After the grand banquet, there was a smaller feast.
This marked the beginning of the Imperial Palace's traditional events—the Emperor's hard party.
In a slightly smaller hall of the Imperial Palace, the dim lighting was full of implications, and beautiful bodies were everywhere, maintaining enticing postures.
Several scantily clad beauties had gathered around Yang Ming, their casual body contacts making him exclaim in distress.
Discussing serious matters in this situation... Who could maintain rational thought and full concentration?
Yet, the Emperor had just thrown out several mentally taxing questions.
"Hanton, my Knight, what reward would you time?"
The Emperor said with a chuckle,
"Now that you stand opposite the noble class, they both fear and loathe you. Why not simply set up a department to supervise the nobility and have you head it?
"That would be a show of deterrence."
"This, I'm afraid I can't handle," Yang Ming shook his head, "and Your Majesty, I'm not one to stick with things, being confined to one place always makes me uncomfortable."
The Emperor puzzledly asked, "Do you know what it means to be the head of a department?
"You will be in charge of an entire system, becoming the highest-ranking minister of the Empire, and specifically, the minister overseeing the nobility.
"Wherever you go, you will be surrounded by nobles fawning and holding you in high esteem; fame, honor, power, women, oh, out of respect, men can be included too.
"For you, everything would be easy to obtain."
Yang Ming inwardly sighed; how many ships could a minister have?
"Your Majesty, if I were to accept this position now, it won't be possible for us to chat after a while."
"You would definitely become wary of me, it's inevitable. Even the greatest of Emperors wouldn't allow a subject to possess both fame and real power.
"Right now within the Empire, my popularity among the populace has soared too high because of my stance against the nobility; having gained fame, I absolutely must not hold real power.
"Your Majesty, perhaps assign me a less demanding position, let me fade into obscurity for ten or eighteen years until the people forget about the White Ghost."
The Old Emperor frowned at Yang Ming, then laughed helplessly, "You're a bit too sober."
"Your Majesty, I think it's time you delivered on your promise, that cell cluster..."
"Hanton," the Old Emperor said softly, "help me think this through, a minister has suggested establishing a lower house to draft common civil laws, and its members would be from the common folk. What do you think?"
Yang Ming slowly nodded, "It's a good idea, but its implementation will surely meet with tremendous resistance. Your Majesty, that cell cluster..."
The Old Emperor smiled slyly, "Resistance is no problem, thanks to your efforts, this is a time of unprecedented calm among the noble class. Hanton, what do you think, where should I stir things up next in our old Empire?"
Yang Ming smiled, "I wouldn't dare to speak carelessly on this matter, Your Majesty surely has your plans, and if there's anywhere I'm needed, I'll devote myself fully. But Your Majesty, hadn't you promised me, that cell cluster..."
The Old Emperor frowned,
"Why do you keep focusing on enhancing your personal military power?
"What room is there to resist when faced with power based on an interstellar fleet?
"If not for my authority, would you be before me, speaking so softly and gently?
"But since you're so determined to have that cell cluster, I cannot appear uncompassionate, after all the great deeds you've done for the Empire. I'm giving you this opportunity, tomorrow someone will take you to a research institute, and the cell cluster you want is there."
A slight smile appeared in the Old Emperor's eyes. Get full chapters from novelFɪre.net
Yang Ming immediately understood, things might not be as simple as they seemed.
"Besides, the reward you deserve will be given to you without fail."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Yang Ming mused quietly to himself.
He was actually deliberately using that cell cluster as his weakness, playing it up so the Old Emperor would feel he could firmly control him.
When he realized the Old Emperor was hesitant to give him the cell cluster, he had already known that he must seek it through other means, outside of official channels.
But... a research institute?
A secret research facility on Emperor Star?
That could indeed be worth seeing.