Free Web NovelChapter 1192: Chapter 1121: Reelection and Treason Charges (Part 2)
"Where is the forgery?" Bradak sarcastically raised the document, "Isn’t this your handwriting and wax seal, Valeris? Or is this fingerprint not yours?"
The truth emerged, combining with previous documents.
The faces of the Falan Party members instantly turned pale.
After all, maybe Charles VIII just wanted territorial maps, but why wouldn’t the people below take advantage?
Without conditions, who would want you?
Whether die-hard Falan Party or regular members, cold sweat was streaming down their foreheads at this moment.
The small clique of Valeris was sweating because they never expected such confidential matters to leak.
Is it because Cheka is too terrifying, or is there a traitor? Or perhaps both?
As for regular members of the Falan Party, including numerous town workshop masters, city businessmen, and monk groups.
In the documents, many of the things Valeris promised were not owned by Valeris’s clique.
But they belonged to them!
In other words, Valeris’s clique sold everyone’s interests while pretending they were earned.
The rest of the Falan Party members were, literally, sold out and still helping count the money.
"What the f——!?" An irritable member slammed the document onto the table, "Selling me out?"
Another Falan Party member was so angry that he trembled: "Gatz, we are relatives, aren’t we? I didn’t even ask for your daughter’s dowry back then!"
"No, no..." Gatz waved his hand repeatedly.
The more temperate members continued cursing, while the less patient ones were already rolling up their sleeves and running over to Valeris’s side.
Valeris jumped onto the table, still trying to argue and soothe, but the members were no longer willing to listen.
He had just jumped onto the table, spoken a couple of sentences, then was kicked down by a sweeping kick from a member.
Next came seven or eight hands, all grabbing his collar at once.
If Jeanne hadn’t quickly dispatched guards to stabilize the situation, Valeris could have been seriously injured.
Not only Valeris himself, but his clique was instantly at odds with the rest of the Falan Party.
Members accused each other, pushed and shoved, threw punches, and even grabbed candlesticks from the table to smash.
The assembly hall was in chaos again, more violent than the previous brawl.
"Joan, what do you mean by this?" Valeris tried to maintain calm, but his voice trembled, "This is an internal matter of Dawn Island; the Holy Alliance should not intervene!"
"If the Holy Alliance doesn’t intervene, can we win?" Someone immediately retorted.
"I’m not intervening." Jeanne shrugged, her tone flat, "This is commissioned by Bradak to investigate as he’s responsible for Dawn Island’s security; he needs to know if anyone is harming the island’s interests."
Bradak immediately chimed in, slamming the document onto the table, voice loud: "Everyone! As long as it can calm the rage of farmers and laborers, to maintain the stability of Dawn Island, I, Bradak, am willing to give everything!"
These words sounded good, but the translation is—he will never compromise until the blood of the Falan Party members runs dry.
Once they caused enough chaos, Jeanne then tapped the table: "You see, this is the consequence of siding with Falan.
You are not Falan; you will never gain their true trust.
They will only provoke internal strife, lure you with minority interests, and eventually turn the entire Dawn Island into a trophy."
"Will siding with the Holy Alliance earn trust?" Grading shouted, eyes red, "Won’t the Holy Alliance annex us? Won’t they take over our industries?"
"It’s not siding, it’s joining." Jeanne’s voice clearly reached everyone’s ears, "There is precedent for this, just like the Black Snake Bay Federation.
His Majesty Saint Sun has always stated that different places have unique characteristics and require local strategies.
Even with the Holy Sect, he allows regional doctrines due to varying economic, political, and cultural differences.
After joining, you can preserve Dawn Island’s traditions, your own culture...
Such as city autonomy and workshop operations, as long as you discard the oppressive and foreign colluding behaviors.
Moreover, I can announce to you all that once joined with the Holy Alliance, besides enjoying the benefits of tariff unions, the Alliance will also send significant orders your way.
