Him and their stars.

Chapter 2192 No Civil War Allowed
For the Galactic Empire, the year 835 of the Common Era was destined to be the most memorable year since the beginning of the Common Era. Since the Age of Galactic Exploration, when had the mighty Holy Galactic Empire ever allowed foreign armies to invade its capital?

Even during the Third Galactic War, when they fought the Ero people to the death, they weren't this out of control, were they?

Moreover, this Earth fleet that stormed into the capital also took away an emperor.

This statement is very ambiguous, making it sound as if the emperor was killed by Earthlings.

It's important to understand that, according to the officially accepted narrative, His Majesty the Emperor perished while fighting against the Void Realm Lord who had suddenly invaded the capital. He gave everything to protect his people.

His Majesty Elisher's life was, of course, a glorious, great, and righteous one.

However, even if that's the case, shouldn't you Earthlings bear at least a little responsibility for it?
In short, the capital was attacked, the emperor died, and foreign enemies ravaged the central star sector. These alone were enough to make this year a year of national shame for the proud people of Tirelo.

The bad news is that only half the year has passed.

Of course, there was also good news: the Earth fleet that had wreaked havoc in the heavens had officially left the capital before 5 p.m. on May 17.

According to various sources, the Earth fleet, led by the Ghost Ship, is moving towards the Arctic.

Meanwhile, the Velent fleet, which had already arrived near the capital, might be able to intercept the Earth fleet and the "ghost" in the Fengyunding system, 120 light-years away from the capital, if they made a concerted effort.

However, considering their role in protecting the civilians of the capital during the previous rampage by the Void Beasts, the chivalrous Imperial Army couldn't easily turn its back on them. Furthermore, King Velent hadn't received explicit orders from the Privy Council or the Grand Marshal's Office, so he had no choice but to adopt a conservative approach.

In short, the Royal Guard Fleet, with over three hundred warships of various sizes and a Titan as its flagship, is currently the most powerful strategic group in the Imperial Central Sector, yet it watches helplessly as the Earthlings, whose forces number less than one-tenth of its own, gradually disappear into the distance.

If they could eliminate these Earthlings in advance, if they could seize the Ghost, or even just severely damage their opponents, this national humiliation could be mitigated to some extent.

However, King Velent told his troops that defending the capital was far more important than eliminating the enemy.

Everyone praised it.

They definitely didn't think they couldn't defeat the "Ghost," after all, they had a numerical advantage. Experts from various staff departments had analyzed that defeating the "Ghost" would require sacrificing one or two Titans, three to five Dreadnoughts, and dozens to hundreds of auxiliary warships as a shield, paving the way with steel ruins and burning flesh to cover over 100,000 assault troops and a dozen or so Astral Knights boarding the ship.

Yes, such a vast empire has plenty of flesh and blood to sacrifice, but it is by no means without a way to deal with that specter.

They are not worried about becoming cannon fodder, absolutely not.

The soldiers simply felt that what His Highness the Prince of Wei said made a lot of sense.

The above is the explanation given to the Senate by His Highness King Gert of Velent after arriving in the Celestial Realm at 2:47 PM on May 22nd.

Yes, after the Earth Fleet left the Imperial Capital, the Senate resumed its plenary session two days later, on the morning of the 20th.

Earth's fleet and ethereal behemoths ravaged the Heavenly Domain, with fierce battles even erupting within the Dragon Palace. However, the thirty-two large space cities closest to the Three Palaces remained largely unscathed. This, of course, included the City of Law, where the Senate was located.

This is truly the universe's spirit's tolerance of democratic (cat) politics!
Furthermore, the more than 13,000 elders who remained in the capital gathered together in just two days, an efficiency that hardly resembled that of a parliamentary body. This, in fact, is quite reasonable.

After all, the emperor has already passed away, and before a new monarch dons the empty crown, state affairs will be handled by a regency council composed of senior officials from the Privy Council and the Prime Minister's Office. The selection of members for the regency council should be decided by the elders themselves.

To be honest, although the empire's politics are said to consist of two chambers and one government, the Senate is mostly just a figurehead. Only during the brief period of imperial succession does it truly feel like it is in charge of the empire.

Even if it's just for the sake of short-term emotional value, the elders' efficiency would be more than an order of magnitude higher.

At the first meeting on the 20th, Chancellor Valpolis was the first to be confirmed as a member of the Regency Council. This was also common practice. Most of the noble-born senators disliked this "commoner chancellor," but didn't harbor much ill will towards him either. The senators of commoner origin, however, were all supporters of the chancellor.

Moreover, in these turbulent times, all the functional operations of the empire depend on the bureaucratic system under the Prime Minister's Office. The Imperial Fleet and various military nobles have suffered heavy losses in this protracted war, but the administrative system composed of tens of millions of officials at all levels of the Galactic Empire continues to function as usual.

The police force under the Prime Minister's office is also doing its best to maintain order.

Even during the period when the Earth fleet penetrated directly into the Central Sector, the Empire remained under control throughout the country. This was largely due to the tight system of the Chancellor's Office and the personal abilities of Chancellor Valpolis.

