The Emperor and the Crown Prince sat in the study, a heavy, suffocating silence hanging between them. Only now did the Crown Prince truly grasp the sheer magnitude of the Empire's existential crisis.
"Imperial Father... is there truly no other way? No hope at all?" the Crown Prince asked, unwilling to accept defeat.
"I have considered every possibility. Every single one. It is useless. The aristocratic families will no longer obey us.
"If you don't believe me, watch what happens tomorrow. I will issue direct orders to the Northern, Northwest, and Northeast Combat Zones to immediately deploy reinforcements to the eastern and western fronts. Watch how quickly they fabricate excuses to disobey!
"They will undoubtedly claim that marching during the rainy season is impossible!
"But the war hasn't even reached their sectors yet! Their highways are intact! Their bridges haven't been bombed! Why can't they march? If they stick to the paved highways, the rain is merely an inconvenience, not a physical barrier!
"Yet, they will use it as an excuse to hoard their troops. I will issue the orders tomorrow simply to confirm my suspicions, to see if they truly dare to defy me openly.
"The Empire has showered them with wealth and privilege for centuries. Yet, now that the Empire faces its darkest hour, not a single one of them is willing to weather the storm with us!
"Sigh. I realize now that my greatest failing as an Emperor was my leniency. I never truly cracked down on the aristocratic families. I always believed they were necessary for the Empire's stability. Whenever the common people voiced grievances against them, I merely offered appeasement, never once considering stripping the aristocrats of their entrenched power.
"But now I see how drastically wrong I was. If, twenty years ago, I had ruthlessly curtailed their influence and systematically promoted talented generals from common backgrounds, perhaps we wouldn't be facing annihilation today. Sigh. It's a pity the world doesn't offer second chances," the Emperor lamented, his voice heavy with self-reproach.
"Imperial Father, if the aristocratic families did support us... would the Empire still have a chance?" the Crown Prince asked.
"Yes! We have over a billion citizens! I could easily conscript an army of a hundred million! The Empire possesses an intact, massive military-industrial complex, abundant oil reserves, and overflowing granaries!
"If I could just stabilize the front lines for a few months, systematically promote commoner generals, and let them gain combat experience... I originally intended to trade space for time! I planned to deliberately cede some territory to force these new generals to grow in the crucible of war, and then launch a massive counter-offensive!
"We have all the necessary resources! But alas, those resources are controlled by men who only care about their own petty fiefdoms! They will never prioritize the Empire's survival over their own wealth!
"It's a tragedy! A tragedy for the billions of innocent citizens of this Empire! Those aristocratic bastards all deserve to die! Every single one of them!
"Their duty was to protect this nation and its people! But... but they are going to sell the Empire to the invaders just to save their own skins!" The Emperor's voice broke, and he began to weep openly. The Crown Prince's eyes also filled with tears.
"I... I tried to systematically retire the incompetent aristocratic officers and replace them with capable commoner generals. But the great families fiercely resisted! They refused to yield their positions!
"I pushed the issue because I wanted to see how many of their precious scions they were actually willing to sacrifice on the front lines!
"But... but I never imagined they would simply choose treason! I... I have failed our ancestors! An Empire that has stood for over eight hundred years... destroyed under my reign! Wuuuu..." The Emperor broke down completely, sobbing into his hands.
The Crown Prince rushed forward, tears streaming down his face, and embraced his father from behind.
"I had it all planned out! If the aristocrats had just stayed out of my way, I could have orchestrated a brilliant counter-offensive! Among our billion citizens, military geniuses would inevitably emerge!
"I would have elevated them, given them command, and tasked them with driving the Allied forces into the sea! All they had to do was fight for the Eastern Spirit Empire! But they refused to sacrifice their personal interests!" the Emperor sobbed, leaning into his son's embrace.
"Imperial Father!" the Crown Prince choked out, weeping alongside him. He had never truly understood his father's grand strategy or the depths of his despair until this very moment. If he hadn't come to the study tonight, he would still be living in the delusion that the Empire could be saved.
"Sigh. My son... I have decided. I will remain here and perish alongside the Empire. But you... you must leave. You must take the younger members of the Royal Family and flee to Hu Hao's territory.
"And listen to me carefully: if Hu Hao ever attempts to elevate you to the throne, you must refuse! Absolutely refuse!
"Tell Hu Hao you only wish to live out your days as a commoner. Do not harbor any illusions of becoming Emperor!
"An Emperor without a loyal army is nothing but a sacrificial lamb waiting for the slaughter! You must swear this to me, or every single Royal descendant will be executed!" the Emperor grabbed the Crown Prince's hand, staring intensely into his eyes.
"Would Hu Hao really dare to execute me?" the Crown Prince asked, shocked.
"Whether Hu Hao himself would pull the trigger, I don't know. But his ambitious subordinates undoubtedly would! If Hu Hao truly manages to carve out an independent kingdom from this chaos, his generals will never bow to a figurehead Emperor from a fallen dynasty!" the Emperor stated bluntly.
"Imperial Father, do you truly believe in Hu Hao that much? Do you honestly believe he can survive against the combined might of the Allied coalition? Can he really protect a remnant of our Empire?" the Crown Prince asked, seeking a shred of hope.
