Compared to yesterday, the Imperial Capital seemed even more vibrant today. Whether in the Lower City or the Upper City, crowds filled the streets with bustling energy.
Whatever the court ministers might think, to most of the ordinary citizens, wasn't the great victory over the southwestern tribes a cause for celebration?
Yet at this very moment, within the Grand Council Hall of the Imperial Palace, the atmosphere was entirely different.
"Silence! Silence!"
"This is the Grand Council Hall, not a marketplace! As officials of the Imperial Court, what kind of behavior is this? Today's meeting is solely to discuss the matter of General Selene's reward. Present your proposals quickly, so that they may be shown to His Majesty."
"That is precisely the issue! Such an excessive reward cannot be granted! I object!"
"I second that! General Selene's campaign caused such large-scale slaughter—it is an outrage that provokes both heaven and man!"
"I, too, believe she should not be rewarded! On the contrary, she ought to be punished severely!"
Needless to say, those who spoke in opposition were mostly of the so-called "pure faction"—remnants of the late Chancellor Chouri's group. They were advocates of peaceful coexistence with the border tribes and firmly opposed to military aggression.
When the southwestern tribes first rebelled, some of these very officials had even submitted petitions suggesting that the Empire abandon Patripol Province altogether, claiming it would "bring peace to all under heaven." After all, the Empire was vast and rich—what was one frontier province to them?
"You're talking nonsense! We're the ones fighting and dying on the front lines while you bookish parasites sit here whining!"
"Peace to all under heaven? Peace my ass! You just want peace for the tribes! I bet you're all in league with them—traitors, the lot of you!"
Among the ranks of the military officials, the insults from the pure faction were too much to bear. Many Imperial generals immediately stood up, furious, hurling their own jeers back across the hall.
The tension escalated rapidly. If not for the long-standing Imperial law forbidding soldiers from interfering in politics, fists—and perhaps blades—would already be flying.
...
When news of the victory had first reached the Capital, even the ailing Emperor—bedridden for months—had ordered a three-day national celebration. The nightly curfew was lifted, and the entire city had burst into song and dance.
Having ruled for over twenty years, the Emperor's reign had been plagued by endless unrest from the fickle southwestern tribes. Time and again they had rebelled and submitted, only to betray the Empire once more. Numerous punitive expeditions had yielded little success, leaving him bitter and frustrated.
Now, Selene had annihilated them completely. No gesture of celebration could ever truly express the Emperor's elation.
He immediately ordered the court to convene and deliberate on the rewards to be granted to Lady Selene.
Selene's southern campaign against the southwestern tribes had covered nearly ten thousand kilometers and lasted over three months. She had captured more than a hundred thousand enemies and slain no fewer than three hundred thousand.
In the southwestern lands, even the mere mention of Selene's name was enough to make children fall silent in terror.
While the territories of the southwestern tribes lay in ruin, the Empire's border provinces were alive with joy, as though celebrating the New Year. In many frontier towns near the border, the people had even organized massive public festivities to commemorate the Empire's great victory.
The tribes had suffered such devastating losses that they would not dare provoke the Empire again for decades. For the common folk, it meant one thing above all—peace at last.
No one in the southwestern provinces had expected Selene's campaign to proceed so smoothly, nor could anyone have imagined that it would yield such overwhelming results.
Selene's forces had marched deep into tribal territory, unstoppable at every turn. The enemy fled before her, their armies shattered, their clans destroyed, their leaders captured. Within mere months, the three greatest tribal confederations of the southwest were completely wiped out.
Not since the great rebellion five centuries ago had the Empire achieved such a resounding victory. This triumph swept away centuries of military stagnation and restored the glory of Imperial conquest.
Before the campaign, Selene had been known merely as a commander of the Imperial Guard, her name familiar only to those within the Capital.
But now, after this unparalleled victory, her fame spread across the entire Empire—equal to that of the Great General Budo, who guarded the Capital itself.
In every tavern, marketplace, and alleyway, the people sang and told tales of Selene's southern campaign. Bards recited her deeds; storytellers embellished her battles.
As time passed, from the northern border fortresses to the southern isles, from gray-haired elders to wide-eyed children, all spoke of Selene's glory. All dreamed of the dawn of a new "Golden Age" for the Empire.
Yet, tragically, none of them knew the truth—that this brilliant triumph was but the final flicker of light before the thousand-year Empire's inevitable fall.
With such astounding military achievement, Selene's mansion in the Upper City was constantly crowded with visitors. One group after another came to pay their respects. Even ordinary citizens, unable to enter the Upper City, would kneel and bow toward her residence outside its gates before departing.
The southwestern tribes were hated that deeply by the people.
Of course, while Selene gained immense fame from this campaign, the greatest beneficiaries on the surface were the Emperor and Minister Honest.
Selene's southern conquest had secured Honest's ministerial position more firmly than ever, and the Emperor, too, had preserved his legacy. To him, Selene was still his "loyal and virtuous general." Whether he truly believed it or not no longer mattered—for he was running out of time.
...
While the Grand Council Hall echoed with arguments and clamor, the two regent ministers—Great General Budo and Minister Honest—quietly entered the Emperor's private chambers under the guidance of his attendants.
As they stepped inside, Budo's heavy footsteps grew lighter and slower, as if fearing to disturb the sovereign within.
"Oh... it's my two beloved ministers," came the Emperor's voice.
To their surprise, His Majesty appeared unusually lucid today. His mind was sharp, his spirit vigorous; he no longer coughed, and even managed a hearty laugh as he held the victory report in his hands.
But Budo's expression darkened. He understood all too well—this was merely the final flare of a dying flame.
"Your Majesty," the two men bowed respectfully.
"Cough... Tell me, my loyal ministers," the Emperor asked eagerly, "how much longer until Lady Selene returns to the Capital?"
"Your Majesty," Budo replied solemnly, "General Selene's army has already begun its march home. By now, they should have departed from Patripol Province. But for the entire army to reach the Capital, it will still take at least two months."
"Sigh... So, it seems I shall not live to witness the day the captives are presented," the Emperor murmured, a flicker of regret in his eyes. Yet, he quickly steadied himself and asked again, "Tell me, how goes the discussion regarding Selene's reward?"
"Your Majesty, this minister proposes that she be granted a noble title," Honest interjected smoothly.
Here, the hidden dagger was revealed—this was Honest's true intention all along. A mere promotion in military rank was secondary. Since Selene had claimed to come from an ancient hidden family, then he would appeal to her vanity by suggesting she be elevated into the peerage.
This would not only satisfy Selene but also conveniently send her away from the Capital, appease Budo by reducing friction, and ensure Honest's continued dominance in court.