Chapter 188 Traveling Through the Middle Ages 188

Chapter 188: Transmigrating to the Middle Ages 188

Before the coronation ceremony, Guillaume was the king-elect, and Louisa was the queen-elect. Even though everyone knew they were the most powerful couple in the kingdom, their actual authority existed in a "Schrödingerian" state—it could be said to exist, yet also not. If the upper and lower ranks cooperated, then it certainly did, but if influential groups refused to comply, all sorts of troubles would arise.

However, neither Guillaume nor Louisa were the type to act hastily; they preferred to bide their time.

Thus, they did not rush to consolidate power between Louis III's funeral and Guillaume's coronation. Instead, they showed remarkable patience, opting to "wait and see." While this cost them some initiative and gave certain individuals time to "retreat," it also made it easier for them to "counterattack later."

Guillaume was not idle either. He had his trusted aides keep an eye on what some people were doing... Though they might have covered their tracks now, making it difficult for Guillaume to act against them once he fully assumed power, some were simply being naive—a king's authority was, in principle, limitless. Under normal circumstances, if a king truly wanted to punish someone, it was literally a case of "fabricated charges."

Of course, such "fabricated charges" came at a cost, so the prerequisite was that the king had to be willing to bear it. The simplest and most common consequence was damage to political credibility. Many kings, in their willful defiance, seemed to escape punishment, but their credibility suffered—a slow yet profound impact.

In any case, once Guillaume and Louisa completed the coronation ceremony, everything became entirely different. They could rightfully take over power. While some kings might inherit the throne but fail to fully wield its authority—or even know how to—this certainly did not apply to Guillaume.

Compared to his "military achievements," his administrative skills were unremarkable, but still within the normal range. With Vassin's kingdom still at its zenith, it was not difficult for him, as king, to control the situation. As for the mess left by Louis III, it could only be said that the political system of the Middle Ages ensured that a mediocre monarch would not significantly affect the overall situation.

To be specific, the limited centralization of power in Western antiquity was fundamentally different from the highly centralized systems of China. The inability of rulers to deeply enforce their governance meant that even subpar rulers would not cause too much harm—simply put, in the vast non-royal territories, local lords held far greater influence than the king.

Of course, this did not mean the current situation in Vassin was easy or simple, only that it was far from being a "hellish beginning."

In fact, shortly after Guillaume's coronation, while Cité was still immersed in a series of celebrations, he and his trusted subordinates had already begun taking various actions. Beneath the glamour of the festivities lay a political upheaval in Cité—indeed, the celebrations even masked the upheaval, as they diverted the attention of most uninvolved parties, limiting the spread of its impact.

Compared to Guillaume's complex and busy schedule, Louisa's days were far simpler. In this era, while the king waded through blood and storms on the battlefield of power, the queen, under normal circumstances, only needed to enjoy the privileges that came with her elevated status... No, it should be said that if the queen insisted on joining the power struggle, that was precisely what people would reject.

Relative to ancient China, queens in Western antiquity were more closely tied to politics and power, engaging with them more frequently. But this was only a "relative" comparison, and even so, it was not the mainstream ideal. While the West lacked a rule like "the inner court must not interfere in governance," people still believed that a true monarch should not heed "the words of women."

Thus, Louisa, who was not a "power-hungry type" to begin with, spent this period simply enjoying the freedom and adoration that came with her new status.

Yes, Louisa was absolutely not someone obsessed with power... Perhaps this was related to her upbringing in her past life. Ordinary Chinese people were rarely taught from childhood to become leaders, were they? At least, that was her experience. Politics—even the rumored "office politics"—seemed terrifying to her.

Intrigues and power plays were best left to TV dramas; in reality, all she wanted was to live a good life.

The reason Louisa still sought to control certain things in this life was, on one hand, because—from a modern perspective—those things rightfully belonged to her. She wouldn’t meddle in others' affairs, but when it came to her own, regardless of her personal feelings, she had no intention of letting others encroach on them—even though, by the standards of this era, as a woman, she was not supposed to assert her "rights."

After all, this was a society where, by definition, women had no so-called "rights."

On the other hand, it was Louisa's insistence on controlling her own fate. Even if complete control over one's destiny was impossible in this era—for men as well—there were still degrees of impossibility. At the very least, Louisa did not want to be entirely at others' mercy, left utterly defenseless when the time came.

To achieve this, holding more cards in her hand was a necessity.

Thus, Louisa, who had joined the power game for such "defensive" purposes, would display astonishing combativeness within her own "domain." Even if no one was currently encroaching on her authority, she could already imagine how she would react in such a scenario.

Conversely, outside her "domain," she had far more leeway. As Guillaume began his rule over Vassin, she would, of course, leverage her position as queen—and even Guillaume himself—to exert influence over the land and its people. But she would not be as forceful or proactive, often merely adapting to circumstances.

