Him and their stars.

Chapter 2127 The Empire is About to Become a Battleground for Heroes Once Again

The Earth fleet (along with three nest ships mixed in among them) continued forward, but the bridge of the Silent One fell silent instantly. Having fought so many wars over the years, they were all quite worldly-wise, but such an abstract scene was truly rare.

After a long while, Eleanor Bonaparte finally couldn't help but mutter, "Is this... are they trying to be funny?"

A suppressed chuckle rippled across the bridge, but was quickly suppressed. These battle-hardened soldiers felt that such behavior was far too undignified, and that disrespecting the enemy would only make them appear ill-mannered.

"So, are they really enemies?" Ina muttered. "Are they really not refugees who fled from the capital?"

Everyone immediately turned their attention to him.

Up until this point, the entire fleet still considered themselves heroes and liberators, with their sole objective being to overthrow the emperor and the "ruling class" that launched the war. If they were to discover that they had become perpetrators of mass killings of civilians, it would certainly be a blow to morale.

Fortunately, before the soldiers could begin to doubt themselves, the Imperial fleet launched a counterattack.

Perhaps the laughter on the bridge of the Silent Ship was detected by the enemy, or perhaps it was because some of the Imperial soldiers on these armed civilian ships wanted to prove their courage and ultimately fought back.

At least twenty ships began shelling. At a time when most of their allies were fleeing in disarray, this action even seemed somewhat tragic.

Although they are all light naval guns, they are still military railguns, theoretically capable of hitting a number of Earth warships and even the Silent One. While the accuracy cannot be guaranteed due to the long distance, at least they can demonstrate the necessary courage and dignity.

Faced with the bravery of these "civilians," the Earth fleet remained silent for half a second before, after confirming that these people were not civilians, and responded without hesitation.

After the precise artillery fire sank the few armed merchant ships that tried to resist, the remaining fleet scattered even faster. They could no longer be called a fleet; they had long since turned into a pile of scattered dust, as if they were about to disappear into the dark sky of the starry sea and the chaotic background radiation.

“So, they really are here to make a fool of themselves.” Yu Lian stroked his chin and said, still offering a fair word: “Of course, even though they had no soldiers to defend themselves and no ships to use, they still resolutely raised an army. To go this far, they can be considered to have done right by the emperor.”

“Yes, they should be all the soldiers from the Central Junlin Star Sector. If they’re lucky enough to be able to board, they can fight a desperate battle to repay the country’s kindness. But even if they can’t board, just coming here will prove their courage.” Feifei agreed.

She looked at the escape routes of the merchant ships on the tactical star map, her eyes knowing: "After all, this happened under the emperor's nose, in front of the capital. The royal fleet is gone, but that doesn't mean the nobles of Tireiro have no obligation to protect the country. Someone has to step up, even if it's just to fire a symbolic shot."

She thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Besides, now that the country has collapsed, it's only natural that we can take the remaining forces back to our hometown to protect our fellow villagers. If the emperor were dead, who knows how many people would become kings and how many would become emperors."

Everyone stared blankly at Feifei, feeling as if they were attending a rather shady history lesson. Gongsun Qing pondered for a moment, then couldn't help but ask Feifei, "So, this is how the imperial nobles are?"

"This is an exaggeration to call someone a king or emperor. However, it's natural for nobles and gentry to have some influence in their hometowns. What's so strange about that? Isn't that the same in a republic? Aren't the elected members of parliament, governors, presidents, and so on all very influential in their hometowns?"

Gongsun Qing interrupted, "Don't dodge the issue; we're talking about your problems now."

She herself was actually an imperial noble, but everyone present, including herself, seemed to have forgotten that.

Xiao Siwang twitched his lips slightly in dissatisfaction, bit his lip, and then carefully said, "In short, if something truly unspeakable happens, the Privy Council and the Prime Minister's Office in the capital will be temporarily unable to perform their original functions, and a power vacuum in the localities will be inevitable. The nobles will certainly take the opportunity to seize local power."

Yes, a power vacuum won't last long. If centralized power doesn't seize control, local autonomy will inevitably begin to take over. If secular power doesn't speak up, it will inevitably fall into the hands of clans or even religions.

All of the above has been proven by history.

Feifei smiled and said, "In other words, when something truly unspeakable happens, and when the King of Su and the King of Wei finally determine a victor, these powerful nobles will definitely seize a lot of local power. Whoever ultimately wears the Void Crown will have to compromise with these people, is that right?"

