Chapter 227: The Elven Empire is Changing
The Elven Empress, who had just barely managed to control her emotions, exploded once more.
“Convene an executive council meeting? Why are you calling a meeting, bypassing me?”
“This is a power held by every executive, Mother.”
Her daughter’s words sent the Elven Empress’s temper, which had just settled, right back to the brink of an outburst.
Her daughter had returned, but she seemed to have become an imperial spy, following Roger’s orders and repeatedly disobeying her own!
As the Elven Empress’s emotions escalated, nearing the state of their past mother-daughter interactions, she began to lecture and indoctrinate Windsor. However, the timidity and hesitation in Windsor’s eyes gradually turned into excitement.
She had done this rebellious act of defying her mother enough times that she was no longer as nervous. Instead, she found the feeling of refusing everything her mother said incredibly exhilarating.
“Mother, the meeting is about to begin. I need to change my clothes. You do as you please.”
Windsor had made up her mind. From now on, whatever her mother said would be like wind passing through her ears, not affecting her in the slightest. She replied lightly and returned to her palace.
The Elven Empress’s lungs felt like they would explode. Pointing at Windsor’s retreating back, she exclaimed, “You’ve gone too far! You’ve gone too far! Do you still consider me your mother?!”
Alas, Windsor offered no response.
The Elven Empress glanced at the updated schedule. Indeed, the meeting was about to start. In that instant, she completely lost the desire to attend!
This daughter was truly infuriating, her mindset utterly shattered!
But then she reconsidered. She had to go. In the executive council meeting, she, as the Empress, was merely one executive, with only one vote.
Most proposals only required a simple majority to pass, and major matters needed two-thirds. As the Elven Empress, she possessed veto power, but its use was heavily restricted each time. These were rules set by the Elven ancestors to prevent any wayward descendants from acting recklessly.
However, they hadn’t anticipated that the elves, who loved art and poetry, would eventually become too lazy to even vie for power, leading to complacency and a decrease in the frequency of executive council meetings.
Not everyone attended every meeting. The Elven Empress often arranged for Windsor to represent her will, and other executives would show courtesy to the Empress, supporting Princess Windsor’s proposals…
But this time, Windsor had launched a surprise attack. The Empress didn’t even know the agenda of the executive council meeting. If Windsor proposed something she opposed, or something detrimental to her, it might pass due to her absence…
Perhaps this was that little girl’s scheme?
“Change my clothes. Prepare to attend the executive council meeting.”
The Elven Empress snorted and instructed her maids to prepare.
Having governed for hundreds of years, would she be outmaneuvered by a rebellious young girl?
She decided to attend the executive council meeting and veto all of Windsor’s proposals, making her understand who was the true ruler of the Elven Empire.
…
…
The Executive Council Meeting.
The elaborately dressed Elven Empress, exuding full power, entered at the last moment and declared the start of this impromptu meeting.
However, Gracieth scanned her daughter, hoping to catch a glimpse of disappointment or surprise on her face, but was disappointed.
Princess Windsor, along with the other executives, bowed politely to the Elven Empress, wearing smiles so perfect that they hid their emotions even better than the Elven Empress.
After all, this was just a meeting, yet the Elven Empress entered with the demeanor of going into battle. To many, this scene was quite strange.
The real crisis was over. The Elven Empire would surely enter a period of stability, recovering its national strength depleted by the recent unrest. They were in no condition to fight.
“Let’s continue with today’s agenda,” the Elven Empress said, clearing her throat. She realized her entrance might have been a bit awkward.
In front of her ministers, she certainly didn’t want to expose her “family shame.” To protect her daughter’s reputation and future image, an open argument was out of the question.
She only wanted to prove to Windsor who the mother was, not to destroy her own daughter. She simply wanted to control the proceedings of the meeting.
Princess Windsor cut to the chase. “The Elven Empire has engaged in dozens of battles, large and small, over the past four years, resulting in over ten million casualties. Our already small population has borne immense pressure. This led to insufficient basic troop conscription when facing the crisis from the Terra Kingdom. We could not even properly engage the mere orcs.”
“Your Highness, do you have any insights?” a close confidant of the Royal Family executive asked, his expression slightly unnatural.
