The moment the emperor's gaze fell upon any plate, the girl carrying it would immediately crawl on her knees to present it to His Majesty.
Less than forty days had passed, and the new emperor, Christo, who was indulging in wine and women, looked even paler than before, his already pale face now appearing even more so.
Sunken eye sockets and dark circles made Lian, whose face was already gloomy, appear even more sinister and terrifying.
" The Barcelona army has besieged Chambord City for nearly forty days. It is said that King of Chambord Alexander has not shown up at all. Heh heh, he's probably already scared out of his wits and fled. Perhaps Chambord City will fall in less than ten days. When that happens, I will finally be rid of a worry!"
Christo downed a glass of red wine, the wine stains running down the corner of his mouth like blood. He wiped them away with a white handkerchief and said with a smug smile.
"Your Majesty is wise. Chambord City is nothing to worry about. Sooner or later, Alexander's head will be displayed on the north gate!"
"Your Majesty, your wisdom and martial prowess far surpass those of the late Emperor. Under your rule, Zenit and Barcelona have formed an alliance, and their national strength has soared. It is foreseeable that the Zenit Empire will become the overlord of the Northern Region, and Your Majesty will become the first emperor of the Northern Region!"
"Haha, I bet there will be good news tonight, coming from the north!"
On either side below in the main hall sat the ministers of the puppet empire, who, upon hearing this, did their utmost to flatter him, with all sorts of praise flowing from their mouths without batting an eye.
"Your Majesty, this morning, General Masip, the Barcelona garrison commander in Saint Petersburg, sent a messenger requesting that the Empire provide a large quantity of military provisions and weapons within three days, along with all the weapons that were once sent from Chambord City to the capital, to be entrusted to the Barcelona personnel for safekeeping. I wonder what Your Majesty's intention is..."
A minister in military uniform hesitated before speaking.
"There's no need to hesitate; of course we'll do as our Barcelona allies say."
"I think we should double down on making things easier for our Barcelona allies!"
Several ministers couldn't wait to interject.
Christo nodded, about to say something, when suddenly a look of surprise appeared on his face. He looked up and saw that outside the hall, the sky had suddenly brightened, and streaks of golden light, different from Sun, were slightly dazzling, coming from behind the stone pillars outside the hall's windows.
"What happened?" Christo, his face filled with surprise.
A group of ministers also turned their heads to look, following the emperor's gaze, and discovered the presence of the golden light.
"Golden light? This is..."
"Haha, Your Majesty, good news! This is an auspicious omen!"
"Ah, yes, yes, absolutely right! Auspicious omens from heaven, this is a very good sign!"
"It must be Your Majesty's sincerity that moved Heaven, which is why such a sign has appeared. Bathed in this golden light, I feel as if I have become many years younger!"
Inside the main hall, the ministers launched into another round of flattery.
Just then--
"A bunch of sycophants, they're disgusting! How can the fate of the empire be entrusted to a bunch of dog-like scoundrels like you?"
A clear and angry voice, drowning out the flattery of the courtiers, rang in everyone's ears.
Who is so bold?
"Damn it, he slandered His Majesty! He should be dragged out and torn to pieces immediately!"
"Who said that? Step forward! Guards, seize him immediately and throw him into the Black Prison for severe torture!"
Having not heard a dissenting voice for so long, and hearing such an ironic remark, the ministers of the new empire were like ants in a disturbed nest, their faces flushed and screaming angrily as they looked around for the speaker.
"No need, I just got back from the Black Prison."
The sound appeared again.
This time, everyone clearly heard the direction from which the sound came.
When they turned around, they were instantly stunned, and the words they were about to say stuck in their throats.
Because they saw someone who shouldn't be there.
Former commander of the Imperial Capital Public Security Office, [ Red Beard ] Granero.
The new emperor, Christo, in that instant, his pupils shrank dramatically, his eyes flashing with an incredulous light, as if he had seen a ghost.
"How could you...?" Christo was horrified.
"How did I end up here? My legs and arms, how did they grow back?" Granero laughed loudly, his eyes blazing with anger and hatred, like two jets of flame that seared the nerves of everyone in the hall, making each person feel as if they had suddenly been placed in an eternal ice cave.
"Guards! Guards! Where are the guards? Seize him! Arrest him!" A sense of utter dread rose within him, and Christo abruptly rose from his throne, screaming.
The sound of hurried footsteps approached.
Thousands of soldiers clad in black magical armor surged in from all parts of the hall like a tide.
At the same time, a piercing alarm sounded throughout the palace.
Streaks of light flashed.
A Moon Class Great Perfection, dressed in a Barcelona military uniform, appeared in the main hall in a flash of light.
This change finally brought a sense of relief to the courtiers and the new Emperor Christo in the hall. A feeling of security returned to everyone, and the smiles on their faces became sinister and terrifying once again.
"Haha, every day some fools come to assassinate me, but unfortunately, they all end up as a pile of minced meat. Granero, I don't know how you escaped from the Black Prison, but you shouldn't have come to the Imperial Palace to die."
Surrounded by his warriors, the new emperor Christo calmed down and smiled dismissively.
"Really? What if I join you?"
Another voice came from behind Granero.
Ripples spread through the air like water as Sun Fei emerged gently from the void, step by step.
Christo's smile froze on his face instantly.
"It's you? King of Chambord Alexander?!" he exclaimed in shock. "How is that possible? Chambord City was besieged by the Barcelona legions, how could you have escaped?"
"The 400,000-strong army of Barcelona has been completely defeated by His Majesty Alexander! Christo, you despicable regicide, the empire's most shameless traitor, your patron has collapsed, and your end has come!" Granero roared. "Prick up your dog ears and listen carefully to the voices outside the empire!"
As if in response to Granero's angry shout, thunderous cries and roars echoed from outside the palace.
Second update
>vid<