Chapter 457 Daphne's Passion
After Yang Ming hung up the phone with Director Ino, before he could change into his formal attire, several messages popped up one after another.
[The Imperial Military held an emergency press conference and announced that the military had been infiltrated by foreign forces. The previous military spokesman read out an erroneous document at the wrong time, which deeply hurt the simple feelings of the Imperial hero White Ghost and the people of the Empire.
The military has detained the relevant responsible persons pending trial, and has confirmed the identities of two of them who are high-ranking New Federation agents.
In addition, the Imperial Military Intelligence Agency has determined that the unrest in the empire is inextricably linked to the instigation of foreign forces.
I hope the citizens of the Empire can remain rational and restrained.
At the same time, the Imperial Military Department has dispatched more than 600 working groups to closely monitor the radical behavior of the Imperial aristocracy to ensure that the legitimate rights and interests of military families will not be infringed by the riots.
This action efficiency;
Boss Yang had every reason to suspect that the military had already prepared to hold this press conference and had prepared an action plan to surrender in advance.
Shortly afterwards, the Imperial Military Intelligence Agency published a signed article titled "Any defamation of the White Ghost can be seen as an injury to the Empire itself."
Those imperial media and political commentators who were working under orders were dumbfounded and worried for a moment, fearing that they would be used as victims by the military.
It was clearly the military that gave the order before, asking them to use the black and white ghosts as much as possible to set the pace.
The White Ghost's live broadcast room was once again pushed to the top of the hot searches on major portals by the Internet trolls, broadcasting the entire withdrawal of the imperial army live.
The muzzle of the gun was aimed at the dreadnought of Sakaar and the main gun energy recovery began. The overall process was relatively slow, which gave Xiaolu the opportunity to broadcast the entire process live.
After waiting for half a galactic hour, the Imperial fleet officially withdrew.
When the light of these ships' jump was transmitted through the live broadcast room to countless White Ghost supporters, it triggered cheers.
It feels like a victory.
A victory that no one knows how it was won.
As soon as the Imperial Fleet left, Yang Ming asked Lu to send out the third video he had prepared in advance.
Of course, this third video has multiple options, and Yang Ming has also prepared different answers for different "story development routes", and the one released now is one of them.
In the video, Yang Ming stood in front of the starry sky and spoke softly:
“Thank you for your support and solidarity. I am very touched and humbled.
"I won't talk about Catherine anymore. Her actions may be a little radical, but I think her ideology still urges her to be a hero who protects the people of the empire.
“I hope that the public and the government can give Catherine and her dozens of followers some understanding. As far as I know, Catherine has not planned or participated in any terrorist activities that harm the empire. I hope the empire can listen to my opinion.
“This matter has come to an end for me, but I will still take the initiative to plead guilty.
"I still have a lot to do, and I don't have much time left in this dimension. I believe that the future of the empire does not only need to rely on the operation of systems such as the government and the army. It is impossible to expect the self-awakening of the nobles to benefit society. Instead, it depends on the hard work of the general public to create social wealth.
“How to keep more of the wealth we create in our own hands is a social issue that deserves everyone’s consideration and efforts.
“I haven’t done any research on this.
"I only know that justice is based on the people. I would like to give a piece of advice to the imperial officials: water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. The reason why the empire is an empire is because of its hundreds of billions of people, not just because of its invincible fleet and naval guns.
"Don't forget that it is the people who control these ships."
That’s all there is to the video.
This also means that Yang Ming will stop doing small things behind the scenes.
The conflict between the Imperial Army and the White Ghost came to an end.
The problem facing the empire at this moment was the sharp contradiction between the aristocracy, the common people and the imperial slaves.
No matter what, Yang Ming has gained enough face and successfully escaped from this vortex temporarily. As for how much he can get in return, it depends on his next negotiations with the empire.
The situation in the empire changed three times in one day.
Previously, the Empire wanted to suppress the White Ghost, but now the Empire needs the White Ghost, hoping that the White Ghost can stand up and temporarily cool down the boiling public opinion.
In the Sakaar escort formation heading to the Imperial Star, Yang Ming and Daphne were on the transport ship together.
While Daphne was at the meeting, Yang Ming also turned on his own Internet access terminal and had a brief discussion with Lu.
"Boss, the Empire is really anxious now."
The smile on Lu's lips couldn't be stopped:
"The current problem is not just a conflict between nobles and civilians, it also involves the empire's army.
"The largest number of soldiers and technicians, various reformed warriors, and logistics personnel are all civilians. They are the cornerstone of the army. The nobles usually start as officers. There has long been a certain amount of bullying in the army. Now this bullying phenomenon is also attributed to the oppression of the nobles on the civilians.
"If the situation is allowed to continue, there is even the possibility of a mutiny in the army.
"And now, the Empire can't even come up with a viable strategy to suppress this nationwide conflict."
Yang Ming wondered, "Isn't the Council of Elders here to control the nobles now? Isn't that what the Council of Elders is for?"
