Empire of India: Rise of the Ruthless Prince

Aradhana had been traveling frequently lately, thanks to her new responsibilities with the Royal Council. Her job demanded a great deal of effort and time, and for the moment, both she and Asokan had been excused from attending Royal Council meetings. This was a blessing, as it allowed her to focus entirely on the task at hand.

Her work revolved around overseeing the judicial reforms through the Empire.

These reforms were ambitious, aiming to overhaul the Empire's legal framework.

Aradhana had spent the last month journeying across towns, cities, and villages, evaluating the state of existing systems and scouting for talented individuals to join the courts. She had encountered all manner of people, from aspiring young men to capable sarpanches, and her keen eye for talent had already started to shape the future of the judiciary.

Her personal life had also seen changes. Her son had been appointed a teacher and guard, provided him with valuable education but also allowed him to contribute to the Empire in the future.

True to the Emperor's promise, Aradhana's salary was sufficient to provide her son with good clothes and tasty food, small luxuries that brought her great joy. However, the downside of her demanding work was evident—she had little time to spend with him.

Aradhana's travels were nearing their end. With the groundwork for judicial reform largely complete, her remaining tasks revolved around finalizing reports and handling paperwork, work she could now manage from her residence in the capital.

She looked forward to spending some valuable time with her son.

The perks of her position were undeniable.

The Royal Council provided her with a fully maintained residence, complete with a staff to handle her daily needs.

Most of her expenses, aside from leisure activities, were borne by the Empire.

These benefits, however, came with significant responsibilities. The judicial reform project was one of the most extensive undertakings in the Empire's recent history, and its success or failure would reflect on her and Asokan.

Their roles had been clearly defined. While Aradhana focused on selecting judges, auditors, and lawyers for the top branches, Asokan handled the recruitment for the secret police and the standard police forces.

Aradhana's efforts were not entirely alone.

They occasionally received advice from Viswa, the emperor's butler, a man known for his insight.

However, beyond these consultations, she and Asokan operated independently, making crucial decisions at their own discretion.

Her journey across the Empire had been rewarding.

She had discovered exceptional individuals whose skills would strengthen the judiciary for years to come.

Screening was a big part of the process of the recruitment. This part allowed her to filter out bad apples that joined the recruitment to exploit the power of the position. She got information on high-ranking individuals quickly thanks to the internal affairs team cooperation.

As Aradhana boarded her carriage back to the capital, she felt a sense of accomplishment.

"I am finally going home," Aradhana sighed, leaning back against the plush seat of the carriage. Her assistant, a young woman seated beside her, glanced at her with a warm smile.

"You've worked hard, Miss. You deserve some rest," the assistant replied.

"I'm so tired," Aradhana admitted, her voice soft with exhaustion. "I just want to see my son. I haven't seen him in so long. Is he eating well?"

The assistant nodded reassuringly. "Yes, Miss. The Empire's staff has been taking care of him. There's extensive security and proper attention given to the families of Royal Council members. You don't need to worry."

"I know," Aradhana murmured. "But it's not the same. I miss him." She gazed out of the window as the carriage rattled along the road. "I didn't realize this task would be so stressful. I haven't slept properly for days."

Now that her fieldwork was done, she could finally shift to managing things from the capital, delegating responsibilities and overseeing progress.

Yet, her journey had been far from smooth. The initial stages had been particularly challenging. Convincing people to trust her, especially as a woman in a male-dominated environment, had been a battle in itself.

Her thoughts drifted back to one of her more unpleasant experiences. She vividly recalled the sneering voice of a sarpanch during a council meeting in a village.

"Women should stay in the kitchen. Why are you trying to sound intellectual?" the man had said with a mocking laugh. His words had drawn murmurs of agreement from some of the other men present.

It had been humiliating, but Aradhana refused to let it bother her.

She straightened her back, clinging to her conviction. These men didn't have to acknowledge her value, because someone far greater already had—the Emperor himself, Harsha Deva Raya.

He had recognized her talent and entrusted her with this task. She wouldn't let his faith go to waste.

During her travels, Aradhana encountered extraordinary individuals—hidden gems scattered across the Empire.

Some were prideful and arrogant, their talent matched only by their egos. Others were humble, eager to learn and serve the greater good.

She devoted time to training and guiding these individuals, recognizing the potential they held.

In her spare moments, she designed challenging exercises and presented them with real-life cases to solve.

Her recruits met these challenges with remarkable skill and understanding. By the end of her journey, she had successfully identified and trained 50 high-level talents, each destined to take on significant roles across the judiciary.

"I just hope my son doesn't forget my face," she said with a faint smile, her voice tinged with both amusement.

Her assistant chuckled softly. "He won't, Miss. You'll be home soon."

"I hope so. He has been quite mischievous lately." She said. "In the letters, his nanny said that he was learning fighting techniques from the Royal Guards."

The assistant chuckled. "Really?"

"Apparently he even made his mini-sword to fight against them." She chuckled.

"Although, I am quite glad that he was able to make some friends."

Her son travelled with her. They moved from town to village while she made ends meet. Her son couldn't make any friends as they always left so quickly, barely enough time to socialize yet make friends.

She was very happy that the emperor persuaded her to take the royal council job. She got some confidence and also saw her son smile more.

Moving away from her thoughts.

By the way, remind me of all the work we've done on this journey," Aradhana said, shifting her tired gaze to her assistant.

The young woman quickly opened her bag and rifled through her neatly organized papers. "We conducted two phases of recruitment across different cities and towns for young talent to fill positions as auditors, judges, and lawyers," she began.

Aradhana nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"We also provided teaching materials for the recruits and appointed experienced sarpanches to teach them about ethics and morality within the judicial framework," the assistant added. "The examination process for the candidates has been finalized and will be conducted under the close supervision of the internal affairs team."

"And the last phase of recruitment?" Aradhana asked.

"It should conclude in the next week or two," the assistant replied promptly.

"I see. And the police recruitment?"

"Yes, Miss," the assistant confirmed. "According to Lord Asokan, the recruitment for the police force will be finished by the end of this week."

Aradhana sighed, leaning back. "He sure is efficient."

The assistant smiled at her warmly. "He has far more experience than you, Miss, but you'll get there soon."

Aradhana chuckled softly and patted her assistant's head. "I know."

The assistant's expression grew serious as she flipped to another page. "Regarding construction, it's progressing but still slow. The urban projects in cities are moving along steadily, but the rural village construction is taking more time due to the dispersed network. Many villages are small and located far apart, which complicates logistics."

Aradhana raised a brow. "How much more time are we looking at?"

"A month or two," the assistant replied nervously, fidgeting with her papers.

Aradhana glanced at her, her expression calm. "Looks like I'll need to discuss this with the Emperor."

The assistant nodded and continued, "There's also the matter of teaching the villagers about the new reforms. Some resistance came from the local nobles, but those issues were swiftly handled by the internal affairs team."

"Efficient as always," Aradhana remarked.

"Yes, Miss. On the brighter side, no nobles dared to harass you directly. Your royal council position and the guards accompanying you ensured that," the assistant added with a small smile.

"That's truly a relief," Aradhana admitted, letting out a small sigh.

The assistant looked at her notes once more. "At this pace, if all preparations go smoothly, we should have the judicial framework fully operational in two months at the earliest—three months at most."

Aradhana nodded thoughtfully, considering the timeline. "Good. If we can maintain this efficiency, everything should fall into place. Let's stay on top of it and make sure the reforms are ready within the projected time."

"Yes, Miss," the assistant replied confidently.

For the first time in weeks, she felt a sense of calm. She was going home.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om