CHAPTER 529: -46- “CAPTIVE BREEDING” NOBLES_2

In a past life’s trashy mobile game, to compete for the top rank, the wealthy would throw in large sums of money, not to mention the nobles of Mireya.

However, these were not the most important issues.

The most important aspect was how long Louis V planned to have the nobles stay in the New Moon Palace.

"Your Majesty, but what about outside of the central meeting? After the central meeting, the nobles will return to their vassal states. How then will the New Moon Palace be maintained? And what will be arranged for the servants in the palace?"

Charlotte tentatively asked.

Louis V gave her a look and naturally stated,

"Outside of the central meeting, the New Moon Palace will continue to operate as usual. The nobles will naturally have to pay the routine maintenance costs of residing in the palace, and these will be deducted from the nobles’ contract taxes."

"As for the servants... aside from the essential personal servants who can be brought into the palace, other menial servants will naturally be provided by the Royal Family."

A thought struck Charlotte:

"Does that mean, Your Majesty, that the New Moon Palace will always maintain a sufficient supply of servants, even outside of the central meetings?"

Louis V nodded slightly,

"Of course, outside of the central meetings, the nobles can still stay in the New Moon Palace at any time."

After hearing Louis V’s words, Charlotte fell into deep thought.

She had already grasped Louis V’s intentions.

This was not merely about providing a unified landing spot for the nobles of Lutecia during central meetings, but aimed at having nobles reside long-term at the New Moon Palace.

If Louis V had truly intended to have the nobles reside only during central meetings, he would likely just provide lodging for the nobles and would not keep the palace operable outside of those meetings, or at least he would reduce operational costs.

But Louis V’s intention was to keep the New Moon Palace continuously operational, regardless of whether the nobles resided there or not.

Louis V was an ambitious monarch, also strong and visionary.

Building such a vast palace was not just to provide a temporary resting place for nobles, nor could it be purely to alleviate Lutecia’s housing pressure.

Thus, the answer was obvious.

This was still aimed at centralizing power.

Clearly, Louis V intended to eventually incorporate all the Kingdom’s lords into residing at the New Moon Palace.

Perhaps now, it was only during the central meetings that nobles stayed in the New Moon Palace, but once the nobles collectively stay during the meetings, in a sense, it would set a precedent.

Everything is difficult at the beginning.

But once a start is made, it becomes much easier to tighten control like the slow boiling of a frog.

Whether through strong tactics, coercion, temptation, or some other methods, in any case... making the nobles reside long-term at the New Moon Palace became a possibility.

Charlotte believed that as long as it was possible to get the nobles to live in the New Moon Palace, even if just once, after that one time, Louis V would find ways to further his plans.

At first, the nobles might fiercely resist, but as the Royal Family’s strength grew, this resistance would increasingly weaken.

Once the nobles adapted to life in the New Moon Palace, they would gradually become disconnected from their own domains and possibly never return, creating another version of ’happy captivity’ confined in the New Moon Palace.

This was highly probable.

After all, not all noble lands were as wealthy as those of the Castel, and the palace built by Louis V was indeed luxurious.

Once Louis V used various means to keep the nobles away from their domains and local power centers long-term, the connection between nobles and their fiefs would gradually weaken, while the Royal Family could better control and influence the noble’s affairs, even managing and monitoring them through the New Moon Palace.

Thus, the influence of the nobles would continually diminish, while the King’s authority and control power would be further strengthened.

Once all the nobles of the New Moon Kingdom were concentrated in the New Moon Palace, the accumulated changes might even lead to a qualitative transformation.

By then, the New Moon Palace would become a sought-after social and cultural center for the nobles.

At that point, it would be easier for Louis V to strengthen centralized power.

For instance, by creating a series of strict court protocols and regulations, demanding the nobles follow his commands and rules in court to reinforce his authority, restricting the nobles’ freedom; and similarly, by holding political gatherings and meetings in the New Moon Palace to manage and supervise the nobles’ political activities...

This change could even become a two-way transformation.

The New Moon Palace would also become a platform for Nobles to interact, compete, display their wealth and status, as well as a place to directly express their opinions and requests to the King, significantly weakening the status of the Nobles’ central meeting.

Even those Nobles who are reluctant to reside long-term at the New Moon Palace would have to travel frequently between their domains and the Palace, weakening their influence locally.

Over time, the connection between the Nobles and their lands would become increasingly tenuous.

Meanwhile, the Royal Family would have the opportunity to meddle in local affairs and, further still, gradually complete the infiltration and control of localities, even controlling local finances through the transfer of contract taxes.

In the end, the Nobles might even evolve into mere title holders of their domains, but in reality, have no control over their lands.

This was very likely to happen, and Charlotte was almost certain that this was very likely Louis V’s plan for the future!

Otherwise, why would he spend a fortune to build the New Moon Palace, this so-called "wonder"?

The reason Charlotte could think so profoundly might be because there is nothing new under the sun; there had been a similar Monarch in the history of her previous life who had done similar things.

Moreover, the name was the same as this New Moon King.

That was Louis XIV of France, who built Versailles Palace.

As for the difference between them, it might be that during Louis XIV’s time, the Feudal Nobles of France had already begun their decline, but in the New Moon Kingdom, the local Feudal forces were still strong.

But Louis V also had his advantages.

That was that this world was a Transcendent world, and the New Moon Royal Family was the most potent Transcendent Force in the New Moon Kingdom, and he was also the most potent Transcendent in the secular Domain of the New Moon Kingdom.

The authority and prestige he had accumulated through war and saving the nation were indeed not comparable to Louis XIV’s.

Thinking this, Charlotte could not help but look again at the King, who was known to the world as "The Great."

The King’s summoning of her could not simply be for a chat.

Charlotte had memories of her previous life and could make such extensive connections all at once.

But in fact, even without the memories of her previous life, relying on the political intuition she had developed over two years of crossing, she could sense Louis V’s unspoken thoughts.

Introducing the New Moon Palace so thoroughly and explaining so much, the implied meaning was already very clear...

"Your Majesty, you... don’t just want to talk about the future of the New Moon Palace, do you?"

Charlotte raised her head, looking into Louis V’s profound black eyes, and asked calmly.

Louis V looked at her appreciatively:

"Castel, I know about your deeds in the Northern Land; in my view, although you are young, you have a perspective and skills far beyond other Nobles."

"Like your parents, you are also an excellent Noble. If your father were still alive, I would have probably granted him a higher title early on, making him a direct vassal of the Kingdom and joining my cabinet..."

"The same for you; I see many merits in you. I appreciate the policies you have implemented in the Northern Land, especially your suppression of the troublemakers, securing control of your domain within just half a year, and defeating the Allied Forces of two Duchies, which is indeed excellent."

"I am sorry about what happened to Philip; this matter is not yet over. I will compensate you as an apology from the Royal Family to the Castel family..."

Listening to Louis V’s words, Charlotte was quite surprised.

She did not expect such high praise and such a sincere attitude from him.

She smiled faintly and asked, with neither humility nor arrogance:

"Your Highness, may I boldly ask if you are trying to court me?"

Louis V glanced at her:

"You might think of it that way."

"Of course, I am also expressing the attitude of the Royal Family, and moreover... I believe you have already understood my intentions."

Saying this, Louis V gazed directly into Charlotte’s eyes, his entire demeanor becoming more commanding in an instant:

"Castel, no one can change my will to strengthen centralization, not the Nobles, nor the Church..."

"Since the end of the Star Moon War, the number of lords with real power and domains sanctioned by the Divine Right could only decrease, never increase again."