Saint Luo Empire, the imperial capital.
“Imperial Brother!!”
Kaiso entered the palace and excitedly sought out Soren, who had just ascended the throne.
At this moment, the new emperor of the Saint Luo Empire was behind the garden, teasing the ornamental birds he kept.
“Good news! There is good news!”
“Kaiso, what good news is worth making you this excited?”
Kaiso took out bread crumbs and scattered them on the ground. The ornamental birds gathered at his feet and competed for the food.
“It is tremendous good news, Imperial Brother. After you hear it, you will definitely be happy!” Kaiso replied.
“What is it, Imperial Brother? Why did you suddenly stop talking?”
“Kaiso, pay attention to etiquette.”
“What etiquette? Ah, Imperial Brother, between the two of us, who is who? Don’t care about those trivial things!”
“Rather than that, you should first listen to the intelligence from the southern region of the empire.” Kaiso waved his hand. He paid no attention at all to the attendants watching from the side.
Faced with such a discourteous younger brother, a flash of displeasure passed through Soren’s eyes, but he controlled his emotions quickly and suppressed it at once, not letting his brother notice.
“Kaiso, speak. What is the matter?”
“Imperial Brother, the several city lords in the southern region of the empire headed by Wade have all presented a generous gift for your ascension, sworn loyalty to you, and declared that they will obey every arrangement.” Kaiso reported.
“Oh? They are actually this cooperative?”
Soren was somewhat surprised.
After ascending the throne, he had sent envoys to the southern region to make contact with those city lords and observe their attitudes.
Based on the attitudes of those city lords, he would make different arrangements.
If they were some tactless fellows, he would dispatch troops to campaign against them.
Yet from Kaiso’s report, the city lords of the southern region had shown themselves to be extremely obedient.
“Those fellows expressed loyalty to me. Did they put forward any conditions?”
“There are some conditions, but none of them amount to much.” Kaiso replied. “There are only two points. They hope to be given some time to properly handle local affairs, and the other point is that they hope their family members can receive protection.”
“Is that all? Haha, what a bunch of cowards who cling to life and fear death.”
Soren laughed disdainfully. He had thought those people would haggle with him.
However, it could also be considered that the city lords of the southern region knew their place. Actively handing over their power and land could indeed exchange for a path to survival.
Originally he had still planned to dispatch troops. Now it saved him the trouble. Later he only needed to arrange his own people to go over.
“Imperial Brother, how about later you arrange for me to go to the southern region and command the new city lords?” Kaiso requested. “Other people may not necessarily be reliable, but I am different. I am your blood brother and have always stood on your side!”
“About that…”
On the surface Soren appeared to be thinking, yet in his heart he was already quite uncomfortable.
Anyone would know that commanding the southern region was a lucrative post. If the taxes of the southern region all had to pass through Kaiso’s hands before reaching him, how much would be skimmed off?
After ascending the throne, he had already fulfilled his promise and made Kaiso the only prince with real authority.
He had not expected this younger brother to be so greedy.
“Kaiso, you are indeed worthy of trust, but right now you still have a more important task, do you not?”
“What task?”
“Kaiso, you still need to help me manage the empire’s army. If I hand the affairs of the southern region over to you as well, then you would have no time to attend to the military side.”
“About that… it is true.” Kaiso could not refute it. “But Imperial Brother, for the southern region I can also select trustworthy officials to supervise the new city lords taking office!”
“Rest assured, Kaiso. I already have arrangements for this point. You only need to manage the military matters well.” Soren patted Kaiso’s shoulder.
“I have a premonition that the interior of the empire may become unsettled recently. We need to maintain constant vigilance and prevent internal chaos.”
“Alright, Imperial Brother. What you said does make sense.” Kaiso’s mood sank, yet he still agreed with Soren’s words.
“Kaiso, how have the other imperial brothers and sisters been arranged?”
“There are already no major problems, Imperial Brother. Those who defied orders have all been dealt with. The remaining ones who cooperated have all settled down in the capital and are under constant supervision by the soldiers.”
“Very good, very good. Kaiso, you still handle matters so efficiently.”
“By the way, Imperial Brother, how is the former emperor… Father’s condition now?”
“He can no longer hold on. In a while, we will need to announce to the outside that he suddenly passed away from an acute illness and arrange a funeral.”
“Understood.” Kaiso nodded to indicate he knew. “Imperial Brother, I still have some matters to handle. I will take my leave first. If there is anything, just give me the order.”
After performing a salute, Kaiso left the garden.
Soren smiled at Kaiso. “Go ahead.”
Watching his blood brother’s departing figure, Soren’s gaze grew cold, already devoid of the warmth between brothers.
“Kaiso, you really are not satisfied. Instead of properly going to a locality and being an idle prince, you insist on reaching for so many things.”
Before becoming emperor, Soren had regarded Kaiso as his true blood brother.
Yet after he became emperor, his mindset had changed.
Without realizing it, his closest brother had become the greatest threat to the stability of his throne.
He was a member of the imperial family with succession rights, young, ambitious, held military authority, and still wanted more… Not a single one of these points allowed Soren to sleep peacefully.
Without eliminating Kaiso, it truly would not work.
However, at present he still needed Kaiso’s assistance. Once the situation stabilized, he would seek assistance from the Holy Land and take down Kaiso.
For the sake of his own power, Soren had completely set aside the feelings between brothers.
“Your Majesty.”
“What is it?” Soren asked.
An official found Soren, his expression tense.
“The outpost at the Yamar Border has destroyed its defensive fortifications.”
“What? Something happened at the border?”
“The demonkin seem to want to launch a war. They have already occupied the outpost at the Yamar Border and destroyed the defensive fortifications.”
Soren furrowed his brows.
The demonkin wanted to launch a war against the humans?
This was an extremely serious situation.
He had only just become emperor. The forces within the country had not yet been fully integrated, and such a huge external threat had already appeared?
“Your Majesty, what should we do?” the official asked. “Should we have Prince Kaiso lead the army and head to the Yamar Border?”
“No.”
Soren could not allow Kaiso to temporarily leave his control. If Kaiso led troops to the border, his own orders would no longer carry weight.
“Do not inform Kaiso of this matter for now. I will separately select suitable people to lead a portion of the army to the Yamar Border. In addition, immediately send people to seek aid from the Holy Land and have them dispatch the main force of the Holy Knights to resist the invasion of the demonkin!”
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