Extraordinary Rise: Starting Contract with the Silver Dragon Countess

Chapter 319 Shanis: My eyes are not clean anymore

The Central Empire, capital city of Kuntandin.

At the imperial council meeting, the ministers fell into an eerie silence because of a decision that Empress Shanes Klein had just announced.

Her Majesty the Empress's decision is to publicly announce her recognition and support for the identity of Freya Cromwell, the Ceylon restoration princess who was recently promoted by the Gavin family.

Shanis's decision caused a great stir in the court.

The Central Empire also received detailed intelligence about what was happening on the Northwest Continent. Apart from making some comments such as "King Efein is causing trouble on the Northwest Continent again," "Efein is really going to fight Ceylon," and "That king who made Chief Heisenberg lose face has made his move again," the ministers did not take the matter to heart.

However, His Majesty's decision immediately drew the attention of all the officials back to the king of the small northwestern country who had once caused Heisenberg, the chief of the House of Nobles of the Central Empire, to lose face.

Based on various intelligence analyses, they can be basically certain that the chaos currently occurring in the Kingdom of Ceylon is orchestrated by King Alfiein.

Cohen had used the tactic of cultivating forces within the enemy's ranks, overthrowing the regime, and seizing opportunities to sabotage the country in the "Lost Lands," in the Silverfrost Duchy of the Northwest Continent, and now he was going to use it on the Kingdom of Ceylon.

Perhaps the only question is why this kid is so lucky, even managing to find a descendant of the legitimate royal family of Ceylon. However, this further confirms his identity as the prophesied son.

He even secretly laughed at King Gaius's suggestion to have the saints of the Church of Prophecy verify Freya's identity.

Many people believe that since Cohen, the true "Child of Prophecy," has already acknowledged Freya's identity, what's the point of going to the Church of Prophecy again?

The incident occurred in the distant Northwest Continent. The people of the Central Empire were watching the development of the situation with a sense of morbid curiosity, but they never expected that their own emperor would intervene in the matter and even take a clear stand on Effie's side.

Surprisingly, the first person to express a different opinion was not Chief Heisenberg, who had always been at odds with Eifin, but rather Prince Heinz Klein, a supporter of Her Majesty the Empress.

The prince's question was very straightforward:

"Your Majesty, is your decision related to the Grand Master of the Palace, Windsor Windrunner?"

Before Shanis could answer, Minister Beren, standing nearby, looked displeased upon hearing the prince's question.

Shanis remained calm and composed as she spoke:

“It has nothing to do with Windsordler; this is a deal I made with His Majesty Corleone.”

A hint of surprise flashed in Heisenberg's eyes as he asked:
"Your Majesty, what kind of deal warrants such a statement from us?"

The implication is that Cohen Corleone, a mere figurehead, has no right to receive the support of the most powerful empire in human history.
Shanis's tone was flat:
"The details of the deal are not convenient to disclose at this time, but I can assure you all in the name of the Klein royal family that the details of the deal are of vital importance to our Central Empire."

Her Majesty the Empress's solemn words immediately silenced everyone. Prince Heinz looked thoughtful and did not press the matter further.

Beren secretly breathed a sigh of relief. His son-in-law was really a bit of a worry. However, he was also curious about what kind of deal Cohen and Shanis had made.

Chief Heisenberg was clearly more interested. While others hesitated to speak due to the Empress's attitude, he had no such concerns. However, he didn't ask directly, but instead changed the subject:
"If Your Majesty decides to help this little princess, could we also take this opportunity to do some necessary work in Ceylon?"

Shanis raised a delicate eyebrow and asked:

"What do you mean by 'necessary work'?"

Heisenberg's voice was calm and measured:

"Ceylon, as the strongest kingdom among the five great empires, has a foundation and strength that should not be underestimated."

Under normal circumstances, this would be one thing, but now that internal strife is imminent, the power structure is bound to be reshuffled, which is a rare opportunity.

Intelligence suggests that Prince Xiazuo of the Eastern Empire has already intervened in Ceylon's politics. Shouldn't we take this opportunity to cultivate one or two factions that are benevolent towards the Central Empire?

Chief Heisenberg's proposal was quickly endorsed by many present.

Shanis also fell into thought, and Chief Heisenberg changed the subject, asking:

"Of course, all of this is on the premise that I do not interfere with the transactions between Your Majesty and King Efein. If... I'm just saying if, if that so-called Ceylon princess is actually being supported by Your Majesty and King Efein, then my suggestion would be somewhat superfluous."

A meaningful look appeared in Shanis's eyes. So this was what Heisenberg had been waiting for all this time.

