At the Quiton Gates, now occupied by the Alzar Kingdom's forces, a vast celebratory banquet was taking place. People were laughing and cheering, excited for their victory over the Imperial Council's forces. Of course, who would not be excited? It was a monumental victory against the odds! Originally, the Imperial Council had nearly three hundred thousand soldiers at the ready and coupled with their positional advantage and the Li Family's two hundred thousand, anyone would begin to doubt their generals' decision to fight. It seemed like an impossible battle! However, through some unbelievable twists and turns, they created a miracle and won! First was the revelation that Princess Elizabeth survived and forged an alliance with the Imperial Princesses and Imperian Qiang. Next was the alliance with the Featherwind Sect and the capture of Unit Commander Haea. This allowed their weaker force to triumph against the seemingly invincible Quiton Gates in a complete landslide of a victory! Because of this, all the soldiers sang high praises of Princess Elizabeth.
It was the same inside the main hall where the officers were dining. Even though only Platoon Captains or higher were invited, there were still more than five hundred people in attendance, which showed how massive their army really was. The atmosphere was more restrained and formal, compared to the drink-filled festivities outside, but not entirely stiff like a nobility's party. Under this semi-formal mood, people conversed in small groups and dined on small bites and drinks. Every so often, they would cast a quick glance towards a particular direction with beaming smiles. At the end of their sight was a beautiful girl adorned with a long red dress that shimmered with jewels and long flowing red hair that glittered like fire. She looked very different from her normal appearance, yet the unmistakable Holy Reingolian Medallion confirmed her identity easily.
Elizabeth internally sighed after greeting the fiftieth group to show up. Everyone spouted so many lines of flattery and praise that she grew numb to it all, but she knew they were sincere, so she smiled and responded in kind. That was the least she could do. Nevertheless, their energy drained her physically and mentally. She was an introvert by heart and no amount of royal training could change that. In between groups, her friends caught up to her.
"You should take a break, Elizabeth. You looked exhausted," Shirley said worriedly.
"It's fine. I can continue. Thank you, Benedict," she replied, taking a beverage that the knight offered.
While she sipped on a warm drink, Benedict added, "You didn't need to push yourself like this. You could have left your duties to General Petra." He knew how uncomfortable she was with everything.
"No, it's my duty as a princess. If I can raise our morale and spirits, by even a little bit, then I should do it. The upcoming battles could decide the war and we need every advantage we can get."
"Still, it's a bit strange having a banquet now. The battle only ended yesterday," Freon remarked. The joyful and carefree mood was a stark contrast to the dark and uncertain mood of yesterday that he had a hard time reconciling the two scenes together.
"We haven't had a major breakthrough in months, so it was a well-deserved break. We won't have another chance to rest after today," she commented.
"Lord Korogin's final strategy… Do you think it's possible?"
"Even if it's not, we need to make it possible. I'm determined to make his final legacy a success. Besides, we don't have a path back anymore. Either we succeed or we die trying."
"Way to boost morale," Freon joked.
"I'm being honest. This plan is extremely risky and dangerous, but it's our quickest and more direct method to ending this war. We'll need to capture Yongtein and force the Imperial Council to capitulate before they regroup again. That's our only option forward."
"We have the Featherwind Sect and the Imperial Princesses on our side now too, so that should improve our odds by a lot," Shirley pointed out.
Elizabeth nodded. "That's right. Lord Korogin never accounted for external factors like them. Our odds are better than they look."
"But the war lasted five hundred years specifically because of how hard it was to win. We shouldn't underestimate our opponents," Benedict's voice brought them back to reality.
"…Where are they anyways? I don't see them in attendance," Shirley wondered while looking around.
Smiling wryly, Elizabeth replied, "You can imagine the difficulties in bringing the Featherwind Sect in. Aside from the fact they're… sentient birds larger than any person, their positions are a bit sensitive, and I wouldn't want to do anything to endanger our alliance. As for the Imperial Princesses and Imperian Qiang, they declined my invitation. They said it wouldn't be appropriate to participate in a banquet celebrating their empire's defeat. Who knows what they're doing now?"
