Holy Terra, High Lords Council.
At this moment, the High Lords Council on Holy Terra was engaged in a tense vote, discussing whether to approve the current proposal: to dispatch the Regimental Hero Brigade to the planet Gravelax for an armed demonstration against the T'au Empire.
The purpose of this action was to make the Tau realize the supreme majesty of the Imperium of Man, demonstrating the inviolable power of a 'heavenly superior nation'.
Although most High Lords supported strong measures against the T'au Empire, the crux of the issue was not the action itself, but its origin.
The decision to dispatch the Regimental Hero Brigade did not come from the High Lords Council or the Imperial Munitorum, but from the 'imperial endorsement' of Sanguinius, the Palace Secretary-General. This made the civil officials extremely uneasy.
The High Lords were unaware that Sanguinius's true identity was that 'supreme ruler', the Holy Emperor herself, who was currently overseeing daily affairs.
Therefore, they viewed Sanguinius as a potential power-grabber, similar to the historical usurper Goge Vandire.
Although Li Feng's reputation within the Imperium was highly esteemed due to the titles 'friend of the emperor' and 'Hero of Frax', in the eyes of the High Lords, he was still an outsider, an 'unfamiliar face' who had not been fully accepted.
To complicate matters further, the Imperial Palace was gradually reclaiming power held by the High Lords Council, a transfer of power that greatly displeased and alarmed the civil official faction within the Council. For them, this was not merely a military operation, but part of a power struggle.
(In official history, the Holy Emperor's son, Guilliman, was on Terra, and the High Lords even planned a coup, which ended with Guilliman killing half of the High Lords. So, don't ask, 'How dare the civil officials?' If they dared to move against an Imperial Prince, how much more so against this friend of the emperor...)
In this debate, the nine permanent members of the High Lords Council were severely divided:
Pro-faction:
Ecclesiarch: As the leader of the Imperial Cult, his power came from the God-Emperor, so he was naturally willing to support any decision from the Imperial Palace.
Fabricator-General (Adeptus Mechanicus): Li Feng is the omnissiah, their god (kept secret within the Adeptus Mechanicus).
Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes: Loyal to the Holy Emperor, Her Majesty the Empress Sanguinius's instructions are truth.
High Sister of the Battle Sisters: The High Sister's interests align with the Ecclesiarchy, and the Battle Sisters's loyalty to the Holy Emperor is beyond doubt, and there is a suspected connection between Li Feng and the Nuns.
Abstaining faction:
Navigator Ambassador, Master of the Astronomican, Master of the Astropathic Choir, Grand Master of the Officio Assassinorum: These High Lords, though wielding immense power, were unwilling to get involved in this obvious power struggle. They chose to remain neutral and protect themselves.
Opposing faction:
Minister of the Interior, Minister of the Department of Justice, Inquisitorial Representative, Imperial High Admiral: The opposing members mainly came from the civil official group, who knew that the Imperial Palace regaining power would mean the weakening of their own positions. The Admiral himself did not have a strong opposing stance, but under the persuasion of the Department of the Interior and the Inquisition, he chose to stand with the opposition...
Li Feng, surrounded by a group of fully armed, imposing Battle Sisters, slowly entered the High Lords Council chamber. The Battle Sisters's chilling aura filled the entire chamber with an invisible sense of oppression, while Li Feng's expression remained calm and composed, as if he was accustomed to such occasions.
The High Lords' expressions varied, and the first thought that flashed through many minds was: "This scene is just like Goge Vandire resurrected thousands of years ago!" Although outwardly they remained calm. After all, Vandire was a self-proclaimed 'spokesperson for the Holy Emperor', while Li Feng was officially recognized by the Imperial Palace as a 'friend of the emperor'.
In any case, this meant he stood beside the Holy Emperor, representing supreme power.
As Li Feng slowly walked towards the center of the Council, all the High Lords stood up in unison, showing their respect for him. Although some might have harbored dissatisfaction or doubts about Li Feng's rise, at this moment, no one dared to openly show hostility. For these High Lords, outward courtesy was a must.
He saw the Ecclesiarch bowing his head, hands clasped across his chest, offering a devout prayer, expressing joy at meeting the friend of the emperor.