Heisenberg suspected that the princess who had emerged from the Kingdom of Ceylon was actually a product of a joint effort between Shinys and Cohen.

Without any hesitation, Shanis answered directly:
"Sir, you are mistaken. I have no relation to that princess, and I have never even met her."

In addition, this princess has another identity: she is the apprentice of the Sequence Lord, one of the five major oasis-level forces in the Lost Lands.

Do you believe I am capable of supporting such a person as a puppet?

Shanis's words answered everyone's doubts, but Chief Heisenberg still felt that this so-called princess was inseparable from Cohen.

What he was most curious about was the secret deal between Shanies and Cohen.

However, Shanis's attitude was clearly quite firm, and she showed no intention of revealing the specific details of the deal.

Heisenberg paused for a moment, then continued, "..."

"Since this princess has nothing to do with our Central Empire, then... Your Majesty, I request that a secret observation team be dispatched to the Kingdom of Ceylon."

When Ceylon falls into internal strife, we will support a force loyal to our Central Empire to act as our representative and safeguard the Empire's interests in the Northwest Continent.

Chief Heisenberg's proposal was immediately approved by the majority of those present.

As the Central Empire has developed to this point, its national strength has reached a bottleneck, and various interest groups within the country have long been entrenched, making external expansion an urgent necessity.

Due to the existence of the Charter of Gods and Demons and the Covenant of the Five Great Empires, such acts of external expansion have always been greatly restricted.

The current internal strife in the Kingdom of Ceylon presents them with a golden opportunity. Ceylon is a powerful kingdom second only to the five great empires. If they could carve out a few pieces of flesh from it, every interest group within the Central Empire would be delighted.

Shanis almost immediately saw through Heisenberg's true intentions: sending people to interfere in Ceylon's internal affairs and guaranteeing the interests of the empire was a pretense; what Heisenberg really wanted was to find an opportunity to disrupt Cohen's actions.

Heisenberg was convinced that the internal strife in Ceylon was orchestrated by Cohen, with the aim of legitimately annexing the most powerful kingdom in human history.

For a duchy to attempt to annex the most powerful kingdom in humankind would be an absolute joke for anyone else, but for this young King Effie, Chief Heisenberg thought it was quite possible.

Seeing that Shanis did not give a definite answer immediately, Chief Heisenberg continued:

"Your Majesty, if we don't go, others certainly will."

That Xia Zuo from the Eastern Empire... he's had his eye on the Kingdom of Ceylon for a long time.

The middle-aged man next to Saxon, the third prince of Ceylon, in the video released by Pale Wings is Xia Zuo's trusted advisor.

Xia Zuo will definitely take advantage of this internal strife in Ceylon to interfere in the affairs of the Northwest Continent.

In addition, the eldest princess of the Eastern Empire and her fiancé, the pirate king, are currently in Quesaon.

Although the Eastern Region Princess and Xia Zuo are at odds, they are still family. If they were to join forces, Your Majesty, the strongest human kingdom in the world, Ceylon, might fall into the hands of the Eastern Region Empire!

The Eastern Empire has always regarded the Central Empire as its biggest rival, a fact that is well known throughout the Central Empire.

If the enemy were to actually take over Ceylon, the strongest kingdom among humankind, it would pose a tremendous challenge to the prestige and status of the Central Empire.

Chief Heisenberg's words were very persuasive, and even many of the silent, old nobles in the court began to express their opinions, hoping that Her Majesty the Empress would agree to Chief Heisenberg's proposal.

Shanis was immediately caught in a dilemma. After all, Cohen was now her ally. If she agreed to Heisenberg's proposal, wouldn't that be the same as sending someone to cause trouble for Cohen's plans?
Just as Shanis was at a loss, unsure how to express her stance, Prime Minister Hayes stepped forward and addressed the crowd:

"Sir, your suggestion is excellent, but sending people to Ceylon is not such a simple matter."

Sending too many people makes it easy to be exposed, while sending too few won't achieve the desired effect.

Anyway, Ceylon hasn't completely fallen into internal strife yet, so there's still plenty of time.

Since everyone is willing to do this, why don't we each go down and draft a detailed plan first? Once we have a concrete action plan, we can then have further discussions based on it.

Prime Minister Hayes's words helped Shanies out of her predicament, and everyone agreed.

Shanis breathed a sigh of relief and addressed the crowd:

"Do as the Prime Minister says. As for the decision I just mentioned, Beren, you will announce it to the mainland later, and at the same time notify the other empires."

"Yes."

After the court session ended, Xenise immediately returned to her palace and used her special communication stone to contact Cohen, who was far away in Quessarion.

Shanis recounted the events that had transpired in the court to Cohen in detail.

