nycdaug Chapter 693 New Moon Arrives
Chapter 693 New Moon Arrives
Chapter 693 New Moon Arrives
Terra, Guard Avenue.
There was a huge crowd of people.
Flags are fluttering and ribbons are flying.
"Long live the Navy!" "Praise the Emperor!"
The road from Lion's Gate Airport to the Terra Palace was already crowded with enthusiastic and crazy men, women, old and young. Millions of citizens stood on both sides of the wide road, waving flags with the numbers of the Imperial Navy's fleets, separated by a human wall composed of Imperial Guards, soldiers and legal officers of the Ministry of Justice.
Navy fighter planes roared over the crowd, dragging colored smoke into the hazy atmosphere. The cheering people sang hymns and prayers, and the servoskulls equipped with projectors and loudspeakers shouted the hull numbers of each warship. Occasionally, fat babies with white wings could be seen flying by.
"What is that, Arlo?"
Fei asked curiously, blinking her blue eyes.
"The Cherubim, a kind of mechanical servant."
Fu Qinghai retracted his gaze and answered calmly.
At the time when Fu Qinghai had just become the head of the regiment, the Cherubim had already been invented by the Mechanicum, but they had not yet been used on a large scale, because this kind of mechanical servant had no production and combat use. However, as the influence of the state religion in the imperial society became greater and greater, its status became crucial, and the state religion became the largest source of orders for the Cherubim. They used the pure and innocent image of this mechanical servant as a preaching tool. The Cherubim often chattered around the holy tombs and churches, or followed the bishops and recited various fanatical words loudly.
Fu Qinghai led Feiyi and Vera to blend into the crowd in disguise. Fu Qinghai shrank his body, and the two women took off their power armors. The three of them wrapped themselves in robes and hoods, just like the poor but enthusiastic people around them, watching this grand triumphal parade with cold eyes.
"It's like the beast has been killed."
Fu Qinghai curled his lips and sneered in a low voice.
“Knowing how the plot is going to develop, but unable to change it.”
Vera sighed as she looked at the crowd around her.
In the middle of the Imperial Guard Avenue, officers and soldiers of the Navy Honor Guard marched in neat formations, holding ceremonial knives and shotguns, accepting the cheers and praises of the people on both sides. Fu Qinghai noticed that several Skyhawk-class shuttles flew across the sky, landed one after another, and disappeared into a building complex in the distance.
Skyhawk shuttles are usually the means of transportation for big shots.
"What is that place?"
Fu Qinghai pursed his lips and asked Vera.
"Imperial Fleet Strategic Academy."
Vera followed his gaze and said:
"Lanson is going to give his victory speech there."
"Can we go in?"
Fu Qinghai then asked.
Vera raised her head and glanced at him:
"You two can't, but I can. Why, do you want to listen to the military experience of the Supreme Lord Admiral?"
"Ah."
Fu Qinghai smiled with the corners of his mouth pulled.
I thought to myself: When I was fighting the Orcs, the Eldar and the Chaos, Lansong's ancestors' ancestors were probably nursing in their infancy. What is there for me to learn from him?
"Forget it if you can't get in."
Fu Qinghai shook his head and said.
He raised his head and squinted his eyes to look at the building in the distance, and saw Skyhawk-class shuttles landing one after another in front of the Imperial Fleet Strategic Academy. The dignitaries, who were dressed in gorgeous and elegant clothes, walked down the gangway with the help of their attendants, greeted each other politely, and then walked into the academy gate on the scarlet carpet.
Perhaps a cardinal from some planet.
Or he could be the de facto governor of a certain star region.
"See him build a tall building, see him entertain guests."
Fu Qinghai suddenly murmured the lyrics:
"Look at him... the building has collapsed."
Vera doesn't understand Chinese.
She turned to look at Feiyi:
"What is he talking about?"
Fei shook her head to indicate that she didn't know.
"Let's go, there's nothing to see anymore."
Fu Qinghai took Fei Yi by the hand and squeezed out of the crowd.
……
Terra, Imperial Fleet Strategic Academy.
Wangorichi stood alone among the crowd of onlookers.
Quietly watching Lan Song speaking eloquently at the podium.
It is common sense that when a person is alone, he or she is more vulnerable to attack.
