Sir Winstin understood at once and let out a soft sigh. Lord Korogin worked harder than anyone else. To make it so far showcased his extraordinary willpower and determination! General Illion was about to seek out medical aid, but the Royal Guard stopped him. It was unfair to deny Korogin of his final relief. To die peacefully, knowing that the kingdom would persevere on, was enough for him. As expected, Korogin gave a weak smile. Sir Winstin knew him too well. Before passing away, the man whispered a few final words to the knight. His voice so weak that it could barely be heard. As soon as he finished, he smiled and shut his eyes… And like that, Lord Korogin Highguard passed away!
The news that Emperor Lianghu and Lord Korogin were dead sent tremors throughout the known world. These two were the titans of the world, the rulers of millions of people! They were unparalleled in power! Everyone, regardless of who they were, be it the slaves, the commoners, the nobility, or even royalty were shocked to their bones. Both died on the same day and in the same place! How could it not be shocking? No one had heard of this decisive battle until the outcome were spread. For a battle to result in both rulers dying, everyone tried to imagine how colossal of a battle it must have been. It must have been on an unprecedented scale!
The story of the Battle of the Millennium was well-known. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers clashed in the Dimorin Plains, creating rivers of blood and mountains of corpses. The battle spanned over several months and the fighting was so intense that the plains were painted in death, even now. The situation was made worse when Emperor Lianghu, the Four Cardinals, King Harth, Lord Korogin, and Sir Winstin personally took to the field. It was on a scale that no one had imagined was possible! Ultimately culminating in the deaths of hundreds of thousands and the capture of King Harth, it was the birth of countless legends such as Sir Winstin versus the Four Cardinals! Thus, it was natural that people doubted the authenticity of the news!
Although Princess Ming wanted to suppress the news, the events were simply too explosive. Furthermore, there were various external factors working against her that prevented a tight lid. After all, her political influence was far too insignificant. She might be the emperor's daughter, the Imperial Princess, but she did not hold much sway in the political scene. Compared to the heavyweights like the Prime Minister, Minister Linshi, or Uncle Qiang, it was truly nothing! She was helpless towards this. As a result, her worse case scenario became a reality. Everyone learned about what happened here!
The first piece of news sent the entire political world into turmoil. Their deaths created a massive power vacuum in both the Xingyuu Empire and the Alzar Kingdom! The Alzar Kingdom did not need to be explained. There was already a struggle between Lord Korogin and the Royal Family to maintain its power after King Harth's death. The lack of a suitable heir and Lord Korogin's ascension to the position of substitute monarch made many unhappy, leading directly to the rebellions and the Golden Nightmare. The past two years were filled with schemes and plots, all vying to usurp his growing power over the kingdom! It required an enormous effort from his side to thwart all these plans and stabilize the realm! Now that he died, like a cracked vase finally fracturing into pieces, it was sure to send the kingdom upside down.
On the other hand, the Xingyuu Empire was supposed to be less volatile. Officially, Princess Xiuying and Princess Ming were the heirs of the throne. This was established a long time ago and no one could dispute this. Emperor Lianghu had no brothers or sisters. Even his parents were long since dead. Therefore, it was logical that his two daughters should inherit the throne. Normally, everyone would be happy with this as they were quite popular. However, the second piece of news changed their opinions drastically.
But first, it was important to remember the chain of events up till now. Starting from the Yunyun Stronghold, the Imperial Princesses collaborated with the Li Family to arrest Minister Linshi. Unfortunately, they could not justify their reasons publicly. They could not say that Linshi was pulling the strings behind the emperor and the war, could they? They could not say that Empress Mei was not assassinated, could they? To do so would unleash a whirlwind of questions and problems. For example, why is a minister controlling the emperor? Why is the emperor willingly submitting himself? How did the empress die? It would undermine the authority of the Imperial Family and Imperial Council!
People were hesitant to believe Minister Linshi's slandering, but then the princesses acted alongside the Li Family to free the heir of the Alzar Kingdom in the Kuthong Forest. This was irrefutable evidence that they were allying with the kingdom! The people were rightfully enraged. In their eyes, to deprive their enemies of any hope and slowly strangle them out was ideal! The princesses' actions were like stealing food from a tiger's mouth. It was unacceptable! Gradually, public opinion began to shift.
Still, the princesses did not mind. After all, they were hoping to convince their father. The emperor maintained absolute power over the Xingyuu Empire. As long as he explained things properly, he was sure to suppress any commotion. Yet, things developed in a way they could not believe. In the final battle, their father was adamant on killing Elizabeth. They could not convince him at all! And in a strange and unexplainable twist of fate, Elizabeth killed Emperor Lianghu instead. That simple fact was enough to truly send a fire across the empire! Imperial Princesses? Who cared about that! In their mind, they betrayed the emperor and the empire! That was the ultimate crime! Hence, their claim to the throne was instantly thwarted!
Ironically, the third piece of news that the kingdom and empire were seeking a ceasefire seemed the least important… Everyone was far more focused on the impending chaos that the power vacuums would create! The world was about to change!