Ch.365Tsarina Is Watching (2)

# National Duma

I was currently observing a Duma meeting at the State Duma.

Basically, I was pretending to be Vladimir’s bodyguard while wearing a formal suit.

This is the perfect disguise.

“The response to the four major insurance benefits has been good,”

“But the problem is that citizens fundamentally think, ‘Now I can work myself to death without worry.'”

Working until death? That’s completely dangerous.

Should I step in and stop this myself—no, that would be dangerous too.

“Well, isn’t it better for us if people work hard rather than becoming complacent because of insurance?”

“That’s true, but I’m concerned about whether we might see a repeat of what happened during the previous Tsar’s reign.”

Bloody Sunday. That absolutely must not happen again.

Absolutely not. I have a bad feeling about this.

People always enter and leave differently. Later they might complain about why they’re being made to work so hard. Thinking about it now, it’s absurd.

Raise the wages. That’s how it could work.

If those loyalty-crazed Cossacks end up sweeping away the citizens, oh my. It’s uncomfortable just hearing about it. Should I intervene?

No, I need to see how the Duma functions without me.

“During the previous Tsar’s era, there wasn’t insurance or worker welfare guarantees from the beginning. We’ve implemented insurance, and our welfare standards are on par with the North Roman regions (Britain, Northern Europe).”

“How will we manage population numbers if people die while working? It takes at least 20 years for a person to be born and become part of the workforce, but what if they die from overwork before then?”

If it were just one or two people, it might be manageable, but if it becomes a nationwide trend, it would be unmanageable.

Job market issues would immediately arise too.

In this case, we’d need to either create more jobs or establish labor laws to set fixed working hours.

“Ah, that could work. Let’s set working hours and legally prohibit working beyond that.”

“On the contrary, people might riot, asking why their right to work is being restricted.”

This doesn’t work. That doesn’t work either. What’s the solution?

My mouth is itching. It’s desperately itching because I want to intervene.

Still, I endured by pinching my thigh.

“Come on, surely not. What does the Prime Minister think?”

This time, the baton was passed to Alisa Rosenbaum.

“Honestly, it’s not wrong. We tell them they’ll earn more if they work more, and the former Labor Minister Gastev personally toured various regions saying, ‘Work for Mother Tsar! Her children will be compensated according to how much they work!’ That message was too powerful.”

That Gastev fellow. By now, he’s probably enjoying himself somewhere after sucking up all the benefits.

It’s truly unfortunate.

“It’s not like we lack the ability to pay wages.”

“But that could block job opportunities, and there’s the issue of death from overwork.”

“Haven’t you been out on the streets? There are plenty of jobs.”

There are plenty of jobs. But what if workers start dying because of this?

Honestly, looking at the current situation, the Tsar wouldn’t be held responsible, but the Duma might be.

The Duma probably knows this too, which is why they’re acting this way.

Oh, I don’t know! We’ll work for now! But if we die, it’s the Duma’s responsibility! That’s what this could mean.

Because they can’t hold the Tsar responsible.

In a time when dying for Mother Tsar is considered perfectly normal, workers might demand that the Duma provide solutions.

Like the scholars at the end of the Joseon Dynasty who refused to accept Westerners but offered no solutions, workers might demand unreasonable solutions from the Duma.

They might demand the development of some medicine that prevents death even after working 24 hours.

“Then, we ultimately need to change the working hours.”

“The question is, how do we make them understand that?”

Silence was maintained for a while.

Are they seriously suggesting they can’t function without me?

They’ve been doing well so far, but they’re hopeless in this area. Still, I shouldn’t step in.

The political system may be different, but this is like King Taejong who continued to meddle long after entrusting the throne to King Sejong.

I try hard to stop my mouth from twitching.

“Let’s keep it simple. We’ll say it’s a direct order from Mother Tsar.”

A young member of the Nationalist Party stated confidently.

These guys are trying to use my name. Well, I don’t mind that much. Ahem.

At this rate, it seems like they can’t function without me.

“Hey, if you’ve entered the Duma, stop trying to take shortcuts.”

“That’s right. How dare you make such an unfilial statement about using Mother Tsar?”

The older generation of representatives from the Civil War era pointed fingers as if conducting a witch hunt, but after some time…

“Well, he must be quite desperate to say such things. Mother Tsar would probably allow it.”

Even Alisa nodded in agreement.

They’re all making such decisions in my absence.

Vladimir is just watching quietly too. Well…

“Y-Yes, I suppose so. After all, worker welfare was initiated by Mother Tsar.”

Since I initially said I’d stay in the Kremlin Palace and that they could use my name, I don’t intend to complain about this.

Anyway, with this, the Duma’s first agenda item was safely passed by “selling my name?”

Now, for the next item.

This is what I consider most important. And what I hope Vladimir will resolve.

“According to news from Rome (the treaty headquarters in Rome, Italy), the United States has rejected the proposal for the Rome Treaty.”

So that’s how it’s going to be.

“It can’t be helped. To be honest, Serbia is someone we need to deal with, so the US might have accepted the deal whether they liked it or not, but China is a different matter. What value does China have for the US? The US won’t do something that benefits us.”

“That’s right. Moreover, the National Government is still bound by federalism, isn’t it? The very idea of showing interest in China is a complicated issue for the US.”

That’s correct. The US can’t really see value in China.

Compared to the original history, they’re quite weak. They’re pathetically engaged in internal conflicts, making them too weak to build up enough strength to counter the Rome Treaty.

Even if they were to come to their senses now and move towards a unified China, it would be difficult to achieve the potential of Communist China.

How could China, which struggles to deal with even Russia alone, handle the Rome Treaty?

I don’t think they could.

In this case, the US would be better off focusing on defending the Pacific.

