The army of Dahlia Kingdom was positioned in the east, forming a pincer movement with Senior General Duanmu and General He in the west.
Both armies were fully prepared, and so the grand operation could begin.
That night, while most of the people in the Sargassum imperial city were still lost in music, dancing, and dreams, the two armies from the east and west of Sargassum were silently infiltrated by Giles's forces and those of Senior General Duanmu and General He, who quietly subdued the commanding generals.
There were, of course, some Sargassum soldiers who either discovered the invasion or tried to resist, but unfortunately, although Sargassum's military was considered decent among third-tier medium-sized nations, they were no match for the elite troops from the Plumera Kingdom and Dahlia Kingdom.
Even though Sargassum's local troops greatly outnumbered the sixty thousand soldiers brought by Senior General Duanmu and General He, their equipment, tactics, and generals were far inferior.
They were nowhere near as capable as Senior General Duanmu and General He, and certainly not as powerful as Giles, the National Protector General of Dahlia.
Dahlia Kingdom was closer to Sargassum, and Giles had brought more troops than Elara had, a full one hundred thousand.
Surrounded from both sides by the elite forces of two nations, Sargassum's army did not even last a full night before half of them were captured by Giles and Senior General Duanmu with General He.
Early the next morning, the Emperor of Sargassum, who had just woken up and still had no idea that his world had been turned upside down, opened his eyes and saw Elara and Giles standing before him.
The Emperor of Sargassum was stunned for a long moment before reacting and hurriedly trying to call for help. But by then, the entire imperial palace was under control.
All the palace servants of the royal family were on their knees with blades to their necks, trembling and too afraid to make a sound or even move.
Half an hour later, all those who had tried to resist, including the Emperor's former top officials, were dragged in front of him and slaughtered one by one before his eyes.
The hot, crimson blood splashed onto the Emperor's dragon bed, soaking his face, finally making him understand what it meant for the world to collapse in a single night.
Already terrified, the Emperor was so frightened by the blood that he couldn't even hear what Elara was saying. He just kept nodding and begging for mercy, no longer showing any dignity of a ruler.
Another half hour passed. With a blank and dazed look on his face, the Emperor of Sargassum, along with Leif who was bound behind him, walked out of the palace like prisoners.
They stood at the center of the capital, ready to cry, as they held up an imperial edict and read out loud, one by one, the so-called crimes of the entire royal family and Leif, to the people and scholars who had been startled awake and gathered in the center.
These twisted accusations, turning truth into lies and lies into truth, left even the seasoned storytellers among the crowd completely stunned and unable to believe their ears.
At first, the people were confused. Just yesterday, they had been told all of this was the work of the traitor Leif. Now suddenly, it had become a scheme by the royal family and Leif to frame others, and the Emperor was acting like a criminal confessing in public.
As the Emperor read the edict in grief, and the crowd watched in shock, Elara had already gone with the Wei Clan guards to the headquarters of Zhaiyun Pavilion in Sargassum and met Leif.
Leif looked even thinner than he had a few months ago, but he still appeared mentally stable. His face and presence remained elegant and refined.
When he saw Elara, his eyes, hidden behind thick lashes, lit up slightly, and he quickly walked over to her.
"You're here..." he said softly, then, remembering Elara's current status, lowered his eyes and bent his knees, ready to bow in respect.
Elara reached out and supported his arm. "No need, I'm just a merchant from the Plumera Kingdom now. Sit down and let's talk. Tell me what's happened to you in Sargassum these past few months."
Feeling the faint warmth from her hand on his arm, Leif lightly pressed his lips together and stopped insisting. He sat down gracefully in front of her.
Under his sleeve, his fair fingers gently touched the place where Elara had just supported him.
There, on his wrist, was a bracelet.
The very one she had given him long ago, and the one he was wearing when she rescued him from those slave traders just half a month ago.
Leif gently touched the bracelet on his wrist while quietly watching Elara, telling her what had happened over the past few months.
What he described was mostly the same as what the Wei Clan and Giles had discovered, except for the part where he was imprisoned in the Sargassum imperial palace dungeon.
After hearing him, Elara glanced at the bracelet on his wrist and didn't ask any more.
She remembered there were just over two days left until Prince Yu's coronation, so she didn't delay. Her eyes locked onto Leif's and she asked directly,
"Leif, do you want to become the emperor of Sargassum?"
Leif was stunned for a while after hearing her. Just as Elara was about to speak again, he gently shook his head. The smile on his face grew warmer as he looked into her clear eyes, his gaze filled with gratitude and something deeper.