At this time, Trajann, the Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes, maintained a rock-solid stance, his gaze sharp. Li Feng felt that Trajann was sent by Her Majesty the Empress Sanguinius to protect his safety, even though he had infinite life and could not die.
The Fabricator-General's face was hidden beneath his cloak, his mechanical eyes occasionally flashing red. The remaining half of his face was split in a wide smile, happy to see the messiah again.
The current Grand Mistress, Morvenn Vahl of the Order of the Argent Shroud, usually preferred to fight on the front lines, letting her assistants contend with the bureaucrats on Terra. But she had uncharacteristically come here today to see this legendary 'friend of the emperor' (there's a picture in the paragraph comments, she's a beauty).
Grand Mistress Morvenn nodded slightly, looking at the Battle Sisters around Li Feng. She immediately noticed that the High Sister Fides had an unusual relationship with Li Feng. If Fides could bear Li Feng's child...
But when Li Feng's gaze fell upon the Minister of the Department of Justice and the Minister of the Interior, he felt a subtle hostility. Their faces were stiff, their eyes flickering, clearly showing strong resistance to the Imperial Palace re-intervening in Imperial affairs.
The Inquisitorial Representative's cold face was expressionless like a stone sculpture, only his deep eyes revealing a hint of unease and vigilance.
The Admiral, on the other hand, was holding a cup, looking at the tea leaves inside... He was just there to slack off, wanting to return to his spaceship rather than argue with people here.
The first to speak was the Minister of the Interior.
"Lord Li Feng, we have received documents from the Holy Emperor's Imperial Palace requesting you to lead troops to Gravelax to quell the rebellion... We regret to inform you that due to the current tense galactic warfare, we may not be able to organize your army."
Although Li Feng's unit had a designation, in reality, Li Feng was a commander without a single Soldier; that Regimental Hero Brigade currently had no one except himself.
Li Feng knew he couldn't argue with the Department of the Interior; the consequences of arguing with civil officials... it's recommended to watch "Yes, Minister." Li Feng directly asked:
"So, how many can you give me now?"
Li Feng's question confused all the High Lords present. According to the normal procedure, Li Feng should have asked why the troops couldn't be organized, then argued his case, then used the title 'friend of the emperor' to exert pressure, and finally escalated it to the Imperial Palace.
Then these civil officials would dump a warehouse full of documents on Li Feng, telling him that it was because of the matters in these documents that he couldn't organize troops, and then Li Feng would have to struggle with those documents for at least several years.
By the time Li Feng sorted it out, the elite Soldiers he wanted would have long since died in battle or become unavailable, and then they would just give him some raw recruits as toy Soldiers for make-believe.
But Li Feng didn't follow the script; instead, he acted like a merchant negotiating a price, asking how many he could get now. The civil officials, led by the Minister of the Interior, exchanged glances and then began to whisper.
Finally, the Minister of the Interior, who was leading them, said:
"The original establishment is 100,000 people, and they are 100,000 veterans... This is very difficult for us... Of course, I am referring to the overall burden from a comprehensive perspective, rather than focusing on the specific basic responsibilities of an individual entity. Logically speaking, it does not cooperate or coordinate with the overall scope formed by various interactive responsibilities, and thus can be considered an additional burden in terms of authority, if the overall integration of various subtle advantages is considered."
Li Feng heard this long string of words, which actually translated to two words: "No way." Li Feng was now glad he hadn't argued with this civil official leader. (GW is a British company, so civil officials... Humphrey!)
Actually, for them, it wasn't difficult; any Imperial expedition involved billions, and 100,000 veterans were just a drop in the ocean.
"30,000 is enough, but I have conditions. Transfer Commissar Cain's unit under my command, I want Winters and Spears from the Elysian Drop Troops, and also those from the Punishment Battalion I picked up on Frax."
Hearing Li Feng's demands, the civil officials looked at each other, feeling as if they had wronged Li Feng. Perhaps this person was truly here to get things done?
"Is that all, Lord Li Feng?"
"Oh, right. My weapons and equipment will be provided and produced by the Adeptus Mechanicus. They might differ somewhat in style from the Imperial standard issue. I hope you can add them to the Imperial military manual to avoid accidental injury and unfamiliarity."
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