Chapter 174: The Turmoil In The Imperial Family (1)
Endless discussions ensued among the princes and princesses.
Ray, who had hoped to wait until the discussions concluded, ultimately could not achieve his intention.
The chatter was ceaseless, with no resolution in sight.
It seemed less like debates for the nations good, and more like a contest where each participant tried to outdo and undercut the others.
Fed up, Ray left the lobby after about two hours.
It was also time to attend to the emperor.
He couldnt afford to miss the timing for the upcoming physical therapy session while dealing with the unruly royals.
The drug mixture might not have been perfectly accurate, but given the recovery timeline, it was about time for the body to start responding.
Of course, the emperor was not yet ready for normal daily activities.
His muscles were stiff, and the tension would not be resolved instantly.
The efficacy of the anthocyanins in the drug was crucial.
Ray entered the emperors bedroom.
As he had anticipated, the emperor appeared much improved from before.
He turned his head to look at Ray.
The fact that he could slightly lift his body and turn his head indicated a significant reduction in muscle tension.
It seemed like an opportune moment to begin combining drug treatment with physical therapy.
The emperor spoke for the first time, though with great effort.
Thank you.
His jaw muscles were still rigid, making his pronunciation loose.
Nevertheless, Ray understood him without difficulty.
Ray smiled and shook his head in response.
Youre welcome.
An emperor, especially of the once-continent-dominating mighty Lesian Empire, would typically be prideful.
But this well-built elderly man, despite his imperial status, exhibited human warmth.
Even now, he attempted to express gratitude, something his children seemingly would not consider, even at deaths door.
Where had the reputation of the iron-blooded ruler gone? In front of Ray, he resembled a kind grandfather.
Ray then addressed the emperor.
From now on, its not just about taking medicine. Youll start moving your body. Youll follow along, right?
Nod.
It seemed speaking was still quite difficult for him.
Lets try standing up first.
Ray gently helped the emperor to his feet.
The emperor also exerted himself to stand.
It was incredible how difficult it was just to stand up once.
As if someone were pulling him back, the emperor repeatedly ended up lying back down on the bed.
Yet no one would sigh at this sight.
Seeing the emperors serious expression, sweating but not giving up, would make anyone want to cheer him on.
Ray too found himself supporting the emperor.
He could have lifted the emperor himself, but this was part of the treatment.
While assisting was possible, completely lifting him was not an option.
That would no longer be a treatment.
So now, the emperor had to muster his own strength to rise.
The strenuous process continued for over thirty minutes.
At this point, most would have collapsed back in exhaustion, but the emperor persisted resolutely.
His efforts finally paid off.
Ultimately, the emperor managed to stand up on his own.
There was indescribable joy.
Not only the emperor, but Ray also burst into exultation.
Uuuaaa!
Wow, fantastic job!
Sheer joy enveloped both of them.
They were so happy that even if a magician from Proxya talked back to them, they might have laughed it off.
But of course, anything beyond that would not guarantee their lives.
Ray showered the emperor with praises.
Incredible! Standing up like this isnt easy at first.
Encouraged by his praise, the emperor felt a surge of courage.
It seems praise indeed could make even whales dance, let alone an emperor.
This was one of the rarest moments of joy in his life.
The immense loneliness and frustration he had felt while being immobile seemed to vanish instantly.
He felt as if he could do anything at that moment.
Just one movement of his body, but what an achievement!
Ray watched the rejoicing emperor with a quiet smile.
Then, he gently laid the emperor back down on the bed.
The emperor looked at Ray with a puzzled expression.
That expression almost seemed to say, Are you out of your mind?
Why lay him down again after such an effort to stand up!
Ray avoided the emperors gaze and said,
You did well. Now stand up again.
Ugh Ugh
Veins stood out on the emperors forehead.
He seemed on the verge of saying something.
Clearly, he wanted to curse.
Ray covered the emperors mouth and shook his head.
We need to repeat this.
The imperial family was in a state of chaos.
Although they had found some common ground on Rays proposed compensation, the struggle for power within the imperial family was more intense than ever.
