"I'm so sorry, Your Majesty, because of some unexpected things, my lord came down late!"

Five minutes before the scheduled start of the dinner, Earl Hutt, dressed in a purple gown, arrived late with a group of conservative aristocratic officials, and when he saw Emperor Plitt already sitting on the throne, he immediately confessed in horror.

"It's okay, there was still some time before the dinner began, and today it was my whim that I came to the banquet in advance, so please enjoy this dinner to the fullest!"

Emperor Plitt struggled to his feet and announced with open arms to the hundreds of nobles and officials of the highest status in the imperial capital who attended the banquet.

"Salute to His Majesty the Great Emperor!"

The palace minister of Fosk also got up, picked up the withered silver wine glass, and said in a loud voice.

"Salute to His Majesty the Great Emperor!"

Hundreds of people in the Aram Hall also rose and raised their glasses at the same time, and presented the first glass of wine at the banquet to Sassen XVII.

Then the court musicians around the venue played a cheerful New Year's music, and the forty long tables in the Aran Hall were full of glitz and glamour.

On the other side, at the gate of Bilbinos, southeast of Urgana, just two kilometres from the eastern side, a large army marched in the distance.

The captain of the city guard, who was standing on the gate of Bilbinos and was in charge of guarding the gate, received the news and immediately asked his subordinates who had been prepared to mount their horses in advance and began to disperse the crowd of people gathered at the gate and on the street to participate in the New Year's celebration:

"Now according to His Majesty's instructions, the curfew decree will be enforced around the Bilbinos Gate, and now everyone will hurry back to their homes!"

"Curfew decrees? It's a New Year's celebration!"

"Yes! How can there be a curfew today? Did Your Majesty commit a crime?"

Hearing the words of the city guards, the residents of the imperial capital and the vendors who rushed here in the surrounding area were full of dissatisfaction and doubt.

"There's no why! Now, all of us are back at home, and within ten minutes, if anyone is still in our sights, arrest them immediately!"

To the dissatisfaction of these civilians, the city guards replied with fierce horsewhips and cold light and knights' long swords, and several whips were drawn to the nearest civilians, and the severe pain immediately made these innocent people howl.

Seeing that these knights seemed to be in earnest, the people were at once silent, the adults were holding their children, the peddlers packed up their goods, and the bard took up his soft hat and shamisen, and hurried out of the vicinity of the Bilbinos Gate.

From time to time, crowds and stampedes occurred, and instead of maintaining order, the city guards began to drive away the slower crowd on horseback.

Soon, under the tough measures of the city guards, the originally lively streets suddenly became empty, the doors of all the shops were closed, only the beautiful lanterns were still hanging on both sides of the street, and the people looked at the deserted streets through the cracks in the windows and door panels, and their hearts were full of doubts and dissatisfaction with the city guards.

"Captain, the crowd has dispersed!"

In the garrison stronghold set up above the gates of Bilbinos, a knight who had completed the task of dispersal returned to the room to report.

"Very well, then it's my boys' turn! Master Joan, send a message to His Royal Highness that we have arrived at the Bilbinos Gate!"

General Bonofor, who had a goatee, nodded in satisfaction, and stood up to his attendant and the mage beside him.

"Yes! General!"

Both replied respectfully, one of them immediately set out to deliver the order, and the other sent a message to the court using teleportation.

After receiving the order to open, the 2nd Guards Division, which was waiting outside the city gate, immediately began to move, and elite soldiers wearing armor and stomachs, carrying long swords or spears at their waists, all entered the city gate silently.

All of them were the personal soldiers of the officers of the 2nd Guards Division and the private soldiers raised in the territories of the conservative aristocracy, enjoying high salaries and perfect equipment, and their combat effectiveness was not comparable to that of the soldiers drawn from the conscription system of the Empire.

And their number is more than 8,000 people, 2,000 more than Viscount Hart had estimated before, and it is also with such a team that the conservatives dare to launch an attack on Longmian Palace tonight.

Has the 2nd Guards Division entered Hurgana? Looks like I'll be able to appreciate this idiot sister's reaction to defeat right away!

In the Aram Hall, Prince Fairmod, who had received the news brought by his personal attendant, quietly looked at the opposite Empress Dorothy, showed a smile of determination, and turned his head to his personal attendant to say a few words.

Seeing this scene, the princess Dorothea knew that her imperial brother's plan was probably revealed immediately, so she suddenly cut the tentacles of the sea monster's delicious and soft elastic in the dinner plate, dipped it in the sauce and elegantly put it in her mouth, her heart was full of vigilance and caution.

"Bring me a drink!"

Having drained the wine from his glass, Prince Fairmode instructed the maid serving behind him.

"Yes, Your Royal Highness!"

The maid lifted the gilded wine jug, and just as she was about to pour wine for Prince Fairmode, the prince's attendant just now happened to hurry over and accidentally bumped into her, and the silver-white wine suddenly spilled onto the prince's red dress, and the look of the maid and the attendant suddenly turned pale:

"Please forgive your sins! His Royal Highness!"

"Please forgive me! His Royal Highness!"

"It's okay, it's just a coincidence, tonight is a time of celebration, and I won't punish you!"

Prince Fairmode waved his hand generously, then frowned at the stains on his dress, and helplessly said to Emperor Prit, who had simply eaten a little on the throne, and then began to look a little tired:

"Father, please allow me to go to the bathroom!"

"Go! My child, I am glad with your kindness!"

Emperor Plitt watched his son's actions with satisfaction, smiled and said, thinking about when he would announce his decision.

"This is what I'm supposed to do!"

Prince Fairmode got up and left the Aram Hall, but instead of entering the bathroom, he walked with his attendant to the west side of the Longmian Palace:

"Is there any news from Squire Finn?"

"Back to Your Highness, Lady Finn's squire has obtained His Majesty's spare seal and handed it over to Deputy Captain Shalan! Vice-Captain Sharan has sent a messenger to the 1st Guards Division!"

"Really? Looks like the plan is going well, and the palace guards near the western sewer exit are all our men, right?"

"Yes, Your Royal Highness, everything is going according to your plan!"

"In that case, I'll be on that throne soon!"

Prince Fairmode nodded in satisfaction, and the golden twin children showed excitement and eagerness.