Chapter 456
Grand Luminary Empire, Pidence City.
There had been no news from Ramberg for a long time, but a subtle atmosphere permeated the court. On the surface, the officials were worried about the war on the front line, but in private, they all had their own thoughts. The most discussed topic after tea and dinner was whether Prince Xander's power would threaten the King if he won this battle. And them, these veteran officials.
“In my opinion, if they win this battle, Xander will hold military power and win the hearts of the people, and then only one person will have the final say in the court,” the Minister of Finance said, taking a sip of tea and placing the cup in his hand. He looked at his colleagues present and asked, “What do you all think?”
The other officials exchanged glances tacitly, with a bit of worry on their faces.
“Grant Tutor, you and I have followed the late King for many years and assisted the King in ascending the throne. How can we stand idly by and watch Xander dominate the court?” The Grant Tutor’s beard and hair were all white, but his eyes were sharp at this moment. The crutch in his hand heavily hit the ground, and he said, “If he wins the battle of Ramberg, his prestige in the army will be unmatched. At that time, let alone checks and balances, I am afraid that even the King will be constrained by him. You don’t know how much His Majesty trusts him.”
The Grand Protector picked up the cup, but his fingertips trembled slightly, “Grant Tutor, you are right, but Prince Xander now holds heavy troops. If we confront him openly, it would be tantamount to hitting a stone with an egg.” He put down the cup, a trace of sinister flashing in his eyes. “To weaken his power, we must start with his weakness.”
“Soft spot?” The Grant Tutor raised an eyebrow, then realized, “Are you referring to the people in the Xander Manor?”
“Exactly.” The Grand Guardian moved closer, lowering his voice, “What Xander values most are Athena and Alexandra. Athena is his wife and the mother of his two children. Alexandra is his birth mother, whom he has always revered as a treasure. As long as we find a breakthrough through these two, we won’t have to worry about bringing him down.”
The Grant Tutor stroked his beard, a glint of calculation in his eyes, “Do you mean, frame?”
“Not framing, but making him arrogant.”
The Grand Guardian nodded, his tone firm, “We can secretly spread rumors, letting the public spread Xander’s achievements, saying that he has quelled Ramberg and made great contributions, even subtly hinting that he is the pillar of the Grand Luminary Empire. I am sure the King would worry once he noticed that the people respect Xander more than him.”
The Grant Tutor stroked his beard, thoughtfully, “Do you mean, use the people to force the King to be suspicious?”
“Exactly.” The Grand Guardian nodded, his tone firm, “As long as we create this momentum of the people’s hearts, whether it’s true or false, Xander will inevitably be implicated. When the King hears of this, no matter how much he trusts Prince Xander, he will feel suspicious of him in the face of such a strong public opinion. And by that time, we can add fuel to the fire, and we won’t have to worry about not being able to weaken his power.”
The Grant Tutor pondered for a moment, and hesitated. “But if we do this, the people may not believe it, and the King will not be easily shaken, right?”
“If the King thinks someone is guilty, then he is.” The Grand Protector sneered, “We only need to find a few witnesses, such as letting the refugees from Ramberg complain about Xander’s kindness. Forge some drawings of the people’s umbrellas and monuments of merit, and then let the imperial envoy impeach a few books, saying that he is cultivating private parties and winning people’s hearts, so that the King will be suspicious. Besides, Xander is far away in Ramberg, even if he wants to defend himself, it is beyond his reach. By the time he comes back, the die will be cast, and it will be too late.”
The Grant Tutor looked at the sternness in the Grand Protector’s eyes. Although he felt pity in his heart, he was even more afraid of Xander’s growing power. He gritted his teeth and slapped the table heavily. “Okay, I’ll follow your plan. This matter must be carefully arranged, and no handle must be left behind. These rumors must be made to look like they are spontaneous by the people, and we must not reveal any traces of our involvement.”
“Don’t worry, I have already thought of a place to go. Let the storytellers in the tea houses make up a few legendary stories about Xander, and let the vendors in the market discuss his achievements in private. Then have a few poor scholars write some odes to spread among the people. In less than half a month, this trend will naturally rise.”
“That’s brilliant,” the Grant Tutor chuckled.
The two men smiled at each other, both seeing calculation in each other’s eyes.
The battle between the Grand Luminary Empire and Ramberg lasted nearly four months.
Athena held her brother Randolph, and Alexandra held her younger brother Bernie in her arms. The mother–in–law and daughter–in–law strolled slowly along the stone road. The two little ones were wearing the same goose–yellow tiger–head jackets, kicking their chubby little legs restlessly when held in their arms. Their chubby faces were like a ripe peach, and their eyelashes were long and thick, making it very pleasing.
“Look at these two children, how sturdy they are.” Alexandra gently poked Bernie’s cheek with her fingertip, and the little fellow immediately giggled. He reached out his little chubby hand to grab his grandmother’s gold bracelet. Alexandra’s eyes were full of love, and she generously took off the bracelet and gave it to the little fellow to play with. “Here, all for you.”
The little darling babbled something in his mouth, and Alexandra widened her eyes at what followed. Bernie was seen holding the bracelet and stuffing it into Athena’s arms.
The two were stunned at first, and then Athena widened her eyes. “Is this for me?” The little fellow couldn’t speak yet, so he could only express it with actions. Two little chubby hands were raised in Athena’s direction.
Alexandra was first shocked, then doubtful. “This child, could it be a spirit?” She tentatively tried to snatch the bracelet back, but as soon as she touched it, Bernie burst into tears. As soon as she let go, the little fellow giggled.
“You little rascal, I love you so much. How can you do this?” Alexandra feigned a jealous tone, but her eyes were soft. “After all, you are his mother. It makes sense that he loves you more.” As she spoke, she helplessly glanced at Athena, her eyes full of love.
Athena was a little dumbfounded. “Mother, Bernie is still young. How could he understand these things? Perhaps he just thinks the bracelet is shiny and pretty.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Randolph’s chubby little hand accurately grabbed the hairpin on Alexandra’s head and pulled it off without any effort. Then, following suit, he stuffed it into Athena’s arms as well.
“See what I was saying? Alas, there’s still a generation gap.” Alexandra was almost dying of envy. How could Athena be so good at giving birth? Both sons were filial, unlike Xander, who used to make her angry when he was a child.
Alexandra’s eyes were a little lonely when she thought of Xander, but she didn’t dare to show it, for fear that Athena would worry. “Look at these two children, one grabs the bracelet, and the other pulls out the hairpin. Neither of them is worry–free.”
Alexandra shook her head with a smile, the worry in her eyes faded a lot. “When Xander comes back, he must discipline them well.”
Athena looked down at Xander who was playing with the bracelet in her arms, and said softly. “If he knew the children were so lively, he would be very happy.”
‘But when will he return?’ Thinking of this, her tone became a little sad again.