I changed the world.

Page 291

It was the dead of night. Normally, the palace gates would be locked long ago and rarely opened. Yet, at this very moment, several imposing officials sat in the Ruian Palace, whispering amongst themselves. Judging by this scene, something significant had clearly occurred.

"His Majesty has arrived!" The eunuch at the door suddenly announced, and the murmurs in the hall ceased as everyone rose to greet him.

Then Emperor Chenghe, Chen Bingtai, walked in from the doorway in a wide robe. Behind him, besides the bowing female eunuchs, was a middle-aged man with a respectful expression. Everyone present recognized him as Liu Quan'an, Emperor Chenghe's trusted close minister and the director of the Imperial Ceremonial Office.

Emperor Chenghe still looked a little tired, clearly having been woken up in the early hours of the morning and not having rested well. He walked to the main seat in the center with a serious expression and sat down, then waved his hand and said, "Sit down, everyone."

As he spoke, he gestured to Liu Quan'an beside him: "Zhizhi, find a seat too."

Upon hearing this, Liu Quan'an bowed and thanked him. He then walked to the lower seat and sat down in an empty seat that the eunuch had brought over.

"Gentlemen, I have a general understanding of the specific situation. Is there any new information from the intelligence bureau?" Emperor Chenghe did not stand on ceremony and went straight to the point. His gaze fell on a middle-aged general sitting below, wearing a major general's uniform and with a high hairline. This man was none other than Major General Li Hantang, the director of the Imperial Military Intelligence Bureau.

Upon hearing this, Major General Li Hantang understood the general intelligence. Liu Quan'an should have already reported to the Emperor, which was expected. He was about to get up when Emperor Chenghe waved his hand again, so he straightened his back and said, "Your Majesty, we are still in contact with Major Zhang Chengxi of Fengsui Fort. He has now entered the military camp with the assistance of the 206th Rapid Reaction Force. It is said that he was attacked by some kind of unknown monster, and we have obtained some pictures."

As he spoke, he took a tablet computer, which was then presented to him by a eunuch standing nearby.

Emperor Chenghe took the tablet, swiped it around, and asked, "As for the 206th Rapid Reaction Force of Fengsui Fortress, are they able to obey the Empire's orders?"

"Your Majesty, most of the soldiers in the 206th Rapid Reaction Force are transferred from the 3rd Orbital Airborne Division and the 106th Orbital Airborne Battalion of the Imperial Army."

His commanding officer, Major Wang Han, was the second son of the Wang family of Shanggu, Hejian. His ancestors had followed Emperor Huanzong on his northern expedition, accumulating merit and becoming viscounts, with the hereditary title of Senior Cavalry Commandant, enjoying imperial favor for generations.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Chenghe pondered for a moment and nodded, saying, "So he is the son of a meritorious official."

Without saying another word, the emperor quickly glanced at the contents, then raised his head and looked down: "All of you present should be aware of this matter. Mr. Guan, I wonder how the cabinet intends to handle this matter?" Emperor Chenghe turned his gaze to the gray-haired old man with a broad face at the head of the left side below and spoke gently.

The elderly man addressed as "Sir" by the emperor was none other than the current Grand Secretary, Guan Renyue. Guan Renyue was known as a virtuous gentleman. Since assuming power, he had always strictly enforced discipline and discipline, and was quite strict in managing the conduct of officials. He was also considered to be very steady and reliable in handling state affairs, which earned him the favor of Emperor Chenghe.

The old man had been frowning since earlier, seemingly deep in thought. Upon hearing the inquiry, he cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, we have only just received the news and were just discussing this matter with some colleagues. In my opinion, if this matter is indeed as the intelligence reports, it is not to be taken lightly. There have been many incidents involving such supernatural entities both domestically and internationally before. I never imagined that such an event would occur in the universe as well. I am very worried."

"Such demons and monsters cannot be fathomed by ordinary logic. In particular, it is said that the monster involved this time can control minds and bewitch people. I believe that we must think things through carefully and make proper arrangements. If such beings are allowed to invade the core area of ​​the solar system, I fear there will be unspeakable disasters..."

Chapter 564 The arrow is on the string, it must be released!

"So, Mr. Guan, you agree with Major Zhang Xi's suggestion?" Emperor Chenghe asked.

"I am not knowledgeable about military matters, but I believe that rather than discussing how to remedy the situation when it is out of control, it is better to nip the incident in the bud. In particular, this incident, from a long-term perspective, not only involves the incident itself, but also the risks of deep space exploration."

Guan Renyue stroked his beard, his brows furrowing even more deeply: "Judging from this incident, it seems that countries have underestimated the dangers of deep space exploration and their preparations have been insufficient."

“What you say makes sense, sir. However, the court and the public have placed high hopes on this. It’s not just the empire; all countries are on the verge of exploding…” Upon hearing this, Emperor Chenghe’s expression darkened.

Those present were all important state officials, among the most well-informed people in the country, and undoubtedly, they were all quick to understand. The question raised by the Grand Secretary and the Emperor was actually a more troublesome matter than the current incident.

