After dealing with the empire's internal affairs.
Yang Yu summoned the Prime Minister, Minister of Justice, and Minister of Education to the Imperial Study.
"May I ask why Your Majesty summoned us here?"
The Prime Minister, Bai Xiao, looked at the emperor in confusion, unsure why His Majesty had summoned them today.
After all.
The emperor had only just finished dealing with the Minister of Finance and Minister of Public Security.
Could it be that this fire was about to reach them?
But the younger members of their families had all been behaving themselves!
"The empire's internal affairs have been settled, so it's time to deal with some other matters as well."
Yang Yu looked at Prime Minister Bai Xiao and Minister of Justice Long Ya and said solemnly.
"Could Your Majesty mean..." Long Ya was no simpleton either, and a bold guess arose in his mind.
"Correct."
"The empire's internal affairs have been temporarily settled."
"The newly appointed Minister of Finance and Minister of Public Security can take office at any time."
"But what you and I, as ruler and ministers, should be discussing now isn't domestic affairs, but foreign affairs."
Yang Yu could not have sounded more serious as he said, "After a world war, Jin Country, Yu Country, the Machi Republic, and the other dynasties have suffered enormous losses in this war."
"Yet the empire has benefited from this war without suffering the slightest loss."
"In addition, there is an enormous disparity in military strength between the empire and these countries, which are still feudal dynasties."
"Therefore, my idea is that, while these countries have yet to recover their strength, we should make our move against them."
"Let the empire's flag be planted across the entire globe."
"Let the sun shine over the lands of the Star Ancient Empire."
In an instant.
Everyone was stunned by His Majesty's words, and excitement rose within them as well.
If they truly could unify the entire world.
Would that mean they, too, would leave a powerful mark on this era?
Would they become renowned heroes recorded in the history books?
The next moment.
Minister of Education Lin Feng frowned and said, "Your Majesty, the development of civilization requires pressure from other civilizations to accelerate its progress."
"As the saying goes."
"There can be no competition without pressure."
"If there is no pressure at all, how can there be any competition?"
"Pressure?"
Hearing this, Yang Yu gave Minister of Education Lin Feng a strange look and said, "I ask you, my Minister of Education: since the empire's rise, has the empire ever faced any pressure?"
"From the First Industrial Age to today's modern industry—from warships, aircraft, tanks, and satellites onward—was it ever because another civilization placed pressure on the Star Ancient Empire that the empire reached its current position?"
"You!"
"Only by gathering the strength of the entire planet can we keep our vision from being limited to the planet itself."
"Instead, we must set our sights on the distant reaches beyond the stars."
"The stars are the true destination of our Star Ancient Empire."
Once he finished speaking.
Everyone fell silent.
Yang Yu pressed his advantage and said, "The planet itself is so small. If many civilizations and countries struggle across this chessboard, each plundering resources, can we really develop to the point of marching into the distant reaches of space?"
"No."
Minister of Justice Long Ya shook his head, denying the emperor's question.
"Therefore, while the planet's resources have yet to be extracted and used by other civilizations and countries, we must bring them under state control."
"That is the best course of action."
Bai Xiao's eyes flickered as he said, "With the empire's current military strength, sweeping across this world would practically be effortless."
"After all, compared with the weapons and equipment of those feudal dynasties, ours are on an entirely different level. Slaughtering them would practically be effortless."
"In the past, the empire had the same idea, but unfortunately, the main obstacle to controlling such a vast territory was that communications were not timely enough."
"Now that our communications and military strike capabilities are sufficient, if we want to unify the globe, we must do it as soon as possible."
Why had they had the idea before but not dared to act?
Back then, the empire had nearly been unable to control even its territory of more than thirteen million square kilometers. The reason was that communications had not been timely enough, and the central government could not transmit orders to other regions at the fastest possible speed. This had caused the local governors and generals to collude with one another and develop divided loyalties.
The circumstances were different now.
Communications were timely.
Satellites in the sky monitored everything at all times. It was impossible to launch a rebellion even if one wanted to.
"Then how many troops should we send?"
Lin Feng was not opposed to war. He was simply considering the empire's interests.
After all, the empire's interests were the interests of the Lin Family.
"The empire currently has around three million troops."
"This time, I intend to dispatch one million troops to unify the globe."
"Fifty thousand rocket troops, seven hundred thousand army troops, fifty thousand air force troops, and two hundred thousand naval troops."
"My demand is not high: complete unification of the globe."
"Even the most remote corners must have the empire's national flag planted there."
Yang Yu pondered for a moment before speaking.
Within the empire, at least two million troops had to be retained.
They would serve to deter petty criminals and would-be rebels.
After all, the empire's population was simply too large.
One point four billion people.
"Your Majesty, I request to go to war." Bai Xiao immediately stepped forward from the ranks, looking solemnly at the emperor as he spoke.
"Since when does the Prime Minister go to war?"
"Your Majesty, let me go instead!"
"My work isn't very busy, so I won't trouble the Prime Minister, who is occupied with state affairs from dawn to dusk, to find time to fight."
Seeing this, Long Ya hurriedly spoke up.
He was the Minister of Justice.
His work was not particularly demanding, so he should be the one to go.
"You? I don't trust your abilities."
Bai Xiao curled his lip and said.
If he were allowed to wage war.
He definitely would not leave anyone from the Ink Race or White Race behind.
If anyone had to be spared.
He would only spare people of his own skin color.
"All right, all right!"
"I already have someone in mind for this campaign."
"You only need to handle your respective duties properly."
"At the latest, by the middle of the year, the empire will launch a war against the entire globe."
"I'm only informing you in advance so that you can be mentally prepared."
Yang Yu spoke in a deep voice.
"Yes."
The year 601 of the Era.
Midyear.
The Star Ancient Empire dispatched a million troops and began its conquest of the entire world.
Bai Nian took command, with Long Xiang, Lin Yuan, and Yang Rong serving as deputy generals.
Under the merciless crushing force of the Star Ancient Empire's technology and equipment, which surpassed the era by far, Jin Country, Yu Country, the Machi Republic, and the other nations all fell before its cold guns.
This era.
Belonged to the Star Ancient Empire.
Less than half a year after the end of the First World War.
The Star Ancient Empire ignited the Second World War.
This world war would decide the sole master of the planet.
The dynasties and nations across the planet fell one after another into the cold river of history. No civilization could halt the Star Ancient Empire's advance, because to the people of this era, the empire's equipment represented a dimensional-level assault.
Bai Nian was ruthless as well.
He firmly refused to accept the surrender of the Ink Race or the blond, blue-eyed White Race. He had them all killed, sparing not even infants—a true violation of human ethics.
But Bai Nian did not care about any of that.
Before you continue