Andrew Shemak's proposal received support from many powerful figures in the Military Department present.
Most of these people were elderly nobles who had lost their edge and their fighting spirit. Their comfortable lives and long years had not only made their swords rusty, but also made their bodies and souls decay.
The Military Department personnel who supported Sun Fei were mostly young officers.
They were eager to perform, passionate, hero-worshipping, and fearless. However, they were outnumbered and mostly held low-ranking positions, making their voices weak and their role in this major discussion negligible.
" Zenit is a first-class empire with millions of troops. Back then, Emperor Yassin carved out a vast empire from adversity, his power and prestige were unmatched. You gentlemen were once fierce generals under His Majesty, invincible on the battlefield, brave and diligent. How come you are so cowardly and incompetent today? Where has your former Glory and courage gone?"
A young military officer sitting at the very end of the council hall slammed his fist on the table and stood up, his face flushed with anger as he questioned the matter.
His Gary Cahill. He is a young corps commander who was recently promoted to a high rank because of his outstanding performance and bravery in the Battle of Saint Petersburg. He comes from a poor family and has worked his way up to his current position through military merit. He is fortunate to have the right to attend Military Department meetings.
Because of the Battle of Saint Petersburg, Gary Cahill fought alongside Sun Fei and witnessed firsthand the invincible and unparalleled demeanor of the Empire-Protecting Martial Saint of the Empire. He admired him immensely, and like many other low-ranking Imperial soldiers and officers who had participated in that battle, Gary Cahill firmly supported this newly promoted Guardian Martial Saint and absolutely did not believe that Sun Fei was involved in any crimes such as colluding with the Sea Clan!
Cahill was the first to stand up and refute, which immediately resonated with the other young officers.
"Commander Cahill is absolutely right. If we bow down to such an arrogant and conceited person today, the entire Zenit Empire will become a laughingstock across the entire continent!"
"Regardless of the circumstances, the Guardian Martial Saint not long ago turned the tide and saved the empire from peril. Now, you have abandoned a meritorious and powerful figure who has rendered great service to the empire without any hesitation. This truly chills the hearts of the empire's soldiers and citizens!"
" King of Chambord is the pride and Glory of the empire, its future. You have chosen to abandon a Great Sun-Rank Venerable expert who is not even twenty years old! This is tantamount to a crime against the empire!"
"Before I arrived, all officers in the legion above the rank of squad leader volunteered to jointly request to protect the Empire-Protecting Martial Saint of the Empire. For the Glory of the Empire and the Martial Saint, we are willing to fight, even if it means death!"
The young officers spoke out with righteous indignation.
At this critical moment, facing the high-ranking Military Department leaders, they were able to speak out for justice, defend the military spirit, and maintain their soldierly courage.
This almost confrontational rebuke and questioning caused the submissive Military Department leaders, led by Andrew Shemak, to change their expressions drastically. Some felt guilty, some quietly lowered their heads, and some were furious.
Shemak, like a wild beast caught in the act of mating but whose mate has been stolen, stood up angrily and roared, "Shut up! What do you know? If we don't abandon King of Chambord, the entire empire will suffer calamity. What's wrong with sacrificing one person for the sake of millions of people?"
"Exactly, some reckless fools who only know how to act on impulse!" a goatee-bearded nobleman sneered.
"Heh heh, Alexander betrayed his ancestors and colluded with the Sea Clan; he's already a sinner against the entire Human Clan. We should sever ties with him as soon as possible," another military leader from the Southern Frontier, who had consistently supported Shemak's views, chuckled. His name was Diarra, and he looked at the young officers with a sinister and venomous expression. "This is truly strange. You all defend King of Chambord so fiercely; could it be that you've been colluding with him all along? I'm afraid that King of Chambord's collusion with the Sea Clan is also related to you to some extent?"
This is a statement that strikes at the heart of the matter.
To throw mud at these passionate young officers without even knowing the facts is tantamount to falsely accusing them.
"You..." Gary Cahill, who had spoken first, was so angry he could barely speak.
Even at this point, this insidious viper is not thinking about the overall situation of the empire, but is still thinking about suppressing dissidents. He is utterly shameless and muddleheaded.
"What? Running out of arguments?" Diarra smiled sinisterly, pressing forward. "I think you've long been colluding with the King of Chambord, plotting something sinister. You all seem to be passionate about the country, but you're all harboring evil intentions. If the Imperial family clashes with D'Alessandro, it will inevitably cause chaos. At that time, wouldn't the one who benefits the most be the newly risen Chambord City, whose strength has already exceeded the upper limit of the Empire's first-class vassal state?"
"Nonsense! False accusations!" The young officers were furious.
"Hmph, still trying to argue? You're utterly stubborn!" Diarra raised his voice and shouted, interrupting him.
