N-M #589 - Constitutional Convention (Complete)
#589 - Constitutional Convention (Complete)
By the time Horn and Mollierty arrived at the scene, the brawl had already been quelled by the Clockwork Angels and the constables.
Seeing the six corpses neatly lined up under the eaves and the bloodstains and groaning wounded all over the ground, Horn and Mollierty's faces were grim.
This "Tavern Riot" involved a total of 335 soldiers from both the Salvation Army and the Duke's Army, resulting in six deaths and twenty-two injuries. Surprisingly, most of the participants were soldiers responsible for patrolling the city.
The number of participants was not just the initial hundred or so, as they continued to call for reinforcements.
Even at this moment, soldiers were still arriving from various districts.
"What's going on?" Horn squinted at Jeschka, whose expression was awkward. Those familiar with him knew that this was a sign of His Eminence's anger.
On the other side, Mollierty was also questioning Steve, who was shaking like a leaf: "Do you have anything to say? Esteemed Steve, Chief of Patrol Constables!"
After both sides explained, the situation gradually became clear.
The passage of the "Abolition of the Dead Hand Tax Law" caused jubilation among the Salvation Army and frustration among the Duke's Army. Coupled with the unresolved Article One of the Constitution, both sides had been harboring resentment.
A minor seating dispute in this tavern quickly caused this resentment to erupt. Soldiers on both sides lost control and began retaliating with bows and arrows and holy rifles.
Adding to the negligence of several officers, the brawl gradually escalated, lost its bottom line, and turned into an internal conflict involving blades and weapons.
During this period, two rumors even spread rapidly.
The Salvation Army side said, "The Duke's Army is trying to dissolve the Constitutional Assembly and veto all laws."
The Duke's Army side said, "The Salvation Army has unilaterally passed Article One of the Constitution and is going to liquidate all nobles."
After the rumors spread, hundreds more soldiers from each side rushed to assist.
Fortunately, they did not have long weapons, and the officers and knights remained calm, trying to mediate and confiscate bows, crossbows, and holy rifles, which prevented further casualties.
In a sense, this could even be considered a mutiny.
Both sides had been fighting abroad for too long and were under extreme mental stress. This coincidental trigger led to this tragedy.
This wasn't in their script!
The revised Article One of the 'Charter' was supposed to be passed tomorrow under the chairmanship of Catherine, and then this happened tonight.
Horn turned to look at Mollierty, and Mollierty looked at Horn as if they were telepathically connected.
They couldn't continue to delay. They had to quickly pass this Article One of the Charter and completely prevent such incidents from happening again.
"So, bloodshed is inevitable..."
Muttering to himself, Horn raised his head and said coldly to Jeschka beside him:
"Order all War Monks back to their camps and impose a curfew! Notify Jeanne to summon the judge advocates and legion scribes to open a military court."
Mollierty added from the side: "Let the constables and the Cheka take over the city's security. Anyone found wandering in the city after midnight, regardless of the reason, should be thrown into the dungeon."
"Did you hear that? Do as the Autocratic Duchess says."
"Yes, Your Eminence." Jeschka didn't dare to delay and hurried off to make arrangements.
Horn nodded to Mollierty and went to comfort the group of civil representatives who were shivering under blankets.
Steve cautiously walked up to Mollierty: "What about us?"
"Bring all the offending soldiers here, and all the representatives from our side of the Constitutional Assembly!" Mollierty's voice was as cold as frost, causing Steve to tremble.
…………
"Look at these soldiers. Which one isn't my relative or close friend? Which one isn't a pillar on the battlefield?"
When the Red Horse Knight Moruo entered the mansion hall, Mollierty was slamming her left iron fist heavily on the table.
"They have rendered meritorious service, but I have to kill them. My heart is breaking."
In the flickering orange candlelight, wood chips flew everywhere, even piercing the faces of the nobles in the front row.
In front of them, a row of heads was neatly stacked, and the intense smell of blood filled the room.
"I understand. I lost a hand and revealed half my face, so you think I'm a weak woman, someone everyone can manipulate, and my orders don't matter, is that right?!"
The Duke's nobles and knights lowered their heads, clamping their legs inward, and tightly pursing their lips.
"Good, good. You pull out an army, and I'll pull out an army. Now let's go outside the city and see who wins!" Mollierty glared at the nobles. "I'll ask again, who ordered this?!"
