My mom is waiting for treatment, and you're summoning me to be a hero?

"Please sit down."

Li Yiguang's voice was steady, yet carried a subtle, almost imperceptible pressure.

A dozen or so people sat down as instructed, but their eyes remained fixed on the young man.

They are all waiting.

Wait for the second prince to reveal the true purpose of summoning them tonight.

Lin Mo did not speak immediately.

He simply leaned back in his chair and, with those eyes that belonged to Li Yiguang, scanned everyone present once more.

Hunter Axe sat first on the left side of the long table. He hadn't brought his giant axe with him, but his muscles and scars spoke volumes.

He glanced at Li Yiguang, nodded slightly, and then stood up.

"Your Highness, let me introduce you."

He walked up to the first person, a middle-aged military officer with a fierce face and piercing eyes, whose armor was heavier than the others.

"This is Lai Hu, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards, in charge of the defense of the west gate of the Imperial City. He is level 90 and is very powerful."

At the same time, he secretly transmitted his voice to Li Yiguang, or rather, to Lin Mo.

[He had a grudge against the Crown Prince's side, and three years ago he was almost framed and killed by them; it was Your Highness who saved him.]

Lai Hu stood up, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Li Yiguang, and nodded heavily without saying anything more.

There were only two words in his eyes: loyalty.

The hunter continued down.

The second was a gaunt old man, dressed in a gray alchemist's robe, with sparse hair, but his eyes were surprisingly sharp.

Several strange alchemical artifacts were placed in front of him, and his fingers unconsciously stroked a crystal ball the size of a fist.

"He Yuan, the chief alchemist of the palace, level 90, has a mental strength that is 30% higher than that of mages of the same level. He has followed His Highness for 15 years. Every time His Highness is in danger, it is the protective gear he made in advance that saves His Highness's life."

The old man raised his head and looked at Li Yiguang.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he just nodded.

The third.

the fourth.

the fifth.

Everyone who stood up had their own reasons for siding with Li Yiguang.

Some of them had been suppressed by the eldest prince.

Some family members have been persecuted.

Some simply believed that the second prince was more suitable to inherit the throne than the incompetent first prince.

After introducing the last person, Hunter Axe returned to his seat.

More than a dozen pairs of eyes turned to Li Yiguang once again.

Lin Mo remained silent for a few seconds.

He looked at these people, these people who were willing to follow Li Yiguang and even risk their lives for him.

But what they didn't know was that the "Li Yiguang" in front of them had become a different person.

They were completely unaware that the real Second Prince had become a puppet.

But what they want is the same.

To bring down the eldest prince.

Bring down Li Yan.

And the merit of following closely behind!

Lin Mo spoke up.

"I have called you all here because there is something I want to tell you."

No one spoke, but everyone's breathing became heavier.

"A few days ago, poison was found in my food, and it was confirmed that it was administered by the First Prince, Li Yishao."

A collective gasp filled the hall.

"Is that so!?"

"This is outrageous! This must be seriously investigated!"

"Yes, how could this be?"

……

boom!

Laihu slammed his fist on the table, the loud noise silencing everyone present.

"Li Yishao has openly declared war! Your Highness, please give the order, and I will go and demand an explanation from him immediately."

But the alchemist named He Yuan calmly interrupted Lai Hu's emotions.

"What did His Majesty say about this matter?"

Li Yiguang took a deep breath: "This is what I was most worried about... His Majesty has not made any statement."

quiet--

A silence fell over the room.

Those present were all seasoned veterans of officialdom, and they knew all too well what this meant.

The two princes had been vying for power for many years.

Now the eldest prince has poisoned the second prince, but His Majesty is ignoring it.

Doesn't this clearly show that His Majesty intends to pass the throne to the eldest prince?

Everyone present is openly siding with the Second Prince. If the First Prince ascends the throne, the consequences...

They dared not think about what would happen next.

At this moment, Hunter Axe suddenly spoke up: "The First Prince Li Yishao is incompetent, muddleheaded, and licentious. You know better than I what he has done all these years. You also know better than I what the Holy Ancient Empire will become if he ascends the throne."

Laihu clenched his fists.

He Yuan's finger stopped on the crystal ball.

The eyes of the others grew brighter and brighter.

Seeing that the time was right, Lin Mo, through Li Yiguang's words, said:

"I can't wait any longer. If I wait any longer, until he rightfully takes that position, it will be too late."

He paused.

