"The Crown Prince wishes to see you..." the butler whispered softly in the Prime Minister's ear.
The Prime Minister frowned slightly, "Tell him..." He paused, changing his mind, "Arrange for someone to watch him, don't let him leave the prison, and don't let him contact the outside world. Apart from special occasions, there's no need to contact me regarding him."
The Prime Minister was very clear about what the Crown Prince wanted to do.
The Emperor is still undergoing surgery; the Crown Prince's immediate emergence is definitely not to visit his father but for the throne, or rather, for freedom.
No Emperor serving a sentence means the Empire can't be without an Emperor. If the Emperor dies, as the first in line to succeed, the Crown Prince will naturally ascend to become the new Emperor.
Then he can pardon himself, after all... he still has that little bit of power.
