Chapter 69: The Weight of the Past

‘My sister also traversed here…?’

Chloe had not yet emerged from her astonishment when a sudden knock sounded from outside the room.

“Come in.”

Caesar peeled a blank sheet of paper from the table, concealing it behind her back. It was densely covered with writing.

The door swung open, revealing Alice.

Her golden curls cascaded around her, and she was enveloped in a long, crimson and gold robe. Her emerald eyes, once shadowed by weariness, now sparkled with vibrant energy.

‘Why was Alice here? No, that wasn’t right. She was also an Elder; it wasn’t strange for her to know Caesar.’

‘Was this Alice from three hundred years ago? Her demeanor seemed considerably younger than her present self, a hint of immaturity still gracing her features.’

What truly puzzled Chloe was the sudden acceleration of Alysia’s heartbeat upon seeing Alice. ‘Could Alysia also harbor feelings for Alice?’

“Alice, is something amiss?”

Alice cast a wary glance at Chloe—or, more precisely, at Alysia. Even so, being stared at so intently still made Chloe uncomfortable.

“I hope you will withdraw your proposal.”

Caesar’s brows furrowed in displeasure. She stated, “After following me for so long, are you now attempting to betray me?”

“You adopted me when I was displaced and elevated me, a Loen native, to an Elder. My gratitude knows no bounds, but…”

“Alice, are you doubting the capabilities of Lady Caesar?”

Chloe had striven to keep her tone level, yet the words that escaped her lips were sharp and acrimonious.

“Lady Caesar is not only the leader of the entire empire, but she also commands an elite Imperial Guard. I believe no one would doubt that two-thirds of the Elder Council now heed Lady Caesar,” Alice said, her voice cool.

“Then that’s all that matters. A proposal passes with a two-thirds majority,” Alysia retorted, her words like daggers.

“Alice, I hope you will continue to support me,” Caesar said earnestly.

Upon hearing Caesar’s declaration, Alice’s throat felt as though it had been pricked by a needle, rendering her speechless. She could only offer a simple nod.

“Then I wish you great success in your endeavors.”

Alice averted her gaze, closed the door, and departed.

“To think Alice would turn against us at such a moment,” Alysia murmured.

“I believe she must have a compelling reason for her words.”

Caesar suddenly buried her head in Alysia’s chest.

“Lady Caesar, you…”

Caesar lifted her head, her eyes now clouded with tears. Chloe found her sister’s weeping unbearable; her heart melted in sympathy.

“I am terrified that something might go wrong. I hope you will always stand by my side.”

“I will.”

****

By the time Chloe regained her composure, they had already entered the assembly hall.

The circular corridor rose in tiered layers, with stone seats placed every two meters. Hundreds of Elders were seated in succession, trapped within like prisoners.

In the center of the corridor, a platform stood empty, clearly prepared for individual speeches.

A faintly glowing blue lamp hung inverted from the dome, casting a pale blue filter over the entire hall.

A heavy, stifling air enveloped the space, and the Elders sat with bowed heads, utterly silent.

“How quiet it is. Usually, they chatter incessantly.”

Caesar surveyed the somber hall, shrugging her shoulders helplessly.

Chloe felt a sudden quickening in this body’s heartbeat. She mumbled, “Because… the matter to be discussed today is of great significance.”

Caesar leaned closer, and Alysia’s heart hammered against her ribs.

Just as Chloe wondered what she intended to do, Caesar looked up, offering a sweet smile.

“Head pats, please~”

Chloe instinctively reached out her hand, but her body refused to obey. Alysia kept her hands tightly clasped in her pockets.

“…Now is not the time for such things, I apologize.”

“It is precisely at times like these that you should cheer me on. Someone used to do that for me all the time,” Caesar said with a shrug.

“Is it the ‘brother’ you frequently mention?”

Caesar’s face suddenly clouded. She murmured, “Indeed, he is also the reason I am here.”

Chloe’s heart trembled. ‘What was this all about? Could Caesar truly be my sister?’

“Enough. They are waiting for us.”

Caesar strode directly to the platform, like a monarch ascending to a battlefield. Illuminated by the pale blue light, her face appeared even more beautiful.

She drew a speech manuscript from her robe; her fingers trembled slightly, and her eyes began to waver.

She harbored a deep-seated fear of public speaking. When she graduated from junior high, her teacher had asked her to give the outstanding graduate speech.

However, her parents had just been in a car accident. Overwhelmed by worry, the usually confident girl found herself unable to utter a single coherent sentence on stage, even shedding tears in frustration.

“You can do it.”

Chloe’s lips unconsciously uttered the words.

It seemed Alysia shared her choice.

Caesar stood firm, spread her arms wide, and declared in a loud voice, “Fellow Elders!”

