The Youngest Prince Of The English Royalty House [EN]: Chapter 82

82. An Irish Triumvirate (1)

In a year that felt strangely reminiscent of the 1988 Olympics, I made a declaration to the world.

Well, to be precise, it was more like publicly announcing my grand idea to the world from Ireland.

[I, Safe John, will host the safest assembly in the world.]

Yes, me, Safe John.

I had already hinted that a sacred triumvirate [a ruling body of three] would be held in Ireland.

Because the first triumvirate on proud Irish soil should rightly be blessed by the people of the world.

The Irish-style triumvirate that will astound the world—just thinking about it fills me with a sense of grandeur.

Of course, that world is limited to Europe and the Middle East. Anyway, it felt like making a declaration to the world in the Middle Ages.

It’s not that there aren’t ignorant people who ask why I’m doing such seemingly useless things.

Even my own mother told me to just run things the way I always had, “as the lord pleases.”

But I was determined to hold the triumvirate.

It’s not because my past life’s mother was French, or that I’m a Francophile [a person who is fond of or greatly admires France or the French] from a past life. To make Ireland safer, I had to use the triumvirate as an excuse to create a ‘stage’.

The Irish territory is always seen as ‘ambiguous’ in whatever it does. To get rid of that ambiguity, there had to be something uniquely special about the Irish territory.

Since I had no intention of hiding it anyway, I revealed general information about the triumvirate to the world. Therefore, the high-ranking people of Europe would roughly understand the meaning of the triumvirate.

‘But still, those who are curious will come to watch anyway.’

Medieval Europe is often portrayed as full of intrigue, but like any place where people live, there are moments of unexpected warmth.

That is, when something ‘beneficial’ to them arises.

My close aides who received small but valuable territories and ‘rewards’ from me, as well as neutral vassals who received bonuses, agreed to my plan.

As the neutral faction nodded in approval, merchants who had been watching cautiously approached me, begging for investment opportunities.

But since I am the faithful Saint John, I drew a clear line and did not accept investments unless they were truly ‘legitimate’ merchants.

As I was busy receiving investments and the sun was setting, the capable knight Godfrey approached me and asked.

“Preparations are slowly coming to an end.”

“Indeed, you are capable.”

* * *

―English Territory, Brittany―

Many European nobles had already heard that their beloved Safe John was planning a ‘triumvirate,’ and Geoffrey was one of them.

Of course, as long as the great lord John faithfully followed Henry II’s orders and paid his ‘tribute’ well, no one would interfere with the ‘game’ that had a justification for safely collecting taxes from the ‘Ireland-Mortain territory’.

Moreover, John’s father and the lord who received bread and wine as tribute, ‘Henry II,’ publicly stated at a meeting held in Anjou.

[John, indulge the child’s eccentricities.]

Since he was publicly not interfering with his youngest son’s eccentricities, even the excuse to pressure Prince John disappeared.

However, news arrived that Prince John was officially making this eccentricity not just an ‘eccentricity’.

He was going to publicly hold the first triumvirate, dividing the territory’s classes into three and discussing state affairs and ‘taxes’ with them, and offering thanksgiving to the ‘Lord’.

“Hmph…….”

Geoffrey let out a hollow laugh. The youngest was truly amazing. Rather, he himself must have been arrogant for not recognizing the youngest’s dark intentions before.

No matter how young, wasn’t he a man of the Angevin family [a royal house of French origin that ruled England] with the cursed Angevin bloodline? Then, demonic deception and ‘conspiracy’ must also be in that child.

“He’s slowly starting to act. He’s been quietly building his strength, pretending to be without greed, and now that he has a safe base in Ireland, he’s slowly revealing his ambition. My brother John.”

Next to Geoffrey, who was muttering like that, was the son Geoffrey had worked hard to obtain.

“Baba.”

Of course, it was ‘Arthur,’ whom Geoffrey had baptized faster than anyone else.

Geoffrey said to his son, who knew nothing and just liked being in his father’s arms.

“Son, remember well, there is no one to trust in this world.”

“Abu?”

