Chapter 247: The Holy Decree Is Unpredictable
+8 Pearls
Queen Dowager said firmly, “Blaming others and avoiding responsibility is childish. If he is unhappy, he should discuss it with me logically and show me solid proof. A true ruler’s anger should be about his plans for governing and handling problems, not weak excuses like people’s complaints or small countries making…”
“Don’t be angry. Isn’t the King just struggling to understand for now? If you hadn’t learned certain things, you wouldn’t have sent Isolde Langley to eliminate Kamari Conway first. The King doesn’t have foresight; how can you blame him?” a woman said as she slowly walked in.
Rowena and Judith exchanged a glance and smiled. “Rosemary, you came at just the right time. Look, there’s quite a temper here.” The newcomer was none other than Rosemary, the Marchioness of Greystone. Her late-night arrival suggested she brought good news.
Seeing her, the Queen Dowager’s anger mostly faded. As she considered Rosemary’s words, only a trace remained. “You’re here so late; do you have good news?”
“Indeed!” Rosemary sat down confidently. “The people I sent out have reported back. Isolde secured a great victory. She’s now handling the aftermath, with Oliver assisting her. Everything is unfolding just as you predicted.”
The Queen Mother’s expression softened slightly. “Hmm, I have confidence in Isolde. She excels in endurance battles and knows how to use speed against slower opponents.”
“Then what are you so angry about?” Rosemary said. “Wasn’t the King’s anger within your expectations? Don’t hold him to such high standards. What he sees is different from what you see. It’s normal for him to have different opinions.”
“I’m angry because he’s shirking responsibility,” the Queen Dowager said irritably.
“He is, but as a king, what choice does he have? He has to establish his authority; otherwise, how can he rule?” Rosemary chuckled. “Alright, don’t be upset. He will come to understand your good intentions. This victory is credited to him. You’re helping him build his prestige and stabilize the chaos. In time, he’ll figure it out.”
“But he deposed your future son-in-law,” the Queen Dowager remarked.
However, Rosemary looked quite pleased. “That just proves Clark is truly reliable. When it mattered most, he didn’t betray his own sister for the sake of his future. He’s a good man. I like him!”
“I’ve seen the theories he wrote. They’re indeed insightful. It’s rare for a scholar to have such insight into strategy,” the Queen Dowager said, full of praise.
“I originally thought he was just a scholar, someone who understood reason at best. But I didn’t expect him to have such insight. It seems Sadie has a good eye.”
“He was often ignored in the Langley family. With no other way to deal with his loneliness, he turned to books for comfort. People like him, who aren’t given much attention, often focus deeply on learning—and sometimes, they become true geniuses.”
The more Rosemary listened, the more satisfied she became, especially since even the Queen Dowager praised him.
Chapter 247: The Holy Decree Is Unpredictable
13 Pearls
The only problem was that the boy got embarrassed too easily. Sadie said that just a few words from her could make his whole face turn red.
Rosemary frowned. “He’s just too shy. If he’s this timid, how will he manage his wedding night?”
Judith couldn’t help but burst into laughter at her words. Her face turned red as she said, “Enough! You should stop talking. Is this something a future mother-in-law should say? He may be shy, but you have no shame at all!”
Rosemary replied casually, “Desire is human nature. What’s there to avoid talking about?”
With her playful remark, even the Queen Dowager’s expression softened, and the tense atmosphere finally eased.
After leaving the Mystic Palace, Queen Catherine went to see the King and informed him that the Queen Dowager would attend the morning court session tomorrow to announce that Isolde had been acting under her orders.
This was originally the King’s plan, but after hearing Queen Catherine’s words, he felt uneasy. That night, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He thought about his sixteen years on the throne and how, from the very first day he ascended, his mother had unwaveringly believed in him and supported him.
“Your Majesty, why are you still awake?” Lord Chamberlain quietly entered and asked in a gentle voice.
The King slowly sat up, his hand gliding over the embroidery on the blanket as he let out a soft sigh. “Eugene, my mind keeps returning to the past.”
“What’s done is done, Your Majesty. There’s no point in dwelling on it. You must take care of your health.” The King’s sleeplessness was no small matter, and Lord Chamberlain’s expression grew serious.
“When my father was gravely ill back then, he feared that I was too young, that my maternal family’s power was overwhelming, and that my grandmother kept appointing members of the Conway family to key positions. To ensure that I could ascend the throne smoothly and that the Eryndral Empire wouldn’t fall into the hands of others, he issued a decree, ordering my mother to be buried with him.”
Lord Chamberlain knew this story well. He had already been serving at the imperial court back then. Back then, the Conway family was indeed ambitious. With both the Queen Mother and the queen coming from the Conway family, they had nearly taken control of the entire court when the late king fell gravely ill.
After issuing the decree for the queen to be buried with him, Queen Catherine, who was then the Dowager Queen, demoted Queen Conway to Noble Consort Conway. She then conspired with Prime Minister Dowager, arranging for her daughter, Zara Dowager, to enter the palace. Her true purpose was to have Zara take the queen’s place in the burial.
Little did they know, once Zara entered the palace as queen, the King regained his spirit. He abolished the decree for sacrificial burial and appointed Edmund Conway as the Prince Regent, ruling alongside Queen Zara.
During the confrontation between the Conway family and Zara, along with the Regent, the Conway family suffered a crushing defeat. Everyone thought that the queen would depose the then-Crown Prince, Theodore Conway, and support Edmund in ascending to the throne.
However, neither Edmund nor the queen chose to do so. Instead, they allowed the Crown Prince to ascend the throne and devoted themselves to assisting him. The queen became the Queen Mother, while Consort Conway, as the King’s birth mother, was granted the title of Queen Grandmother.
At that time, Edmund encountered trouble, leaving the newly enthroned King without strong support. Thus, the Queen Dowager became his most steadfast pillar. During her time ruling as regent, she displayed outstanding political skill, abolishing many corrupt policies and implementing reforms. Under her leadership, the Eryndral Empire soared like a dragon, achieving remarkable progress within just a few years.
At that time, the Conway family attempted a resurgence, with Queen Catherine even aiding them against her own son. However, Queen Dowager reprimanded her, awakening her to reality. With Queen Dowager’s intervention, the crisis was averted, allowing the King to secure his throne.
From then on, Queen Catherine developed great respect for Queen Dowager. After that, the two Queen Mothers lived peacefully together. Of course, in the end, Queen Dowager married the Prince Regent. The Prince Regent was then granted the title of Grand King, making Queen Dowager not only the late King’s Queen Mother but also the Grand King’s Queen Mother.
Most officials deeply respected the Queen Dowager, but some old-fashioned ministers still disapproved of a woman in power, even now. So, if the Queen Mother announced tomorrow that she had sent Isolde with 3,000 soldiers to Zloimond, those conservative officials would likely protest.
Lord Chamberlain was thinking the same thing as the King. The Queen Dowager’s kindness was real, and as the King calmed down, he made a new decision in his heart.