"I have heard that rulers skilled in governing are not bound by rigid rules or trapped by convention. Why should Your Lordship submit to custom, unable to advance and constrained at every turn? If words cannot prevail and influence cannot overcome them, why not resort to force?"
"Three corvettes, plus General Veronica's twenty small ships, against the eighty small ships of the Shoigu-Gerasimov military faction-we might well have a fighting chance."
Xi Yan automatically translated Beta's straightforward classical phrasing and agreed.
As things stood, there was no resolving the conflict between the Marshal and his powerful subordinates without a civil war.
The Shoigu-Gerasimov military faction would never readily relinquish its power.
Unless he compromised with them, surrendering some of his authority in exchange for peace.
But how could he do that? Xi Yan was not that kind of conservative emperor! (Scratch that.)
He was a young man. What was youth without a little hot blood?
He would never sell out the Empire's interests for a compromise. Any problem left unresolved in the Empire's early days would inevitably become an obstacle later.
Xi Yan had to keep the Empire's military firmly in his grasp.
Xi Yan had already stepped outside the Galactic Throne. He knocked on the corvette's hull, feeling the cold armor and hearing its dull echo.
This was the source of his confidence.
He now controlled the only three corvettes. Even if the other side commanded most of the sublight warships, Xi Yan was not afraid in the slightest.
His modified corvettes used a Sentinel Core configuration, which came with a P-type Weapon Slot-perfect for mounting flak cannons. Against those little sublight ships, it was practically an attack from a higher dimension.
They wanted to overwhelm an elephant with ants, but they did not have enough ants.
Did they really think a few little space fishing boats could take down corvettes?
Although the three corvettes were the most basic military vessels in Stellaris, they completely outclassed the little sublight fishing boats in range, size, and speed. Most people had failed to notice that.
Xi Yan possessed foresight hundreds of years beyond this interstellar age, and he had ample confidence in himself.
Especially when it came to space combat.
Goddammit, Ning Zhiyuan was useless. Looks like I have to step in myself!
He had carefully examined the corvettes' specifications. They were identical to those in the game, and their tactics were just as simplistic. Like the game's starting technology, all they knew was how to charge blindly.
Whatever the case, twenty-three against eighty-the advantage is mine!
"Then stay here and prepare for battle. I'm heading back for a bit," Xi Yan said, turning to Ning Zhiyuan.
"As you command, Marshal." Ning Zhiyuan saluted.
Xi Yan already had a plan.
Now he was considering how to continue developing his Interstellar Human Military Junta after resolving the Empire's internal conflicts.
Imperial reforms, for example.
Especially the statistical reporting system!
Stellaris players needed to be able to see their empire's resource reserves and production figures at all times!
He needed the most precise statistical system possible. Surely the technology of 2200 could manage that.
Right, there's also the matter of standardized units!
He had developed a condition: whenever he saw a huge "approximately... (unit name) in total resources" on a statistical report, he felt ill.
It was 2200, and they still could not produce accurate statistics!
They're still using primitive units! None of this national electricity output in hundreds of millions of kilowatt-hours-convert it all into energy credits! And turn all those gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin figures into minerals and alloys! Count all the miscellaneous stuff as consumer goods!
The universal currency in Stellaris was called energy credits. To Xi Yan, it was essentially an aggregate of a certain amount of electricity. According to calculations some guy on the forums had once done, one energy credit was roughly a trillion kilowatt-hours of electrical energy.
That electrical energy could circulate throughout the universe as the Sea of Stars' universal currency. Put plainly, it meant shuttling transport ships packed with high-energy batteries back and forth.
Such transactions inevitably involved losses, which was why Stellaris had specifically included market fees.
For now, though, he still had to prepare to deal with the Shoigu-Gerasimov military faction.
By then, he had boarded the ship returning to the Cybrex Alpha ring world segment. Xi Yan raised his left arm and activated his wristband, projecting a holographic screen.
"Beta, contact General Shoigu for me. I want to speak with him directly."
"Yes. Connecting you now."
[Communications signal connected] {Xi Yan: Hello, General Shoigu. If that's really you, type 114514.} {Shoigu: 114514} {Xi Yan: ...} {Shoigu: ...} {Shoigu: What can I do for you, Marshal?} {Xi Yan: Let's put our cards on the table.} {Xi Yan: I know what you've been doing, but I'm tired, and I don't want a conflict with you. Let's find a time to have an honest discussion about how to divide power and interests.}
Xi Yan made no attempt to conceal anything. He ripped away the hypocritical facade right off the bat, leaving Shoigu completely stunned.
Had this young Marshal always been so blunt?
At least try to dress it up a little!
At the starport, both Shoigu and Gerasimov were taken aback by Xi Yan's directness. A message only came after a brief silence.
{Shoigu: Since the young Marshal wants to talk, we'll oblige. Set a time.} {Xi Yan: Hey, I've got an idea!} {Shoigu: ?} {Xi Yan: How about this? If you can't beat them, join them. Hold a private banquet on the ground, and get everyone there if possible. We'll negotiate in detail and decide how we'll cooperate going forward.} {Xi Yan: Our Empire was only founded twenty years ago. It can't take any more upheaval. Let's hurry up and cooperate, stabilize our rule, and start exploring interstellar space as soon as possible!} {Xi Yan: The Empire needs to start developing!} {Shoigu: We'll consider it.}
At the other end, Shoigu lit an expensive cigar and puffed away as he gazed at the star and ring world outside the window.
"Well? This young Marshal has quite an interesting personality." Gerasimov walked over with a wineglass, grinning and looking utterly at ease.
Shoigu gazed intently at the ship departing the starport.
"He has a point. For now, developing the Empire should remain our foremost priority." Shoigu seemed to be speaking to Gerasimov, yet also seemed to be talking to himself.
"Ha! Even a youngster like him knows to worry about affairs of state, while us old men are busy fighting over power and profit. I'm embarrassed myself." Gerasimov laughed, raised his glass, and took a hearty drink.
Shoigu accepted a glass and raised it toward Xi Yan's distant private ship, nostalgia in his expression. "True. The Former Marshal treated us well. We should look after his child."
"Then that's settled. Tonight or tomorrow night, we senior officers will meet with him and divide up everyone's 'slice of the cake' sooner rather than later. It's time this Empire moved forward."
{Shoigu: Let's meet at the grand hotel in the Central District tomorrow evening, young Marshal. I'll introduce you to a few fine veterans of our military.}
Something seemed to have touched Shoigu, and his tone had softened considerably.
Perhaps Xi Yan's vitality and sincerity had rubbed off on them. Even generals who stood above tens of thousands could sometimes be moved.
{Xi Yan: Sure thing! Could you send me a list of names, though? I'll prepare some gifts for you!} {Xi Yan: *Cute smiling kitty emoji*}
How wonderful. He's still so young. He'll surely accomplish great things someday.
Shoigu reflected wistfully. Oddly enough, he had originally intended to secure more benefits, perhaps even reduce this young Marshal to a commander with no one left to command.
But seeing Xi Yan so young and inexperienced, he had ultimately remembered his old bond with Marshal Xi Lie and refrained from pressuring him.
With that thought, Shoigu sent over several names: senior military figures under their command, along with young officers they had promoted.
Letting them show their faces before the Marshal might earn them some preferential treatment in the future.
After reading Xi Yan's sincere words, Shoigu had a vague feeling that they would get along well.
Since Xi Yan had made the first concession, there was no need for them to keep pressing him.
All right, then. Let's cooperate!
Thinking of tomorrow evening's banquet, both men could not help feeling relieved.
Before you continue