Chapter 140 The First Princess
The War of the Gods ended on the second day.
As pawns of the gods, Sheng Huaixuan and Yu Zhongxian were both injured to varying degrees.
The Supreme Council was ordered to suspend its work, conduct self-reorganization, and review the case one month later.
At the same time, the power to inspect any aid materials from the empire was taken away, and this right was now returned to the imperial headquarters.
Sheng Huaixuan was forced to disband most of the Qing Army.
The Qing Army is a local army allowed by the Governor's Office of Dongqinzhou.
According to common sense, the Qing Army is only allowed to have a staff of 5,000 people, but in fact the Qing Army has more than 50,000 soldiers on the staff, and there are many soldiers who are not on the staff but are actually serving.
The first commander of the Qing army, Dong Qianwang, and the second commander, Ren Qingshan, were dismissed and investigated for violating the imperial ban and expanding the army without authorization.
Of course, everyone knew that this person came here to take the blame.
However, Sheng Huaixuan managed to get the case into Dong Qinzhou's hands, which was considered a win-win situation.
Judging from the results, Yu Zhongxian, who had been preparing for a long time, only ended up with both sides suffering losses, which was obviously far from achieving his goal.
But Sheng Huaixuan was also feeling very uncomfortable. Qingjun was one of his trump cards, and it was crippled all of a sudden, which caused him great harm.
What's worse is that there are already two elders who are clearly standing behind Yu Zhongxian, while there is only one elder behind him, and a gap has appeared in the power comparison in the Supreme Elders' Meeting.
This means endless troubles later on.
But overall, this is a better result.
The evidence Yu Zhongxian provided to Yu was very fatal. If his previous accusation against Lin Wen had not been proven wrong and his reputation had been damaged, he would probably lose even more this time.
After returning home, Sheng Huaixuan immediately convened a meeting.
At the meeting, in addition to the core officials of the Governor's Office, Ren Qingshan and Dong Qianwang were also present.
The first half of the meeting reviewed the joint meeting. Although the joint meeting had not yet ended, everyone knew that it had ended.
The second half discussed the next arrangements and countermeasures.
Dong Qianwang, the former first commander of the Qing Army, was assigned to the Governor's Guard, where he would reorganize the Governor's Guard in a private capacity.
Ren Qingshan, the former second commander of the Qing Army, was sent to the civilian population to form a guerrilla self-defense corps.
They will all recruit a large number of disbanded Qing Army soldiers and be more secretive.
Sheng Huaixuan knew very well that force was the core element of self-protection. The stronger the power that was loyal to him, the more others would have to think twice before touching him.
The empire is still able to maintain stability because the seventy divisions of the Supreme Elders Council are invincible.
The reason why Li Longxing could still sit firmly on the throne of the imperial emperor was because the 36 divisions of the Royal Guards were guarding the capital.
A total of fifteen reorganized armies, more than two million of the empire's most elite soldiers, fully mechanized weapons, are the forces that the Supreme Elder Council can directly mobilize.
This force far exceeds that of any other region. Even if the six major regions unite, they may not necessarily win.
Of course, that is also impossible.
The empire is in a very bad situation now. It is unfavorable in foreign wars, in turmoil internally, the economy is in decline, people's livelihood is declining, and the situation is almost corrupt. It is time to make changes.
However, there are numerous factions and contradictions within the empire, and various interests are intertwined. Any move in any of them may cause unpredictable chain reactions.
The elders are still arguing over how to change the unfavorable situation of the empire, and no conclusion has been reached.
There were also many contradictions within the empire, and the conflicts were extremely chaotic and frequent.
The Imperial Parliament had long lost its impartiality and turned into a battlefield for struggle among various parties.
The Senate was in a state of decadence, and all they did all day was discuss how to expand the imperial power and rule the world. They had unrealistic dreams and claimed to be the backbone of the emperor, but in Sheng Huaixuan's view, they were more like shackles for Li Longxing.
The Supreme Council is now an utterly brutal institution, filled with thugs and executioners.
Cruel, ruthless and inhumane, this is their current situation.
The State Council has become a bloated corpse and is extremely inefficient.
Only the imperial headquarters is still functioning, but it is still full of contradictions.
All of this stems from the chaos in the Supreme Elders' Council. The eight factions represented by the eight elders, plus the imperial faction in the middle, are the source of all struggles.
The empire's brain is confused and full of disputes. The empire behaves like a schizophrenic patient, making the situation in the empire even more bizarre and confusing.
Local factions, driven by greed, are looking for backers everywhere and frantically grabbing benefits. There is constant fighting among the top leaders and no unified government orders. All of these things are intertwined to form the nightmare of the empire today.
Changes must be made.
Otherwise the empire has no future.
This is what Sheng Huaixuan thought deep in his heart.
The conflict between the elders is irreconcilable and the god must be killed.
Then a new god came to power.
Only by forming an overwhelming stabilizing force can we break the current chaotic situation.
Yu Zhongxian had the same idea.
So they are mortal enemies.
They once worked together, but soon broke up.
Yu Zhongxian wanted to build an empire maintained by violence. This empire would establish an unprecedented spy organization, shrouding everything under the shadow of spies.
