Lynch didn’t believe Mr. Truman was unaware of what was happening. Considering this was a public place without confidentiality, he shook his head, "Let’s hope the Lord blesses Gafura, everything will pass."

Mr. Truman nodded with a smile, "Yes, no matter what the disaster is, it will pass one day."

Not long after, the restaurant owner brought over the food for the two.

The beef rib was a boneless rib, a large piece weighing about a pound, with its bone-removal marks clearly visible.

The membrane used to wrap tightly around the bone hadn’t completely shrunk, leaving some space in the middle, suggesting it had just been deboned.

Above the plate was a pork sausage, about half a pound. In such a roadside ordinary restaurant, if the dining cost is not low, the owner had better give more.

Ordinary people have only two demands when eating; either it’s cheap or it fills them up.

This place belongs to the kind that fills you up. It’s not cheap, but eating meat fills you up, making such a restaurant very marketable, especially suitable for those engaged in laborious work to enjoy.

They occasionally need to eat a good meal too!

Ordinary sauce paired with ordinary vegetables, and an ordinary but substantial pork sausage, the two seemed not to mind the low-grade ingredients, enjoying their meal with relish.

On the other side of the strait, His Majesty the Emperor of Gafura was standing by the window, gazing at the stars in the sky.

The weather today was good, the night sky was filled with stars like the curtain of an opera house, illuminated by something bright behind the darkness, making each twinkling light make one feel their insignificance.

It was supposed to be a good night, with gentle breezes and suitable temperatures, but His Majesty the Emperor of Gafura didn’t seem to find any comfort in it.

His face was grim, his eldest son and second son stood not far behind him.

He had a daughter too, but she wasn’t present. After personally eliminating his threatening siblings, he understood a principle.

As an emperor, one doesn’t need too many children, nor offer even a bit of hope to those hopeless, as it won’t motivate them but only ruin them.

Thus, in the room were only his two sons, yet among these two, there was one fool.

The Eldest Prince looked worriedly at his brother, with some discontent in his eyes.

Just now, the Second Prince actually expressed that he believed the royal family’s withdrawal from the core of power was an inevitable direction of societal development.

This utterly enraged His Majesty the Emperor, more than any betrayal from the ministers ever did.

He knows the imperial family and the Noble Group will never stand together, so whether it’s the Prime Minister or other ministers, their power struggle is a necessary process of Gafura’s political system evolution.

The imperial family holds power for some time, then the ministers do for some time.

But this time, the Prime Minister seemed to want to overturn the table, proposing an idea—Monarchy Constitution.

To make the royal family give up enough power, turning into mascots.

The reason being that dictatorial regimes can no longer keep up with the rapid development of the international community, and to match this fast pace, such outdated monarchic institutions must be eliminated.

Though both sides are still in conflict, unexpectedly, his second son has sided with the noble faction.

His Majesty the Emperor turned to the Second Prince, "I sent you to the Royal Academy to make more friends, outstanding talents, top scientists of society."

"These people can provide various assistance on your future life journey, but it was definitely not to make you oppose me."

He looked at the Royal Grand Steward, also his form, "Take this waste away, and don’t let him out without my consent..."

The Chief Steward bowed slightly and walked to the Second Prince’s side, "Please follow me..."

Within the Imperial Palace, there are places specifically for confinement, as the internal strife within Gafura’s imperial family had almost never ceased. Previous emperors built many rooms with special functions for confinement, punishment, and even torturing their former rivals.

On the way to the confinement room, as the Second Prince was walking, he suddenly asked, "Uncle, do you think what I said was wrong?"

Facing his father earlier, His Majesty the Emperor of the Empire, he spoke of the various drawbacks of the monarchy and the various advantages of the Monarchy Constitution.

They can guarantee the uniqueness of the imperial family to the greatest extent, holding some correction rights, such as the power to veto and impeach the prime minister.

It seems like more power falls into the hands of the Noble Group and imperial family, but it’s not entirely the case.

The imperial family still holds considerable power and doesn’t need to be responsible for any policy failures, only enjoying the achievements.

If someone wants to engage in politics, they can completely gain power through elections.

The Federation Congress and President’s playbook turned what was once just a land of natives and exiles into a force that can now rival Gafura.

This further illustrates that monarchy... or dictatorship, no longer has a market.