He didn't allow the young officers to say anything more. Suddenly, he turned and strode to the Imperial God of War, Crown Prince Arshavin, who had been sitting silently in the highest seat of the council hall, head bowed in deep thought. He bowed extremely respectfully and reported with great fervor, "Your Highness, the King of Chambord is a traitor, known throughout the land. His shameless crimes have angered countless empires on the continent. This man is arrogant and domineering, disrespectful to the royal family, and has repeatedly committed heinous acts. He is truly a cancer on the empire. Handing over such a villain to D'Alessandro and others will be beneficial to the royal family and the empire. Now, all the Military Department leaders agree to this decision. We urge Your Highness to make the final decision! These officers of low birth are treacherous and should be handed over to His Imperial Knights' Hall for interrogation in prison."
In the hall, everyone's expression was different.
Everyone knows that there was an irreconcilable conflict between the Crown Prince and the King of Chambord.
The eldest prince once took action against the army of Twin Flag City and against the officers close to King of Chambord. King of Chambord, relying on his invincible martial prowess, stormed into the capital in a fit of rage and ruthlessly threatened and questioned the eldest prince in front of the entire empire's citizens... The relationship between the two can only be described as fire and water!
Diarra's words just now were inciteful and provocative, deliberately mentioning Sun Fei's storming of Saint Petersburg. He was clearly trying to hit the Crown Prince's sore spot, fan the flames, and provoke the Crown Prince's anger to suppress and persecute those passionate young officers.
This move was undeniably ruthless.
In an instant, everyone's attention was focused on the prince who had remained silent from the beginning.
The current Crown Prince holds a prominent and unparalleled position within the Military Department.
Although he was not officially established as the heir to the imperial throne, he still commanded the invincible Imperial First Legion, the Iron-Blooded Camp, controlling half of the Empire's ten main combat legions. He was also ordered to train new legions, thus controlling almost half of the Empire's army. His status as a prince, coupled with his exceptional military talent, made Arshavin the undisputed number one figure in the Imperial Military Department. For some time, every time Arshavin spoke, it was the final conclusion of the matter.
The young officers wore expressions of anger mixed with helplessness.
His Excellency the God of War is the pride of the empire and an idol to the officers, yet he harbors an irreconcilable feud with the King of Chambord. Based on common sense, it's fairly certain that the Crown Prince will make a choice.
The nobles, including Andrew Shemak and Diarra, could no longer hide their smiles.
They had planned everything out in advance.
This is an opportunity, an opportunity to express my feelings to the Crown Prince.
However--
The eldest prince, who had been silent all along, slowly raised his head, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, like two sharp Daozi scrutinizing Diarra from head to toe, until the insidious viper was at a loss for what to do. Only then did he say calmly, "You are truly unworthy to appear in such a noble Glory place as the Imperial Military Department!"
"Huh?" Diarra and Andrew were momentarily confused, their faces showing surprise and bewilderment.
"Since the founding of Zenit, there have only been generals who died in battle, not soldiers who surrendered!"
Arshavin flung aside his cloak and rose abruptly. His not-so-robust physique exuded an aura that commanded respect. He continued, "As the Guardian Martial Saint of Zenit, King of Chambord's fate, whether he is guilty or punished, should be decided by the Imperial Family. When did it become anyone else's place to interfere? So what if he is the Martial Saint's second disciple? The Empire's million soldiers are all mighty lions and dragons. Tomorrow morning, it will all be a battle!"
These words, spoken with resounding force, stirred the blood of those who heard them.
At this moment, the Imperial God of War's frail body radiated unparalleled brilliance and power. His few words, though not deliberately sentimental or sensational, possessed a heart-stirring power. Almost instantly, even those who had previously hesitated couldn't help but show remorse on their faces.
"Your Highness, you... that King of Chambord... you are..." Diarra had not expected the eldest prince to react this way.
In fact, before Arshavin spoke up, no one could have imagined that he would make such a choice.
"Guards, drag Andrew and Diarra out and execute them by hanging for treason, displaying their heads to the public!" The First Prince's face was as cold as ice, his killing intent blazing, leaving no room for doubt, as calm and terrifying as Demon God.
The sound of orderly footsteps approached, and squads of soldiers clad in black standard armor surged in like a tide.
They weren't Military Department guards, but rather fierce warriors from the Crown Prince's personal guard battalion, the empire's strongest army, the Iron-Blooded Camp.
Only then did everyone realize that, without them noticing, the council hall had been completely surrounded by the elite troops of the [ Iron-Blooded Camp ]. Swords were drawn, spears and axes were raised, their killing intent was palpable, and their faces were hostile. An aura of iron-blooded ruthlessness instantly filled the council hall.
Something big is about to happen!
Could it be that the eldest prince... is actually planning a coup? Does he actually dare to lead an army to besiege and attack the Imperial Military Department?
"No, Your Highness, spare my life!"
"Ah, you can't kill me! Even though you're a prince of the empire, you have no right to kill me..."
The two screamed in agony.
First update.
I was notified of my discharge from the hospital today, I don't know why. I've been busy for most of the day, so I'll post one chapter first.