King Si nodded slightly, but then seemed to remember something and quickly shook his head vigorously: "I, I didn't mean that."

"Is this a sign that the chosen emperor is tacitly agreeing that the empire is about to go into civil war?" Gongsun Qing exclaimed in amazement.

The young girl's expression was worse than crying, but she still managed to force out what could be considered a smile: "Even if something truly unbearable happens, everyone should be able to decide the future of the empire in a rational way, right? Yes, Prince Su and Prince Wei are both rational people, aren't they?"

Her tone was a bit too forceful, as if she was trying hard to convince herself.

Yu Lian thought of Brunhilde, who was always thinking of betraying his class, and then he thought of the former Serpent King Werrent, who betrayed the old knight commander and made a deal with him. He really found it hard to describe this type of guy as "rational".

"Given the current situation, it's inevitable that various ambitious individuals will emerge; that's human nature. It's also a sign of a vibrant society. The people of Tireiro still possess vitality and spirit, which shows that your national character is still in its prime. Isn't that wonderful? A nation that hasn't aged still has hope. Even if it encounters a period of political and national decline, it will always rise again one day," Fei Fei said with a smile.

King Slein was unsure whether the other party was praising him or insulting him, so he could only respond with an awkward, strained laugh.

Yu Lian then thought of his experiences in the virtual timeline. To be fair, the reason why the imperial princes dared to form the so-called "Noble Alliance" to rebel against Empress Iwenya was also closely related to the two-year-long civil war among the princes, during which the imperial throne remained unoccupied for a long time.

“However, according to imperial law, even if we kill the emperor, the Privy Council will be in charge of state affairs until the new emperor is elected at the imperial election conference,” Gongsun Qing said hesitantly.

"All of this is based on the premise that the old emperor died of natural causes and the new emperor ascended the throne legitimately." Fei Fei smiled and said, "Is that right, Your Highness?"

It seems you all assume the emperor has "died of unnatural causes." Little Prince's expression was complex, but he still bit his lip and silently nodded.

"I see. Our advance into the Celestial Realm is actually intended to ignite a civil war within the Empire. This way, we can have a chance to regroup. Truly worthy of your command, Commander," Captain Nemo said.

"Hmm, did I think of that?" Yu Lian thought carefully for a moment and realized that she really had. She immediately decided to be proud for a few minutes. "But in the long run, this isn't necessarily a bad thing." Fei Fei looked at the girl, whose expression was quite distraught, and comforted her considerately, "In turbulent times, in irregular historical periods, there will always be those with ulterior motives who want to rise up for their own ambitions. However, by jumping into the open, they give the rulers an opportunity to clean up the mess. For the future of the empire, this is certainly a good thing."

"This...this is a good thing?"

“Of course. The idea that there can be no construction without destruction is not just a philosophical concept, but also a worldly concept.” Fei Fei said earnestly, “Little Fei Lian, you must study hard for your future.”

What future do I have now? The fifteen-year-old girl gave a bitter laugh. At the prime of her youth, she had somehow managed to project the bitterness of a middle-aged corporate slave.

However, as if to confirm Fei Fei's judgment, just as the group of armed merchant ships that had scattered and fled were all out of the range of the arc cannons, the Silent Ship's communication channel immediately received a message from a large merchant ship.

It wasn't direct communication, but rather letters.

Upon opening it, Yu Li was quite surprised to find that the person appearing on the screen was his "old acquaintance," Duke Yarosan, whom he had met once at the War God Festival.

Well, calling them "old acquaintances" isn't entirely accurate. Yu Lian has never actually spoken seriously with His Excellency the Duke, but he is quite familiar with the latter's son.

He's just the father of Sir Rumir, the one whose face he first slapped and then whose head he finally chopped off.

This is the one who is said to be the "Little Moon" of the Werrent King.

That said, while Sir Rumir possessed a strikingly handsome face that could rival a "little moon," in another timeline he was nonetheless a high-ranking figure, becoming both an Imperial Marshal and a Knight Commander, demonstrating his exceptional talent and ability. However, in this timeline, he died far too young and was quickly forgotten by the instigator.

There was no other way; after all, Commander Yu Lian had killed too many people. If he were to remember all the victims, it would be too much of a test for his brain capacity.

If it weren't for the fact that Duke Yarosan and that "Little Moon" looked seven or eight parts alike, he probably wouldn't have recognized his old friend.

