The details of the trial were soon announced through the whole city.
Everyone was dumbfounded when they learned that a minister not only lost his title, he was even thrown into a dungeon to endure the torture.
This is a first.
They didn't expect a single soldier could bring the minister to his knees just because he suffered humiliation.
The torture went on and on in the imperial dungeons for the father and son.
The father didn't open his mouth and the son doesn't know enough details. But soon, the situation changed, the torturer just brought the son to the father's cell and tortured him right there.
The screams of his pitiful son made it hard for him to look. Finally, a pair of pliers were held around the penis of his son, before he broke. He gave out a name, but this made the torturers to shiver, he doesn't know if he should report it back or he should just say that there is no one else.
But he still hardened his heart and reported it back to the emperor personally.
When the emperor heard the name, his face became cold and stoic, he went to a pavilion within the palace grounds where the concubines and the princesses live.
He went to one of the concubine's rooms and asked.
"Did Luna say anything to you?"
"What do you mean? I don't understand your grace."
"I don't know if you are acting or you didn't know, but I will find out soon, I don't care if you gave her this idea, I will be staying in the imperial study, I already gave warnings to you to not lead her astray, but since childhood, all you taught her is plotting and scheming. No matter how hard tried you have that knack her manipulating her back into that track.
Even though, I married you a promise to your father and there is no love, I always gave you my respect as a wife. I did every duty a husband should do. But that doesn't mean I will tolerate everything you do.
I don't care what you have in your heart, I don't care if you resent me, if you can plot against me, do so directly, but don't you dare use the name of the imperial palace in your plots, this is my last warning and the next time, I will let the executioner drag you by your hair and cut your head on the executioner's block.
I want Luna to come to the study along with you and I am only giving you an hour."
With those words he left the place and went to his study there he sat with this chief steward and the imperial advisor to think of a solution to the situation.
After some time, two women came to the study. One of them is a young Naga lady while the other one looked a bit older.
The Emperor looked at them coldly without saying anything. But there is complete silence. He became impatient and said.
"You better speak now and speak the truth, if you dare to lie or hide the truth, I will deal with this matter officially and professionally and if I find out how you are involved, there will be no leniency towards you. I will punish you just like I do to anyone."
Both of them started tearing up and the mother said.
"How can you be so cruel to your own daughter?"
"You seem to have been forgotten, I am an emperor before I was a father."
"Is the throne more important than your daughter?"
"No, if that is true then I wouldn't have given her a chance. Let her speak now or I would wash my hands off of this issue."
"Imperial father, I am the one in wrong, please forgive me."
"Why did you do this?"
"I.. I don't like him."
"Is that a reason enough to rob a soldier of his deserved honor?"
The daughter wept some more and asked in a low voice.
"Is a soldier more important than your daughter?"
"Don't try to play that emotion with me, your mother seemed to have taught you well, trying to lay guilt traps on others, she was a master at this. Do you know the value of an honor to a soldier? They die on the battle field so that you could stay in this magnificent palace.
They die on the battle field so that you could wear a new dress every day and have many servants who do your bidding and so that you could boss around and look down on everyone else in the empire.
What would you have been if you are not the daughter of this emperor? What have you achieved all this while? I gave you everything as a father, you have luxury, riches, resources, but you just plot behind my back, make fool out of the imperial authority and humiliate the biggest contributor of the war who broke the stale mate that lasted for more than a century.
I told you several times and I am telling you now, I am done with you making mistakes. I told you not to learn from your mother, but you are not listening to the soft approach, but I am telling the very next mistake will be your ticket out of the palace.
Now, tell me why you did it or you will be in house arrest."
This time, Luna was really frightened by her father and his cold aura which he didn't show her before. She was about to look at her mother for help, but her father's cold gaze made it hard for her to do so.
She bit her lip and told the whole story.
The Emperor slammed the table and made it crumble in anger.
"You are an idiot Luna, do you know that? Your mother might have made you believe that you are the smartest person in the world, just beneath her. But did she not tell you that where would the schemes get you.
You fooled by a guy who is not even staying in the city. Not everyone can be offended easily. Now get out and reflect on this issue. From now on you will follow me for the next month and observe people. I will make you unlearn what your mother taught you and also make you learn how you should really behave."
Then he looked at her mother and said.
"I have been disappointed in you for a long time, the respect I had for you since the marriage was slowly destroyed and now there is nothing left. You of all people should know what it means to steal the achievements from a soldier, after those achievements of your father and brother are the only things that gave you a chance at marrying me.
If you ever dare to teach my daughter like this, I would definitely kill you."
With that he sent both of them away.
His head is aching and he looked at the imperial advisor and asked.
"Bro, what should I do with this issue? Who is that Sam? He is giving me a headache."
"Who asked you to be righteous? But I am also interested in him, that guy really has guts, with just a single argument and he already made you dismiss a minister and throw him in dungeon and he made you, scold your daughter and wife"
"Whatever, what should I do to remedy this? I cannot let my daughter pay the price."
"That guy seems like an intelligent guy, just tell him the truth and ask what he wants in return. Along with that just reveal that guy who used your daughter to make this mistake. Anyway, I am more worried about your daughter, she made such a long plot and this is just a first step, but that guy didn't even make any elaborate scheme and destroyed the threat in the bud."
"What is there to worry about? I thought it is necessary for a child to be with her mother, but it turned out to be a mistake. I should probably teach her one more time. The way she looks at the world should change."
"We will see if you would succeed."
After the week, the open court ceremony was once again held and this time, there is a speech directly by the emperor, not only did he apologize to Sam, he also named every achievement Sam made and the reward every achievement deserved.
He was given a total of four badges and he was also made a special instructor of the military. His rank is on par with a battalion commander and he probably has more authority in some aspects.
And his military credits are still there, in fact there are too many. He could get a large lump of Grade eight metal that was enough to cover his whole body ten times over.
But he still kept them for now. He wished another war came so that he could get more credits.
As for the culprit, Sam entered the palace court and the judgment was given that the minister and his son are guilty and they have some personal agendas regarding Sam's doings.
Sam knew that things are fishy, as he was thinking what he should do, he was called by the emperor to have a private chat.
