Chapter 1281  Chapter 1281  Since it wasn’t Wayne, Yuvan shifted his gaze to Harvey.  He was just about to defend himself when Yuvan shook his head. “It’s not you, either.”  Harvey was speechless. He wasn’t even worth suspecting?  It was only natural that Yuvan didn’t suspect Harvey. The latter had arrived in Valken with nothing to his name, and in all those years in the capital, he hadn’t achieved anything noteworthy. He was far inferior to Eleanor.  When Harvey first came to Valken, the people addressed him politely to his face. But behind his back, they all looked down on him. He had no sway over someone like Craig.  Yuvan took a slow, measured breath, gradually regaining his composure as he sank into his seat. His gaze swept over both men.  “Tell me, is it Craig who’s been bought off, or is someone plotting to take what is rightfully mine?” he asked.  Wayne was still kneeling on the ground. He pondered for a while before he said, “It’s impossible for him to have been bought off. Only a few days have passed since you issued the proclamation. Our forces are scattered across five or six districts, and it took us over half a year to move them into place. The court has no way of uncovering that, let alone tracking down Craig to turn him.”  Yuvan’s gaze turned icy, piercing to the bone. “So, someone is indeed trying to steal from me. Who is it?”  Over the years, Yuvan had gathered a mix of followers, including members of the royal family. But among the princes, only he and Harvey held real influence. The things they had wasn’t something just anyone could claim.  Yuvan ran through the list of suspects in his mind but came up empty–handed. Among his followers, the royal relatives were the least competent and capable. They might not all be as hopeless as Tiberius, but none of them posed a real threat.  The most suspicious person was still Wayne.  But ever since Yuvan had begun plotting rebellion, Wayne had been nothing but loyal. Many of his plans and strategies had come from Wayne’s counsel. Without him, Yuvan wouldn’t have his current strength, as he wouldn’t have managed to gather such a private army.  If Wayne truly had ulterior motives, he wouldn’t be kneeling here now. The moment Yuvan issued the proclamation, he would have fled.  “Harvey, take the men and head there tonight. Wayne, you will stay here.”  Yuvan couldn’t fully rule out Wayne as a suspect and needed to keep him close. As for Harvey, he was the one Yuvan trusted most.  +25 BONUS  Chapter 1281  Yuvan immediately ordered them to prepare ink and paper. He penned a letter and handed it to  Harvey.  “Tell Craig to take Sableton, Montfield, and Glenmoor at once. Then, detain the head of the Spencer family and bring him before me.”  Harvey took the letter and nodded. “Understood. I’ll leave tonight.”  “Go,” Yuvan said with a slight nod. Then, turning to Wayne, he ordered, “Summon Samson  and Saul to see me.”  When Wayne and Harvey left the room, they exchanged glances without a word.  It wasn’t long before Saul and Samson arrived.  By now, Yuvan had shaken off the frenzied state from earlier and regained his composure.  Calm and collected, he began issuing commands, “Saul, we must hold Valken at all costs. Including the officials in the local authorities, how many men can we muster?”  “Your Highness, we can gather about 4,500 men, 2,000 of which are trained soldiers,” Saul replied.  4,500 men were a sizable force for Valken, but Yuvan shook his head. “Too few. The city gates must be defended. No one is to enter or leave.”  If the court dispatched troops to suppress him, 4,500 men wouldn’t be enough to hold Valken,  Fortunately, the court was still preoccupied with bandit suppression. So far, Yuvan’s moves had gone according to plan. If they hadn’t, his uprising would’ve been nothing more than a joke.  “I’ve already ordered the city gates closed and the main roads to be dug up,” Saul reported.  Yuvan turned to Samson. “If war breaks out, we can’t run short on grain. Though we haven’t prepared adequately, starting tomorrow, you’ll purchase all the grain in the city and stockpile it.”  Samson had already drained most of his family fortune over the years. Yuvan clearly didn’t intend to fund the effort himself, and he even asked Samson to pay for it.  Samson frowned, clearly dissatisfied. “I’m afraid all the grain shops in the city will close. Procuring supplies won’t be easy.”  A cold gleam flashed in Yuvan’s eyes. “Then, break down their doors and take it.”  Samson froze. “We’re a righteous army. If we loot the grain, won’t we be no better than bandits? How can we expect the people to follow us after that?”  Yuvan sneered. “Are you dense? Have the local officers seize the grain under the pretense of sending it to the Southern Frontier for the war effort. This will enrage the people of Valken,  2/3  +25  BONUS  and we can send someone to rally them to join the uprising. It’s a win–win situation.”  Hearing that he wouldn’t need to spend his own money, Samson was visibly pleased: ” Understood. In that case, I’ll coordinate with Mr. Harper.”  Chapter 1281