In the present, Elizabeth walked away from the army's roaring applause with her heart racing. Their plan progressed smoothly thus far, and finally led to this moment. It was time for their strategy to come to fruition! Her next step was… She walked into the army's main tent where a long rectangular table was laid out. Many seats were occupied by the Legion Generals, except for three. They compromised the highest military authority under General Petra, commanding twenty thousand soldiers each. Standing behind them were the various Brigade Commanders under their command, controlling five thousand each. Brigade Commander Christina was among them. This impressive lineup showcased the army's greatest leaders. Normally one would expect they were cool, calm, and calculating, but when they saw Elizabeth walk in, their expressions defied imagination. They were the definition of unnerved!
The girl casually sat at the foremost seat, symbolizing her confidence and power. She was restating her position as the leader of the Alzar Kingdom's army here, the Royal Army General! The two empty seats to her left and right were occupied by General Petra and Ten Dawn Yvonne. Seeing General Petra tacitly give up her seat told everyone everything they needed to know. The woman was clearly endorsing Elizabeth's superiority! Similarly, by having Ten Dawn Yvonne, hailed as the strongest Ten Dawn and a prominent leader of the Zino Kingdom's forces, Elizabeth's status was elevated further. Elizabeth returned everyone's glare quietly. She chose not to include the Imperial Princesses or Imperian Qiang simply because this was a meeting for the Alzar Kingdom. It would be too inappropriate and hasty to introduce them yet.
"Kneel before Her Highness, the Royal Army General!" General Petra declared.
Everyone hesitated a short second until Lady Christina broke the silence. She faced Elizabeth, knelt on the ground, and shouted, "I, Brigade Commander Christina Kalmar, hereby pledge my fealty!" That was enough to snap everyone out of their stupor. No matter what, Elizabeth was still a princess!
"I, Legion General Stefan, hereby pledge my fealty!"
"I, Legion General Corwell…"
"I, Brigade Commander Alex…"
"I, Brigade Commander Vol…"
Their loud voices reverberated throughout the tent, as though the louder the voice, the greater their loyalty. Everyone had declared their fealty! General Petra nodded in satisfaction. Had they delayed their actions any longer, then it could have been problematic. Thankfully, they were not foolhardy enough to test it. She addressed everyone, "As you've undoubtedly heard already, we will be entering an alliance with the Imperial Princesses and Imperian Qiang. Our joint objective is to defeat the Imperial Council and the Li Family. Any questions?"
"Did you know that Her Highness was alive the entire time?" someone asked unhappily.
"Yes, I did."
"Then that means you kept it a secret from the rest of us. Why? We're the highest authorities in the army here! We deserved to know the truth! This is a blatant show of mistrust!" the Legion General protested to the agreement of others.
"That was my decision," Elizabeth interrupted. "The matter with the Imperial Princesses is too sensitive of an issue to be leaked to our adversaries. I instructed General Petra not to reveal our statuses to any of her subordinates until the time was right. I apologize but our plan required absolute secrecy."
"Well, that…" The anger the generals had dissipated awkwardly like smoke. They knew they could not question a princess's decision, so they redirected their questions to General Petra instead.
"General Petra, did you report this to General William, Lord Illion, the Royal Assembly, or the Royal Family? Even if you didn't share this information with us, you must've reported it to our superiors, especially since Her Highness… is the former heir apparent. It would be a severe crime to withhold Her Highness's status from Queen Samanthie!"
The general cursed under her breath because this was the one question she hoped to avoid. Under normal circumstances, she could approve adjustments to their strategy herself. This enabled her to react quickly to ongoing changes without going through the lengthy chain of command. The Royal Assembly did not need to know every single little thing that happened, nor did they care. However, large changes that could drastically change the direction of the war did require their permission! The alliance with the Imperial Princesses and Imperian Qiang easily fell into that distinction. Hence, by keeping it a secret, it could easily be considered an act of treason! She had to formulate her response carefully. Fortunately, they had come prepared.
Elizabeth replied once more, "The fault lies with me, not General Petra. It was under my instruction that our statuses not be reported to the Royal Assembly or the Royal Family. I am aware of the consequences. I will notify Queen Samanthie personally when everything is over."
Everyone looked away awkwardly for a second time. Having a great 'shield' like the princess protecting you was akin to being invincible. They could not question her authority openly! Moreover, when Elizabeth delivered that speech moments before to the entire army without notifying them, they realized she had already cast the die. It was too late to change course now. She had pressured them into cooperating! As Legion Generals and Brigade Commanders, they were proud and mighty leaders that stood head and shoulders above the rest. To be strung along like this was deeply infuriating. They felt their pride was trampled on! Internalizing their grievances while showing a calm exterior, they changed topics.
"Your Highness, is it true that we've made an agreement with the Imperial Princesses and Imperian Qiang? If so, what for? Where are they now? And how did Your Highness and the others survive the Battle of Liguang? What happened there exactly?"
"To your first question, I can confirm that we've entered a mutual agreement with them. I have personally guaranteed their safety and freedom while they are here. No one is allowed to harm, interrogate, or interfere with them. They are to be treated with due respect as my guests. I'm serious about this," she stated sternly. "As for your second question, I believe General Petra has mentioned it before. Our joint objective is to defeat the Imperial Council and the Li Family."
"Pardon my asking, Your Highness, but I don't understand. They've lost their positions, powers, influence, and everything else… They're like stray cats on the roadside. I see no merits, only demerits in associating with them. Why did we enter an alliance and how does it benefit the Alzar Kingdom?"
"While it's true that they lost almost everything, you underestimate what they represent."
"Represent?" the Legion General was confused.
"Hope. They represent hope. The possibility of a new future. Please take a look at this." She gestured for documents to be distributed. "This is a compilation of reports from across the Jun Family's territory. As you can see, all their major settlements are revolting due to the Imperial Princesses. This phenomenon is spreading across the Xingyuu Empire as we speak. It won't be long before it takes hold of the entire empire. This gives us a golden opportunity," she said to their amazement.
"With this, our plans might succeed!"
"I agree. It'll significantly reduce our hurdles in conquering the empire!"
"However, this unrest won't last for long. We'll have to capitalize on it immediately. We should mobilize our forces to immediately attack the Quiton Gates!"
"That's easier said than done though. They have nearly three hundred thousand soldiers and the defensive advantage. Moreover, the Li Family is lying in wait with two hundred thousand at the Tailong River. Even with the Ten Dawns, it'll be a hard-fought victory," someone pointed out, much to their disappointment. That was right. Forget their golden opportunity slipping through their fingers. Depending on how the battle went, they could be risking total annihilation! It was not something to be taken lightly.
Yet, Elizabeth smiled widely. "You seem to be forgetting something. We have on our side the former patriarch of the Li Family, Imperian Qiang! He might have lost his position, but he still wields great influence and loyalty. Please take a look at this." Another document was distributed.
"Their armies stopped moving?"
They were shocked! Previously, their armies were abuzz with activity as they gathered strength for a decisive strike against the Alzar Kingdom. Their presence alone placed an immense pressure on the generals here. But if Imperian Qiang could halt their movements, even if momentarily… The generals looked at Elizabeth in a reverent light. She had planned this far in advance! In that case, they made up their minds. They needed to seize the opportunity she created!