Frontier forces: Gaius's position on the frontier was unshakeable. Although he appeared loyal to the court, the new army and advanced weapons he commanded made the court officials feel uneasy.
Although Gaius had been enfeoffed as a King with a different surname at this time, he always acted discreetly, focusing on frontier affairs. However, as the court's chaos continued, he gradually became embroiled in the political vortex.
Due to continuous power struggles within the court, a new round of rebellions broke out on the frontier. Court officials proposed appointing a seasoned and prestigious military strategist to take overall command, and many spontaneously thought of Gaius.
At the suggestion of his ministers, the Empress Dowager summoned Gaius to court, granting him the position of Grand Commandant, one of the three highest officials, responsible for all military affairs in the realm. At the same time, she hoped Gaius's prestige would deter the struggles between the Empress's family and the gentry.
The Empress's brother, the Grand General, tried to win over Gaius, hoping he would support the Empress's family's autocratic rule. However, Gaius's attitude was ambiguous; he neither explicitly supported nor directly opposed it. He cleverly avoided any form of alliance by citing the heavy workload of frontier affairs.
On the other hand, the gentry faction hoped to use Gaius's military prestige to counter the Empress's family, even hinting that he could become a regent. However, Gaius was aware of the corruption and factionalism within the gentry and did not immediately state his position, instead beginning to observe the court discreetly.
Amidst the court's chaos, Gaius secretly cultivated his own forces. Under the pretext of reorganizing the capital's defenses, he transferred a portion of his new frontier army into the capital and secretly brought his inventions (such as automatic machine guns and artillery) into the imperial city.
The Grand General was dissatisfied with Gaius's neutral stance and sent people to spread rumors, claiming Gaius intended to rebel. However, Gaius had already anticipated this tactic. He publicly petitioned the court, proposing to deploy his new army to the most dangerous frontier regions and voluntarily taking up the post, with no intention of rebellion whatsoever.
Gaius's statement temporarily alleviated the Empress Dowager's and the gentry's suspicions, while the Grand General's reputation suffered due to the failed instigation. At the same time, Gaius secretly retained a portion of his elite troops near the capital, in case of unforeseen circumstances.
The young emperor, ignorant of court affairs, was very close to Gaius. He was fascinated by Gaius's inventions and often visited Gaius's residence to watch various experiments.
Gaius began to secretly educate the young emperor, instilling in him ideas of governance and the spirit of ritual law, while also warning him of the dangers of the Empress's family and the gentry. The young emperor gradually developed great trust in Gaius, regarding him as a true mentor.
After the Empress's family noticed the young emperor's reliance on Gaius, they tried to weaken Gaius's influence through marriage alliances or assassination. However, Gaius had already set up multiple layers of protection in his residence, and furthermore, Gaius was extremely skilled in martial arts. Once, he drank a jar of arsenic and only had diarrhea, so any assassination plot was quickly thwarted.
Just as the internal court struggles continued, the Wa people's shogunate and the southern gentry and powerful families launched a large-scale rebellion. The court decided to appoint Gaius as Grand General of the South-Suppressing Army, leading the new army to quell the rebellion.
Gaius led the well-equipped new army, relying on advanced firearms and tactics, to completely quell the rebellion in less than a year. His victory not only deterred the opposition within the court but also significantly boosted his prestige.
After quelling the rebellion, Gaius returned to the capital, but found that the Grand General of the Empress's family would not allow Gaius to enter the city and demanded that Gaius immediately hand over his military power and advanced weapons.
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