Without more information, Hudson, like many local governors, had to rush to the Imperial City first.

According to the normal situation, the emperor can directly let the crown prince succeed to the throne, but the current situation is different, the prince is too young.

Theoretically speaking, the son of Caesar IV is the first in line to the throne, but there is also a saying in the continent of Aslante: the kingdom depends on the king, and the brother dies with the brother.

In the history of the Alpha Kingdom, there was a precedent!

There is no doubt that this change of power, which breaks the order of succession, is not voluntary, but more forced.

At the last court council, Julius Caesar IV made it clear that the throne would be inherited by the young prince, and nominated five vassals.

Unfortunately, it was opposed by the conservative camp, and the appointment of the auxiliary minister was not approved, which produced variables.

If someone in the royal family thinks about it and has the support of the majority of courtiers, with the support of "the country depends on the elder monarch, the elder brother and the younger brother", it is also legal to cross the order of succession to ascend to the throne.

In this context, in order for his son to ascend to the throne, Caesar IV could not die in a daze, and he had to announce the edict in front of his ministers in order to win more supporters.

Fortunately, this is an era of peace, and if you are unfortunate enough to live in troubled times, even the emperor may not be able to put his son on the throne according to his own will.

……

"Your Majesty's body, how's it going?"

Hudson asked with concern.

Compared to the local governors, he, the dragon knight, came a little faster. At this time, the civil and military officials of the court and the princes and nobles of the imperial capital have all come to the palace.

Most of them were not qualified to contact the emperor. Even if it is a posthumous edict, it is also news after the change of hands, but it does not affect everyone's enthusiasm at all.

"Marshal, Your Majesty is in a coma, and he is hanging on to his life with medicine. Once you wake up, you come to the ...... of life."

Listening to Gong Xiang's answer, Hudson nodded slightly.

How bad Caesar IV's health was, he was in the know. Nearly a year has passed since the banishment of the curse, and it is normal to reach the end of life at this time.

This account can only be recorded on the person behind the scenes. Alpha I died, but the black hand behind the scenes did not surface.

The establishment of the Alpha Empire has made too many forces feel threatened. Provoking imperial infighting has become a common choice for many forces.

There are so many suspects who have the motive and the strength to plan all this that it is impossible to investigate.

It was not only Caesar IV who was counted, but also Alpha I. Even Hudson suspected that Alpha I might have been hit earlier than Caesar IV.

It's just that calculating a Sacred Domain powerhouse requires different means. Directly on the curse, it will definitely be discovered as soon as possible, and a more covert way is needed.

For example: arranging for people to defect to Alpha I, inadvertently stirring up conflicts. It doesn't matter once or twice, it will definitely have an impact over time.

Or maybe it's some other covert means.

As far as Hudson knew, during the last Sanctuary melee, Alpha I was wounded and almost died on the battlefield.

But there is no point in discussing these things now. Anyway, everyone is dead, and the mastermind behind the scenes also got his wish.

The contradictions within the empire have indeed been provoked. Beneath the seemingly stable situation, in fact, there has long been an undercurrent.

The conservative camp is dominant, and the other camps are only temporarily forbearing, which does not mean that everyone is willing to admit defeat.

With the resurgence of the wave of annexation, the contradictions between the big nobles and the small and medium nobles have become more and more acute.

Even in this wave of annexation, everyone took a sip of soup, but the trust built during the war was gone.

In addition to these contradictions, there is also a main line contradiction hidden in the empire: the middle and lower class aristocrats, who have not eaten enough in the wave of expansion, want the empire to continue to expand externally.

For a short time, the sound of the main battle was able to be suppressed. However, the damage caused by the war was too great, and the civil economy of the Alpha Empire was very bad.

If economic problems are left unresolved, sooner or later they will turn into political problems and eventually lead the empire to the point of no return.

The territorial exchange played by the local nobles is itself digging a pit and burying mines. The migration from the developed cultivated land to the uninhabited steppes would lead to the bankruptcy of a large number of minor nobles.

In the past six months, the performance of the Development Bank of the Near East has been on an upward trajectory, and the difficulty of lending to other commercial banks has also dropped significantly, which has explained many problems.

Theoretically, the aristocratic loan is to use the territory as collateral, and there is no need to worry about the security of the loan.

