"What's wrong?"
Song Lixing said gloomily, "The news that the Holy League attacked the capital was discovered by our spies lurking in the capital in person. Right now, the entire capital is as busy as a pot of boiling porridge. It can't be faked.
"As for the news that the Xing Yao Federation refused to send out troops, it was directly intercepted by us from the super-remote communication at the edge of the cosmos. It is the firsthand intelligence. What are you suspicious about?"
Song Lixing had absolute confidence in the intelligence system of his family.
The four families had dominated the court for five hundred years. They were out-and-out 'big trees with deep roots'. Even though they had evacuated from the capital in a hurry, they had left tremendous spies, spies, and 'mines' in the capital and the few important industrial worlds nearby.
The reformists were already faced with difficulties both inside and outside the capital the moment they occupied it. They did not dare purge the remaining personnel of the old system. The Kurfürsten's people were everywhere in the bureaucracy of the entire capital.
Even the warlords at the peripheral worlds of the Imperium who had sided with the reformists were not really joining them. A lot of them were betting on both sides.
It was safe to say that the entire capital had been infiltrated by the coalition army of the Kurfürsten. How could there be any secrets?
After Li Yao's identity as "Black Wind King" was exposed, the super-remote communication between the "reform government of the Imperium" and the Xing Yao Federation naturally could not be kept a secret. The message from the Federation was intercepted by the Kurfürsten's side the moment it was sent to the center of the cosmos.
Song Bugui did not dare to doubt the authenticity of the intelligence. He simply said, "I'm not suspicious, but I'm worried. Bai Xingjian, the 'Pirate Potentate', has always been best known for his shamelessness and capriciousness. It's not the first time that he has played the trick of surrendering and then rebelling. Who knows if he will do the same thing again?"
"Hehe. Things are different now. Do you not understand that what matters is not Bai Xingjian's stance but the attitude of the Xing Yao Federation?"
Song Lixing waved his hands and declared resolutely, "Whatever the Star Glory Federation is exactly, it is a tiny country at the edge of the cosmos after all. Vice Marshal Song, if you were the leader of such a country, would you be willing to let the most elite soldiers under your command jump into the fiery pit at the center of the cosmos to be killed for nothing?"
"Well …"
Frowning, Song Bugui sighed and shook his head. "It's impossible. It's absolutely impossible. The competition at the center of the cosmos is not something that the villagers of the countryside can take part in."
"That's exactly right!"
Song Lixing clenched his fists and smashed them down brutally. "As long as the leader of the Xing Yao Federation has the slightest rationality and selfishness, they will never be involved in such a mess and help the reformists gain chestnuts from the fire! According to my father and my judgment, even if they are going to join the war, they will not do it right now. They will jump out and reap the benefits when the reformists, the rightful government, and the Holy League are all heavily wounded. Wouldn't they be able to reap the greatest benefits?
"Therefore, the Xing Yao Federation will not send out any troops right now, which is corroborated by the secret intelligence that we have intercepted.
"Since the Xing Yao Federation will not send out any troops, Bai Xingjian will have no choice but to run away. Is he really going to hit his head in the Yellow Dragon Sector? Such a third-rate thief who used to be a space pirate can do nothing but steal. How can he fight a tough battle? "
Song Bugui hesitated. "But …"
"No buts, Vice Marshal Song. It's fine that you are scared of 'God of War' Lei Chenghu, but is a leader of space pirates enough to scare you?"
Song Lixing burst into fury when he saw that Song Bugui was still unmoved. He pointed at Song Bugui's nose and bellowed, "Do you know how perilous the situation is right now? If the reformists cannot afford to delay, neither can we!
"Every day, countless sects, Exo Associations, and middle- and bottom-level nobles are taking sides with the reformists stealthily in our territory!
"Every day, our economy that has been corrupted by the flames of war is deteriorating rapidly. The loss of the Jade Tripod Sector, the greatest source of resources, is enough to crash the finances of the family. Without money, who knows who is a Kurfürst?
"Every day, my father and I have to endure countless vicious attacks in the court. The pigs and dogs of the other three families are almost poking their eyeballs into our eye sockets and questioning us why we are still not annihilating the reformists!
"Victory. In any case, by whatever means possible, we have to secure a glorious victory in order to maintain the rotten situation. Do you understand it or not?
"Let me tell you. The assault on the capital, the mutiny and defection of Bai Xingjian's subordinates, and the refusal of the Xing Yao Federation. The three pieces of great news have spread out inside and outside the court. Right now, everybody knows that Lei Chenghu has lost one of his arms. Their morale is low, and they are all rubbing their fists, eager to annihilate Lei Chenghu's subordinates and claim the glory of defeating the God of War! You may not be willing to attack, but there are others who are. What if the other three clans can't hold themselves back and go to war privately and snatch the credit in our territory? Then, our Song Clan will be in a very passive position! "
Song Bugui blushed because of the scolding, and he barely had the strength to argue back.