Everyone in the Elven Empire felt the same sense of frustration about their previous predicaments. However, if they attributed the cause to the frequent battles, then many of the executives present had played a role in them. Was Windsor intending to settle scores with everyone?
Windsor continued, “I believe the primary reason for the current state of the Elven Empire is the Natural Church’s increasingly greedy demand for Faith Power. They have instigated wars through various means to harvest Faith Power. Here is some evidence I have gathered.”
The documents she presented were evidence of the Natural Church forcibly creating bloody battlefields, exchanging lives for Faith Power, and colluding with enemy generals to engage in combat solely for the purpose of killing.
Even the Big Shots at the executive level were not fully aware of these matters, or had only vaguely heard similar rumors.
But now, seeing the evidence Windsor presented, the shocking facts were laid bare. The immense loss of population had yielded no other benefits, only the Faith Power quotas of the Natural Church. Many executives showed expressions of anger.
These were *our* people, and the Church had severed their roots! Who could tolerate this?
The Elven Empress frowned. She had some knowledge of the evidence Windsor provided, knowing that the Church had done some outrageous things for Faith Power, but she hadn’t expected them to go to such extremes.
“The Church’s power has indeed grown, and some constraints should be imposed.” She nodded.
Although she had come to reprimand her daughter, she was, after all, the Empress of the Elven Empire. For such a significant event concerning the future of the elves, if Windsor had just uncovered these matters, it was indeed worth an impromptu executive council meeting to make a decision quickly.
Therefore, her preemptive show of support for Windsor’s evidence was also to project an image of an enlightened and wise Empress.
The other executives naturally understood the Empress’s intent and began to praise her decision and magnanimity, creating a rather cheerful atmosphere in the meeting.
Windsor smiled as she listened to everyone hail her mother, then turned her gaze towards the Empress, awaiting her proposal.
Although the general direction had been set, the procedure still needed to be followed. Princess Windsor, as the initiator, had to make a proposal, and then everyone would vote.
Those few executives who had long wanted to restrict the Church and had been reminded by Roger to support Windsor were even more excited. They hadn’t expected Windsor to present such crucial and complete evidence, forcing even the Elven Empress to consider restricting the Natural Church.
It could only be said that as a ruler, one could never be purely devoted to their own faith. Only by possessing multiple identities and lacking a singular, pure focus could one lead the Elven Empire without it collapsing.
Windsor was long accustomed to such expectant gazes. As the “perfect princess,” she enjoyed everyone’s affection and had always lived up to these expectations, delivering the most flawless performance for them.
Unfortunately, this time, her performance would exceed all their expectations!
Initially, she felt both anticipation and resentment towards Roger for using provocation to push her rebellion down a path of no return.
But being in this familiar environment, with the familiar sense of transformation enveloping her, she felt grateful that Roger had charted such a path for her.
Having tasted freedom, she couldn’t bear another moment of being kept in a cage, performing as commanded.
Windsor rose with grace, her beauty and temperament embodying the essence of the elves’ millennia of civilization. She bowed slightly to her elder executives before speaking:
“My proposal now is that the Natural Church can no longer provide any help to the empire, consuming vast resources and slowing our development. I hope to prohibit missionary work and expel the Church from the Elven Empire!”
“You are being reckless! All elves are devout believers; you are shaking the very foundations of the empire’s rule!”
The Elven Empress immediately slammed her hand on the table, staring at her daughter in disbelief. She could never have imagined she would propose such an outrageous plan.
Expel the Church? To expel the Natural Church, which had existed since the empire’s founding—how could any elf even have such a preposterous idea?
Indeed, the Church had made some mistakes, but with minor adjustments, they could still be good partners of the royal family.
Windsor acted as if she hadn’t heard the Elven Empress’s reprimand. “Then, everyone, please cast your votes!”
“Your proposal is impossible to pass,” the Elven Empress said, leaning on the table and looking at Windsor with imposing authority. “I agree to restrict the Natural Church’s authority. Windsor, you still have a chance to change your proposal. Don’t disappoint me.”
With looks of complex emotions, the executives present were stunned.
Who could have imagined such a conflict between the Empress and her daughter?
Hadn’t the princess discussed the proposal with Her Majesty before submitting it?
This was a royal family matter. The Big Shots present were unwilling to get involved. They lowered their heads, as if they had heard nothing.
