Chapter 245: The Map is Long
Chapter 245: The Map is Long
Indeed...
After hearing this, the old nobles in the room couldn't help but nod in unison, their faces filled with a sense of helplessness.
The coronation ceremony of the Duke of Lionheart was naturally not to be missed, and most of the old nobles present had witnessed the downfall of the "Ryan Elders" with their own eyes. They were well aware of the current situation of the Lane Family.
According to the unwritten rules among the old nobles, if they wanted to remove the current Duke of Lionheart and replace him with a new one, they needed to find a suitable "Lane Family" member to take the lead, followed by the support of their kinfolk.
Although it seemed somewhat outdated, the old nobles had to adhere to this rule. After all, within their group, there were many who had conflicting interests, and some even had centuries-old grudges. If they didn't follow the rules and acted impulsively, the entire old noble group would likely collapse due to infighting before the Princess could even make a move.
"We can't afford to worry about that anymore!"
Looking at the headlines on the newspapers on the table, which made their hair stand on end, a younger old noble stood up, proposing in a somewhat anxious tone:
"Even if the Lane Family doesn't have anyone to lead, we can't continue like this. We all know what the Princess wants, and if she succeeds, we'll lose even the qualification to be the Royal Family's vassals and will be slowly strangled by her! No matter what happens in the future, we must find a way to remove this problematic Duke. At the very least, we can't let him bring the Lane Family's resources and seat to the Princess's side, or it will be too late!"
"I agree."
Another young old noble stood up, his face filled with agreement:
"Compared to those old rules, stopping the Princess is more important. We can't compete with the Royal Family in terms of support, and we can't match the wealth of the Chamber of Commerce in the Lower House. If we don't act now, it will be too late."
"Seconded!"
"Sigh... I have no objections."
"Agreed, even if it doesn't work, we have to try!"
...
"Wait, you all need to calm down."
Just as the old nobles were about to unanimously agree to forcibly remove the Duke of Lionheart, an older noble stood up and reminded them:
"You mustn't forget that even if we can remove the current Duke of Lionheart through a vote in the Senate, the position of the Duke of Lionheart still needs to be filled by someone."
"This isn't important!"
The first young noble to stand up responded loudly:
"As long as it's not the current Duke, anyone can sit in the position."
"It is important!"
The older noble shook his head:
"You probably haven't seen the Lane Family Register, have you? If you remove the current Duke of Lionheart through a Senate vote, the next in line to inherit the title will be his younger sister."
"Then let's vote her down too!"
The young noble gritted his teeth:
"Worst-case scenario, we'll just have to offer more benefits. Compared to being strangled by the Princess's new policies and being fought over by the merchants in the Lower House, the cost of removing two consecutive Dukes is acceptable. As long as we can remove this pair of siblings..."
"If we remove this pair of siblings, there's another pair waiting in line!"
The older noble sneered:
"Take a good look at the Lane Family Register! If we remove her, the next in line will be the current Duke's younger brother, and after him, it's his other sister.
Ha! You think the Royal Family is dead and will just watch you change the Duke four times in one day?"
The young noble who proposed the removal, after inquiring with other nobles and receiving confirmation, suddenly became disheartened.
"Does this mean that this family of four is blocking our way, and we can't change the Duke? Does this mean we can only stand by and watch?"
"Doing nothing is not an option, but forcing it won't work either. We've encountered a great opportunity, and given the Princess's personality, she will definitely be on high alert and won't give us any chances."
"In the end, we still have no solution?"
"There is a solution."
After most of the nobles' attention was focused on him, the older noble unfolded his "Yan Kingdom Map", his eyes narrowed:
"However, before I share my idea, I must remind you all that our Duke of Lionheart is not as simple as he seems."
Although he might seem like a fool who got lucky, acting recklessly without understanding the rules and doing as he pleased.
However, let's take a step back and consider things from his perspective. Even if the Lane family wasn't given away, would he have the ability to protect it?
If it weren't for this turn of events, what would he have left besides an empty title of Duke? And would the Lane family's situation be any better than it is now?"
After raising these questions, the crowd watched as the elderly noble began to ponder his own words, their faces revealing a hint of enlightenment. The old noble continued his analysis, his eyes narrowed:
"I believe our Duke of Lionheart is the real smart one.
From the start, he understood that he didn't have the ability to protect the Lane family. Whether it was through fostering good relations with our kinfolk or struggling to maintain the Lane family, in the end, nothing would remain.
But his mind was clear enough to know his limitations, so he decisively drew a line and separated himself from us. He boldly proposed to the Princess, bringing in someone capable of protecting the Lane family."
"After all, we can obtain the Lane family's inheritance without him, so his title as Duke means nothing to us. But for the royal family and the Princess, his ducal status is their ticket in. It's worth using all their might to win him over.
And because of our presence, the royal family can't completely swallow the Lane family. They must rely on the Duke of Lionheart's title to compete with us for the Lane family's resources, creating a delicate balance. This allowed him to maintain control over the Lane family.
Tsk tsk, our Duke, even if he doesn't know how to play the game, he certainly knows how to do business. He understands how to sell himself to the most suitable buyer and has managed to strike a rare good deal."
After speaking with admiration about his views on Leon, the elderly noble paused briefly, giving the crowd a moment to reflect. He then picked up a newspaper from the table, lightly tapping the word "Princess" and proposed aloud:
"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time we learn from our wise Duke and find ourselves a better 'buyer'... What do you think about Prince Joshua?"
Prince Joshua? Upon hearing the elderly noble's suggestion, the crowd of nobles frowned, some voicing their opposition:
"You want us to completely side with the royal family? What's the difference between that and surrendering to the Princess? Won't we still be controlled by the royals?"
"First, I'm merely suggesting siding with Prince Joshua. Also, since when can the Princess represent the entire royal family?"
After his meaningful counter-question, the elderly noble fully unfolded the "Yan Kingdom Map," revealing the "dagger" he had prepared in advance. He asked:
"Ladies and gentlemen, why don't we consider this: What our Princess wants is what the entire royal family wants. And what the royal family wants is Prince Joshua and what those who stand behind him, the Queen and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, want."
Glancing at the crowd, who seemed to grasp his meaning, the elderly noble explained slowly:
"Or to put it more plainly, besides the throne, what our Princess wants is to restrict our noble power. And this is also what the entire royal family wants.
The Queen and the Chancellor support the royal family because they have the King's promise, believing the Princess will be married off, and the entire kingdom will belong to Prince Joshua in the future. Naturally, they are happy to have the Princess as an obstacle.
But now, our Princess not only hasn't been married off but has also gained control over the Lane family through her marriage to that smart Duke. The situation is different now.
With the Princess's current power and the King's intervention to curb the old nobility, the Queen and Chancellor dare not cause trouble, even if they are dissatisfied.
But if the old nobility collectively sides with Prince Joshua, giving him powerful support... Can the Princess still represent the entire royal family's will?"
(End of Chapter)
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