Chapter Summaries

The Revolutionary Army lost its Heavy Artillery Production Line in a royal attack, while Haman sought continued Great Xia support and prepared to pursue diplomatic recognition. In Great Xia, Qin showed Prince Charlie the Hound Fighter Jet’s firepower, leaving him shaken by the military technology and the shrinking distance between the empires.

• Fewer than twenty Royal Assault Battalion soldiers escaped after destroying the Revolutionary Army’s Heavy Artillery Production Line, and Haman ordered an investigation for an insider.
• Haman considered asking Great Xia for another Production Line, but a Revolutionary Army official explained that replacing it would be difficult and costly.
• Franz told Haman that Great Xia would help seek another solution while demanding money, and Haman learned that a Lionheart delegation might make requests against the Revolutionary Army.
• Haman prepared an envoy to seek Great Xia’s recognition and establish diplomatic relations so its aid would continue.
• Qin and Prince Charlie visited Great Xia’s air force base, where Qin defended the Lionheart royal family’s rule but warned that technology was reducing the distance between the empires.
• Prince Charlie watched a Hound Fighter Jet fire its machine guns and drop bombs on a target, and the display shook him.

Qin and Count Little Jefferies urged Prince Charlie to stop relying on the Lionheart Queen and build his own power. After wrestling with their advice, Prince Charlie decided to start a business in Great Xia and accepted Count Little Jefferies’s offer of an opportunity.

• Qin warned Prince Charlie that the Lionheart Kingdom might need a new king, but Prince Charlie said he wanted to finish his mission first.
• Count Little Jefferies met Prince Charlie and Princess Mary Dajia in his private courtyard, where Investigation Department agents secretly recorded their conversation.
• Count Little Jefferies advised Prince Charlie to gather people, money, and influence in Great Xia and the colonies while waiting for change.
• Princess Mary Dajia challenged Prince Charlie to stop expecting mercy from their mother, and he decided to start a business in Great Xia with Count Little Jefferies’s help.
• Count Little Jefferies described an opportunity for Prince Charlie to make money and vent his anger, and Prince Charlie listened to the plan.

Prince Charlie secured the Lionheart Queen’s approval to buy Great Xia’s old 105-millimeter Heavy Artillery Production Line, then negotiated with Count Little Jefferies for additional weapons-production lines. He left the deal framed as an investment in his ambitions, though Count Little Jefferies questioned how he planned to use the small-caliber cannon line.

• Prince Charlie told Old Jack that the Great Xia Empire planned to dismantle a 105-millimeter Heavy Artillery Production Line and quoted a price of two million Gold Coins.
• Prince Charlie attended the Great Xia grand court assembly, where Emperor Derek questioned the Lionheart Kingdom’s defeats against rebels and offered to send troops.
• The Lionheart Queen authorized the purchase, and Prince Charlie offered Count Little Jefferies two and a half million Gold Coins for delivery to a Lionheart colonial territory.
• Prince Charlie asked Count Little Jefferies to include a Firearms Production Line and a Small-Caliber Infantry Cannon Production Line, calling the deal an investment in him.
• Count Little Jefferies agreed to add the production lines and asked whether Prince Charlie planned to use the Small-Caliber Infantry Cannon Production Line to raise the price.

Count Little Jefferies and Prince Charlie arranged a secret sale of two artillery Production Lines, leaving Old Jack convinced the Lionheart Kingdom had secured a bargain. After the equipment shipped, Count Little Jefferies revealed that the kingdom would need to keep buying high-grade steel from Great Xia to use the lines effectively.

• Prince Charlie agreed that the two Production Lines would stay out of the official transaction and that the five hundred thousand Gold Coins would be labeled as a transportation fee.
• Old Jack warned Prince Charlie that shipping the artillery themselves risked confiscation, then approved the two-and-a-half-million-Gold-Coin purchase when further negotiations failed.
• Count Little Jefferies collected the payment, with two million Gold Coins going to the royal account and five hundred thousand to himself, while Prince Charlie secured the Production Lines without a kickback.
• Count Little Jefferies had the Production Lines removed and a warehouse burned, and Old Jack believed the fire explained their disappearance as the cargo ship sailed safely.
• Prince Charlie worried that the Heavy Artillery Production Line could restore the Lionheart Kingdom’s battlefield advantage, but Count Little Jefferies argued that the kingdom lacked qualified steel and would need to buy it from Great Xia.

