"Minister! I find a contradiction in your statement" said King Gunavarman,
"What is it, Your Majesty?" asked the Minister, perplexed.
"Now that my son has been crowned, he is the king now. But you addressed me 'Your Majesty!'" said the King, smiling.
"How else can I address you, Your Majesty! Perhaps I should address you 'Your Super Majesty!" said Viswarupan, smiling.
"In that case, hereafter you will be the Super Minister!"
"What do you mean, Your Majesty..er..Your Super Majesty?" asked Viswarupan, feeling perturbed.
"You called me 'Your Super Majesty' because, I have been superannuated as the king. Since you are going to be superannuated, you will become Super Minister."
Viswarupan kept quiet, not knowing what to say, while the king's court was stunned into silence, realizing that something was amiss.
Gunavarman's son Ilamaran, who had just been crowned the king, attempted to say something to his father, but was signaled to be silent by Gunavarman.
Gunavarman told Viswarupan, "Viswarupan! You also need rest. From now onwards, sit at home and enjoy your retirement. The new king has decided to appoint Poet Nalkeerthi, who wrote the book of ethics, 'An Moral Code for the Mortals,' as the new minister."
Feeling humiliated by the king making the announcement in the court, in the presence of several dignitaries and officials present there, Viswarupan left the court, with his gaze directed at the ground. The king didn't attempt to stop him.
"Father! Why did you relieve Viswarupan of his position as the Minister?" Ilamaran asked his father, when the two were alone.
"For the same reason that I stepped down as the king and crowned you the king. Like me, Viswarupan has also become old!" replied Gunavarmar.
"You could have conveyed your decision to him in private and allowed him to step down honourably. Why did you make the announcement in the court, in front of several people assembled there? He was visibly upset. He felt humiliated."
"I didn't intend to humiliate him. If he felt that way, what can I do about it?
"You said that I had appointed Nalkeerthi as the new minister! But, I didn't. Why did you say so?"
"A king has to be well-versed in the concepts of ethics and morality. For this, he should read books on this subject. You are young. It will take several years for you to read such books and equip yourself with the concepts outlined in those books. I thought that having a person well-versed in this subject as the minister will help you learn these concepts in a better way and in a shorter time. Nalkeerthi is a scholar and an authority on the principles of ethics. He has written a book, presenting his knowledge of the subject in a simple way. That is why I appointed him as the minister, on your behalf" explained Gunavarman.
Ilamaran was not satisfied by his father's explanation, but decided not to discuss the matter further.
"Your Majesty! I am sorry that I have to bring a disturbing development to your notice, at a time you are still grieving over your father's demise" Manikantan, the Intelligence Chief, told King Ilamaran.
"Tell me. Though the period of mourning for my father's death is not over, the responsibility of governing the country is always with me" said King Ilamaran.
"The king of Kanva is making preparations to invade our country."
"Is this information reliable?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. For the past few years, the intelligence gathered by my men have been accurate."
"I appreciate your efficient functioning. Let me convene the Advisory Council to discuss the issue and take a decision."
"Your Majesty! I need to discuss a matter with you" said Manikantan, hesitatingly.
"Go ahead!"
"Do you know the whereabouts of our former minister Sri Viswarupan?"
"You are the Intelligence Chief. You should give me information!" said Ilamaran, smiling.
He then added, with a sigh: "I don't know where he went, after leaving the court, angry and humiliated. I took a lot of efforts to trace him, without my father's knowledge. But my efforts were not successful. I understand that he had left the country. But, why are you asking me about him now?"
"It is Sri Viswarupan who has been sending me intelligence reports about the developments in Kanva country."
"What do you mean?"
"You should pardon me, Your Majesty! This was an arrangement made by your late father. At the time you were crowned, our country was facing threats from Kanva country. Your father felt that we should have an effective intelligence gathering system operating from Kanva country. He decided that Sri Viswarupan would be the right person to monitor the intelligence gathered by our men operating from Kanva. He staged a situation of Sri Viswarupan being humiliated in the open court, leading to his exit as a bitter man. This drama was enacted with the full knowledge and co-operation of Sri Viswarupan. It was the late king's intention that every one including you should believe that Sri Viswarupan was estranged from the king so that he could pose himself as an enemy of our country and spy for us! Your father shared this secret with me alone, since I was the Intelligence Chief. But he enjoined me to not reveal the truth to you, during his lifetime. With your father having passed away, I now feel free to reveal the truth to you" said Manikantan.
"My father had provided me with a minister well versed in ethics and morals to guide me in governing the country in accordance with the rules of morality and an excellent intelligence structure led by an able person to help me protect the country from the enemies. What a great legacy has my father left for me!" said Ilamaran, overwhelmed by mixed feelings of joy, gratitude and sorrow.
Section 2
theRRenga mannavan kaN.
Verse 580
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