"But —"
Li Yao's head was in a mess. Even his computational ability was jammed, and he was unable to say anything for a moment.
Never in his dreams did he expect that Li Jialing would raise such a shocking topic!
"Brother Yao, are you trying to say that the four families will certainly reveal my background, and the royal family will certainly have the most advanced tests that can identify my bloodline?"
Li Jialing smiled and said, "Years ago, Li Lingfeng brought me to the Li family with ill intentions in the first place. My personal files have all been doctored and dispersed after Li Lingfeng's death. How can the four families know my real identity?
"Even if they do, so what? They are enemies in the first place. Isn't it perfectly normal to denounce the enemy's emperor as a 'fake emperor'? I know that the propaganda machines controlled by the reformists in the capital have been activated to criticize 'Emperor Chengwu'. The four families' attack on me is just the same. Nobody will believe it.
"As for the bloodline test, it is even less of a problem. Right now, the queen's influence is still there. She will be the real empress dowager in a few days. The bloodline test will naturally be under her and General Lei's control. They can fabricate whatever result they want. Who dares to object?
"In the Imperium of True Human Beings where the strong prey on the weak, strength is the most important thing after all! Right now, on the reformists' side, General Lei, the queen, and Jin Yuyan of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors are not strangers to me, either. Together with Brother Yao's support, the four forces are on my side. Who would be foolish enough to jump out and criticize me? "
Looking at Li Jialing's confident face, Li Yao tried to calm himself down and asked solemnly, "Tell me, whose idea was it exactly? Who came up with it first? Was it Lei Chenghu? Why? "
"Yes, it was indeed General Lei's proposal."
Li Jialing said calmly, "Brother Yao, do you still not understand what kind of person General Lei is? He is an out-and-out, unchangeable Immortal Cultivator, the most stubborn militarist, and the most ardent admirer of Wuying Qi. His admiration for Wuying Qi has been deeply rooted to his bones, and he has been dreaming to restore the glory of the age of Blackstar the Great! "
"But Wuying Qi is already dead!"
Li Yao said coldly, "Also, he only worships the imaginary Wuying Qi. The real Wuying Qi is not what he imagined at all!"
"That's right. General Lei gradually realized it too. That's why he cooperated with you to destroy the Next Sun Plan."
Li Jialing said, "However, joining hands with the Cultivators does not mean that he will abandon his beliefs. He still believes in 'Blackstar the Great', except that he is not the one who died but a new, more perfect emperor who can 100% represent the true path of immortality!
"Do you see what I'm getting at? General Lei believes that he can create another 'Blackstar the Great', the most perfect supreme ruler of mankind in his ideal! Of course, the prerequisite is that the ruler has to receive the heritage of the old Wuying Qi. Only in such a way can he be acknowledged by most Immortal Cultivators, including General Lei himself! "
"I … I think I understand it now."
Li Yao mumbled, "Lei Chenghu has always regarded Blackstar the Great as a god, but in the end, he discovered that the god he worshipped was a false god and a devil … If it were an ordinary person, their belief would've been shattered, and their Cultivation would've plummeted. But Lei Chenghu is a lunatic. He wants to create a true god, the most perfect one in his ideal, to reshape the beliefs of all the Immortal Cultivators!"
"Yes, it can't be helped. Brother Yao, your trick of broadcasting Wuying Qi's videos to the entire Empyreal Terminus Sector is too sordid. Countless Immortal Cultivators' beliefs have collapsed and their souls are in chaos. They are greatly shaken by the true path of immortality and are even showing signs of switching to the path of the Cultivators."
Li Jialing said rather helplessly, "Do you think that General Lei, as a steadfast Immortal Cultivator, will watch the Immortal Cultivators switch sides without doing anything?
"In terms of propaganda, of course, he will not admit that the devil who initiated the 'Next Sun Plan' is Wuying Qi. However, denial is not enough. A new emperor with a bright and charming image, as well as the most legitimate and direct heir of Wuying Qi, has to be promoted so that the reputation of 'Blackstar the Great' can be revived. Only then can the collapse of all the Immortal Cultivators be saved."
"Got it. Right now, in the entire Imperium, there are only two legitimate and direct heirs of Blackstar the Great, which are you in 2.0 and me in 3.0!"