Looking back now, it's quite interesting that this bureaucratic leader, who had virtually no connections in the Privy Council and among the military nobility, became a top-tier figure in the capital thanks to the bureaucratic system.

That afternoon, Chancellor Valpolis then submitted a series of personnel recommendations to the Senate.

For example, let Countess Giafil Ramut become the Grand Master of the Knights of the Stars, let Duke Galebean return to the Inquisition as the Chief Cardinal, and let Countess Hermisa Serendal become the Chief of the Stars.

Of course, these positions should theoretically be appointed by the emperor; for now, they can only be called acting positions. However, these are turbulent times, so actions must still be taken.

Subsequently, after an emergency discussion, Prime Minister Vatti invited General Hugh Le to serve as the Governor of the Imperial Capital and Deputy Prime Minister.

It is reasonable that the Chief Executive of the Heavenly Realm is always appointed as a deputy prime minister.

General Hughley held a military post but served as the governor, which was quite reasonable. As a legitimate member of the Tyreiro nobility, holding both a military and administrative position was their aspiration.

The opposing alliance still considers "military interference in politics" a major taboo. Even war heroes who want to enter politics must first go through a retirement process, but the Empire has no such concerns.

All of the above appointments were approved quickly.

Perhaps it was a reciprocal gesture. Duke Gerebean, having just heard of her appointment as Chief Justice of the Court, joined the court in submitting a petition stating that some of the "civil rights" elders who had been arrested recently should be released. Her reasoning was sound: the Court had misunderstood. Furthermore, the late Emperor had mentioned that normal order would be restored after the capital's alert was lifted. The Empire still allowed people to speak, and so on.

In short, thankfully, all the elders were very pragmatic. Although there were more than 10,000 people, just like the speed at which they gathered, their decision-making speed was also very fast, and they still maintained the efficiency of a parliamentary system.

When King Velent entered the capital, he encountered this delicate situation.

Of course, as an elector with a large fleet, he was welcomed by everyone. The Senate and the Chancellor of Valpolis sincerely invited him to become a member of the Regency Council.

"Isn't this a case of using a show of force to remove me from the list of potential kings?" King Velent couldn't help but ask in response to the invitation from the Chancellor of Valpolis.

In any case, security was still very tight for private conversations between such important figures. Since they were talking at the Prince of Wei's residence in the capital, with no outsiders present, they could be a little more unrestrained.

“According to convention, if I become a member of the Regency Council, shouldn’t I recuse myself from the subsequent election of the Emperor?” he asked again. Chancellor Valpolis replied, “There has never been such a rule. The reason people have this misconception is that two hundred years ago, when the late Emperor served as Grand Master of the Astral Knights, he also served as the Minister of the Banner of the Grand Marshal’s Office. In order to focus all his energy on military affairs, he declined a seat in the Regency Council.”

King Wei nodded slightly, somewhat skeptical. He was a brilliant scholar, skilled in both literature and martial arts, but his main academic focus was indeed on science and engineering. When it came to the intricacies of etiquette, rituals, history, and historical allusions, he was no match for an old bureaucrat like the prime minister.

Regardless of whether he was or not, he was unlikely to relinquish his position in the Regency Council.

"The Senate will finalize the list of all members of the Regency Council within a week. However, before that, we need to get our work done. The reconstruction of various parts of the Empire, the containment of that Earth fleet, the various wars, and the standoff at Femor all require a draft plan." The Chancellor added, "We must get things done first and not let things wait for us."

He perfectly embodies the stereotypical image of a virtuous and capable official who is impartial and selfless. However, this is precisely the kind of person the empire needs most right now.

However, looking at the other party's official manner, King Velent could not forget how this prime minister had once followed the emperor's edicts without question.

Valpolis's ability to rise from a commoner civil servant to the position of prime minister within thirty years was undoubtedly due to Emperor Elisher's promotion and patronage.

Now, the emperor has just passed away, yet this man's face shows no sign of grief. The moment the Earthlings left, he immediately emerged from the underground shelter on Ruixing and seamlessly returned to the busy routine of being the highest administrative official, acting almost like an emotionless robot.

That's why no one likes him, but no one hates him either.

King Wei pondered for a moment: "As for Femo, we must at least maintain the current situation and prevent the alliance from breaking down under any circumstances. Nefi and I have private communication channels and will try our best to appease them."

After all, he had a princess from the Alliance. However, both of them knew that this was simply a matter of doing their best. Even now, they didn't understand where the Alliance's bottom line lay, so how could they possibly appease them?
“The current president is Fino Berencaster, a playboy,” the prime minister said.

"A playboy at the Saint level?" King Wei stared wide-eyed.

“Yes, but he is still a complete playboy.” Valpolis sighed. “I don’t mean to look down on the current leader of the Alliance, but I just want to remind you that although he is the current head of the Rainbow Rose family, he is essentially a political novice. Such a person is more uncontrollable.”

Both of them fell silent.

After a while, King Wei continued, "Then, there's something even more important: this battlefield..."

"Your Highness, can the war be stopped?" the prime minister asked directly.

