Dragon Monarch System

Chapter 1127: Chapter 1127:- Anti-Emperor Faction Meeting [ii]

"If all of your armies abandon their territories at once, Ren may seize that opportunity to attack your capitals instead. Therefore, I want every noble house to remain on high alert. Keep your armies within your own territories and be prepared to deploy through the Teleportation Arrays at a moment’s notice. Whether reinforcing the frontlines or defending an allied city, flexibility will be our greatest advantage."

None of them had any objections, as they had expected this very strategy from the beginning. Keeping their forces dispersed while remaining ready for rapid deployment was undoubtedly the safest approach for the coming civil war.

None of them showed the slightest disagreement with Aditya’s strategy. On the contrary, most of them had already been considering the exact same approach even before tonight’s meeting.

They were all experienced rulers who had governed their respective territories for centuries, and they understood that stripping every city of its defenders before a civil war officially began would be an invitation to disaster.

If Aditya had instead ordered every noble house to gather its entire army in one location, several of them had already planned to respectfully advise against such a decision.

Fortunately, Aditya’s thinking matched their own.

Maintaining their armies within their respective territories while using the Teleportation Arrays for rapid deployment was undoubtedly the safest and most efficient strategy. It allowed every duchy to remain protected against surprise attacks while still giving the Anti-Emperor Faction the ability to quickly reinforce any battlefield or allied city that suddenly came under attack.

Several of the older nobles could not help but inwardly praise Aditya.

Once again, he had demonstrated that his understanding of warfare extended far beyond simply winning battles. He understood logistics, defence, mobility, and the importance of protecting civilian populations during a prolonged conflict. Such foresight was precisely what they expected from a future Emperor.

Seeing that Aditya had already considered every possibility they themselves had thought of, the noble leaders felt even more reassured. Their confidence in the coming civil war continued to grow.

"Your Majesty, I think you are forgetting something." Wahid suddenly spoke with a smile on his face, causing everyone to look in his direction.

"Really?" Aditya raised an eyebrow with a curious expression.

"We still need to sign the Charter of Noble Reinstatement."

For a brief moment, Aditya stared at him before letting out a laugh. "Is that even necessary at this point?"

After everything that had happened over the past few days, the answer already seemed obvious. Two cultivation sects had been destroyed, countless noble houses had openly declared their support for him, and a civil war was on the verge of breaking out. Whether the charter was signed or not hardly seemed important anymore.

However, Wahid smiled and gently shook his head.

"It is still an official procedure. We should follow the proper protocol. Once everyone has signed it, we can send the original document to Emperor Ren." A mischievous smile appeared on Aditya’s face as he immediately understood Wahid’s intention.

"I bet that will make him even more furious." Several noble leaders could not help but chuckle after imagining Emperor Ren’s reaction.

The Charter of Noble Reinstatement was one of the oldest political documents within the Celestial Dragon Empire. According to Imperial law, once more than fifty percent of the Empire’s Dukes and Duchesses signed the charter, they collectively possessed the authority to overturn an Imperial decree issued by a previous Emperor.

Years ago, Aditya had been exiled from the Empire and permanently forbidden from ever returning to the Main Continent through such a decree. Now, with more than half of the Empire’s Dukes and Duchesses standing behind him, that decree could officially be declared null and void, restoring his legal status as a member of the Imperial Family.

Truthfully, Aditya felt there was no real need to go through this procedure anymore. The Empire already stood on the brink of civil war. Whether the decree officially existed or not hardly mattered at this stage. No one would dare to arrest him, let alone attempt to enforce an exile order issued years ago.

However, after giving it some thought, he slowly nodded.

"You have a point." A smile gradually spread across his face.

"This will make Ren even more furious."

Once the charter bearing the signatures of more than half of the Empire’s Dukes and Duchesses reached the Imperial Palace, it would become far more than a legal document. It would publicly declare that a majority of the Empire’s highest-ranking nobles no longer recognised the validity of the exile decree or supported Ren’s authority in this matter.

Just imagining Ren unfolding the charter and seeing signature after signature in support of Aditya was enough to make him laugh.

His laughter quickly spread throughout the dining hall.

Several noble leaders also laughed softly, while others simply smiled and shook their heads. They, too, could vividly imagine Emperor Ren’s furious expression after receiving the document. To a man as prideful as Ren, it would not merely be a legal setback.