No matter how you look at it, building up China would simply encourage continued conflict between Israel and China, nothing more.

“It would be better to just focus on Pacific defense.”

That’s right. They’re thinking realistically.

The Roman National Party was making judgments similar to the military.

They’ve already placed naval or air force bases on various Pacific islands, except for tourist destinations, to keep us in check.

The US has no intention of using China.

Well, they need a reason to support them, one way or another.

In a situation where federalism has become ambiguous, does it make sense to help the National Government, a mere regional government of China, for the sake of the Rome Treaty?

In the end, it’s this: The US doesn’t accept the superficial narrative that they would help the National Government to counter Israel of the Co-Prosperity Sphere, which is a pawn of the Rome Treaty, thereby thwarting the Rome Treaty.

This also means that the US truly has no interest in China.

It can’t be helped. That’s just how America is.

There’s no reason to bet on something that won’t definitely grow.

The Balhae Federation is just a country that’s only now establishing diplomatic relations, without even a mutual defense treaty with the US, unlike in the original history.

“In this case, wouldn’t it be better to speak to the UN?”

Vladimir brought up the UN as I had previously suggested to him.

Yes, that’s it. Our Vladimir knows what he’s doing.

However, the atmosphere in the Duma seems a bit strange.

Yes, that’s it. They’re starting to be cautious around our Vladimir.

They’re treating Vladimir as they would treat me, so it would be perfect if I could force a temporary abdication to Vladimir by selling my name for a while.

I decided to watch the situation a bit longer with a smirk.

“Your Highness the Grand Duke. You mean the UN?”

“Yes. Since the US has indicated they want to stay out of this matter, shouldn’t we directly end it through the UN’s peacekeeping forces?”

Using the UN to end it.

From the Duma’s perspective, having the UN as an excuse isn’t bad either.

“I see. That makes sense.”

“Then, I’ll inform the Rome Treaty Organization.”

Yes, that’s it. That’s exactly how to end it.

Ah, the Duma really doesn’t need me anymore.

I’m confident they’ll solve important problems on their own now.

* * *

State Duma

After today’s meeting ended, the representatives each breathed sighs of relief.

Yes, because today the Tsar had come in a strange outfit.

Standing beside the heir, Grand Duke Vladimir, like a bodyguard.

“But why did Mother Tsar come in such attire in the middle of the meeting?”

“She must have had something to see.”

“Was she in disguise?”

Even saying they would sell Mother Tsar’s name regarding labor issues was said in Mother Tsar’s presence.

After all, Mother Tsar had delegated power and told them to use her name if necessary. And Mother Tsar didn’t say anything, which must mean she approved.

“Surely not. Is the Tsar’s appearance something that could be hidden by a disguise?”

“Isn’t that why everyone was keeping quiet out of discretion?”

Moreover.

“But wasn’t it too dangerous? Using Mother Tsar’s name like that.”

“Mother Tsar must have intended that.”

“Prime Minister, what are you saying?”

The representatives turned their eyes to Prime Minister Alisa.

What could that mean? That Mother Tsar wanted this?

“Mother Tsar might want her name to be mentioned even in a Duma where she is not present.”

That’s absolutely not the case, but from the Duma’s perspective, Mother Tsar wasn’t in disguise but had briefly stopped by for some reason.

After all, words from Grand Duke Vladimir’s mouth are essentially the Tsar’s words.

They just need to watch.

“But, since the Tsar herself came, I wonder if there’s any significance…”

“If she deliberately spoke through the Grand Duke, perhaps she’s preparing? To have the Grand Duke discuss with the Duma.”

The room suddenly fell silent.

Speaking through the Grand Duke. Perhaps later, the Grand Duke will directly engage in various discussions in the Duma, seeking cooperation.

After that, Mother Tsar will no longer show her face in the Duma.

They had heard this might happen before.

The State Duma had accepted this aspect to prevent the Tsar’s direct rule.

But that was that, and this is this.

Preventing the Tsar’s rule and running the country through the Duma, a parliament.

It was what everyone wanted, and the reason for establishing the Duma was that the Tsar would be a symbol for national unity, nothing more, nothing less.

But that’s for an ordinary Tsar. For someone like Grand Duke Vladimir, who has performed adequately and is qualified to bear the title of Tsar.

The current Tsar. The Saint of All Russia, Tsar, Great Khan of Mongolia and Manchuria, Ataman of the Cossacks, Queen of Finland & Poland, Emperor of Byzantium, Protector of the Orthodox Church and Islam, and so on, with titles now too numerous to list.

Such a Tsar completely entrusting everything to Grand Duke Vladimir?

It’s unimaginable.

Even if the Tsar personally has no ambition and could hand it over, she has recently only been “grading” when attending the Duma.

Of course, she could do that, but the situation is too unfavorable.

At a time when the Tsar’s authority is higher than ever before! The Tsar forcibly abdicates!

How would that look from an outsider’s perspective?

It’s not inconceivable that what happened to the Golden Hellenism Party with the bomb attack could happen in the Duma.

“I see. I understand now.”

“No, if you understand, that’s also a problem.”

“What do you mean?”

“With Mother Tsar’s authority currently piercing the heavens, if she were to abdicate to the Grand Duke and step back in the current situation, who would bear the blame?”

Yes, who would bear the blame? None other than the Duma.

The current Duma. This is…

No matter how many times they think about it, no matter how much all the Duma representatives put their heads together, the Duma’s authority would plummet to the ground.

What is the Duma? It’s the body that leads Russia’s politics.

If the Duma’s authority falls, what comes next? A return to the Tsar’s absolutist rule.

Mother Tsar would never accept that, and if we trace back to the reason for establishing the United States of Greater Russia, the Duma is at its core.

If this Duma falters, the United States of Greater Russia is finished.