"Therefore, I am prepared to take action on the day of the Glory Trial."

There was a moment of silence in the council chamber.

Hands-on?

What move?

Before anyone could react, Laihu was the first to stand up.

"Your Highness! I've waited three years for this day! There are three hundred brothers of the Imperial Guard at the west gate. They can seal the city gate at any time with just one order from Your Highness!"

Everyone then realized that a coup was about to be launched!

That could cost you your head!

But then I thought, if we're still trying to ease things now, everyone present will die a horrible death the moment the eldest prince actually ascends the throne.

But if the coup succeeds...

That would be the merit of following the emperor! Countless riches and honors await!

The other person stood up almost without hesitation, following Laihu.

"Your Highness, I can mobilize two hundred men from the eastern camp of the city's defense forces!"

The third person.

"Your Highness, I have fifty elite assassins, all level 60 or above, who can blend into the crowd..."

One by one, more than a dozen people stood up, lowering their voices to announce the number of people they could mobilize.

The numbers echoed in Lin Mo's ears, converging into a surging undercurrent.

That's enough.

Lin Mo raised his hand.

Everyone quieted down.

He looked at these people and quickly calculated in his mind.

"Report the numbers."

Zhou Hu was the first to speak: "Three hundred Imperial Guards at the west gate."

"Eastern garrison of the city, two hundred men."

"I have fifty elite soldiers on my side."

"I'm here..."

……

The numbers continued to accumulate.

Finally, Hunter Axe stood up and said in a deep voice, "I can pull out eighty men on my side, all of them are veterans above level eighty, the kind who have fought alongside me."

After everyone finished reporting, He Yuan's face turned ugly.

"Your Highness, we can only mobilize... 800 people."

This number is quite pessimistic.

Did 800 people stage a coup and overthrow the entire Holy Ancient Empire?

This is simply a fantasy.

Seeing that everyone's spirits were low again, Lin Mo was about to say something.

At this moment, Laihu suddenly spoke up: "800 people it is! Let's strike first!"

"Your Highness," He Yuan said, his sharp eyes fixed on Li Yiguang.

"Is the timing for taking action set for the day of the Glory Trial?"

Lin Mo nodded.

"That day, Li Yan will be there in person. All the important figures of the empire will be present, most of the Imperial Guards will be deployed to maintain order, leaving the palace empty, and we..."

Before he could finish speaking, He Yuan suddenly stood up.

"Your Highness, may I perform a divination for you?"

He picked up the fist-sized crystal ball in front of him.

He presented it to Li Yiguang with both hands.

"This battle is perilous; if we can obtain a good omen, it will put everyone's minds at ease."

The council chamber suddenly fell silent.

All eyes were on the crystal ball.

The object was completely transparent, with a faint glow flowing inside; it was clearly no ordinary item.

He Yuan's fingers began to caress the surface of the crystal ball, his lips moving as he chanted some obscure incantation.

Lin Mo's eye twitched slightly.

Divination.

He had only heard of this thing from Yin Xue.

It is said that high-level alchemists can use this method to glimpse the secrets of heaven and predict good or bad fortune.

What if this old man really does divine something?

What if his divination results show that there's something wrong with this "Li Yiguang" in front of him...

The light inside the crystal ball began to flow and grow brighter.

That's enough.

Li Yiguang's voice rang out, cold and unquestionable.

He Yuan was taken aback.

Then Li Yiguang snatched the crystal ball away.

To everyone's astonishment, it was suddenly slammed to the ground.

boom!

The crystal ball shattered, and countless fragments scattered in all directions.

The council chamber was deathly silent.

He Yuan stood frozen in place, staring at the shards scattered on the ground, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

Lin Mo looked at him, her voice as cold as ice:

"If the divination yields a favorable omen, then we take action; if the divination yields an unfavorable omen, then we remain inactive?"

He Yuan opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

Lin Mo's gaze swept over everyone present, and he said, word by word:

"This matter cannot be determined by divination, nor is it up to Heaven; it is up to us."

After a brief silence, someone suddenly spoke up.

"That's right! Only Your Highness is worthy to be the king of the Holy Ancient Empire!"

"If Li Yishao were to succeed to the throne, this vast empire would only collapse!"

"I have been presumptuous. I only divined that after Your Highness ascends the throne, the empire will be full of vitality, and all things will flourish!"

……

The others also knelt down and echoed his sentiments.

Seeing everyone's expressions, Lin Mo finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The destruction of a nation... begins here.