No one can be omniscient and omnipotent; even a god may not be able to. In such circumstances, concentrating power in one person is the greatest dereliction of duty to all citizens!

Thus, the Second Prince, fully aware that he is also a beneficiary of royal power, still sided with the Noble Group.

He does not want to betray and overthrow his father; he simply hopes that this country can become strong.

The Chief Steward slowly walked without speaking, the corridor leading to the confinement room becoming increasingly oppressive, and the Second Prince felt somewhat desperate.

Once he is locked up in confinement, it means... he might never leave; he knows his father’s nature, knows that he won’t admit failure until the last moment.

Just as the confinement room appeared in sight, the Chief Steward suddenly stopped, turned to look at the Second Prince, "I very much support your views. If the Noble Group and the Imperial Family were to erupt into civil war, perhaps... we would lose everything."

"I will tell His Majesty that you’ve been locked up..."

The Second Prince looked at his uncle, the Chief Steward of the Imperial Palace, somewhat puzzled, while the latter smiled and said, "Go and do what you intend to, I will help you keep it hidden for now, don’t expose yourself too early."

The Second Prince’s originally desperate heart was instantly lit up; he nodded vigorously, hesitated for a moment, then gripped the Chief Steward’s hands and said sincerely, "Thank you!"

Then he left without looking back.

After watching the Second Prince leave, the Chief Steward returned to the study where His Majesty the Emperor was discussing with the Eldest Prince about strengthening the palace guard force and deploying some of the Imperial Family’s elite Guard Army.

His Majesty the Emperor noticed the Chief Steward, and their eyes fleetingly exchanged a look, somewhat like—

"Is it done?"

"It’s done!"

With such simplicity, His Majesty the Emperor continued handling the work at hand, being a dictator who ascended the throne as a "bastard" after killing all siblings who threatened him.

His control over the Imperial Family and the Imperial Palace is far beyond any previous Emperor of the Empire, so there is virtually no chance of any "defection" event without his consent.

To be clearer, it was he who ordered the Chief Steward to let the Second Prince go.

As an Emperor, a politician, he is well aware of the value of leaving a way out for himself.

Compared to the Second Prince’s slightly "naïve" ideas, the Eldest Prince firmly stands by His Majesty the Emperor.

The Emperor doesn’t have many children, unlike his stallion father, who could grasp any girl in the palace, be it a maid or servant, and proceed with a racial venture.

Certainly, he is also grateful to his stallion father, for it was his untimely and indiscriminate stallion behavior that led to the current His Majesty the Emperor.

His Majesty the Emperor greatly loathes the feeling of sibling slaughter. He knows that as an emperor, he is not the best.

He hasn’t received the most professional imperial education; his pure-blooded brothers usually accompany their father, watching the old emperor handle various affairs and even make decisions on behalf of the old emperor.

He could not; he is a bastard, besides not having pure lineage, he lacks a strong family lineage.

Unlike the Third Prince, who applies the greatest pressure on him; his mother is the daughter of a certain Duke of Gafura, even if he cannot inherit the throne here, he could return to inherit the Duchy.

Furthermore, the Duchy is his leverage in vying for the throne.

The current His Majesty the Emperor has nothing; he is cautious in every step, an excellent executioner who, on a stormy night, with few loyal to him, assassinated all his siblings who posed a threat.

In some aspects, he is also a competent emperor; at least he is an able and courageous emperor.

He hopes his children won’t be foolish enough to fight and kill each other, so he restrained his desires and bore just a few children.

At this moment, he is contemplating the next countermeasures when the phone in the room rang; he walked to the side to answer it, and the Chief Steward voluntarily moved to another corner of the room to ensure he wouldn’t accidentally eavesdrop on anything.

A moment later, His Majesty the Emperor returned to the desk, expressionless, continuing to discuss strategies with his Eldest Prince.

This call was not only made to His Majesty the Emperor but also received by the Prime Minister.

He had been asleep for a while; as one ages, staying up late becomes difficult.

It’s not that they can’t endure; they can sleep later, but if delayed too much, there’s a high chance of insomnia.

He faces many cumbersome tasks daily, so he cannot sleep too late or abstain from sleep, as he needs to be responsible for his work.

At this moment, the ringing phone woke him. After opening his eyes, he lay for a dozen seconds, then propped the pillow behind his waist, sat up, and answered the call.