diymy Chapter 7326 Awe-inspiring righteousness
Chapter 7326 Awe-inspiring righteousness
Chapter 7326 Awe-inspiring righteousness
Originally, the Senate's decision to hold such an all-Rome council was already a headache for Severus. After all, there were many people with different opinions, and some were from remote areas with little presence. Their presence was seen as trouble. But since they were senators, he couldn't refuse to let them come.
Furthermore, the dukes of the Eastern European border counties were clearly rebels who came to the Senate to cause trouble, but they couldn't be prevented from coming. The so-called All-Roman Senate clearly meant that the opposition could also come, and everyone could sit down and talk.
So, as soon as everyone arrived and the discussion began, an extremely heated debate ensued. Severus was about to explode just listening to the elders from different regions almost fighting over the distribution of profits, the location of a factory or mine, and the recruitment of staff for a workshop.
Severus wanted to summon Pompiñus to see how he handled these matters in the past. He wondered why there weren't so many problems when Pompiñus was around, but now that he wasn't there, so many elders were saying they were losing money. What did this mean? Were they taking advantage of Severus's poor economic situation? Pompiñus had only been gone a few days, and the previously profitable businesses were already losing money?
Even if our Roman Empire was incredibly powerful, it couldn't have been this powerful.
Furthermore, with Yuan Tan bringing his own elders along, not to do any work but only to cause trouble, the Senate's discussions simply couldn't stop. After all, with a duke leading the charge, many elders were stirring things up even when they had no reason to back it up. It would be a miracle if they could come up with anything from this discussion.
However, Severus could still tolerate all of this. After all, the purpose of summoning these senators was to announce the news to them, to let them know that Rome's will had been determined, and that their actions from now on were in accordance with the will of the Roman Empire.
Of course, a final discussion is still necessary. Even if the essential points have already been determined, it should still be brought to the Senate for a pretense of discussion to prove that this represents the will of all the senators.
However, after the tea break, Duke Gordian of the northern border region pulled off this major stunt.
“Our Twentieth Legion has quelled the unrest in Great Britain, and we have conquered the Shadow World. We don’t have any important military affairs in Great Britain afterward. I heard there’s a rebellion in Spain, so we can sail down from Great Britain and go there to quell it.” Valierius stood up and offered his suggestion.
In his early twenties, he possessed a wild and untamed spirit, and his vibrant energy drew the attention of all the elders. But what terrified them even more was the chilling words uttered from his 37-degree mouth: what did he mean by saying that the 20th Eagle Banner Legion was fine and wanted to go to Spain to quell the rebellion?
Holy crap, are you guys on a campaign to quell a rebellion? I don't believe it.
"The internal strife in the mere Spanish region has been going on for over a year and is still unresolved. I, Valierius, am not capable, but I can quell it within six months," Valierius said arrogantly. At just over twenty years old, he was at the peak of his career, and the feedback from clearing up the shadow world of Great Britain had also brought him to his peak state, allowing him to challenge all opponents.
The room fell silent. The more sensible ones began glancing out of the corner of their eyes at Gordian, who was staring straight ahead, and Nigel, who sat in the front row and hadn't said much but hadn't missed a single nomination for the treasurer. Were the two dukes about to turn on each other? Were they about to fight over who was the boss?
"No one objected? That means it's passed?" Valierius looked around and found the room completely silent. He assumed his proposal had been approved and immediately prepared to sit down.
Seeing that such an outrageous thing could happen, Benito, who at least had some conscience and considered the Roman Empire his own property, immediately stood up.
"The situation in Spain is quite complicated right now. It's not a matter of suppression; it requires more time to work things out. Valierius, do you think you can explain the current situation in Spain? Do you fully understand how the problems in Spain came about?" Benito quickly stood up. To be honest, he never expected the Duke of Gordian to be so outrageous. What did he mean by sending the core Eagle Emblem Legion to Spain to quell the rebellion? Damn, you call that quelling a rebellion?
"I don't understand these things, nor do I need to. I only know that I have the power to suppress the rebellion in Spain. As for what they think, what ambitions they have, or what grievances they have, that's not my business. I only need to protect the Roman Empire as a legion." Valierius said with an imposing aura. The slight pressure he exuded with every gesture indicated that he was already a Breakthrough Level expert.
Breaking boundaries at under thirty years old, putting everything else aside, is enough to make countless people take notice.
"To be fair, this idea is fine, it avoids internal conflict, and it's great." For some reason, Virgilio started clapping and fanning the flames.
To reiterate, Virgilio doesn't have the ability to confront the Dukes head-on, but the Dukes have already sounded the horn, so what else is there to say? The knights must step forward and see what the Dukes can do!
Severus glanced at Virgilio, who was leading the applause, and completely understood the man's thoughts. Spain's interests lay here, and it was impossible for the knightly class not to have their own ideas. Since the knightly class had their own ideas, it was only natural for the leader of the knightly class to do something opportunistic when he saw an opportunity.
