Chapter 294

Wen Jing walked down the golden steps at a leisurely pace, waving as he landed.

The next moment, everyone who had knelt down had their knees lifted up by an invisible force, and they stood up again.

Whether they knelt down or stood up was not their own decision, but rather a matter of the new emperor waving his hand.

The high-level Awakened present all showed undisguised shock in their eyes.

Gravity manipulation with such precision and range, yet with such effortless ease... Is the opponent really only A-rank?

The grand coronation ceremony actually lasted only about twenty minutes.

According to tradition, after the emperor swore allegiance, he needed to ascend the Awakening Platform to receive a baptism of holy light, sign the legal code, and go through a series of tedious and outrageously complicated procedures.

However, apart from the appearance and pledge of allegiance upon returning from the Icon Council, all other redundant procedures were eliminated, and no one in the Senate or the Executive Council dared to utter a word of objection.

The length of the ceremony has no bearing on the new emperor's status.

From the moment Wen Jing stepped out of the Icon Council, he was destined to be the emperor with the most secure position in the history of the empire, because behind him... or rather, he himself represented the will of an S-class Awakened.

In the days following the coronation ceremony, the capital planet fell into an eerie calm.

Marshal Lei'ang stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of his office, surrounded by various daily intelligence reports, but he couldn't concentrate on reading a single word.

Turning around, he saw the adjutant standing silently at the door.

"Any updates from over there? Have they been sent to the Senate or the Executive Council?"

The adjutant quickly shook his head. "No, His Majesty has not issued any orders to any departments since he ascended the throne and took up residence on the throne."

Upon hearing this, Lei'ang turned his head again.

Similar dialogues also took place in the Senate and the Executive Council.

Elder Aiselun had not slept well for many days.

He had been repeatedly perusing the legal code these past few days, and the more he read, the more desperate he became—he could indeed find many provisions to check the emperor, but none to check the Icon Council.

Even abolishing the Senate could be done with a single word from the other side.

Prime Minister Suolan remained relatively calm. She convened a full-day meeting with her staff to Analysis all possible directions: military expansion, administrative reform, resource allocation, tax adjustments, and so on.

The worst-case scenario is that the new emperor might have to carry out a major reshuffle, replacing all three key figures.

"But she hasn't touched us." Suolan looked at his advisors, whose eyes were darkening. "What does it mean that there haven't been any personnel changes since His Majesty ascended the throne?"

The staff members exchanged bewildered glances.

"Her target... might not be inside." Suolan stood up and looked at the black hall that floated above the three imperial administrative centers.

That is the suspended throne where the emperor resides.

It is not used when there is no emperor; it only appears when there is an emperor in the empire. It is a building that is above all other power organs.

On the capital planet, many people, just like the three giants, are anxiously awaiting the first order to be issued.

Because anyone with eyes can see that since the other party chose to leave the Icon Council, it's impossible that he was just there to be a figurehead emperor.

*

After being left hanging for five days, the imperial high command finally received a summons from the suspended throne.

In the suspended council chamber, Wen Jing sat in the main seat, his gaze sweeping over the dark mass of people below.

The three top leaders stood at the front, with officials from various departments behind them. All eyes were on her, awaiting the 'first decree'.

As the saying goes, a new broom sweeps clean, and this decree largely represents the new emperor's future governing attitude.

The silence lasted for ten seconds.

Wen Jing spoke, dropping a bombshell.

"My first executive order is to establish formal diplomatic relations with the Federation."

"Whoa—" The entire council chamber erupted in chaos.

"How could we possibly establish diplomatic relations with the Federation?"

Lei'ang was the first to step forward, his face ashen. "Your Majesty, the Military Department objects! We are irreconcilably opposed to the Federation, and there have always been local wars on our border. How will our soldiers view this? How will the families of the fallen view this?"

Aiselun, standing to the side, frowned and said, "Your Majesty, the Senate needs to know the reasons for doing this, but establishing diplomatic relations is no small matter; it involves the entire empire's foreign strategy."

Prime Minister Suolan remained silent, his gaze fixed intently on Wen Jing's expression.

After they finished speaking, Wen Jing said calmly, "I'm not here to ask for your opinions; I'm here to have you develop an implementation plan."

Then she looked at Lei'ang was the first to vehemently object.

"Border war? The Military Department has military merits, the nobles have rewards, and you all know who died... What about the families of the fallen? Marshal, can you guarantee that all the Military Department's compensation payments have been fully implemented?"

Lei'ang's face turned deathly pale instantly, and he immediately knelt down.

He knew that Wen Jing's ability to say such things at this time meant that he had solid evidence, and that some of the Military Department's shady dealings had been thoroughly investigated by the other side.

The Grand Elder and the Prime Minister, who were standing nearby, were no better off; their expressions changed drastically upon seeing this.

Although they had repeatedly conducted self-checks and destroyed all sensitive documents that could be destroyed in recent days, believing that everything was foolproof, the facts now tell them that destruction was useless.

