The Concubine Does Not Love the Emperor - Chapter 18

“Back in the days of the former king, you were all competent enough to handle things on your own. But now, you’ve become fools who can’t make a decision without my word,” Emperor Suleiman remarked.

The high-ranking officials, who had been arguing with each other, fell silent once again. They dared not speak openly to the emperor. Since no one was willing to speak up, Grand Vizier Abraham stepped forward.

“Your Majesty, we cannot let this matter go unaddressed. It could have jeopardized your life, Your Highness.”

Suleiman frowned as if he found it distasteful and closed his eyes. It was true that he had been in the temple on the day of the incident, but it had been Lay, not Suleiman, who had played the role of the emperor. After carefully considering various pieces of information, it was clear that it had been an assassination attempt—a well-planned one at that.

“However, that dagger struck an old and feeble man. He died, but posed no real threat to me. Was he really the intended target?” Suleiman mused aloud.

He had hidden his skills skillfully, but when it came to the actual attack, he had yelled loudly, drawing everyone’s attention. An adjacent official had quickly intervened, and the assailant had met an untimely end. The incident left many unsettling questions.

“But I’m perfectly fine. The only casualty was that elderly man. What significance does his death hold?” the Emperor asked.

A collective sigh of relief spread through the room.

“Your Majesty, if the attempt had succeeded, you wouldn’t be sitting here like this. We must take measures to prevent a recurrence,” Abraham urged.

With a loud bang, Suleiman slammed the armrest of his chair. The luxurious ivory armrest, adorned with gold, cracked, and small pieces fell to the floor. The tension in the room was palpable, and the officials exchanged nervous glances.

“It’s as if you all pity me for being unharmed,” Suleiman remarked dryly.

“It’s a misunderstanding. I was merely speaking about the need for prevention of a recurrence,” Abraham replied calmly.

“These old men are quite tiresome. Always clinging to trivial matters,” Suleiman remarked, openly ignoring Abraham. Faint sighs of disapproval could be heard throughout the room. Abraham was a legendary figure who had risen to the position of Grand Vizier through countless achievements since the time of the former king.

Regardless of the emperor’s status, he held a position that could not be treated lightly. However, the person who had been insulted simply bowed to the emperor without hesitation and took his seat once again.

“Let’s move on to the next agenda,” Suleiman urged, raising his hand. The advisors frowned, but none of them dared to voice their discontent. All the power in the empire stemmed from the emperor. Even high-ranking officials could be banished from the palace with a single word from the emperor. They could be denied an investigation and buried in the ground, just like the previous Grand Vizier, who had met such a fate.

“Have you all gone deaf?” Suleiman questioned. “Now, onto the issue of succession…”

At Suleiman’s prodding, one of the advisors reluctantly opened his mouth, but he stuttered and stumbled over his words. This was one of the issues that the emperor found particularly distasteful. The impending criticism made the advisor nervous, and he repeatedly unrolled and rolled up the scroll he held in his hands.

“Can you speak properly? Did I appoint a bunch of fools as advisors? Why is everyone stumbling over their words?”

Under the harsh reprimand, the advisors all lowered their heads. It was clear that speaking clearly and confidently would be seen as impudence. The emperor’s capriciousness and sharp tongue had been a daily occurrence, but no one had grown accustomed to them. Those who had been newly appointed as advisors with grand ambitions often suffered from headaches after these council meetings. When everyone seemed disheartened, Abraham spoke up again.

“Your Majesty, when you become angered by mere words, the recently appointed advisors fear speaking, and those who have served you since the time of the former king are simply keeping a watchful eye. If Your Majesty could at least pretend to listen, your advisors would be able to freely express their opinions, would they not?”

Suleiman’s narrow gaze settled on Abraham, the only Grand Vizier who didn’t fear him. The position had been personally granted by the former king, and Abraham was exceptionally capable and invaluable. However, Suleiman couldn’t tolerate such an attitude.

As Suleiman raised his hand, the palace guards grabbed Abraham’s shoulders and forced him to kneel. The elderly advisor’s knees buckled under the pressure. Everyone in the room held their breath.

“If Your Majesty had only ordered me to kneel,” Abraham said, still maintaining his composure even in this intimidating situation. “This way, everyone fears Your Majesty and dares not speak.”

“If only you feared me a little,” Suleiman responded, his tone cold.

“I may respect Your Majesty, but I do not fear you. A household cannot function properly if the children are afraid of their father,” Abraham retorted.

Had he been the former king, he might have immediately silenced Abraham, severed his tongue, imprisoned him, or even hung him upside down from the family tree. But Suleiman didn’t do any of that. No, he couldn’t. Behind the outspoken elderly advisor stood his mother, and she was a pawn that needed to be preserved until the very end.

However, Suleiman couldn’t help but express his displeasure. When he realized that the emperor wasn’t issuing any additional orders to Abraham, one of the advisors found the courage to continue speaking.

