NOVPUB
Chapter 1251: Chapter 1251: Versed in Both Pen and Sword
Before Dawn!
Looking at the clock by the entrance of the celestial palace’s grand hall.
For the first time, Everton Davenport wanted to murder someone!
Why!
Why has The North Sea been calm for years, with the country thriving and the people living in peace?
Despite being a minor court, the monarch and his officials stayed united, with no internal strife ever surfacing.
Even if the Left Minister and Right Minister were at odds, they never showed it outright.
But why, exactly when The North Sea was on the verge of restoration, on the brink of holding the ceremony to confer kingship!
When the Princess of The North Sea was about to get engaged to her future consort!
Several people died!
And the real culprit remains undiscovered!
The scope of those involved is vast, reaching from the deputy supervisor at the Commissioner’s Office to the Military Governor, General, and both Left and Right Second Ministers!
All were somehow implicated.
Seeing that in a few hours the ceremony would commence!
Not far from this grand hall in the Eight-direction palace, many foreign guests are still accommodated!
What’s more, the deity of the West Sea publicly threatened to kill the consort of The North Sea!
Internal troubles and external threats!
All surged forth in a single night.
Everton Davenport felt weary!
It was as if he aged greatly overnight.
"Everyone withdraw, summon the Right Minister."
Finally.
He lifted his head and gestured with his hand.
"Yes!"
The officials dispersed.
Only the Left Minister remained, kneeling on the ground, not daring to breathe heavily.
Shortly after, the Right Minister entered the hall with hurried steps, kneeling on the ground, a panicked expression on his face.
Clearly, he had been asleep when he was abruptly awakened and came here in a rush.
Even his body still reeked of alcohol.
That was the scent left from drinking with Julius Reed.
"The Right Minister seems to be in good spirits!" Everton Davenport sniffed lightly and could smell the pungent alcohol.
Drinking at a time like this?
"Is it to celebrate getting rid of Jonas Brandon?"
As soon as these words were uttered, the Right Minister became so frightened that he knocked his head on the floor in haste.
"Your Majesty, I was unaware!"
He genuinely had no clue what had happened.
He had merely been drinking at home with the future consort of The North Sea.
How could he know that he would be woken up in the middle of the night?
Wasn’t it said that the affairs regarding Nancy Ophelia and Oracio Martin had completely passed?
Has His Majesty changed his mind?
But.
What does this have to do with Jonas Brandon?
What happened to General Brandon?
"Do you truly not know?" The more Everton Davenport thought, the more he felt something was amiss.
Solaris Grove was taken away, then fought his way out—was it truly without the Right Minister’s orders?
But why would Solaris Grove leave if everything were fine?
Could it be that, just as the outside world speculated, Solaris Grove felt guilty after killing someone and was planning to flee?
"I truly had no idea!"
The Right Minister was thoroughly confused.
He turned his head, looking at the Left Minister, his heart filled with ire!
Without thinking, he knew it must be his archenemy slandering him before the king!
"Right Minister, you indulged Solaris Grove in murdering General Brandon, and then directed him to flee from his crime! Don’t think that by denying it, you can deceive everyone!"
The Left Minister, as if he had grabbed a dagger, stabbed mercilessly into the Right Minister’s heart.
"You deceive your superiors and kill your colleagues! Your Majesty! I request that both of us be arrested, and once the investigation clarifies everything, then my innocence will be restored!"
Solaris Grove’s escape was a fatal blow to the Right Minister!
It was common knowledge that they were like father and son.
Though an adopted son, inside The North Sea, Solaris Grove was completely obedient to the Right Minister!
For such a significant matter as an escape, without the Right Minister’s command, Solaris Grove would never act on his own.
"That’s fine." Everton Davenport nodded.
Since both parties stuck to their stories, they could only wait for an investigation.
If the Right Minister were to flee as well, Everton Davenport could truly abdicate on the spot.
The North Sea, peaceful for so many years, was at this moment fraught with peril.
"Your Majesty! I have something to say, about the Left Minister!" The Right Minister braced himself, prepared to go down fighting.
"Speak!"
Only the three of them were in the grand hall.
Whatever it was, Everton Davenport was willing to listen.
"The Left Minister is with Bead Pulse!"
