that a massive sum of wealth would be transferred from the Grand Duchy to the imperial treasury. Replenishing the mint's depleted gold reserves with our own had been a plan I formulated long ago.
Hearing my proposal, Frank, the Minister of Finance, asked, "Would it be acceptable to purchase it using government bonds?"
I nodded in agreement.
"That is perfectly fine. Considering the Empire's financial state, you may purchase it with long-term bonds."
At my words, Frank's face lit up with profound gratitude.
"Ah, Your Grace, you have truly saved my life."
Following that, Gaston of the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that public order within the Empire was severely deteriorating and called for more decisive measures against criminals. In response, Theodora ordered him to collaborate with the Ministry of Justice and present a concrete proposal. And then...
"Therefore, we must place a total ban on spices," Marcus declared. "Babylon's movements are highly suspicious. Given that they have secured abundant water resources in the east and north, stockpiled vast amounts of military supplies, and are actively provoking our borders, it would not be strange to assume they desire war with us."
At his words, the faces of everyone in the room—save for Marcus, the Minister of Military Affairs—darkened. Naturally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dreaded the backlash from the foreign dignitaries they dealt with daily, while the Ministry of Finance worried about the massive loss of tax revenue generated by the spice trade. The Ministries of Internal Affairs and Justice likely feared the civil unrest that would inevitably follow a sudden spike in unemployment.
"Your concerns are valid," Theodora spoke up. "However, the merchant guilds importing spices and the countless individuals employed in the trade could suddenly find themselves jobless."
Gaston of Internal Affairs immediately chimed in to support her. "Indeed, Your Majesty. If everyone connected to the spice trade is thrown out of work, public order will deteriorate even further."
"Furthermore, our tax revenues will plummet," Frank added anxiously. "And in the worst-case scenario, Babylon might launch a trade war in retaliation."
Victor quickly backed him up. "It could also spark friction with the Allied Kingdom."
Marcus nodded grimly, holding his ground. "I understand the concerns of the other departments, but the duty of the Ministry of Military Affairs is directly tied to the very survival of the Empire."
Gaston immediately pushed back. "An external enemy is not our only threat. If we are not careful, we could collapse from within first."
"The military is more than capable of handling domestic unrest," Marcus countered. "But if Babylon wages war against us, we risk losing our most fertile territories, like Nicea and Egypt."
The debate in the chamber was growing heated, with neither side willing to yield. Seeing the deadlock, I decided to intervene.
"However, if a trade war erupts, we stand to lose just as much. We must first solidify our internal foundations to support a strong military. Furthermore, Babylon has only recently emerged from its own conflict; they are in no position to wage war against us right now. Therefore, as a compromise, why not simply increase the tariffs on spices?"
Having proposed a middle ground that blended both perspectives, Frank of the Ministry of Finance smiled in relief.
"That is an excellent compromise, Your Grace."
But Marcus was not entirely satisfied.
"They may not wage war immediately, but Babylon is currently purchasing an excessive number of military-grade scrolls from our Empire. This issue must be addressed as well."
At this, both the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately objected.
"That is out of the question! If we refuse to sell them scrolls, Babylon will only seek closer ties with the Allied Kingdom."
"Exactly. Babylon will simply procure their scrolls through the Allied Kingdom, leaving us as the only ones suffering financial losses."
As the debate threatened to drag on indefinitely, I glanced at Theodora, who gave me a subtle nod.
"Since this matter cannot be resolved immediately, We shall first proceed with raising the tariffs on spices," Theodora declared, bringing the discussion to a close. "The Ministry of Finance shall review the appropriate tax rate and present a report by the next meeting."
Frank quickly responded, "Understood, Your Majesty!"
"Then, with this, We shall conclude today's—Grand Duke? Why have you raised your hand?"
Theodora, who had been about to dismiss the council, paused and looked at me with a curious, searching gaze.
"I have an urgent proposal to make."
Her expression briefly soured, clearly displeased by this sudden, uncoordinated move, but...
"Speak," she permitted.
I rose from my seat and addressed the room.
"There are currently many flaws in the Empire's tax laws. Local lords are levying taxes arbitrarily, without any standardized criteria or principles, causing immense suffering to the citizens. Therefore, we require a reform to alleviate the burden on our people."
At my words, the complexions of both Frank and Victor turned pale. For Frank, as the Minister of Finance, any attempt to overhaul the tax laws meant an astronomical increase in his workload, so his reaction was entirely natural. As for Victor, he likely feared that such a move would fracture our cooperative relationships with the other nobles.
"B-but, Your Grace, the right of local lords to collect taxes is..." Victor began cautiously.
I nodded reassuringly.
"Indeed. I am not suggesting we immediately rewrite the tax laws today. Rather, I would like us to research a method that would satisfy both the local lords and the citizens."
At my clarification, Victor let out a sigh of relief, while Frank's expression descended into pure despair.
"Then... what would you have us do...?"
"I request that the Ministry of Finance conduct a comprehensive survey of all regional taxes, regardless of whether they are direct or indirect. Based on those findings, I would like you to propose several viable solutions by next month."
Frank looked utterly devastated. He was undoubtedly dreading the sheer, mind-boggling volume of work that had just been dumped onto his plate.
"G-Grand Duke, but under imperial law..."
I cut him off firmly.
"I have no intention of infringing upon the rights guaranteed to them by imperial law. We are merely conducting research."
While we might take bolder steps in the future, our current political power was still too weak. To reform a tax system that varied wildly from region to region, we first needed foundational data. This was a tactical maneuver to gather that crucial information without raising the suspicions of the nobility.
Victor, still somewhat apprehensive, spoke up. "But... the other nobles might interpret this as an attempt to purge them..."
"We are not trying to cast them out. In fact, if a region's tax revenue is low despite high tax rates, could the Empire not step in to provide financial aid?"
This part was actually sincere. Once we eventually purged the incompetent nobles, it would be only natural for the central government to allocate funds to develop the neglected regions.
As I harbored these thoughts, I noticed Theodora watching me with a peculiar gaze. Looking at me as if she had discovered something fascinating, she turned her attention back to the ministers.
"Ahem... For now, the ministers shall follow the Grand Duke's directives. With that, this meeting is adjourned."
And so, her very first State Council meeting came to a successful close.