This conversation ended.
And thereafter matters upon Saint Cana's side went forward with great speed.
In the space of a bare three days, changes came over the whole Holy Radiance Empire past all reckoning.
The first, naturally, was that Saint Cana formally became the Holy Radiance Empire's Empress — and was styled besides the Sacred Angel Empress.
Though upon becoming Empress, Saint Cana promised publicly that she took the seat only because of the extraordinary case at hand; and she made public the news that the Disciple family had meant to migrate and abandon the Holy Radiance Empire, declaring that once the interstellar hive-race crisis was settled she would step down.
And that then a system best suited to the Holy Radiance Empire would be chosen.
When the Holy Radiance Empire's common people learned that the Disciple family and the Imperial Senate had long since flung them, the lower orders, to the hive-race, and that Empress Saint Cana would fight to the last to guard their homes.
The hearts of the people naturally stood with Empress Saint Cana on the instant.
Thereafter came certain changes.
The Holy Radiance Empire's ten Sacred-Light Legions were all abolished — though by this hour there was in the main not much left of the Sacred-Light Legions either.
The interstellar warships held by the remaining Sacred-Light Legion fleets, added all together, came at the very fullest reckoning to a bare 10,000-odd interstellar warships.
As for the Holy Radiance Empire's remaining interstellar warships, under Saint Cana's fresh consolidation.
The Northern Sacred Fleet-Group, 200,000 interstellar warships; the Western Sacred Fleet-Group, 230,000; the Southern Sacred Fleet-Group, 150,000;
together with the Eastern Sacred Fleet-Group's 150,000, which chose to surrender upon learning how matters stood, and some part of the Central Sacred Fleet-Group gathered in through surrender in the fighting.
The total number came to 800,000 interstellar warships.
Some might think the Imperial Senate too foolish for words — with 800,000 interstellar warships still in hand, they chose to run?
Upon the authority Saint Cana now held, she looked into certain of the old secret files, and learned that well before the migration plan appeared, the Imperial Senate had gathered a body of the ablest men and set them to run the calculations upon this Great Calamity.
And the outcome of those calculations was that they had a bare 5% chance of victory.
And that with the god of fortune standing at their side.
And so they chose withdrawal, and flight.
Whereas the Holy Radiance Empire's fleet holdings at the height of its flourishing had reached 1,500,000 interstellar warships!
One may imagine, then, what these 800,000 remaining signify — at what appalling speed the fighting against the interstellar hive-race over that stretch of time had eaten their fleets away.
And left the Imperial Senate wholly without confidence of fighting the interstellar hive-race.
So that they chose the migration plan with one accord.
"Are you satisfied now? As you said, I have become the Holy Radiance Empire's Empress." Saint Cana walked into the dining room of Zhao Chen's office, dressed in a splendid white-and-gold ceremonial gown, and upon her head a crown beyond price.
But in the first instant of walking in, she flung this crown straight onto the table amid all the fine food, and at the same time undid the gown upon her.
The gown slid away, revealing a stretch of delicate frame.
"Cough, cough, cough… here, here — do you truly count me no outsider at all?" Zhao Chen had been drinking water a moment before, and at the sight of Saint Cana's movement very nearly choked on it.
Saint Cana rolled her eyes. "I have clothes on underneath. It is only that this get-up is far too uncomfortable to wear. I do not wish to wear it a second longer!"
Only then did Zhao Chen discover that within Saint Cana's gown there was besides a close-fitting suit; though to speak honestly, this close-fitting suit made Saint Cana's delicate frame show its curves and hollows, and filled it with a further allure.
Zhao Chen drew a deep breath, and forced himself to be calm.
One great white cat, two great white cats, three great white cats…
"Here — this is our Holy Radiance Empire's new military system. Take a look." Saint Cana sat straight down upon the sofa beside Zhao Chen, took up food from the table and set to enjoying it, and at the same time opened an electronic screen and turned it toward him.
"Materials so important as these — how do you show them so easily to an outsider like me?" Zhao Chen bantered deliberately; but he fell to reading without the least ceremony.
"An outsider? Do you require me to go out and shout aloud that the Holy Radiance Empire is in truth now under the control of you and your Owl Dragon Legion?" Saint Cana rolled her eyes.
Zhao Chen paid Saint Cana's words no mind; he looked over this military-reform document.
The Sacred-Light Legions were abolished, but these elite fleets Saint Cana had not let go; she gathered them all together instead, and added besides the elite interstellar warships collected from certain other families.
Saint Cana had raised outright a Sacred Angel Army Group, holding at present the establishment of five legion fleets; and the former Sacred Angel Legion became the Sacred Angel First Legion.
This may be counted the Holy Radiance Empire's most elite fleet now.
As for the original five regional fleet-groups, they in fact remain.
Each regional fleet-group holds 100,000 interstellar warships; and besides them a further 300,000 interstellar warships make up the Sacred Light Empress's Fleet-Group.
This Sacred Light Empress's Fleet-Group exists expressly to deal with the interstellar hive-race, and is governed and commanded by Empress Saint Cana in person.
As for those five interstellar fleet-groups, they are controlled by five Star Region Governors.
Though Saint Cana altered a great deal, there are certain things rooted so deep that to alter them in any short time is exceedingly troublesome.
Which is the base polity; and so Saint Cana preserved the system of the five great star regions — though she abolished the office of Consul, and changed it to Star Region Governor.
The Governors administer these five great star regions, but their powers are greatly limited, and a great deal fewer than the Consuls' powers were.
And the appointments to these five Governorships were written out here as well.
The Northern Star Region Governor and the Western Star Region Governor were unchanged: Gilbert and Melissa, who had risen over to Saint Cana before.
The Central Star Region Governorship Saint Cana held herself in addition.
The Eastern Star Region Governor was the Sacred Angel family's chieftain, Saint George.
As for the Southern Star Region Governor, that was a name rather unfamiliar and yet familiar besides: Elizabeth.
This person came of a second-rank family beneath the Southern Star Region; and after this upheaval in the Holy Radiance Empire she had climbed at an astonishing speed to the summit of the Holy Radiance Empire's power.
This Chieftain Elizabeth had walked into everyone's view as well.
Though this Chieftain Elizabeth had, with Zhao Chen, another identity besides.
The president of the Stellar Alliance's Star-Shark Interstellar Adventurers' Guild: Guiji.
Xue Xiaoxiao's mother.
And be it known that the Southern Star Region lies hard against the Stellar Alliance.
As for why Guiji could take that seat — naturally because Zhao Chen had mentioned it to Saint Cana.
And of requirements Zhao Chen put forward, Saint Cana naturally had no right of refusal.
As for this identity of family chieftain Elizabeth, whether it was true or false no one would trouble to ask.
And Guiji's penetration of the Holy Radiance Empire had received Zhao Chen's instruction long before: they were to assist in building an intelligence network.
Which, for Guiji and her people, was what they were best at.
"Is this Guiji a lover of yours?" Saint Cana said, eating as she spoke.