“Capital — “
This word, strange and peculiar, echoed through the magnificent banquet hall for a long time.
Everyone present — those heads most skilled at making money and calculating profits — looked like believers listening to an oracle for the first time, their faces filled with confusion and desire.
They could feel a power hidden behind the word, a power strong enough to move the world.
Jielun enjoyed this brief silence; this was exactly the effect he wanted.
He wanted to brand a brand-new concept, like a branding iron, deep into the hearts of these early Bourgeoisie.
“In the past, we lent money to kings or merchants and collected interest. That is rent-seeking,” Jielun’s voice was clear and steady, carrying great penetration in the quiet hall. “Now, through the Stock Exchange I mentioned, by buying shares in factories and mining companies, we become their co-owners.”
He paused, giving the crowd some time to digest the information.
“For every furnace of steel the workshop smelts, for every piece of iron the mine digs up, we have a share. Our wealth no longer depends on the King’s rewards or the credit of borrowers; instead, it grows alongside the most vigorous industries in the Kingdom.”
Jielun declared fanatically, “We are the Creators of new wealth!”
Creators? The word made the breathing of the Nobles present catch in their throats.
They had spent their lives chasing wealth, but they had never thought they could become the people who created the rules of wealth.
Jielun raised the wine glass in his hand, the crimson liquid swirling gently.
“The power of the Sword-Bearing Nobles comes from their bloodlines. But our new power comes from equity.”
“A piece of paper, a light and fluttering share of stock, represents a factory or a fleet of merchant ships sailing far away. It is unlike a territory that can be snatched away, and even less likely to be burned to ashes. As long as the industry remains, our power will grow forever.”
He suddenly raised the wine glass above his head, his voice ringing with strength.
“This is the New Heraldry that our families can pass down for generations!”
“New Heraldry!” Count Omar whispered excitedly, a greedy light flashing in his eyes.
This metaphor was too precise! What was so great about those Sword-Bearing Nobles?
Their power came from the Bloodline of the Sigil, while their new power would be the invisible, intangible economic lifeblood of the Kingdom.
Invisible power was the strongest power!
Jielun took in everyone’s reactions and continued to throw out an even more tempting vision.
“More importantly, in the Exchange, we decide the rules of the game. Which enterprise is worth investing in and which industry is the direction of the future will be decided by market confidence — that is, by the flow of the Capital in our hands. By then, it will no longer be the King who needs us, but the economic lifeblood of the entire Kingdom that will need to obtain blood from our Exchange.”
If the United Bank was the heart, then the Stock Exchange was the blood vessels throughout the body.
They would become the gods controlling the flow of blood in this country!
The atmosphere in the banquet hall completely exploded, and everyone was shocked by this staggering vision.
They seemed to see an empire built of money and Capital rising from the ground, and they were the kings of this empire.
Bernard stood in the crowd, looking at his son’s manner of commanding the situation and pointing out the way, his heart filled with pride.
But within this pride, there was a trace of complex emotion that even he had not noticed.
He had just become the King’s confidant and witnessed Louis XI’s determination for change, yet Allen’s vision seemed to go further and was much more dangerous.
Just as everyone was immersed in infinite imagination for the future, Allen’s tone shifted, his voice becoming serious and deep, like a basin of ice water poured over everyone’s scalding hearts.
“But, gentlemen, there is a giant obstacle preventing us from embracing this infinite future.”
The fanatical atmosphere cooled instantly, and the excitement on everyone’s faces turned to gravity.
“Obstacle?”
“Lord Allen, is the obstacle you speak of those stubborn Sword-Bearing Nobles?” a banker asked urgently.
Jielun looked around at everyone, smiled slightly, and spoke a sentence so shocking and rebellious that it was enough to send everyone present to the guillotine.
“No, this obstacle is royal power itself.”
*Hiss — *
The sound of people gasping for air rang out in the hall.
Although they were well aware that this young master of the Laval House was a radical Revolutionary at heart and that they had long been tied to his chariot, when Allen pointed the spearhead so nakedly at royal power, the reverence for the monarch rooted deep in their blood still caused them a flicker of fear.
In the shadows of the corner, Marianne’s crimson eyes swept over the room imperceptibly.
Her gaze paused for a moment on a few nobles whose faces had instantly turned pale and whose eyes were flickering, as if she were memorizing their faces.
Any spark of betrayal would be extinguished by the blade in the shadows before it could ignite.
“Gentlemen, the Exchange is our money-printing machine. But the question is, who controls the switch for this machine?” Allen’s voice was like an Evil God’s whisper, hitting the deepest tremors of their hearts. “Is it whether the King is in a good mood today, or a single word from some minister?”
“The only source of legitimacy for everything we own today — the banks, the factories — comes from a royal charter. His Majesty is wise, so we are safe. But what if… the one who succeeds is a monarch like Crown Prince Charles, who views us as fat sheep?”
“Will our stocks and our wealth be easily taken away overnight in the name of the ‘royal will’ or ‘national need’?”
These words were sharper than any weapon, stabbing ruthlessly into the hearts of every Robe Noble.
Revolution was too far away, but the King turning his back on them was a threat that could cost them their heads at any moment.
In history, were there not plenty of wealthy merchants and banks driven to ruin by the King “borrowing money”?
“Betting the lives and wealth of an entire family on one person is the stupidest gamble in this world!” Allen’s voice was categorical.
“We must establish an order that lasts longer than a King’s lifespan and is firmer than any individual’s will!”
“Lord Allen, then what should we do?” everyone asked almost in unison.
