Chapter 42

Chapter 42

"You want to divide our Federation’s territory? That's absolutely impossible," was the first response from Gong Zhili.

Berlin and Baisha had briefly mentioned Gong Zhili. Although he's become increasingly obstinate and self-righteous with age, he's indeed been defending the Federation in his own way.

But the Federation is a nation, not someone's backyard. It's influenced by too many people and too many forces. Someone like Gong Zhili, who attempts to govern with an iron fist and acts unilaterally, often offends others and becomes a thorn in their side.

For instance, now, as the Federation and the Empire are about to enter peace talks. The Federation government is keen on this, and many families are planning to benefit from it, but Gong Zhili, as the head of the military, loathes the Empire. He's not entirely pro-war, but in his eyes, every move of the Empire is ulterior, and only by severing ties with the Empire can the Federation prevent infiltration and oppression.

Previously, this approach worked. Ever since the war between the Federation and the Empire twenty years ago, relations have been lukewarm. Gong Zhili's tough stance against the Empire has been somewhat beneficial for the Federation's long-term development.

But times have changed. Both nations are interested in mending fences.

Gong Zhili's proud and uncompromising character is increasingly out of sync with the Federation's current situation.

Even without the incident of the military interrogating Baisha, Gong Zhili was bound to stumble due to his inability to adapt. However, it might have been in a more concealed, cunning, and protracted manner, not like Baisha leading 'Po Jun' to his doorstep, blatantly aiming to slap Gong Zhili in the face.

Demotion in military ranks, a personal apology from the military head, and even ceding planets, each demand was aimed at Gong Zhili.

Baisha's first two demands were overtly hostile towards Gong Zhili, and the third one resonated with his nightmare for years—twenty years ago, as a military officer, he helplessly watched the Federation humiliatingly cede star systems; now, even as the head of the military, Baisha wanted him to relive this nightmare, and once again, Gong Zhili could do nothing to stop it.

Baisha knew exactly how to handle the situation to embarrass Gong Zhili—she ignored his objection and spoke directly to the man at the head of the conference table:

"These are my three conditions. What do you say?"

The man at the head of the table was silent for a moment.

"Firstly, demotion of military ranks is acceptable. However, it will be subjected to our Federation's internal investigation. We will not hand over our national officers to the Empire for interrogation."

Baisha nodded, "Of course. I trust the Federation won’t blindly protect the real culprits," she said, her face displaying a meaningful smile, "After all, in the upcoming new era, the Empire and the Federation have many opportunities for cooperation."

"As for the second condition, having the head of our military apologize to you is only natural—if we are to punish our military personnel, we must show corresponding sincerity. But by 'apology', do you mean a public one, or...?"

"As long as my three conditions are met, I’m willing to consider this incident a misunderstanding," Baisha leaned back in her command chair, the presence of the passionflower brooch on her chest evident, causing a few knowledgeable Federation officials to shift uncomfortably, "Since it's a misunderstanding, the issue is merely a conflict between ‘me’ and those advocating for my interrogation, not between the Empire and the Federation—it doesn't need to be public. Even an apology through this screen right now would suffice for the second condition."

"Thank you for your generosity," the man said with courteous words, but his expression was far from friendly, "Finally, regarding your third request, I regret to inform you that I must give a negative response."

"Every inch of Federation territory belongs to the people of the Federation, to the soldiers who have fought and bled to defend our home. Our Federation government cannot simply divide the foundations of our people's livelihood due to one conversation with you—even if it's just a few mineral-rich planets in a remote star system," the man's voice was gentle but resolute.

Twenty years ago, after a long and draining war, the Federation had barely agreed to cede mineral-rich star systems.

Twenty years later, it was nearly impossible for Baisha to make the Federation bow just by a word of mouth.

Baisha was pragmatic: "In that case, I don’t need ownership, just control. To put it bluntly, what I want is the Lanslo Star."

"Everyone knows, I grew up as an orphan within Federation territory. But perhaps you haven’t heard of Lanslo Star—it's a remote star that flourished briefly due to the mining of T crystals and quickly declined. Everything on Lanslo Star is subpar—poverty, chaos, and criminals in power. But it's the star that nurtured me. Before I knew my true identity, my affection for the Federation mostly came from Lanslo Star."

