Chapter 1265: Chapter 716, Attending the Hongmen Banquet Alone
Gu Hang is going to Holy Terra.
This matter hasnāt been confirmed yet, but itās basically unavoidable.
He also fully realizes that this trip carries a certain level of danger.
They speak nicely, saying things like they want to hear the Alliance leader and Cosmic Domain Chairās thoughts on the upcoming work, and that a war hero must make a round in Holy Terra so that the people and officials there can meet Gu Hang.
But in reality...
What kind of agreement must Gu Hang personally go to sign?
Is Holy Terra really so kind as to promote Gu Hangās reputation?
On the contrary, it seems more like an invitation akin to a Hongmen Banquet.
Especially since the previous assassination order is still a mystery, and itās unclear who was behind it.
Inviting Gu Hang out of his most loyal Alliance, to Holy Terra, to the place where their power is strongest, turns Gu Hang into fish on the chopping block.
If someone really wants him dead or not returning, it would be difficult to handle.
Thereās nothing much to fear from covert assassinations.
But if it were a public, political move to prevent Gu Hang from leaving, or to imprison him in a black jail, then what?
He couldnāt openly resist or, rather, has no way to resist.
His spiritual power is indeed strong, but being alone in Holy Terra, he cannot suppress everything with personal power.
One could say his personal power is not great enough, not to the level of the Divine Emperor. But Gu Hang, to this day, does not know how to reach the level where he could observe those four Evil Gods and the Divine Emperorās domain in Subspace.
He is said to be an āInferior Deity,ā but compared to those five big shots, itās like gravel to the sun.
On the contrary, if Gu Hang is in the Alliance, Central Empire must take care no matter what. If truly pushed to the brink where both sides fall out, the Empire would find it hard to swiftly organize a powerful expeditionary force to deal with him.
To attack the Alliance, at least theyād need to replicate the previous Iron Armor lineup, and even that might not be enough.
The Empire would need to weigh their options.
Therefore, if they want to destroy the Alliance, the best way is to eliminate Gu Hang, the highest leader, and core figure.
After all, itās evident to anyone with eyes that the Alliance isnāt one that could push out another person of the same status and role immediately if itās not for Gu Hang. Instead, without Gu Hang, the Alliance would be greatly weakened, if not falling apart.
The best way to kill Gu Hang is to have him come over himself.
By then, heād be alone, while Holy Terra has the Assassin Court, Tribunal, elite of the Legal Department, the Golden Knight Legion... If all else fails, the Imperial Forbidden Army wonāt allow any rampage on Holy Terra.
Despite all the potential dangers, Gu Hang still has to face them alone.
He knows all these things, and so do the elders on Holy Terra. Yet, precisely because of this, they must insist on Gu Hangās arrival.
This is a loyalty test.
If you donāt even dare to come, how can I believe you are truly loyal?
Itās almost certain that if Gu Hang doesnāt go, the relationship between the two sides will immediately enter a very delicate situation.
Galaraldo also thinks so.
He didnāt bluntly say it but earnestly urged Gu Hang to definitely go.
Discussions on Holy Terra have basically reached an impasse.
Under financial pressure, the opposition has already declined. The strongest opposition, Prime Minister Luo Fei, also has to consider the budget he can use in the upcoming years.
However, as for the true power with decisive words in such major matters, Prime Minister Qi Bodu, he has only made one statement so far: he wishes to meet with Gu Hang.
This is the most critical point.
The Prime Minister cannot possibly come to meet Gu Hang, right?
Thus, it must be Gu Hang who goes to meet him.
If thereās no meeting, thereās no way to fulfill wishes; no meeting guarantees future armed conflict.
Unless Gu Hang is prepared to go to war with the Empire within the next five to ten years, this trip is a must for him.
Arranged everything in a monthās timeāsounds a bit ominous, but thatās the truth.
Then, he set off.
Those departing included not just him, but also three other important individuals:
Mrs. Wang Qi, Admiral Yelisia, and Gu Hangās six-year-old son, Gu Jing.
That is, Gu Hangās entire family came along.
If theyāre going to show loyalty, theyāll show it clearly and cleanly.
If Qi Bodu wishes to meet me, then I will go;
Iāll bring my whole family too.
Saying that itās for the wife, mother, and son whoāve never been to Holy Terra to see the world, but the political implications are clearer than anything.
And once an accident truly happens, the situation Gu Hang absolutely doesnāt want to see... To be honest, if something happened to him, his mother, wife, and son shouldnāt expect to survive; on the contrary, as long as nothing happens to him, nothing will happen to them.
Moreover, perhaps under Gu Hangās protection, they might be in the safest environment.
...
Once Gu Hang set out, the Alliance entered the āThree Giantsā period.
Besides Gu Hang himself, the normal operation of the Alliance mainly relies on three senior officials.
Firstly, Oseina Qin Ke, as the head of the government.
Secondly, Lambert Hodgson Chief Justice, responsible for the Allianceās Legal Center, including the Legislative Committee, Law Enforcement Committee, and Discipline Committee.
Below the Legislative Committee, besides legislative work, thereās the judge system, which is the Allianceās judicial system.
Under the Law Enforcement Committee, there is the General Police Department and Security Bureau.
Beneath the Discipline Committee, there is the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Audit Bureau...
Overall, they act as the legislative, enforcement, monitoring, and oversight roles. For the Alliance Government represented by Osenia, the Legal Centerās series of work are checks on power.
The third giant is Tadeusz representing the Military Affairs Department.
He represents the military, responsible for the entire Alliance Navy, including the Interstellar Warrior Battle Group, in routine management. He can reject all orders for troop movements; he holds the highest personnel power within the military; he has the mission to form armies...
But likewise, he has constraints. He has no authority to move troops without the government headās command; he lacks command authority, which is in the hands of the Navy General Command; he lacks the authority to develop battle plans, which is with the General Staff Department.
This is the temporary system of the Alliance when the supreme leader Gu Hang is away.
Actually, whether Gu Hang is present or not, the Alliance operates this way. Without Gu Hang, theoretically, the Allianceās structure remains unchanged.
A government managing thousands of worlds and trillions of people canāt stop functioning because one person is missing.
However, Gu Hangās departure indeed had a tangible impact.
People became unsettled.
More so than the last time Gu Hang went to Holy Terra.
āThe Three Giantsā can only barely sustain themselves, hoping Gu Hang returns soon.