“For the sake of the great Boroman Empire and its future, we implore Your Majesty to designate a successor as soon as possible. The reason Mustafa Prince was brought up in connection to this incident is that if Your Majesty were to pass away without an heir, the throne might fall to Prince Mustafa. It has been several years since Your Majesty ascended, and yet you have not visited the harem.”

Before the advisor could finish his sentence, Suleiman abruptly stood up. The advisor stumbled over his words, trying to recover, but Suleiman cut him off.

“Are you advising me to sow my seed and father many sons?” Flames danced in his eyes. In the tense atmosphere, everyone prostrated themselves on the floor, but Abraham remained standing, meeting the emperor’s gaze unflinchingly.

“It’s also Mother’s wish,” Abraham added.

Suleiman’s eyes flashed with anger at Abraham’s words. He swiftly drew a dagger and hurled it. Abraham remained unmoved, even as the dagger landed precisely on the prayer mat where he knelt. The two palace guards who had been pressing on his shoulders recoiled in surprise, but Abraham stood his ground.

The dagger embedded itself into the mat, and Suleiman’s piercing gaze swept over Abraham and the other advisors.

“Anything! ‘Mother, Mother, Mother!’ Yes, it was your excessive maternal concern for your sons that prompted your words!” Suleiman exclaimed as he sank back into his chair. He leaned against the cushion, furrowing his brow. He knew that the real power in the palace lay in the hands of his mother.

The courtiers, who had been standing behind the advisors like a screen, remained tense, feeling the emperor’s gaze upon them.

“Does the Grand Chancellor have any matters to present?” Suleiman asked.

The designated Grand Chancellor hastily kneeled with a nervous expression. His complexion paled rapidly.

“None, Your Majesty.”

“What about the Minister of Finance?”

“Nothing, Your Majesty.”

“Does the Military Judge Advocate have anything to say?”

“I believe that the Grand Vizier’s agenda is of paramount importance.”

“The Grand Vizier’s agenda is paramount, you say? Haha! Hahahaha!”

Suleiman burst into laughter like a madman, filling the vast conference room with his deranged mirth. In their eyes, he was still the ‘lucky prince who stumbled into the throne knowing nothing.’ When the laughter subsided, sighs filled the air. A sudden wave of exhaustion washed over him. He found it more comforting to be on the battlefield, riding into war, than to endure these meetings filled with political intrigue.

“No one has raised matters concerning administration, finance, or local rebellions,” Suleiman observed.

The term “local rebellions” seemed to startle a few, but they exchanged glances and then collectively spoke up, “Thanks to Your Majesty’s benevolence, public security is stable, and tax collection in the provincial cities proceeds smoothly. Our only concern is the issue of succession. We implore Your Majesty to visit the harem and secure a successor.”

Suleiman had received reports on city security in advance, but they had proven to be redundant. It was clear that this, too, would result in a unanimous declaration of “no issues.”

“Very well,” Suleiman replied.

The Emperor suddenly rose from his seat. Although these council meetings occurred twice a week, they always concluded without substantial progress. As Suleiman began to leave, Abraham halted him.

“Your Majesty, I still have something to say.”

“I’ve understood enough. I just want to rest.”

As the Emperor exited the meeting room, discontented voices filled the air.

“Mustafa should have ascended to the throne.”

“Oh dear, that’s a dangerous statement. Have you forgotten the concept of a collateral heir? It’s the backbone of the Boroman Empire.”

“If the current Emperor were to pass away, Mustafa would be the true and rightful successor.”

“Careful, you shouldn’t speak so recklessly. He may be clever, but he’s been confined to that secluded mansion. Think about how much resentment he might have harbored there. Do you think he’d be ready to rule if he were to ascend the throne suddenly? Do you really think you can just jump into it? It might be better for His Majesty to choose his successor from among his sons, even if it’s just you.”

“You’re optimistic. He’s been surrounded by those fabricated boys; has anyone ever heard of him fathering a child with a man? It’s an impossible scenario, even if miracles did happen.”

Grand Vizier Abraham closed his eyes tightly, listening to the endless debates. The advisors were divided into two factions, those supporting Emperor Suleiman and those championing Prince Mustafa. The root of all these conflicts lay in the fact that Prince Mustafa, who should have been dead, was still alive.

“Persistent survival,” Abraham thought.

No matter how much they debated the issue of succession, it wouldn’t have arisen if Prince Mustafa weren’t alive. Speaking ill of the Emperor from behind the scenes was even worse. Grand Vizier Abraham bit his tongue. It was due to the frustration of several failed assassination attempts. Those protecting Prince Mustafa had proven to be more capable than expected.

“Enough of this. Such draining debates do us no good. It’s unfortunate for the Grand Vizier, but what can be done? If His Majesty chooses to overlook it, then so be it. Keep your tongues in check. You’d better do your job well if you don’t want to be next.”

Abraham warned the advisors firmly, and his words were a clear signal. The Emperor’s authority was beginning to waver.