Princess Windsor had always been obedient. Surely, being restrained by Her Majesty on the spot, she would revise her proposal.
“This is my proposal. Everyone, please vote.”
With that, Windsor raised one hand herself, casting her vote to show her determination to expel the Natural Church from the Elven Empire.
“I’ll see who dares to support this absurd decision?” The Elven Empress, unable to control her daughter, turned her anger towards all the executives.
Windsor stood tall, feeling quite nervous. Truthfully, she lacked confidence.
Roger’s plan only went as far as her making the proposal resolutely. He had told her that someone would cooperate to ensure the vote passed later.
However, facing the utterly shattered and enraged Elven Empress, Windsor still felt uncertain about where this meeting would ultimately lead.
Gracieth’s threat was palpable. As Empress, she had veto power. Even if everyone supported the proposal, despising the Natural Church, and went against the Empress’s pressure to pass it, she could still veto their decision.
*Swish, swish, swish!*
Yet, six hands were raised.
These were the six executives who had a prior arrangement with Roger to support Windsor.
Although Windsor’s proposal was extremely bold, Roger had promised them benefits and also threatened them. Each of them held some unspeakable secret that Roger possessed.
It was a case of the arrow being on the string and having to be released. Windsor had already presented her proposal, no matter how insane. They had to fulfill their promise, or their fate would be more terrifying than facing the Elven Empress’s wrath…
Including Windsor’s own vote, she had Seven votes.
There were a total of nineteen executives in the Elven Empire. This was not even half.
“Not bad, daughter. You’ve surprised me by managing to secure six executives.”
The Elven Empress looked at Windsor mockingly. The six executives who supported her now were not factions close to the royal family; they were forces Windsor had accumulated over the years.
When she ascended the throne, combined with the network the Elven Empress transferred to her, the royal family would have absolute control over the executive council, and their power within the empire would expand infinitely.
If Windsor had ambitions, she might even do better than her mother.
But that was a matter for the future. The Elven Empress remained silent, knowing that without more support, Windsor’s proposal wouldn’t reach the majority.
Just then, another hand was raised.
It was the Great Prince of the Elven Empire, the Elven Empress’s most beloved consort, Windsor’s father, Prince Mikey.
Instantly, Gracieth’s expression froze. She felt an unbelievable betrayal. “Mikey, was this your arrangement? But your votes are still not enough.”
Eight votes in favor. Still not a majority, and Windsor’s proposal couldn’t pass.
Mikey looked at his daughter with helplessness, then at his wife, and said with a headache, “My dear, I didn’t communicate with Windsor beforehand. Right now, I just want to remind you that this empire will one day be hers.”
“But for now, this is my country.”
“When Windsor becomes Empress and still wants to expel the Church, I might be old by then, and I might have to face all the pressure alone. I just want to do more for my daughter while I still have the strength.”
“I… I understand.”
The Elven Empress’s expression froze. She also imagined the scene her husband described.
She knew the power of the Natural Church, but she also knew her daughter’s stubbornness.
If, when she became Empress, she still insisted on expelling the Natural Church, and by then she was dead or unable to fight, it would be a young Empress confronting divine authority…
That would be an incredibly dangerous situation, possibly even leading to an assassination.
Such events were not unheard of in the history of the Elven Empire. What great emperor would tolerate someone pointing fingers at them so recklessly?
Even though Gracieth was a devout believer, she had not lost her sanity. Her daughter ranked first in her heart.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have given her all to build her perfect reputation.
It could be said that for the Elven Empress, Windsor was more important than the country.
Moreover, this country would be Windsor’s sooner or later. By suppressing her proposal and defeating her will today, what benefit would it bring her, other than proving a mother’s superiority?
She seemed to realize she had to choose between her daughter and her faith.
She had to choose between her lifelong dedication and her faith.
The Elven Empress sighed softly, looking at her proud daughter. She found the Windsor who dared to defy her will today, no longer so obedient, to be exceptionally charming.
“Perhaps this is the growth everyone anticipated?”
With that thought, the Elven Empress raised her hand, supporting the proposal to expel the Church.
Immediately afterward, the executives close to the royal family also raised their hands. Windsor’s proposal was unanimously approved.
Everyone realized that the empire was about to change.
