50. Classic Reappearance
Louis XIII’s perspective.
The Great Yīng Empire is prosperous and powerful, with many nobles. The reason these nobles can claim nobility is largely due to the prestige of their names—no matter how far down the line of succession they are, whether it’s two hundred and thirteen or two hundred and five, as long as they can connect even a little to Louis and obtain a tiny piece of land, even if it’s just a restroom, they can be considered nobles. Thus, the Great Yīng Empire is the “empire” with the most nobles among all nations.
However, ninety-nine percent of these nobles are merely decorative vases, mere antiques. Among Louis’s line of succession, only the top thirteen have real inheritance rights and strength, a stark contrast to those further down the line. Louis XIII is one of these top thirteen.
This is the most esteemed status of high nobility in the Great Yīng Empire! How could it be compared to those impoverished nobles who have remote fiefs and even need to borrow money to attend a soirée!? Louis XIII possesses absolute confidence and pride, for in his eyes, the current Queen Louise IV is merely a little girl who inherited the throne thanks to her mother. If it weren’t for this sudden emergence, the Great Yīng Empire would have rightfully belonged to him, both in power and authority!
Yet yesterday, Louis XIII was thoroughly outmaneuvered by that little girl! In his anger, he was now at home smashing antiques to vent his frustration!
“Sir! That was the ’82 Lafite!”
“Get out of my way!”
Enduring for a moment only made him angrier; taking a step back only made him feel more cheated. After returning home last night in a foul mood and sleeping it off, Louis XIII’s fury finally erupted the next day.
First, the items on the table suffered the brunt of it.
While smashing things, Louis XIII berated his lackeys, “Didn’t I tell you to investigate everything thoroughly!? Why did it suddenly get tied up with Rosia!?”
“How could we find that out…”
The lackey, with a mournful face, hurriedly covered his face with his hands to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
He had thought he was merely a servant doing the queen’s bidding, but suddenly he had transformed into the brother of the Emperor of Rosia, a ruthless person who had exterminated her entire family to ascend to the throne. Would such a person happily keep a brother around? Louis XIII couldn’t understand.
—
But looking back on last night, Louis XIII realized that he had indeed acted rashly, completely falling into the trap set by Louis XIV! That girl, with her seductive words, had garnered immense support for the Great Yng Empire through her little tricks. It was impossible to simply confront her without consequences. Moreover, this time she had directly implicated Louis XXV, who was supposed to be working for him. If he didn’t vent this anger, he feared it would be impossible to swallow!
“Wait a moment.”
Louis XIII called out to the sycophant who was preparing to slip away at the right moment, “Where is that useless Louis XXV locked up now?”
“The last time I saw him, he was with the Guards, my lord.”
The sycophant’s answer eased some of Louis XIII’s anger.
Due to the notion of “avoiding suspicion,” the capture and judgment of nobles would not go through the Queen but rather be decided by the Parliament. The Queen had limited control over the Great Yng Empire’s Guards, who were tasked with detaining and guarding, and they were not merely a pack of dogs raised by Louis XIV. Louis XIII knew that, although he couldn’t directly bail out Louis XXV due to his noble status, it was still possible for him to see him.
Now, Louis XIII was eager to find out how that idiot Louis XXV had gotten himself caught by the Queen and turned into a public enemy.
“Let’s go over there and prepare!”
The power that came with Louis XIII’s title as the “Thirteenth Louis” was not just for show; it was already proving that even without any prior notice or authorization, as long as Louis XIII was willing, he could directly visit the “noble prison” where Louis XXV was held.
Although this place was like heaven compared to a regular prison, even more luxurious than many poor households in the Great Yng Empire, it was still a torment for the upper-class nobles who were used to a life of indulgence.
Sure enough, after using strong-arm tactics to see Louis XXV, who seemed unable to endure the situation any longer, he lunged directly at Louis XIII!
“Lord Louis XIII! Save me!!!”
“Sigh…”
Louis XIII let out a sigh, and the sycophant, understanding the cue, kicked Louis XXV back as he attempted to leap forward.
“Save you?”
Seeing that no one was around, Louis XIII raised his voice, “You nearly ruined our plans, and you want me to save you!? Do you have any idea that the only reason you’re not on the gallows is because I intervened for you? Otherwise, you wouldn’t even be alive to drink here!?”
Without giving Louis XXV a chance to play dead, Louis XIII stepped forward.
After all, the time for this meeting was limited; he had no time to let him waste it!
“If you want me to save you, then hurry up and tell me whether you’ve lost your mind or gone blind—how did you suddenly become a national criminal!?”
This useless fool had already been thoroughly investigated by the Queen overnight; rescuing him would only send him back to the fields. However, Louis XIII didn’t want to say that out loud, as Louis XXV still had a final bit of usefulness.
Upon hearing this question, Louis XXV’s expression twisted into a grimace!
“It was the Queen!”
He first shouted a name that surprised Louis XIII, then, fearing he might be overheard, lowered his voice somewhat intelligently.
“The Queen impersonated O’Keefe and tricked me with another man!”
“What evidence did you leave behind?”
“Just… just wanted my vassal’s share of the tickets…”
“Useless! You can’t just casually share that with a suspicious character playing the part!?”
Louis XIII’s reprimand made Louis XXV lower his head. With that, Louis XIII understood the situation, so he didn’t bother with the idiot any longer. As Louis XXV continued to shout, “My lord, find a way to save me out! ” he turned and left without looking back.
No wonder there had been frequent reports of O’Keefe in the city lately, and even a wanted notice had been issued. It turned out this was all a trap set by that girl, Louis XIV, to ensnare Louis XXV! As for “the other man,” Louis XIII believed it must be the one who had appeared with Louis XIV before, the arrogant brat from last night.
This was an unexpected discovery! It would be difficult to threaten the Queen with the impersonation of O’Keefe without evidence, but he could use that brat to his advantage, portraying him as a spy from Rosia, a schemer who incited the Queen to target the good nobles. This way, he could drag Louis XIV down with him!
Thinking of this, Louis XIII’s mood suddenly brightened, his eyes sparkling as he hurriedly stepped forward.
“My lord, that, that Louis XXV…”
“Find a chance to deal with him. A waste who knows the secret shouldn’t live too long!”
Louis XIII had already grown tired of dealing with Louis XXV. After all, someone like Louis XXV could be easily manipulated; the opportunity to topple the queen and slowly rise to power was rare!