Chapter 016: Kimberly

At this moment, in the vast palace, in front of the throne, there was only one person standing calmly.
This man was in his sixties, his skin covered in wrinkles yet seemingly full of vitality and energy. His hair was white but shiny, and his wise eyes gleamed like stars in the night.
He wore an imperial robe adorned with various patterns, appearing simple yet solemn.
Yet among the nobles of the capital, anyone who knew this old man knew his identity—he was the close friend of Emperor Austin III, the Prime Minister of the Gavin Empire: Kimberlybert.
It was said that this Kimberly had been a friend of Austin III since their youth. His insights often refreshed the future emperor, and the two even became close friends due to shared political views.
It was also said that when Austin III faced several assassination attempts in his youth, it was Kimberly who saved him. Even when Austin III seized power later, Kimberly gave him the most support!
Thus, although Kimberly’s birth was not noble—he came from an ordinary noble family—he, under Austin III’s guidance, steadily rose through the ranks. By the age of fifty, he had become the empire’s Prime Minister, a figure above all others!
Yet Kimberly never grew arrogant because of this. In fact, he never aligned himself with any group of nobles. His loyalty always belonged solely to Emperor Austin III… and Emperor Austin III bestowed infinite trust and support on him. Whatever policy Kimberly proposed, Emperor Austin III would surely consider its feasibility…
It could be said that this Prime Minister’s influence on the Gavin Empire far exceeded that of previous prime ministers!
Now, this wise prime minister stood before Emperor Austin III. He bowed respectfully and said in a deep voice, “My esteemed emperor… I think now might be the time for us to make a decision!”
“A decision!?” The old emperor frowned deeply. Staring at his old friend, he said gravely, “My dear Kimberly, what do you mean…”

“The time has come when a decision must be made… Your Majesty, over the years, in order to deal with those damned fools,” Kimberly’s tone was gentle, yet it was precisely this gentleness that gave his words more conviction. “You’ve tried your best to appear extremely arrogant. Those people—whether they’re from the military, the treasury, or the local nobles—all thought they could hide their actions from us… But in reality, we know everything about them… So this incident is merely the trigger. Yet, Your Majesty, your choice at this moment will have an immeasurable impact on the future of the empire—whether you choose peace or war… But at the same time, we must face the fact that the empire no longer has the strength to fight!”
“No strength to fight!?” A flash of anger appeared on King Austin III’s face. He had just taken a cup of green tea from the maid behind him but hadn’t taken a sip yet when he smashed it violently on the ground. Amid the sound of the shattered glass, the old emperor let out a laugh that sounded like the wails of ghosts: “Hahaha… No strength to fight? The once greatest power on the continent… now unable to fight even a small Laney Empire? Hahaha! That bitch from the Laney Empire will be overjoyed to hear this!”

“Your Majesty,” Kimberly sighed, “although I’m reluctant to admit it… haven’t we already realized? The Southern Army is utterly no match for the Lani Empire! All these years, those in the military have been working hard to create an illusion of invincibility so that you wouldn’t get involved in military affairs! It’s only because of this crushing defeat that the nobles can no longer tolerate it and have attacked the military, leading to this situation… We finally have a chance to take control from them! Right now, the Western Army is in my hands. If we seize this opportunity to take control of the Southern Army as well, half of the empire will be under our control! The conflict between the military and the nobles is a rare opportunity for us! Isn’t there a saying in the distant Eastern Continent: ‘When the clam and the snail fight, the fisherman reaps the benefits’? Once things calm down, we can get what we’ve been waiting for all these years… Isn’t this exactly what you desire, Your Majesty? Besides, you must already understand… to get something, one must pay a price, right?”
“A price?” A cold smirk flashed across the old emperor’s face. “Kimberly! By ‘price,’ do you mean peace talks? How surprising that you still don’t understand that bitch from the Lani Empire? Her prince hasn’t even mentioned peace talks all this time—he’s just waiting for us to make the first move… Then he can openly take over the entire Southern Plains… Hmph, the Southern Plains—nearly one-third of our territory! Kimberly… are you asking me to give up one-third of my land for that useless army?”
“What’s the difference, Your Majesty?” Kimberly sighed deeply. “Even if we refuse peace talks, it will still be easy for the Lani Empire to take control of the Southern Plains. With those old men in the military in charge, it won’t be easy for us to win battles… So we must take the initiative. Otherwise, if circumstances change, we might lose control! Your Majesty, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! I know you care about the dignity of the royal family! But which is more important—real power or dignity? With your wisdom, can’t you tell the difference?”

The old emperor was momentarily stunned. He clenched his fingers tightly into his palm, his knuckles turning white—clearly, the aged lion was furious to the extreme. Yet he still took a deep breath and said grimly, “The noble clans, the military, the treasury… Hmph… Perhaps you’re right. This is our only chance! My father left me an empire in ruins. Over the years, you and I have worked hard to repair it and finally regained some power. How could I give up this chance… I’ll follow your advice! And after this, if my two sons are brave enough to remove several of the tumors plaguing the empire at once, it won’t be such a difficult task… So, Kimberly, I agree to your plan this time… But I also want you to promise me one thing!”

A hint of sadness flashed in Kimberly’s eyes as she said calmly, “Your Majesty, please command!”

“I’m old!” The old emperor’s eyes showed reluctance. “Though I refuse to admit it, I’ve long known I won’t even make it through this year! Signing a peace treaty before I die, becoming the first emperor in the history of the Gavin Empire to voluntarily cede territory—there’s nothing wrong with that! As long as the empire can thrive and Austin endures, I won’t regret making this choice! But Kimberly… No matter who of my two sons becomes emperor in the future, they’re too inexperienced. I know they definitely can’t compete with those guys… So I ask you—to help us wholeheartedly no matter what. I know you like Fisher, but whether he becomes emperor or not, I hope you’ll support our Austin family wholeheartedly!”

Kimberly sighed and knelt on the ground. With her head bowed, she said slowly, “Your Majesty, your servant vows to serve you to the death! I will never fail to fulfill your trust!”

A rare smile appeared on Austin III’s face. He nodded and said, “Get up… Kimberly, tell me. Since I’m willing to yield, what should I do?”

Kimberly glanced at the old emperor and replied calmly, “Your Majesty, isn’t there an opportunity right now? Yielding by taking advantage of this chance might be the best option.”

Austin III was stunned for a moment before saying, “Are you referring to that kid from the Green family? Hand him over to the Lanny Empire?”

Kimberly nodded and said, “Yes… Your Majesty, you must be well aware of what happened today. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have sent someone to summon Duke Green, would you?”
“I sent someone to summon Duke Green?” Austin III was stunned. “Kimberly, when did this happen?”
Hearing the old emperor say this, a hint of confusion appeared in Kimberly’s eyes as well. She said, “Your Majesty, when I entered just now, I saw the deputy commander of the imperial guards going to the Green family to bring people. Surely… this was your order?”
Austin III slowly shook his head and said, “Although I know about this, I have no intention of pursuing it… I also didn’t give any order to bring Duke Green here… It seems those two scoundrels acted on their own again!?”