The Holy Radiance Empire was the interstellar empire with the longest recorded history in the Galactic Alliance.
It was, too, the single strongest in all-round strength — possessing not only a vast interstellar territory, but an exceedingly advanced technological system besides!
The Holy Radiance Empire was ruled chiefly by the Sacred-Spirit race, who styled themselves the Sacred-Spirit people.
And at this moment, seated before Zhao Chen were several Sacred-Spirit people.
Not truly present in the flesh, of course — they were in a holographic video conference.
But that was no bar to Zhao Chen's sizing up these Sacred-Spirit people before him.
In form they were much like Zhao Chen: the women around one meter 70 in height, the men around one meter 80; a pair of feet, a pair of hands, two eyes and one nose.
The greatest difference, if one were to name it, was their skin!
The Sacred-Spirit people's skin was pure white, and at certain spots there would appear white patches of light.
By legend, these light-patches reflected a Sacred-Spirit person's present shifts of emotion.
These white light-patches did nothing to mar the Sacred-Spirit people's beauty; on the contrary, they lent an added measure of the artistic.
The Sacred-Spirit woman seated across from Zhao Chen just now was, even by Zhao Chen's own standard of beauty, a considerable beauty in the making.
"Hello. I am the representative of the Holy Radiance Empire's side for this occasion; my name is Saint Cana. I am a member of the Holy Radiance Empire's Imperial Senate," Saint Cana said flatly.
The others, too, showed not the least ripple of feeling.
The Holy Radiance Empire was rather like a religious empire; in their civilization, emotion was held to be a superfluous substance, and so they pursued a state of no desire and no want, and wished to have every interstellar race come to revere their civilization's faith.
As for this Imperial Senate, Zhao Chen had, of course, come to some understanding of it from the records concerning the Holy Radiance Empire.
The Imperial Senate might be called the very core of the Holy Radiance Empire's power.
The Holy Radiance Empire had no emperor, no single highest holder of power — only a highest stratum of power, and that was the Imperial Senate.
Every so often, though, the Senate would elect Imperial Consuls; the Imperial Consuls represented the will of the Imperial Senate and served it.
At the same time, the Imperial Senate held the power to dismiss the Imperial Consuls.
At present the Holy Radiance Empire had five Imperial Consuls in all, each governing one of the Holy Radiance Empire's five domains.
As for those able to enter the Imperial Senate — behind each stood a vast family power.
Religious civilization though the Holy Radiance Empire was, its class strata were exceedingly rigid — surpassing, indeed, even the tribal system of the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth.
"My name is Zhao Chen, a marquis of the Starlight Empire, and the full proxy of Governor Chu of Chu River for this occasion," Zhao Chen answered.
"A marquis?" An official of the Holy Radiance Empire looked at Zhao Chen and said mildly: "A mere marquis — can you speak for Governor Chu in a talk with us?"
"Is there a problem?" Zhao Chen shrugged.
The official made to say something more, but was stopped by Saint Cana.
One could see that this Miss Saint Cana held a very high standing among these people; for her to have entered the Imperial Senate at so young an age, her ability and standing could well be imagined.
"Governor Chu has already informed us that you may fully represent him. Since the Governor himself says so, then we too will respect the Governor's arrangement. I trust that Sir Zhao Chen will convey our words to the Governor." Saint Cana fixed her eyes on Zhao Chen, not a superfluous expression on her face.
"Say on, then — what's your purpose in wishing to make contact with Governor Chu?" Zhao Chen folded his arms across his chest, and waited for their fine show to unfold.
Saint Cana spoke: "We have learned of the Starlight Empire's present situation — that Governor Chu, persecuted by the Prince Faction, is now at war with them. In former days we fought shoulder to shoulder with Governor Chu against the Mechanical Race, and had several fine collaborations besides. Within our empire, too, there are no small number who hold Governor Chu in the deepest respect. And so, over the unjust treatment Governor Chu has suffered, we are likewise angered, and moved to sympathy. Since the Starlight Empire cannot abide Governor Chu's existence — our Holy Radiance Empire has ever received, with a heart of tolerance, all who have need."
"Hold on—" Zhao Chen impatiently cut this beauty short before she could go on: "Let's not talk all this roundabout nonsense; let's be straight and to the point. You simply want to draw Governor Chu into joining you — yes?"
"Yes," this time Saint Cana answered outright, and then went on: "Should Governor Chu be willing to join our Holy Radiance Empire, we will preserve for him his present interstellar territory in the Chu River Star Region, and grant Governor Chu some additional territory besides. At the same time Governor Chu will join our Senate directly, and hold a lofty standing within our Holy Radiance Empire! And we will, besides, declare our protection of Governor Chu — should the Starlight Empire continue to launch attacks upon the Chu River Star Region, that would be a declaration of war upon our Holy Radiance Empire. We will provide Governor Chu every protection!"
Zhao Chen gave a faint smile.
This pack from the Holy Radiance Empire simply meant to get, without lifting a finger, the Chu River Star Region — and the North Wind Star Region, and the five resource star regions Zhao Chen was now developing besides.
In this way, without loosing a single soldier or spending a single shot, they could at once bring pressure to bear on the Starlight Empire, the whole initiative then falling wholly into the Holy Radiance Empire's hands.
Whether to go on attacking the Starlight Empire, or whatever else — none of it a problem.
And the Holy Radiance Empire would, besides, hold the initiative in the court of opinion; for this was no war of aggression launched by the Holy Radiance Empire — no, it was Governor Chu himself who had chosen to join them.
They were merely protecting one who shared their aims.
"And if we don't agree?" Zhao Chen said with a smile.
Saint Cana paused a moment, then asked: "I don't understand — what reason could you have not to agree? By my understanding, as the Chu River Star Region stands now, Governor Chu can hold out two months more at most, and then the Prince Faction will launch its general assault and seize the initiative. Governor Chu has no chance of victory whatever. Whereas joining us is all benefit and no harm. I don't understand what reason you could have to refuse us."
"Never mind all that. I'm just asking: if we don't agree, what will you do!" Zhao Chen raised a hand, his fingers drumming on the tabletop.
Saint Cana's gaze turned somewhat solemn.
She said: "In that case, then, to safeguard the interests of the Holy Radiance Empire, we would send troops to intervene in the Starlight Empire's civil war. After all, within the Starlight Empire there are no small number of the Holy Radiance Empire's own enterprises; we must ensure our…"
"Stop, stop, stop! Spare me the grand and glorious talk. In sum it comes to one line. If we don't agree to join you, you'll declare war on us — right?" Zhao Chen looked at this pack, at a loss for words.
These Sacred-Spirit people were hypocritical enough — if they wanted to start a war, they could just say so; must they go winding around seven bends and eight turns?
"This is not called a declaration of war. This is merely the guidance of the Sacred Light!" Saint Cana lifted her head, and said mildly.