After a moment of silence, King Werrent looked quite troubled: "The Empire has suffered considerable losses, but we have already acquired enough spoils. If the remnants of the New Divine Continent community are willing to accept the status quo, we can cease hostilities. This is also why I have not started a war with them."

He said the same thing to the Senate and the masses. Of course, only they themselves know whether they truly meant it or not.

"If they accept, the Empire will allow them to enter the Galactic Civilization Council as independent nations. Considering they control the Eighth Stargate to the Dawn Starfield of the New World, we can also discuss the joint development of the Dawn Starfield with them. All agreements can be made in accordance with the practices of the Community back then," King Wei added.

Chancellor Valpolis gave a very obvious wry smile: "All I can say is, I'll do my best. But..."

“You don’t need to say anything more. I know how unrealistic this is. The war must still be fought.” King Wei shook his head as he put on a mask of pain. “Then, where is our ‘Light of the Heavens’? She is the strongest among those chosen to be emperors, and the empire’s undisputed number one general. The regency council should indeed be chaired by her.”

"Naturally, he's still at the Sacred Tree Palace, with General Yu Lian. As you know, according to the rules of honor duels among psionicists, since His Highness Brunhilde lost, it's necessary for him to protect the victor's safety." The prime minister's face seemed to carry a strange smile, with a hint of sarcasm, as if he truly didn't understand the affairs of psionicists.

Even if it's incomprehensible, the honor duel among psionicists is the standard of cosmic martial ethics. The military nobles of the Galactic Empire, who revere psionicists, need to consider the aftermath even more.

As for the details of this so-called duel for honor, they are known to the whole country.

The reason for it was quite simple.

The Commonwealth fleet that stormed the capital, after witnessing the emperor's death while protecting the people of the empire, ultimately chose the greater good. General Yu Lian, the "Dragon of Dawn," ordered the Earthlings and the Imperial Army to join forces against the enemy, together killing the Void Realm Lord who had invaded the Heavenly Domain and saving the majority of civilians.

Although he was an enemy of the Empire, he was also a true paragon of chivalry, worthy of being called the Empire's "Chosen Champion".

Subsequently, Prince Brunhilde, in his capacity as a knight, challenged his opponent to a duel of honor, each betting their own honor and future.

General Yu Lian promised that if he failed, he would surrender and be killed or tortured at will, or even surrender to the empire, but only if all his subordinates were spared.

His Highness Brunhilde also promised that if the attack failed, the Empire would develop a defense zone to allow the Imperial fleet that attacked the Heavenly Domain to leave, and of course, General Yu Lian would also be allowed to leave.

As for war, and as for the future, that will depend on each person's own abilities.

In short, what an honor this is!
Chancellor Valpolis looked at the King: "I've heard that Duke Barryen and Duke Arosan have stated that they cannot accept the outcome of this duel of honor?"

King Wei sighed: "They only asked whether His Highness King Su was qualified to make such a promise on behalf of the Empire. The Earth fleet led by 'Ghost' is a matter of the Empire's defense, not personal honor. After all, Her Highness Brunhilde is not the Empress of the Empire."

The Chancellor nodded slightly: "That's why she submitted her resignation to the Senate. His Highness Brunhilde will not be attending the Regency Council."

"My lord, isn't this a classic example of retreating to advance?"

Chancellor Valpolis laughed and said, "In the eyes of the public, Her Highness chose to leave because her promise was not respected. She was the first chosen emperor to arrive in the capital to serve the king. Forgive my bluntness, but her popularity has already surpassed all of yours."

King Wei nodded frankly, his smile still gentle and refined, but the determination in his eyes was like that of a warrior: "Indeed, His Highness Brunhilde is more like the divinely appointed leader of the Tyrellians. But now that I have become the chosen emperor, it would be hypocritical to say that I have no interest in that position. Moreover, to speak frankly, I have always had reservations about the late emperor's policies. I also have my own grand plans and ideals for the future of the Galactic Empire and the future of the entire universe."

The prime minister praised, "People with strategy and ideals are always admirable. That's why you chose to join the Serpent of the World, isn't it?"

"...That's all in the past. I still maintain a cooperative relationship with the snake. Since the late emperor didn't pay attention, it's tantamount to acquiescing." King Wei looked slightly embarrassed.

"The late emperor certainly knew it. But to him, it wasn't really important." When mentioning his benefactor, Chancellor Valpolis remained expressionless, neither happy nor sad.

“Yes, none of that matters. That’s the biggest problem. It’s precisely because King Su is such a genius that he could become another former emperor after donning the Void Crown.” King Velent sighed, “But I am different. I am just a mortal, but a mortal who strives for knowledge. I understand responsibility better.”

“Perhaps,” said Chancellor Valpolis, “but it is not I you need to persuade, Your Highness.”

King Wei gazed at this seemingly emotionless political machine, his brows furrowing slightly: "Speaking of which, my lord, you were promoted by the late emperor. What are your expectations for the current fate of the nation?"

"In the end, I am just an ordinary chief civil official." The prime minister, who came from humble origins, gazed at the emperor being chosen and revealed a smile that showed no hesitation: "The empire cannot have a civil war. Apart from that, anything is acceptable."