As for the previous efforts to persuade Nigel with Benito, that's another matter. Just because you were allies on one thing doesn't mean you'll remain allies on another. These kinds of temporary alliances are easy to break; you might be in sync before, but then you'll be sabotaging each other later.
“The Spanish region does indeed need stability.” Pabinian, who had been quite active in speaking in the Senate and had even suffered a minor setback in the attack on Spain, thought for a while and also felt that Nigel’s actions were a bit too outrageous. So, he unusually echoed the will of “Gordian”.
Well, Gordian is still in a daze. His attitude towards Valierius is to let him do whatever he wants, and he basically doesn't interfere with what the other party does. He doesn't have any demands for coming to the Senate for this meeting. He just wants to go through the motions. As long as no one harms his interests, he will just vote on it.
After all, he had only been a duke for a few years and did not have the extraordinary qualifications of those two bastards, Nigel and Ganassis. His idea was to make some money and develop his skills. Besides, the commander of the core Eagle Emblem Legion, the Twenty Eagle Emblem Legion, was known for his youth. Since he was also young, this was a perfect opportunity to outlast the old man.
Look, they've outlived Pompiñus first, and now he's here to attend the conference. As a duke, he just raises his hand and makes a name for himself, and he gets all the benefits. A few more big shots will die in a few years, and every time he comes, he can get some good stuff.
At the level of a duke, as long as one doesn't want to rebel, it's only natural to take advantage of others and enjoy some benefits.
The problem is that, on his first time participating in this All-Roman Senate as a duke, he encountered such an absurd situation—his own top henchman had actually caused him such a huge commotion!
What's worse, Gordian can't stand up and say he doesn't have that idea, because everyone here is an adult. In Spain, how can you not have that idea?
The more you say you have no ideas, the more others will view you through prejudiced lenses.
As for directly scolding Valierius, let's just leave it at that. It's his own husky; even if it destroys the house, we can deal with that later. He absolutely cannot ruin things now. He must maintain an elegant and calm demeanor, as if everything is going according to plan.
So at this moment, Duke Gordian, sitting in the front row, didn't even turn around after hearing Valerius's suggestion. He just sat there quietly, looking like he had victory in his grasp.
To be honest, we were absolutely certain of victory.
If Valeriius was just babbling a few words, purely to solve Rome's problems, then the fate of the Tenth Knight really put more weight on Gordian's side. After Pabinian's departure, many elders began to think about whether there was a problem with the current distribution in Spain, and then they glanced at Nigel out of the corner of their eyes.
Having entered the Senate, even if his mind wasn't perfectly sharp, he could more or less guess whose fault it was that Spain's internal turmoil was so far.
“Indeed, it has been so long, the Spanish region really needs a strong external force to keep it in check. The empire cannot allow the border to remain in chaos.” After a moment of contemplation, Hirodian spoke in a relatively neutral tone, and then naturally turned his gaze to Nigel, hoping that Nigel would speak.
To reiterate, Herodian himself doesn't care much about interests, so he can see many things clearly. However, he can't get others to give up their interests as well. Therefore, even if he himself doesn't care, he still has to consider the opinions of others in such matters.
With a few leading figures in charge, the Senate, which had been silent after Vallierius's speech, became noisy again. Many people began to offer their suggestions based on Vallierius's proposal. After all, this was Spain. When Pompiñus was in power, only Nigel and Tacitus were able to make a profit. But now, the opportunity had arrived!
“Nigel, what’s your opinion?” Severus asked somewhat helplessly, but still deliberately guided the other party before he spoke, “The Roman Empire does indeed need a stable frontier at this stage.”
Nigel looked at Severus with some surprise. Did this guy trust him that much? He even gave him a hint on this matter. Wasn't it obvious that as long as Nigel spoke up, he could stabilize Spain and prevent the subsequent events from happening?
As for stabilizing Spain, frankly speaking, if Niger really wanted to set things right, it would be a piece of cake. The top leadership is well aware of how much of the current unrest in Spain is Niger's fault. Now, Severo's message is to offer you some concessions in exchange for your help and tell you to stop messing around.
Meanwhile, the senators also understood Severus's implication and gained a deeper understanding of Nigel's situation. So, you're stirring up trouble in the Spanish region, and there's also a tacit understanding between the highest levels of Rome? Fine, you big shots really don't act like humans.
“I think Valierius’s idea is very good,” Nigel said slowly, uttering words that the assembled elders found hard to believe.
To be honest, everyone was prepared for Nigel to turn hostile, but he seemed completely unconcerned and gave a completely impossible answer.
"Where is Vallius taking over Spain?" Gordian paused for a moment, then tentatively asked, barely able to contain himself. He had never imagined he could gain such power; he was just here to make money. And now, this was like a meteoric rise to power.
