Chapter 168 Everyone is happy. Oh, right, where is the leader?
Looking back at the 400-year development history of the empire, it can be divided into three stages: the occupation stage, the expansion stage, and the stagnation stage.
The occupation stage generally refers to the stage when the remaining inhabitants of Earth search for habitable planets in the interstellar space. This stage lasted a total of 273 years. Compared with the modern history of the ancient Earth, it is equivalent to the stage of primitive accumulation of capital.
After all, the so-called "occupying land" is actually colonization.
The expansion phase refers specifically to the early and middle periods of Isuparezo's reign, which lasted 100 years. The so-called "expansion" does not only refer to the expansion of territory, but also the all-round development in literature and art, science and technology, law and system.
It can be said that before this, the interstellar empire was more like a feudal state. The emperor did have influence, but it was limited to the capital star and the six planets around it.
The more distant and vast regions of the universe are managed with a high degree of autonomy by various dukes and earls.
This was not because the emperor himself had slackened his will, but was a helpless move due to the large territory.
Even the Mammal Federation on the other side says that each of its star states is highly autonomous. The governor has enormous power, even the authority to make laws within the state.
Local officials claim to be elected, but in fact they are monopolized by local military and political families and are hereditary.
It can be said that the powerful class has never been eliminated. As long as the state system exists, "aristocracy" will continue to emerge. Of course, in different countries and systems, "aristocrats" will have different names. Sometimes they are called "chaebols" and sometimes "old money".
So after Isuparezo came to power, he quickly realized the key to the problem: how to bring power back to the central government?
This seems to be a problem that leaders of every dynasty cannot avoid.
After trying tough measures without success, Isuparezo adopted a roundabout approach - he began to put restrictive rings on his subjects under the pretext of promoting a spouse matching system.
If you cannot control the powerful families on distant planets, try to control the local people as much as possible and protect the lower class people through a unified system.
——It is really a crazy, imaginative and stubborn method.
But it was this unrealistic method that actually made him almost successful. It can be said that all the extreme policies of Isupareso throughout his life, including the "guardian system", "social support system", "orphan protection policy", "violent alpha punishment law", etc., were carried out around the information collected by the forbidden ring.
The Forbidden Ring was the core of Isupareso's rule for a whole century.
And the effect is significant.
At least for a long time, the nobles found that they could no longer do whatever they wanted under the surveillance of the forbidden ring, and began to become angry.
They can't seize omega, let alone evade taxes. Every penny of local finances must be handed over to the central government. They hated the old emperor so much that they privately called him "the vampire of the empire."
But they also knew that the old emperor needed them. After all, the neighboring federation is watching covetously and might invade from anywhere. If they really give up and open the atmosphere to lead the way, the old emperor will also lose miserably.
In such a delicate balance, Isupareso miraculously supported the prosperity of the empire for a century... until the stagnation stage came.
The so-called "stagnation" refers not only to the material decline of the empire, but also the weakening of the forbidden ring system.
Every policy from the top has its countermeasures from the bottom. As time went on, the nobles of each planet discovered that by concealing the number of newborns or putting fake restriction rings on the locals, they could gradually dilute the old emperor's actual control.
Moreover, technology is developing and there is no way to remove it as before. But what about 20 years later? Maybe it's so simple that it's not worth mentioning.
The central government once issued an order requiring residents to replace their restriction rings every ten years. However, such a large number of replacements would have to be handed over to local authorities, which would create a lot of room for fraud and substitution.
By the last 27 years of Isupalaiso's reign, the decline of the forbidden ring also meant the weakening of the old emperor's control over the distant stars.
The Bridge Star is one of the concrete results of this decline.
Shi Luolan thought back to the past and sighed: "When I was young, the map of the empire was so perfect - if you take a pen and outline the 26 planets from top to bottom, the final picture will be exactly the shape of a sword. And the Bridgehead Star is at the tip of the sword, pointing directly to the heart of the Federation!"