But reason tells Hudson that there is a limit to the debt sustainability of any group or individual. Once a tipping point is reached, it erupts.

In fact, the wave of aristocratic bankruptcies should have erupted long ago. It has been able to drag on until now, and it is because of the emergence of banks, which provide them with a financing channel.

The crisis was delayed by borrowing, but there is a limit to what can be done. For a moment, Hudson suddenly became very panicked, and inadvertently became the biggest creditor of the imperial aristocracy.

What's worse is that the loans issued by the Development Bank of the Near East are mainly based on printing gold bills and increasing leverage, which are constantly accumulating upwards.

Because of the war, there was a massive exodus of domestic wealth. The currency circulating in the territory of the Alpha Empire, as a whole, is insufficient.

One thunder, then another.

The Alpha Empire, which is glamorous on the outside, is already riddled with holes on the inside, and the slightest carelessness will be thunderous.

In this context, keeping the conservative camp in power is actually conducive to the recovery of the empire's economy.

It's not because they've done anything, it's that these old guys are conservative enough not to mess around.

The atmosphere at the scene was very depressing, even if you met an acquaintance, it was just eye contact.

When it came out, everyone's mood was not high.

Less than a year after the establishment of the empire, it is about to usher in a change of imperial power, a proper ominous omen.

As the minutes passed, the governors of the provinces began to arrive one after another, and suddenly the hoarse voice of the palace minister sounded.

"Your Majesty is awake, you can go in!"

Upon receiving this news, everyone frowned.

The governors of the provinces, who were only halfway there, summoned everyone in, apparently that Caesar IV could no longer hold on.

Without the slightest hesitation, Hudson walked directly past the crowd, walked to the front of the line, and strode into the hospital room.

The scene of the first encounter with Caesar IV has involuntarily appeared in my mind.

The unpleasantness of the past has passed away with the wind, and meeting at this time is goodbye.

"Your Majesty is unwell and it is inconvenient for him to speak, so I will read the edict on my behalf.

You guys have no opinion, right? ”

After listening to Venerable Tyran's words, the scene fell silent for a moment.

Obviously, this result was not satisfactory to everyone.

Judging by Caesar IV's state of mind, it is clear that he did not have the ability to draft an edict.

The so-called awakening is just the movement of the eyes, and it is impossible to show its true intentions.

If the edict was not prepared in advance, it was an improvised edict made up by these people in the royal family.

Even if you prepare in advance, you can't rule out the suspicion of tampering.

The stakes were so high that no one was willing to express their stance easily, and the atmosphere at the scene suddenly became tense.

"Why is it that Your Majesty is not dead, and you don't obey the king's orders?"

After speaking, the queen's tears flowed out. Mixed with the crying of the prince, the ministers were very embarrassed.

It is not that they deliberately did things, but that in order for the edict to be effective, it must first be confirmed that it is the emperor's will.

Even if the edict is drafted in advance, there should be a record of the shadow stone to be able to block the mouth of the outside world.

"Your Holiness, read it!"

Hudson opened his mouth to break the silence.

After all, it was a monarch and a minister, and he couldn't bear to stage another political game drama when Caesar IV was dying.

As for whether the edict can play a role, it depends on the specific content.

If the core interests of all parties are touched, his face as a marshal will not work.

"Prince Caesar succeeded to the throne;

Queen Regency;

Archduke Hudson, Duke Beckett, and Archduke Madeleine were appointed as auxiliaries.

The contents of the above edicts are dictated by His Majesty. ”

As soon as Venerable Tyran finished speaking, Caesar IV on the hospital bed swallowed his breath on the spot, and the scene was directly crying.

The people who were still entangled in the truth of the content of the edict also shed tears.

After all, he was a politician, and after a short period of sadness, everyone quickly recovered.

The people have believed seven points of the contents of the edict. Even if it wasn't dictated by Caesar IV, that's what he meant.

At the last court council, Caesar IV made a statement.

It is nothing more than the five major auxiliary ministers becoming the three major auxiliary ministers, excluding the two who were strongly opposed by the conservative camp.

The succession of the prince to the throne and the regent of the queen are all in accordance with the procedure, and there is nothing to dispute.