"We really didn't..." Earl Nathaniel had always been a soft character. He had never seen such a violent lord and was about to cry.
"Hahahaha, everyone here has been on the battlefield. You all know how long it takes to string a crossbow.
Our people started it, shot the first arrow, and it was in the tavern where the civil representatives were. You say it's a coincidence. I say, if I can believe that, so can the Patriarch?"
Mollierty walked back and forth in front of the nobles with her hands behind her back: "I've said it countless times, no one can destroy the unity of Thousand River Valley! Did you hear that?"
"But it really was a coincidence," Knight Steve with the square head secretly glanced at Mollierty and whispered.
"Coincidence, coincidence my ass!" Mollierty grabbed the ink bottle on the table and smashed it over. Several nobles instinctively dodged.
"It's such a coincidence that our people attacked first, and the civil representatives were still there. If the Patriarch says we did it on purpose, that we wanted to threaten the civil representatives and split Thousand River Valley, what should we do?"
"Are we still going to beg him to unite?" As soon as Crowen finished speaking, Mollierty walked up to him.
Although the curve of the lower half of her face under the iron mask was so bright and alluring, Crowen couldn't help but feel his heart pounding when he met those blood-colored pupils.
"Do you know what we are facing? How long do you think the civil war in the Leia Kingdom can last? Can our civil war with the Salvation Army end before the Leia civil war? Can you guarantee that?!
If we fight with the Salvation Army, no matter who wins or loses, it will be a victory for the Leia Kingdom! What did the Leia Kingdom give you that makes you speak for them like this?!"
In a lioness-like roar, Mollierty's disheveled white hair moved without wind. After a series of questions, Crowen's forehead was covered with beads of sweat.
Especially after the last heart-wrenching sentence, his legs weakened and he knelt directly on the ground: "I didn't mean that, Your Highness. I support the constitution and support unity!"
The red light behind the iron mask flickered, and everyone in the hall didn't dare to speak. Just as Crowen was about to suffocate, Mollierty turned around: "You don't have to attend the constitutional meetings for the next two days. Reflect at home for two days."
Crowen finally breathed a sigh of relief and stood up with the support of the other nobles on both sides.
"You can fight in the meeting, fight in the meeting. After the meeting, we and the Salvation Army must be friends! Otherwise, why do you think we are holding this constitutional meeting?" As Mollierty walked up to the throne with her back to the nobles, the Red Horse Knight Moruo played the role of peacemaker and eased the atmosphere.
"We all have to restrain ourselves so that Thousand River Valley can have a future," Mollierty said slowly and heavily as she sat on the throne.
In fact, this was a political consensus reached by Horn and Mollierty.
It doesn't matter if they fight in the meeting or if the people fight among themselves, but the armies of both sides must never fight each other. This is the bottom line.
Whether it is Mollierty or Horn, they will impose penalties beyond the standard on this matter to ensure that this political consensus can be deeply rooted in people's hearts.
"Then what should we do now?" Sampoli asked anxiously.
"What else can we do? My efforts and negotiations over the past few days have been wasted by you." Grabbing the charter on the table, Mollierty slammed the charter hard on the cold floor. "Don't they want to pass Article One of the Constitution? In exchange, it can only be passed."
"Isn't this actively putting a noose around our necks?" Lannes couldn't help but mutter, and the other nobles followed suit in a low voice.
Mollierty's chest heaved violently. She sat on the throne, propped her head with her iron fist, and sighed helplessly after a long silence:
"I'll try my best to mediate. Horn will give me face, but don't think about completely canceling it. How much I can mediate depends on the meaning of the Holy Father."
…………
On the morning of May 6, 1446 of the Imperial Calendar, the Autocratic Duchess and the Patriarch appeared hand in hand at the Constitutional Assembly and directly and forcefully announced the passage of Article One of the 'Charter'.
Contrary to most people's expectations, this time there was no large-scale opposition.
As the article was engraved on the copper pillar, both the left and right seats breathed a sigh of relief.
Even when they appeared, they pretended to hug each other to celebrate the passage of Article One of the 'Constitution'.
"The sovereignty of Thousand River Valley originates from the absolute authority of the Holy Father. Nobles and commoners are all servants of the Holy Father, jointly shouldering the sacred responsibility of maintaining order and pursuing justice.
The authority of the nobles is based on their service to the territory and protection of the commoners, while the commoners express their obedience to the will of the Holy Father by recognizing the leadership of the nobles."