“Julius, are you once again peddling your impossible theories?”

A familiar voice echoed from afar. Chloe looked in that direction.

Cailin slammed her hand on the table, pointing at Caesar, her eyes blazing with fury.

“There’s no need to rush, little sister Cailin,” Caesar said with a charming smile.

“Do not interrupt others while they are speaking.”

Another familiar face.

Wuxu sat beside Cailin, her hands clasped together, her brow slightly furrowed as if displeased with the young Elder.

“Hmph, it won’t pass anyway.”

Cailin leaned back, crossing her arms, adopting an air of indifference.

‘Pfft, I never expected Cailin to be such a bear back then.’

“Please, speak, Caesar.”

Cicero sat at the very center, her hands resting on two transparent glass boxes. She wasn’t wearing glasses yet, and her beautiful purple eyes were fixed on Caesar. Angelica and Longinus stood guard on either side.

Longinus idly twirled a strand of her hair, appearing nonchalant, while Angelica maintained a grim expression.

Caesar nodded in thanks. She picked up the manuscript, her gaze sliding to the first line.

“I, Julius Caesar, hereby propose five measures.”

“First, the emancipation of all slaves throughout the empire, regardless of whether their origin is debt or capture. s*ave owners shall receive compensation.”

“Madwoman,” Angelica succinctly commented.

“Are you insane? Without slaves, all the estates will grind to a halt! You won’t even be able to eat! Go eat…” Cailin continued to yell.

“Excuse me, how much compensation will we receive?” Wuxu interrupted Cailin’s crude remarks, asking calmly.

“Currency equivalent to the market value of the slaves.”

“That’s acceptable.”

“Wuxu, do you truly wish to free the slaves?”

An Elder beside her looked at Wuxu with suspicion.

“In truth, I no longer have any slaves in my household. Although they still labor under my command, they are all free individuals, required only to pay taxes to me periodically.”

Wuxu stated calmly.

“Where will the treasury find so much money for compensation?” another Elder asked skeptically.

“That brings me to my second measure: the establishment of a new tax system. The state will levy taxes based on the quantity and fertility of agricultural land, replacing the former head tax.”

“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” Cailin slammed her fist heavily on the table.

“Following this, I will introduce the third measure: guaranteeing basic land for impoverished farmers, allocating approximately one *mu* of private family land and two *mu* of communal land. The communal land shall be non-transferable and will revert to the state upon the death of its holder.”

No one dared to speak again.

Chloe understood perfectly: these three measures would undoubtedly be the death knell for s*ave owners. She never expected Caesar’s strides to be so audacious!

Seeing that no one spoke, Caesar continued with her fourth measure: “The fourth measure is to add 200 Elder seats, allowing for the recruitment of people from both the imperial heartland and the provinces.”

“You want those barbarians from Loen to enter the Elder Council?” Cailin said indignantly.

“My apologies, I am from Loen,” Alice said blandly. Many others echoed her sentiment, forcing Cailin into silence.

“The fifth measure is to establish the Imperial Guard as a permanent institution, directly subordinate to the Grand General.”

“…I must remind you, you are the Chief Elder of the Elder Council and the First Citizen of the Empire, but you are certainly not the Emperor,” Angelica stated coldly.

“These are extraordinary measures. Otherwise, the empire will never know peace. How many times have the Loen and Ugur peoples plundered the capital? Once? Twice? Or too many times to count? I ask you, esteemed Elders, do you believe the current empire is strong enough to resist the Loen and Ugur peoples?” Caesar declared righteously.

“You…” Cailin glared furiously at Caesar.

“More words are useless. If Cailin does not wish for the policies to pass, then she should simply cast a dissenting vote,” Longinus said, brushing her hair back with a faint smile.

Cicero announced loudly, “Let us adhere to our centuries-old tradition and allow democratic voting to decide everything. Left for approval, right for opposition.”

Cicero opened the two boxes and decisively cast her vote on the right side. Elders streamed towards Cicero, casting their choices.

Cailin naturally opposed, as did Angelica, while Wuxu cast an affirmative vote.

Surprisingly, Longinus also voted in favor.

However, Chloe still hadn’t seen Alice’s shadow. ‘Had she abstained?’

The entire process lasted less than two minutes. They had likely made their decisions long ago: to support Caesar or to oppose her.

The left side was visibly much higher than the right; the outcome was already determined.

Caesar breathed a sigh of relief. She turned, looking at Alysia with satisfaction, her crimson lips slightly parted.

Almost simultaneously, Chloe drew a dagger from her robe and plunged it deeply into Caesar’s heart.

Her sister looked at Chloe in astonishment. Even though it was not Chloe’s doing, her desolate gaze still made Chloe’s heart bleed.

Chloe could not change the past.

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