Bai Ling had spent many years on the border in his previous life, so of course he had heard the story of Qiaotouxing. He curled his lower lip:
“You believe that, too.”
Shi Luolan crossed his arms and became excited when he talked about the past:
"Of course I believe it. 'A sword tip pierced this galaxy like a thorn', this was a sentence by a national treasure poet back then. After taking this planet, the empire prospered and flourished, and everything went smoothly. Even the top leaders of the Federation once believed that 'the shape of the empire's map was a hindrance to them'.
"Afterwards, the Federation even paid to build an artificial defense line filled with huge mirrors, which the Federation called the "Devil's Mirror". They wanted to bounce back the empire's brutality and prevent it from affecting the Federation's national destiny."
There are some remnants of the island nation among the top leaders of the federation. The traditional skill of this group of people is to gamble on the fate of the country, so they naturally care about Feng Shui.
Unfortunately, the mirror method is useless - this story starts with a soldier from Qiaotou Star.
The soldier always lingered at the outpost, pulling everyone and telling them that he just couldn't stand it.
Others say, if you don’t like it, then go over and smash it.
Five years later, he really led his men all the way into the Federation, smashed all the mirrors, and left a message on them saying "Shi Luolan was here."
It is said that the monarch was furious and said that he was disrespectful to the federation and dismissed him on the spot.
Just as the Federation was getting proud and preparing to praise the old emperor for finally being sensible, the palace issued another notice:
[Lord Shi Luolan, transferred to the position of head of the Royal Guard]
He openly criticized but secretly praised, and made the federal people's faces swollen redder than a baboon's butt.
A hero never brags about his past achievements, but Shi Luolan always has infinite nostalgia for that time, to the point that he can wake up from it in his dreams.
Bai Ling said, "Have you seen the current map? Bridge Star, Aquarius Star and Paper Jupiter Star have all been sold."
"Sold?!" Shi Luolan stood up and almost knocked over the conference table. "Who sold it? Who did you sell it to?"
"Cade, sell it to the Federation."
Shi Luolan couldn't believe it and kept asking: "Boy, you lied to me, didn't you? Don't joke with your dad."
He had only recently started surfing the Internet and had no idea that such a big thing would happen after his death.
"It's not a big deal, actually. The transfer procedure went smoothly, and the price offered by the Federation was fair." Bai Ling said with a hint of sarcasm, "It can be said that the top brass of the empire are all happy."
Shi Luolan sat back with a plop, and the steel support creaked. His face turned from pale to gray, and in the blink of an eye he seemed to have aged ten years.
"How could this happen... He just sold it out... Golden Eagle used to be so close to Fangorn. They were always together day and night, always talking about great ambitions. How come after becoming a marshal, he turned out to be a coward!"
He became angrier and angrier as he spoke, but Bai Ling heard an unfamiliar name: "Fagon? Which general is this?"
Shi Luolan raised his head and sighed: "I have never heard of normal. Fangon was my subordinate and died in that accident with me."
He died young before he could shine.
Bai Ling thought again that Fangorn is actually a common name of the Falconidae family, which is taken from the biological transliteration of falcon. But generally, only families with poor cultural conditions would give their children such common names.
Fangorn must have been born in a humble family, and was later promoted by Shilolan because of his talent.
However, it is quite surprising that such a poor person would play with a golden eagle.
But Bai Ling thought about himself. Didn’t he also play with the perverted fish? Maybe Fangorn and the golden eagle have some inhumane common topics.
At this time, Shi Luolan noticed the marks under his clothes and asked curiously: "What's tied on your stomach, kid?"
Bai Ling had no expression on his face: "Bulletproof vest."
Shi Luolan was shocked: "Do you have to wear a bulletproof vest to meet me?"
Bai Ling answered very seriously: "Yes, to protect you."
In case you say something wrong again, you might be possessed by the mental bullets shot by the monster.
Shi Luolan was deeply moved. Cub, he cares so much about his dad...Sure enough, when the leader is not around, his relationship with the cub is much better.
