Chapter 12: Emperor [2]

"Your Majesty, the solution is to feed the ones who work for their share," Harsha began.

The Emperor furrowed his eyebrows. "Elaborate," he demanded.

Harsha began explaining what he meant by the statement. He elaborated that since there was a surplus stock of grains to feed the new population for at least three months, it provided a brief window to act.

"Your Majesty, the war has halted agricultural activities in the region. If we don't address this, the empire will soon bear the brunt of feeding an unemployed population."

The Emperor leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "Go on."

Harsha continued, "We need to incentivize work. Those who contribute to the reconstruction and farming efforts should receive rations. This way, we can restart agriculture and reduce the strain on our grain reserves."

"Since there wasn't much pillaging and property destruction in the war, as suggested in the report," Harsha continued, "I would humbly suggest we divert the manpower to construct roads. The roads of the Empire are in poor condition."

The Emperor raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Roads, you say?"

Harsha nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty. Improved roads will facilitate trade, movement, and communication within the Empire. This will help stabilize the region and integrate the new territories more effectively."

The Emperor leaned back, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "It's an interesting argument. However, the main issue here is that even after incentivizing work for rations, there's a risk of drought at this time of year. Restarting farming efforts won't be feasible for a month or two, and even if we manage to proceed, the crops won't be ready for harvest for well over four months."

Harsha listened carefully to the Emperor, knowing that unless conditions were perfect, his plan wouldn't work. Considering the risks, the Empire needed a surplus of more than eight months of grain to avoid famine in case of drought or crop failure to feed the populace.

'Woah! Leading an empire seems more fun than I thought. If I become the Emperor, I can start wars and fight more,' Harsha thought, a wicked smile spreading across his face. 'Yeah, that sounds like a great plan.'

"We should buy the grains the Portuguese have been hoarding," Harsha suggested, meeting the Emperor's gaze.

The Emperor frowned. "That's going to cost a fortune. Are you sure about this?"

"That's why I propose a plan," Harsha continued.

The Emperor raised an eyebrow. "And what might that be?"

The Royal family could buy out all the spices in the market, creating an artificial shortage. This would force the Portuguese to negotiate a deal with us for spices. A decree to the nobles and people would allow the Empire to hoard the spices within our borders.

The Emperor stroked his chin, pondering Harsha's suggestion to inflate the spice price artificially. "Won't the merchants turn to other places, like Java?" he voiced his concern.

Harsha smiled confidently. "No, they won't turn to Java or other kingdoms."

The Emperor's curiosity was piqued. "And why is that?"

Harsha began to elaborate, "The Portuguese won't turn to Java because the Empire's goods can be sold at huge margins in the European market. Spices aren't the only goods we trade; we also have high-profit items like pottery, textiles, and metals. Plus, we control six large spice-producing regions."

He explained how experienced merchants with excellent trade knowledge won't chase short-term profits that risk damaging their relationship with the Empire. The long-term benefits of trading with the Empire far outweigh the short-term gains they might get elsewhere. However, They must ensure this is seen as a temporary measure, or they might consider other sources like Java in the future.

The Emperor nodded thoughtfully, considering Harsha's points.

"I would humbly request Your Majesty's permission to handle the negotiations with the Portuguese and oversee the construction of the roads," Harsha proposed.

Chandra, who had been quietly observing the debate, interjected swiftly, "Father, I must object. Considering Harsha's past actions, we cannot entrust him with such responsibilities."

He fell silent at Chandra's remark, realizing he had no knowledge of this body's past actions since his rebirth as Harsha. After glaring at Chandra for a few seconds, he shifted his gaze back to the Emperor, who looked down with an amused expression.

Breaking the silence, the Emperor said, "I understand your skepticism, Chandra. However, I've decided to give Harsha a chance. To address your concerns, Chandra, I will allow you to accompany him during negotiations. Additionally, You can assign your assistant to report and intervene if things go south during the negotiations."

