The Queen Villainess Eavesdrops on My Heart and Won’t Let Me Slack Off – Chapter 127

Chapter 127: Flames Scorching the Soul, Eternal Glory

Austerity City, Maple Spirit Moon Shadow Palace.
“I suggest the soul of Duke Nankarneton be placed within the sacred flames burning at the altar. He must continuously recite the oath of the Glorious Covenant to alleviate the suffering of his soul being scorched by flames. In the future, more heinous nobles can be dealt with similarly, culminating in a harmonious symphony of loyalty.”
Roger, controlling a shadow puppet that transformed into Dio Brando, entered the palace to report Duke Nankarneton’s capture to the Empress of Eternal Night, and to offer a personal suggestion.

“That sounds reasonable,” the Empress of Eternal Night nodded slightly. Such a punishment was indeed more fitting and satisfying than a simple execution.

Duke Nankarneton hoarded grain to manipulate prices, colluded with others to instigate the nobility to overthrow the Empress’s rule, actively fled, and sold out national interests. Any one of these three offenses was a capital crime unforgivable by the Empire. However, he only had one life, and could only be killed once, which was far too lenient for him. To be simmered like lamp oil in the sacred flames of the altar, enduring the pain of his soul being scorched day and night, was fitting for his deeds. Moreover, having a traitor to the Empire continuously recite an oath of loyalty to the Empire, the thought itself was mocking! Whether Duke Nankarneton chanted it in agony or recited it numbly, it would surely serve as a warning to other nobles taking the oath, wouldn’t it?

Roger, hearing the Empress agree, bowed and said, “Then your servant shall take his leave. Shortly, I will arrange for Duke Nankarneton to be handed over to the Arcane Assembly for confinement.”

The Empress of Eternal Night smiled, “There will be no need for that. I intend to entrust the construction of the oath-taking altar to you, esteemed Dio. Do not spare any expense on labor and resources, and you will also have full authority over the lamp oil.”

Roger’s brow furrowed immediately. Your Majesty, is it really right to exploit labor so excessively?

*Here it comes, you put so much effort into creating shadow puppets, and one Roger isn’t enough, so you have to exploit one person as two?*
*Such shrewd calculations, even capitalists aren’t as calculating and exploitative as you! Bah!*

Hearing this familiar inner voice, the Empress of Eternal Night, despite being criticized, was surprisingly pleased. Excellent, the little one’s mental power has finally recovered, and she can once again copy his homework with peace of mind! Wait, she wasn’t a masochist, and she wasn’t happy because she was being scolded, but because she could be scolded again… Uh, this feels wrong somewhere too!

The Empress of Eternal Night waved her hand, dispelling the strange thoughts in her mind. She wouldn’t be like those peculiar military officials who became motivated after being scolded. Before Roger could refuse, she spoke first, “This altar will also serve as the headquarters for the Night Guard. I believe you will be more comfortable designing and overseeing its construction yourself, won’t you?”

This statement indeed made Roger hesitate. Although he often said that wonders could ruin a nation, the thought of his office being located within a wonder filled him with a sense of prestige! It just so happened that he possessed god-tier architectural design abilities. With ample money and manpower, building a wonder wouldn’t be difficult, right? And it made perfect sense for the Night Guard, who oversee the Empire’s nobles, to be stationed in a place of noble ennoblement.

“As Your Majesty commands, your servant shall do his best,” Roger finally agreed.

The Empress of Eternal Night snorted inwardly. See, see, she wasn’t the only one who liked boasting and grand achievements, was she? It seemed her art of managing subordinates had improved again!

…

…

In one month, the Night Guard traversed the entire Empire from south to north, completing a significant overhaul of the noble class. Countless old cases were dealt with, and wherever they went, the citizens of the Empire welcomed them with open arms, ending the suffering of countless people. As the public trials of nobles by the Night Guard concluded, Roger Charles, as the Commander of the Night Guard, became the most beloved Big Shot in the Empire, second only to the Empress of Eternal Night. His prestige soared, and he returned triumphantly to Austerity City.

While the Night Guard sternly dealt with the nobles, Angelina used conciliatory methods, engaging in repeated negotiations and preparations for the implementation of the Glorious Covenant. Although Angelina’s tone was always gentle, her Brother brandished a butcher’s knife, trampling the nobility’s past dignity and pride into the dust. Therefore, as long as the conditions were not exceedingly harsh, no one would be foolish enough to refuse Angelina’s terms. The nobles also feared that a mere glance from Angelina might bring the executioner’s blade down upon them. It was well known that the Right Prime Minister was not someone who distorted black and white. But her Brother was currently on a rampage, like a wolf and a tiger, ravaging the Empire. Who could guarantee that the trials would be impartial? A few hired actors could easily stir up the populace’s emotions and send their entire families to the guillotine. Currently, the Charles siblings were greatly relied upon by the Empress of Eternal Night, possessing the formidable might of the Night Guard and the banner of imperial reform. Truly, no one dared to confront them directly.

