The Marshal's joke already carried a hint of displeasure, but Tan Jize ignored it and continued, "From now on, there should be a regular exile route from the Empire's homeworlds to Sanqi. The refugee camps for exiles will grow larger and larger. They'll come from all kinds of professions and groups, and all kinds of industries will spring up. In the Empire, they do the most backbreaking labor, and they're also the best at producing things."
Marshal Uluoji's eyes lit up. He seemed to understand what the other man meant.
"...And we Cherke are a stubborn lot. We're not very good at tending things with care."
Tan Jize remained noncommittal and continued, "After this war, the Empire will certainly reshape every aspect of Cherke in its own way. I know there are quite a few Originalist parties and research groups in your country, and the Empire will surely crack down on them hard."
The rebel forces causing the most trouble within the Empire all took the Original as their guiding principle. Needless to say, the lords of Tiriro would never allow such dangerous ideas to spread through Cherke, the "quasi-vassal state" they had worked so hard to conquer.
But Marshal Uluoji could never cut ties with the "Originalists."
For one thing, there was no shortage of young officers around him who had embraced the Original. They also tended to be among the most capable and responsible.
Come to think of it, the young man across from him was an executive committee member of the Commonwealth Pioneer Party. They were the very forebears of this movement!
"You're not representing General Yu. You're representing the Pioneer Party. I understand, Mr. Tan. You're hoping I'll shelter the Originalists persecuted by the Empire?"
This time, Tan finally didn't deny it. "If the Empire really