It would be a public slap to his face before the entire Empire.

At that moment, more than forty maids gracefully entered the dining hall carrying large trays filled with exquisite dishes. One after another, they carefully placed the food upon the enormous dining table. Every dish served that evening was famous throughout the Celestial Dragon Empire, with many of them having been passed down through generations of Imperial chefs.

The banquet had officially begun.

Having existed for hundreds of thousands of years, the Celestial Dragon Empire had developed a rich culinary culture of its own. Each region of the Empire contributed its own specialties, resulting in an incredible variety of flavors, ingredients, and cooking techniques. Today’s banquet showcased some of the Empire’s most renowned delicacies, prepared using precious ingredients that ordinary people would never have the opportunity to taste.

The maids followed Imperial etiquette with flawless precision. They first served Aditya, the future Emperor, before respectfully moving to Boris, Wahid, and Malakor Harrington.

Only after the four of them had been served did the maids continue around the table, elegantly serving the remaining noble leaders one after another. Throughout the process, the dining hall remained orderly and dignified, reflecting the refined traditions that had been preserved within the Imperial Family for countless generations.

After Aditya took the first bite, everyone else followed. According to Imperial etiquette, no one was permitted to begin eating before the Emperor.

To everyone present, Aditya was already the rightful Emperor of the Celestial Dragon Empire. After everything they had learned tonight, Emperor Ren no longer deserved that title in their hearts. In their eyes, Ren was nothing more than a usurper sitting upon a counterfeit throne while wearing a counterfeit crown.

As the banquet continued, the atmosphere gradually became more relaxed. Rather than turning into a simple feast, the gathering evolved into a discussion regarding the future of the Empire.

Aditya sought the opinions of the noble leaders on several important matters, listening to their perspectives before making his own conclusions. He asked detailed questions regarding the economies of their respective territories, agricultural production, trade routes, taxation, military logistics, and the current living conditions of ordinary citizens.

Several nobles were pleasantly surprised that the future Emperor possessed such a deep understanding of governance despite his young age.

In Aditya’s opinion, it was essential for him to understand every aspect of the Empire before officially taking the Imperial Throne. An Emperor who remained ignorant of his own nation could never hope to govern it properly.

Although he possessed an excellent understanding of the Empire’s political landscape and the relationships between the major noble houses, he knew very little about many other aspects of the Empire. After all, he had spent years away from the Main Continent and had been separated from the daily affairs of the Celestial Dragon Empire for far too long.

That was precisely why he was using this opportunity to gather information directly from the people who governed those regions. Every Duke and Duchess knew their own territories better than anyone else. By listening to their experiences and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each region, Aditya could prepare himself long before he officially ascended the throne.

After all, his ambition extended far beyond simply becoming Emperor. Wearing the Imperial Crown was never his ultimate goal.

His true goal was to build another paradise within this dangerous world, just as he had done with the Istarin Empire. He wanted to create an Empire where justice was valued above status, where the law protected both nobles and commoners equally, and where hard work was rewarded regardless of one’s birth.

More importantly, he wanted to create a nation where even ordinary mortals, who possessed no cultivation talent whatsoever, could live peaceful and dignified lives without constantly fearing exploitation, oppression, or death at the hands of those stronger than them.

Only an Empire where every citizen could live without fear would truly deserve to be called a paradise.

Throughout the conversation, Aditya also subtly revealed parts of his future vision for the Empire. Without announcing any official policies, he hinted that once he ascended the Imperial Throne, sweeping reforms would gradually be introduced across the Empire. At the same time, he indirectly made one thing absolutely clear to everyone seated in the hall.

He would not tolerate corruption.

Nor would he overlook officials abusing their authority, nobles exploiting the common people, or anyone using their status to engage in illegal businesses and criminal activities. Regardless of how much support a noble house had provided during the civil war, no one would receive special treatment if they broke the law after he became Emperor.

Although Aditya never directly threatened anyone, every noble leader clearly understood the warning hidden within his words. They also understood that he was setting the rules long before he officially ascended the throne.

The discussions continued for nearly an hour before the banquet finally came to an end. By the time everyone rose from their seats, not only had they become more confident about the coming civil war, but they also had a much clearer understanding of the kind of Emperor Aditya intended to become.

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