"Your Majesty, meeting you has already been the greatest fortune of my life. But... regarding the throne of Sargassum, I must ask for your forgiveness. I am not the best choice to be Sargassum's emperor, whether for you, for Prince Yu, or for Sargassum itself."
Elara frowned slightly, but seeing the gentle and composed man smiling calmly in front of her, she relaxed. Thinking of the letter from Prince Yu, she picked up the teacup from the table, took a few sips, then looked at him and said,
"Judging by your skills, methods, and your relationship with my Plumera Kingdom and Prince Yu, your becoming emperor of Sargassum would be a good decision for me, for Prince Yu, and for the people of Sargassum."
At least objectively speaking, if Leif were willing to take the throne, it would be a solid choice for Plumera Kingdom, Dahlia Kingdom, and Sargassum itself.
With his ability, the Zhaiyun Pavilion would develop even faster under his rule. As Plumera Kingdom and Dahlia Kingdom are part of the pavilion's trade network, they would benefit as well.
Even when he was wronged, Leif still had Zhaiyun Pavilion deliver food to disaster areas. If he became emperor, the people of Sargassum would be under his protection and no longer suffer under hypocritical royalty who preyed on the people.
Other than him, Elara wasn't familiar with the major noble families or ministers in Sargassum. There was no way she would hand Sargassum back to those royals who only caused trouble for her and Prince Yu.
But if Leif didn't want the throne, Elara wouldn't force him.
"Not everyone is like you, Your Majesty, willing to treat all people equally regardless of their background."
Leif's gaze grew softer as he looked at her. He lifted the jade-white wine pot and refilled Elara's cup, speaking in a gentle tone,
"You treat me kindly despite my background, and I am deeply grateful. But in these years, my reputation in Sargassum has always been bad. Even if you clear my name now, people's prejudice won't disappear overnight."
"Your Majesty, I truly thank you for everything you've done. But I... can't take that position. If I did, with my background, it would bring great harm to Zhaiyun Pavilion, and it would hurt you and Prince Yu as well."
He had already suffered all these years. The insults, slander, and pursuit meant little to him now. There was no need for her to waste more energy on him because of this.
He was still a man from a matriarchal country. In this male-dominated land, that alone was an unforgivable sin.
If he really took the throne, he didn't doubt Elara or Prince Yu could protect him.
But if they did that, all they sacrificed for him might not be worth it.
He had long grown used to the abuse and curses.
He was just a man abandoned since childhood by Carnation Kingdom. To have reached where he was now, to have met them, he already felt fulfilled.
If he became Sargassum's emperor, the rest of his life would be stuck there. That was not something he wanted.
He raised his eyes to look at Elara. His pale pink lips pressed slightly together. "Your Majesty, there is actually a simpler way to keep Sargassum from becoming a burden to you and Prince Yu again."
Elara looked at him, and then heard him continue with a smile on his lips,
"It's simple, Your Majesty. Let the next person to sit on Sargassum's throne become your person."
Elara's hand paused, holding the wine cup.
She had considered this idea before, but she didn't expect Leif to say it out loud.
In her mind, Leif had always been elegant, composed, and gentle, like a graceful and modest lady of a noble house.
But considering his childhood experiences, it was understandable for him to say something like this.
Elara stared into his still-smiling eyes for a few seconds. "Are you sure?"
If the one on Sargassum's throne became her person, that would clearly be the best outcome for her and for Plumera Kingdom.
Elara hadn't done it before only because Sargassum was also where Leif and Zhaiyun Pavilion were based. Plus, Dahlia Kingdom was closer to Sargassum. If she alone seized Sargassum, it wouldn't sit well with Prince Yu.
But now that Leif himself had brought it up, why not?
What Prince Yu and she both wanted was Zhaiyun Pavilion within Sargassum. As for the land itself, aside from the excessive salt, this barren, salty region had little value in terms of geography or resources. So as long as they continued to control Zhaiyun Pavilion, neither she nor Prince Yu would have any objections.
It just so happened that Giles was also here. Later, she would bring him in and settle the matter in front of him to finalize what Dahlia Kingdom and she each wanted.
As long as Elara was truly willing to do it, truly willing to give Sargassum to her and the Dahlia Kingdom.
"I am certain, Your Majesty." Right after Elara asked, Sylvan nodded at her without a moment's pause.
He was not really a good or noble person. Whether it was the miserable experiences of his childhood or everything he went through as he grew up, this country had never truly treated him well. All it brought him was pain, hardship, insults and ridicule.
He was not a truly kind person, so why would he still be willing to protect them?
The people of Sargassum never truly saw him as one of their own, and he had never seen himself as someone from Sargassum either.
So, if he could use this country to win a smile from the one he cherished, why not?