Chapter 267: Emperor Durand’s Curiosity
The next day, the imperial family announced the coup attempt by Grand Duke Gouvard’s faction. At the same time, they revealed that the devils have collaborators within the empire, labeling them as traitors. However, the imperial family withheld some names to prevent chaos and avoid causing widespread distrust among the people.
Names like Master Dan, Grand Duke Gouvard, and even the Third Prince Lewis are not revealed. However, some nobles from Grand Duke Gouvard’s faction are named publicly. The imperial family understands that announcing individuals like Master Dan or a grand duke as collaborators with the devils would cause the people to lose all faith in the empire’s leadership.
Such an action would become a ticking time bomb in the long run, and the imperial family is determined to avoid that. They aim to minimize the impact as much as possible.
The announcement caused an uproar across the Doria Empire, with people scrambling to uncover information about the unfolding events. Why did the grand duke suddenly attempt a coup? What will happen next? While the situation among the populace remains relatively peaceful, opinions are deeply divided. This diversity of perspectives is, in fact, the ideal outcome for the imperial family. At least there is no chaos in the territories of the nobles.
At this time, the capital also saw the arrival of high-ranking nobles. The remaining grand dukes arrived in the capital this morning to report to the imperial family. They wish to face the emperor and demonstrate that they are not involved in the coup. This act also serves as a show of support for the imperial family, helping to avoid any misunderstandings.
Inside the throne hall, Grand Duke Rivas, Grand Duke Lumeria, and Grand Duke Herlion stood before Emperor Durand. They appeared to be discussing the recent events in the empire. Grand Duke Rivas also informed Emperor Durand about his findings concerning Wei Zhi and the betrayal by some individuals within his grand duchy and those under his command.
"Grand Duke Rivas, you are truly fortunate to have someone help you uproot the hidden snake within your family. Do you already know this person’s identity? From the looks of it, the one who warned you about the traitors and the one who killed Wei Zhi seem to be the same individual," said a middle-aged man with blonde hair and a small beard under his chin. He was Grand Duke Herlion.
"That is what I thought as well, but so far, I haven’t been able to find solid proof that this man is the same person who warned me. They left behind very few traces. However, I did come across a small clue, there are traces of assassins, but I’m still unsure which group they belong to," Grand Duke Rivas replied.
"Assassins? Could there be any connection to the news we just heard from the northeast? Many high-ranking members of noble families were assassinated there—could it be the same group?" Grand Duke Lumeria asked.