Baisha paused for a moment. No one in the meeting room interrupted her.

"Now, though I am leaving the Federation, I don't want to erase the fact that I grew up here. It's a memory I don’t want to abandon, no matter where I am in the universe. As an orphan who grew up on Lanslo Star, I sincerely hope it can develop better."

Baisha slightly furrowed her brows, her deep blue eyes covered with a layer of frost.

"But to be frank, every day I spent growing up on Lanslo Star, I questioned the Federation's poor management of the border star regions. That small planet has no economic value, no noble family's oversight, but that’s no excuse. Leaving the fate of Lanslo Star in your hands, I fear, will lead to further problems."

If Baisha's previous demands had a hint of the nouveau riche flaunting power, her current words truly made all the Federation officials present unable to lift their heads.

This time, no one could refute her with the reason, "You're interfering in our internal affairs." After all, she had been a Federation citizen for many years, and the hardships of Lanslo Star were her hardships too.

She certainly had the right to speak up, the right to criticize.

The man at the head of the conference table sighed deeply.

"...Your Highness, considering past relations, we have no reason to sever your last goodwill towards the Federation," he said. "But wanting control of that planet is impractical. Do you intend to turn it into a nation within a nation for the Federation? This exceeds our government's limits."

"I can transfer the control to a designated person," Bai Sha said. "I will choose a pure-blooded Federation citizen as a proxy. I believe the person I appoint will care about Lanslow Star's future more than you do. All matters concerning the construction, management, and development of Lanslow Star, I want them to decide. Of course, the Federation can supervise Lanslow Star as they do with other frontier stars. But I want to ensure that Lanslow Star won't fall into the hands of any company or family again."

Bai Sha showed a disdainful expression: "We both know each other well. In the frontier regions, families and corporations ruling small asteroids are common. I don’t aspire to be a tyrant like them who covers the sky with one hand, I just want Lanslow Star’s development to be completely fair, open, and transparent. That's not too much to ask, is it?"

The man conversing with Bai Sha fell silent for a few seconds, then said: "Please give us some time. We need to discuss internally before we can decide whether to accept your request."

"Of course." Bai Sha nodded with dignified politeness, a smile on her face, "Please feel free to discuss. His Majesty, Emperor Cecil Ronin, and I will wait patiently."

The communication ended.

Berling rose from his seat, gracefully adjusting his lapels, and said with a smile, "All that our little Highness wished to convey has been delivered, so I shall not linger. I will await good news at the hotel."

Having said that, he led the Imperials out of the meeting hall.

Now, only Federation representatives remained in the meeting hall.

"...I believe that the three conditions proposed by this Imperial royal are acceptable," stated the Minister of Federation Military Production from his side seat. "She didn't make unreasonable demands, and the third condition, appointing a proxy to manage Lanslow Star, as she said, isn't a big issue."

Bai Sha's suggestion indicates that the Empire is ready for regular interaction with the Federation. Otherwise, what could she do if the Federation verbally agrees but acts differently? Only with decent diplomatic relations can she have the leverage to inquire about the future development of Lanslow Star.

"...Handing over control of a planet to an Imperial? There's no precedent for this in our Federation's history. And allowing her to appoint a representative? Isn't that just waiting for her to plant her people in the Federation?"

"I've heard of Lanslow Star, indeed a desolate frontier planet. No matter how much it's developed, it will remain limited. However, the scandal caused by Kangheng Life Sciences previously was significant. Pleasing that royal is easy, just grant some policy favors and ensure no powers like Kangheng Tech dominate Lanslow Star again... The cost to us is indeed minimal. It's a profitable deal."

"Do we have to go to such lengths to please the Imperials before even starting peace talks?"

"What else can we do? It's our military's fault for creating such a mess! Secretly interrogating an Imperial, I can't believe they went that far."

An official from the Department of Economy sounded distressed, "The economic trade details with the Empire were almost finalized. Now it seems we have to start all over again."

Complaints echoed from officials of various departments.

This was the Federation's representative council, and their opinions reflected those of most Federation officials and noble families.

Gong Zhili sat in his place, his face gradually showing a shade of ashen defeat.

Without needing a vote, he knew the tide had turned against him.

