Chapter 279: Vote
“Your Majesty, allow this old minister to be so bold. What Your Majesty said is not a very good choice.”
Mai Si’s words were like a bomb with its fuse lit.
In this instant, not only the imperial family officials present, but even the Prime Minister’s Interest Group from the other side, were utterly shocked after hearing this sharp rebuttal.
The 300 years of peaceful times they had always had made these people completely fail to truly realize that there were only 10 short years left until they made their final choice.
Deep down, they still subconsciously believed that this civilization empire, which had been passed down for thousands of years, could at least hold out for decades or even a hundred years relying on its 20 billion population.
There were problems, but they were not so urgent that they needed to be faced and resolved immediately.
However, today, the conflict between these two interest groups was completely ignited.
Hans’s face was extremely grim. He stared intently at Mai Si below, breathing heavily, yet somewhat in disbelief.
“Your Majesty, this old minister reserves his opinion.”
It was as if this answer could have been anticipated. After hearing Mai Si say this, a flash of disappointment passed through Hans’s eyes, but he quickly became serious.
“Then! According to imperial regulations, when there is a major difference of opinion between the Prime Minister and the Emperor, the Six Ministries may participate in voting to decide, while the Emperor alone holds two votes, and the Prime Minister alone holds one vote.”
The corners of Hans’s mouth curved up slightly. Although he did not want to see this conflict become so overt, as long as the empire’s policies went through the prescribed process, he was absolutely confident that in the time that followed, he could use the supreme power in his hands to push this process forward.
And clearly, now was the time to use this voting resolution policy.
He did not want to be a prisoner, because he was only 350 years old, with 250 years of long life still ahead before his end.
There was a famous saying in the Galactic Alliance that he very much agreed with.
Better to cling to a wretched life than die well.
And if they joined the Sirius Civilization, he could even be certain that as a member of the Hans Civilization’s imperial family, nearly god-like, with his identity as Emperor of the Hans Empire, he would absolutely be eliminated by the other side.
Now, clearly, they could no longer worry about the intensifying conflict between imperial and prime ministerial power.
Hans looked at Mai Si below with full confidence. At this moment, his expression was unexpectedly beyond Mai Si’s expectations.
This ‘young’ Your Majesty the Emperor actually invoked voting at such a sensitive time.
The last time a court vote occurred was many years ago, right after the Hans Civilization had just entered the Space Age.
He remembered the last time was a vote on whether their civilization should undertake major space development.
And this time, it was actually for such a matter.
However, thinking about it now, it was not surprising at all.
After all, with Hans’s shrewdness, he could indeed foresee the fate of their imperial family if the Hans Civilization invested in the Sirius Civilization.
But so what?
On what basis did Hans think that the Ministry of War controlled by the Mai Family would still obey the imperial family’s commands even after the voting result came out.
At this moment, Mai Si pondered the key to this problem and fell silent.
The crowd around watched this pair of sovereign and minister, and no one dared to make a sound to disturb them.
Once voting began, without a doubt, the imperial family side would have 4 votes from the Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Rites, and Ministry of Justice, plus the two votes from the Emperor, passing this policy with an absolute lead of six votes.
But the Prime Minister’s side controlled the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue, which could provide blood transfusion for it, two major departments.
It was no exaggeration to say that if the voting result dissatisfied the Prime Minister, he even had the strength to launch a coup.
Did this young Your Majesty the Emperor not fear such a situation occurring?
After all, with the army’s strength in the current era, destroying a planet was just a matter of time.
Mai Si looked at the lofty Your Majesty the Emperor, his eyes inevitably starting to feel sore.
Suddenly, he seemed to figure out this key issue.
His eyes thus revealed a burst of fear and anxiety.
He was already somewhat suspecting that his little scheme had now been seen through by the young Your Majesty the Emperor before him.
Civil War must absolutely not happen.
He would not allow it, and the Sirius Civilization would even less allow such a civil war that would cause massive population casualties.
After all, at this critical time, population was the Hans Civilization’s only bargaining chip.
Thinking of this, a flash of retreat passed through Mai Si’s eyes. He hurriedly bowed and said, “Respected Your Majesty, no need for this. This old minister only said he would reserve his opinion, not that he intends to go against Your Majesty’s will.”
Under his long sleeves, Mai Si’s aged fists clenched at this moment, his teeth gritted tightly.
“Here, this old minister represents the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, and this old minister’s prime ministerial mansion. This old minister will definitely obey Your Majesty’s will without any violation.”
Saying this, the bowing Mai Si’s eyes were full of hatred.
This was the first time in 300 long years that the prime ministerial power he represented had truly bowed to imperial power.
And it was on this critical major issue involving national war and the civilization’s survival or extinction.
This time, prime ministerial power lost.
Thinking of this, Mai Si could not help but raise his aged face again, his turbid gaze seeming to ignite with a flame at this moment.
In this instant, this elderly person who had always seemed harmless and presented himself with a kindly demeanor suddenly seemed like a different person, his entire being ablaze with fighting spirit.
Many times, a temporary retreat was only to stabilize the situation.
If this young Your Majesty the Emperor thought he could so easily make him hand over the Ministry of War and Ministry of Revenue that he had operated for 300 years, then he was truly too young.
Hans looked at the Empire’s Prime Minister below and smiled along.
He did not care what Mai Si was thinking.
It had to be said that at this moment, this Emperor who had been silent for 300 years and always seemed weak and incapable finally revealed his long-hidden fangs.
No matter what, today was a day worth celebrating.
He naturally knew that even if the Prime Minister agreed to his decision in front of all the high-ranking officials present,
It would absolutely not be so easy for him to smoothly implement all the arrangements related to declaring war.
No relation.
If you are reluctant to part with your children, you cannot trap the wolf.
Still that saying: better to cling to a wretched life than die well. Only by living is there qualification to enjoy the remaining half of that long time.
“Since that is the case, let’s set aside the voting resolution for now. Then, we can discuss all the related intelligence on that human civilization in the emerging galaxy.”
Hans’s face was beaming with a relaxed smile.
For this day, he had prepared for a very long time, from that expeditionary force decades ago to now, when they had learned of the existence of human civilization and established diplomatic relations with it.
It could be said that everything was being pushed forward by him from behind the scenes.
