"His Highness the Great Imperial Son wants to see you..." the butler whispered into the Prime Minister's ear.
The Prime Minister frowned. "Tell him..." He paused, then changed his mind. "Have someone keep an eye on him. Don't let him leave the prison, and don't let him contact the outside world. Unless it's something particularly important, there's no need to contact me about anything related to him."
The Prime Minister knew exactly what the Great Imperial Son wanted to do.
The Emperor was still undergoing surgery. The Great Imperial Son's immediate appearance was definitely not because he wanted to visit his father, but because he wanted the throne—or rather, freedom.
With an imprisoned Emperor, the Empire couldn't possibly remain without an Emperor. If the Emperor died, the Great Imperial Son, as the first heir in line, would inevitably ascend the throne and become the new Emperor.
Then he could pardon himself. After all... he still possessed that small amount of power.
But the Prime Minister didn't want the Great Imperial Son to emerge at a time like this. It would cause many plans to change in unpredictable ways, so the best course of action was to keep him imprisoned.
He couldn't be allowed to die, speak, or leave.
After resolving this minor issue, the Prime Minister asked another question. "How is His Majesty doing?"
The butler didn't answer immediately. He needed to consider how to answer appropriately while also making his intended meaning clear.
After roughly ten seconds, he answered the Prime Minister's question with another fact.
"I saw the court doctors summon many more experts from outside. I don't know the specifics yet."
A look of understanding flashed through the Prime Minister's eyes. This was already clear enough: the Emperor might not wake up.
He rubbed his temples, dismissed