Li Yao slapped his thigh and said, "Damn it. But he doesn't necessarily have to come to you. You are too young to be involved in such a complicated power struggle. Why didn't he come to me? I am Wuying Qi's heir too. I can … Well, well, I don't think I'm suitable to be the emperor of the Imperium, right? "
"… Indeed."
Li Jialing nodded his head slowly. "Not only does General Lei need a new emperor who is healthy, vigorous, and has Wuying Qi's legacy, but even the young officers of the Imperium, the main force of the reformists, need such an emperor, a 'spokesperson' who can resonate with them, and someone who can renew the entire Imperium. In the entire capital, I am the best candidate. Don't you think so, Brother Yao?"
"I —"
Li Yao was lost for words for a moment.
Although Li Jialing's proposal did make his head go blank, he gradually calmed down and considered it carefully. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that the candidate couldn't be more suitable.
Although the victory in the battle of Seven Seas and the battle of the capital seemed to be going well on the surface, the fact that Wuying Qi was lurking within the reformists still led to serious internal conflicts.
The reformists were in the subtle transition from 'Li Linghai's era' to 'Lei Chenghu's era'. The arrival of the Cultivators led by Li Yao partly improved the strength of the reformists, but it also inevitably made the situation more chaotic.
At such a moment, it was barely possible to find a new emperor that satisfied all the forces. One moment of carelessness, and the reformists might fall apart.
However, beyond the circle of the royal family and ignoring the issue of bloodline, Li Jialing was a rarely-seen candidate that all the forces were satisfied with!
For Lei Chenghu, as a "fervent admirer of Blackstar the Great", it was naturally his lifelong wish to raise a new and more perfect Blackstar the Great in person.
The Imperial Guards who were loyal to Wuying Qi certainly wouldn't object to the reign of the "heir of Wuying Qi".
For Li Linghai, and especially the old reformists under Li Linghai's command who were scared that they would be purged, it would be a great reassurance if Li Linghai's own son became the emperor and Li Linghai turned from the queen to the empress dowager. It would ensure the harmony and order of the reformists!
It was needless to mention the Cultivators such as Li Yao. Nothing could be better than Li Jialing as the emperor!
However … However …
"What do you think?"
Li Jialing stared at Li Yao with glittering eyes. "Will you support me, Brother Yao?"
"From the perspective of interests, of course I will. If someone has to sit on the throne, you are a hundred times better than those losers!"
Li Yao tried to hold himself back, but in the end, he failed. "However, from the perspective of your big brother, I have to remind you that it is very lonely at the top. It is definitely not a good feeling to sit on the supreme throne! I never thought that you were a man who was passionate about power. Didn't you always advocate freedom and want to live a free and unrestrained life? Let's leave General Lei and the queen's attitude aside. Let's talk about yourself. What are you thinking exactly? Do you really want to be the emperor? "
Li Jialing's eyelashes shivered slightly, and he lowered his head.
In the next moment, his lips curled into a charming smile, but it was a smile from the bottom of his heart.
"Thank you, Brother Yao."
With clear brilliance flashing in his eyes, Li Jialing said sincerely, "I know that you care about me from the bottom of your heart and that you don't want me to shoulder such a heavy responsibility that perhaps nobody else can.
"However, as I said to you just now, I have turned from a boy into a man, and a man always has responsibilities that he must shoulder!
"It's true that I did advocate freedom in the past. Do you want to know why? Because at that time, I had nothing. As a person who had nothing, other than pursuing freedom, what else could I pursue?
"But it's different now. I have many, many things now. I have friends, I have family, I have you, I have Sister Long, I have Her Highness the Empress, and I have many … I don't want to lose anything that is worth fighting for. How can I watch all of you fight, bleed, and sacrifice in front of me, while I abandon everything to pursue some illusory freedom?
"The suggestion was indeed made by General Lei, but before that, I had been racking my brains to think of ways that I could protect my family, friends, and home and fight like you did!
"I did it of my own free will, but it was also because of your teaching. Do you remember what you said to me deep inside the Great Iron Plants? 'The more capable one is, the greater one's responsibility'. After only one year, my capability has soared, and I have undergone drastic changes. Today, with such strength, however proud I am, I do not dare to claim that I owe everything to myself.
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