Chapter 494: The enemy is in Terra!
Banquet after banquet, meeting after meeting, social gatherings in the name of art and music...
In the last month in Holy Terra, Gu Hang was working hard to expand his network of contacts.
To be honest, he didn't like any of this.
But he is trying hard to integrate himself into the group and use their methods to fight for everything he can for his alliance.
But the more this happened, the more Gu Hang became disappointed with the highest level of this human empire.
During this trip to Terra, Gu Hang had a deeper understanding of the heart of the human empire. He had dealt with everyone from the high lords at the top to the executive officials at the grassroots level.
Are there brilliant ideals and lofty visions among them?
Yes, there are.
But they are still a minority.
Exchange of interests, petty intrigues, a life of drunkenness and dreams... these were most of the scenes that Gu Hang saw.
Even when talking about serious matters, in Gu Hang's opinion, they are quite unrealistic and out of touch with reality, and are of no benefit to the entire country and the entire ethnic group.
Fortunately, it is not yet at the stage of being both civil and martial. The first two words may be there, but the "martial" is not as good as the "fu", which is the only consolation.
Before Gu Hang left, Gallardo's fight for the position of Prime Minister of the Ministry of Military Affairs also came to an end.
He won, but not completely.
He won because he did get his wish and became the Prime Minister of the Ministry of War, becoming the highest administrative official of one of the four important departments of the empire.
Under the imperial government system, theoretically there was only one person above him, the Imperial Prime Minister.
But that was only in theory. In reality, not to mention that he had just taken office and had not yet secured his position, there were too many independent factions outside the government system within the empire.
Moreover, the reason why he did not win everything was that he did not get a seat on the Supreme Council.
The Ministry of Military Affairs lost the position of High Lord, which is quite rare in the history of the Empire. After all, if the four major departments really have to be divided into upper and lower levels, the Ministry of Military Affairs is the second in line for the first place. It is true that the four major departments do not always have a seat for High Lord, and sometimes there is none at all. But if there is, there is usually a Prime Minister of the Ministry of Military Affairs. It is rare to see that the Prime Ministers of the other three departments have one, but the Ministry of Military Affairs does not.
To be honest, this will have a significant impact on Gallardo's control over the Ministry of Military Affairs, and the people below will feel dissatisfied and uneasy because of it.
But he actually doesn't care about that anymore.
In his words, "Over the years, I have been promoted very quickly, and it is inevitable that I have offended a lot of people, especially those whose positions I have taken away or whose paths have been blocked. However, this problem will be alleviated a lot after I become the prime minister. If I am not high enough, they will be jealous of me and resent me; but if I am high enough that they can only look up to me, they will only flatter me instead."
"I don't mind having that little bit of resentment. If I were afraid of this, I would have kept a low profile long ago."
"As for you, be careful when you go back. Whether it's the Fury of Flame or the Iron Armor who might make some big moves next, they are not easy to deal with. Don't let us down, but don't try too hard and put yourself into it. If it really doesn't work, even if you are in the most difficult and helpless situation, you must remember to keep your life. I am here, no matter how big the difficulties are, I will ensure that you can make a comeback!"
This was Gallardo's last instruction to Gu Hang before leaving.
…
Looking at the Holy Terra that was getting smaller and farther away in his sight, Gu Hang retracted his gaze and turned to the boundless sea of stars ahead.
Things on Terra were over, and he was on his way home.
He has been out of the league for a year now, and it will take him almost another year to get back. Adding up to two years is already a long time.
As a leader, it is definitely not a good thing to be away from your ruling core for a long time.
However, as a member of the empire and a force that grew up under the wings of the empire, Gu Hang had to come to Terra no matter what.
Putting aside the benefits gained and the troubles solved on this trip, he had to make these gentlemen on Terra clearly understand what kind of person he was, and understand him in the way he wanted.
In this way, when they think of the alliance, they don't just think of a rising power in the eastern border of the empire, holding both military and political power. Instead, they can think of Gu Hang's identity as a leader, his role in the imperial political arena, and that he is a person connected to Holy Terra and part of a rising political faction.
It's 'one of our own'.
If things really reach some dangerous but inevitable moments in the future, the connections he has built up on Terra may be of some use.
Moreover, the alliance system he had built over the past twenty years should still be trustworthy and not completely dependent on his presence, and it can run smoothly on its own. The biggest problem with him not being at the center is still about people's hearts, not politics.
Two years was already a very tight time limit. Because of this, he didn't dare to waste any more time in Holy Terra. After the matter was resolved, he hurriedly set out on his journey home.
I hope everything will be alright after I return.
…
Eastern Universe, Dragon Eagle Star Region, Snow Eagle Star Region.
Casimir Erso, Chapter Master of the Fury, is on the phone with his ally, Humphrey Paul, Chapter Master of the Ironclad, far away in the Empress Sector.
But Erso's expression at the moment was not happy.
Because Paul asked him to retreat, abandon the Dragon Eagle Star Domain, and take his battle group, which had actually been strengthened to about 1,600 people, to detour back to the Menghe Star Domain located north of the Dragon Eagle Star Domain, and then return to the Princess Star Domain.
Paul also made it clear why this should be done.
He knew what happened on Holy Terra, and when he told Erso about it, Erso could understand why he had to shrink his power.
Because there is a war.
Because the empire can no longer accommodate them.
To be honest, after realizing this, Erso was a little dazed and couldn't accept it at first.
He led the Fury of Flame Regiment and, over the past one hundred years or so, always stood with the Iron Armor Regiment and committed many outrageous acts.
However, everything was done in the name of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism.
It is certainly important to deceive others, but perhaps it is more important to deceive yourself.
