chsdbacks Chapter 52 The Emperor's Speech
Chapter 52 The Emperor's Speech
"You can try it..." The emperor thought for a moment and was about to agree when he heard a cough.
To his left, Makado, who had been pretending to rest with his eyes closed, suddenly started coughing incessantly. Coupled with his aged appearance, he looked exactly like an old man on his deathbed.
But when Li Wei looked into Macardo's perfectly healthy eyes, he knew that things had mostly turned out badly.
In Li Wei's perception, the intensity of Makado's psionic energy was more than one level higher than his own. In addition, he was an immortal who had lived for thousands of years and witnessed the rise and fall of human civilization. How could he easily fall ill?
Moreover, Macado was the Emperor's most trusted right-hand man, and his cough was clearly a reminder to the Emperor not to agree easily, so the Emperor most likely would not agree to the plan.
As expected, after a pause, the emperor slowly spoke:
"The suggestion put forward by Chief Li Wei can be considered as an alternative, and we can discuss it when the time is right."
He then swept his gaze over all the Primarchs present, finally lingering a moment longer on Mortalian, and said calmly:
"Everyone, who else has different opinions on the establishment of the think tank? Please feel free to discuss it. You only need to pass the debate with Chief Scientist Li Wei."
As soon as he finished speaking, all the Primarchs in the room looked at each other, none daring to speak first.
Those Primarchs who still held opposing views remained indignant, but upon seeing Li Wei's ambiguous smile, they abandoned any thought of continuing the argument.
They were already wary of Levi's methods and worried about ending up like Mortarian.
Anyway, the legion belongs to them. If the policy is really implemented, they can just pay lip service to it.
As a result, the tense atmosphere eased considerably, and the implementation of the think tank system across the entire army was officially finalized.
Seeing that the core objective had been successfully implemented, Li Wei felt that although he had not completed his ambitious plan, the initial goal had been achieved, which was a consolation better than nothing. He then returned to his seat and stood still.
Having been coughing incessantly, Makado cleared his throat and spoke as soon as the think tank system was successfully finalized:
"Gentlemen, the matter of promoting the think tank has been agreed upon. We will also take this opportunity to discuss the issue of the Legion's resource shortage. Primarchs, please feel free to speak your minds."
As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room became heated again, even more intense than the debates that had occurred during the previous think tank promotion.
Because this involves the actual distribution of benefits, it is more concerning than a nonsensical think tank system.
This time, it has nothing to do with Li Wei; he can finally really just be a background character.
He saw the Primarchs arguing heatedly for the benefit of their own legions, their faces flushed with anger, and they were almost about to come to blows on the spot.
Fortunately, now there are not only the Primarchs, but also their offspring.
In order to maintain the dignity and respectability they deserved in front of their respective offspring, they barely managed to control their tempers, but the hostility in their words was even stronger.
The debate raged on until the very end, when Macado stepped onto the stage, but his very first words stunned the entire audience.
"The problem of resources has actually been solved long ago. I started collecting the eleventh tax, which is just a normal allocation of imperial resources and is not targeted at any legion. Some people are using this to stir up trouble and disrupt morale."
As he spoke, his slightly sharp gaze swept over all the Primarchs present, his words filled with displeasure.
These children were not only the emperor's offspring, but most of them were also his students, and he spent a great deal of time teaching and accompanying them.
Even their current appearance was deliberately changed to better nurture these children.
However, their behavior was still like that of children who had not grown up, lacking the brotherly affection between brothers, which proved that his education was a complete failure.
Thinking of this, he subconsciously touched his aged face. This was not his original appearance, but he couldn't remember what he originally looked like either.
But he felt that his aged appearance was quite good. His original heart had long been worn down, exhausted by the numerous imperial affairs and the emperor's ever-troublesome offspring.
As soon as Makado finished speaking, the Primarchs present were speechless. The more sensitive Primarchs' faces flushed red instantly, and they all stopped arguing, realizing that they were wrong. For such a small gain, they had argued with their own brothers until they were red in the face and almost came to blows.
Some Primarchs, however, felt no remorse; they were simply simple-minded or lacked political sensitivity.
They felt that the resource problem had been solved, and they also knew that Makado's allocation of resources was fair and just, so they all shut up.
"The one who holds the seal is indeed powerful; he subdued all the unruly Primarchs with just a single sentence."
Hearing Macado's words from the corner, Li Wei felt a sense of admiration for him.
Seeing that the entire room had fallen completely silent, Makado continued in a deep voice:
"The supplies collected under the Eleventh Tax will be distributed uniformly according to the size of each legion's forces, the difficulty of the combat mission, and the proportion of recent battle losses. Three days later, the detailed distribution list will be sent to your legion's command. Anyone with objections may appeal to me individually, but no further gatherings or disturbances are allowed."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room again, his tone softening slightly:
"The Great Expedition has reached its most critical moment, and humanity's territory is expanding at an unprecedented rate. I hope you will remember that you are brothers, comrades-in-arms fighting side by side, not rivals vying for resources. Only by uniting as one can we ultimately defeat the darkness and bring lasting peace to humanity."
As soon as Makado finished speaking, the emperor on the golden throne slowly stood up.
His gilded armor gleamed under the light of the dome, and an immense divine pressure once again enveloped the entire throne room.
"That concludes today's meeting." The Emperor's voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable power. "Horus, you shall remain. The rest of you may leave."
All the Primarchs immediately stood up, bowed deeply in unison, and dared not even breathe loudly.
"I will obey my father's wishes."
The eighteen Primarchs responded in unison and then left the Throne Room one by one.
Before leaving, Magnus glanced back at Livy, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.
Li Wei nodded slightly, indicating that he understood, and then followed the Thousand Sons Legion, slowly walking out of the Golden Throne Court.
Stepping out of the Gate of Eternity, the previously oppressive atmosphere dissipated considerably.
The Primarchs gathered in twos and threes to talk, as if the tense atmosphere from just moments ago had never existed.
Peturabo quickly caught up with Magnus, a rare smile appearing on his face:
"Magnus, congratulations. The think tank system has finally been implemented across the entire legion. From now on, Thousand's think tank will need to come and help out more often from my Iron Warrior Legion. Those warp creatures are really too annoying."
But seeing Peturabo's sincere expression, Li Wei realized that it was Peturabo who had pulled the strings behind the scenes and delayed his plans. It seemed that he would have to repay him when he had the chance.