1615 Summer(June - August)

"What the hell."

After I've become the Kaiser of the Holy Roman Empire(Germany), I've finally found the answer to the riddle that perplexed me till now. Yes, I've discovered the real culprit of the assassination attempt on the Duke of Cambridge - my grandson, Henry - which became a trigger to the dispute between me and my late daughter, Elizabeth the Lioness.

"A grandfather who made his son and granddaughter fight until one's death."

How could I be so stupid! Why didn't I thought of the possibility that the assassination attempt was intended to make mischief between me and Elizabeth? I should have thought of that possibility as well before I suspect the Lioness!

I've realized this while looking at the top-secret documents stacked in Frankfurt, Vienna, and Barcelona, as the 1st Imperator of the New West Roman Empire and the Kaiser of the Holy Roman Empire.

The maid who tried to suffocate Henry to death was one of the attaches that my 1st wife, late Maria brought along with her when she came to England from Austria to marry me. Also, that maid owed a tremendous debt to Venetian merchants.

After Maria's death, thanks to Catalan monk belonged to the Society of Jesus who immigrated from Spain to England, she was introduced to Elizabeth's closest maiden - the Charlotte of Glasgow - and her half-sister. That monk later ordered her to assassinate Henry.

Finally, the guard who pierced her to death with a spear was a Bohemian mercenary. He worked for an Austrian Habsburg family ever since Charles V and officially became a knight in the Holy Roman Empire army. He also followed Maria as one of the attaches just like that maid and sneaked into English Palace.

It was just a piece of cake to guess the real culprit, with all this evidence.

'The late Rudolf II or the Felipe III? Hell will freeze over! Both of them are too incompetent and lazy to carry out this complex trick. So, that leaves only one Habsburg king as a real culprit.'

Yes, it was my father, and Elizabeth's grandfather, the late Felipe II, the former king of Spain.

"What have I done you wrong? Was I not a good son to you?"

I had no other words to say. Thanks to his plot, not only did I spend 15 years after his death to fully claim his kingdom - Spain - but I've also failed to annex France.

Although I've become the Kaiser of the Holy Roman Empire, my original plan was to become the King of France, but I failed, and had to let Louis XIII have his way in France!

"Father, did you wish your foolish son and my half-brother Felipe III will secure his crown while I quarrel with France? Unfortunately, it failed! That fool is now locked up in Milan palace, with no honor, no crown, no followers!"

"If you had loved my mother - Mary I - and me just like, no even half of what you've loved Felipe III, I and late Elizabeth wouldn't have quarreled!"

'Sigh'

"Forget it."

Come to think of it, don't I also untrust my son Richard as well? It's the same. Just like Felipe II didn't count on me, I don't trust Richard as well! The only difference between me and Richard was that I was too ambitious to trust, but Richard was too ideal to count on.

"Fucking Habsburg. Fucking family traits."

How can I not complain? If I could choose a family trait that I can inherit, I would have inherited Habsburg jaw, not personal characteristics!

"Bloody hell. So, if I inherited my father's characteristics, do I face the same death as him, devoting my last days at the Crusade against the heretics?"

It's an unexpected kind of death, which I didn't think even once. I've always thought my death would be an unexpected assassination, which one of my children is a mastermind behind it. But a glorious and splendid death like Saint Louis - Louis IX of France?

'Hmm, maybe that's not bad.'

I've got what I've wanted - even though it was not different from my original plan, I've become the king of 6 realms. - so, what's left is to prepare a splendid ending of my life.

Just like fireworks, I wish to live an unforgettable last day.

'Ha'

"Oh, my. I've sure become more sentimental than I was in my 20's or 30's."

Anyway, it's time to rule my empire, not time to contemplate.

1615 Winter(December)

I've consolidated Iberia into 1 kingdom, just like I've merged England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales into Great Britain. After abolishing the crown of Portugal, Castille, and Aragon, I've only left election districts for the 2nd Congress of the United Kingdom in Madrid and administrative districts for collecting taxes, etc. Also, just like I've united the official language as London accent English in Great Britain, I've made Castillian accent Spanish as an official language in Iberia.

There was no resistance in the Aragon region. No, to be exact, since it was still under martial law, with troop stationed, every resistance was crushed the moment it came to life.

Of course, the Portuguese expressed no complaint. Why? The Duchess of Cambridge - my granddaughter-in-law - just gave birth to a healthy boy. Since she was the Juan - the Duke of Braganza - 's younger sister, Portuguese became connected with the royal family, just like the Dutch did with Emilia - my daughter-in-law and Princess of Wales, the younger sister of Maurice, the Prince of Orange - after she gave birth to Henry. Blood is thicker than water, you know. So, they had no reason to resist.

Meanwhile, the East India Company reported that tribute relationship with Ming(*Chinese Dynasty at that time.) has been changed - for good.

Because my kingdom, no, my empire's merchants can claim themselves as the merchant of the (New West) Roman Empire, Ming's treatment has been improved than before.

"Oh, that's interesting. Why's that?"

Of course, I know why. (*In my previous life, I had an ex-girlfriend from Hong Kong and has taken several history subjects in college.) But for fun, I've ordered the head of the East India Company to explain.

"Imperator, Ming claims itself as the 'Middle Kingdom', and its' emperor calls himself 'Tianzi' - the Son of Heaven, and it only recognizes 2 kingdoms as an empire - same status with itself - Persia and Rome. That's because those 2 traded with China from the Han Dynasty, and all Chinese regard them as the Hegemony of the West."

"And now, our merchants no longer need to name themselves English/Dutch/Portuguese/Spanish, but Romans, Imperator! So, the Ming emperor treats our messengers as equal to himself!"

"Good, very good."

The tribute interval was drastically reduced from once every decade to once every 3 years, and the messenger from the East India Company was given the right to tête-à-tête with the Ming Emperor. Also, even when the messenger was invited to a banquet held by the Ming Royal, his seat was right next to the Emperor.

From the Chinese point of view, England and Spain united Europe, with me - Edward VII/Eduardo I - becoming the 'Tianzi' of the West, so this is the right attitude to treat the other hegemony in this world.

"Imperator, we've given 3,000 Arquebus, 1,500 African slaves, 100,000 Ducat worth of silver and 100 kg of spice from India to the Ming Emperor."

"Oh, so how much did you receive from Ming, then?"

"We've received 1 million Ducat worth of silver, 10 ton worth of silk, 1 ton worth of tea leaves, Imperator! This is a goose that lays a golden egg!"

It might be stupid of Ming to carry out this trade, even if its' once every 3 years, with this amount of trade deficit, but it's not in the Confucian system. The 'Tianzi' - the Chinese Emperor - has to boast his wealth to his tributaries, just like Native American society, where host in Potlatch giving away foods and items to guests. And since 'The New West Roman Empire' is the #1 guest in that Potlatch, Ming Emperor has no choice but to give the most luxurious gift to it.

"Well done. From now on, establish a subsidiary company that only focuses on the tributary trade with Ming."

"Yes, Imperator."

And the board members of the East India Company followed suit, establishing a subsidiary company HQ in New Wales(=Taiwan). It's a once every 3 years event, boosting the empire's fame in the Far East, which gains enormous profit. So, it's a big deal after all.