Considering that this person could be considered an elder, Yu Lian was about to take the initiative to greet him when the other person spoke first. His voice was heavy and solemn, his expression unusually serious, even carrying an almost tragic resolve.

"Greetings to you, General Yu Lian." The Duke's voice came through the communicator, still filled with an overly flamboyant, deliberate, high-spirited, and unyielding quality. Although it felt somewhat contrived, the emotion was undoubtedly genuine.

Yes, even if it's only a part, it should still be considered true.

"I am the guardian of the Quesant Star Sector, the patriarch of one of the forty-eight founding families, Duke Yarosan, Minister of the Imperial Privy Council, Marshal of the Royal Fleet, Commander-in-Chief of the Eight Border Prefectures, and First-Class Imperial Dragon Knight, Kaku Junil Kalashir."

Such a long and tedious title! There's no room for all these people here! Does he think that by registering like this, he can project some kind of oppressive aura from the ancient aristocratic system of the empire?

Clearly, he didn't convey any obvious sense of pressure; in fact, no one at the scene seemed particularly moved.

Besides, what kind of "Guardian of Quesant" are you? That's ancient history from two thousand years ago, isn't it? Back then, Duke Yarosan, as a frontier lord, did indeed receive authorization to command the expansion of the star sector, and that's how he acquired this title.

But now, almost the entire star sector is a county system directly managed by the civil service system under the Prime Minister's Office, and your Duke Yarosan's territory is only a part of it.

In addition, the title of "Guardian of Kuishan" has long been an honorary position.

Yu Lian immediately understood what the other party meant. If what the young girl who was choosing the emperor said was true, and these local nobles really had ulterior motives, then the Quesant Star Region was essentially the "base" that Duke Yarosan had reserved for himself, right?
He nodded thoughtfully.

Duke Yarosan took a deep breath, as if gathering all his courage, and his voice suddenly rose, solemn as if he were making a passionate declaration: "I know full well that my hastily conscripted civilian ships are no match for Your Majesty's fierce army! This is destiny, which we mortals cannot resist! I have already suffered a defeat and have only temporarily retreated to the Quesant sector to reorganize my troops. General, do not think that your small victory today means that you will achieve final victory! Soon, loyal and brave men will rise up from Quesant, recover lost territory, and sweep away the evil forces! You should take heed."

Uh, is this an attempt to absolve himself of responsibility?
Amid the Earthlings' puzzled gazes, the Duke abruptly changed the subject, slamming his right fist heavily against his left chest with a dull thud.

He declared in a solemn voice: "Quesant is the ancestral homeland of my family, a land of heroes! Above us are the spirits of past emperors, below us are millions of loyal and brave soldiers and civilians, ready for battle! If your army dares to point its spearhead at Quesant, the entire nation will fight with utmost courage and determination! We will fight to the last man, to the last drop of blood! We will make the invaders pay an unbearable price! Every planet in the Quesant sector will become the graveyard of Earth's invaders! Do not say you were not warned! Let the spirits of the universe and the gods of Tirelo witness our courage!"

So when did I say I was going to attack Quesant? Yu Lian could only express his confusion.

Of course, to be fair, if we set aside basic logic and the suspicion of drawing a target to attack, the other party's words were quite impassioned, resounding, and spirited, and did not at all befit the Duke of the Empire.

If you ignored the fact that he was currently on an armed merchant ship fleeing the battlefield, anyone who saw him would think that he was truly a model of a loyal and fearless nobleman of Tireiro!
An eerie silence suddenly fell over the bridge of the Silent Ship.

After a few seconds, Gongsun Qing asked in a low voice, "Is he trying to say, 'Don't bother him, he's very fierce'?"

Ina thought for a moment, then said in a somewhat uncertain voice, "I think that's what it means, right? His main responsibility now is to protect his hometown. As for the capital and the emperor... well, he's done his best, hasn't he?"

"Is that so?" Gongsun Qing asked the girl.

“How am I supposed to answer? He’s never been a proper lord before, he was arrested after only a few months.” Little King covered his face, his voice muffled as it came through his fingers: “I just know that if someone is a qualified Tirelo nobleman, he must be very good at surviving.”

"Speaking of which, isn't Duke Yarosan also a member of the King's faction?" Fifi pondered.

“Yes! His son, whom I killed... went to the Spirit of the Universe. He was once the Little Moon of King Velent,” Yu Lian said.