The Emperor proposed a middle ground, leaving Harsha with no choice but to agree to the terms. It was evident that his reputation within the palace was not favourable, making trust in him for such tasks challenging.

"Regarding the road construction, if negotiations go well, overseeing the road construction could be your responsibility as well, don't you think, Chandra?" The Emperor shifted his gaze to Chandra, standing tall beside him, awaiting his reaction.

Chandra sighed deeply and mumbled, "Understood, Father."

"Very well. You may leave and rest. I'll arrange for the negotiations soon," the Emperor stated with a smile.

After Harsha left the Court. The Emperor's gaze shifted to Chandra who was standing beside him and listening to the debate "So, What do you think of Harsha's Methods and ways to solve the problem"

"The methods are good and well thought out" replied Chandra with a solemn expression.

"HAHAHA True true !! So Do you feel like your position is being threatened by Harsha?" asked the Emperor as his laugh echoed throughout the court.

"Not really is What I would say normally But the methods were pretty well thought out considering many ongoing situations and the fact that he figured out to make the price hike temporary to ensure that the Portuguese don't feel it's lucrative to turn to Java was also great thinking on his part" replied Chandra while checking the notes of the methods he had wrote down during the conversation.

Chandra's had an indifferent expression as he confidently said "He has yet to grow to even stand on the same ground as me right now, But in the future Harsha might be a threat to me,"

The Emperor stroked his chin and questioned "So, What will you do when he becomes a threat to you? Would you Eliminate him because he is in the way of the throne ?"

Chandra puffed out his chest with a smug expression. " I don't see him as a threat, not by a long shot. If he somehow manages to string together more victories like today, then perhaps I'll consider him. But when that time comes, I'll handle him as necessary."

He continued "Although the Youngest and my relationship hasn't been great over the past few years, But Father I wouldn't ever think of eliminating my cute little brother like this."

The Emperor carefully listened to Chandra's reply "HAHAHA, Are you saying that you wouldn't cut him down as if you are certain he won't be a threat to you."

"Of course not, Father. We can never be certain of the future " preached Chandra.

The Emperor then summoned his assistant to issue a decree in his name: all spices were to be bought out by the Royal family, forbidding any trade with Europeans or other kingdoms.

"And also send a message to the Portuguese asking for grains," the Emperor said with a wry smile, "and let them know we are open to negotiating."

"Those Mlecchas need to be taught a lesson, Fucking vermin!" said the emperor clicking his tongue in disgust.

"Chandra, what about the report on the task I assigned to you?" the Emperor asked, his tone expectant.

"Of course, Father. It's progressing well, though we encountered a few obstacles along the way, which have caused some delays," Chandra replied confidently.

"I see. I have high expectations for you to complete 'that'. Ensure you don't fail," said the Emperor as he rose to leave the Royal court.

"Understood, Father," Chandra replied respectfully.

The Decree struck spice merchants and nobles with surprise, yet they had no recourse but to comply given the Emperor's formidable influence and power. It was rigorously enforced across all provinces, firmly establishing the Royal Family of Vijayanagara's control over the spice trade.

Contents of the Decree

Imperial Decree

By the authority vested in me, Emperor Krishna Deva Raya, it is hereby ordered that:

1. All spices within the realm of our Empire shall be purchased exclusively by the Royal family

2. Henceforth, no individual, merchant, or entity, including nobles, shall engage in the trade of spices with Europeans or any foreign kingdom without explicit permission from the Imperial Court.

3. Any unauthorized trade shall be deemed treasonous.

4. Trade of spices among citizens within the Empire remains permissible under this decree, provided it is conducted openly and transparently

5. This decree is enacted immediately and shall be enforced rigorously across all provinces and territories under our jurisdiction.

Given under my hand and seal on this 11th day of Jyestha, in the year 1624 [May, 1567] of our reign.

Krishna Deva Raya