Prince Charlie settled into business and political networking in Pulan City after accepting the Queen’s demands. Qin formally visited the Smith family with Claire and revealed his identity as an Imperial Prince, leaving their neighbors astonished by the royal procession.

• Prince Charlie bought properties in Pulan City, moved out of the embassy, and aligned himself with Count Little Jefferies.
• Qin prepared to visit the Smith family formally, bringing Albert and a squad of Royal Knights.
• Claire left work with Qin after reviewing Frank’s newspapers and promising him a raise.
• Qin and Claire arrived at the Smith residence with an escort of knights and vehicles bearing the Great Xia royal banner.
• Smith welcomed Qin as his prospective son-in-law, while a neighbor realized the Smith family’s fortunes were about to rise.

As Qin’s marriage to Claire became public, Smith’s family prepared to visit Swan Castle while the Imperial Capital and Pulan buzzed with news. At a gathering, Count Little Jefferies pressured Prince Charlie into a dangerous plan, while Princess Mary Dajia secretly began pursuing the Great Xia royal family’s protection.

• Qin invited Smith’s family to Swan Castle, and news spread that the Imperial Prince would marry Claire.
• Times Entertainment Magazine revealed Claire’s identity as the future Imperial Consort, prompting weeks of public discussion.
• At a gathering, Prince Charlie told Count Little Jefferies that he was being watched and that investigators were tracing his money.
• Count Little Jefferies proposed a drastic plan and threatened to use it against Prince Charlie if he refused.
• Princess Mary Dajia slipped a recorder into a woman’s handbag and decided that attaching herself to the Great Xia royal family was safer than relying on Count Little Jefferies.

Princess Mary Dajia returned to her indulgent life while Prince Charlie decided to secure Great Xia’s support by arranging Old Jack’s assassination. After Old Jack was killed in a staged truck collision, Charlie felt newly confident in the power he had seized.

• Princess Mary Dajia returned to carousing, protected from grunt work by her royal status and a team in the Ninth Investigation Department.
• Prince Charlie resolved to act against Old Jack and hired a broker from the Great Xia Royal Family to carry out his request.
• Old Jack ordered continued surveillance of Prince Charlie before leaving the embassy for a merchant’s shop opening.
• A driver deliberately rammed a dump truck into Old Jack’s car, killing him, and then surrendered to the peace officers.
• Prince Charlie received photographs of the staged crash and felt at ease as he reflected on the allure of power.

Councilor Sanger traveled from the Lionheart Kingdom's Overseas Colony to Great Xia with Benjamin, hoping to see the empire and use Benjamin's connections to gain technology or recruit experts. They arrived at Digen Port with a lavish convoy of gifts and women for Count Little Jefferies, and Sanger began currying favor with the count's household.

• The Lionheart Queen appointed Prince Charlie acting head of the embassy and granted him greater authority while the kingdom prepared a new team.
• The arms production lines arrived at the colony, and Prince Charlie's two lines were unloaded at Councilor Sanger's private port for his people.
• Sanger decided to visit Great Xia, obtained Count Little Jefferies's permission, and prepared gifts before leaving with Benjamin.
• Sanger encouraged Benjamin to reconnect with his former classmates and promised him a bonus if he brought back experts or useful technology.
• Sanger and Benjamin reached Digen Port, where Butler Harrington welcomed them on behalf of Count Little Jefferies.
• Sanger ordered trucks and buses for his luggage and White Women, then slipped Butler Harrington a letter and insisted he accept local specialties.

Sanger stayed at a Jefferies Family hotel in Pulan City and prepared to visit Count Little Jefferies, while Franz punished traitorous subordinates and sent intelligence and a weapons offer to the Revolutionary Army. The chapter ended with Sanger being picked up for his reunion with Little Jefferies.

• Harrington warned Sanger not to offend powerful figures and told him to avoid the Lionheart Kingdom lady staying at the hotel.
• Sanger and Benjamin looked out over the New District, and Benjamin wondered whether anyone still remembered him.
• Franz ordered his captured loan-shark subordinates to be punished and used Jenny to torment one man who had betrayed him.
• Franz replied to the Revolutionary Army with advice to relocate and offered to sell them weapons at market price.
• Sanger woke, ate breakfast, and left to visit Little Jefferies after a Jefferies Family attendant came to collect him.

Count Little Jefferies secured Sanger a three-generation baronetcy in Great Xia, giving him a way to rise in status and a refuge from the Lionheart Kingdom’s turmoil. He then brought Sanger to meet Prince Charlie so they could discuss working together in the Overseas Colony.