Since birth, they have believed in the Emperor; after becoming a Space Marine, they have inherited the Emperor's genes. In their daily lives, apart from training, they pray the most; in war, the most common slogan they shout is "For the Emperor!"
Who could have thought that one day I would become a traitor?
"No, we are not traitors." Paul seemed to be able to see through his heart, "How much have we paid for this empire? We have fought for a hundred years in the 'Black Hole of Nothingness' area of the Princess Star Domain, and countless Iron Armor and Fury have sacrificed their lives for it; your regiment has fought against the green-skinned orcs in the Dragon Eagle Star Domain in the past few years, and countless have died. Everyone says that it was Gu Hang who killed Titus in the end, but who can deny Fury's contribution on the front battlefield? Without your resistance on the front battlefield, the entire Dragon Eagle Star Domain would have fallen long ago. How could it be Gu Hang's turn to steal the final fruits of victory?"
"But how did the Empire treat us? Suspicion, vigilance, suppression... Have they ever decreased in the past hundred years? The blood we shed is justified in the eyes of the people on Holy Terra, but the materials we should obtain for the war are like cutting their flesh in their eyes!"
"We may have been able to hold on to illusions in the past, but Norberto is finished now. The Imperial Center will no longer listen to any of our words, and we no longer have anything to talk about with those bureaucrats on Holy Terra who are just sitting there doing nothing. We have devoted ourselves to the Empire, and it has been so in the past and will be so in the future. However, in the past, we believed that the greatest crisis of the Empire came from external enemies, whether aliens or demons. However, now we must wake up. The greatest crisis of the Empire is not elsewhere, but from within the Empire! From Holy Terra!"
"The enemy is in our heart. As the Emperor's angels and loyal guards of the Empire, we should destroy this greatest enemy!"
Paul's words were so powerful that they made Erso's blood boil!
This solved one of his biggest worries: becoming a traitor.
But according to this statement, they are not traitors!
Although he could vaguely feel that this statement was not entirely tenable, he was very willing to believe it.
The most important factor in whether a statement is credible is whether the person listening is willing to believe it.
Even the most absurd lie can deceive people if they are willing to believe it.
Erso was someone who was very willing to believe this.
In fact, Paul had figured out a lot of the meaning behind these words without him having to say anything.
To conquer Terra and seize the throne was the ultimate goal of saving the empire, but it was not something that could be achieved immediately. What they needed to do now was to defend their base, fight against those troops bewitched by Holy Terra, and continuously expand their base in the war, and finally accumulate enough power to conquer Holy Terra.
That's not something that happens overnight.
However, after believing this and getting rid of his psychological resistance to the upcoming war, he had another question that concerned him:
"Then why should we withdraw our troops from the Dragon Eagle Star Region? Why can't we take the South, the Dragon Eagle Star Region, or even the entire Eastern Universe as the main attack direction, or at least as a secondary attack target?"
"Because we don't have enough power." Paul persuaded patiently, "I know what you are thinking. Fury has invested a lot in the Dragon Eagle Star Region. It's very unwilling to withdraw like this."
Erso said nothing, because it was indeed the truth.
"But we have to think about the overall situation. The Void Black Hole still needs troops to defend, and if we want to attack, we have discussed and agreed that it would be more advantageous to operate in the entire Spider Web Star Region where we have been operating for many years. But there are many challenges. We need as many troops as possible to seize the initiative and expand our strength as much as possible before the preparations of Holy Terra are completed. In the Spider Web Star Region, right next to us, there are six warbands with unclear attitudes, and many forces that may not be willing to stand with us."
"We must use an indisputable, overwhelming, and soul-stirring victory, sweeping across as many places as possible like a gust of wind sweeping away fallen leaves. A magnificent, irresistible victory is very necessary as a good start. Compared to the forces controlled by Holy Terra, we are ultimately weaker; our advantage is that we have a strong advantage in local areas."
"We must take advantage of these and shock all the wavering opponents with a victory like this, and sweep as many of them as possible under our banner."
"The time window we have is very short. To create such a huge momentum, we must use all the forces we can. Therefore, I need you, more than ever before."
"Do you understand?"
Paul's exhortation was heartfelt.
After listening, Erso sighed.
"Okay, Paul, I understand what you mean, and I agree with your plan. I will withdraw with my regiment as soon as possible. I still have a hundred battle brothers in the hands of that alliance. I will go and discuss a prisoner exchange plan with them, and then withdraw after getting the prisoners back."
"Well, as soon as possible."
…
At this moment, the Alliance has also learned about the changes in the political situation in Holy Terra.
That was what Gu Hang told me.
If the many changes that have taken place on Terra are just news far away from the Alliance officials, in fact, this has a very direct impact on the structure of the Dragon Eagle Star Region, and they can feel it very clearly.
The most direct manifestation is the withdrawal of the Silver Tribunal.
It has been a whole year since they came to the alliance's control area.
During this year, they have caused a lot of trouble to the alliance.
The alliance's many intelligence agencies also tried their best to deal with these inquisitors.
Confrontation can be roughly divided into two levels: the overt and the dark.
The dark side is actually easier to deal with.
The Silver Tribunal sent out many spies to quietly enter areas controlled by the Alliance, especially the many worlds in the Pegasus region which served as the core ruling area, to gather intelligence and even fabricate evidence.
Of course, these released spies will not inform the alliance, otherwise nothing will be found.
But this is exactly what the league wants.
It's just fine if you don't say anything.
Since they were all illegal identities, the alliance’s intelligence department took direct action.
They are all enemy agents and subversive elements. We must deal with them one by one as soon as we catch them, and do it quickly and severely.
The inquisitors of the Silver Tribunal often had no time to react or rescue the spies, and the spies were either executed or disappeared.
(End of this chapter)
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