I guess I rely too much on the definition - which seems hard to argue with, as it almost tautologically sounds like a good idea - rather than how meritocracy was applied.
I agree that the term 'self-made man' is mostly and most often toxic and simply untrue.
The part about convincing the crown prince to commit suicide is arresting. I wonder if you weave this into the story in later posts, rather than a mere mention.
Hmm . . . now I need to search through the archive of treachery for inspiration and examples.