Answer
Nikephoros II Phokas, the reigning Byzantine emperor, was the target of a conspiracy that included John I Tzimiskes as a key participant. Motivated by a desire for power and dissatisfaction with Phokas' rule, Tzimiskes actively plotted to overthrow the emperor. This conspiracy ultimately resulted in the assassination of Phokas and Tzimiskes' subsequent rise to the throne as the new emperor of the Byzantine Empire.