Around midday, inside Prince Eugene Montgomery’s residence.
After lunch, Prince Eugene was in the garden
enjoying tea and reading a book.
Suddenly, a trusted aide came to report, “My
lord, the Second Prince has come to visit.”
“Invite him in,” Eugene nodded, showing no
surprise, as if he had anticipated it.
“Yes, sir.”
The aide responded and quickly left.
Moments later, Li Guanglong stormed into the
rear garden.
“Uncle Eugene! Something huge happened in the
capital last night!”
Even before sitting down, Li Guanglong couldn’t
wait to speak.
“What matter could make Your Highness this
anxious?” Eugene set down his book, smiling calmly.
“A number of underground forces led by the
Pantheon were completely uprooted last night --- my own interests suffered
considerable damage as well!”
Li Guanglong said gravely, “The worst part is,
this all happened so suddenly. I didn’t receive even a hint beforehand, and
after all my investigations, I’ve come up with nothing. I have no clue who’s
behind this, so I came to you for guidance.”
“I heard about last night’s events as well,”
Eugene nodded, his tone still calm. “Just as you said, the person who
eradicated the Pantheon’s forces is highly mysterious. Even my Montgomery
estate found no trace to follow.”
“How could that be?”
Li Guanglong furrowed his brows. “This is a
critical time in the fight for the throne. Now, out of nowhere, someone this
powerful appears. I don’t know if it’s a blessing or a curse.”
He and his two brothers were locked in both
overt and covert battles, expanding influence and forming factions.
While the situation was tense, at least it
remained within the bounds of predictability.
But the sudden appearance of this mysterious
figure drastically increased the element of unpredictability.
To eliminate the Pantheon and all opposing
factions in a single night --- it was nothing short of unimaginable.
Even if he had gone all in, regardless of
consequences, he couldn’t have achieved such a feat.
“It could be good or bad.”
Eugene said calmly, “If this person chooses not
to meddle in the fight for the throne, then they pose no real threat to us. On
the contrary, if they do take an interest in the power struggle, supporting any
prince would make them a tremendous asset.”
“So what you’re saying is --- we need to find
out whether this person is planning to get involved?” Li Guanglong quickly
caught on.
“First, figure out their identity. Then,
determine their intentions. After that, respond accordingly.” Eugene offered
his advice.
“You don’t seem worried at all, Uncle. Could it
be you already have a plan?” Li Guanglong asked, surprised.
Such a major event had occurred, and yet the
man before him remained as composed as ever, without the slightest hint of
anxiety.
Either his mental fortitude was terrifying, or
he already had a counterstrategy in place.
“What good is worry? Everything should be
handled calmly. Sometimes, we must go with the will of Heaven,” Eugene smiled
faintly.
The storms he had weathered in his life far
surpassed this.
Countless brushes with death had tempered his
heart like stone. Even if the world collapsed, he would remain unshaken.
And this was just a minor shift in the wind.
“I don’t believe in fate. I only believe in
myself!”
Li Guanglong clenched his fist. “No matter who
dares to stand in my way, I’ll crush them completely!”
“It’s admirable for Your Highness to have such
ambition, but when facing an opponent you can’t defeat, sometimes it’s wiser to
lower your head. Remember the tale of King Goujian of Yue, who endured hardship
to later exact revenge. A temporary setback is nothing --- as long as you’re
alive, there’s always a chance to turn the tide,” said Eugene.
“Your advice might work for others, but not for
me. I only believe in one rule --- victory or death!” Li Guanglong’s tone was
intense and aggressive.
He had been trained in martial arts from a
young age and favored brute force and battlefield tactics: whoever stood in his
way would be crushed. Simple, direct, and effective.
“Fine. I won’t meddle in how you handle your
affairs. But regarding what you mentioned today, I can give you a bit of
advice,” Eugene changed the subject.
“Oh? I’d love to hear it,” Li Guanglong’s
interest was piqued.
“Think carefully. Across the entire Dragonmarsh,
who has the power to wipe out the Pantheon overnight --- without leaving behind
the slightest clue?” Eugene asked in return.
“This…”
Li Guanglong frowned and pondered for a moment,
then said, “Could it be... the Emperor?”
“The emperor is gravely ill, with little time
left. He doesn’t have the strength,” Eugene shook his head.
“Then who else could it be?”
Li Guanglong grew more puzzled. “Li Wenxing and
Li Juntang clearly don’t have the capability --- if they did, I wouldn’t stand
a chance against them.”
He knew his brothers well. Though they each had
strong support behind them, they absolutely couldn’t pull off such a covert and
devastating strike.
“Let me remind you: the key to the purge last
night wasn’t the sheer might of the force behind it --- but the overwhelming
strength of its intelligence network. From beginning to end, every move was
hidden from the eyes and ears of all factions. That’s the most terrifying
part,” Eugene continued.
“Intelligence network?”
Li Guanglong was momentarily stunned before
suddenly reacting: “Uncle Eugene, are you talking about… Margaret?!”
The largest intelligence agency in the Dragonmarsh
was, of course, under royal control.
At first, it had been in the hands of the
Emperor. Later, it was handed over to Lady Margaret, Princess of Anyang.
Because Margaret belonged to no faction and, as
a woman, posed no threat to the throne, the Emperor trusted her deeply.
Over the years, the intelligence network she
commanded had expanded beyond imagination.
While he didn’t know exactly how vast her
influence had become, he was sure of one thing:
If anyone could uncover the mastermind behind
the purge, it was Margaret.
In fact, the mastermind --- might be Margaret
herself! - Ton
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