Once someone took the lead, the rest of the old men also started to voice their opinions one after the other. Surprisingly, they all agreed: abandon the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace and flee for their lives as quickly as possible!
It’s too late! They might not even have the chance to escape!
As for avenging Ashby… from beginning to end, no one dared to mention it!
After all, although Ashby was executed by Sean, it was King Ron who manipulated everything from behind the scenes. When the king wants a servant to die, the servant has no choice but to obey. Seek revenge on King Ron? Ha, that would be tantamount to seeking death!
Prince Gerard sat there, just like a wooden man, motionless and silent.
As the majestic Prince Gerard, born in a royal family and of noble status, Prince Gerard, though young, had seen plenty of intrigue and deceit, and had weathered many storms.
However, he had never encountered a situation or predicament like this before!
To be honest, Prince Gerard was stunned, petrified!
Even at this moment, he still couldn’t completely recover from the news of Ashby’s death, still somewhat unable to believe that his own father, the current Crown Prince of Kisia, had suddenly died without any warning!
Before heading to Fort South, Ashby himself told Prince Gerard that King Ron had forgiven his mistakes, allowing him to atone by performing a meritorious service: to assassinate Sean amidst the chaos of the troops in Fort South!
Ashby said, after assassinating Sean, King Ron would allow him to take over Fergus Archer’s position, to permanently rule Fort South and become the king of Fort South!
Ashby told Prince Gerard to prepare. Once the situation in Fort South stabilized, he would let Prince Gerard take his family and wealth from the Eastern Palace and move to Fort South.
To carve out a new world in Fort South!
Ashby’s words still echoed in his ears, every single word and sentence was clearly remembered by Prince Gerard. In recent days, Prince Gerard had indeed been making all kinds of preparations according to Ashby’s instructions.
But who the hell could have imagined that in just a week, Prince Gerard, who was almost ready, did not receive news of Ashby’s victorious return, but instead heard the terrible news of Ashby’s tragic death in Fort South! It felt like a bolt from the blue!
It felt as if the sky had collapsed!
“Prince Gerard!”
Seeing Prince Gerard sitting there in a daze, as if he had been scared silly, the old men could no longer sit still. They exchanged glances, then unanimously stood up and said in unison, “This is a matter of life and death for all of us!”
“Please make a decision quickly, Prince Gerard!”
In their anxious voices, there was a hint of impatience.
These men were all loyal to Prince Ashby, and upon learning of Ashby’s death, they hurried to the Eastern Palace to discuss strategies with Prince Gerard.
However, this did not mean they were equally loyal to the “young master” Prince Gerard. Given Ashby’s death and the desperate situation, the fact that they did not choose to flee alone at the first instance, but wanted to take Prince Gerard with them, was already their final loyalty to Ashby.
“Flee?”
Prince Gerard’s mouth twitched fiercely a few times, his eyelids twitched, and he finally came out of his stupor. He looked at the familiar faces around him and asked, “Where are Prince William and Prince Green?”
“Why haven’t they come?”
Prince William and Prince Green had always been staunch supporters of Ashby in the struggle for the throne. Now, in times of crisis, their figures were nowhere to be seen.
“I’m afraid they won’t be coming.”
One of the old men snorted coldly, “When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; when the wall falls, everyone pushes. Now that the Crown Prince is dead, and he died in the king’s scheme, it indicates that the Crown Prince has fallen out of favor.”
“At a time like this!”\
“Prince William and Prince Green are too busy saving themselves, and it’s already too late for them to sever ties with the Crown Prince. How could they possibly come to the Eastern Palace? They know all of the Crown Prince’s secrets. It’s already a blessing if they don’t step on the spirit of the Crown Prince for their own survival…”
Such words were spoken with fervor and filled with righteous indignation!
All of this, Prince Gerard had already guessed. He understood the principle of everyone pushing when the wall falls; he had understood it for a long time. The only reason he asked was because he didn’t know what else to say!
Should he follow the advice of these old men and flee?
He didn’t want to!
Could he stay and wait for death?
The old men probably wouldn’t agree!
So, what else could he say?
“Good!”
“Very good!”
“Hehehe….”
After a brief pause, Prince Gerard suddenly started laughing as if he had made a decision in his heart. He spoke solemnly, “Previously, we gathered under my father’s command for a common goal, striving together!”