"Well, the nobles are also divided into classes. The great nobles have long controlled the Council of Elders, and their interests have not been harmed for the time being. The ones who are now in conflict with the common people are the lower-class nobles who are the largest in number and have the least resources. They are the group with the strongest sense of superiority and are also the group most easily aroused by emotions."
The law briefly introduced:
“Similarly, there are more or less resentments between the lower-class nobles and the local common people in these places.
"The death of Earl Quigen did serve as a fuse. Our previous propaganda and the use of trolls to guide public opinion were all aimed at putting pressure on the empire.
“The death of Count Quigen has sent the Empire hurtling toward civil war.
"Li's move this time was really powerful."
Yang Ming thought for a while.
He asked: "So what do you think, should we continue to fight along the lines of reason?"
"The conditions are not ripe yet, Boss," Lu reminded, "The uncertainty of Li is too great. Unless we understand her true purpose, we must proceed with caution."
Yang Ming nodded : "I don't know what kind of situation I will face when I go to Emperor Star this time."
"They probably want to use your influence to cool down the situation," Lu said with a smile, "It might be a wise choice for you to take the initiative to break up with them and make the relationship a little stiffer."
"What should we ask of the Empire so that it will think that we have some plans in this regard?"
Yang Ming murmured to himself, feeling somewhat troubled.
His real purpose is, of course, closely .
But this matter must never be mentioned.
Boss Yang couldn’t just say - Ah, you should return the sovereignty of the vassal states of the Luofeng Empire - that would really expose his true colors.
In terms of power?
He is now the Grand Duke of the Empire, and all his official positions and honors in the empire have come to an end.
Before, Director Ino and Daphne both suspected that White Ghost wanted to become the new ruler out of a desire for power.
money?
Uh, will the White Ghost be short of money?
Besides, what's the point of him having money? Power can achieve what money can't.
Want some ideals of freedom and democracy?
When Yang Ming thought of this, he couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth.
Isn't this a common phrase used by those hypocritical politicians? We are all walking incarnations of desire, so why pretend to be noble and pretentious?
Yang Ming really found himself in a dilemma.
He had to find an argument that would convince the top brass of the empire...
"Boss, Daphne is back."
"Well, okay, Lu, go ahead and do your work."
Yang Ming casually took off his hidden headphones and stared out the window in a daze.
Daphne sat back next to Yang Ming and whispered in his ear, "The meeting over there is over. We have reached a consensus for the time being and will do our best to resolve the class conflicts that have erupted at this stage."
"The efficiency this time is pretty good," Yang Ming nodded with a smile, "How do you solve it specifically?"
"Just some routine stuff."
Daphne said slowly:
"Send troops, strengthen the presence of the Imperial Fleet on every administrative planet where conflicts break out, put pressure on the civilian class, and suppress those foreign reptiles that are ready to move.
"In terms of public opinion propaganda, it is emphasized that this conflict broke out due to the instigation of foreign forces.
"In addition, some policies that benefit the people will be introduced to benefit them in a short period of time, and then these benefits will be recovered over a slightly longer period of time.
"Some other small details, such as arresting the ringleaders of the riots, mobilizing the reserve mechanical army, and conducting regular patrols in the Imperial Star Circle where the riots are most serious... There is nothing new. They are all routine policies that only treat the symptoms but not the root cause."
Yang Ming smiled and said, "It's good to have a solution. I thought they would argue for a long time."
"Alas," Daphne's expression was a little complicated, "You still have to be careful. Their anger towards you has accumulated to a certain extent."
Yang Ming raised his hand and patted the back of Daphne's hand, saying gently: "Don't worry about me. The worst case scenario is that my body is destroyed, and then I will take a small revenge on your family."
Daphne: ...
"Hanton, your threats are too blunt and lack any artistic flair."
“What kind of artistic flair does this require?”
Yang Ming crossed his legs and said leisurely:
"Your elders are used to being domineering. Let them learn to respect others after they have suffered a little."
Daphne didn't know how to respond for a moment.
Let the actual controllers of the most powerful empire in the galaxy suffer...
She suddenly felt something strange. Yang Ming's palm was a little dishonest and was attacking her arm.
Daphne turned her head to look at him, a gentle light unconsciously appearing in her eyes. She took the initiative to pull her collar down a little and turned sideways in his direction.
"Hanton..."
"Um?"
"I am running out of youth," Daphne said softly. "Are you willing to be close to me now?"
"Yeah," Yang Ming responded, fiddling with the projection screen in front of him with his right hand, still showing no intention of taking his left hand back.
Soon, Daphne took the initiative to hug Yang Ming's left arm, leaned on his shoulder, and tried to kiss Yang Ming's earlobe.
Yang Ming was tickled to the point of laughing. He turned his head to look at her charming face and said softly, "Your Highness, now is not the time to do this."
"We still have more than one galactic hour of alone time," Daphne said, not avoiding her gaze. "I read in a book that the normal time for a human male is fifty-five seconds to thirty minutes."
Yang Ming clicked his tongue: "This amount of time is not enough for me to display my power."
