Deposition, Winning by Attacking the Heart
The grand hall was silent; every civil and military official held their breath, sweating with anxiety, terrified that a single misstep might drag them into trouble they should avoid.
Not one official dared raise his eyes to the emperor on his lofty throne; instead, all eyes were staring at Master Ian Reed, as if trying to see straight through him.
Despite the double pressure from emperor and court, Master Ian Reed remained as steady as ever, kneeling motionless with an air of righteous dignity that even the emperor had to admire.
If not for how suddenly this happened—and that it was a spur-of-the-moment move—the emperor might have believed Master Ian Reed had long been plotting to depose the Crown Prince.
Admiration aside, duty must be done. The emperor unleashed all his fury on Master Ian Reed: "Master Ian, you’re bold indeed! To falsely accuse the Crown Prince is a capital crime. Do you believe I won’t wipe out your entire clan?"
The wrath of an emperor is not something anyone can withstand. Master Ian Reed knew the emperor was putting on a show, but the sheer force of his presence still rattled him, his heartbeat involuntarily speeding up.
Master Ian Reed quietly drew a breath to steady his nerves, then looked up and declared, neither humble nor arrogant, "Your Majesty, I am not slandering anyone. The Crown Prince is guilty. I beg Your Majesty to grant me a chance to present the facts."
"You’ve got nerve, repeating that the Crown Prince is guilty. Fine—I'll give you your chance. But if you can’t explain yourself, I’ll wipe out your clan!" The emperor and his minister played their parts perfectly, keeping the situation entirely under control.
At this moment, anyone with half a brain could see what was happening. Some rejoiced, some worried, but none dared to speak up. Now, everything depended on the emperor’s word.
Master Ian Reed rose trembling from the floor, bowed deeply to the emperor, and said, "Your Majesty, though the Crown Prince acted out of filial devotion in seeking a birthday tribute for you, it’s also true that he secretly mobilized troops behind your back. Good deeds deserve reward, but misdeeds require punishment. The Crown Prince dispatched troops without permission, exhausting the people and squandering resources, showing contempt for his sovereign—this is disloyal and unfilial. He used force to threaten a tiny city and slaughtered innocent civilians—this is inhumane and unrighteous. Someone so disloyal, unfilial, inhumane, and unrighteous is unfit to be heir. I beg Your Majesty to recall the Crown Prince and formally depose him!"
Master Ian Reed's every word rang with tragic resolve, as if Crown Prince Terrence's offenses had gone so far that not even he could cover them up.
Though Ian Reed could see the emperor meant to use Terrence as a scapegoat—giving the Three Kingdoms and Nine Cities no grounds to send troops—he knew the whole act had to be perfect. The emperor’s dignity could not be compromised for a second.
"I second the motion! I implore Your Majesty to depose the Crown Prince!" In the world of officials, clever opportunists are never lacking—several immediately chimed in to echo Ian Reed’s call.
The Princess Royal’s faction, hearing these words, seemed electrified. Whether or not it was the emperor’s true intention, the moment Ian Reed called for Terrence’s removal, their shouts of support grew louder and more fervent than anyone else’s.
Terrence’s faction tried desperately to stem the tide, but their protests were drowned in the uproar for his deposition. Seeing the emperor’s utter indifference, Terrence’s supporters realized it was over—they fell to their knees, faces drained of all hope.
The black pot of blame was set—Terrence would carry it, no question. Only by sacrificing him could Lyndaria quell the people’s rage and force the Three Kingdoms and Nine Cities to abandon their alliance.
The hall erupted with accusations against Crown Prince Terrence—even the emperor’s recent illness was pinned on him, with cries that Terrence had plotted to murder his own father.
The Westlyn Emperor shot Ian Reed a satisfied look, closed his eyes to mask his thoughts, and when he opened them again, his gaze brimmed with sorrow and his voice trembled.
"My Crown Prince! I never imagined that the heir I’ve nurtured for over twenty years would fall so far from grace. My disappointment is beyond words."
The weight of his disappointment was unmistakable to every minister present. Ian Reed felt a bitter irony but kept it hidden, instead urging His Majesty to look after his health and not let Terrence's disgrace break his spirit.
The emperor and Master Ian Reed seemed addicted to their performance; as soon as Ian finished speaking, the Westlyn Emperor nearly fainted with grief.
The eunuchs rushed forward to steady His Majesty, and only after a long moment did the emperor regain his breath. Waving the attendants away, he seemed to age decades in an instant. In a frail, weary voice, he declared, "The Crown Prince is disloyal, unfilial, inhumane, and unrighteous. I must give the world an explanation. Announce my decree: Crown Prince Terrence Valen is hereby stripped of his title and immediately escorted to the capital for judgment."
The Westlyn Emperor was even more ruthless than Master Ian Reed had expected; not a mere recall, but an armed escort—Terrence's crimes would be grave indeed.
Crown Prince Terrence now had no hope of redemption.
Terrence's unauthorized attack on Liancastle, and the news that Lyndaria was about to punish him, were deliberately spread by the emperor to the Three Kingdoms and Nine Cities at once, halting the coalition's advance.
Never mind Crown Prince Terrence's rage on the front lines—for now, in Southlyn, Prince Nathan, who was just about to win great merit and fill the treasury with spoils, crushed his cup in fury upon hearing the news.
When the Eight Cities issued their City Lord's Edicts, Prince Nathan already knew this war would be tough. If there were only half a million troops, perhaps Lyndaria's emperor would fight; but with 1.3 million soldiers, there was no way Lyndaria would face them head-on. Still...
What Prince Nathan didn't expect was how quickly Lyndaria responded. Their three kingdoms' armies hadn't even crossed the border, and already the opportunity to profit from Lyndaria was gone.
"Lyndaria reacted this fast? Damn it!"
Prince Nathan had no martial arts training, but in his rage, he crushed his cup—proof of just how furious he was.
His plan had been cut off at the knees. Now he'd have to face not only the Southlyn king's rebuke, but also the dissatisfaction of Eastlyn and Northlyn.
"Your Highness." Seeing Prince Nathan's right hand covered in blood, a servant approached anxiously, only to be kicked aside by Nathan.
"Out! Out! All of you, get out!"
"Yes, yes, yes!" The servants scrambled out of the room, leaving Prince Nathan alone. No longer suppressing his rage, Nathan slammed his fist onto the tea table, making the cups rattle and bounce.
"Nolan, Nolan, well played... You actually schemed against me. Ruthless!"
"I was too naive, too inexperienced. I actually trusted you, that old fox. I believed in you, plotted with you, and you turned around and sold me out. My mentor was right: people in the royal clans can never be trusted. Friends are made to be betrayed—only interests matter."
Nathan swept all the offerings off the tea table in one angry motion, smashing them to pieces.
Seeing the wreckage scattered across the floor, Nathan's rage began to fade. As he calmed down, he still couldn't understand Nolan's motives.
"Nolan, why would you stop this war? For you, it was a trivial battle—you could have profited from it. Why go to such lengths?" Prince Nathan just couldn't figure out what Ninth Royal Uncle stood to gain.
"Was it just to depose Crown Prince Terrence? If that's all, then Nolan, I gave you too much credit." Nathan sneered, then fell into deep thought. "Or are you trying to protect Lyndaria?"
But what in Lyndaria could possibly be worth your intervention? Prince Titus Valen?
Hmph... As if princes of rival kingdoms could ever be true friends. Nathan would never believe it.
So, what is Ninth Royal Uncle's real reason for stopping this war?