Allen snapped his fingers.
The crisp sound was like the bell of a new era.
“Very simple. Create a ‘Kingdom of Law’!”
“In this Kingdom, what matters is no longer the King’s arbitrary whims, but the Fundamental Law that we personally formulate in black and white, which no one can violate. The King himself must be the first citizen under the law.”
“It is just like how we run a factory. A good boss does not have one rule today and another idea tomorrow. He sets regulations so everyone knows what to do and how much they can get. The nation is simply a larger factory.”
“The Fundamental Law will clearly stipulate: without the consent of the representatives of the people — that is, us, who hold the country’s shares — the King may not levy taxes, nor may he arbitrarily abolish or formulate laws.”
“This is like buying an insurance policy that never expires for our wealth.”
“Furthermore, we will establish a permanent Parliament. This Parliament is the political manifestation of our Stock Exchange. The Lower House will be elected by the wealthy citizens and gentry, representing quantity; the Upper House will be composed of you gentlemen and the clergy, representing wisdom and tradition.”
“War, taxes, and trade — everything related to money must be approved by our Parliament. By then, we will not be the King’s wallet; we will be the managers of the nation.”
“A Bill of Rights will be written into the Fundamental Law, clearly stipulating: private property is sacred and inviolable, freedom of speech and the press, and habeas corpus. These rights will be the new, more powerful heraldry for each of our families. It is backed by the power of the entire nation, and no individual, including the King, has the right to strip it away!”
Every sentence Allen spoke was like a bolt of lightning, shattering the shackles of their thoughts.
A brand-new world, a world they had never dared to imagine, was slowly unfolding before them.
“Lord Allen is right!” a young banker stood up excitedly, his face flushed with exhilaration. “We must take our fate into our own hands! A King bound by law is far more reliable than a wise ruler who can strip us of our property at will!”
His words immediately received a warm response from the group of people who best understood the logic of Capital.
Most of them were relatively young, not deeply tied to old land interests, and had long since loathed the arbitrariness of feudal privileges.
Parliament would be their ultimate stage for realizing political ambitions and transforming economic power into ruling power.
However, not everyone in the hall was so fanatical.
Some older Robe Nobles, who still saw themselves as part of the Noble class, had faces full of contradiction and anxiety.
“But… without strong royal power, who will suppress those unruly Sword-Bearing Nobles? Who will suppress the commoners who might riot at any time?” an elderly, steady earl asked worriedly. “Can a Parliament alone really maintain the order of the Kingdom?”
Another person echoed, “Indeed. If we fall into internal strife because of this and the Empire takes advantage of the opening… will we… will we become criminals who lead Lorraine to its grave?”
Bernard’s heart also tightened.
He thought of the King’s eyes filled with wisdom and majesty, and he thought of the King’s trust and expectations for him.
‘Allen is… backstabbing the King!’
He, the newly appointed Minister of Finance, had become a partner in a regicidal conspiracy in the blink of an eye.
This caused him a bout of intense dizziness and guilt.
But looking at his son’s firm gaze, he could not speak to refute him.
He knew that what Allen said was their only way to survive.
Allen smiled and held out his hand to signal for silence. He spoke in a gentle tone full of reassuring power:
“Gentlemen, please do not misunderstand. This is not about abolishing the King. On the contrary, we are finding a safer, more respected, and more lasting position for him.”
“The King will continue to be the symbol of national unity and the supreme commander of the army. He will be freed from tedious political affairs and focus on more lofty matters of etiquette and diplomacy. Meanwhile, we will be responsible for creating and managing the wealth of this country for him, and for ourselves.”
Allen’s relaxed tone made it seem as if he were describing a commercial restructuring that would benefit everyone, rather than a Revolution.
“In this way, the King gains a stable dynasty that can be passed down peacefully, we gain unchanging property rights and political guarantees, and the nation gains lasting prosperity free from tyranny and turmoil. This is a win-win, rational, and perfect way to rule.”
“Gentlemen, we are not launching a rebellion. We are inviting the King to build a greater Lorraine together with us!”
These words cleverly shifted the concept, packaging a subversive Revolution as an “improvement” beneficial to the royal family.
It accurately hit the greedy yet cowardly nature of these Robe Nobles, finding a high-sounding reason for their “betrayal.”
They could tell themselves with a clear conscience: ‘We are not doing this for ourselves; we are doing it for a better future for the Kingdom.’
Seeing the last trace of doubt and fear in the hall dissipate into infinite longing for the future, Bernard’s heart was filled with mixed emotions.
He had to admit that his son was a natural demagogue, a devil who could package the most dangerous poison as the sweetest honey.
He seemed to have already seen what kind of bloody future lay hidden beneath this feast driven by Capital and ambition.
The royal family, the Sword-Bearing Nobles, the Robe Nobles, and the common people… everyone would be sucked into this meat grinder called “Change.”
The current scene of blooming flowers and intense heat was merely the prelude to the future tragedy where the Kingdom would be completely torn apart and blood would flow like a river.
However, he was powerless to stop it. In fact… he himself was one of the composers of this prelude.
He could only choose to believe Allen, to believe that atop those ruins, a better world truly could be born.
Allen spread his arms, the smile on his face brilliant and sincere, like a prophet about to lead his followers into the promised land.
He looked around at these future co-founders of the New World whom he had completely conquered, and in a nearly operatic tone full of passion and dreams, he announced the end of the old era.
“Gentlemen, welcome to — “
His voice echoed in the hall, striking the soul of every person.
“The Brave New World!”