Hudson represented the military, Beckett represented the government, and Madeleine represented the royal family.

At the last meeting, the conservative camp vetoed the appointment of the Grand Duke of Madeleine, but now they can't continue to veto.

As a courtier, you always have to save face for the late emperor, even if you are not satisfied, you can only wait for the future to find a way to get people down.

At this time, the biggest headache for the six ministers was not the Archduke Madeleine, even if she represented the royal family, her influence in the court was limited.

It was Hudson who really worried them, if it weren't for the wrong occasion, I'm afraid some people would have scolded the faint king.

Since Hudson's debut, the impression he has left on the outside world is: strong!

The army needs to be ordered and banned, and it is not a big problem for the commander to say nothing.

It's different in the court.

The entry of a strong auxiliary minister into the central government is bound to lead to a fierce conflict with the conservative government.

To make matters worse: Hudson was not alone, with supporters from court to locality.

It is easy to pull up a faction to take on the conservative government headed by the Six Ministers.

In the short term, the formation of checks and balances in the court will definitely be conducive to consolidating the imperial power.

The trouble is that Hudson has lived too long, and he can easily survive a group of conservative bigwigs, and then take power alone.

The conservative camp could not solve this threat, and the means of political struggle were not bad, and normal struggle could not get Hudson out.

Playing off-board tricks, Hudson also has the ability to overturn the table.

In the name of the auxiliary minister, coupled with Hudson's own prestige, a trip to the garrison camp of the imperial capital can pull the troops out.

Maybe before they were boiled to death, they were first driven back to their hometown by means of a coup d'état.

The court has become a hall of words for powerful ministers, or the kind of dictatorship that cannot be shaken, and the consequences are absolutely disastrous.

Such personnel appointments are purely digging holes.

……

"Grand Duke of Madeleine, Duke Becket, the Empress is not in the right mental state now, and she cannot be elected for the time being.

For the funeral, the three of us will divide the work.

The Archduke of Madeleine was in charge of the funeral affairs in the palace, the Duke of Becket was in charge of the funeral affairs outside the palace, and I was in charge of the international funeral affairs. ”

The funeral of the emperor should not be sloppy, especially for a monarch who has made great achievements during the reign of Caesar IV, and the funeral must be carried out in a big way.

Taking advantage of the fact that the two didn't react, Hudson directly threw away the most troublesome work.

"Good!"

Archduke Madeleine replied decisively.

Among the three major auxiliaries, she has the lowest prestige.

The funeral is a chance for her to perform.

Don't expect to establish prestige among the courtiers, at least establish prestige within the royal family, and first stabilize the fundamentals.

With the support of the royal family, she, as an auxiliary, is not an empty shelf.

"Just as the marshal said!"

After a moment's thought, Prime Minister Beckett nodded in response.

The government must be responsible for domestic funeral affairs, and this is their responsibility and obligation.

A short conversation that goes straight to the outcome.

The three auxiliary ministers began to divide labor and cooperate, which also means the beginning of a new era.

……

Late at night.

The prime minister's house was brightly lit, and as expected, Caesar IV's edict was indeed causing them trouble.

This is the first time that conservatives have felt threatened since they came to power.

Compared with Hudson's trouble, the twists and turns in the past were all small turmoil that did not enter the stream.

Busy arranging funeral affairs during the day and discussing the aftermath of political upheaval at night, Duke Beckett only felt physically and mentally exhausted.

"The situation has changed, and the worst has happened.

Marshal Hudson entered the central government, and the new aristocracy that we had suppressed would soon be active again.

Even the military aristocratic group that was finally divided in front of it may be reunited with him as the core.

Once these forces are integrated, the court will enter a polarized pattern.

When a few of us were in power, we were able to barely overtake them.

Obviously, this situation cannot be sustained, and we will eventually grow old.

While there is still time, we must strengthen the training of the next generation! ”

Duke Beckett said in a deep voice.

Having obtained the position of auxiliary minister, he was not happy at all.

In addition to being famous, the actual power in his hands has not increased in the slightest, and it has also sent him into an embarrassing situation.

The biggest problem: there is no clear rule about the authority of the auxiliary.

The auxiliary ministers are to assist the monarch, and the six ministers in the court are also to assist the monarch, and they also have a clear division of powers.