"If Hu Hao cannot survive, then no one in this Empire can. He is a brilliant tactician, he inspires absolute loyalty, and he possesses the ruthless temperament of a true warlord. Chaos is his element; the more chaotic the world becomes, the higher he will rise!
"If he falls, I cannot fathom who else could possibly succeed. The aristocratic scions? They are utter garbage! I know exactly what they are made of!
"They look the part—impeccably dressed, elegantly spoken, seemingly educated—but it's all a facade! They are hollow men with nothing of substance inside!" the Emperor scoffed in disgust.
"But... couldn't Hu Hao simply remain a loyal subject of the Royal Family?" the Crown Prince pressed.
"My child... Hu Hao might personally harbor some loyalty to us, but his subordinates will inevitably demand greater power and independence. They will not tolerate your existence as a potential threat to their own authority!
"My son, swear to me! To preserve the royal bloodline, you must swear you will never attempt to claim the throne!" the Emperor demanded.
"I swear! I swear it on my life! If the Empire falls and I seek sanctuary with Hu Hao, I will never claim the throne!" the Crown Prince promised immediately, recognizing the absolute necessity of the vow.
"Good. Good. If Hu Hao ultimately fails to hold his territory, then consider this entire conversation moot. But in the coming days, you must begin quietly funneling the selected royal youths to his headquarters.
"You and the core family members must delay your departure for as long as possible to maintain public morale. If the Royal Family flees prematurely, the entire Empire will collapse into anarchy overnight!" the Emperor instructed, patting his son's hand.
The Crown Prince nodded, his heart heavy with sorrow.
"Sit down, my son," the Emperor gestured. The Crown Prince returned to his chair.
"I will arrange a video call with Hu Hao shortly. I will speak with him, give him certain instructions, and extract a solemn vow from him to protect you and the family for the rest of your lives.
"If he gives me that vow, I will grant him whatever military authorizations he desires! Ten corps? Twenty corps? I'll authorize them all!
"However, I cannot grant them all at once. As long as the Empire stands, whenever he needs official authorization to expand, I will provide it, granting him legal legitimacy. All in exchange for a single vow!
"I have no other choice but to gamble. I am gambling that he is a man of his word, a man who values honor and loyalty enough to protect the royal bloodline and ensure our family survives!" the Emperor explained his final, desperate gambit.
"Imperial Father!" the Crown Prince wept again.
"My son... you have suffered. You have borne the title of Crown Prince for thirty years, only to be denied the throne at the very end. But I have no other way! To ensure the survival of our bloodline, to save your life, this is the only path!
"Remember: once you are under Hu Hao's protection, you must banish all thoughts of reclaiming the throne! If you harbor even a sliver of that ambition, it will be the death sentence for every last member of our family!" the Emperor gently wiped the tears from his son's face, reiterating the warning.
"I understand!" the Crown Prince nodded firmly through his tears.
"Imperial Father... why? Why are the aristocratic families abandoning us now? The Empire has always treated them with the utmost generosity!" the Crown Prince cried, the betrayal stinging deeply.
"The human heart is a dark and treacherous thing. Right now, none of them dare to openly rebel because no one wants to be the first to draw the ire of the common people.
"But the moment one of them declares independence, the rest will immediately follow suit! They will invent countless grievances against me and the Royal Family to justify their treason!" the Emperor explained the fragile, cynical nature of their political alliances.
He knew the aristocrats were merely looking for lifeboats, terrified of going down with the sinking ship of state.
"Imperial Father, if there is even the slightest glimmer of hope, you must tell me! I know I lack your brilliance, but I am willing to sacrifice everything for the Empire! I truly believed recalling Hu Hao would save us... I didn't realize the Grand Marshal was playing political games. I sensed the crisis, but I never comprehended its true magnitude!" the Crown Prince confessed his naivete.
"Mm. I will have my staff arrange the secure video link with Hu Hao. We will speak with him together! Ha! To think that the final hope of this ancient dynasty rests on the shoulders of a commoner! The irony is bitter indeed," the Emperor laughed bleakly.
***
Meanwhile, in Jinhe City, Hu Hao was issuing orders to detach eight veteran regiments from the victorious garrison. Tomorrow, fresh units would arrive, and Hu Hao needed to redistribute these hardened veterans among them to rapidly elevate the new units' combat effectiveness.
"Hao-ge, is Jinhe City secure for now?" Mo Qin asked, standing beside him.
"We won't know until the Allied High Command makes its next move. If they launch a massive, multi-corps offensive against us, it means they've seen through our deception and realize we're using them for training. If that happens, any future live-fire training will cost us dearly in blood.
"However, if they only send a single corps to retaliate, it means they still believe our forces are weak and overextended, and we can continue our training program!" Hu Hao smiled slightly.
"Hao-ge, we just received a flash priority message from the Imperial Palace! They are requesting a secure, one-on-one video conference with you and His Majesty in exactly twenty minutes!" a communications officer reported, handing Hu Hao the decoded message.
"Just me?" Hu Hao frowned slightly, then nodded. "Acknowledge the request and establish the secure link."
"Yes, sir! Would you like me to fetch your dress uniform, General?" the officer asked with a slight smile, noting Hu Hao's mud-splattered fatigues.
(End of Chapter)