Just then, someone suddenly stood up and said, "Gentlemen, I think you have gotten one thing wrong."
Everyone turned around and saw that the speaker was Harry Seldon, currently the Deputy Prime Minister of the Fourth Empire.
Harry Seldon tapped the table and said loudly, "First, let us establish something. Are you talking about Tang Xiao? The man who took an enormous risk and forcibly launched the Battle of Coruscant, then, just as the campaign had finally managed to advance smoothly after suffering heavy losses, announced that he would hold his coronation ceremony on Coruscant?"
Ling Liang said in a low voice, "I sense disrespect in your words. In the future, in any setting, do not address His Majesty by his real name."
Harry Seldon continued, "So you accuse His Majesty of causing our navy and army to suffer devastating losses—how many? More than ten million in the navy, over two million in the army, and more than a million soldiers are still trapped underground on Coruscant, unable to return. Is that right?"
Daphne Clement frowned. She sensed that something was off, but said nothing. She was the Imperial Chancellor, and Harry Seldon was the Deputy Prime Minister. The Prime Minister's Office should speak with only one voice.
Minister of Defense Cheng Shitao said, "That is indeed the case. Such sacrifices could have been entirely avoided! In my view, the army and navy had already done their best during the early stages of the Battle of Coruscant. It could be said that if we had not been forced to hold the coronation ceremony afterward, but instead cut our losses promptly and withdrawn from Coruscant according to plan, we would now be facing an unprecedentedly favorable situation. We might even have had the chance to threaten Denon Planet's defenses!"
"Our forces