Before Cohen could reply, a voice clearly filled with anger rang out first:
"It's that damned old bastard Heisenberg again! He's so damned, he always wants to meddle in everything!"

Shanis recognized the voice as that of her best friend, the Grand Master of the Interior, Windsordler, and a slight displeasure crossed her face.

The source of this displeasure was that Cohen had let an outsider overhear their secret phone call, even though that so-called outsider was her best friend.

On the other end, Cohen subconsciously moved the communication stone aside, staring at Windsordler's alluring body, and whispered:
"Little Miss, you promised to only listen and not speak, didn't you?"

This is a private communication stone that Shanes gave me; I can't let anyone else know about it without her permission.

Windsordler stuck out her tongue and said somewhat apologetically:
"Sorry, I forgot. It's just that Heisenberg is too infuriating."

Cohen was also somewhat helpless. When Shanis contacted him, he was discussing some new positions with the elf lady and had no way to avoid her.

Cohen sighed softly, hoping that Her Majesty the Empress would not blame him.

He replied softly:
"Your Majesty, I am aware of this matter. What are your thoughts?"

Suppressing her emotions, Shanis calmly said:
“From the perspective of a national monarch, Heisenberg’s proposal is to safeguard national interests, and I seem to have no reason to oppose it.”

but……"

Xenia stopped speaking, her meaning clear.

Perhaps because Windsordler was there, Shanies didn't speak so bluntly.

Cohen understood that Shanes's goodwill stemmed from her reluctance to agree to Heisenberg's proposal in order to prevent Heisenberg from interfering with her plans.

Cohen said with a smile:

"Your Majesty, please do not be troubled. This matter can be easily resolved. Your Majesty can agree to Heisenberg's proposal. However, there is one condition: Your Majesty must personally appoint the person to be sent."

Shanis's expression shifted slightly as she asked, "What do you mean?"

"I hope Your Majesty will appoint Heisenberg's nephew, Joren Wertheimer, who escaped in Florence last time, as the person in charge of this project, and let him lead the team to Ceylon to atone for his sins!"

A thoughtful look appeared in Shanis's eyes, and her lips curved into an alluring smile:
"Your idea is good. If Joren is leading the team, the people he brings will definitely be Heisenberg's loyal followers. You're planning to further weaken his strength in Ceylon, right?"

Cohen said with a smile:

"Your Majesty is wise; that is exactly what I meant."

Shanis reminded her:

"It's not that I doubt your abilities, but Heisenberg has learned his lesson from last time, and the people he sends this time will definitely be even more capable. Are you confident?"

Cohen's voice exuded strong confidence:
"Your Majesty, rest assured, even for Your Majesty's sake, I will... hiss..."

Cohen looked down at Windsordale, who was leaning down to kiss his red lips, and his words became incoherent.

Shanis noticed something was wrong and asked:

"what happened?"

Cohen quickly continued:

"I will not let your majesty down."

The sound had noticeably more fluctuations.

Shanis frowned deeply, remained silent for a while, then her hands surged with magic as she softly chanted a spell.

The communication stone she used with Cohen was made by someone she had personally commissioned, and she was very familiar with its functions.

For example, activating the other party's live feed.

Under Shanis's control, it wasn't long before the image of Cohen appeared before their eyes.

However, the scene that came into view stunned Shanis, her pupils dilating as if in an earthquake. She let out a scream of "You scoundrel!" and immediately ended the communication.

A seductive blush spread across Shanies's stunning face, her pupils still reflecting the horrifying image that had just been conjured—her best friend Windsordler, kneeling naked before Cohen…

Shanis felt that her pure heart had been greatly impacted, and her entire worldview had been tainted and challenged.

She simply couldn't understand why lovemaking between men and women would go to such extremes.

And... Cohen, that bastard, was doing this kind of thing with another woman while he was communicating with her. Shanis's chest heaved as she was both shocked and furious.

In a fit of rage, he grabbed the communication stone from the side and smashed it to pieces on the ground.

She immediately regretted it after the fall. This was her and Cohen's special communication stone. How could they contact each other without it?

Shanis slowly calmed herself and spoke to the maids who had gathered outside but dared not enter:
"Notify Samuel Jones, Secretary of the House of Lords' Legal Committee, to wait for me in the study."

The palace maids' voices trembled slightly; it was the first time they had ever seen Her Majesty the Empress so angry.
"Yes, Your Majesty."

Sanes took a deep breath, slowly suppressing the anger in her heart, tidied her appearance, and went to see Samuel.

Upon meeting Samuel, Shanes cut to the chase and asked:

"Do you have a channel to send things to your master?"