Well, this was precisely the current situation. Guillaume had just ascended the throne, and the situation still required his reassertion of control. But since he faced no immediate problems, Louisa had no reason to interfere arbitrarily. In fact, if she did intervene now, it would be hard to say whether she was helping Guillaume or holding him back.

Regardless of Louisa's personal thoughts, the reality was that men in this society controlled the vast majority of resources and were reluctant to share them with women. If Louisa, at the very beginning, while Guillaume's position was still unstable, blatantly violated the rules of this patriarchal society, it would bring her no real benefit.

"Your Highness, everyone is saying you practice favoritism... After moving into the palace, not only have you brought all your former attendants with you, but you’ve also completely bypassed the court ladies, insisting on selecting entirely new ones!" In a white pavilion within Cité Palace's beautiful gardens, Gina said brightly, relaying the latest court gossip to Louisa.

Louisa replied dismissively, "Given the complexity of the royal court, if I weren’t practicing 'favoritism,' that would only prove I’m an utter fool!"

This was no lie. In governing a country, excessive favoritism was certainly undesirable. But Louisa was now navigating court politics in an ancient society as a queen—under such circumstances, not practicing favoritism would be sheer folly. To appear fair and magnanimous, should she abandon those who had long stood by her side and bring in unknown, potentially unreliable individuals? What could that be if not self-sabotage?

Louisa was not, strictly speaking, fully in control of the palace yet. The true lord and lady of Cité Palace remained Queen Mother Anna. While Guillaume and Louisa were nominally the lord and lady, if even the lesser offices were still filled by the queen mother's people, how could they claim to truly control the place?

Louisa's approach to this was simple and direct: she established an "inner court" within the palace, creating a separate power base.

This was something she had learned from China's long history—the classic "inner and outer court" system. Throughout Chinese imperial history, there was a tradition of using personal attendants to replace outer court officials. For example, during the Han Dynasty, the *Sāngōng Jiǔqīng* system had already effectively collapsed, especially the Three Lords, which quickly became ceremonial sinecures. Actual authority lay with the emperor's inner circle, such as the Palace Secretaries.

Throughout the dynasties, emperors seeking to break free from insufficient centralization of power and the control of influential ministers in key positions would employ such methods. They sidelined high-ranking ministers who held ceremonial authority while empowering their trusted confidants with substantial influence under low-ranking titles. Since the latter's power stemmed not from their official positions but from the emperor's favor, the emperor could naturally reclaim it at will.

Of course, over time, these positions would gradually gain legitimacy (though some failed to do so and faded into obscurity—the most famous example being the Ming Dynasty's 'Grand Secretariat.' The grand secretaries’ de facto power was never formally legitimized, and once emperors lost interest, their authority waned from its peak dominance). The ministers occupying these roles would once again amass significant power, even obstructing the emperor's will.

At such moments, history would begin a new cycle... Hence the saying: History doesn’t repeat, but it often rhymes.

Louisa started by reorganizing her immediate circle, appointing court ladies and a retinue of ladies-in-waiting. As the Queen of Wason, protocol dictated she should have 20 court ladies and 40 ladies-in-waiting. The distinction lay in their roles: court ladies held specific official duties, overseeing tasks like wardrobe or hairstyling (even if they didn’t perform the work themselves), while ladies-in-waiting were more akin to companions, with no fixed responsibilities beyond accompanying Louisa.

She seized this opportunity to build her inner circle. Beyond selecting the Duchess of Westminster as her chief court lady, she also assigned roles to her former attendants—particularly because the position of chief court lady was exceptional. Only a noblewoman of sufficiently high status could command respect, and even then, Louisa chose the Duchess, a trusted ally.

However, though titled chief court lady, the Duchess did not actually perform the role’s traditional duties. In theory, the chief court lady assisted the queen in managing all female members of the court. But since Louisa couldn’t yet fully control the Sidae court and was establishing her own 'minor court,' the Duchess’s role remained largely ceremonial. For now, she served primarily as Louisa’s companion, helping her navigate Sidae’s intricacies—her unique perspective as a high-ranking noble proving invaluable.

The others, however, had practical roles. Jeanne, for instance, was put in charge of a royal privy kitchen established to cater to Louisa’s tastes. Unless it was a banquet, daily meals for Louisa, Guillaume, and their inner circle came exclusively from this kitchen.

Yet such measures were merely the beginning. True control lay in securing financial and appointment authority. Fortunately, the royal treasury naturally transferred with the crown—Guillaume now held the royal privy purse, rendering Anna’s loyalists in financial administration powerless. Without compliance, they’d receive no funds and soon be forced out.

Thus, the financial staff were the first to be replaced. Appointment matters proved trickier, but Louisa’s 'minor court' strategy inherently eroded existing structures. For now, the pressure lay not on her but on those being sidelined.

Louisa deliberately left vacancies among the 20 court ladies and 40 ladies-in-waiting, reserving room for future appointments. Even so, her entourage was already impressively large. Though not all attendants accompanied her at once, a retinue of at least a dozen for every outing made for a striking display.