“Now!”
“My father is no longer with us, our future is ruined, it’s only natural for everyone to seek chances to survive!”
“So!”
“Go, all of you!”
“Follow your plans and flee. If you can survive this, it can be considered as my father’s spirit in heaven protecting you from dying a tragic death. You did not fight with my father in vain!!”
Saying so, Prince Gerard waved his hand, indicating for the old men to leave.
Upon hearing this, the old men were taken aback.
“Prince Gerard, you…”
They weren’t stupid, they naturally heard the hidden meaning in Prince Gerard’s words and exclaimed, “Aren’t you going to flee?”
“With the green hills left, there’s no worry of firewood.”
Someone advised, “Prince Gerard, you’re still young. As long as you’re alive, there will be plenty of opportunities!”
“Don’t act impetuously!”
In their eyes, nothing was more important than survival. When a person dies, it’s like a lamp going out!
“Flee?”
Prince Gerard raised his eyebrow and said with a bitter smile, “Under the vast sky, all is the king’s land!”
“You can flee!”
“You can hide among the common people and live an ordinary life!”
“You can also flee to a foreign country to seek a new way out!”
“But I can’t!”
“I am Prince Gerard of Kisia, royal blood flows in my body. Born extraordinary, I can’t live like a commoner, struggling to survive!”
“Nor can I betray my country!”
“Live!”
“Live upright!”
“Die!”
“Die with great vigor!”
“Anyway!”
“The dignity of the royal family cannot be lost!!!”
Towards the end, Prince Gerard’s pride belonging to the royal family was fully displayed from within, though there was sorrow and anger in his eyes, there was not the slightest hint of fear!
This left the old men stunned once more. Some even felt ashamed!
However, Prince Gerard was of royal blood, they were not. Prince Gerard was willing to wait for death, but they wanted to live!
Therefore!
“Prince Gerard, you…”
“Don’t say it!”
They wanted to persuade him again, but Prince Gerard had made up his mind, he didn’t give them a chance to speak. He closed his eyes, completely in a state of readiness for death!
“Then…”
“Alright!”
“Take care, Prince Gerard!!!”
The old men looked at each other, they could only give up. They uniformly bowed to Prince Gerard, then slowly left the grand living room. Not a single one remained!
In the grand living room, only Prince Gerard was left!
A moment later, footsteps echoed from outside the hall. A noble middle-aged woman appeared at the entrance of the living room. Upon hearing the sound, Prince Gerard opened his eyes. Seeing the middle-aged woman, the tears he had been holding back finally burst forth.
“Mother, your son has failed you!”
Thud! Prince Gerard rose to his feet, deeply bowing to the middle-aged woman. His entire body was almost lying flat on the floor. Accompanied by the sound of heart-wrenching sobs, his body trembled violently.
It should be known that the choice Prince Gerard just made not only determined his own fate, but also the fate of nearly a hundred people in the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace.
At that time, a completely different scene was unfolding at Roscoe’s residence.
Prince Adam had arrived!
So had Prince Lillard!
The nobility from the capital who supported Prince Adam, as well as the heads of all the families, had all come.
The place was packed with guests, lively and extraordinary!
With Ashby meeting his end at Fort South and Sean seriously injured and captured, this was undoubtedly great news for Roscoe’s faction. They were sitting at home, but fortune was falling from the sky!
It was like a huge pie dropping from the sky!
“Your Highness!”
Someone said with a smile, “With Prince Ashby and the Wolf King Sean both perishing in the trip to Fort South, there’s no one in the capital who can rival you. The position of the Eastern Palace is already in your pocket!”
“Congratulations, Your Highness!”
“Hearty congratulations, Your Highness!”
“This battle will surely determine the world!”
The others also joined in the congratulations, their hearts soaring with excitement. They were glad they chose the right person and stood on the right side. If Roscoe replaced Ashby and took over the Eastern Palace, their future would be unlimited!
And this was the result they had been pursuing all along!
Especially since Roscoe’s faction had always been at a disadvantage in the struggle for the throne. They had almost been wiped out in the battle at Prince Adam’s residence. But God had shown favor. King Ron personally set a trap and with one stone, he hit three birds, immediately reversing the situation!
They had done nothing, but they became the biggest beneficiaries!
How could such a reversal not excite them?