He was an Immortal Cultivator who was almost two hundred years old after all and the commander of the most elite troops of the rightful government of the Imperium. There was a limit to how obsequious he could be. For a moment, he could not help but gnash his teeth and clench his fists.
Song Lixing realized that he had gone too far, too. He coughed softly and said in a relaxed tone, "I know that you are the most prudent person in the army, Bugui. That is also why my father and I promoted you to be the commander of the Heaven's Return Fleet despite everybody's objections! It is well known that Lei Chenghu's tactics are unstoppable. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been known as the 'God of War'. It is not wrong for you to be in a stalemate with him, but we really don't have the time to waste.
"What else do you think we should do? Are we supposed to do nothing while Lei Chenghu savages the Jade Tripod Sector and the Holy League savages the capital while waiting for victory to fall from the sky?"
"Of course, that is not what I mean."
Thousands of thoughts popped up in Song Bugui's head. For some reason, he thought of his wife and children who were stranded in the Yellow Dragon Sector and sighed in his heart. Deciding to make the last effort for the Song family, he said, "In any case, I am absolutely no match for 'God of War' Lei Chenghu. Even if Bai Xingjian's troops do defect, the Heaven's Return Fleet and Lei Chenghu's troops will only suffer heavy losses at best. Nobody will benefit from the battle.
"We are all the elites that the Imperium has spent countless time and resources on. We are the last defenders of the civilization of mankind. Is it really a good idea to let the Holy League savage the capital while we are fighting each other?
"I think — I think — is it possible that we can talk to Lei Chenghu?"
"What did you say?"
Song Lixing narrowed his eyes and said with a vague smile, "Talk. You mean, negotiate?"
"You can call it 'negotiate'," Song Bugui said.
"Right now, we are both in an awkward situation with the reformists, but in comparison, the enemy is more dangerous. If we can really negotiate, our position will be more advantageous.
"It must be noted that 'God of War' Lei Chenghu did not join the reformists at the very beginning. Different from the fake empress dowager Li Linghai, he seems to be standing at the height of the entire country. Therefore, I believe that Lei Chenghu will certainly have a chance to negotiate!"
"Are you out of your mind?"
Song Lixing stared at Song Bugui. "Or is it as the rumors say, not only are you fearful of the enemy, but you have also been bribed by Lei Chenghu to join the reformists?"
"That — that's a slander. That's utterly absurd. My loyalty to my family, to the court, and to His Majesty can be witnessed by the sun and the moon!"
Song Bugui's face was almost burning. "I only feel that, now that the Holy League has marched to the heartland of the Imperium, however hateful Lei Chenghu and the reformists are, they can't be more hateful than the Holy League, can they? Don't let the Holy League take advantage of our conflict! "
"Hehe. I know that you have always been loyal to your family and the court, Guiren, but I didn't know that you would be so stupid in politics!"
Song Lixing sniffed and said coldly, one word after another, "Let me tell you. Even if the capital does fall into the hands of the Holy League, it won't matter because the Immortal Cultivators and the people in the hundreds of Sectors of the Imperium will fight the Holy League to the end. There is absolutely no possibility of surrender.
"Therefore, even if we lose the capital, we will be able to take it back one day.
"Think about it. The capital was lost to the reformists, but it was recovered by the rightful government. Who will stand on the reformists' side in such a situation?
"On the other hand, if we give the reformists a chance to catch their breath because of our petty kindness and allow them to expand, they will swallow more planets and more Sectors without us knowing. Millions of ignorant people will be fooled by their twisted theories and the 'Gold Lion' that looks pretty good. Then, all the nobles will be killed without a burial!
"All in all, the problem of the Holy League can be resolved later. Destroying the reformists is our top priority.
"As for the capital … Let it fall if it does. Since they chose to follow the reformists at the beginning, this is the outcome that the people of the capital deserve.
"Vice Commander Song, I've made myself clear enough, haven't I? Do you have any other questions? Are you still qualified to be the commander of the Heaven's Return Fleet? "
Song Lixing stared at Song Bugui covetously.
Song Bugui was dumbfounded. He was like a piece of wood that was smoldering, but invisible undercurrents were flowing deep inside his eyes. It was not until a long time later that his gloomy eyes were focused again.
"Chairman, I understand now. In less than twenty-four hours, the Heaven's Return Fleet will be ready for a large-scale space jump in twelve hours!"
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