• Count Little Jefferies welcomed Sanger and promised him a major gift, while Sanger offered him a group of White Women.
• Count Little Jefferies brought Sanger to the Imperial Household Department and added him to the ennoblement list as a baronet.
• Count Little Jefferies handed out generous Gold Coin gifts to officials as Sanger completed his registration and records.
• Count Little Jefferies advised Sanger to send a son to Great Xia in the future and urged him to work toward a hereditary Baron title.
• Count Little Jefferies explained Prince Charlie’s troubles and arranged a meeting, while Sanger considered cooperation a useful way to protect his interests.
• Count Little Jefferies and Sanger arrived to meet Prince Charlie, who had been waiting and recognized Sanger’s influence and armed forces in the Overseas Colony.

Prince Charlie and Sanger formed a partnership with Count Little Jefferies’s help, agreeing to work together to control the Overseas Colony. At Swan Castle, Derek and the imperial family welcomed the Smith family as future in-laws, and Derek showed them the history of the Augusta Family.

• Prince Charlie greeted Sanger warmly, and Count Little Jefferies explained how their interests aligned.
• Sanger pledged his support to Prince Charlie, who promised to back Sanger’s bid for Speaker of the local council so they could take control of the Overseas Colony.
• Minister Smith, Mrs. Smith, and Claire traveled to Swan Castle after Qin invited them to discuss the wedding date with the imperial family.
• Derek and his wife welcomed the Smith family, and Derek reassured Smith that they were meeting as family rather than ruler and subjects.
• Derek led the family to the Glory Staircase and explained that the bloodstained armor belonged to the first knights who helped establish the Augusta Family and Great Xia Empire.

Qin and Claire’s families gathered at Swan Castle, where Tiona formally asked the Smiths for Claire’s hand and Derek promised she would be respected in the royal family. After the meal, Qin and Claire escaped the castle with their younger siblings, giving Gwen a break from her demanding lessons.

• Smith explored Swan Castle and learned about its legendary rooms and the Empress’s terrace as Qin introduced the family to lunch options.
• Derek and Tiona asked Mr. and Mrs. Smith to agree to Claire’s marriage to Qin, and they accepted.
• Derek assured the Smiths that Claire would be valued and would not be wronged, easing their concerns about the marriage.
• After lunch, Derek kept the Smiths to discuss the wedding while Qin and Claire took Hans and Gwen out to play.
• Gwen galloped away on her little red horse, delighted to escape her packed schedule of lessons.

Qin and Claire toured Swan Castle, and their wedding was set for the first day of the new year. As news of the Crown Prince marrying a commoner spread, Benjamin went to find his former classmate Herna Bergen at a research institute and was taken in for inspection.

• Qin took Claire around Swan Castle and reassured himself that Hans's future studies and marriage would keep him out of the succession struggle.
• Derek announced that Qin and Claire would marry on the first day of the new year, and newspapers reported the match across the Imperial Capital.
• Benjamin complained about Qin marrying a commoner while traveling to meet his former classmate, Herna Bergen.
• Benjamin reached the Great Xia Third Mechanical Research Institute and asked the armed guards whether Herna was still there.
• The guards searched Benjamin and brought him to the waiting area while they notified Herna.

Benjamin reunited with Herna Bergen, explained that he had been framed in the past, and sought help recruiting professionals and acquiring technology. He learned that his classmates had prospered, including Alex Parker, whose wealth and noble marriage left Benjamin envious.

• Herna Bergen met Benjamin and questioned him about the scandal that had driven him away.
• Benjamin explained that he had been deceived and that the misunderstanding and his criminal record had been cleared.
• Benjamin told Herna he worked for Councilor Sanger and wanted to recruit professionals or bring back transferable technologies.
• Herna welcomed Benjamin, offered to invite their old classmates to a dinner, and described how well the class had done.
• Herna told Benjamin that Alex Parker had earned millions of Gold Coin, married a Northern Lands noblewoman, and received no imperial title, leaving Benjamin jealous.

Benjamin attended a reunion with Hena and their former classmates, where their success left him feeling out of place and resentful. Back at the hotel, he told Sanger he wanted to stay in Great Xia, and Sanger demanded half the shares in Benjamin’s business.