In the autumn of the third year of the Eternal Night calendar, on a clear and crisp autumn day, the nobles once again gathered in Austerity City for a pleasant exchange with the Empress of Eternal Night, jointly promulgating the new “Imperial Charter.” The Charter stipulated the Empress of Eternal Night’s absolute jurisdiction over every inch of the Empire’s land, designating her as the supreme leader in politics, economics, and military affairs, to whom every subject should pledge allegiance. However, the Empress of Eternal Night’s power was not unlimited; her legislative power was divided and assigned to the Imperial Parliament, which was reorganized from the existing council. The Imperial Parliament stipulated three sources for its representatives: twenty-five noble representatives, twenty-five commoner representatives, and fifty-one mage representatives. All new laws and amendments, without violating the “Imperial Charter,” had to be voted upon by the Imperial Parliament, passing with a majority. Even if the Empress of Eternal Night wished to establish a new law, it had to be submitted to the Imperial Parliament for a vote. Unless it was wartime, where she could, as the supreme military leader, issue temporary decrees bypassing the parliament. Nevertheless, the Empress of Eternal Night’s power was still immense, as, interestingly, the number of mage representatives in the Imperial Parliament exceeded the combined number of noble and commoner representatives. With the Empress of Eternal Night’s influence among the mages, if they reached internal consensus, they could forcibly pass any new legislation. While this was intrinsically meant to highlight the Empire’s emphasis on mages, there were detailed regulations for becoming a parliamentary member by virtue of being a mage. Ultimately, the Empress of Eternal Night had indeed left herself a channel for maneuverability.

Furthermore, the “Imperial Charter” redrew the Empire’s territory into sixty provinces. For the purpose of accelerating national integration, the new provincial divisions intentionally mixed the borders between Azurevine and the seventeen kingdoms, considering geographical factors for provincial boundaries, and were more comprehensive and rational. Provinces were governed by a Governor general appointed by the Empress of Eternal Night, overseeing military and political affairs, with a Governor-general’s office and provincial guards established. Governors general served five-year terms, and upon expiry, their administrative achievements would be assessed to determine whether they would be transferred or promoted. The original owners of the land—the nobility—were required to relinquish their fiefs and directly control no land. The number of vassals and private armies was strictly limited, and they were required to take a Glorious Covenant upon receiving their noble titles. Correspondingly, the Empire would guarantee their hereditary titles, provide subsidies no less than the average output of their current territories, and give them priority in serving as administrative officials under equal conditions. Henceforth, imperial officials would no longer require noble blood, and commoners entering officialdom would have complete legal support, no longer being special favors from the Empress. Of course, future administrative officials would need to pass a unified examination before taking office.

When the Empress of Eternal Night and the Empire’s nobles completed the signing of the “Imperial Charter,” with the noble class making a complete concession, it marked the foundation of a consensus for the Azurevine Empire to transition from a feudal system to centralized power. All subsequent work could proceed smoothly. This process involved bloodshed, sacrifice, and overt and covert struggles. However, these struggles were ultimately confined to the upper echelons of the Empire, without significantly impacting the lives of the people. In fact, with a great mountain removed from their heads, the quality of life for the common people improved in various aspects. The greatest losers were the nobles. Not to mention those who fled or were purged, even the nobles who ultimately chose to support imperial power and sign the “Imperial Charter” exchanged land, military power, and absolute loyalty for the right to continue being superior to others. However, not all nobles found it unbearably painful to no longer be local emperors. Many nobles had relatively low ambitions for power and were lazy by nature, finding this arrangement quite agreeable. This was because the Empire’s promise to them was to receive subsidies no less than the average output of their current territories. This meant they could maintain the same quality of life without managing their territories. The average level of governance in noble territories during this era was quite poor and crude, but they couldn’t entirely neglect their responsibilities. With large territories, there were always all sorts of messy affairs requiring their decisions. Poor handling would lead to a decrease in income, not only resulting in a lack of money but also a loss of face. Even with various methods of exploiting their serfs, it still required brainpower, didn’t it? Now that the Empire had reclaimed their land, it was equivalent to directly giving them a “retirement pension,” ensuring a steady income, providing at least a considerable and luxurious guaranteed return.

