Emerald Palace.
After the assembled lords departed, the atmosphere in the hall became exceptionally grave.
Faced with the angry gazes of the ministers, Caesar IV's expression was extremely unsightly.
When trouble arose, if the boss failed to protect his underlings at the first opportunity, it was a major political loss of face.
What was more, the reformists had only been established under his promotion. Without the King's leadership, they could never have grown so strong.
Yet politics was cruel. Once they realized the tide had turned, the original political alliance immediately collapsed.
As King, Caesar IV decisively chose to abandon them, with no intention of pulling them up.
Faced with his underlings' resentment, Caesar IV was equally helpless.
In that situation just now, if he had continued stubbornly defending the reformists, he might have been dragged down with them.
The powerful figures supporting reform had all defected, and even Marshal Hudson, who had always been forceful, had chosen compromise.
Fighting alone was a monarch's greatest taboo.
"The situation has already worsened. Preserve yourselves for now and wait for the right time!"
Caesar IV spoke slowly.
With the reformists collapsing and the conservatives stronger than ever, a major reshuffling of the court had become inevitable.
His instincts told him that today's scene had been planned by the conservatives for a long time.
Their earlier inaction had merely been waiting for the reformists to jump into the pit themselves. Yet they had known nothing beforehand and had helped their enemies build the stage.
Had he received word in advance, Caesar IV would never have convened the joint conference of provincial governors without being certain of success.
In the previous political struggle, the conservatives had already been squeezed out of the court.
As long as those local governors had not been gathered together,