This state of affairs would likely continue until someone became the emperor.
The situation intensified further with the current circumstances.
The first to move was the second prince, Luke.
He attacked the fifth prince first.
Though calling it an attack, it was more about finding faults and creating issues to lower his ranking in the succession.
However, since the fifth prince was already far down in the ranking, this was a significant blow to him.
It was unclear why the usually quiet second prince initiated the attack.
But it was undeniable that this action was the catalyst for all the power struggles that followed.
Driven into a corner, the fifth prince resorted to increasingly extreme measures.
He sent assassins to the first and second princes and even attempted to poison their food.
They managed to thwart these attempts, but had they not been prepared, they might have been killed.
With rising wariness and anger, the conflict only escalated.
Now, the fight had reached a point where anyone could be killed at any time.
Yet, no one seemed intent on stopping the conflict.
After all, victory in this fight could make one the next emperor.
From the fifth princes perspective, it was a necessary evil.
Being the lowest in the line of succession, this was his only path to becoming emperor.
Therefore, he hired even better assassins and gathered more skilled guards.
A dirty war had begun.
The second prince, Luke, who had been under relentless attack for a week, exhibited a surprisingly calm demeanor, contrary to what others knew of him.
It was as if he had been concealing his true self all along.
One thought consumed his mind.
I need to resolve everything before father fully recovers. For that Im sorry, but you need to die.
Blue light flickered in Lukes eyes.
He silently drew his sword and entered an opulent room.
The guards at the door were already dead.
His proficiency in cleanly cutting down mid-level or higher aura users surpassed that of his peers.
Zik would have admired the sight.
Being an advanced aura user in his mid-twenties was extraordinary.
With some luck, he might reach the level of Sword Master before thirty.
Furthermore, his sword was specifically tailored for assassination.
Not a typical assassins blade, but designed for one-hit kills, ensuring the victim couldnt even scream before dying.
Luke looked down at the sleeping fifth prince.
Truthfully, he harbored no ill will toward him.
They had played together in childhood, and he was a brother who got along well with the third prince.
But as long as the fifth prince lived, he posed an obstacle to the third princes ascension to the throne.
For a moment, Lukes face reflected pain.
Never forgive me, the unworthy brother. Curse only me.
His sword swiftly pierced the fifth princes neck.
The vocal cords and the adjoining jugular, along with the aura, were cleanly severed, guaranteeing a silent death in his sleep.
Blood spread across the bed.
Sigh
Luke let out a sigh tinged with both relief and guilt.
Guilt for having killed his brother in the pursuit of power, and relief that the act furthered his plans.
This internal conflict eventually led to rationalization.
The fifth prince had initiated this deadly game.
With each killing, Lukes expression grew colder.
Only the first prince remained.
Eliminating him would bring Luke much closer to the throne.
The next day, the death of the fifth prince was officially announced within the imperial family.
Everyone knew who the culprit was without it being said.
Killed by an unknown assassin.
Only the first and second princes knew who the murderer was.
The first prince, Jared, had not sent an assassin the previous night.
That left only the second prince, Luke, as the suspect.
Jared looked at him with a heavy heart.
I should be cautious.
The fact that the second prince, who had been quiet until now, made the first move meant he was seriously entering the fray.
The first princess quickly read the situation.
It didnt seem like the first princes camp was involved.
She offered condolences that were not entirely genuine.
To lose a brother like this There can be no greater sorrow. I wont stay idle as a member of the imperial family once the criminal is caught.
Of course, she would defend the criminal once he was revealed.
Being allied with the second prince, the first princess was inwardly rejoicing.
The death of the fifth prince had considerably lessened her burden.
In fact, she even regretted that it wasnt the first prince who had died.
The third prince sighed at the first princesss pretense.
It had come to this.
Brothers were killing each other for the throne, only to die in the end.
What kind of grudge must they have held to be so desperate?
The fifth prince had been a close sibling since childhood.
His death was a significant shock to the third prince.
Do you really need to go this far, brothers
With a sad expression, he left the room.
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