Chapter 1 The Lonely Emperor

Inside the empty parliament hall, Pu Xingbang sat alone on a chair, accompanied only by his father's body and the cold coffin.

Since the coffin was brought here this morning, Pu Xingbang had not allowed anyone except his own team to step into this hall, nor had he gone out himself.

Imperial power is lonely, so lonely that even the closest relatives cannot approach.

…

Inside the Weishui Corps headquarters.

Pu Xingguo looked at the dozen or so officers in the room with some humiliation: "Can't I even make a phone call to him?"

"Governor, you are currently unable to answer your phone call," a senior colonel replied. "But you can call someone else."

Pu Xingguo clenched his fist, and after a long silence, he replied: "I need a separate space."

"You can go back to the lounge, but you cannot leave the office." The other party replied expressionlessly.

Pu Xingguo stared at the people in front of him, feeling very depressed in his heart. He picked up his phone and turned to walk into the lounge.

Who should I call? Mother? Would that be useful?

My subordinates? Order the Weishui Corps to assemble and start a civil war from this moment on?

Can I win?

After his father, Pu Yuan, became seriously ill, Pu Xingbang handled most of the affairs of the Old Triangle. He may have already thought of a hundred countermeasures to contain himself, to eliminate himself, or perhaps... he was just waiting for himself to make a move.

The dignified commander of the Weishui Corps was actually forced to a point where he had no solution.

He wanted to make peace, but the other party simply wouldn't talk to him; he wanted to resist, but he didn't have the slightest chance of winning.

Pu Xingguo sat on the bed, holding his phone and thinking for a long time. Finally, he thought of someone. After careful consideration, he mustered his courage and dialed the other person's number.

…

Yanbei, Huaxia District, in the villa courtyard on the north side of the district administrative park.

An old lady in her sixties stood by the window on the second floor of her house, staring at the southwest direction.

Her name was Pu Ya, the direct daughter of Governor Pu Yuan who had married far away to the Huaxia District. She had lived here for nearly thirty years. Now that her father had passed away, her own elder brother would not allow her to go back to pay her respects.

In the quiet room, an old man with an extremely ugly appearance sat on the sofa, softly persuading, "Not going back now may not be a bad thing."

Pu Ya turned around, just about to reply, when she heard her phone ring.

The ugly old man was startled: "Sigh, there's no peace even here. Forget I said anything."

Pu Ya didn't respond. She walked to the table, picked up her phone, and calmly pressed the answer button.

The phone was connected, but no sound came from the receiver.

Pu Ya was silent for a while, then took the initiative to ask in her native dialect, "What's the matter? Little brother?"

"Sister, he's coming for me!" Pu Xingguo's voice rang out from the phone. "I... I really have no other way. I can only call you."

"What do you want me to do for you?"

"He can take everything he wants. I just want to go back and see my father," Pu Xingguo replied.

"Can I believe what you say?" Pu Ya asked.

"Sister!! I never thought about fighting for anything!" Pu Xingguo clenched his fist and replied, "If he wants me to step down, he can just say so. Why does he have to make it like this!"

"Okay, I'll make this call for you." Pu Ya did not reject this half-brother, but replied very decisively.

"Thank you, sister!"

"That's it!"

The two ended the call, and Pu Ya held her phone, her brow furrowed.

On the sofa, the old man got up tremblingly, looked at Pu Ya with his hands behind his back, and said, "Making that call is just meddling! You're no longer in your hometown, and you don't understand many things."

Pu Ya looked at her man with red eyes: "Does it have to come to this?"

"We've been through this stage too. Back then, my second uncle... sigh, never mind." The old man waved his hand and walked around the room, saying, "Your father had eight wives and twenty-something children... This is even more complicated than the situation we had here back then. The power of each branch of the family is too great. When the old man was around, everyone was just children, but now that the old man is gone, how can Xingbang handle these relationships? Who among the lords has a good relationship with whom, who is wearing the same pants as whom, and who is fighting for whose interests, these things are very difficult to judge."

"Just hand over power, wouldn't that be enough?"

"It's not that simple. The state funeral is only three days long, the time is short, the task is heavy, and a model must be established in order to disarm them with a cup of wine." The old man replied softly, "... It's difficult! To be objective, if it were me, I wouldn't have that kind of courage, so my dad was right, I'm not suitable to be a leader."

"No, it's his business how he decides. I'm still going to make this call." After thinking for a long time, Pu Ya finally decided to call Pu Xingbang.

The old man didn't try to persuade her any further. He walked towards the kitchen: "I'll get you something to eat."

Pu Ya dialed the number three times, but Pu Xingbang didn't answer.

She stood by the window, thinking for a long time, then sent him a text message: "Leave some room, after all, blood is thicker than water!"

…

Hanoi, inside the Supreme Council Hall.

Pu Xingbang sat on his chair, looked at his sister's text message, paused only slightly, and then put his phone aside.

Outside the door, a guard brigade commander walked in, saluted, and came to Pu Xingbang's side, saying, "A dozen generals from the First and Second War Zones have arrived and are waiting outside for you to receive them."

"I'm not seeing them!" Pu Xingbang waved his hand.

"Their meaning is, if you don't see them, they'll just keep standing there."

"Let them stand!" Pu Xingbang slowly stood up, reached out and stroked his father's coffin, his back view lonely as he walked towards the inner room.

Outside the parliament building, Pu Xingbang's three younger brothers, one younger sister, and a dozen or so generals were all standing on the steps, not shouting or making noise, but also not planning to leave.

Yanbei.

Pu Ya called Pu Xingguo back, and after a long silence, said, "I called, he didn't answer. I sent a text message, and he didn't reply either."

"Hehehe!" Pu Xingguo grinned: "Alright, I know what he wants to do!! I know…!"

…

Hanoi Port.

Three coast guard patrol boats were parked on the side of the road, and four or five hundred soldiers wearing Huaxia District-style uniforms quickly disembarked and assembled.

"I'll state the requirements! No conflicts with local armed forces are allowed, no heavy weapons are allowed, everyone must wear armbands, and obey orders! Legally protect our enterprises!" After a regiment commander shouted at the crowd, he immediately waved his hand and urged, "Get on the trucks!"

Inside the main building of Dongsheng Express.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Several explosions rang out, and Jiangzhou in the basement felt the ceiling above his head shaking violently!

"They... they seem to have broken in." A security guard outside the door walked in and shouted, "We'll protect you and leave first!"

"These bastards!" A rare expression of extreme anger appeared on Jiangzhou's handsome face: "Ask again, where are the people!"