Elsewhere, Xiuying and Ming overlooked the celebrations from a quiet vantage point. Since they revealed their survival to the world, they did not have to hide anymore. They could go anywhere they pleased. However, that was in theory because while Elizabeth did guarantee their independence and freedoms would be respected, some things would never change. The grudge and hatred of five hundred years of war practically ensured that no common ground could be made between them and the kingdom's people. It was bound to be awkward if they participated. Who knows? Maybe someone would be daring enough to attempt an assassination as well. Although they had the protection of Cardinal Hui, Protector Chang, and even Lady Mingyu, they were not infallible. Thus, they watched the celebrations from a tall tower under the cloudy moonlit sky.
"Are you happy now, Your Highnesses?" Unit Commander Haea mocked from behind. The woman was unbound, but there was no need for concern. She had three Perception Realms watching her every move. "You allowed our enemies to seize and defile our lands, maim and massacre our people, and dance and celebrate our deaths. Thanks to you, we lost the Quiton Gates and lost our foothold in this war. Thanks to you, we lost thousands of people and damned millions more. Thanks to you, the empire risks collapse. So, I ask you again, are you happy now, Your Highnesses?"
"…Nothing you say will change my mind," Ming said with certainty.
"It was our mistake to call you a princess," the woman snorted. "Just kill me already."
"You should be glad you're alive at all!" Xiuying grew angry at her remarks.
"I didn't bring you here to be executed." Ming turned around and glared at Unit Commander Haea. "I wanted to ask you a few questions is all."
"I won't betray the empire so save your breath."
"You don't have to answer if you don't want to."
"Ask away then," the woman chuckled. She wanted to see where this clown show led.
"First, did the Li Family collaborate with the Imperial Council to ambush us in the Battle of Liguang? Yes, or no?"
No response.
"Second, did the Li Family sacrifice us in Liguang to gain the Imperial Council's favor? Yes, or no?"
No response.
"And finally, does the Imperial Council intend to subjugate or eradicate the Li Family? Yes, or no?"
No response.
Ming was not surprised by the lack of responses, yet she continued to observe the woman closely. Her incisive gaze seemed sharp enough to cut away the lies and illusions to reach the truth. Unfortunately, Unit Commander Haea did not relent, staying as quiet and unresponsive as a rock.
Several uncomfortable minutes later, Ming smiled and said, "Thank you. That was all. Protector Chang will escort you back to your quarters."
The woman sensed something was amiss and frowned, but she left regardless.
"Was it okay to let her leave like that?" Xiuying was confused.
"Unless we torture her, she won't reveal anything else. She's that type of person. However, that doesn't mean we're totally without options." Ming smiled. "People are always more expressive than they think. Whether it be their breathing, their gaze, or even their minute twitches, a body reveals more than meets the eye. She might have thought she provided a perfect defense, but to me, it was one full of holes." Her expression hardened afterwards. "This might be hard to accept but from what I can tell… her answer was yes to all three questions."
"But that… that would mean our own family… betrayed us, right?" Xiuying's voice trailed off weakly.
Although they might officially belong to the 'Imperial Family', their mother's family was still the Li Family! Although tensions rose recently, in their youth, they were raised by their aunts and uncles, they played with their cousins, and they feared their grandparents' scolding. They were, without a doubt, family! Hence, to have the cruel, cold reality presented to them, that they were betrayed by those very people they considered family, stung harder than any wound. It was a mortifying blow! Xiuying felt her heart shatter.
"I know… I don't want to believe it either, but combined with all the other evidence we have, this is what remains. The Li Family… did betray us after all."
"But why? Don't we mean anything to them?" Xiuying shouted.
"I'm afraid only Lord Foshan and Fengji would know the answers to that."