Minister Ashutosh sat alone inside his private chamber, his fingers lightly tapping against the wooden armrest of his chair. The palace had become unusually lively ever since the new Emperor began summoning merchants from across the empire, and that alone was enough to put him in a foul mood.
A knock echoed from outside.
"My Lord, a merchant wishes to meet you," a servant said respectfully. "Should I send him away?"
Ashutosh slowly opened his eyes.
"No. Bring him here."
The servant bowed and departed.
A few moments later, a middle-aged merchant entered the room and lowered his head respectfully.
This man was known as Sohan.
To the outside world, he was an ordinary merchant.
To Ashutosh, he was an informant.
"Sit."
Sohan obeyed immediately.
Ashutosh wasted no time.
"What is the Emperor planning?"
Sohan hesitated briefly before speaking.
"Your Lordship, the Emperor intends to revive trade. He has promised the merchant guilds protection from bandits, reduced corruption on trade routes, and fair taxation. He wants merchants from neighboring kingdoms to conduct business within Gupta territory."
The room fell silent.
Ashutosh's expression gradually darkened.
"So that is his plan."
A faint smile appeared on Sohan's face.
"The merchants seem quite excited. Many believe this could restore prosperity to the empire."
Ashutosh let out a cold laugh.
"Prosperity?"
He rose from his seat and walked toward the window.
"Do those fools understand what prosperity means?"
Sohan remained silent.
Ashutosh continued.
"If trade flourishes, the imperial treasury will recover. If the treasury recovers, the Emperor will expand the army. Once the army expands, ministers like us will lose our influence."
His eyes narrowed.
"For years, the weakness of the throne has been our greatest advantage."
Sohan nodded slowly.
"And if trade fails?"
Ashutosh turned around.
"Then the merchants will lose faith."
His voice became colder.
"The empire's treasury is nearly exhausted. The Emperor cannot afford failure. If merchants suffer losses despite his promises, they will never trust him again."
A thoughtful expression appeared on Sohan's face.
"My Lord... are you suggesting..."
Ashutosh's lips curled upward.
"I am suggesting nothing."
He returned to his seat.
"You will remain close to the merchant guilds. The moment large caravans begin moving, I want reports."
Understanding flashed across Sohan's eyes.
Bandits.
Robbers.
Missing goods.
A few carefully arranged incidents would be enough to destroy confidence in the Emperor's reforms.
The merchants would blame the throne.
Trade would stagnate.
And the empire would remain weak.
"Your servant understands."
Neither man noticed the figure standing beyond the half-open doorway.
A young man.
Ashutosh's son.
A gambler is buried beneath mountains of debt.
And desperate men often sold information far cheaper than loyalty.
By evening, the report had already reached Vishnu's hands.
The study remained silent as he read every word written by the imperial spies. The more he read, the colder his expression became.
His tolerance had never been kindness.
It was merely practicality.
As long as corrupt ministers continued performing their duties, he had little interest in wasting precious time on them. But the moment someone stood in the path of the empire's recovery, they became a threat.
A threat that could not be ignored.
Vishnu placed the report on the table and knocked once on the wooden armrest.
A guard immediately entered and bowed.
"Bring General Krishnam and Mrityunjay."
The soldier acknowledged the order and quickly departed.
A few minutes later, General Krishnam arrived in a hurry.
"Your Majesty, has something happened on the border?" he asked anxiously.
Vishnu merely gestured toward an empty seat.
"We are waiting for one more person."
Krishnam frowned slightly but remained silent.
The room returned to stillness.
Then, without warning, a shadow detached itself from the darkest corner of the chamber.
A masked figure stepped forward and knelt.
"Victory to the Emperor."
Krishnam's eyes widened.
He had entered the room several minutes ago and had personally inspected the surroundings. Yet he had never sensed another person's presence.
For the first time, he truly understood why the imperial spy network had survived even after the empire's decline.
The Emperor's eyes reached far beyond the palace walls.
Vishnu noticed the shock in Krishnam's expression but said nothing.
Some lessons were best learned through fear.
"The report concerns Minister Ashutosh," Vishnu said calmly.
He explained everything.
The merchant.
The conspiracy.
The plan to sabotage trade.
The attempt to strangle the empire's recovery before it could even begin.
When the explanation ended, silence filled the room.
"I can tolerate greed," Vishnu finally said. "I can tolerate corruption. But I will never tolerate those who seek to drag the empire deeper into ruin."
His gaze shifted toward Mrityunjay.
"Activate every available asset."
Then he turned toward Krishnam.
"The moment something happens, move immediately. Secure his soldiers, warehouses, records, and wealth before the other ministers can react."
Both men bowed.
"As you command, Your Majesty."
That same night, a frightened young man rushed into Ashutosh's residence.
It was his son.
"Father!"
Ashutosh stood abruptly.
"What happened?"
"The grain warehouses are burning! The guards sent an urgent message. If the fire spreads, everything will be lost!"
The color drained from Ashutosh's face.
Those warehouses contained enough grain to support thousands.
Without wasting another moment, he gathered only a handful of guards and rode out of the capital.
The journey lasted nearly an hour.
But as the warehouses came into view, his heart sank.
There was no fire.
No smoke.
No panic.
Only silence.
A terrible realization struck him.
"It's a trap."
Ashutosh immediately turned his horse around.
Too late.
Dark figures emerged from the surrounding fields.
Others rose from the tall grass beside the road.
The circle closed.
Steel flashed beneath the moonlight.
Within moments, his guards were overwhelmed.
Then Ashutosh saw the final betrayal.
Standing among the masked figures was his own son.
For a brief moment, disbelief appeared on his face.
Then it vanished.
"You fool," Ashutosh growled. "You think you're helping the Emperor? You've merely become another piece on his board."
His son hesitated.
That hesitation cost him everything.
Ashutosh drew his sword and struck.
A head rolled across the ground.
Almost at the same moment, a hidden blade pierced Ashutosh's heart.
The old minister staggered backward.
Blood filled his mouth.
As darkness swallowed his vision, only one thought remained.
The Emperor had moved faster than he had expected.
Much faster.
Before dawn, General Krishnam's forces were already moving.
Ashutosh's private soldiers were absorbed into the imperial army.
His hidden grain reserves were seized.
His ledgers were confiscated.
His estates were placed under imperial control.
When the final report reached the palace, even Vishnu paused briefly.
The amount of wealth recovered exceeded his expectations.
For years, while the imperial treasury had struggled to survive, one minister had quietly amassed a fortune.
Roads could now be repaired.
Trade routes could be secured.
Border defenses could finally be strengthened.
The empire had gained far more than gold.
It had gained breathing room.
Yet while celebrations quietly spread through Pataliputra, a lone rider was already carrying news toward the Maukhari Kingdom.
Several days later, inside the Maukhari court, the sealed report was opened.
A minister had died.
His army had been absorbed.
His wealth now belonged to the Gupta throne.
The hall remained silent.
Finally, one noble spoke.
"The young emperor is moving far quicker than expected."
Another slowly narrowed his eyes.
"If he continues at this pace for another few years, the Guptas may become a problem once again."
No one laughed.
No one disagreed.
Because for the first time in many years, the dying empire had shown signs of life.
And that frightened them.
Very much coz they are betrayer, they know their king has stabbed the Gupta empire and everyone knows how much Gupta blood can do, their ancestors have built the whole empire and made them prosper and Maukhari does not want another "Samudragupta"