Chapter 649 — Crisis, Turmoil, and the Arrangement of Affairs

Some things he had to state more plainly. Even though the contents of military reform had already been made clear during earlier discussions, now that it came down to the two Lord Protectors specifically, he had to emphasize it once more, because this issue was both sensitive and important, and constrained by practical circumstances, he could not yet completely strip the two Lord Protectors of the power to command their original legions—on one hand because he truly could not find capable people to replace these two dukes, and on the other because he had to consider the stability of morale in the two original legions.

Had it been peacetime, he would of course have chosen a restructuring plan that left fewer hidden dangers. But now, with internal troubles and external threats, the Empire's available forces were already few, and he had to avoid as much as possible any decline in the combat effectiveness of the existing legions, even a temporary one.

After all, a nation's weakest phase is not before reform, but during it.

And while retaining this enormous hidden danger, he had to ensure Victoria's and Bai Yu's reliability and cooperation—at least reliability within the bounds of the rules.

After all, he did not wish to see warlords emerge within the newborn Empire.

"Of course we understand," Duke Bai Yu said with a smile. "And we will ensure that every family in the North and the West understands it as well."

Gao Yi nodded slightly. Then, before today's long conversation ended, he raised one last matter.

"Finally, regarding the Empire's capital—once the dust settles, the seat of this nation's governance will be moved to Xuanyao City."

Victoria and Bai Yu looked at each other, but neither showed much surprise.

"To cut off the roots of the old forces more thoroughly, is that it?" Victoria said, her expression calm, her voice cool.

"Not only that. There are several other factors as well," Gao Dai said. "Saint Sunil has been severely damaged. Its governing functions as a capital have in fact already ground to a halt—the old aristocratic system has disintegrated, its military power has all but perished, and a great many vital transportation routes are covered by contaminated zones and cannot be restored in a short time. The significance of continuing to treat it as the capital is no longer great. That is the first point.

"Second, the Empire's new order is built upon a foundation of thaumaturgical industry. The high productivity provided by thaumaturgical industry is the key to ensuring the rapid recovery of social operations, and it is the foundation of our rise. Yet Saint Sunil's industrial base can be described as a blank slate—though there are some new-style factories, they have all shut down; there are a few magic nets, but none of them form a system. Xuanyao City, by contrast, is already a relatively mature industrial center, and at the same time a developed commercial and cultural center. Around it there are also a great many new-style cities with complete functions. Compared to Saint Sunil, Xuanyao City is more suited to serve as the capital of the new Empire.

"And finally, what you mentioned just now, Victoria—to cut off the roots of the old forces thoroughly."

The various families of Saint Sunil had been entrenched for many years, their lineages tangled and interwoven, their networks of influence reaching even into the thugs and scoundrels of the streets and alleys. And this tangled mess would not dissipate in a short time. Gao Yang had no time to stand guard over a broken ancient city and match wits with this knot of chaos. Directly relocating the capital was clearly the plan that saved the most time and effort.

"But if the capital is placed in the Southern Region, won't it be too far south geographically?" Bai Yu thought it over and raised his own question. "For one thing, it would be far from the population centers of the north; for another, it would sit too close to the wastelands..."

"Proximity to the wastelands is no problem, because I am already pushing our reclaimed territory farther south and building layered, progressive defensive lines. One day we will retake the land at the southern foot of the Dark Mountains. And frankly, the south is inherently more habitable than the north—the soil is fertile, the climate comparatively mild. If it had not been laid waste, it should have become an even better grain-producing region than the Plains of the Holy Spirit. As for the north... it is simply too cold.

"As for the other point, if you understood the new modes of transport in the Southern Region, you would have no such worry. On the map, Saint Sunil sits at the crossroads center of Ansu; that was dictated by the situation in those years and by the technological decline that followed. Without convenient transport, the capital of course could only be placed at the middle of the domain. But once the transport problem is solved, geographical position ceases to matter so much."

Duke Bai Yu pondered briefly, then gave a slight nod. "If that is truly the case, then I have no more concerns."

Night deepened, and a cool breeze drifted through the study. Gao Yang rubbed the space between his brows, then let out a long breath. "None of what we discussed today can be accomplished overnight, and beyond the broad framework, the details still need discussion. Let us stop here for today. Everyone, get some rest early..."

"Dang... dang... dang..."

A peal of bells, melodious and touched with a certain sanctity, suddenly came from afar, cutting off the latter half of Gao Song's sentence.

It was the bells from the direction of the Yaoxiao Cathedral.

The three in the room—Hedi had already ended the communication—raised their heads at once and looked toward the source of the bells.

"The lockdown on the Yaoxiao Cathedral has been lifted," Bai Yu said. "...It seems we will have to wait a while longer before resting."

"Let us go take a look together," Gao Yang said, gazing out the window, his thoughts inevitably beginning to wander. "I wonder what the people in the cathedral will think once they learn of the changes in the outside world..."

After the Divine Descent Art had ended—perhaps to calm the turbulent holy light energy, or perhaps because the severely depleted college of priests needed to recuperate—the Yaoxiao Cathedral had remained under lockdown, and only now was that lockdown lifted.

The situation could not help but prompt some amusing associations in Gao Yang's mind—

Before the doors closed, the King of Ansu had still been directing the defense of the city.

After the doors opened, never mind the King—Ansu itself was gone.

The people inside the cathedral would likely be astonished.

:.: