883 – The Burden of the Empire – 5

The ministerial meeting concluded with a remarkable record of three adjournments and three resumptions.

“The administration will give top priority to the cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Finance will prepare an emergency budget. Any response short of military intervention will be permitted in response to this situation.”

“I will follow Your Majesty’s will.”

“””I will follow Your Majesty’s will!”””

As the finance minister who had been specifically pointed out bowed his head and answered, the other ministers also stood up and bowed their heads to the emperor.

As a result of the various conversations throughout the meeting, the Emperor concluded, “I will do everything, so let’s just avoid war.” If the moderate measures, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs said, had failed, a hard-line response would be the answer, but the Minister of War’s cry, “It is impossible to project our military power!” seemed to have touched the Emperor’s heart.

In fact, I was also inclined to the Minister of War’s argument. Ten years ago, we wrestled with the nomadic hordes led by the Khagan for two years, and five years ago, we fought the second war with Dorgon. Although the second war was short compared to the great war of suppression, mobilizing hundreds of thousands of troops was an act that was burdensome to national power.

Even the Empire annexed a vast territory during the Second War, the Northern Expedition. The number of troops required to maintain this vast territory is not small, so it is a bit much to cast a ‘Jungkwagado’ beyond special military operations in cooperation with the Armenians.

‘A country that wages war every five years.’

If the Jeongquagado is implemented, the Empire will go down in history as a crazy, war-mad nation that wages a large-scale war every five years. Among them, I, who will be sent to the front lines because I can cut the sky, will be remembered as the ‘imperialist vanguard symbolizing the tyranny of the Kpelopen Empire.’

No. I don’t even want to imagine that. Expansionism, the vanguard of imperialism. That’s too ugly. Maybe hundreds of years from now, my descendants will talk about the great forgetting or bow their heads.

“The Minister of Foreign Affairs will follow Jim.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

After hearing the ministers’ answers, the Emperor rose from his seat and pointed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The MVP and mad dog of this ministerial meeting was, no matter what anyone said, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. No matter how much the Emperor understood and respected the feelings of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, he could not help but feel displeased, so even if they had a one-on-one meeting in the office, he would be

“The Inspector General will come too.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

That damn guy.

The three-way meeting took place in the Emperor’s office in the Sun Palace.

The Emperor, the master of the Empire, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the person in charge of Imperial Foreign Affairs, and I, a mere slacker. No matter how much I thought about it, it was not a place I should be in, but I couldn’t bring myself to run away, so I just kept silent.

“Minister of Foreign Affairs. Now we are the only ones who can hear you, so be honest. What do you want?”

And the Emperor opened his mouth to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, this time with a subtle pressure to answer honestly.

‘What are you talking about?’

The emperor’s words made me frown involuntarily.

The Foreign Minister has already had four freestyle disses with the War Minister. What would it take to be more honest than that? Should I have slapped the War Minister in the face?

“At first, I was fooled for a moment. This was a matter that the Minister would be angry about, and if things went wrong, it would be recorded as a diplomatic disaster. I also had to search the history of the continent, not the history of the empire, to find a war involving six countries.”

“As I grow older, I become more foolish and reckless, so I am ashamed to raise my voice and show myself in such an ugly way in front of your Majesty. It was just the disgrace of a man lacking in ability, so how could there be any other intention?”

When questioned by the Emperor, the Minister of Foreign Affairs bowed his head and apologized.

‘Is there really something?’

On the surface, it seemed like the subject was belatedly admitting his mistakes and feeling ashamed, but on the contrary, his words and actions made people start to have doubts.

He’s so calm. He’s so calm for someone who just now raised his voice and blushed, calling for a firm and certain military intervention.

In the meantime, calming down your emotions? There is no chance of that. If it was an emotion that could be calmed down so easily and quickly, you wouldn’t have let it out at the ministerial meeting. Besides, the rhetoric of diplomats and the words and actions of politicians are different from those of ordinary people, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs is both a diplomat and a politician. How monstrous would that be?

The odds that such a monster would explode with rage and roll his eyes, and the odds that he would even use his anger as a card. Thinking back now, the latter is probably higher.

“Oh. Looks like the Inspector General found out too.”

As I looked at him with complicated eyes, the Minister of Foreign Affairs shook his head with a small smile.

“I really do feel old. I expected that I would not be able to avoid the eyes of Your Majesty, but I never thought that I would be caught by the Inspector General.”

“yes?”

It was a strangely sad statement to hear, so I couldn’t help but ask a question.

What does that mean? Does it mean I’m some kind of clueless brat?

‘That’s not wrong.’

Unfortunately, when it comes to dealing with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, I am a clueless brat.

He is the Minister of Foreign Affairs who has been rolling around in the Foreign Ministry since before I was born and has overcome the mess of diplomacy created by the fantastic tyrant line of Libnoman. In order for someone like him to be considered a ‘good-natured person’, he must have lived for at least 40 or 50 years.

Or, like the Minister of Foreign Affairs himself, he could become a monster who has been through all kinds of chaos. That would be something I would rather avoid.

“Don’t say that. The Inspector General is in a position to watch over all officials, so he must have felt uncomfortable with the Foreign Minister’s actions. I still think the Foreign Minister is young and strong.”

“I am truly sorry to hear that.”

“So, let me speak now. The minister is a subject whom His Majesty highly regards, and whom I also trust. I know that he is not the type of person to raise his voice simply because he cannot suppress his emotions, and both I and His Majesty know that.”

Then the Foreign Minister bowed his head again.

“I was not moved by the excessive trust and favor I received from the imperial family, but rather fell into arrogance and shamefully insulted Your Majesty, even if only for a moment. How shameful and embarrassing this sin is. Although it is late, I would like to tell Your Majesty everything, so I ask for your permission.”

“I’m happy to listen, so speak comfortably.”

“I seek to establish a treaty that will span the continent and create a permanent body that will formally elevate the Empire above the nations.”

“hmm?”

The Emperor’s eyes opened wide at the Foreign Minister’s surprising confession.

I was the same way, listening quietly. It would be unusual for the Minister of Foreign Affairs to act like a lunatic, but I had no idea it would be this big of a picture.

“The Empire is a noble and powerful nation that upholds the mandate of Heaven. It is a beautiful nation chosen by God and with great ancestors. However, it is regrettable that the continental nations follow the Empire because of its apparent national power, so if the Empire remains silent even for a little bit, they look down on the Empire.”

A more serious and gentle voice than at the ministerial meeting. However, the Emperor quietly closed his eyes as he heard the voice of the Minister of Foreign Affairs seem to be filled with sincerity.

When the Empire remains silent, it is looked down upon. Unfortunately, this is not the speculation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, but a real history. In the past, during the time of the tyrants, when the Empire faltered, how much chaos the countries of the continent were in. Relations with Armenia were the coldest since the founding of the Empire, war broke out with the Eastern Kingdoms, and other countries neglected to send envoys to the Empire’s celebrations.

Today, the authority of the empire is back on solid ground because the national power has been restored. Diplomacy has been normalized because other countries have reached a level where they cannot dare to look down on the empire.

“Under the splendid rule of His Majesty the Wise, and under the majesty of His Majesty the Emperor who succeeded him—the power of the Empire is truly the greatest since the days of the Great Emperor. If we can demonstrate this overwhelming power, it is entirely possible to reorganize the order of the continent!”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, whose face had suddenly turned red, spoke not as a diplomat with roundabout language, but as a nobleman who had keenly experienced the dark ages of the empire.

I can understand the feelings of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to some extent. He is a Minister of Foreign Affairs who remembers the times when the Empire was not an Empire, when the Empire was looked down upon by the nations. He will never want to go back to those times, and he will want to finally get rid of the humiliation he suffered from the continental nations.

And now is the chance for the Minister to vent his anger. Since Ryuton and Bazen were the first to throw a wrath upon the Empire, this is the chance for the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who has been acting in the best interest of the nation, to vent his anger legally.

“Reorganize the order of the continent.”

The emperor, who had his eyes closed, opened them again.

“The continent already bows its head to the majesty of the empire that upholds the Mandate of Heaven. The great empire and the nations that bow their heads to it. This is the solid order of the continent that has continued for over three thousand years since the Muuno Empire.”

Unlike the haggard look he had at the ministerial meeting, his eyes were shining ominously.

“Minister. Are you saying that you want to reform this deep-rooted order?”

“That’s right.”

“Are we discussing an order where an empire will reign as an empire forever, rather than an order where a new empire will be found and the empire will immediately collapse when it is shaken?”

“I dare not promise eternity, but I can assure you that the new order will be the best means by which the Empire can legitimately rule the continent.”

“Is that so?”

Soon silence fell. The Emperor and the Minister of Foreign Affairs looked into each other’s eyes and said nothing.

“Minister of Foreign Affairs.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Be commanded.”

“The Great Emperor entrusted the military to the first Duke of Hablem and the internal affairs to the first Duke of Chenes. He had complete confidence in these excellent men and thus created the empire we know today.”

Soon, laughter rang out. The emperor’s laughter, a laughter full of joy, filled the office.

“Speak to the Minister about his ideals, until he fully understands them.”

The declaration that the old system that had lasted for over 3,000 years was collapsing and a new system was being created solely for Kpelopen.

The emperor’s eyes also turned to that declaration.

As the Minister of Foreign Affairs continued his explanation, I couldn’t help but lick my lips.

‘This is the UN.’

No matter how you hear it, it’s the UN. Whether you think positively or negatively, it’s the UN.

The United Nations was born in a medieval fantasy continent.