Chapter 1491: I am creating an opportunity for His Majesty

The other four courtiers followed Xierta into the hover-car, and only after the four of them were seated did Xierta speak.

"This matter today has made me realize one thing. Our new Emperor has a hurdle in his heart he cannot overcome."

The Minister of Finance asked.

"What hurdle?"

Xierta said.

"He fears the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance; it is a dread within his heart."

The four people in the carriage looked at him simultaneously, and no one interjected.

Xierta continued.

"Think about it, from the first day the diplomatic mission from the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance arrived at the Capital Star, His Majesty's attitude has shown a clear change.

At the Spaceport, he let us go to receive them, yet those people from the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance left our people waiting on the berth, treated the welcoming minister with arrogance, and even had a guard wearing golden armor block the welcoming ceremony process in public.

According to the traditions of the Keluo Imperium, such a matter requires the other party to apologize; if they do not apologize, it is a declaration of war against the Keluo Imperium. But His Majesty never mentioned a word about holding them accountable from start to finish."

The Minister of Finance spoke up.

"That might be because the military strength of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance..."

Xierta interrupted the Minister of Finance's statement.

"It is not just military strength; I have inquired. Before the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance intervened in the Keluo Imperium's civil war, our new Emperor His Majesty had spent a period of time in the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance."

Gelun's graying brows furrowed.

"Are you saying, those days when he was detained by the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance?"

"Correct, how long was that detention?"

The Minister of Finance said: "Are you saying that His Majesty was threatened or intimidated by the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance?"

Xierta did not answer directly, but his expression said it all.

"Think about the situation this morning. The five of us opposed him to his face, yet His Majesty never lost his temper.

His temper was not like this before; when the late Emperor was alive, he would sit in on the proceedings, and when he encountered different opinions, he would refute them directly.

But this time, facing the five of us opposing him for several consecutive days, he has consistently avoided direct conflict. It was not until the guard blocked people on the spot today that he finally came out and said 'misheard the order'."

Gelun's voice sank.

"Do you think that because he was once detained by the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance, he has a shadow in his heart and dares not confront the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance head-on?"

Xierta nodded.

"It is possible; His Majesty is so afraid that he would rather let outsiders enter the heart of the Imperium than show any dissatisfaction in front of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance's mission."

The other of the two young officials said in a low voice.

"But if that is truly the case, then our opposition is useless. If His Majesty himself is fearful, no matter how we advise him, we cannot move him."

Xierta said: "Therefore, I must change my approach."

The carriage fell silent.

The Minister of Finance looked at him.

"What approach?"

Xierta's four eyes focused on the direction of the carriage ceiling, and he said in a lowered voice.

"If the shadow in His Majesty's heart stems from the oppression of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance, then I must help him remove this shadow.

I will prove to him that the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance is not terrifying, and not enough to be a reason to control the Keluo Imperium."

Gelun asked.

"What do you want to do?"

Gelun asked: What do you want to do?

Xierta looked at Gelun and spoke slowly.

The diplomatic mission of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance is still on the Keluo Imperium's Capital Star; they have not left.

Lu Zhenda, along with that golden guard and that small squad of warriors wearing yellow Power Armor, are all staying in the Waijiaoqu on the east side of the Imperial City.

They enter and exit the Imperial City every day, coordinating the synergy process with our officials, waiting for their fleet to arrive to take over command.

The Minister of Finance said.

So what?

Xierta said.

So, while their fleet has not yet arrived, detain their people.

The carriage fell silent.

The person on the left of those two young officials opened his mouth in shock, and Gelun's brows furrowed even deeper.

The Minister of Finance was the first to react; he turned to Xierta and said.

You want to detain the diplomatic mission of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance? On the Keluo Imperium's Capital Star?

Xierta said.

Correct, this is the fastest way.

The Minister of Finance said urgently.

Do you know what consequences this will bring? The fleet of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance is already on its way; they will arrive at the border of the Keluo Imperium in a dozen days or so. If we detain their mission now, when their fleet arrives...

Xierta interrupted the Minister of Finance's dissuasion.

When their fleet arrives, we will have hostages in our hands. What is the rank of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance's mission within their own country?

Lu Zhenda is an envoy who receives orders directly from the Emperor of the Xiuluo Holy Star, and his status in the Xiuluo Holy Star is definitely not low. Not to mention those dozen or so guards in Black Carapace Armor outside and the personnel on their Mars-class Battlecruiser.

If we detain them all, would the fleet of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance still dare to open fire directly?

Gelun said in a deep voice.

You are betting that the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance will be afraid to act rashly.

Xierta said righteously.

I am creating an opportunity for His Majesty, an opportunity to resolve the rebellion without foreign troops entering the country. If we have the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance's diplomatic mission as a bargaining chip in our hands, His Majesty can renegotiate with the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance: you withdraw your troops, and we release the people.

The internal affairs of the Luoke Imperium are to be handled by the Luoke Imperium itself. Besides accepting this condition, what other choice does the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance have? No matter how strong their fleet is, with their envoys in our hands, do they dare to make a move?

The Minister of Finance's lips moved.

But what if the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance does not accept? What if they choose to attack by force and march their army in, even at the cost of sacrificing the mission?

Xierta said.

Based on my understanding of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance, that possibility is very small. The public stance of the Emperor of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance is to love peace and development; they cannot abandon their own diplomatic mission under the watchful eyes of other forces in the Bode Star System.

If their mission is detained in the Luoke Imperium, yet their Emperor chooses to attack by force, then once that news spreads, the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance will have no diplomatic credibility left. How would other forces view them?

Gelun continued to speak.

But the gap between our fleet and the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance's fleet is too great. Even if we detain the mission, if the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance truly chooses to attack by force, our border defense fleet cannot stop them.

Xierta shook his head and said.

They will only talk to us at the negotiating table; as long as our border defense fleet destroys one or two star sectors of the rebels and demonstrates that the Luoke Imperium has the ability to solve its internal problems on its own, the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance will have no reason to continue intervening.

Coupled with the mission in our hands as a bargaining chip, they will have no choice but to withdraw their troops.

Two young officials looked at each other, and one of them whispered.

This matter of detaining the mission... what kind of military force is needed? We all saw the strength of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance's Golden Guards at the banquet. If the detention operation fails, or if we let the other side escape...