"But I'm enough."
Daphne stood up and sat astride Yang Ming's legs, her face full of undisguised charm, her rippling eyes exuding all kinds of charm and a bit of shyness.
"I love you, Hanton. I always have. It has almost completely twisted my soul."
Yang Ming sighed in his heart, took the initiative to hug her slender and elastic waist, and kissed her passionately as she lowered her head.
There were only two of them in the cabin.
Lu casually hacked the surveillance camera and covered Molly's eyes with his bare hands in the mind space.
This is not something that a childish mind can see.
…
One and a half galactic hours later.
Outside the Imperial Star, Yang Ming and Daphne changed their clothes and boarded a ferry, heading straight to the surface of the Imperial Star.
The person who came to greet Yang Ming was a leader of the Tentacle Organization, a middle-aged aunt who looked familiar to Yang Ming.
Yang Ming looked at the old lady for a few times and concluded that she must be a close confidant of the Emperor.
The old lady was secretly looking at Daphne... Daphne was radiant but lazy at the moment, with a strong attachment to the man beside her between her eyebrows, and it was obvious that she had just felt joy and satisfaction not long ago.
This middle-aged maid has been in the palace for so long that she knows this kind of thing too well.
Let’s get down to business first.
"Respected Grand Duke of the Empire," the old lady said with a smile, "Her Highness Daphne."
"You can get straight to the point," Yang Ming reminded.
"Okay," the old lady said quickly, "We will arrive at the palace in twenty minutes. You are allowed to land directly near the palace hall. The situation in the empire is changing very quickly. We are facing a very difficult political storm."
Yang Ming nodded: "And then? Does His Majesty have any instructions?"
"Your Majesty initially did not care about the people's demonstrations and even requested that all places not use force against the demonstrators. But now, Your Majesty has also seen the great harm to the empire caused by the fight between the nobles and the common people."
The old lady said succinctly:
“The aristocracy is a necessary tool for the empire to realize its imperial power, so imperial power naturally favors the aristocracy. I hope you can understand this.
“In addition, the best way at the moment is to calm the people’s anger or to divert their attention as much as possible. If neither of these can be done smoothly, then we can only choose to export the conflict to the outside world and use external pressure to unite the common people and the nobles again.
"Which of these three routes do you think is more likely to succeed?"
"All three routes can be successful, it just depends on how we implement them," Yang Ming said. "Personally, I would choose to calm the public's anger."
Daphne said, "This is the path with the most problems in actual implementation. In order to appease the anger of the people, the interests of the aristocracy must be damaged."
"Your Highness is right," said the old aunt, "Your Majesty prefers the second path, which is to find a way to divert the attention of the people of the empire. You can extend the policy in this direction later."
Yang Ming suddenly asked: "Your Majesty's current situation is not very good, right?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Otherwise, His Majesty would not have asked you to come to me in advance, hoping to use me to suppress those opposing voices... Let me think, there are many people from the Sherman family around His Majesty?"
"Yes," the old lady smiled helplessly, "Those uncles of His Majesty the Emperor, relying on their seniority and abundant resources, banded together to put pressure on His Majesty, demanding that His Majesty issue an expedition order as soon as possible, a third expedition to the New Federation, to divert domestic conflicts, and attributed a series of negative news such as Earl Quigen's death to the New Federation's deliberate instigation."
Yang Ming nodded: "This is actually a good idea. It is simple and efficient, and can greatly reduce the intensity of the current conflict."
The old lady said: "Your Majesty is not interested in the specific policies. Your Majesty is not willing to be manipulated by them. This is the key."
"I understand. We have to go against the Sherman family."
Yang Ming almost laughed out loud, and Daphne beside him couldn't help but raise her hand to her forehead.
"Your Majesty has high hopes for you."
Boss Yang slowly rolled up his sleeves and said with a smile, "As long as Your Majesty allows, I am quite good at quarreling."
"I'm glad you understand what I mean," the old lady smiled with narrowed eyes, and suddenly changed the subject, "Besides that, there is one more thing I want to discuss with you... One of our subordinate departments detected that when Count Quigen's murder occurred, there were some tiny data fluctuations in the black box server shouldn't have appeared."
Yang Ming frowned.
This shocked him a little.
It turns out that not all the high-ranking officials in the empire are just there to do nothing!
"Do you suspect that the Emperor Guard System killed the earl?"
"It's just a possibility, but the data fluctuations have disappeared. I mean, the data records we kept disappeared strangely," the old lady sighed, "I just hope that the Empire Development Cult can give us a reasonable explanation, otherwise... this really makes people's backs cold."
Yang Ming also nodded seriously.
Daphne was looking at Yang Ming's profile, as if she was thinking about something.
Yang Ming was thinking, was it Li who exposed himself intentionally, or was it Li who exposed himself 'accidentally', or maybe Li didn't care at all whether he was exposed or not.
What Daphne was thinking about was what methods and medicines to use to avoid pregnancy. She didn't want to be tied down by a child now, as her life had just begun...such irrelevant topics.
