Chapter 916 - 140: The King’s Will
"As king, do I not have the right to decide whose head my crown should be placed upon? Do I need to consult Losa on such matters? Am I his feudal lord, or is he mine?"
The young King of Jerusalem, with a hint of smile on his face, came to the pavilion in the garden and sat down, extending a hand to point at the seat opposite.
"You are His Majesty Losa’s feudal lord, but he is also a king. I must remind you, according to the law of succession, your heir should be Princess Sibilla’s son, even if he is too young to govern, it should be Princess Sibilla who regents. Ignoring the law of succession breeds internal chaos."
Baldwin IV couldn’t help but chuckle, "Mr. Urding, you’re right that disregarding the law of succession does indeed breed chaos, but I don’t think anyone dares cause trouble under Losa’s watchful eyes. As long as the throne is his, Jerusalem will never fall into disorder."
Having twice defeated Saladin and displayed countless miracles since his debut, having reclaimed Egypt, Losa has now evidently become the only monarch in the hearts of the Franks in the east.
He wishes to sit on Jerusalem’s throne, and the nobles of Jerusalem, even if unwilling, can only resign themselves to fate.
Urding sighed helplessly, "Even if you’ve made up your mind, you should at least have Nishaya send a message and discuss it with His Majesty Losa."
Having his lord gain another crown is certainly a good thing, but Urding knows that given his lord’s character, if he hears Baldwin IV intends to become a Ranger Knight, he surely won’t agree.
Baldwin IV put away his smile, sighed softly, "Sir, what do you think makes a good king?"
Urding shook his head.
"You’ve traveled far and wide for so many years, surely you have some insights, or do you, like others, believe that winning battles alone makes a good king? If one could be like Richard the Lionheart, leading the charge every time there’s a battle, then indeed, that would be a rare wise monarch."
Urding smiled helplessly and said, "When I was in Lombardy, I met an ascetic. He told me that all kings and nobles are a bunch of thieves who only know how to take."
He’s never seen a good king, even when the Wolf Race had not expanded northward, and despite the dominance of the Habsburg power in the Apennines’ small states and city-states, there were few who could be called good kings, none indulging in decadence or returning the collected taxes to the people for public welfare."
The Jerusalem King chuckled and nodded, "Though these words are harsh, they are actually quite true."
"When I was sixteen, I defeated Saladin. I once thought that I would be the savior of Jerusalem, but when I snuck out, I found that people’s lives hadn’t improved after the war ended."
"The tithe, the poll tax, the hearth tax, the Saladin tax, the marriage tax... tax collectors and tax farmers, at the behest of local nobles, attempt to squeeze everything they can from this land."
"They claim that as the land’s protectors, they deserve such rights, yet they squander and indulge in pleasures without restraint. This is not the Celestial Dynasty I envisioned."
"Therefore, I attempted to sign a peace treaty with Saladin, allowing trade routes to flourish and the flames of war to subside, but that’s all I could do."
Urding fell silent for a moment, actually grasping Baldwin IV’s implied message. He wanted to implement a top-down reform in Jerusalem, and aside from Losa, no one else could accomplish it.
"This sounds like an absolute mess."
Baldwin IV couldn’t help but laugh, "How could it be a mess? If Losa allows the nobles to remain unchanged, then he simply gains another crown and a money bag with incessant financial returns."
"Seems you are sure His Majesty Losa would not do such a thing."
"Yes, and only he would care about the common people. In the territory of Transjordan, almost everyone can fill their stomachs. You should know how rare this is."
Baldwin IV felt some emotion, his sister might be a person with political skills and ambition, but she obviously cannot follow her own will to do such thankless tasks.
...
When the news reached Losa, the sky was already dark.
"Does His Majesty Baldwin wish to abdicate and become a Ranger Knight?"
Losa couldn’t help but call out.
Opposite him, Urding bitterly smiled and said, "Yes, his original intention was very firm, and after taking the concocted magic potion today, which eradicated the root of his leprosy, this idea became even firmer."
Losa couldn’t help but cover his forehead, "How could someone as steady as His Majesty do such an unreliable thing?"
Urding reminded, "Don’t forget, His Majesty Baldwin is only twenty-three years old, and for quite a long time over the years, he has been confined in seclusion."
"Is that so?"
Losa sighed deeply, every time he remembers King Baldwin, he always feels as if he can see a wise and gentle gaze beneath the mask, making him feel so reliable, as if every problem has a solution.
"Seems you are sure His Majesty Losa would not do such a thing."
"Yes, and only he would care about the common people. In the territory of Transjordan, almost everyone can fill their stomachs. You should know how rare this is."
Baldwin IV felt some emotion, his sister might be a person with political skills and ambition, but she obviously cannot follow her own will to do such thankless tasks.
...
When the news reached Losa, the sky was already dark.
"Does His Majesty Baldwin wish to abdicate and become a Ranger Knight?"
Losa couldn’t help but call out.
Opposite him, Urding bitterly smiled and said, "Yes, his original intention was very firm, and after taking the concocted magic potion today, which eradicated the root of his leprosy, this idea became even firmer."
Losa couldn’t help but cover his forehead, "How could someone as steady as His Majesty do such an unreliable thing?"
Urding reminded, "Don’t forget, His Majesty Baldwin is only twenty-three years old, and for quite a long time over the years, he has been confined in seclusion."
"Is that so?"
Losa sighed deeply, every time he remembers King Baldwin, he always feels as if he can see a wise and gentle gaze beneath the mask, making him feel so reliable, as if every problem has a solution.
"Seems you are sure His Majesty Losa would not do such a thing."
"Yes, and only he would care about the common people. In the territory of Transjordan, almost everyone can fill their stomachs. You should know how rare this is."
Baldwin IV felt some emotion, his sister might be a person with political skills and ambition, but she obviously cannot follow her own will to do such thankless tasks.
...
When the news reached Losa, the sky was already dark.
"Does His Majesty Baldwin wish to abdicate and become a Ranger Knight?"
Losa couldn’t help but call out.
Opposite him, Urding bitterly smiled and said, "Yes, his original intention was very firm, and after taking the concocted magic potion today, which eradicated the root of his leprosy, this idea became even firmer."
Losa couldn’t help but cover his forehead, "How could someone as steady as His Majesty do such an unreliable thing?"
Urding reminded, "Don’t forget, His Majesty Baldwin is only twenty-three years old, and for quite a long time over the years, he has been confined in seclusion."
"Is that so?"
Losa sighed deeply, every time he remembers King Baldwin, he always feels as if he can see a wise and gentle gaze beneath the mask, making him feel so reliable, as if every problem has a solution.