Sure enough, An Qi's next words confirmed his guess, along with factors he hadn't anticipated.
"Many ordinary people..."
"Besides that, many merchants have launched special celebration products. They haven't shipped yet and are currently accepting preorders. Once the exact date is confirmed, they'll send them out. Many people have already paid deposits. Since the orders are too large for the factories to handle in a short time, products that can be stored long-term have already begun production..."
"Some merchants are also frantically advertising, using this opportunity to hype their brands and products. The automobile, real-estate, and media-packaging industries are the most active. They've all invested heavily, and this has even created a short-term economic state. If the news is proven false now, that state will immediately become a bubble, triggering an economic collapse in those industries. For an empire that is rapidly recovering, that would be a tremendous loss..."
"...All those people would lose everything."
"The military has also been affected by the rumors. Quite a few units have been celebrating extravagantly, despite repeated bans from the higher-ups. Some performing troupes have even begun rehearsing special programs to congratulate you..."
"Local government officials have also been affected. When handling affairs or answering questions from civilians, many have openly admitted that this is true. The cabinet has already ordered severe punishment for them, which has only barely suppressed the trend. But to avoid causing public outrage, we can't go too far..."
"For the sake of the empire's public morale and economy, General, you must agree to let An Qi meet Her Majesty the Empress! An Qi will do everything in her power to persuade Her Majesty. Please rest assured!"
An Yang silently lowered his head and rubbed his temples. He understood now. An Qi had deliberately caused all of this!
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