Chapter 711: Getting Back
He was begging the court physician, from his heart.
Obviously, he would never actually say his begging words.
The physician nodded hastily. "Worry not, your Majesty, I will attempt every possible means that I can to bring the lord chancellor back into shape."
The emperor took one last deep look at his old companion before leaving the room. But instead of departing, he just continued to wait outside.
The queen, Anna, too, left the seat shortly after, bowing slightly towards the lord chancellor on the bed before leaving the room. Just as she exited, the crowned prince, Leo, arrived upon hearing that his parents were there.
Anna was the first to break the silence. "So, you have seen with your own eyes, your imperial majesty, Basileus of all Romans, what do you think about your words just now? Do you still think that the lord chancellor, may he be blessed by God, is trying to trick you into something?"
The emperor did not say a thing, while the young Leo, sensing that something was amiss between his parents, slowly backed off.
"What do you think? Your Imperial Majesty, Basileus of all Romans?" Anna continued in a sarcastic tone. "Did the lord chancellor tell you something that you do not want to hear? Maybe through his lips? Or something?"
The emperor stared at his wife. "Do not speak to me like that!"
"Are you going to suspect me of anything? For speaking to you like that?" Anna stared back. "Oh! Great emperor! Are you going to persecute everyone who speaks up against you? What kind of man have you become? Look at yourself! Tell me, are you God? Only the words of God are always right, but what about you? Do you really think you are mighty enough to be like God?"
Antonius became silent.
"Your best friend who still walks this earth, Abdullah Miralai, lies on that sick bed. He burned half of his life serving you, building this country with you, while you, on the other hand, totally ignored his needs, placed him deeper and deeper into this hellhole, and when he cried for help, instead of giving him a pull, you gave him a push! Tell me, what kind of man have you become? You dreamt of becoming the next Constantine, but look at you now. Who are you really? Nero? Commodus?"
Antonius stared back in rage but still found no words coming out of his mouth.
Leo took a few steps backward again.
But Anna would not let her son run away, as she turned and roared, "Leo!"
"Yes, Mom!" This sudden roar gave Leo a fright, as he stood rooted to the ground.
"Promise me, Leo!" said Anna. "You shall never become a ruler like your father!"
"Yes, of course, Mother!"
The emperor looked at the two of them, sighed, and proceeded to leave the premises, leaving his wife and son remaining there.
But at least, he never issued any more orders to the court to continue the madness.
This massive purge of the court and the entire population was now officially over.
The emperor locked himself away for several days, seeing no courtiers and overseeing no government matters. While everyone thought he had fallen ill, Antonius was actually throwing a tantrum, hoping people would realise that no government matters could be resolved without him. He expected they would come to him, praising and supporting him, lifting him back to the prestige and rights of the Laurel crown.
Eventually, he emerged after a few days. Anna had confronted him, roaring that his behavior would not help the state but instead drag down the speed and quality of governance in the empire, which he had already damaged enough through recent events.
Many might think that all of this was totally illogical, killing off a large number of people without any trials or charges. But no one in the court would ever question Antonius because he was the emperor, the Basileus, the autocrat of all Romans, the supreme being inside this state. No one with sanity would want to question the emperor’s decisions, which might cost not only their offices but also their lives. People from all walks of life and all occupations had no channel to express their requests or thoughts on recent events.
The emperor had lost his connection to his people for a long time, with less and less information from the civil side reaching his ears. Bit by bit, people found out that the emperor became increasingly repellent to words against his policies, and he rewarded anyone who praised his policies or actions. In the end, more and more people joined the queue to praise and appease him, climbing the ranks within the government and taking up positions.
Bit by bit, the government turned from being filled with young, passionate, robust personnel to corrupt, appeasing sycophants. Abdullah tried to stop this but failed, as Antonius saw it merely as another case of colleagues backstabbing. After a few occasions, even Abdullah stopped reporting such issues to the emperor, focusing instead on what he could do within his power.
And it led to this.
When the great purge started, no one dared to say anything but continuously praise the emperor, despite everyone knowing that fresh corpses were being dumped into the Golden Horn every day, most of them completely innocent. When the purge ended, these same people continued to praise the emperor, saying he was merciful for sparing those who had committed mistakes and generous enough to give the convicts a chance to atone for their sins.
Day by day, month by month, the emperor felt like he was recovering from the accident he had in the veteran village. He got back into the habit of paying regular visits to the training grounds to reacquaint himself with his martial arts skills.
It might come as surprising that the old emperor was still capable of pulling bowstrings, although not for long. He could exercise with his blade, slashing it onto the heads of practice wooden figurines and cutting them into straws. There was just one old activity he had not picked up for a long time—horse riding, which he had longed for since over a year ago when he first became bedridden.
Now, since everything for him seemed back to normal, it was time for him to return to one of his usual activities: a hunt on horseback.
Antonius ordered Cerberus to bring over his mount.
The Varangian commander tried to persuade his sovereign to give up on this idea, but the emperor simply gave a stern look, forcing Cerberus to follow the emperor’s orders.
Leo, upon hearing of the emperor’s immediate action, rushed to the parade square, only to see a horrifying scene—the old emperor, with the help of two men, was struggling and trembling as he mounted his horse, stepping on the stirrup as if he might fall at any moment if not for the support of the men beneath him.
"Father!" Leo, now almost a grown young adult with a beard over his mouth, rushed to his father’s side. "You have not recovered yet from that trauma! Please, father, get off the mount!"
The emperor, enraged at someone disturbing his fun, turned to face his son and roared back, "I am perfectly fine! I have no idea who sent you here, but you are neglecting your duty as the supervisor of the government by coming here!"
"But father, you must be responsible for the state! You must know that if there are anything that are to happen to you, the entire country will be at stake..."
"The entire country, the entire country!"
The old emperor is enraged again, as he attempted to kick the crowned prince as he seats there on his mount, but the young adult acted quickly to dodge by one side.
The emperor almost lost his balance in the process.
He became ever angrier, as he continued pin pointing at his son, and roared again. "You dare to dodge again! Now, go off, before I come for you with my whip!"
But the young prince went forward, as he grabbed the reins of the mount, and argued. "Father, if you insist on riding, then I shall pull the reins for you, and after one or two occasions when I am completely sure that you have made a full recovery, and then I will stop handling your reins.
"Oh?" The emperor taunted. "The young kid now wants to take control of my reins? What capability do you have, what direction shall you lead me to, taking my reins?"
But the young adult stood upright, with his eyes filled with determination.
The old emperor halted, and only after a while, he sighed, and signaled the Varangians to release their support, while the young son walked forward, with the reins in his hands, and guided the mount as he walked silently.
Beneath the fading sun, the father and son moved slowly across the open field. The orange and pink hues of the sunset painted the sky with a gentle glow, casting a warm light on the landscape. The once-vibrant green grass now took on a golden hue, swaying softly in the evening breeze. The air was filled with the distant sounds of chirping crickets and the occasional rustle of leaves.