Geoffrey, who had seen the politics of distrust since childhood, trusted no one. Right now, his son Arthur was more precious than anyone else.

But if that Arthur grew up and became a ‘threat’ in terms of power, he wouldn’t be able to trust his son, just like his father, Henry II.

After looking at his young son for a moment, Geoffrey looked at the painting of the [Angevin Family] drawn by the royal painter. And he stared intently at the painting of his father, Henry II, in the center.

For now, it’s a situation where I have to bow down. To my respected father, ‘Henry II’.

Bow your head and hide the blade.

But. The ‘situation’ of bowing down doesn’t necessarily mean you have to stay still.

Geoffrey looked at his son Arthur, who was sleeping soundly, and thought in his heart.

‘Arthur, I can still do anything for you right now.’

The next day.

Geoffrey called his right-hand man, Baron Courtney.

He was a rational and 냉정한 [composed; detached] nobleman, and Geoffrey’s most useful aide.

‘As long as our interests align, that guy has no choice but to be loyal to me.’

“Have a drink.”

Serving wine to dear guests is the official reception method of both France and England.

“I will enjoy it.”

The two people, who drank the Brittany wine that Geoffrey had worked hard to manage, began to have an important conversation in earnest.

“How is His Majesty doing?”

First, Geoffrey asked about the situation of his father, Henry II.

“He is still watching His Highness and the Young King.”

‘He still can’t let go of his 경계심 [vigilance; wariness].’

“He must be wary that we might start another civil war like him. After all, we are all like him.”

A lion gives birth to lion cubs.

Henry II himself may not want to admit it, but Geoffrey is the one who most resembles his father, Henry II. No, perhaps all the ‘sons’ who troubled Henry II inherited Henry II’s 능함 [ability; competence] as well as his dark side.

“Anyway, I’ll have to stay away from Philip for a while…”

Of course, the King of France has no choice but to continue to join forces with Geoffrey. Philip II is more wary of Prince John than Geoffrey is.

What Geoffrey is saying here is that he is changing to a more 은밀한 [secret; covert] political alliance so as not to be ‘seen’.

“Lord Courtney.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“We must proceed with matters more 은밀하게 [secretly; covertly] than before.”

“Yes, I understand.”

* * *

―1188 Ireland―

Europe has been in constant conflict since the division of the ancient Roman Empire and the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

The same is true now.

Europe has won a great victory in the Third Crusade, but true nobles who want to seize the vast wealth gained from the Middle East are slowly starting to engage in political maneuvering.

The French guys had a small territorial war last time, but the clever Philip II cut it off at the right time.

Even though the current Kingdom of France has not been able to recover its lost territories and feels the ‘difference in power’ with England, paradoxically, Philip used that ‘sense of crisis’ to control the nobles.

Anyway, he’s a great guy in many ways. There’s no other hero to stand against the demon king England.

Anyway, here is Ireland, the land of peace ruled by Safe John.

I have already appropriately distributed ‘rewards’ to the vassals I belong to. And if they are not satisfied with that, they will have to leave, right?

Of course, it is true that I entrust my vassals with more work than other lords, but I am a kind lord who gives sufficient ‘compensation’ for the work done.

To commemorate the triumvirate, I founded a ‘children’s choir’ for cute little children. It was an act of showing my ‘余裕 [composure;余裕]’ to the outside world.

Of course, those children are ‘seminarians’ who will become ‘clergy’ in the future.

“Beautiful hearts gather, sharing the grace of the Lord, following Jesus and loving each other. We love each other. One thing God taught us, love your neighbor as yourself~”

Of course, the introduction of the children’s choir had to be 이루어졌다 [achieved; accomplished] after passing the prior review of Bishop Rothaire, who was like the head of the diocese in Ireland.

Just looking at the children praising God with their innocent voices was healing.

After enjoying the rest, I thought about the future.

Specifically, the ‘triumvirate’. The triumvirate is a means for the great lord to control the nobles.

‘The power of the nobles must be kept in check appropriately.’

The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth of early modern Europe, where the king’s power was 백지화 [nullified; invalidated] and the nobles effectively held most of the power, was ‘divided’ due to the king’s blunders and the nobles’ treason.