Oh, yes, where is the leader?
At this moment, Huo Yuan walked over quickly, "Land sent the information back with a request."
Bai Ling turned his head and asked calmly, "What's your request? Is it too much?"
Huo Yuan was stunned for a moment, and his tone began to lean towards Land unconsciously: "He asked us to intervene in the suppression of the bandits, and it would be best if we could rescue the pirate. I read the pirate's information, and I think it is excessive, but reasonable."
Bai Ling also opened the information to check. The moment his eyes met the photo, his eyes suddenly became cold.
Shi Luolan observed: "Does the cub know you?"
Bai Ling wanted to say, he more than just knew him. When others say I'm familiar with you, they mean I'll recognize you even if it turns into ashes. He said it was cooked because he burned this guy with his own hands and scattered his ashes into the sea of stars.
It was mentioned before that there were a total of six warlord forces in the empire, Bai Ling, Sava, Huo Yuan, and Peacock could barely be counted as one of them. Then the fifth force must be Pirate Kidd.
However, unlike his "mortal enemy" relationship with General Sava, he and the pirate Kidd are like-minded and have a closer relationship, because -
This person was the one who accompanied Commander Bai all the way north to the Capital Star in his previous life.
He was also the second longest-lived leader among the revolutionary army leaders.
·
"Cough... cough cough cough..." A series of heart-wrenching coughs, almost as if coughing out the lungs. The air was filled with a faint smell of blood, making the enclosed space of the pirate ship even more suffocating.
The sailor looked worried and quickly helped the man sit down: "Captain Kidd, your lung cancer has worsened again. You should go to the treatment cabin and lie down for a while."
Kidd's face was gray, his hair was dry and yellow, and he looked lifeless. Anyone who saw him would conclude that this guy was a short-lived ghost.
But even in this physical condition, he still had to gasp for breath and cursed: "Why are you lying down? Is it time to lie down now? Look at what nonsense that little bastard Jin Jing is talking about!"
The sailor trembled: "Captain, he hasn't replied yet."
Kidd was about to scold again, but at this moment a furry dirty ball ran over, slipped out, and skillfully lay down at his feet, asking for a hug.
Kidd had no choice but to bend down and pick up the dog with difficulty. "Stop, what do you want to do? I don't have any meat here."
The puppy Stopp grunted twice and pulled at his trouser legs with his claws, as if to say, you can eat me.
All of Kidd's family members died, and this dog was the only one left in his household registration book. Of course, he was reluctant to eat it.
The sailor checked the message again, but there was still no response from the military. Even though the sailor was optimistic by nature, he was very frustrated at this moment: "They just ignored us and treated our words as if they were dogs barking. No one listened to them at all."
Kid rolled his eyes: "You'll get used to it."
The sailor anxiously browsed the star network: "How about we ask someone else for help, Commander Bai?"
"Not very good."
"Why?" The sailor was surprised at his decision.
Kidd said with a stern face: "He is attached to the old emperor, and is essentially a lackey of the rich and powerful. As long as he is a lackey, he will take care of his own business and will never come to our business. Hasn't the lesson you learned in the military department taught you yet?"
The sailor thought weakly that maybe Commander Bai was different from others. You see, he is just like us, isn't he called a bandit?
But he could obviously see that the boss was in a bad mood, so he wisely kept his mouth shut.
If you count carefully, he has been following Kidd as a space pirate for more than two years. The two of them are actually from the same hometown, both born and raised in Qiaotou.
But ever since the Bridgehead Planet was sold, the Federation has announced: "We only want the planet, not the people. Send people from your Empire to take the residents away and resettle them."
The Empire did send someone to pick him up. But they only transported people one ship at a time, and after the transportation, they did not build houses to resettle them. They just threw the people to the next planet. Over time, they became displaced and became refugees.
On the border, the Empire's outposts were useless, and Federation bandits often dropped from the atmosphere to rob and loot.