This was Samuel's first time being summoned privately by Her Majesty the Empress. He was secretly excited and nervous, but upon hearing the Empress's question, he was momentarily at a loss for words and whispered:

"Is there anything Your Majesty needs me to pass on to Chief Heisenberg?"

Shanis said coldly:

"Not this master, but your master in the Northwest Continent!"

Samuel felt as if he had been struck on the head with a blunt object; he stood frozen in place, his eyes bulging as he stammered:

"Your Majesty... what did Your Majesty say? I don't understand..."

Shanis, not wanting to waste words with him, went straight to the point:
"No need to pretend. I was there when Cohen made you sign the contract. Aren't you the head of some Kuomintang intelligence station he developed?"

All you need to do now is answer yes or no.

Samuel finally calmed down. It turned out His Majesty already knew his true identity. He composed himself and quickly replied:
“Yes, Your Majesty, there is a channel to send things to His Majesty Cohen Corleone.”

Shanis tossed Samuel a special communication stone:
"Send this to him as soon as possible."

Samuel carefully took the communication stone, and seeing that Her Majesty the Empress had no further instructions, he slowly left.

……

In Quesaon, at Snowpeak Manor, Cohen looked at the elf lady with drooping long ears, unsure how to begin scolding her.

After a long while, he finally said:

"I told you not to mess around, and now look what happened, your Empress saw it all live."

Windsordler said weakly:
"How do I know she can see our feed? Why don't you call her back and explain?"

Cohen sighed and said:
"You really scared me to death just now."

Windsordler chuckled to himself.

Cohen stared at Windsor's alluringly glistening red lips, almost losing his temper again, and gave her shapely buttocks a slap in annoyance:

"You'll experience it for yourself tonight and you'll see!"

Cohen took out his communication stone, thought of the wording for his apology, and began contacting Shanis.

However, after a long time of unsuccessful attempts to contact her, Windsordler's expression changed, and she muttered to herself:
"It's just that we went a bit too far. Shanies won't really turn against us, will she?"

Why is she so angry when I'm being intimate with my own husband?

After several unsuccessful attempts, Windsordler said:
"How about I give it a try? I also have a dedicated way to contact Shanis."

Cohen thought for a moment and said:

"Then give it a try."

Windsordler quickly took out a communication stone that looked similar to the one in Cohen's hand and began calling Shanes.

This time, there was a quick response, but the tone was unusually indifferent:
"What, are you done being intimate with your husband?"

Windsordler whispered:

"Sanss..."

"Call him Your Majesty!"

Windsordler's lips curled slightly, and he reluctantly addressed the emperor as "Your Majesty," before continuing:

“I didn’t mean to. When you contacted Cohen, we were... cough, I didn’t even blame you for interrupting our good time.”

Senny was so angry she couldn't speak, and she really wanted to throw that engagement in Windsordler's face right now.

She took a few deep breaths, her voice still cold:

"Tell His Majesty Corleone that I have done everything I promised him, and I hope he will keep his word!"

After saying that, he hung up the call.

Windsordler blinked and asked:
"What other deals did you make with Shanis?"

Cohen scratched his head and said:

"It's the Holy Radiance Academy. His Majesty instructed me to give her control of the Holy Radiance Academy as a betrothal gift."

I was still wondering, if a dowry were truly given, wouldn't it be given to your winged elves?

Windsordler paused for a moment, then her eyes widened suddenly as she remembered something.

Shanis had secretly assigned her to investigate her fiancé all over the continent, and Cohen's name was on the list she was given!

A powerful and mysterious woman... Windsordler remembered that the fiancé whom Shannis was forced into marriage had a powerful and mysterious mother.

And Cohen's mother...

Windsordler felt a sudden wave of dizziness. Recalling Shanis's previous behavior and her special attitude towards Cohen, a bold guess inevitably surfaced in his mind.

She quickly sat down opposite Cohen, her expression turning unusually serious. Staring into Cohen's eyes, she asked, word by word:

"I'm going to ask you a few questions now, and you must answer them honestly!"

Cohen paused, wondering why Windsordale had suddenly become so serious, and reached out to touch her forehead.
"What's wrong?
What happened?
Windsor, you wouldn't be having so much fun that you want to play a police interrogation game, would you? But these kinds of games usually require special uniforms. How about I get the designers at 'Flaming Lips' to make a few sets custom-made..."

Windsordler reached out and punched Cohen in the chest:

"I'm not kidding you. Be serious, or you can forget about ever getting into my bed again."

Cohen grinned; that statement was a bit of a threat to him, but he still replied nonchalantly:

"Alright, alright, go ahead and ask."

Windsordler asked:

"You... what was our mother's cultivation level before she disappeared?"

(End of this chapter)