He believed that only in this way could the empire be united.
His goal, therefore, was to greatly strengthen the Sanhedrin, giving it the power to arrest or execute anyone without trial.
Afterwards, the terrifying hand of the Council will spread throughout the empire, eliminating all disobedient people, and the more advanced evolved listeners will monitor the entire society, making all secrets exposed.
In this way, a stable empire was formed, which had only one voice, that of the Supreme Council.
All things are silent, only God speaks.
That's his philosophy.
And the means to achieve it is biochemistry.
He believed that human evolution itself was the future of humanity, and that humans who relied solely on external things were an inferior race.
Man’s greatest weapon is himself.
Therefore, Elder Mosili, the leader of the Evolutionary Sect, became Yu Zhongxian's staunch ally.
More than half of the empire's cutting-edge biological laboratories are under their command, and a large number of banned and unimaginable biochemical technologies have been developed by them.
And now, Elder Lin Yabo, the leader of the Aristocratic Party, has become his biggest backer.
He has already gained the support of two of the eight elders, and the situation is very unfavorable for Sheng Huaixuan.
This attack is a very obvious signal.
Obviously, it is just the beginning, not the end.
Therefore, how to deal with it in the future is the top priority to consider now.
While everyone was discussing, an attendant suddenly came in to report that Yu Zhongxian's special envoy was here to visit.
Sheng Huaixuan was a little surprised. They had already been enemies for a long time. What else could he say?
"Let him in."
Not long after, a sallow-faced guy walked in. He bowed respectfully to Sheng Huaixuan and said:
"Governor Sheng, hello, I am the special envoy of General Yu. I am here to cooperate with you."
Sheng Huaixuan asked calmly, "Cooperation?"
The envoy gave a sinister smile.
"That's right, let's work together to push for Changshan County to secede from Dongqinzhou."
"From his behavior over the past few days, you can tell that the little beast is a ticking time bomb. You never know when it will explode next to you, bringing you extremely serious adverse effects."
"As long as Changshan County breaks away from Dongqin Prefecture and is no longer under its jurisdiction, you can rest easy and not worry about that little beast causing trouble again."
"Of course, the Jieduquan will change the authority granting the seal from the Eastern Qinzhou Governor's Office to the Imperial Headquarters."
"Therefore, you won't be affected, and we can focus on dealing with that little beast. This is a win-win situation."
Sheng Huaixuan sneered: "Why do you think I would agree?"
The envoy smiled and said, "You are a wise man. You know the pros and cons. That little beast is a harmless beast. Sooner or later, he will become the enemy of the Empire. Cutting ties with him as soon as possible is the wise choice."
Sheng Huaixuan stopped talking and picked up the teacup.
The envoy tactfully said goodbye, but still with a smile, and left a sentence.
"You will promise."
After the special envoy left, the meeting continued.
But everyone seemed a little absent-minded. Seeing that everyone seemed hesitant to speak, Sheng Huaixuan said, "Just say whatever you want to say."
Everyone looked at the State Director, Nopes, who was the Governor's most trusted person.
Nopes coughed and said, "Governor, I personally think that what the envoy said makes sense. You can consider it."
Sheng Huaixuan's face darkened.
If it were usual, Nopes would definitely not continue, but now, he continued speaking with gritted teeth:
"Governor, Lin Wen's words and actions are too reckless. He has offended too many people and violated too many taboos of the Empire. Although he was not severely punished at this joint meeting for your sake, what will happen in the future?"
"He's like a bomb on your side that may explode at any moment."
"Furthermore, Changshan County didn't originally belong to Dongqinzhou. It was forced in during an incident by Yu Zhongxian and his gang, along with people from the Imperial Headquarters. Their purpose was to drag down Dongqinzhou. Isn't it just right to take this opportunity to get rid of it?"
"Without Changshan County, we have shed a huge burden. We no longer have to support that bottomless pit, and we won't be dragged down by it in terms of per capita income and development indicators."
Sheng Huaixuan glanced around and saw that all his confidants were staring at him.
"Do you all agree on this?"
Everyone nodded.
Sheng Huaixuan sneered, "Let a brat be our shield? He's got a lot of hatred, and the enemy hates him to death, so we just throw him out to draw fire, and we just sit back and reap the profits he's earned?"
He stood up, the smile gone from his face.
"You guys are really calculating. If you don't know, you might think Lin Wen is my die-hard warrior. I wonder what great kindness he has shown me that he is willing to sacrifice his life to help Governor Sheng."
"If I treat you this way one day, who among you would like that? Speak out now."
Everyone was silent, not daring to say anything more.
The meeting continues.
But after a while, someone else came to visit.
The attendant did not announce anything, but simply rang a secret bell to signal someone's arrival.
This means that he is a member of the Dongzhou faction, or at least someone with very close ties to the sect.
Everyone looked towards the door, expecting it to be Lin Wen, but all they saw was a tall figure in a complicated white dress, and a classic gauze silk mask.
With a loud bang, everyone stood up and bowed.
"Meet the First Princess!"
As for the thin figure behind the princess, it was completely ignored.
