Chapter 307 - 228: A Double Blessing
Ratifa had a keen insight into the empire’s situation. The older, high-ranking noble families were all aware of the hidden dangers lurking beneath the empire’s rapid development and prosperity.
Behind the empire’s prosperity lay numerous hidden problems, and if they were to erupt, the impact would be devastating.
She needed to gather funds and have Henry train a contingent of capable soldiers for her.
Henry’s military genius and training methods were rare, perhaps even unique, within the empire, enabling him to forge an elite force with incredible speed.
She would use her own savings and resources to ensure the formation of a powerful army.
Ratifa had a premonition: the empire was on the verge of great turmoil.
The empire’s central region was a land of plenty, rich in resources and densely populated. It was the economic and political heart of the nation.
A place like that should, by all rights, be peaceful and prosperous. Yet, vagrants and bandits were as hard to root out as weeds, and this was no coincidence.
They were an external manifestation of the empire’s deeper problems, a result of escalating social conflicts.
The empire’s financial problems were growing more severe by the day. For a long time, it had relied on prosperous maritime trade and the southern desert trade routes to mask its numerous fiscal vulnerabilities.
As the trade environment shifted and instability grew, revenues began to decline while expenditures continued to rise.
Military spending, the upkeep of the bureaucracy, and infrastructure projects all required massive amounts of funding.
If the treasury faltered, the empire’s very functions would be severely impaired, and social order would crumble.
The Emperor’s Legions garrisoned throughout the land and the "Militia" used to suppress the cities—all of them required money and grain!
Furthermore, agriculture was another major problem.
The empire’s agricultural base was relatively prosperous; high-yield crops and cultivation techniques from overseas allowed it to support a larger population.
But grain production still struggled to keep pace with the ever-growing population.
On top of that, natural disasters had been frequent in recent years—droughts, floods, and plagues of pests—leading to reduced yields or even total crop failure.
To survive, farmers were forced to abandon their homes and become vagrants, further fueling the empire’s instability.
’What could be done? Aid the farmers? There was no money for that! The only solution was to kill them.’
It was inhumane, yet no one stepped forward to stop it. Some even took the initiative, leading their armies to join the "bandit suppression," seizing people as serfs and earning commissions.
On the surface, the bandit problem appeared to be greatly contained, but this was merely treating the symptoms, not the root cause.
Furthermore, the empire’s most fundamental conflict was the enormous gap between the rich and the poor. A wealthy merchant class controlled vast fortunes and resources, while the common people lived in poverty.
Some of these merchants were even wealthier than the nobility.
One side held the purse strings, the other held the swords. A bloody war between them was inevitable.
The moment the empire’s economic growth stalled, the conflicts between social classes would be laid bare, growing ever more acute.
The commoners’ resentment of the nobility, the commoners’ resentment of the merchants, the nobility’s resentment of other nobles, the nobility’s resentment of the merchants, the merchants’ resentment of the nobility...
If a spark were to ignite this powder keg, these conflicts would erupt, triggering widespread unrest and war.
These problems were not isolated; they were intertwined, each one influencing the others.
Financial problems would lead to insufficient military funding, affecting the army’s combat effectiveness and morale, which in turn would compromise the empire’s security and stability.
Agricultural problems would lead to food shortages, triggering famine and social unrest while also weakening the empire’s economic foundation.
The escalation of internal conflicts would then further exacerbate the financial and agricultural problems, creating a vicious cycle.
’The empire’s crisis was imminent. I must act quickly, gather funds, train elite soldiers, and prepare for the coming turmoil.’
When Ratifa learned that Henry had been made a Count and had received such a generous reward, a complex light flashed in her eyes.
She had always been keenly aware of Henry’s talent and potential, but the Emperor’s generosity still surpassed her expectations.
’And a Count...’
Ratifa gazed at the tent flap. In that direction lay the distant grasslands, and a thousand thoughts raced through her mind.
The news of Henry’s elevation to Count was like a stone tossed into a lake, sending ripples through her thoughts.
’Henry’s ambition and talent far exceeded this.’ Like the other great nobles, she found herself wondering, ’Will he be satisfied with this?’
Henry’s military genius and political wisdom were plain for all in the empire to see. He had repeatedly achieved glorious victories on the battlefield, demonstrating extraordinary command and strategic vision.
For a man of such talent, the title of Count and its generous rewards were certainly tempting, but whether they would be enough to satisfy him remained an open question.
Ratifa’s mind drifted to the unknown lands even farther east of the grasslands—a vast, boundless region brimming with both opportunity and challenge.
Some speculated that the lands there were fertile and resource-rich, vast enough to hold another empire.
’If Henry truly intends to amass power there,’ she thought, ’then his ambition is far greater than the empire could possibly imagine.’
She couldn’t help but imagine it: Henry, secretly building his strength in those eastern lands, developing his own power base.
’He could dispatch loyal subordinates and elite soldiers to that land to cultivate farmland, build fortresses, and train an army.’
’At the same time, he would ally with other noble factions on the grasslands who support him, all in preparation for an eventual counterattack against the empire.’
’If Henry really were to do this, he would become a tremendous threat to the empire.’
’Once the time was right, he could lead a powerful army back to attack the empire, overthrow the centuries-old imperial family, and seize the throne for himself.’