Chapter 63: Imperial Turmoil

As the visit to Reddstown concluded, significant changes were occurring on the European continent.

Duke Richard of Aquitaine suddenly demanded Anjou from Henry II. It was well-known that the Plantagenet dynasty had its roots in Anjou. The person who could become the Count of Anjou was naturally the heir to the throne.

According to the historical timeline, Richard reluctantly moved from Aquitaine to Anjou under Henry II's pressure. But now, with Henry II still undecided on the heir to the throne, Anjou had not yet been handed over. Richard, understandably, was anxious.

Henry II had three legitimate sons: Richard, Geoffrey, and John. Of these, Geoffrey was constantly engaged in unknown activities in Brittany and was unlikely to inherit the throne.

Thus, besides Richard, John was the most suitable heir.

The conflict between Richard and John was almost public. Be it the conspiracies in Gloucester or Richard's support for the High King, all evidence pointed towards Richard, Duke of Aquitaine.

If John became the King of England, Richard would undoubtedly face retribution.

So, no matter how reluctant Richard was, he had to vie for the English throne.

But how could Henry II tolerate such a situation?

Richard had left Henry II's side at the age of eleven and went to Aquitaine. While maintaining his rule in Bordeaux, he had gradually distanced himself from his father. Coupled with Henry II's autocratic nature, Richard's actions only fueled his father's anger.

Amidst this scenario, the stage was set for one of the most dramatic father-son confrontations in Europe.

Henry II, who had just returned to Oxford and intended to stay in England for a while, was taken aback when Richard set off directly from Poitou to Anjou, demanding the local nobles pledge their loyalty to him.

The nobles of Anjou, who had once fought alongside Henry II or were their descendants, were not about to obey Richard.

Thus, the two sides confronted each other by the Loire River.

At this juncture, King Philip of France stepped in, declaring his support for Richard. Clearly, this scheming king aimed to sow discord between father and son, and his actions were effective.

Henry II summoned his forces from England and Normandy, swiftly moving to Anjou to face off against his son at the border between Anjou and Aquitaine.

All of Europe watched this unfolding drama with keen interest, and John was among the onlookers.

John was now in Dendram Castle. Ships from Lancaster had been waiting at Dendram Harbor for a day. He had just ennobled Hugh de Lacy as the Earl of Ulster the previous day, and today, he was observing the unfolding drama in France.

"Roches, I heard some of your family's properties were damaged," John said, holding a battle report.

Richard had not achieved any substantial gains in Anjou, but his forces had caused significant damage to local properties, including the Roches estate.

The estate, situated along the Loire River, was one of the better vineyards in the area but had now been ransacked by the Aquitaine army.

Young Roches seemed indifferent. "That's the inevitable result of war."

A typical second-generation attitude.

John held a disdainful view of young Roches' lack of appreciation for the value of resources. Young Roches did not need to worry about such matters, but old Roches was the one truly concerned about the family business.

However, John himself was also a second-generation, though a relatively independent one.

"Sigh, Richard is behaving like a madman now. He embarrassed himself so badly with the people of Toulouse and yet has the audacity to demand Anjou. It's ridiculous," John said, showing no mercy with his words.

But he was speaking the truth. Richard had indeed failed against the people of Toulouse.

The one truly troubled was Henry II. He had lost his original heir, young Henry, a year ago. If he were to lose another son now, he might go mad.

But how could he curb his son's rebelliousness? Henry II was at a loss.

If he was too harsh, he wasn't sure his son could handle it. If he was too lenient, he wouldn't be able to maintain control. Richard would surely repeat such mistakes.

These were issues John could deduce effortlessly.

After all, it wasn't a difficult problem to consider. With a bit of thought, it was clear that Henry II was in a very conflicted position.

Henry II had always hoped to build a Plantagenet Empire, to be co-governed with his sons. But such an idea had been proven unworkable centuries ago.

Initially, Henry II's plan had some success, but with John as the only unpredictable factor, the situation had become increasingly uncertain.

A significant reason for young Henry's rebellion was that Henry II planned to transfer some of young Henry's properties to John. Although these estates never ended up in John's hands, young Henry still chose to rebel. During the rebellion, young Henry unfortunately contracted malaria and died. Richard also felt a tremendous threat due to John's presence. Driven by this sense of crisis, Richard easily stirred up trouble, shaking the foundations of Henry II's empire.

As for Geoffrey, he never had any clear intentions or seemed to be thinking anything specific. Sometimes he caused trouble, while other times he was unusually well-behaved.

For most people, the turmoil in the empire was a disaster, but not for John. When Henry II focused his attention on the European continent, John could peacefully manage his own territories. He recruited a large number of immigrants from Gloucester, Lancaster, and other places. These immigrants, totaling around three thousand, gradually came to Ireland, displacing the original Irish inhabitants.

The displaced Irish were sent to the army, trained in the large barracks in Dublin, and then deployed to the battlefields in Meath and Connaught. The spoils of war became money, and the prisoners of war were sold to Northern and Eastern Europe and then resold to the Mediterranean. Their sweat and blood in the war ultimately became the lubricant for John's state machinery. Breton and Rolf made a fortune in the war, and John also benefited, pocketing the profits.

"We don't need to worry about the matters on the European continent for now, Roches," John said. "We just need to manage Ireland well. In the future, this will be our stronghold."

Young Roches nodded, agreeing with John's statement.

After speaking, John stood up and once again walked to the window. This seemed to be his favorite spot, where the broad view and the overlooking perspective made John feel a sense of control over the land beneath him.

"In two more days, we can return to Lancaster. I can't stay in Ireland all the time; there are many things waiting for us in England," John said.