AWDC Chapter 53

Chapter 53: The Crown Prince’s Banner of Rebellion

The Crown Prince’s decision was swift.

“Gather the troops immediately!”

At the same time, he sent secret letters to both Dukes. He was concerned that if they rose up and demanded the King’s abdication, the country would fall into turmoil.

This turmoil could be avoided if they didn’t revolt, but as things stood, there was a high possibility of a major famine in the country.

If the turmoil could be minimized, then there was no choice but to revolt.

He believed that if they could control the capital, especially the Royal Palace, the country’s security could be maintained.

He sent messengers to the Gregg and Midland families and led his troops to attack the Royal Palace in one fell swoop. The soldiers guarding the palace at this time did not resist at all. The Royal Guards should have been the ones to resist the most. However, most of the Royal Guard’s executives were sympathetic to the Crown Prince. They had repeatedly had meals and meetings with the Crown Prince and had come to admire his personality. They ordered their subordinates not to oppose the Crown Prince’s army.

In public opinion surveys of Japanese politicians, “good personality” is often ranked high as a reason for support. There is no guarantee that a good personality will lead to good politics, but people support them for that reason alone. It was not unreasonable for the Royal Guards of this country to trust the Crown Prince because of his personality. It was the result of the Crown Prince’s years of effort in cultivating relationships.

Duke Gregg entered the capital one day after the Crown Prince’s uprising.

“Your Highness, your skill is truly remarkable.”

“Elliott, it took a long time, but that’s why it was so easy to capture.”

The Crown Prince and Duke Gregg had spent years turning the Royal Palace guards into allies. This was their initial aim.

“My men have been placed in key locations throughout the capital. Unfortunately, some of the younger princes had already left the capital and could not be captured.”

“That’s fine. We’ll deal with the younger brothers over time. The priority now is to control the capital, and then the central part of the country.”

“Lord Midland will be rushing here soon. The East and West will also follow Your Highness.”

The Midland family was in charge of the eastern part of the country, and the Gregg family was in charge of the western part. His words indicated that things were progressing without any problems.

After confirming the current situation and discussing future actions, the Crown Prince changed the subject.

“More importantly, I’ll give you what you’ve wanted most. Bring him in.”

A man was brought in by several soldiers. His wrists were tied, and a rope was around his neck.

“Well, well, Uncle, it’s been a long time.”

Duke Gregg said to the dragged-in man with mockery.

“Elliott, I was wrong! Please forgive me!”

The man, called Uncle, showed a pleading gesture with his bound wrists.

“Your Highness, I’ll receive him, right?”

“Of course. I’ve made you endure for quite some time, so do as you please.”

The phrase “endure for quite some time” referred to the assassination of the previous Duke Gregg six years ago.

The assassin of Duke Gregg was said to be unknown, but in reality, he was captured immediately. As a result of torturing the culprit, it was confessed that the mastermind was Duke Gregg’s younger brother.

Elliott, the son who knew the truth and was enraged, tried to kill his uncle. At this time, the Crown Prince and Richter, the young head of Midland, stopped him.

“Elliott, the King is involved in this. If you act carelessly, the Gregg family will be ruined.”

“That’s right, the King is pulling the strings behind this incident. First, we must obtain evidence.”

It had been decided that Elliott would become the heir to the Gregg family, and his uncle had no say. It was unthinkable that this uncle would cause such an incident without any backing.

They stopped Elliott, who was about to take revenge immediately. Then, the Crown Prince’s side found the evidence.

The King had long been eyeing the salt mine owned by the Gregg family, aiming to expand the income of the Royal Palace. He used Duke Gregg’s admonishments against him and ordered him to be confined. At this time, Duke Gregg’s youngest brother, who was a close aide to the King, took the King’s wishes into consideration and secretly sent an assassin to the Gregg’s mansion. Otherwise, there was no way an assassin could have sneaked into the vast mansion without guidance, targeting a time when security was lax. However, the assassin was late in escaping and was captured. The King didn’t mind that.

He thought that if Elliott made a fuss about his uncle being the real culprit, he could use the Gregg family’s turmoil as a reason to seize the mine.

Perhaps this uncle had approached the King about acquiring the rights to the mine. The truth is unknown, but there was no doubt that the King was planning to take advantage of the Gregg family’s conflict.

“The King’s scheme is certain. This is not something the Gregg family should act on alone,” the Crown Prince said to Elliott, showing him the evidence.

“That’s right, we should act together here,” Richter agreed.

The action the three took was a direct appeal to the King.

The King had expected Elliott, enraged by his father’s murder, to take revenge on his uncle. No matter the reason, if the head of the family was killed by his younger brother, and then the nephew killed the uncle, the Gregg family’s turmoil would be obvious. He thought he could use this as a reason to shake the Gregg family and seize the salt mine.

However, he did not expect Elliott to protest together with not only the Midland family but also the Crown Prince.

If they had protested alone, he could have crushed them, but with the Crown Prince and Midland together, the King’s position became precarious.

Faced with the evidence, the King had no choice but to give up his plan to seize the mine.

“I promise that I will not interfere with the Gregg and Midland families from now on.”

Pressed by the Crown Prince, the King had no choice but to agree.

At this time, the Crown Prince’s faction was able to put a stop to the King’s expansion of power. Also, the Crown Prince was able to forge strong bonds with both the Midland and Gregg families.

However, the King’s machinations at this time were kept secret. The assassin, who was an important witness, was also buried in the darkness.

The King still held power, and he adamantly refused any public announcement that would cause his authority to be lost. The Crown Prince’s side also placed more emphasis on securing a power base than forcing the King into a corner here.

The god of time was smiling on the young Crown Prince rather than the old King. They intended to wait for the so-called “ripe persimmon to fall.”

The uncle, who was the ringleader, remained in the Royal Palace as a close aide to the King, and they could not touch him.

On the contrary, rumors were spread that the Crown Prince had angered His Majesty the King by speaking directly to him.

It is not clear whether these rumors were spread by the King’s side, but they pleased the younger princes, who believed that the Crown Prince’s position had worsened.

“I can finally avenge my father’s death.”

Elliott smiled and thanked the Crown Prince. Now that he thought about it, if he had known the truth about his father’s assassination and had rashly killed his uncle, who was a close aide to the King, it was clear that he would have incurred the King’s wrath. At that time, the Gregg family might have been ruined. He could only be grateful that the Crown Prince had worked so hard to restrain Elliott.

The court had fallen to the Crown Prince’s side. After seeing that, Elliott, satisfied with securing his uncle’s custody, left the Royal Palace with quick steps.

He had waited nearly seven years and could finally avenge his father. His head was full of that.