A killing blow

At that‍​‍‍​​​‌‍‌‍‍⁠​​‌⁠​‍​​‌​‌ moment, another person suddenly appeared in the projection beside Pei Changyun.

Jiang Ci recognized him as Zhao He, the Emperor’s secretary general.

However Zhao He’s face looked extremely grave and anxious.

“Your Majesty—”

Noticing that Pei Changyun was in a remote projection meeting, he quickly stopped what he was about to say.

The Emperor knew from his look that it was an urgent and confidential matter, but he didn’t mind because, first, the people on the other end of the projection were trustworthy, and second, he needed something to change the topic from the conversation just now.

So Pei Changyun waved his hand, signaling Zhao He to speak directly.

“It’s okay, what is it?”

“…Yes, sire.” Zhao He’s expression turned even more grim.

“Former Alliance Speaker Setlin has just issued a ‘Public Notice to the People’ along with a condemnation statement against you.”

“Oh?”

This quickly snapped Pei Changyun out of his earlier strange state, and hearing Setlin’s name, he even showed a trace of disdain.

The Alliance had completely collapsed two hundred years ago, and its remnants were hunted down by the Empire, becoming scattered and powerless. Although they occasionally caused minor troubles in recent decades, Pei Changyun considered them insignificant nuisances.

“What did that old man say?”

Zhao He took a deep breath before speaking with difficulty.

“He…he revealed your gender to the public, as well as the truth about your father.”

The military, Imperial officials, and nobility were instantly rocked by this news.

No one had ever imagined that Pei Changyun could be a beta.

In this A/B/O society, gender discrimination was deeply ingrained in its foundations. During the days of the Alliance, it was almost at its peak, and although the Empire had slightly improved under Pei Changyun’s political reforms, discrimination still existed.

In the eyes of most people, betas were the epitome of mediocrity, typically occupying low-level societal roles, living unremarkable lives, and fading into obscurity. No one could have ever imagined a beta wielding such power, controlling countless strong alphas like puppets.

Thus, no one ever imagined that Pei Changyun, the Emperor who single-handedly built the empire, could be a beta.

After all, even though Jiang Jinsheng appeared frail and didn’t pilot mechas, he was undoubtedly an alpha. Although Pei Changyun had a rather slender build, his abilities were unquestionable. Back when the Alliance was still intact and Pei Changyun was merely a consul, he had his alpha officers under firm control, leaving them no choice but to obey.

After Huo Chao’s death, Pei Changyun quickly relocated the survivors from Earth and rebuilt human civilization on a barren new planet. He then swiftly quelled rebellions, reorganized the military, and even toppled the remnants of the Alliance.

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How could he possibly be a beta?

How could that be?!!

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It turned out that Pei Changyun’s father was an infamous political criminal in the Alliance, and when Pei Changyun was young, he was imprisoned because of his father’s crimes. It was only later that Huo Chao rescued him and erased this stain from his record.

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Although the secret of Pei Changyun’s gender was indeed something that could be used to attack him and undermine his authority, he had anticipated that this might one day become a vulnerability, so he had prepared for it. Though troublesome, it wasn’t a significant issue.

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“He also released two videos.” Zhao He took out the original videos from his light brain and showed them to him. “One video shows the inside of your mecha containing a large amount of Gardenia Roses, and the other shows the First Legion and the Zergs jointly invading Bright City on Holy Dew Planet.”

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“Three hundred years ago, he attracted the Zergs with Gardenia Roses!!!”

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The old man in the video, with his white hair and deep sorrow, condemned Pei Changyun’s ruthless ambition and dictatorial rule with every word.

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“We have fully locked down the Starnet and are doing our best to curb the spread of the videos, but…”

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After all, in the eyes of today’s humanity, the Zergs were monsters, invaders, the culprits who destroyed Earth, and the true killers of Marshal Huo Chao.

Public outrage was overwhelming, and Pei Changyun was immediately thrust into the eye of the storm.

The Alliance Speaker, with heartfelt concern, fervently urged the public to unite, overthrow Pei Changyun’s dictatorship, and join hands in resisting the Zergs, becoming humanity’s last hope for survival.

“…”

Since Pei Changyun hadn’t turned off the projection earlier, everyone in the conference room saw it.

“Quite the…”

Huo Xianfeng let out a cold laugh. “Quite the killing blow —”

Pei Changyun’s gender secret and the stain on his record were just the beginning of the opposition’s attempt to destabilize his authoritative image.

The real weapon was the accusation of colluding with the Zergs and causing Marshal Huo Chao’s death!

No wonder Bright City fell for a full ten hours without a single move from the Illusory God Church. They had been waiting for this moment.

If the two sides had confronted each other directly, the outcome would have been uncertain.

After all, Huo Xianfeng had obtained the Forbidden Abyss, and his personal strength and power were nearly unmatched. With the First Legion on his side, the Church’s chances of victory were slim.

Moreover, it took millions of nuclear bombs for Huo Chao to barely stop the Zergs. Holy Dew Planet couldn’t withstand another round, especially since the Church no longer had the Alliance as a backup. Without that support, they couldn’t rebuild a base like Holy Dew Planet.

So, the Illusory God Church had brought out the former Alliance Speaker and aimed their killing blow directly at Pei Changyun.

Now, Pei Changyun’s greatest shield, the First Legion, was trapped in Bright City, while such a massive political upheaval was unfolding.

If Pei Changyun wanted to maintain his imperial status and authority and prove that he wasn’t a sinner of humanity, his best—and only—course of action now would be to quickly sever ties with the Zergs.

And the best way to do that would be to attack.

If Huo Xianfeng guessed correctly, Pei Changyun should soon receive contact from the Church.

Now, when the Zergs were at their weakest, it wasn’t impossible that Pei Changyun and the Church could team up to completely annihilate the Zerg.s

—In fact, this move was indeed brilliant.

It’s brilliant!

Almost striking right at the heart!

Even Huo Xianfeng hadn’t anticipated it.