Not to mention the nobles in the capital, even Prince Adam and Prince Lillard were laughing heartily, unable to close their mouths. They wished to throw a big banquet and not return until they were drunk!
Only Roscoe remained calm!
In fact, his slightly contracted pupils revealed a hint of indescribable gravity!
“What’s wrong with you?”
Prince Adam, sitting next to Roscoe, noticed Roscoe’s anomaly. He put away the smile on his face and asked with a frown, “Is there a problem?”
His voice was not loud!
But as soon as his words fell, the hall immediately fell silent!
Everyone’s eyes were focused on Roscoe!
Roscoe took a deep breath!
Then he said, “I fear it’s too early to celebrate!”
“Oh?”
Prince Adam was puzzled, “What do you mean?”
“Could it be,”
“that our brother who is left with only a head, could resurrect and come to claim our lives?”
Of course, this was a joke!
But Roscoe didn’t find it funny!
“Gentlemen!”
Roscoe said in a serious tone, “From the Battle of Fort South, what did you see?”
“Did you see the death of the Crown Prince?”
“Or did you see the premature death of the Wolf King?”
“No!”
“Those are not important!”
“What’s important is,”
“I saw the depth of my father’s strategy, the strength of his plot, the ruthlessness of his methods, and the heart of an emperor. It’s simply horrifying and chilling!”
These words made everyone’s hearts sink!
“Before!” Roscoe continued, “We only knew that our father was in seclusion and did not show himself, hence we only focused on contending for the Eastern Palace position with Ashby, almost neglecting our father’s existence!”
“Now!”
“Our father is using Ashby’s death, and Sean’s fate, to remind us!”
“The world!”
“Is his world!”
“And we!”
“Are his subjects!”
“Ashby cooperated with Fergus Archer, harboring treasonous intentions, and thus ended up being torn to pieces! Sean guarded the northern territory, entered the Bright Realm at a young age, possessed the stature of an emperor, and was meritorious and threatening to the lord, hence he had no reason to live!”
“What about us then?”
“Our father punished me by confining me to our residence, introspecting, allowing me to watch all this happening with my own eyes. Obviously, he is intentionally reminding us that when it comes to imperial power and the throne, we can only have a sense of awe, but we cannot have covetous intentions!”
“Otherwise!”
“Ashby and Sean would serve as a warning to us!”
Roscoe’s every word, like a sudden enlightenment, had a deafeningly profound effect. When he finished speaking, the people seated, including Prince Adam and Prince Lillard, looked at each other with trembling hearts!
Laugh? They could no longer laugh!
The so-called position of the Eastern Palace, fought over and struggled for, what was the result? Who could occupy the Eastern Palace, in fact, was just a thought of King Ron, just an edict!
Like Ashby! Even if he had already ascended to the position of the Eastern Palace and became the current crown prince, what about it?
With one plan from King Ron, he was reduced to shedding blood at Fort South and his soul was sent to the underworld!!!
So whether it is the Eastern Palace position or the throne, in the end, it is not fought for, not snatched, but is a gift from King Ron!
“Then…”
Prince Adam swallowed nervously, feeling his scalp prickle, and asked, “What should we do next?”
Everyone listened intently!
Roscoe thought for a while, then said solemnly, “As the saying goes, the journey of a hundred miles begins with a single step. In the future capital, apart from our father, we are the only dominant family. This is a double-edged sword with both advantages and disadvantages, bringing both blessings and misfortunes!”
“So!”
“Everyone, be careful with your words and actions, be extremely cautious!”
“As for what to do…”
“Ha ha!”
Roscoe shook his head and said, “What we want to do is not important, what’s important is to think in advance, what does our father hope we will do!”
“Remember one thing!”
“As long as we don’t cause trouble for our father, we won’t have any problems! As long as we can alleviate our father’s worries, what we want, in fact, doesn’t need to be fought for or snatched!”
“It will come to us naturally!”
This is the lesson that Roscoe reflected upon and understood through the Battle of Fort South.
…
At seven-thirty in the morning!
Eliott Garner, the grand commander of the royal guards, ascended the ninety-five-step jade stone staircase alone and arrived at the gate of the Hall of Throne. He slightly bowed and respectfully shouted, “Your Majesty!”
“The North, Fort South, Palace of Wolf, Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace…”
“Messages have arrived from various places!”
“Your Majesty, please review them!”