Your grapes, aside from wine, can also be processed into juices and sodas, and your lands for planting grains can also be used for oil-producing and medicinal crops..."
As Jeanne narrated, several cavalry started distributing documents to the members present.
As for the assembly hall, it finally quieted down with only the sound of pages turning.
It was the first time numerous Falan Party members seriously read the materials and analysis given by the Holy Alliance.
According to the Holy Alliance materials, the Alliance will not require Dawn Island to become its territory, but rather exist as an allied nation.
Dawn Island can elect, govern, and choose its national direction and taxes, similar to a normal country.
But first, they will unite with the Holy Alliance to manage tariffs; second, allow the Alliance’s local investments and infrastructure.
Furthermore, Dawn Island can retain military and political rights, but correspondingly, must cede diplomatic rights.
Militarily, regardless of any enemy attacking Dawn Island, the Holy Alliance will come to support and jointly defend.
Economically, the Alliance indeed has a large number of orders to hand over to Dawn Island.
After entering the year 1455, the glass industry and tinplate industry of the Alliance rapidly developed.
In the upcoming 1457, soda factories and canning factories will successively commence production in the ry Court Barracks.
Horn means, besides the fruits produced by the Black Snake Bay Federation, grapes as the most common fruit will also be included in the production system of the Alliance.
By then, they can even advertise grape soda as grape wine for children.
This might even reduce many instances where infants are forcefully given grape wine for "baptism."
As for oil production, it’s due to Shangruifo County’s suitability for rearing silver-gland spiders in large-scale breeding expected next year.
Large amounts of oil are supplied for the production of spider silk cloth, which naturally creates demand for external oil imports.
If not willing to suffer from high tariffs on Falan oil, then Dawn Island is not just a huge raw material base but also a massive product market.
Of course, Horn’s dumping is part of advanced productivity destroying outdated productivity, part of eliminating bad assets.
If not done, how would locals be motivated to introduce new productivity brought by the alchemical and cogwheel revolutions?
Besides turning pages, there were contract investigation documents being flipped through.
Regarding Valeris’s clique, they were completely isolated outside, stiffly clustered.
At this time, they gradually understood this action was a setup, a setup aimed specifically at them.
Their stationed private soldiers elsewhere couldn’t get in, their guards couldn’t get out, and even they were trapped within this narrow parliament hill.
Even if they wanted to rise again, they must first bow now.
First confess, then wait until they return to their cities and simply secede.
Anyway, currently, only about half of Dawn Island is in the hands of the emerging federations, with the rest still controlled by nobles.
Neither Falan nor Leia would refuse their allegiance!
Besides Valeris’s clique, the other members looking at the scattered documents on the ground, listening to the gradually calming cries outside, faces full of struggle.
An elderly member, a Five City Alliance veteran, stood with a cane, his voice hoarse: "Joan, we know we were wrong...but what exactly do you want us to do?"
Jeanne looked at him, then surveyed all the members: "I give you one last chance to redefine electoral districts and qualifications.
But this time, include rural farmers, workshop assistants, and old soldiers of the Defensive Army in the elections.
Elect members who can truly represent all the people of Dawn Island.
Then, the new parliament can vote on joining the Holy Alliance, siding with Falan, or establishing an independent nation.
As long as it’s a majority decision, the Holy Alliance accepts."
Members looked at each other, nobody spoke.
Finally, the old member saw no one stepping up and sighed, stepping forward himself: "Fine...we agree to redo the districts."
Other members also nodded in succession, no longer opposing.
They had experienced the underhandedness of Falan, external pressure from assistants and farmers, with the military not in control.
They had lost their bargaining power.
Jeanne watched their compromised appearance but didn’t relax, instead becoming stern: "But, before the reelections, there’s one more thing to do."
She pointed to the documents on the ground, her voice cold: "This report from Cheka records evidence of some members colluding with foreign enemies, selling out Dawn Island’s interests.
Valeris, Gatz, Grading...and the dozen others on the list, your treason cases must be investigated first."
