The generals nodded in approval while Sir Winstin smiled. To not become disheartened after failure, to not become despondent after loss, to not become vengeful after defeat… For many, failure was the end. That crushing sense of defeat would destroy their spirit. They would become like a living corpse, never progressing, never advancing. If that happened to Elizabeth, then there was no chance she could become queen regent. It would be an impossible dream. However, she recovered. She used it to strengthen her resolve more! It was hard to change mentalities, but she was, at least, stepping in the right direction!
King Harth… Lord Korogin… You did not die in vain, Sir Winstin thought. Your hope lies here! I will protect her in your stead.
"My friends…" Elizabeth wondered.
"They're in a separate tent for now. They have yet to wake up," the knight said. She became downcast and prayed for their quick recovery. If they died because of her mistakes, then she would forever hold that regret against herself. Moreover, she needed to apologize!
At this time, a messenger reported that a letter from the Imperial Princesses addressed for Elizabeth was here. Everyone, besides Elizabeth, reflexively tensed and furrowed their brows. Their attitude toward the princesses was muddled. Daughters of the most hateful emperor in history, the one who betrayed the kingdom's trust, slaughtered countless, and killed King Harth… Who would look upon them favorably? Their eyes were laced with suspicion and distrust. Although they rescued Elizabeth and called for a ceasefire, they could not help but wonder if this was a vile plot. After all, once that trust was betrayed, it would be very hard to build back up.
Elizabeth waved her hands and received the letter. Although she felt bad for killing their father, it was out of necessity. Emperor Lianghu nearly killed her! What could she have done differently? Let her be killed? Who would do that? Beg for mercy? Surrender? Honestly, only a fool would have believed that was possible. The emperor was not so kind. By merely seeing his murderous aura, anyone could tell her fate was death! In that case, she had to fight back! Still, the fact remained that she killed their father. It would not be strange to face their resentment. In fact, it would be stranger if she did not…
She skimmed through the letter and frowned. It contained more comprehensive information than what Sir Winstin told her. General Illion was separated from the Alzar's information network, so it came as no surprise. The information he obtained was extremely limited and half-guess work. Even then, he knew of the surging undercurrents in the empire. The Imperial Princesses' information was naturally more detailed as they had access to the Li Family's power. It talked about the impending conflict of the Four Great Nobility Families and that they already had their first clash!
About two days north of here, the Li Family and the Imperial Council clashed! In a ravine, the Li Family army was ambushed by the Imperial army. Imperian Qiang decided to lead his army personally when he was intercepted by the Prime Minister along with the Jun and Shui Family patriarchs! Besides the Jian Family patriarch being absent, this was the assembly of the current strongest powers in the Xingyuu Empire! Who would not shiver at the thought? The people living in the province were practically running for their lives, fearing for the impending bloodshed. They were fearing a brutal contest to become the new Imperial Family! Despite their thoughts, there was no bloodshed. Neither side provoked the other as the Imperial army blocked the path forward. The Li Family could not come assist the Imperial Princesses!
At first thought, their aim was clear: they were targeting the Imperial Princesses! However, upon closer thought, one would realize that was unlikely. Although their actions as of late were questionable, their claim to the throne was not. They were the legitimate daughters of the Emperor Lianghu, the next chosen empresses! How could the Imperial Council act publicly against them? That would undermine the entire hierarchy of the empire. They would lose their justification.
No matter what, the Imperial Council was subservient to the Imperial Family. That was why the three ministers acted in their authority as representatives of the Four Great Nobility Families, not as representatives of the Imperial Council. Of course, if they were responding to an enormous threat such as the Li Family, that was a different story. They could easily twist the Li Family's motives into replacing the Imperial Family. They could use the full power of the empire's military!
Princess Ming understood this well and explained it in detail to Elizabeth. The true target of the Imperial Council was her! General Illion guessed correctly. The council could not let her go. Elizabeth was the murderer of the emperor! If they let her go, that would be a slap to the council's face, especially when she was so vulnerable. Everyone would look down on them. Whether or not they succeeded in capturing her, the important part was the motive. They had to act!
Hence, Ming emphasized that the empire was about to make their move. And what better force to use than the soldiers present? Remember, the two divisions had not departed yet! If the Imperial Princesses did not leave, how could they? Even if the Alzar army was limping on the ground, they could not leave! It was simple common sense. However… that made things difficult for Elizabeth. The two divisions had a combined force of ten thousand soldiers. If they decided to act, could the Alzar army stop them? The Alzar army was already reduced to a paltry thousand. As for effective combat power, the numbers were even less… In a head-on battle, it would be over in less than a minute. There was no chance of winning.
Elizabeth's expression grew grimmer and grimmer as she read. The situation was about to turn critical. The best time to act was now when the divisions were still eyeing their prey! This was their only chance of escaping! She knew that, but the last few sentences made her think. Emperor Lianghu was dead, but before he died, he revealed some shocking secrets! He had no control over his actions. He was possessed! For the last eight years, he was being manipulated like a puppet and the puppet master was none other than Minister Linshi! Such a dangerous person was controlling things for nearly a decade! No one was the wiser. Furthermore, as soon as the emperor died, she vanished without a trace! Although Elizabeth never met with the woman, even she felt wary.