Chapter 179: The Price of Power
Lin Yuer stands before the council once again, the defeated rebels now at her feet. Their leaders kneel, their faces defiant, but their bodies broken. She is the victor, but the cost has been high.
"You have all seen what happens when treachery is allowed to take root," she says, her voice cold. "I will not tolerate rebellion. The empire will not be a place where power is stolen through deceit. We will rebuild, but we will do so together—by strength, by loyalty, and by justice."
The nobles and advisors in the room exchange uneasy glances. The message is clear: Lin Yuer will not be challenged again.
But even as she delivers her speech, Lin Yuer knows that the battle for the future of the empire is far from over. There are always those who wait in the shadows, seeking to unseat the throne. But Lin Yuer is no longer the uncertain ruler she once was. She has learned the price of power—and she is ready to pay it, again and again, if necessary.