Empire Conquest-Chapter 918 - 129: Multiple Contingency Plans

Admiral Ding Zhennan held no regard for this high-ranking figure in the Gaoju Kingdom.

Strictly speaking, Ding Zhennan was not particularly familiar with Park Tae-hee. After all, he served in the Northwest War Zone, while the Gaoju Kingdom belonged to the East Ocean War Zone. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

It was on the day the Alliance Headquarter was established in King Khalid’s Military City that Ding Zhennan first met the Gaoju King’s "father-in-law."

In fact, it was precisely this familial connection that made Ding Zhennan disdain Park Tae-hee.

Although there were many commanders in the Imperial Army who climbed to success through connections with the Imperial Family, the most representative being the two War Gods of the Imperial Navy—Chen Bingxun, who personally established the Imperial Navy, and Bai Zhizhan, who led the Imperial Navy to triumph in the last great war—both were relatives of the Empire. But fundamentally speaking, commanders like Chen Bingxun and Bai Zhizhan only connected with the Imperial Family after they became famous, unlike those who achieved success by ingratiating themselves with the powerful. Their inherent capabilities were undoubtedly beyond question.

However, this was not the case in the Gaoju Kingdom.

As Ding Zhennan knew, many commanders in the Gaoju Kingdom attached themselves to the Royal Family solely for fame and fortune, possessing no real ability of their own.

Moreover, the Gaoju Royal Family also maintained its hold on power through marriage alliances and other means.

With this understanding, Ding Zhennan initially considered Park Tae-hee to be cut from the same cloth, no different from the other Gaoju military figures he had encountered.

However, after meeting Park Tae-hee, Ding Zhennan changed this view.

Just by looking at his appearance, Ding Zhennan felt that Park Tae-hee was a formidable character because the innate, naturally exuded aura of dominance was unquestionably authentic, not a deliberate imitation.

This confirmed a rumor: Park Tae-hee harbored rebellious intentions long ago!

The key was: Park Tae-hee was a citizen of the South High Kingdom, and during the last great war, he drifted to the North High Kingdom, where he joined the military after the war ended.

There had long been rumors among the people: Park Tae-hee was a surviving orphan of the Southern High Royal Family.

From a historical standpoint, the Southern High Royal Family and the Northern High Royal Family, now known as the Gaoju Royal Family, trace their lineage back to the Li Family, which founded the Gaoju Kingdom.

Currently, the Gaoju Royal Family bears the surname Li!

Simply put, after the end of the First Global War, the Ice Storm Peninsula was divided in two, and the Gaoju Kingdom established by the Li Family also split into two kingdoms. To ensure legitimacy and legality, the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom, controlling the southern part of the peninsula, supported the overseas branch of the Li Family and established the South High Kingdom. Nevertheless, until the Southern High Kingdom was destroyed in the Second Global War, the Liangxia Empire never recognized the Southern High Royal Family.

According to protocol, the legality of the Gaoju Royal Family came from the Imperial Family’s edict.

After the establishment of the Liangxia Empire, each Gaoju King had to visit the Imperial Capital before ascending the throne to receive a formal edict from the Emperor. Prior to the outbreak of the First Global War, the Gaoju Royal Family had their heirs, notably the Crown Prince, study in-depth in the Liangxia Empire, grow alongside the Liangxia Royal Family princes, or join the Imperial Guard Army to serve as subordinates to princes, to strengthen relations with the Liangxia Royal Family.

With this precedent, the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom and other monarchical states like Saudi Arabia began sending their heirs to the Liangxia Empire for education.

To put it more bluntly, they were actually being sent as hostages.

At that time, the Southern High Royal Family was only sanctioned by the Saiyi Royal Family, not by the Imperial Family, thus dubbed the Southern High Pseudo Dynasty in historical records.

This was also a very short-lived dynasty.

From its establishment to its destruction, it lasted a mere 21 years!

After the Southern High Kingdom fell, most of the Royal Family members drifted overseas, with some reaching the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom and later moving to the Newland Republic. One branch remains in Gold Bay City, Newland Republic, claiming to be the rightful lineage of the Gaoju Royal Family.

However, many Royal Family members did not escape.

Those members who stayed in the Gaoju Kingdom changed their names before the end of the war, reclaiming civilian status, and scattered across major cities.

The key is, most of these anonymous Royal Family members chose the prominent surnames of the Gaoju Kingdom.

This relates to a transformation within the Southern High Royal Family, or rather, the influence of being under Saiyi rule, adopting customs from the Saiyi Royal Family.

The Southern High Royal Family abolished their dynasty’s surname following the Saiyi Royal Family!

For over 2000 years, the Saiyi Royal Family has never had a surname. Even after restoration, the Saiyi Royal Family did not establish a surname for themselves.

Lacking a surname became a distinctive marker of royal identity.

The royals could have special privileges, but when reclaiming civilian identity, surely a surname was needed.

The Royal Family members, who went overseas, mostly reverted to the surname "Li," since the Li Dynasty had existed for centuries as the rightful rulers of the Gaoju Kingdom.

However, those who remained in the Gaoju Kingdom mostly chose other surnames.

The reason was simple: to avoid purges and persecution.

Similarly, most family members chose major surnames like "Kim," "Park," "Choi," "Jung," and "Kang," amongst others.

Obviously, a surname alone couldn’t definitively determine Park Tae-hee was a surviving orphan of the Southern High Royal Family.

In New Calendar year 100, when the Southern High Kingdom fell, Park Tae-hee was less than ten years old. By New Calendar year 106, at the age of 16, he ranked third nationwide and entered the Gaoju Royal Military Academy, receiving the rank of Army Lieutenant three years later.

Evidently, if Park Tae-hee were merely a commoner, why would he obtain an education that ordinary people wouldn’t dare to dream of?