The early modern French-Bourbon dynasty, which implemented 감동 [moving; touching] services for the clergy and nobles in order to seek cooperation from the nobles for the king’s power, was ‘revolutionized’ due to the corruption of the nobles who enjoyed irresponsible pleasure.

‘So I plan to actively 끌어들이다 [draw in; attract] bastards and youngest sons into the Irish-style three classes.’

From a historical conclusion, the Third Estate played a 계륵 (chicken ribs) [something that is not worth much effort or expense] role under the name of the bourgeoisie in the Kingdom of France, but played a pivotal role in England, and further in the British Empire.

Of course, this is because the unique political environment of France and England, which became 각자도생 [each looking out for themselves] due to the Hundred Years’ War, is different from the 혐성 [ill-natured] England, which took France as its territory, like my land is my land and your land is my land.

But the situation is different now.

I didn’t lose English-controlled 서프랑스 [Western France] due to the original King John’s foolish blunder in the Battle of Bouvines. And even if the ‘Hundred Years’ War’, a bloody battle between France and England, breaks out, it will break out in a different way.

Anyway, after finishing the story about the triumvirate with my vassals, I 열중했다 [immersed myself; was absorbed] in the work of holding the triumvirate in earnest.

There is no worry about the location.

Right before I went to the Crusade, there was already a place that I had told them to build as a new ‘annex’.

Even before I thought of the triumvirate, I had several ideas for ‘utilizing’ this place. Now that I see it, it was perfect as a public conference hall for the first triumvirate.

“Everything must be the best. Even the chairs.”

Even the chairs for the delegates attending the triumvirate were purchased with such expensive 수로 [labor; effort] that my hands trembled.

Of course, the chairs to be placed in the conference room are not comfortable chairs with backs and heads like modern people enjoyed.

It’s closer to a 기특한 [admirable; commendable] tool that allows you to sit and lean back rather than standing still, but still, I like the technicians of the Safe Guild. They made it with the same luxurious materials from the 1st to the 3rd class.

Of course, the chairs for the 1st and 2nd classes were a little more luxurious. This couldn’t be helped.

This is a medieval feudal society. Wouldn’t it be a problem if ‘liberty, equality, and fraternity’ were 이루어지면 [achieved; realized]?

Anyway, I am saying something through the ‘chair’ in 무언중에 [tacitly; implicitly]. The triumvirate means that even attending is meaningful enough.

Is it just the chair?

All the cultural ‘겉모습 [outward appearance; facade]’ inside referred to the Baroque style of France.

‘Of course, a lord at the end of the 12th century can’t catch up with the class of the Sun King [Louis XIV], but I still reproduced it with 가성비 [cost-effectiveness].’

Then, I 신경 썼다 [paid attention; was mindful] about ‘meals’, which is the most important thing at the event. It’s a meal for the attending delegates and VIPs.

“Irish food must be the best in the world.”

After seeing the table of the Eastern Roman Empire last time. I was envious in many ways, but I am Safe John, who has memories of my past life.

‘The dishes of the Eastern Roman Empire guys are also quite delicious, but you have to have the meals of the French Bourbon royal family to be able to say, “Ah~ I have to eat some 요리 [cuisine; cooking].”‘

I plan to provide the best ‘table’ where ‘taste’ and ‘style’ coexist in a limited way. To match the first triumvirate.

I have already publicly recruited the best chefs in both Mortain and Ireland. Most of the chefs in this era are people who are responsible for the ‘Lord’s table’.

If I ‘call’ my vassals, those guys have to listen to the orders of John, the boss of the Irish alley, and bake bread and meat with their heads 박고 [bowed; buried].

After that, there were many things to do in many ways.

Because the scale is large in the first place, and there are many things to think about.

‘It doesn’t matter if no guests come anyway.’

If a noble or royal family who is on bad terms with me ‘talks’ and Safe John’s first triumvirate can become 처량해질 [miserable; pathetic].

But I know.

That there will be quite a few people coming to Ireland, led by my father Henry II’s 후광 [halo; aura] and curiosity about the triumvirate.