“Alright, the Twentieth Eagle Legion has such spirit, so it shouldn’t be rejected. The Spanish region has been in turmoil, which is indeed unacceptable. Letting Vallius give it a try is a good idea.” Nigel said with a faint smile. Most of the elders present had already begun to think about what Nigel had arranged in Spain. Was he planning to make Vallius suffer heavy losses like Pabinian?
"Nigel," Severus transmitted to Nigel, "That's enough. I've already given you an out. If you really want to lead the Spanish army, just tell me you have your own ways to wipe out Spain. Why answer like that?"
Nigel was also surprised to hear Severus's telepathic message. In all these years, in the Senate, this was the first time Severus had ever telepathically communicated with him. When did his relationship with Severus become so good?
It wasn't necessarily a good thing, but rather that His Majesty the Emperor wanted to maintain the balance of power within the Empire. In addition, Severus believed he had figured out Nigel's true intentions, which was to make some money. The Roman Empire was a large and powerful nation, and making some money wouldn't cause it to collapse. Given Nigel's background, being a parasite was better than destroying the family!
“It’s rare for you to send me a telepathic message, so I’m telling the truth.” Nigel paused for a moment before replying to Severus. “Given the current situation in Spain, I think that if I personally intervene to suppress it, there will be many problems afterward. It would be better to organize a council of elders to handle it. That way, at least the country can get the vast majority of the benefits. No matter who handles the situation there, it won’t end well.”
Severus gave the righteous-looking Nigel a deep look. To be honest, he was most afraid of this kind of thing that should have been a parasite becoming righteous-looking. It meant that his understanding and positioning of the other party was wrong, which was extremely dangerous at the national level.
“I believe that the Roman Empire’s handling of the Spanish region is extremely problematic. The interests of the Spanish region should not be controlled by a single senator or concentrated in the tax-farming areas of certain senators. These enormous interests should belong to all Roman citizens. Therefore, I suggest that a council of senators be formed to observe and review the situation, in conjunction with the knightly class, to conduct a detailed audit of Spain, and then hand over the profits to the state proportionally and distribute them to all social classes,” Nigel said, rising to his feet with righteous indignation.
At this moment, most of the elders were stunned. Ganassis and Gordian, who were sitting in the first row, couldn't help but turn their heads to look at Nigel. Yuan Tan, who was not very familiar with Nigel but had experienced how the Han Dynasty unified and coordinated internal affairs, also looked at Nigel with a bit of respect.
The Roman Empire may seem to be on the verge of collapse, but thanks to these virtuous and ambitious individuals, and these powerful figures who are willing to sacrifice their families for the country and even divide their own interests, it should be able to maintain itself for a very long time.
Such righteous words silenced the Senate until Gordian led the applause, indicating that Nigel was right and that what he said was truly good.
"Duke Nigel's words have given me a clear understanding of the spirit of the Roman Empire. An empire needs heroes like him to keep burning brightly." Gordian led the applause and stood up to preach his ideas. Anyway, he didn't care about anything else, so he first praised Nigel a bit.
After all, the other party had said such things, so he, as the Duke of Gordian, would definitely get a share of the benefits. Originally, he couldn't get any of the interests of Spain, but now that they were sitting side by side and sharing the spoils, he was, after all, a duke, so wouldn't he be guaranteed to get some?
Therefore, the Duke of Nigel must have been a man of noble character and a hero of Rome. In short, the Duke of Nigel was a good man, making sure everyone got a hot meal of Spain!
“Indeed, I was too naive. The reason the Roman Empire stood proudly at the top of the world was because of heroes like Duke Nigel.” Ganassis didn’t stop praising him. He was just a duke of an eastern border county. Could he really eat his way to the westernmost part of the empire? But now he could, couldn’t he? No matter how many bites, as long as there were bites, it was a victory. Planting a flag to the west, the easternmost brother was the happiest.
With the two dukes leading the way, a group of senators stood up to support Nigel's proposal, portraying him as a man of noble character and selfless dedication, a true backbone of Rome.
Severus watched this scene speechlessly. What are you bastards up to? Do you think I don't know? It's just that Nigel gave up a huge amount of benefits, and now you have the opportunity to plant your flag in Spain, so you're all excited to death.
However, according to the principle of benefit transfer, if someone is laughing, someone else must not be laughing; if someone gains benefits, someone else must have paid for those benefits.
For example, the knightly class represented by the Tenth Knights Legion, the elders of the western region, and the elders of the Claudius family who were secretly making preparations in Spain—these people were extremely unhappy at this moment. Nigel had given up Spain with just one sentence. What were they supposed to do? Were they supposed to stop eating?
This thing was practically ours, we were about to get it, and then you just let it go like that? You think you're so great, huh?
The elders, who immediately realized what Nigel had done, started digging up dirt on him. Did he really think we didn't know what he had done? Did he really think we didn't know how much he had smeared? If it weren't for protecting him, we would have reported him long ago!
I'm lying here, let's cast some votes, it's almost the end of the month.