Chapter 37
Ignoring the guards' terrified expressions, Count Morley scrambled to his feet, his face grim, and left Holyrood Palace in a disheveled state, without uttering a single word.
Mary watched Earl Morrie leave with a cold smile on her face.
With so many guards, there was no way to keep it a secret. Within a few days, news of the Queen of Scots shooting her own brother reached everyone's ears, and four or five versions of the events unfolded.
The half-siblings thus tore apart the last shred of affection between them, exposing their conflict nakedly in broad daylight, which truly surprised everyone.
The second most powerful person in Scotland after the Queen returned to his castle, where he remained secluded all day, refusing all court greetings and invitations to banquets. In this aloof manner, he declared his dissatisfaction to Mary, Queen of Scots, and his firm opposition to Lord Darnley's ascension to the throne of Scotland.
This is no small matter.
Although he has been greatly weakened by the Queen of Scots, the Earl of Maurice still wields considerable power, property, and a private army. If not handled properly, he could very well cause a split within Scotland.
Inside and outside the palace, and even far away in London, Elizabeth began to secretly watch and speculate on how the Queen of Scots intended to appease her brother.
Should we reward him with a fine piece of land? Or give him another annuity? Or perhaps the Queen of Scots should personally visit her brother's castle to give each other a way out?
...
“Unfortunately, those who made the guesses will be disappointed; I have no intention of yielding to Earl Morrie,” Mary said.
As Mary said this, she was standing in her bedroom, undressing in front of a half-length dressing mirror, while Seton stood behind her, helping her untie the intricate silk ties on her bra.
Clothes in this era were not easy to wear, especially the corsets worn by aristocratic women. Although they hadn't evolved to the point of breaking ribs in later generations, they were definitely not something one could put on by oneself. Putting them on and taking them off required the assistance of maids, and overweight women even needed three to five maids to help them.
Another day has passed.
Lord Darnley's measles had begun to subside, and he was at least able to go out. Then he received news that Queen Elizabeth had imprisoned his mother in the Tower of London. To comfort him, Mary took him for a walk in the woods today and they chatted about ancient Greek philosophy.
When politics is a sensitive topic, and bringing it up can easily trigger a firestorm, it's time for philosophy and art to step in. When nobles talk about these things, they can not only appear knowledgeable and elegant, but also keep the atmosphere lively.
What struck Mary was that during their conversation that day, she hadn't mentioned Countess Lennox, and Lord Darnley had acted as if nothing had happened, not mentioning his own mother at all.
He could still smile and say sweet words to please himself, as if his mother had not been angered by Queen Elizabeth and had not suffered in the Tower of London.
Seton frowned, looked down by the candlelight, and struggled for a while with a silk ribbon tied in a tight knot. He finally managed to untie it and then sighed.
“Your Majesty, I have no intention of questioning your decision, nor am I qualified to comment on your political decisions, but if you do not reconcile with your half-brother, it will cause the Earl of Morley to hate you completely, and then he will target you in every way in the court,” Seton said worriedly.
"Who told you that?" Mary asked.
“That’s what everyone’s saying, both inside and outside the palace,” Seton said.
Mary smiled and explained, "Our hostility is inevitable. He has been secretly working against me to regain my power, just like with the appointment of that municipal official last time. From now on, it's just a matter of moving it into the open."
“The Earl of Morley is too arrogant. He even dares to interfere in my marriage now. He has completely forgotten the duties and responsibilities of a vassal. I need to teach him a lesson, so I will leave him alone.”
"As for the internal conflicts in Scotland... which country doesn't have internal conflicts? Don't worry."
The Queen of Scots' gentle tone did not soothe Seton's uneasy mood; she remained frowning and worried.
“But Your Majesty, every Scotsman knows how ill-intentioned England is.”
"They are like venomous snakes in the dark; as long as they can bite Scotland hard and make it bleed, they will use any despicable and shameless means."
"Queen Elizabeth will not let any opportunity to harm you slip by. What I am really worried about is that once Queen Elizabeth sees the instability within Scotland, she will immediately take action to further tear the wound, plunging Scotland into a protracted internal struggle."
Seton's concerns are not unfounded.
Elizabeth was capable of doing these things; she possessed unparalleled political talent, able to balance the various factions while also sowing discord and causing chaos within her own enemies.
Mary remembered that in her past life, Elizabeth had provided substantial financial support to those lords during their several rebellions.
These past few days, Seton wasn't the first person to try to persuade him.
Many of Her Majesty's confidantes, including Maitland, advised her to improve relations with the Earl of Morrie to avoid causing further trouble.
Even if the Queen wants to take away the power from Earl Morrie, it would be a more prudent approach to do so slowly, like boiling a frog in lukewarm water, just as it has done for the past three years.
But Mary had lost her patience.
Rather than leaving this hidden danger unchecked, giving him the opportunity to secretly collude with Elizabeth at any time, it would be better to force him into rebellion as soon as possible and then eliminate this cancer.
...
After Lord Darnley fully recovered, he soon proposed to the Queen of Scots at a banquet.
Under the watchful eyes of nobles of all kinds, the Queen of Scots agreed on the spot and immediately ordered that all matters concerning the wedding be prepared.