The man in the main seat tapped on the table in front of him, gradually restoring calm to the increasingly agitated meeting hall: "Those who oppose the three peace conditions, please stand and state your opinions and solutions."

For a long while, no one in the meeting hall stood up.

"Very well," the man nodded. "I hereby announce the following arrangements: Admiral Gong Zhili of the military department is demoted to Colonel, relieved of his command position, and stripped of his right to preside over military affairs. Colonel Gong Zhili is to personally apologize to the Imperial royal family to appease this diplomatic incident. As for the selection of the new commander and other demotions within the military department... these will be discussed later by the Central Representative Assembly, the Military Procuratorate, and the military department jointly."

Many remained expressionless, yet excitement was brewing in their hearts.

With Gong Zhili's fall, a reshuffle of power within the military department was imminent — a rare opportunity!

"As for Lanslow Star, the Imperial side will appoint the planetary administrator. However, the bureaucratic base of Lanslow Star will still be chosen by us. We cannot let the Imperial-appointed administrator have absolute power."

Thus, the problems posed by Bai Sha's three conditions were almost resolved.

Implementing this plan, the biggest obstacle is likely Colonel Gong Zhili himself—

"I will not apologize to her," Gong Zhili declared stubbornly, his eyes tinged with a pale blue, seemingly aging significantly in these few short minutes, "Even if I die, I won't apologize to an Imperial!"

"That doesn't matter," a young general glanced at him, having been against Gong Zhili's initiative to interrogate the Imperial from the start. But back then, Gong Zhili's followers and those trying to please him had all voted in favor, and he couldn't stop it. Now, seeing them reap what they sowed, he felt a sense of satisfaction, "You don't want to apologize to Baisha, but there are plenty who do. Have you forgotten her condition?"

"The head of the military to personally apologize to her."

If Gong Zhili is willing to apologize to Baisha, so be it. But if he isn't, the Federation can still play word games. After all, the new head of the military will be more aware of the times. In this case, flattering the Imperial noble a bit more is no big deal. Moreover, even if the new head needs to apologize, it's seen as suffering on someone else's behalf, not as a loss of face or humiliation like it would be for Gong Zhili.

Gong Zhili's face turned exceptionally ugly.

He unhooked his military emblem and threw it on the table, then stormed out of the meeting room in a rage.

For a moment, everyone's gaze was fixed on Gong Zhili.

After Gong Zhili left, several generals who had followed him in voting in favor were sweating profusely. Some were directly promoted by Gong Zhili and now faced demotion, surely weakening them considerably. But a few generals, who supported Gong Zhili either due to allegiance or being pressured, weren't as nervous—they still had support from their own factions and weren't completely tied to Gong Zhili's fate.

As long as there's a chance for a comeback, everything is still possible.

_

The Imperial Star, the Zhou family.

An elderly man in a black long coat sat at a precious root-carved tea table, brewing tea. He opened the kettle, letting out wisps of steam, and poured boiling water into the cup, causing the dry, curled tea leaves to unfurl and swirl in the water. As bubbles began forming continuously at the bottom of the kettle, he slowly reduced the heat.

His assistant stood rigidly three meters away from the table, like a silent shadow.

After some time, the elderly man poured out the fragrant tea.

"After the noise has died down, a cup of spring snow wakes better than strong tea... how interesting," the elder mused, then turned his attention to his assistant waiting to report, "How did today's representative meeting go?"

The assistant quietly reported to the elder in detail about the three conditions proposed by the Imperial royal family and the adjustments made by the Federation's Representative Assembly.

"Hmm, Gong Zhili has suffered such a great loss... What about Ning Hongxue? Wasn't he the one assigned to interrogate that Imperial royal?"

"The Imperial royal did not mention General Ning in the conditions," the assistant replied respectfully.

The elder smiled, "Ning Hongxue must have shown mercy. Seeing that the Imperial royal is still lively and even has enough energy to personally confront our Representative Assembly, it's clear that the young man didn't go too far."

The assistant, having been with the elder for a long time and often expressing his doubts and views, remarked, "But according to the royal's conditions, General Ning is also to be demoted."

"Ning Hongxue is different from them," the elder shook his head. "He didn't rise through the ranks by conventional means. What does a demotion matter to him? He still holds sway over the 18th Military District. As long as his position as the district's representative remains unchanged, Ning Hongxue's status is unshakable. Whether or not he'll be demoted is still uncertain... and even if he is, he'll quickly regain his rank."

