Disband the National Assembly

Watching the guards escort the cabinet away, Ferdinand let out a deep sigh of relief. After all, it was the Stam-Stambolov cabinet that had helped him ascend to his position, and had it not been necessary, Ferdinand truly would not have wanted to reach this point.

However, politics is cruel and allows for no retreat. Even so, Ferdinand chose to show mercy.

Ignoring the astonishment of the crowd, Ferdinand continued, "Gentlemen, you may lower your gazes now. The work achieved by the cabinet led by Mr. Stambolov in its early stages was plain for all to see; they made outstanding contributions to the development of Bulgaria. May God bless them with a speedy recovery!"

"As for their later work, due to the influence of illness, their judgment may have been impaired, leading them to commit many foolish acts against their own better nature! However, I trust that none of you will hold it against the sick. The people of Bulgaria are forgiving and will surely pardon them!"

"According to the Bulgarian Constitution, the cabinet no longer exists. To handle the work ahead, I have decided to organize a provisional cabinet until this term ends, at which point new elections will be held!"

The faces of the Liberal Party members changed drastically; Ferdinand had not given them the chance to reform the cabinet, leaving them deeply dissatisfied.

Many began to stir; having been suppressed by Stambolov for so long, they could no longer contain themselves.

"Your Highness, should it not be our Liberal Party that forms the cabinet?" Holmes stood up to challenge Ferdinand.

Other Liberal Party deputies also expressed their dissent, as if they would not let the matter rest without an explanation.

Before Ferdinand could speak, another deputy jumped up. Archbishop Clement, the parliamentary representative for the Church, immediately stood to argue, "According to the Bulgarian Constitution, the actions of His Highness are entirely legal!"

"Due to the previous cabinet's repeated violations of the Constitution, if it were not certain that Stambolov and his associates were suffering from mental illness, they would be in prison right now! The Liberal Party failed to stop the cabinet's illegal acts and has thus forfeited its right to form a cabinet."

This immediately gained the support of a group of deputies; they had long been dissatisfied with the reign of terror under the Stam government.

If the Liberal Party were allowed to continue in power, who knew if they would keep purging dissenters? One day, they themselves might be hauled away by the police.

It was better to support Ferdinand; at least he was not an enemy, and they could cooperate—perhaps even secure a position in the new cabinet.

The two sides erupted into a chaotic argument. The Liberal Party deputies had the numbers, while the opposition held high the banner of the law, arguing their case with reason.

Ferdinand slammed his hand on the table and roared, "Silence!"

"This is Parliament, not a vegetable market! Whoever disrupts this session again will be thrown out!"

"I now announce that due to the Liberal Party's repeated violations of the Constitution during their tenure, their status as the ruling party is hereby revoked! Furthermore, as many deputies have been arrested and the number of members has fallen below three-quarters, I have decided to dissolve Parliament and call for new elections!"

Hearing this news, the faces below shifted between joy and anxiety.

The Liberal Party deputies' faces turned ashen. They knew it was over; due to the reckless actions of the Stam government, their reputation was in tatters, and they had no chance of winning.

Everyone had been so busy fighting for power that no one expected Ferdinand to pull the rug out from under them so directly. It must be remembered that the Liberal Party had been the main force supporting Ferdinand's succession, while most other political factions in Bulgaria were pro-Russian and had previously been his opponents.

Yet, politics is such a comedy! Before Ferdinand's succession, the pro-Russian faction had all opposed him.

Now that the situation was settled and Ferdinand was the legitimate Prince of Bulgaria, the basis for the pro-Russian faction's opposition no longer existed.

Instead, the Liberal Party, which had previously supported Ferdinand, had become a stumbling block on his path to power.

The crux of the matter was that the Liberals had not realized this in time, still viewing him as a rubber stamp. Now, it was a tragedy.

Meanwhile, the other deputies wore expressions of victory. The all-powerful Stam cabinet had collectively fallen ill, and the Liberal Party had fallen with them.

The Bulgarian political landscape was about to face a massive reshuffle. To them, this was a godsend; if they did not take action now, they would be fools.

Ferdinand looked at the chaotic crowd and, saying nothing more, left the hall. He knew that once the news of the massacre was exposed, the Liberal Party would truly be finished.

To avoid suspicion, the news could not leak from him; it had to be left to spread naturally.

A street tabloid in Sofia had already begun printing; they had been forced to close earlier due to the government's crackdown.

Fortunately, they had been spotted by Hoover, who had reorganized them and helped them flee, allowing them to escape disaster.

Now was the time to show their new boss their value, and exposing the news of the massacre was the first strike.

The workers had initially hesitated, but upon seeing the photos of the massacre, their anger toward the government was ignited, and they immediately threw themselves into their work.

Just as their new boss had said, by exposing this news, the Prince would dissolve the cabinet, the arrogant police would meet their downfall, and everyone would be able to live a better life.

The former deputies who had just stepped out of Parliament received this shocking news, and many were left dumbfounded!

Those who had initially been skeptical now declared that the cabinet members must truly be insane; otherwise, who would dare do such a thing? Killing over ten thousand people at once—and not just ordinary people, at that.

One could imagine that once the news of Ferdinand dismissing the cabinet and dissolving Parliament spread, he would reap another massive wave of prestige.

Back at the palace, Ferdinand's tense heart finally relaxed. A moment ago, he had truly been worried about the scandal of deputies physically assaulting their monarch.

Fortunately, nothing of the sort happened. Now, he could safely tally his gains; the Liberal Party had reached the point where everyone was calling for their heads.

The opposition certainly wouldn't mind pinning the label of "butcher party" on them. With disaster looming, everyone was looking out for themselves; they had no time to make trouble for Ferdinand.

"Bitterly grieving year after year, stitching gold thread, only to make wedding clothes for others." This line perfectly described Stambolov's current mood: he had struggled and borne the infamy, while Ferdinand sat back and reaped the rewards.

As he set out on the road to Vienna, Stambolov lingered with a heavy heart. He knew that, barring any accidents, he would never have the chance to set foot on this land again in his lifetime.

The matter was not so easily concluded; so many people had died, and the government had to provide an explanation. The cabinet had been sent away, and though Ferdinand had branded them with the label of mental illness, he did not think it was over.

With so many government officials, a few would have to be thrown to the wolves to take the blame. And then there was that enormous wealth—there were no shortage of people eyeing that.

Time to settle the accounts!