‘One step forward, eight follow’—an ancient Chinese description of noblewomen’s grandeur fittingly applied here.

"Indeed, that approach would please some," remarked the Duchess of Westminster, sipping fruit tea across from Louisa. She glanced at Gina behind the queen and added, "It offends no one. Even those whose wives or daughters were excluded now scramble to send other family girls to Your Majesty."

Every court lady and lady-in-waiting was of noble birth, their presence a gesture of allegiance to the crown. By rejecting existing court appointees, Louisa voided prior arrangements—even 'investments.' Yet in this era of power supremacy, her authority was absolute. Unlike modern investors who might protest losses, these nobles could only accept defeat or submit new candidates.

Louisa, for her part, welcomed candidates from reliable families, provided the girls themselves were untainted by scandal.

"Ah—speaking of which, are two girls arriving tomorrow for an audience?" Louisa turned suddenly to Madam Hugo.

With calm assurance, Madam Hugo nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty. They belong to House Gallard—one aged 18, the other 15, both ideal for service."

Baron Gallard hadn’t abandoned his plan to make his daughter Guillaume’s mistress. If anything, Guillaume’s ascension had made it more urgent. Previously delayed by Philip’s marriage to Elizabeth and Louis III’s funeral, the scheme now resumed.

The baron saw placing his younger daughter Matilda among Louisa’s ladies-in-waiting as the perfect way to facilitate contact with Guillaume. Moreover, with Louisa newly crowned and recruiting attendants, his move as a Guillaume loyalist raised no suspicion—a natural move.

"Two... Unless exceptional, we’ll select one. Baron Gallard has long supported His Majesty—we mustn’t slight him now. But we should keep vacancies for future linchpins..."

Louisa’s selections weren’t ornamental; each was a future pillar of her court. Hence her 'stinginess' with slots.

"As you wish," replied Madam Hugo, deferential yet familiar.

Overall, Louisa’s days were pleasant. Establishing her court sounded grand, but the initial steps were straightforward. Beyond that, she enjoyed unparalleled freedom—her words and actions met only with praise. Not all queens fared so well; their quality of life hinged on their husbands.

As the kingdom’s foremost woman, only the king could theoretically dictate to her. Others, regardless of gender, could only bow.

Some might feign less respect, but this wasn’t pure misogyny—they tailored their behavior to the queen’s standing. Only those out of royal favor faced such casual disregard.

Louisa was hardly in that position. Guillaume’s love and trust for her were undisputed, granting her near-absolute latitude. Earlier criticisms of her 'unconventional' conduct had vanished—at least from her hearing. Gossip now hid in cautious whispers, suggesting past openness had stemmed from carelessness or overconfidence.

As they conversed, Morgana, a maidservant from Queen Mother Anna, arrived with a summons for discussion.

Louisa, acutely aware of the divergent agendas between Guillaume and Anna, steeled herself—half-expecting palace intrigue drama. Yet this time, she’d overthought it. Whatever Anna’s broader designs, the matter at hand bore no trace of conspiracy.

"...Philip is already married, and as for François, his situation with Alicia is progressing. If there's anything still concerning me, it would naturally be Bella." Queen Mother Anna handed her half-finished embroidery to a court lady beside her and looked at Louise with great affection.

Judging solely by her demeanor now, one could easily mistake her for a kind mother in a large family!

The Bella mentioned by Queen Mother Anna is none other than Isabella, Guillaume's only unmarried sister and also Queen Mother Anna's own daughter—originally, according to Queen Mother Anna's plans, Princess Isabella was to marry King Edward of Gaudenland. But who could have predicted that King Edward would secretly wed the daughter of a minor noble?

In any case, all plans for this alliance were abruptly terminated.

Afterward, Queen Mother Anna did attempt to find another suitable match, but the pool of men worthy of a princess from a great nation like Vasson is limited. Missing one opportunity makes finding another of similar standing quite difficult! The subsequent candidates were either of much lower status or far too old—while political marriages often care little about the groom's age or even whether he has children from previous marriages, a mother naturally wants the best for her daughter. Given the choice, how could one not be selective at all?

Thus, after much back and forth, Princess Isabella remained unmarried for several years.

To be fair, it's not exactly a delay—Princess Isabella is only 22 this year, an entirely acceptable age for an unwed princess.

Nevertheless, it's now imperative to make haste in finding a suitable husband for her. And on this matter, neither Louise nor Guillaume have objections—unlike ordinary princes, who often experience a significant 'depreciation' in the marriage market after their father's death and their brother's ascension to the throne, princesses remain largely unaffected during this transition.

While a new king's own daughters naturally hold greater value, when it comes to alliances symbolizing unity between two nations, the king's sisters serve just as well. Especially if the new king has no daughters of his own, his sisters become the perfect candidates.

Guillaume, having just inherited the throne, needs to assert his presence and stance through diplomatic gestures. And among such 'diplomatic gestures,' marriage alliances have always been a powerful diplomatic tool!