After Randolph relayed the good news to London, it is said that Queen Elizabeth II privately threw another tantrum.
This time, the Queen of England even confiscated all of Lord Darnley's father, the Earl of Lennox, and imprisoned him in the Tower of London, making him and his wife, who had dared to plan this wedding, accompany him.
Every step Mary Stuart took toward the British throne was like a scalpel falling from the guillotine for Elizabeth.
However, when facing her subjects, Elizabeth remained calm and dignified.
"Lord Darnley is not a bad choice compared to the Spanish Crown Prince, but if it can be stopped, it would be best to stop it as soon as possible," Queen Elizabeth said.
"So you mean...?" Randolph asked, carefully trying to guess the Queen's thoughts.
"Perhaps we could write to the Vatican, offer some concessions, and then have the Pope declare the marriage invalid on the grounds that the two are related by blood?" a minister cautiously suggested.
This is also the most common way to stop a marriage nowadays.
In a room at Whitehall Palace, a meeting is being held that is reserved for the Queen’s closest confidants.
Cecil, standing at the front of everyone, shook his head and refuted the proposal, saying in a deep voice, "The Vatican is overjoyed to agree to this marriage, how could they object? You know, Mary Stuart is a fervent Catholic, and Lord Darnley is also a Catholic. Their children will definitely be Catholic after they get married."
Queen Elizabeth's intention not to marry has become increasingly clear.
When Mary Stuart or their children inherit the British throne, it will be only natural to purge Protestantism and return British religious faith to the embrace of Rome.
This is exactly what the Vatican would like to see happen.
“Then let’s gather the army again and head to the Scottish border. There’s no need for any tricks or schemes; we can show off our absolute power. Those Scots will be terrified and weep.” Another member of parliament suggested.
“Going to war is no joke! England just withdrew its troops, only to return again. Threatening the Queen of Scotland with military force time and time again will only make His Majesty lose face in front of Europe,” Cecil retorted.
England has already lost enough face in this tug-of-war over the marriage of the Queen of Scotland!
Queen Elizabeth proposed to her lover, the Earl of Leicester, only to be thoroughly tricked. Not only that, the Earl of Leicester also took Lord Darnley to Scotland on his own initiative!
What if England issues another threat of war, and Scotland insists on getting married regardless?
Cecil knew that Queen Elizabeth did not want to go to war.
Because of the wars Henry VIII waged against England in his later years, and the social unrest and economic damage caused by Mary I's various actions, Elizabeth's policies in recent years have always leaned towards recuperation and development.
If the Queen makes strong statements but fails to deliver, it will severely damage her prestige.
If war breaks out, the French army will immediately flock to the scene like flies to the smell of blood. It would be a losing proposition for Britain to fight a war over something like that.
Thinking of this, Cecil glared fiercely at the Earl of Leicester, who had returned to Elizabeth's side.
It's because this fool let Lord Darnley escape that this situation has come to this!
Noticing Cecil's unfriendly gaze, the Earl of Leicester awkwardly moved a little closer to the Queen.
"Then you must have some brilliant plan to stop this marriage?" the congressman said defiantly, raising his head.
“I don’t have any good plans, but I suggest that an envoy protest to the Queen of Scots, hoping that Mary, the Queen, will abandon Lord Darnley and not ruin the newly improved relations between the two countries. At the same time, I suggest that Her Majesty the Queen order Lord Darnley, a ‘subject’ of England, to immediately return to London to warn him and remind him of the fate of his parents…” Cecil slowly and deliberately explained the method he had been thinking about for a long time, “…If he doesn’t want his parents to be beheaded, he shouldn’t marry the Queen of Scots. If he can’t stop the Queen of Scots, then he should stop Lord Darnley. This is the most feasible way.”
This is indeed an incredibly brilliant method.
The nobles and councilors summoned to the palace by the Queen whispered among themselves, exchanged opinions, and found it to be quite feasible.
The young congressman who had just been wearing a wig and looking defiant lowered his head in shame and acknowledged the wisdom of Secretary of State Cecil.
This is much better than going to the Pope or sending in the army.
Cecil bowed slightly to Queen Elizabeth.
“Your Majesty, what do you think?” Cecil asked.
“That’s true, but I think there’s something else in Scotland that I should be more concerned about,” Elizabeth said.
“What is it?” Cecil asked.
Queen Elizabeth ordered her servants to lift the tray and hand several letters to Cecil and several other ministers.
The above information, sent back by her spies, indicates that the conflict between Mary Stuart and Earl Morley has completely erupted and their relationship is beyond repair.
On the surface, after his setback, Lord Maurice returned to his castle and stopped associating with anyone. However, in secret, he began to contact many Scottish nobles, including Lord Ruseven, Lord Hamilton, and Lord Huntley, in an attempt to instigate a rebellion and drag Mary Stuart off the Scottish throne!
After reading it, Cecil suddenly looked up, his eyes sparkling with joy.
“God bless this, this is wonderful news! I think England needs to provide some assistance to the Earl of Morrie!” Cecil said.
“I think so too…” Elizabeth sat on the throne, gently tapping the gold-patterned armrest, and said with a smile, “…I hope Earl Morley’s army is strong enough. If it’s not strong enough, we will help him become strong.”
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