According to Guan Renyue, countries including the Empire have been sparing no effort in recent years to support the technological development and related industries of deep space exploration. This is an open secret, aimed at gaining the upper hand as much as possible on the eve of the great space exploration era.

Domestic media, scholars, and public opinion naturally followed this trend, comparing "venturing into deep space" to the fate of the empire for the next few centuries. Undoubtedly, this also became a key investment target for major capital firms.

Especially since the breakthrough in subspace travel technology, humanity seems to have completed all the technological accumulation for interstellar travel. As a result, any information about deep space exploration has always been the focus of public attention.

However, what brought them success could also have been their downfall. Looking at the bigger picture, this incident is essentially humanity's encounter with an unknown entity from deep space. Currently, humanity's understanding of this is extremely limited.

In fact, everyone present was more or less aware of, or even directly involved in, the recent establishment of the Fourth Division of the Special Affairs Bureau of the Imperial Ministry of Justice, and knew what that department was for.

However, they were also well aware that even related events on Earth were still in the exploratory stage, let alone those strange entities in the universe.

As the Prime Minister said, countries have probably underestimated the dangers of deep space exploration and are not adequately prepared.

Continuing deep space exploration without finding an effective countermeasure is tantamount to playing with fire.

However, His Majesty's concerns are also true. Nowadays, both the court and the public place high hopes on deep space exploration and future star system colonization. After all, history is a mirror. The Age of Exploration has only been over 300 years ago, and the wealth effect of that era is truly enviable.

Today, public opinion and the financial world in various countries regard interstellar colonization as the greatest growth point for humanity in the next few centuries. For decades, the greatest expectation of human society has been to explore deep space for development, and continuous technological breakthroughs and stable development have further promoted the formation of this expectation. As a result, a large amount of technology, scientific research, and investment have been directed in this direction. In simpler terms, the sunk costs have become so large that it is impossible to extricate oneself.

Especially since the breakthrough in subspace travel technology, media outlets around the world have been reporting and promoting it extensively. This was partly due to the concerted efforts of governments and the public in various countries to prepare public opinion.

However, once the pot is heated up, if a bucket of cold water is poured on it, it tells the public that humanity is far from ready...

Putting everything else aside, the stock markets around the world are probably about to collapse...

After all, economics is all about expectations, and what worries everyone here most is that, given human nature, if we can't look outward, we might just end up in a cycle of internal competition...

Everyone here is intelligent. Some things are just a thin veil of paper. Now that the Prime Minister has pointed it out, everyone can think of many of the issues.

As Your Majesty said, there are some things that "have to be done."

"Your Majesty's words are true. Therefore, in my humble opinion, the most urgent task is to prevent the incident from escalating and to deal with it in its infancy, even if it comes at a cost... Otherwise, I fear we will not be able to control public opinion." Guan Renyue cupped his hands again and said, "As for military matters, I will not comment further. However, on the diplomatic front, we must strengthen communication. Not only should the Human Joint Defense Command communicate effectively, but it is also necessary for the major powers to meet with their ambassadors overnight to share intelligence in order to avoid misjudgment."

"This is a wise and experienced view of governing the country. Mr. Guan, please make the arrangements." Emperor Chenghe nodded upon hearing this, and then turned his gaze to an elderly man in military uniform on his right.

"Duke of Qi, what's the General Staff's opinion?"

"Your Majesty, I believe the Grand Secretary is right. We must not allow this to continue unchecked; we must take effective control. I suggest that we demarcate the area under the guise of an exercise, and at the same time mobilize the fleet to block the international waterway at Fengsuibao."

"In addition, the fleet advanced to the beacon tower area, dispatched aircraft to conduct reconnaissance, and will take further action as needed."

The old man hesitated for a moment, then said solemnly, "In that case, even in the most extreme scenario where it is necessary to destroy the beacon tower, as long as the incident has not spread, it can be claimed that the beacon tower was hit by a meteorite. All countries will surely cooperate in the propaganda..."

After a moment's consideration, Emperor Chenghe said, "In that case, let's proceed as the Duke has suggested."

As he spoke, he glanced at the eunuch beside him: "Once the relevant documents are agreed upon with the Duke, they should be drafted immediately. Do not delay." The female official beside him bowed and agreed.

The Great Zhao Dynasty implemented a constitutional monarchy. Generally speaking, the cabinet could make decisions on civil and foreign affairs, except for major matters. However, the cabinet had no power to decide on military affairs. The empire adopted a system of a general staff plus military districts. The emperor, in theory, as the supreme military commander of the empire, had the right to control the army.

Civil officials were forbidden from interfering in military affairs; this was a rule established during the reign of Emperor Huanzong and was the greatest reliance of imperial power.

"There's no time to lose, I'll take my leave to make arrangements." Upon hearing this, the Duke of Qi stood up and said. Seeing the emperor nod, the Duke of Qi hurriedly bowed and took his leave.