The Iridium Star United Empire dealt with over six hundred noble families at once. Although these nobles were not on the level of the Twelve Knights of Destiny families, many were the de facto rulers of entire planets behind the scenes. When the Chancellor decided to take action, these individuals were dealt with, and the Cabinet provided complete cooperation in the matter.
Following the relatively minor upheaval, one of the most influential media outlets in Iridium Star, and also the private media with the largest audience, Iridium Star People's Livelihood Newspaper, published a headline editorial titled "The End of an Era: The Nobility-Driven United Empire Moves Towards a New Age". When the first voice emerged in the public opinion sphere, a great number of media personnel with similar views sprang up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.
The backwardness of the nobility system, some unscrupulous nobles' embezzlement of state-owned assets and power, social injustice, and even some nobles' illegal behavior—many long-standing grievances erupted at this time.
Some of the more radical commentators believed that Iridium Star should completely abolish the nobility system. Apart from the Chancellor, all individuals should be equal under the law.
However, to everyone's surprise, the Chancellor subsequently issued a new Chancellor's decree, which took effect on the day it was announced. The order was simple: Any individual who had made significant contributions to the Iridium Star United Empire would be bestowed a planet as a fief; the fief would still belong to the United Empire and be governed by the Cabinet, but the enfeoffed individual would possess the rights to govern and to revenue; the enfeoffed had the obligation to pay taxes to the Empire's Cabinet, and the residents of the fief were to be loyal to the Empire rather than the enfeoffed individual.
This significant adjustment created legally the most powerful nobles, but the eligible group was not limited to the old nobility; it also included all citizens of Iridium Star.
In reality, the nobles who controlled some of the Administrative Stars were the same as those ennobled by the recent Chancellor's decree. But legally, the enfeoffed's status and hereditary rights were now protected.
There were not many ways to achieve significant merits: one was to obtain major military achievements, and the other was to make significant contributions to the path of civilization's development, such as pioneering technologies on the level of Atomic Substance Construction.
This also encouraged many young people to join the military and the scientific research fields, injecting new vitality into the development of Iridium Star.
For Bai Zhongqi, this was clearly a costless affair. He had far too many planets under his control to keep track of the situation of each, let alone remember their numbers clearly. Additionally, Bai Zhongqi planned to continuously explore new territories.
After dealing with the dissident nobility, the reforms that Bai Zhongqi pushed forward became somewhat smoother. The establishment of the three institutions was completed faster than expected, with the Administrative Institute being the first to be organized. Within three months, it completed personnel selection and establishment; seventy percent of the officials were recommended by the Cabinet, twenty percent came from Earth, and the remaining ten percent from other places.
The Privy Council also soon detached from the original Cabinet defense department and stabilized its form at a swift pace.
Luoshen Star Imperial Shipyard, the largest shipyard of the United Empire, houses hundreds of large docks. Only here, within a year, an entire fleet group could be produced for Iridium Star.
Zero, dressed in a professional manner rarely seen, stood in front of Bai Zhongqi. In front of her, within the dock, a mass of Atomic Substance Construction equipment was forming a huge warship. This warship had not yet been named, only assigned a hull number. She would be completed in sixteen days and join the First Strategic Fleet Group of the Empire, becoming one of its main battle ships.
This was a Sacred Falcon Class Battleship Cruiser, the 23rd ship of its class and a crystallization of the previous technological advances of the Iridium Star United Empire.
Bai Zhongqi watched the somewhat nostalgic Swarm Empress with a smile and asked, "What, are you recalling the times when you were a warship AI?"
Zero shook her head and said, "The memories from that time are somewhat blurry. Although I know that was me, lacking a soul, I was not truly myself. From the moment I received the Soul Stone, and then completely left the realm of the artificial to become the Swarm Empress, the form of my memory has changed a lot from that of an AI robot. But I do indeed feel some nostalgic emotions, since the Sacred Falcon was once my body."
Bai Zhongqi wrapped his arms around her waist, and Zero snuggled into his embrace.
The Sacred Falcon no longer existed. After Xiao Yu took power, this warship with a strong Bai Zhongqi flavor was decomposed by him, leaving nothing behind.
Bai Zhongqi said to Zero in a soothing voice, "You're no longer a warship AI, you now have your own body, and you can go anywhere."
Zero lifted her seductive eyes, gazing at him, and said, "But I only want to go where you are."
Bai Zhongqi laughed heartily, "That's exactly what I wish for."
He also looked toward the dock embodying the beauty of industry and technology, saying, "This Sacred Falcon Class will be the last of its model. Iridium Star's shipbuilding capacity was never at full load; we were only replacing ships in the fleet that had been in service for over 200 years at a relatively low rate. Now we are working on integrating the original technologies of Iridium Star, certain technologies of the Elder Race, Swarm Technology, Star Alliance Technology, Silver Feather Army, and other civilizations we have mastered into one powerful technology. Once the integration of these technologies is complete, we will design a stronger batch of warships."
Zero blinked her eyes, filled with anticipation, and said, "If all goes well, we might even bring about a Level 30 civilization."
"That's precisely my plan."
Zero asked, "Ji is now leisurely lurking in the Second Universe's Star Warrior Sect, and Nan Ma's whereabouts are entirely unknown. We're reorganizing the power of the Iridium Star United Empire in the First Universe, and even if things go smoothly, this integration process may take several years."
Bai Zhongqi sighed and said, "Yes, after all, we cannot place the First Universe inside the Virtual Universe to speed up the flow of time."
Indeed, Bai Zhongqi would not always stay in the First Universe; the integration of civilization technology is a combination of all the researchers and industrial forces of the civilization, and his involvement would not make much of a difference. At most, he would be in the First Universe as a mascot, attend some events, and then spend time with his wife and daughter.
He also planned to go to the Second Universe to conduct some intelligence reconnaissance, especially since his main forces were now in the First Universe, leaving the Second Universe without any solid base.
"At least we need to send a Knight over there to establish a force and gain at least a basic understanding of the Second Universe. Hmm, I have a feeling that many things have happened in the Second Universe since we left."