The successive Grand Masters of the Assassin's Court often taught their assassins to patiently and methodically observe the target's behavioral patterns, learn the target's life trajectory, and then wait until the target is most vulnerable before taking action.
Alone, perhaps in the bathroom, or in the bedroom, or perhaps hiding in a house in the country, when he is most relaxed, his guard is not around, when eating, when defecating, it is a good time.
When the target is accompanied by others, the action becomes much more difficult. At this time, some compromises must be made and direct killing can no longer be taken. The target may be surrounded by bodyguards, servants or security personnel. No matter who they are, no matter their level of expertise, vigilance and reaction, they are witnesses. The presence of others increases the possibility of the assassin being exposed, reduces the success rate, and reduces the possibility of completing the mission and retreating safely.
There were eighty-seven thousand two hundred and forty-seven men with him when Wangorich approached High Lord Admiral Lanson, a number he knew only too accurately because he had scanned the domed room with a micro-sensor drone.
But for Wangorichi.
Sometimes he doesn't have to consider this basic common sense.
Because Wangorichi was born in the Veninam Temple.
That is the famous Poison Master Temple.
"Clap clap clap clap..."
Lanson, in his gold and scarlet uniform, had just finished his victory speech at the Imperial Fleet Strategic Academy, and the large number of brightly dressed cadets and crew were still applauding. Infant angels fluttered among the banners overhead, banging golden cymbals and blowing silver trombones.
Lansong was surrounded by his personal guard of armed men, a group of tall, stern-faced men wearing black uniforms with red trim and gold buttons. Each of them carried a sheathed power weapon. One of them, the captain of the guard, held the fur cap of the Supreme Lord's admiral.
The guards tensed slightly as they noticed a man in black approaching through a crowd of cheering naval cadets and smiling academy instructors and administrators who were busy complimenting Lanson on his oratory and acumen.
"Back off."
One of the guards spoke up, turning to face the man standing between him and Lansong. Lansong was busy shaking hands with the president of the Bombing Academy, and Wangorich just smiled at the guard.
Lansong, with a flushed face, turned his head and caught a glimpse of Wangorich. Seeing that he was blocked by his own guards, the admiral cleverly left the leadership of the bombing academy and turned around.
"Are you serious, Romano?"
He shouted to his own guards:
"You must learn not to cause trouble for an Imperial elder."
"I am sorry, my Lord."
The guard said to Wangerich, his tone obviously not sincere. He did not recognize this modest and simple man in black clothes, even when Wangerich walked up to him.
"Do you come to my lectures often, Drakan?"
Lan Song asked with interest.
"almost none."
Wangerich smiled and said:
"But I guess I'll have to come more often in the future."
Together they walked across the room into the throng. Trumpet-blowing cherubs and mechanical double-headed eagles fluttered in the sky. Lansong smiled and nodded to passersby, shaking hands with some. He barely looked at Wangerich as he spoke to him. For Wangerich, this freed him up to admire the painted murals on the ceiling through the flags and banners: giant warships firing thousands of cannons to destroy the enemy.
"So why are you here, Drakan?"
Lan Song asked as he walked:
"Of course not to kill me, otherwise you would have chosen a less public moment."
"Oh, then you don't know how skilled I am at my job, sir."
Wangorich replied, blinking.
Lan Song turned his head and looked at him. He knew Wangerich was joking. The High Lords' Council had not approved the assassination of an imperial elder for a long time.
"My Lord, I was joking."
Wangerich shrugged and said:
"Don't worry. In fact, I chose this time precisely because it's a public occasion. I'm worried that you might misunderstand me if I suddenly appear in a more private place, and things would get messy again... I don't know why, but once I show up, people get nervous. It must be because I don't look good."
The Grand Master made what he thought was a humorous joke.
"I'm busy, Drakan."
Lansong said calmly, he stretched out his hand and shook hands vigorously with Governor Volos of the Dnieb Star Region.
"Then I will speak plainly, my Lord."
Wangorichi put away his smile and said seriously:
“We need an alliance.”
"what?"
"Political alliance, my Lord."
"why?"
Wangerich smiled.
"I know it sounds crazy. We have never been allies before, and I know exactly why. I am not important enough to be cultivated. But you, my dear lord, are unquestionably important."
