Solon was at the Vane Manor, in the faint light of dawn, preparing to reunite with Queen Wenna when a series of hurried footsteps broke the surrounding silence.

A servant rushed in, looking flustered, not even bothering to knock, his voice trembling with barely concealed panic: "Your Majesty, the Emperor—the Emperor has passed away!"

As the servant entered, Queen Wenna pushed Solon away and covered him with a blanket.

Solon, under the covers, felt as if struck by lightning, stunned and motionless for a long time.

His eyes widened, filled with shock and confusion, as if unable to process this sudden, devastating news.

Time seemed to freeze, and all the surrounding sounds gradually faded away, leaving Solon's mind blank.

After a long while, he slowly regained his senses, and thoughts flooded back like a tide.

The thought of his father's final use of Prince Oltriff, all for the sake of his smooth succession to the throne, stirred up a storm in Solon's heart.

To secure his position, his father had meticulously planned, even at the cost of sacrificing his own brother.

This deep and complex paternal love filled Solon with mixed emotions, a combination of grief over his father's passing, gratitude for his efforts, and guilt.

"Father…" Solon murmured to himself, his eyes slightly reddened.

But he quickly suppressed his emotions, knowing that this was not the time to wallow in sorrow; he had a more important mission to undertake.

He took a deep breath and quickly put on his clothes, his movements swift and decisive.

Every action conveyed an undeniable sense of determination.

Queen Wenna sat gracefully on the bed, covered only by a sheet, yet her dignified aura remained unmistakable.

Her gaze followed Solon's hurried departure until he left the room, then she slowly withdrew her gaze and fell into deep thought.

As long as Solon was there, even if the situation in the capital was turbulent, it would not completely spiral out of control.

However, Queen Wenna still frowned involuntarily, her greatest concern being Empress Nina.

This woman was cunning, ambitious, and had been secretly cultivating her power in the harem, never giving up her pursuit of power.

While the Emperor was alive, Empress Nina had been somewhat restrained, but now that the Emperor had passed away, this was undoubtedly her golden opportunity.

Queen Wenna knew that Empress Nina would never let go of this chance to rise to power and pull Solon down from the throne.

"Hmph, wanting to seize Solon's throne is simply wishful thinking," Queen Wenna murmured, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in her eyes.

She straightened her back slightly, looked into the distance, and her thoughts drifted back to her experience of returning to her family's territory this time.

This time, she was on a major mission to make the old folks in the family realize the situation,

and give up supporting Empress Nina.

In her opinion, Empress Nina only had some foundation in the imperial capital's family line, and most of these people were bewitched by Empress Nina's methods and became her loyal followers.

But Queen Wenna had already secretly planned and found a breakthrough that was enough to shake Empress Nina's foundation.

The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, revealing a confident smile.

Imagining the shocked expression on Empress Nina's face when the plan was implemented and she learned the truth, Queen Wenna felt a burst of joy in her heart.

"Nina, this time, I'm afraid you're going to lose miserably," she said softly, her tone full of certainty.

The news of the Emperor's death was like a bombshell that instantly exploded in the capital.

Upon hearing the news, Empress Nina immediately displayed her decisive methods.

She quickly summoned Jackson and Tyrrell into the palace.

In a secret room, the three of them spoke in hushed tones, the atmosphere heavy and oppressive.

At the same time, Empress Nina's eldest son, Samael, was not idle either.

He rode a fast horse, traveling back and forth between the military camps outside the city, conveying Empress Nina's orders, trying to win over the military forces and prepare for her upcoming actions.

On the other side, Solon seemed completely unaware of Empress Nina's little actions.

He devoted himself wholeheartedly to the affairs of preparing the funeral for the Emperor, his expression solemn and meticulous.

From selecting funeral supplies to arranging sacrificial rituals, he personally oversaw every detail, as if the most important thing in the world at this moment was to give his father a grand funeral.

However, when Empress Nina heard the news that Prince Oltriff had also died in battle, she was struck by lightning, sitting blankly in place, and fell into a long silence.

Her eyes were empty and confused, and her mind was filled with thoughts.

The death of Prince Oltriff meant that she had lost an important pillar, and it also made the situation even more confusing.

After a long time, Empress Nina slowly raised her head, and a flash of madness suddenly appeared in her eyes.

She knew that this was her last chance.

If she could not take this opportunity to bring down Solon and seize the throne, then she would never have a chance to turn things around in her life.

The days of enduring humiliation and bearing burdens in the harem in the past, and the deliberate plans, would all be in vain.

"Solon, this time, I will never let you succeed again," Empress Nina said, gritting her teeth, her voice full of determination and ruthlessness.

She clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white from the force, and she had already made up her mind.

After that, she began to prepare intensively.

Discussing the next steps of the plan with Jackson and Tyrrell, constantly issuing new instructions to Samael, trying to gather enough power in the shortest possible time to launch a fatal blow against Solon.

Gloomy leaden clouds piled up in layers, like a huge gray silk, tightly enveloping the capital.

Beneath the sky, the entire city was immersed in a deathly sorrow, as if even the wind was lamenting for the deceased Emperor, whispering through the streets and alleys.

The central square of the capital has now been transformed into a solemn funeral venue,

Around the square, tall black banners swayed heavily in the wind, the golden crests on the flags seeming to be frozen in sorrow, losing their former luster in the dim light.

In the center of the square, a huge mausoleum platform made of black marble stood quietly, surrounded by wreaths woven from pure white lilies and pale purple irises, the rich floral fragrance filling the air, but unable to dispel the strong atmosphere of grief.

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