This is natural; Wen Jing doesn't need to 'investigate' at all. She can directly access the information on the Sacred Core, and nothing in the empire can be hidden from her.

"Your Majesty, the Senate has a long history of complex affairs, and there may be oversights. I am willing to fully cooperate with the investigation!" Aiselun swayed slightly as he quickly spoke.

Suolan was a beat slower, but her eyes quickly sharpened. Unlike Aiselun, she didn't pledge allegiance. Instead, she reacted swiftly, saying, "Your Majesty, regarding the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Federation, we need some time to draft a framework plan. There are many aspects involved, including border trade, technological exchanges, mutual visits by Awakened... Each part requires detailed consultation with the Federation."

Wen Jing nodded slightly.

Suolan knew he had done the right thing. Composing himself, he continued, "Regarding trade, our Empire's greatest advantage is, of course, Raw Ore, while the Federation has always had an advantage in food and medical technology. The two sides are highly complementary. However, technological exchanges need to be more cautious. Core technologies certainly cannot be disclosed, but some civilian technologies can be developed collaboratively, as well as mutual visits Awakened..."

The Prime Minister is responsible for political affairs, so if it really comes to establishing diplomatic relations with the Federation, the Executive Council will be the first to take the lead.

Moreover, for the empire, there are those who can benefit from war and those who can benefit from peace, and the latter's overall benefits are far greater than the former's.

Suolan quickly and clearly outlined the framework, but at the end, she gritted her teeth and said, "But Your Majesty, the biggest difficulty in establishing diplomatic relations is actually with the Federation... they may not believe in our sincerity."

Wen Jing raised an eyebrow. "Sincerity?"

"Yes," Suolan said, forcing a smile. "The two sides have been enemies for hundreds of years, and the resentment runs deep. Now it's us who are proposing to establish diplomatic relations, not the other way around. Naturally, we have to sacrifice our interests and show sincerity to make it happen. Moreover, even if we sacrifice our interests, the other side might still suspect it's a trap."

The council chamber was instantly filled with a turbulent atmosphere, and the amount of information surged.

A decree to sacrifice the interests of the Empire to establish diplomatic relations with a hostile Federation would have been the end of an emperor's political career had it not come from a fellow icon senator.

However, for Wen Jing, after being led around for so long, they finally got to the main point.

"There's no need to sacrifice the Empire's interests. My personal visit to the Federation at that time will demonstrate our sincerity."

These words shocked everyone present.

Everyone was stunned speechless by the news.

Suolan paused for a few seconds before saying with difficulty, "Your Majesty... you're going in person?"

"Yes." Wen Jing's tone was as if he were commenting on the weather. "Add this to the first item sent to the Federation."

Lei'ang's eyes widened. "Your Majesty, you are the Emperor of the Empire, how could you..."

Aiselun opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a sound for a long time.

Suolan cautiously replied, "His Majesty's personal visit is naturally the greatest expression of sincerity, but... there are security concerns..."

"If the Federation dares to act against me, it's tantamount to declaring war on the Empire." Wen Jing looked at everyone. "Or do you think my strength is insufficient to deal with any unexpected events?"

One sentence left everyone speechless.

In this world where great power resides within oneself, no one can refute, nor dare to refute, the words of a suspected S-class Awakened.

After a moment, Suolan took a deep breath and stepped forward respectfully, saying, "Your Majesty, the Executive Council will draft a detailed plan as soon as possible."

Wen Jing nodded in agreement, then glanced at everyone present.

Are there any other questions?

There is absolutely no problem.

*

The first order issued by the Suspension quickly went into action through the government machinery, and a formal letter of diplomatic relations was sent to the Federation Congress.

On Mystic Radiance Star, the Congress convened an emergency meeting.

"The Emperor of the Empire is coming to visit in person?" The Minister of the Military Department slammed his fist on the table. "Are you kidding me? This is absolutely a trap!"

"A trap?" The intelligence chief shook his head. "The letter of credence says 'mission,' which limits the number of guards and personnel. What kind of trap could they possibly set?"

Of the three deans in the central government, Dean Ailin pondered, "The key question is, why did she come? Is it really just for establishing diplomatic relations?"

"But if the Emperor himself comes to visit, we would be in the wrong to refuse..."

The speaker was Yifan, the current Dean of the Ocher Soil. He looked very young and always had a friendly smile on his face.

Originally, based on seniority, the position of Dean Ocher Soil should have been taken over by the former Vice Dean Gao Shi. However, Gao Shi's Genetic Collapse, and in the end, Yifan from Mystic Radiance took over.

Yifan seemed to be trying hard to get along with the two seniors. After responding to Dean Ailin's words, he looked at the taciturn Dean Fu to the side.

"Dean Fu, what's your opinion?"

Dean Fu didn't look at him, only saying, "Further speculation is beyond our control."