The federal pirates are skilled in their tactics and have advanced weapons and equipment, and they can capture these refugees like chickens. They called the police, but to no avail; they asked the planetary governor for help, but were ignored; they wrote to the Empire Central Government website, but were told perfunctorily, "We'll check it out."
Until one day, a group of federal soldiers took a fancy to Kidd and wanted to take him away by force. Kidd's parents tried desperately to protect him but were hit by bullets and fell in a pool of blood with their eyes open.
Kidd's eyes were bloodshot. He raised his hand and fiercely cut off a piece of meat from the back of his neck, threw it on the ground, and stomped it to pieces: "It's a piece of rotten meat. Here it is, take it away!"
Perhaps his energy frightened the alpha, and a group of pirates fled in panic.
From then on, Kidd focused on being a beta.
He said: "People always have to live, otherwise how can they watch their enemies die with regret?"
He hated the Federation, and he hated the Empire even more. He watched the federals chatting and laughing with the military police at the outpost, and watched them pass cigarettes to each other like brothers. Only then did he realize that the reason why the federals were so rampant was that the nobles on the border had already defected to the country and become traitors.
In this case, Kidd doesn't care about reason anymore.
He spent all his family wealth, bought a second-hand ship, gathered a group of radical refugees, and started a business of robbing passing ships. Occasionally they robbed nobles and occasionally went to war with federal pirates. The looted supplies and money were distributed to the refugees, and they lived a decent life.
But things did not go as planned. God did not want to see him get well, so one day he woke up from drinking and coughed, and found out that he had lung cancer.
The Empire's medical technology is advanced, and cancer is no longer an incurable disease. All you need to do is go to the hospital for regular surgery, and there is a high probability of recovery.
But no hospital on the nearby planets dared to accept him as a patient.
Because he is an interstellar pirate and a criminal on the top ten of the Empire's most wanted list. Whoever accepts him is harboring him and will be arrested.
Kidd could understand the hospital's approach very well. After all, they were all ordinary citizens, and no one wanted to put their entire family in danger in order to save a stranger.
So, he simply decided not to live, and crossed the boat, ready to embarrass the military before he died.
"Even if I die, I'll take a few people with me."
The sailor was horrified and asked, "Who else do you want to pull in addition to me? You are too greedy."
Kidd touched his chin and raised his head towards the high-spirited colonel on TV: "That's it, the Marshal's son, or that White Commander will do."
The sailor lifted him up from the chair and moved him up to make him sit more comfortably. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his fingertips and said helplessly, "Please stop talking nonsense."
Kidd sucked his thumb, tasting the dirty blood he coughed up, and raised an eyebrow: "If you want me to keep silent, you have to be responsible for blocking my mouth."
At this moment, the radar alarm sounded, warning that enemy troops were approaching.
Kidd stood up suddenly, his dejection gone, his eyes sharp and bright:
"The prey is here!"
But to his surprise, only one mecha came. Before the other party came close, he flashed his lights to indicate that he had no weapons and just wanted to go on board to talk.
Kidd tilted his head, sneered and ordered: "Bring out my big guns. I want to see how these people in the military are like an Alpha sitting on a stone - hitting a stone with an egg."
The treatment you receive as an interstellar pirate will surely be unforgettable.
However, when the man walked up alone and arrogantly, the first thing that moved was not the gun in Kidd's hand, but the puppy that was lying obediently under the table.
The puppy rushed forward, wagging its tail, and was quite familiar with the person.
The newcomer was more familiar, ignoring the numerous guns pointed at him and squatting down to hug the dog, his eyes narrowed as the puppy licked him:
"Oh, Stopp, stop!"
The young man was not wearing a law enforcement uniform, but a simple and gentle light beige sweater. He looked relaxed, not like someone looking for trouble, but rather like someone visiting an old friend.
The gun in Kidd's hand shook, and he looked over with surprise and vigilance.
who is he? You know my dog's name!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