The assistant frowned slightly, "Do you mean to say General Ning has been colluding with the Empire in secret, planning to rescue that royal all along?"

"Not necessarily," the elder said, lowering his gaze. "No matter how much effort he puts into rescuing that royal, he can't receive credit publicly. Generals like Gong Zhili, who overtly antagonize the Empire, are already unusable, but being too closely aligned with the Empire also makes it impossible to maintain long-term control over the military."

"That Imperial royal seems clever. Not a word she said mentioned Ning Hongxue. Even if she noticed Ning Hongxue intentionally helping her, she didn't allow him any special treatment in public — how old is she? Just reached adulthood?"

Her performance in the Federation Council today was commendable. Though not exceedingly shrewd, she's already a competent political figure.

"I heard that child grew up on a Federation frontier planet... Adapting to her new role in such a short time speaks to her exceptional talent, worthy of her Imperial royal status."

"Which line of the Imperial family does she belong to?" the elder asked. "Has anyone found out?"

The assistant shook his head, "No. It's only known that she's greatly favored by the Emperor. Even his personal guard, 'Po Jun,' was mobilized."

"Just a show of force outside our airspace to give her some backing. It doesn't really prove anything," the elder shook his head. "As the saying goes, 'distance tests a horse's strength.' Let's just wait and see."

Speaking, the elder paused, furrowing his brows.

"How are Aying and Axiao, those two lads, doing?"

"Since returning to the Zhou family, the young masters have been confined in the family dungeon, as per your instructions, without food or water being delivered."

"They're quite tough, still not yielding. That's good. Without a bit of pressure, they might forget they bear the Zhou name."

The elder's words carried a mix of annoyance and complaint.

"Ever since Ning Hongxue returned to the Imperial Capital Star, I knew such a day would come. He's set on upheaving the Imperial Capital, and my two foolish grandsons from the Zhou family got caught up in it," the elder clicked his tongue secretly. "Ning Hongxue's actions are blatant, using my grandsons as pawns. Does he think I'm too old and blind to see?"

"Using Zhou Ying to transmit secret information outside of Heiyan Star, and Zhou Xiao to convey messages to Imperial diplomats... Both Zhou boys are young, and despite their best efforts, they have their limitations. If discovered by someone with ulterior motives, it wouldn’t just implicate Ning Hongxue but would drag the entire Zhou family into it, forcing the Zhou patriarch to intervene and indirectly aid Ning Hongxue’s plans."

"These two foolish boys regarded Ning Hongxue as the only person they could trust outside their parents, yet they were still outmaneuvered by him."

"Old Master Zhou didn't realize it in time, but once he understood the full situation, he found the developments not as bad as he had imagined — he simply let Ning Hongxue be, hoping he still had some conscience to remember the Zhou family’s discreet support for him today."

"As for Zhou Xiao and Zhou Ying, they must be punished."

"Because they are Old Master Zhou's eldest grandsons, the children left by Zhou Yanliu. Without a doubt, they were to be the future heirs of the Zhou family — a fact that never wavered in Old Master Zhou's mind. The only issue was which of the brothers would take the lead."

"Now, both of his grandsons, without exception, have their hearts set on schemes with Ning Hongxue! One dreams of joining forces with Ning Hongxue to fight against the other Zhous, while the other, so young, shuns the position of family head as if it’s a plague."

"Old Master Zhou didn't want to punish his grandsons harshly, but without more attention, these heirs would be ruined."

"What good is high talent if they forget their surname is Zhou? They are useless to the family."

"Old Master Zhou sighed, steadied his thoughts, and slowly finished his now lukewarm tea."

"A few minutes later, the assistant, having received some news, bowed and reported to Old Master Zhou again:"

"The voting at the Federation’s military department and the military prosecutor's office has concluded. Gong Zhili’s position as commander has been officially revoked, with the formal document soon to be released."

"The temporary replacement as commander of the military department has been decided... It's General Ning."

"For the upcoming peace negotiations between the Federation and the Empire, a press conference with the galactic media is essential. General Ning will replace Gong Zhili, representing the Federation’s military department, at this press conference."