"What are you talking about, Drakan, my good friend?"
Lan Song said this while continuing to shake hands happily with other people, patting their shoulders and saying some words of promise.
“This sentence is really inspiring.”
Wangerich said:
“Indeed, ‘my good friend,’ I know you didn’t mean that literally, but it tells me that you’re willing to have the decency to be polite and to be nice to me in public, and that does encourage me. So let me rephrase that – we need to be allies, we should be allies.”
"Explain it to me before I lose my patience."
Lan Song said with a smile on his face, he turned and waved to the two squadron commanders standing not far away.
“You are a very important person.”
Wangerich continued:
"Perhaps one day, in the near future, you may become the most powerful person in all of Terra and even the entire Empire. I know that the balance you maintain in the High Lords' Council is very solid. You have gathered the other High Lords around you, and no one can tolerate any behavior that is detrimental to you."
Wangorich did not fail to notice that he was at the epicenter of Lanson's power and influence: the Imperial Fleet Strategic Academy. This most elite academy of the Navy was about to become Lanson's private youth organization. Lanson had already graduated, but he made no secret of his love for it. Graduates of this military academy were given the best opportunities for promotion, and in return, the cadets showed Lanson an almost blind admiration for him, with many proudly calling themselves "Lansonites" and imitating the tactical theories of Lanson's career.
"But the thing is, while no one can oppose you at the moment, some people might try."
Wangerich said slightly suggestively.
"What do you mean?"
"Such divisive behavior is foolish, but some parties, my Lord, may try to oppose you, even if it is futile, but it will hurt the current empire."
For the first time, Lansong looked directly at Wangorichi.
She stood there and stared at him for a while.
"Who are you talking about?"
Lan Song asked in a deep voice.
"I will not betray the trust placed in me, my Lord."
Wangerich smiled and replied:
"The real key issue is the 'beast'."
Lan Song was puzzled after hearing this:
"Beasts? Drakan, this is a purely military issue. Why would an outsider like you, er, I mean a politician, be interested in it? We have already defeated the Orks and their armed satellites in the Vesperils system. The Imperial Navy can handle any problem. We have the ability and confidence to completely wipe out the Orks. You don't need to bother with it."
"We should all be interested in it, my Lord. All of us. This is an extraordinary military disaster. I can tell you frankly that my department's intelligence capabilities in the vast areas of the Empire may not be as good as the Inquisition, the Ministry of Military Affairs, or even your fleet, but - my intelligence capabilities in other Imperial departments are beyond your imagination."
Wangerich said seriously.
Lanson did not respond to Wangerich's words. He continued to shake more people's hands and have more short conversations, but his subtle expressions showed: he was still listening.
"Beast, maybe it's not that simple. I have a feeling that some departments or some institutions have more intelligence but have not shared it with us. The war will not end here. It is far from over."
Wangerich said to himself:
"So I think it's a problem. Of course, I'm just an outsider, not a military commander. But it seems to me that we have a disagreement on how to deal with this problem. Certain... factions, or certain people, they have other ideas. When the problem comes, they may not agree with your views on how to deal with it, and they may want to adopt an alternative policy. They will use the excuse of how to properly deal with the beast and this series of problems to deal with you."
Wangerich came closer and whispered:
"And that could be fatal, not to you, but to the nation. You think your power group in the High Lords' Council is unassailable, but the others will have to struggle anyway? And then what? A standstill, a stalemate, followed by a brutal, political, internecine struggle among the High Lords, complete paralysis! And the Imperial Senate is therefore unable to take action, or formulate any policy... just when the Empire is threatened? Anyway, my dear lord, my dear friend, the fact is, if the beast develops into a real threat, then now is not the time to let the High Lords of Terra be trapped in a meaningless and hopeless struggle with each other. The Empire must not be left vulnerable, even if it is only possible!"
Wangerlich rarely spoke for a long time, and finally came to a decisive conclusion. This was completely different from the usual style of the Grand Master of the Assassin Court, which showed that this long speech might come from his heart. Lan Song couldn't help but look at Wangerlich again, he could feel a sense of urgency.
“I may be a politician, an outsider.”