The Right Minister glared coldly at his archenemy, pointing at the wood bead on the Left Minister’s hand: "On this bead, inscribed is the mark of Bead Pulse!"
"You!"
The Left Minister was startled inside!
Cold sweat streamed down his forehead.
"Such an incident!" Everton Davenport immediately stood up, strode to the Left Minister, and demanded, "The bead, hand it over!"
"Your Majesty... Your servant..."
The Left Minister stammered, unable to utter another word.
"Hand it over!"
Everton Davenport pressed down on the Left Minister’s arm with one hand and with the other gave a fierce tug!
Snap!
The thread connected to the bead was yanked apart.
And the wooden bead was now in Everton Davenport’s grip.
"Bead Pulse?"
He scrutinized the carvings on the wooden bead, his eyes narrowing to slits!
It really was the Bead Pulse!
Someone from within his own North Sea territory has infiltrated with the Bead Pulse!
And it was none other than his most trusted Left Minister.
The chief of the North Sea’s civilian officials!
"Speak."
Everton Davenport held the bead in his palm, idly playing with it.
Utterly silent.
In contact with Pendleton, he naturally recognized the Bead Pulse mark.
Gulp.
The Left Minister swallowed hard.
His whole body slumped to the ground.
His court dress was already drenched in sweat, his complexion as white as a sheet of paper.
This bead!
It had been on his person for decades, never leaving his side.
How did the Right Minister come to know of it?
"Speak!"
Everton Davenport bellowed furiously, violently hurling the bead to the ground, "If you do not give me an explanation, I swear I will show no mercy in your execution! What I hate the most... what I hate the most are traitors!"
Even before the North Sea faced its downfall, the Left Minister was already by his side.
After a devastating defeat in war!
All the civil and military officials were executed!
Those loyalists hidden in shadows followed Everton Davenport to the North Sea.
And the Left Minister rose to the position of Prime Minister.
From the establishment of the small court in Star City to this day, the Left Minister had always been the person Everton Davenport trusted the most.
Matters of the state and the family, Everton Davenport always consulted with both the Left and Right Ministers.
However...
"Hiss!"
Everton Davenport clenched his fists, trembling with rage.
Betrayal!
Traitor!
"Your servant has nothing to say..."
The Left Minister closed his eyes and hung his head.
Waiting for fate to decree his lot.
He couldn’t fathom how the Right Minister had found out.
"Your Majesty! The Left Minister is a traitor, he must not be taken lightly!" The Right Minister said eagerly, adding insult to injury.
"Guards!"
Everton Davenport closed his eyes, teeth clenched tightly.
"Take these two away! Lock them in the dungeon! Whoever dares to approach them, kill! Whoever dares to break them out, kill! Whoever dares to plead for them, kill!"
The triple pronouncement of ’kill’ left the Right Minister utterly petrified.
"Your Majesty, your servant..."
"Silence! Take them away!"
Everton Davenport paid no heed to the Right Minister’s pleas and flung his sleeve with a violent gesture!
Boom! Boom!
Two clouds of blood mist suddenly exploded from the Left Minister and the Right Minister!
As the blood mist erupted, the strength within their bodies seemed to be drained away.
Completely robbed of any ability to resist.
"Your servant is loyal to you! Please, Your Majesty, discern the truth!" the Right Minister shouted loudly, his tone filled with indignation!
He himself had exposed the Left Minister as a Bead Pulse traitor, a significant achievement.
Why should he be implicated as well?
After the two were taken away, Everton Davenport felt a pain as if his heart was being wrenched.
He hated being deceived above all else!
Thinking of the faces in the North Sea, Everton Davenport truly couldn’t discern who else might be a traitor!
Could it be that in the vast North Sea, there were no longer any people he could trust?
Civilian officials, all disciples of the Left Minister.
Military officials, supporters of the Right Minister.
If he dismissed the two ministers, with the restoration of the country within reach, if the civilian and military officials were to passively engage in battle, what means would he have to overturn the Ten Thousand Mountain Alliance?
"Son-in-law!"
Everton Davenport slapped his thigh!
The North Sea’s Son-in-law, skilled in both literature and martial arts!
A timely aid!
Indeed, this was the best gift heaven had granted him!
He must support his Son-in-law, to replace both ministers!
