Galactic Star-Year 3034, January 3rd.
At the Chu River Star Region's border, the Chu-family fleets and the Border Main-Fleet Group, their muster complete.
Near 60,000 interstellar warships in all.
They launched a fresh round of wide-front offensive.
In the span of a single day, they tore straight through the warning line the Princes' faction's fleets had set on the Chu River Star Region's outer rim, and wiped out several patrol fleets.
Then Chu Changhe, leading this vast fleet-group, drove long and deep, straight at the Royal Interstellar Main-Fleet Group garrisoned in the fringe-space between the two star regions.
This fringe-space, once nameless and obscure, was afterward named by historians the First Battlefield of the Starlight Civil War.
Both sides in the clash had, each, 60,000 interstellar warships.
And as the object of attack, the Royal Interstellar Main-Fleet Group at the first moment sent messages calling for aid to the friendly forces on the other battle-lines.
Because of long preparation, all four other fleet-groups — save for the one fleet-group attacking the North Wind Star Region — set out at the first moment to prepare to move up in support.
But then the unexpected followed.
At the encampments where these three fleet-groups had originally been stationed, several bouts of assassination, raid, and harassment broke out.
There was even one fleet-group whose high commander — a two-star major-general — was slain by an assassin.
A war-resource transfer-and-reserve space-station was raided, and exploded.
Matters of this sort played out without cease.
Plainly, this was chaos wrought by Chu Changhe's deployment of his own Chu-family shadow-guards!
In the Princes' faction's eyes, Chu Changhe this time truly meant to smash the cauldrons and sink the boats.
His chief strategic aim had not changed — it was to annihilate the Royal Interstellar Main-Fleet Group; and at the same time he used every means to obstruct the other fleet-groups.
All to stall for time on the main battlefield!
To win time for Chu Changhe to annihilate the Royal Interstellar Main-Fleet Group.
In sum, the present situation was this.
If Chu Changhe could annihilate the Royal Interstellar Main-Fleet Group before the Princes' faction's reinforcements arrived, then he still had his chance to go on playing this game of chess!
If not, Chu Changhe's fleet-group would suffer the encircling assault of many fleet-groups, and its end could well be imagined.
This time it was nothing like the grinding tug-of-war of the past several months between the two sides — it was a true, to-the-death, blood-to-the-last battle!
The interstellar loss-figures far outran those of the months before.
Royal Interstellar Main-Fleet Group · flagship bridge · high-command room.
Qin Ming stood here, gazing at the huge interstellar holo-table before him and listening to the reports his subordinates delivered.
"Your Highness, Chu Changhe's assault is fierce beyond measure; they've set a great many T4 Boreas out in front to spearhead it, and our battle-line has been beaten down!" a trusted staff officer looked to Qin Ming, a touch tense.
Qin Ming shot a glance at this trusted staff officer of his, and paid no mind to what he said.
Instead he looked to another, a middle-aged man beside him.
The deputy commander of the Royal Interstellar Main-Fleet Group.
A general Qin Ming had himself cultivated, no less.
Imperial Five-Star Marshal, Qin Longcheng!
He was, too, a collateral scion of the Qin family — only far too remote a branch, and so he'd long been passed over, never given a post of consequence; it was Qin Ming who'd discovered him, and after a round of cultivation and maneuvering, made him an Imperial Marshal!
Qin Ming understood well: leave the professional matters to professional people.
As for interstellar warfare, he himself could do it, but could not be reckoned a master.
With the matter handed to Qin Longcheng, he was the more at ease.
"There's no need for alarm, Your Highness. Fierce though Chu Changhe's offensive is, he has but 60,000 interstellar warships in hand; even granting that his strategic resources are ample, and that our fleet-group's combat power is less than his— —for him to annihilate our Royal fleet-group in a short span is still very hard. Chu Changhe knows this too, and that is precisely why he tries by every means to obstruct the other fleet-groups from coming to our aid! To win time for their offensive," Qin Longcheng said, not a flicker crossing his face.
"Then what is your meaning, Marshal Qin?" Qin Ming looked to Qin Longcheng.
Qin Longcheng pointed at the battlefield before them on the interstellar holo-table: "Keep to a firm-holding posture; so long as the battle-line does not collapse into a rout, then within at least half a month it is flatly impossible for Chu Changhe to annihilate us! At the same time, have Huang Zhixiong's Azure fleet-group launch its assault on the North Wind Star Region, and seize the North Wind Star Region's territory while the tide favors us. As for the remaining four fleet-groups, hand them a death-order: they must be in position in support within five days, and at the same time form a ring of encirclement around Chu Changhe!"
Qin Longcheng traced out several different lines.
Four fleet-groups would encircle Chu Changhe's fleet-group in the center!
Qin Longcheng pointed at Chu Changhe's fleet-group and clenched his hand into a fist: "In this way, Chu Changhe is doomed beyond a doubt. The ground he chose for his decisive battle shall become the burial ground of Chu Changhe and the Chu clan!"
Qin Ming nodded — a very simple strategic plan.
But it was often just this sort of simple strategic plan that proved most effective.
The same held for Chu Changhe's decisive-battle plan, which could be seen through at a single glance.
"But… all five of the other fleet-groups have had various matters befall them; what if someone uses that as a pretext to delay their support? If it truly comes to it, we fight and fall back as we go. We surely can't let the Royal fleet-group be fought to nothing here," that trusted staff officer said in worry.
Qin Longcheng shot a glance at that staff officer — the younger-generation offshoot some family that backed Qin Ming had stuffed in.
He gave a cold snort, and said: "If we withdraw, we'll only feed the pride of Chu Changhe's fleet-group; what Chu Changhe does best is exactly this sort of annihilation-in-one-breath battle. By then, whether we could hold out half a month at all would be anyone's guess. As for the other few fleet-groups, we need only have His Highness hand down a death-order. Give them a reasonable time; any that fail to reach the designated battlefield within the time limit are, without exception, to be sent before a court-martial and dealt with as deserters! I have reckoned it out — even the fleet-group under Prince Yan, the farthest from us, needs a week at most to come up in support! The other fleet-groups: three days at the quickest, five at the slowest. With time so ample, if we still cannot carry out our strategic aim and encircle-and-annihilate Chu Changhe— —then this battle would be better not fought at all!"
Qin Ming nodded in agreement; mighty though Chu Changhe and his fleet-group were, the Royal fleet-group was no idler eating its bread for nothing.
If it truly came to a one-on-one duel to the last, he had no confidence of victory.
But to hold out 20 days, or a month, was still no problem at all.
"Good! We'll do it by Marshal Qin's strategic plan. Someone — in my name, hand down the highest order to each of the fleet-groups. If any dare defy the order, then let none blame me, Qin Ming, for turning on them when the time comes!" Qin Ming lifted his head, his manner overbearing.
He was confident these people wouldn't dare feign compliance while working against him.
For the moment Chu Changhe was annihilated and the Chu River and North Wind Star Regions brought under control—
—by his earlier reckoning, his succession would need momentum built and prestige established, and Chu Changhe was that very whetstone!
After the victory, he would lead the army back to court and formally take the throne.
He would be the future Starlight Emperor!
Whoever dared not obey his orders at such a time — was that not the same as setting oneself against the future Starlight Emperor!
Qin Ming looked with a cold smile at that golden battle-banner bearing the character Chu on the interstellar holo-table.
Chu Changhe.
I did not kill you at the imperial capital.
Here!
Here shall be the place where you are buried!