From the Empire’s perspective, such a promise would not lead to a loss. This was because the nobles were measuring the value of land and labor based on current productivity. With the advancement of magical industrialization, the productivity per unit of land would increase by hundreds or even thousands of times. Within a few years, the nobles would find that the Empire had taken their vast tracts of land and only needed to give them one-thousandth or one-hundredth of the output to fulfill its promise… Furthermore, the purchasing power of this retirement pension would even decline over time. The “Imperial Charter” provided them with security based on the numerical values determined at the time of signing, without accounting for inflation. This was also a trap left by Angelina, as she did not want the Empire to waste national resources on supporting idle individuals. Allowing well-behaved nobles to enjoy a few good years was a reward for their past contributions and cooperation. But they would not be supported for their entire lives, nor would their descendants be supported indefinitely. If they wished to live well, they should serve the Empire; whether in politics or the military, the Empire offered countless opportunities.

Under the witness of representatives from various factions, the Empress of Eternal Night personally inscribed the “Imperial Charter” onto an alloy plate primarily composed of Orichalcum using magic. This alloy plate was harder than most naturally occurring materials, resistant to wear and corrosion, and imbued with various protective enchantments, symbolizing eternity. Everyone present dripped blood onto the alloy, vowing to fight for the protection of the “Imperial Charter,” and then banished it into the void of the Astral Plane. Perhaps one day the Empire may cease to exist, but the changes and explorations made by the people of the Empire would endure in this Multiverse in such a manner.

…

…

After lunch, the Empress of Eternal Night led a group of nobles to a magnificent structure forty li west of the imperial capital, carved and excavated from an entire mountain – the Stellar Hall. This was a wonder-level altar designed by Roger, constructed by the Arcane Assembly and a million laborers, with countless funds and precious materials invested, taking over a month to complete. It would henceforth be the sole venue for nobles to receive their titles and complete their Glorious Covenants. It was originally a dormant volcano over two thousand meters high, transformed by magical power and separated from the surrounding mountains, becoming a cone-shaped peak isolated from the mountains and jutting out beside the imperial post road. The front face of the mountain was carved with bas-reliefs of past Azurevine Empire monarchs, each a hundred meters tall. The bas-relief of the Empress of Eternal Night herself was a thousand meters tall, visible from a great distance. The quality of the carving was also more detailed than that of the other kings, and it was located in the central, most prominent position. Although she was of lower generational status, having transformed from Queen to Empress, her rank was higher by one, and she indeed had the right to be larger than her father and grandfather. Perhaps, anyway, that was her demand, a small detail, and Roger saw no need to object… The left side of the cone-shaped peak was carved with renowned generals of the Empire, and the right side with wise ministers from prosperous reigns. In a sense, the Stellar Hall was the Empire’s Lingyan Pavilion.

The summit of the cone-shaped peak was a crater from which lava was re-channeled. A stone bridge was built above it, leading to a suspended island perched higher than the peak after ascending ninety-nine transparent steps. This was the core of the Stellar Hall, the Altar of Glory. The altar was carved with complex magic arrays and burned with golden flames, directly powered by lava, providing energy for the magical ritual of the Glorious Covenant. The soul of Duke Nankarneton was sealed within the eternally burning golden flames, enduring the agony of burning day and night. Only when someone prayed and solemnly recited the principal oath of the “Glorious Covenant” to pledge loyalty to the Empire could he momentarily escape this torment. Standing on the altar, one’s perception would be affected by the magic array, finding oneself in a grand hall with a starlit sky above, churning magma underfoot, and the wails of sinful subjects in one’s ears. Of course, at this moment, there were no stars in the black velvet sky, as no noble had yet completed their Glorious Covenant. A portion of the soul of each noble who completed the Glorious Covenant would remain within the Stellar Hall, becoming a star in the sky above, granting one chance of resurrection in case of accidental death. Simultaneously, extended lifespan and some passive buffs were all integrated and operated by the Stellar Hall’s own magical power. It was called a wonder not only for its size but also for its unique functions. Additionally, the mountain’s interior was hollowed out, housing the Night Guard headquarters, which also carried the mission of protecting the Stellar Hall.

The Empress of Eternal Night led the nobles up the transparent steps. Many felt fear and dizziness due to the transparent and suspended structure, supporting each other before reaching the altar. As the nobles took their positions before the altar, the sacred flames suddenly surged ten meters high. Amidst the wails, many heard a familiar voice: “Are you willing to offer eternal loyalty to the Empire, regarding it as the glory of your life?”

“It is my honor.” All the nobles responded with their hands over their chests. Magical light enveloped them, and immense energy focused within the nobles’ bodies. The Empress of Eternal Night raised her head, squinting at the thousands of stars gradually lighting up in the sky, and a smile appeared on her face. From this moment on, the Empire’s development would enter a new chapter.