Sheng Huaixuan also showed a rare smile: "Li girl, how come you have time to come here?"
The First Princess bowed to Sheng Huaixuan and said, "Hello, Uncle Sheng. The impeachment has just ended, and my father asked me to come and see you."
The servants had already prepared a seat for the first princess. When she sat down slowly, the figure of Li Yuchen appeared behind her.
Everyone then greeted him: "Hello, young master."
"My dear young master, I hope you are well."
Li Yuchen pursed his lips tightly and said nothing.
First Secretary Cheng Hexin smiled slightly and started the conversation: "Your Highness, where is your head maid? I miss her so much. When can I see her again?"
The First Princess covered her mouth with her hands and chuckled softly, "I'm afraid we'll have to wait sixty or seventy years."
Cheng Hexin deliberately said with a sad face: "Doesn't this mean that we will never see each other again? Has His Highness already betrothed her to someone else?"
The princess's white-clad attendant handed over the freshly brewed Yunshan white tea. The First Princess took a sip and said with a smile, "Of course not. I killed her. If I had known Secretary Cheng liked her so much, I would have given her to you."
The first princess smiled sweetly, and when she lifted her veil slightly, one could see her skin as crystal clear as jade, her clever and well-proportioned cherry mouth, and her teeth as thin as broken jade.
It is said that the First Princess is the most beautiful woman in the empire. Just this one glimpse of her is enough to make people lose their minds and sigh that her reputation is well-deserved.
But what she said made Cheng Hexin feel a chill running down his spine, and he cried out incoherently, "Why?"
The First Princess said absentmindedly, "Perhaps it's because she forgot that she's just a dog."
"Okay." Sheng Huaixuan interrupted the small talk and said, "Girl Li, if you have something to say, let's talk about it. We don't have much time now."
The First Princess smiled and said, "Okay, Uncle Sheng. I'm here to persuade you to make Changshan County independent and release that young county chief, allowing him to soar freely in the sky. You should know that an eagle cannot spread its wings if it is always under the protection of feathers."
Sheng Huaixuan fell silent.
After a moment, he suddenly laughed: "Eagle? The First Princess overestimates that boy. Even if he is an eagle, times have changed. The ones flying outside are fighter jets."
The First Princess chuckled and said, "Uncle Sheng is really funny and humorous, just like before."
Sheng Huaixuan smiled, and she continued, "But, you're only an eagle, yet you dare to show off in front of a fighter jet. Aren't you too ignorant of your own limitations? You have to know that if it weren't for Uncle Sheng and my father, the fighter jet would have torn this little eagle to pieces with just a pull of the trigger."
Sheng Huaixuan nodded: "I will advise that kid."
The First Princess covered her mouth and laughed, "Uncle Sheng is still the same as always, but you have to know that you are no longer the Southern Heavenly King you once were. You are now the core of the Dongzhou faction, the Dinghaishenzhen of the Imperial faction."
Sheng Huaixuan's face turned cold, he picked up the teacup and said calmly: "It's getting late, Princess, please go back. Give my regards to your father."
The first princess had no intention of getting up. She sat upright on the chair with her hands folded in front of her, her posture elegant and proper.
She smiled faintly, as if she was at a party at her own house, chatting with her best friends.
"What if I say I'm willing to withdraw from the fight for the throne and devote myself to supporting Li Yuchen in taking the throne?"
Everyone's expression changed drastically in an instant.
Li Yuchen, who was standing beside him, bit his lips tightly and said nothing.
For everyone in the Governor's Office, Young Master Li Yuchen is the candidate closest to the Dongzhou faction, and does not have as many conflicts of interest as other candidates.
But he has no advantage now. The First Princess is too dazzling, the Queen is very popular, even the Little Princess has many supporters, and there are many young heroes in the side branches.
It was extremely difficult for him to ascend to the throne, even though the Emperor was in his prime and still had a long time before he abdicated.
But for things like this, it’s never too early to prepare.
If the First Princess announces her withdrawal and assists Li Yuchen, it will undoubtedly be the best news for the Dongzhou Sect.
Everyone's eyes turned in an instant, but Sheng Huaixuanran remained calm.
He took a sip of tea, put down the cup seemingly calmly, raised his head, and looked directly into the eyes of the First Princess.
"Is this what you mean?"
"Um."
"What about the princess pie?"
"I will disband."
"What did Li Longxing say?"
"That's what my father meant."
"Why?"
"There are bigger reasons, but that kid is an unstable factor that should be eliminated."
"Why?" Sheng Huaixuan asked for the second time.
The First Princess said seriously, "Dongqinzhou must become stronger at all costs. If war breaks out, my father will force his plan."
They both fell silent at the same time.
After a moment, the First Princess smiled and said, "Uncle Shang means the same thing."
Sheng Huaixuan stopped talking. He stood up and said calmly, "I'm tired, Nopes. You will preside over the next meeting."
After Sheng Huaixuan left, everyone gathered around the First Princess, as if she was the new core.
Only Li Yuchen looked at the direction where Sheng Huaixuan left, without saying a word for a long time.
(End of this chapter)
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