• Hena took Benjamin to meet Alex, who greeted Benjamin warmly while privately judging his circumstances and emphasizing their classmates’ success.
• Alex brought up the former classmates’ achievements, and Benjamin felt increasingly miserable as the group discussed business and technology beyond his knowledge.
• The classmates offered Benjamin several opportunities for cooperation, but he returned to the hotel depressed.
• Sanger found Benjamin brooding and tried to keep him by offering more money, but Benjamin said he wanted to stay in Great Xia.
• After other temptations failed, Sanger agreed to let Benjamin stay only if he received half the shares in Benjamin’s business.

Sanger forced Benjamin to accept a small share of the profits, while Hena helped him launch a machinery factory that began prospering. Meanwhile, Prince Charlie learned that the Lionheart Kingdom’s new ambassador had been serving beside him as the military attaché all along.

• Sanger used Benjamin’s past and his new baronetcy to claim seventy percent of the dividends, leaving Benjamin ten percent and Count Little Jefferies twenty percent.
• Hena visited Benjamin, checked his living conditions, and arranged simple machinery orders to help him get started.
• Benjamin opened a machinery factory, completed Hena’s orders, and began earning profits as more classmates and backers supported the business.
• Sanger urged Benjamin to expand the factory, buy more machines, and hire additional workers as the business grew.
• Prince Charlie learned from the Queen’s decree that the former military attaché was the new Lionheart Ambassador.

After Edgar Reyes took over as Lionheart Ambassador, Prince Charlie turned to Sir Sanger for advice and decided to undermine the embassy’s authority through Great Xia connections. He bribed Director David with gold tableware to secure a strict review that would hinder the embassy.

• Edgar Reyes replaced Prince Charlie as ambassador and took charge of assigning the incoming personnel, leaving Charlie disheartened.
• Sir Sanger urged Prince Charlie to exploit his connections in Great Xia to cause the embassy trouble and seize influence over its affairs.
• Prince Charlie enlisted Ministry of Justice officials to arrange a private meeting with Firearms Management Bureau Director David.
• Prince Charlie gave Director David a gift box of gold bowls, plates, and chopsticks in exchange for friendship and help with a strict review.
• Director David opened the box in his car and was astonished by the valuable tableware.

Director David used the firearm-permit review to pressure the Lionheart Embassy, and Jose obstructed Ambassador Edgar’s applications. After Edgar was beaten in a staged street incident, he sought to uncover who was targeting him, while Prince Charlie was pleased with the pressure campaign.

• Director David read the Lionheart Embassy files and instructed Jose to tighten its firearm-permit reviews while following procedure.
• Jose rejected Edgar’s initial review over an unresolved shooting, and Edgar arranged for a military attaché to take the blame.
• Jose delayed the permits with repeated requests for additional documents, stretching the review over a month.
• A crowd attacked Edgar after his car stopped during a staged street incident, and public security officers took him in to give a statement.
• Edgar called on his connections to identify who was targeting him, and Prince Charlie rejoiced at the news.

Prince Charlie used his connections to pressure the Lionheart Embassy, while Ambassador Edgar waited for orders before seeking talks. Meanwhile, Prince Charlie tried to gain access to Sanger’s machinery factory, unaware that Sanger and Count Little Jefferies had set a trap for him.

• Prince Charlie’s network brought a series of inspections and penalties down on the Lionheart Embassy, and Edgar identified him as the source of the pressure.
• After several days of telegraph exchanges, Edgar received authorization and sent Prince Charlie a calling card, but Prince Charlie refused to meet him.
• Prince Charlie asked Sanger to take him to Benjamin’s machinery factory, and Sanger pretended to get drunk before agreeing.
• Sanger revealed that he had only feigned drunkenness, while the factory’s business and orders were arranged to keep Prince Charlie from gaining unrestricted access to weapons production.
• The next day, Prince Charlie reminded Sanger of his promise to visit the machinery factory, and Sanger agreed to leave shortly.

Prince Charlie visited Sanger’s factory and bought artillery and two frigates, unaware that Great Xia was selling obsolete warships to fuel a naval arms race. Later, Edgar asked Charlie to serve as deputy envoy, and Charlie demanded half the assets held in the embassy’s name.

• Sanger showed Prince Charlie a 105-millimeter cannon and said twelve extra guns could be sold to him.
• Prince Charlie agreed to buy artillery and two frigates after seeing workers process scrap steel as supposed marine-grade plate.
• Great Xia’s navy planned to sell obsolete warships abroad to raise money for upgrades and provoke a naval arms race.
• Edgar met Prince Charlie and asked him to serve as deputy envoy.
• Prince Charlie refused to take money from the treasury but demanded half of the embassy’s assets, telling Edgar to seek authorization if he lacked it.