Next, there will be a power struggle between the three auxiliary ministers and the six ministers, around the master-slave issue.

But Duke Becket was sandwiched in the middle, both as the prime minister in the court and as one of the auxiliary ministers.

Don't suffer from widowhood and suffer from unevenness!

Among the six ministers, he is the only auxiliary minister, and the others will definitely have ideas in their hearts if they don't say anything.

In order to avoid contradictions within the conservative camp, he only set a target first.

Archduke Madeleine obviously does not have enough weight, even if she is the emperor's sister and a powerhouse in the Holy Land, she is still a newcomer in the political arena.

No matter how noble the status is, if the people below don't buy it, it's nothing.

As long as the six ministers wished, they could completely let the decree of the Grand Duke of Madeleine not leave the palace.

As a last resort, Hudson could only be taken out to tell the story.

This weight is not only enough, but also heavy. If you put it on your body, you can directly crush people to death.

"Prime Minister, Hudson is not very interested in power in the court, and he rejected His Majesty once last time.

The appointment was made during the day, mainly because His Majesty used a testament, and he was not given the opportunity to refuse at all.

If there is a chance to leave with dignity, there is a good chance that he will withdraw from the court.

After all, when he cultivated to his level, secular power was already a burden, and he was chasing immortality! ”

Earl Herwin proposed.

Conclusions are not made casually.

The emperor's funeral work had just begun, and Hudson became the shopkeeper.

Nominally in charge of international funeral affairs, in fact he turned around and threw the work to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and ordered him, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to take full authority to handle it.

The funeral work of great political significance, and the fact that other people are rushing to perform it, can be so casual, which is enough to explain a lot of problems.

"Your Excellency, the position of Field Marshal Hudson's auxiliary is appointed by His Majesty's will, and he must also perform his duties out of duty between the monarch and the courtier.

Whether he is greedy for power or not, as long as he sits in the court, a new faction will be formed with him as the core.

This interest group will push him to start a political struggle with us, and it is not something that can be swayed by personal will.

After all, Marshal Hudson had a Coslow family behind him. He himself is famous, but his people still want to improve.

In a few years, his sons will become years, and there will be more people who want to improve.

If we can get him to leave the court by himself, why should we worry! ”

Duke Richard said disdainfully.

On the Hudson issue, he worked hard.

There are not many other members of the Coslow family, but there are many people.

More people means more variables.

The base is so large, it is destined that there will be no shortage of people who want to improve.

All it takes is to encourage these people to move, and they can pull the Hudson patriarch into the water.

In the era of the world, no one can exist in isolation.

"Your Excellency, the Duke, the solutions are all thought up by people.

With our strength, there is certainly no hope of driving Marshal Hudson out of court.

But that doesn't mean that no one else can do it!

What if the new emperor, or our queen, wants him to leave!

Do you guess that Marshal Hudson, who was chilled, would push the boat down the river and give up the position of auxiliary minister directly? ”

Count Herwin said with a smile.

The professional quality of the foreign minister is not given in vain, and if the problem cannot be solved by a head-on confrontation, then play a roundabout tactic.

"It can't be!

The queen would not have driven Marshal Hudson at such a time unless she was insane. ”

The War Secretary, Duke Richard, immediately vetoed.

He wouldn't be surprised that the royal family and Hudson turned their faces.

As long as the aristocracy grows to a certain extent, it will inevitably have interest friction with the royal family, and no matter how good the relationship is, it will break down.

However, this relationship broke down, and that was also after Caesar V's pro-government.

Before that, the queen needed the support of a powerful minister like Hudson to secure her son's throne.

What's more, the relationship between the Moxi royal family and Hudson is also very close, and after the queen married, this relationship was also continued.

"Your Excellency, the solutions are all thought up by people, and I just provide a feasible idea.

It is indeed difficult to operate, but as long as the queen feels that the existence of Marshal Hudson has threatened her son's throne, then everything is possible! ”

After listening to Count Herwin's explanation, everyone instantly understood.

"Killing", this method is very old-fashioned, but it is effective.

Hudson's prestige was already high, and if they were willing to cooperate, a well-expected auxiliary minister would soon appear in the court.

Whoever is in a position of superiority will have no bottom in his heart when he sees this scene.