Wangerich also stared at him and said:
"My seat and my department's influence are no longer what they used to be. But I will not stand idly by and watch the empire fall into such a dangerous situation of near political paralysis. After all, if my department still has any meaning, it is to be the last safeguard to prevent the human empire from falling into such a dangerous situation! My lord, this is one of the two important reasons why you need me as your ally."
The audience around them applauded even more enthusiastically, and Lanson raised his hand and waved gently to express his gratitude to them. His guards escorted him to the stage steps.
“Oh, they love you.”
Wangerich said:
“They stomp their feet, they yell, they want you to get back on the podium and go to the next event.”
Lansonton turned around at the steps of the center stage and looked back at Wangorichi, only to see that the Grand Master of the Assassin's Court was standing there and no longer walking side by side with him.
"We'll talk at your convenience."
Wangerich raised his hand and said:
"It will be quick. Go up and keep going."
"What's the second reason?"
Lan Song suddenly asked.
"My Lord?"
"You said I needed you as an ally for two important reasons."
Lan Song stood amid the loud cheers of the crowd and asked:
"What's the second one?"
"Very simple, my Lord."
Wangoliqi slowly raised the corners of his mouth.
A gloomy and cold light flashed in his eyes:
"You may not really want me as an ally... but you definitely don't want me as your enemy."
……
Terra, deep in the slums of the Eternal City hive.
A dilapidated house sandwiched between two buildings, which can only be reached by going through countless stairs and dark alleys. The air is filled with the smell of dampness and decay, and the regular vibrations from the passing trams are transmitted along the rails to the roof.
Vera Nora pulled out the chairs at the dining table:
"Just sit anywhere, don't be too particular."
Fu Qinghai looked up and looked around. The dimly flickering lumen light strips were attached to the beams in all directions. The furniture was very simple and even crude. Fortunately, he had shrunk his body, otherwise he would not be able to squeeze into this narrow and low room.
"Is this your so-called secret base?"
Fu Qinghai spoke.
"Yes, one of my safe houses."
Vera Nora nodded and said:
"I also have an office in the Inquisition headquarters. Although it's very small, it can't compare to the one my mother used to have. But I don't think you two would want to plot with me in the Inquisition headquarters, right?"
The three of them sat around the round dining table.
A tin ceiling lamp hangs overhead.
Vera Nora pulled out a stack of cards from the secret drawer and spread them out on the dining table one by one. On each card was a portrait of a person and the corresponding position and name.
"Through the conversation I just had with you two, I realized that you know absolutely nothing about the current political scene on Terra. These are the character cards I made myself, which I use to sort out the complicated plots and character relationships in the original novels."
Vera spread her hands and explained.
Fu Qinghai glanced at the cards on the table.
See all the names at a glance:
The Supreme Commander of the Empire, Lord Guilliman, Udo.
High Lord Admiral, Lanson.
Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard, Hess (red cross).
Mars Forge Master, Kubik.
Minister of Justice, Zeke.
Minister of the Interior, Ecks.
Pope of the Anglican Church, Meslin.
Representative of the Tribunal, Winand.
Navigator Ambassador, Gibran.
The abbot of Xingyu Court, Anwa.
Abbot of the Star Torch Court, Sak.
Merchant Fleet spokeswoman, Yuskina.
There are exactly twelve character cards.
Fu Qinghai understood instantly.
Representing the Twelve Supremes of the High Lords Council.
"The former commander-in-chief of the Imperial Guard, Hess, died in the Adamantua sector. His replacement is named Williot, the new commander-in-chief of the Imperial Guard. I haven't had time to find a photo of him, so I don't have his character card for now."
Vera said, pointing to the card with the cross on it.
"No Wangorich? He's not a High Lord?"
Fu Qinghai turned his head and asked curiously.
"He was."
Vera explained:
"But in the previous reorganization of the Imperial Senate and the High Lords' Council, he was defeated, and the Inquisition replaced the seat of the Assassin's Court. So strictly speaking, Wangorichi is now just an Imperial Elder, not one of the Twelve Supremes."
"Oh……"
Fu Qinghai nodded in understanding.
Then he changed the subject and asked:
"So what's the point of showing me a bunch of dying people?"
Vera was slightly stunned when she heard this.
Although Fu Qinghai has not read the original novel of "Beast Wars", the synopsis of the relevant video has already said: After the end of the Beast War, the Grand Master of the Assassin's Court killed almost all the High Lords and then began his dictatorship.
"At least they're not dead yet, right?"
Vera raised her head and said seriously:
"As long as you continue to participate and promote the plot, you can't avoid dealing with these twelve people. And how can you be sure that the plot will develop as it did before? Players may not be able to change the situation on the front line of the war, because the scale of the war in the Warhammer 40K universe is too large, but it is still possible to change the life or death of some plot characters on Terra, and this happens to be what the Reincarnations are best at."
"Um……"
Fu Qinghai pinched his chin and thought.
What Vera said does make some sense.
The majority of the Twelve.
Eventually he will be dealt with by the Grand Master of the Assassin's Court.
But Vera's words inspired Fu Qinghai.
This is like stock trading. If you get inside information in advance, you go long if the inside information indicates a rise, and go short if the inside information indicates a fall. Whether it is a rise or a fall, you can benefit from the stock market based on inside information. According to the original novel, now that we know the inside information that "the twelve supreme members of the High Lords' Council will undergo a complete reshuffle", how can we use this information to maximize the benefits for the war group?
This is a question worth thinking about.
It's more complicated than simply going long or short.
In the past, the Terra bureaucrat that Fu Qinghai had most contact with was Ilya Lavallee, a lieutenant general in charge of logistics in the Military Affairs Department, who could easily decide the ammunition allocation and troop reinforcements for several Imperial Guards. The High Lords Council was the highest authority in the Empire, and the resources it controlled and could deploy...perhaps far exceeded Fu Qinghai's imagination.
Of course, the high lords represent different interest groups within the empire, and most of the time their interests are not unified, and it is difficult to reach a consensus. However, after the Beast War, this split situation will change, and there will only be one voice left in the entire twelve-member council -
The voice of the Grand Master of the Assassin's Court.
"crunch..."
Fu Qinghai leaned back on the chair with his chin in his hand, looking at the lonely swaying chandelier above his head and began to think. His handsome face looked even more profound under the light, and even though he had shrunk in size, his broad, thick, muscular back still made the chair creak under the weight.
"Baji, slurp..."
Feiyi was leaning back in her chair with her legs crossed, digging a can of food with a spoon, not interested in the above conversation at all. Her neat short platinum hair shone under the light, and her linen robe slipped down her side, revealing two healthy long legs with rosy white and muscular lines.
A combination of a muscular handsome guy and a silly beauty.
Vera looked at the two and commented silently.
I don’t know what their relationship is?
The whole room was very quiet at this moment.
There is a strange harmony between the three of them.
At this moment, a loud noise came from outside the room, suddenly breaking the harmonious silence. The sound of hurried footsteps, frightened shouts, and murmuring prayers turned into a vibration that came along the eaves and ridges of the house, and dust fell overhead.
"Ok?"
The three people in the room looked up in confusion.
"What's going on? Is this common in the hive?"
Fu Qinghai looked at Vera and asked.
"I don't know... it doesn't happen often."
Vera stood up hesitantly.
"Then go out and take a look."
Fu Qinghai pulled Fei Yi up without saying a word.
The three of them opened the door and went outside, and found that the area of the nest city was in chaos. People stopped what they were doing, some gathered in groups and pointed at the sky and talked, while others tried every means to climb up, still shouting something.
Fu Qinghai looked up in the direction they pointed.
The secret base of Vera Nora was in a bad location, sandwiched between several crowded buildings. But by chance, through the narrow gaps between the crisscrossing rails and messy wires, through the exhaust fumes that always filled the sky above the hive city, Fu Qinghai saw a strange big face hanging in the air, replacing the original position of the moon. It was so eye-catching that no one on the surface could ignore its existence.
It's coming, it's coming, it's finally coming.
Fu Qinghai stared blankly at the new moon in the sky.
That big rough and abstract face.
As if smiling strangely and saying to him:
"Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, canned shrimp!"
…………
1. I wrote it wrong before. I wrote that Wangorich was one of the twelve supreme high lords based on my impression. Later I checked and found out that during the Beast War, Wangorich was not a high lord but just a veteran of the empire. So I went back and changed the previous content a little bit. It is not rigorous enough. Sorry.