Gu Hang has left Holy Terra.
This news once again beca the biggest headline on the Imperial Capital, the Human Ancestral Star.
In the eyes of the vast majority of Terrans, they were very reluctant.
’The most popular IP protagonist’, a legitimate Empire hero, how could he be leaving?
Originally, when Gu Hang accepted the position of Grand Honorary Master of the Psychic Cultivator’s Association, and then beca a High Lord, the people of Holy Terra believed that Gu Hang was going to stay for a long ti on Holy Terra and beco one of the eminent rulers of the Empire.
They were highly anticipating this.
Gu Hang was not born in Holy Terra, which was his downside. The Terrans have a strong sense of superiority.
However, starting from the very beginning, Gu Hang’s deeds were spread throughout Holy Terra via various artistic works. It can be said that the people of Terra watched Gu Hang grow, and found him quite endearing. His outsider origin, initially a detractor, was largely counterbalanced.
The Terrans could fully accept Gu Hang.
Moreover, in the general mindset of the people, having a hero lead the Empire is a better choice than a politician.
Thus, his departure made the Terran populace quite reluctant.
But it could be understood.
After all, the borders were not yet secure, and there were many hidden dangers that could evolve into threats to the entire Empire, requiring a hero to resolve — as hinted by nurous artistic works.
Outside of the general public, for the high officials of the Central Empire on Holy Terra, Gu Hang’s departure was also a major piece of news.
Among these political figures, not many were truly welcoming of Gu Hang as the leader of the Empire.
Of course, they also recognized that Gu Hang was not going to stay on Holy Terra. His title as High Lord was nominal, and the power in na that could be exercised over the Central Empire was actually in the hands of the Pri Minister; the Psychic Cultivator’s Association had instead relinquished so large but useless titles, opting for a low-profile developntal path.
But although Gu Hang was not staying, his nearly year-long journey to Holy Terra brought profound changes.
For those with sharp eyes, the authority of Pri Minister Zebert was increasingly imposing, further strengthened by acquiring the great general Gu Hang within his camp, suppressing the National Church with his left hand, while aligning the Sect of chanics, Tribunal, and Assassin Court with his right hand... In the political scene thirty years post the Sun King’s demise, a new substantial figurehood was visibly rising. Given this trend, if no major disruptions occur, Pri Minister Zebert could firmly wield the Empire’s power for a century.
Those with a far-sighted vision could see a powerful feudal lord from the Empire’s borders bringing a profound impact on the Imperial political stage. Having traversed through warfare, Gu Hang had now crafted a solid foundation and gained centrally recognized legitimacy, reputable and substantial.
The Empire had many local feudal lords, but Gu Hang was the only one of his caliber.
An entire Cosmos Domain along with two Star Domains, completely under his control, nominally subject to centrally appointed officials, but in reality, entirely self-appointed... Has there been such a feudal lord in Imperial history?
There probably has. After all, the Empire is too vast in scale, and the system inevitably becos rigid, where sotis communication from certain places is severed, or critical navigation nodes face issues, isolating large regions from central communications.
However, firstly, the scale of directly controlled territory by the alliance is unprecedentedly large in history.
Secondly, the uniformity is extrely high.
Even the current powerful Cosmic Domain Chairs aren’t necessarily able to control all their underling Star Domain Heads; even if they do, they more resemble ’Alliance Leaders’ or ’Feudal Lords’ rather than having established a unified regi, and mostly have to obey the Central Empire, at worst, they can only practice covert defiance but dare not act recklessly.
But Gu Hang is different. His independence and legitimacy were entirely affird after signing the "Alliance Plan", acquiring the title of High Lord Chair with his Spiderweb Domain Chair status. This implies that within the Alliance, disregarding the Empire’s official stance is legitimate.
As long as Gu Hang doesn’t openly revolt, as long as his High Lord Chair position is not abolished, as long as the "Alliance Plan" is not nullified by the Central Empire... the existence of this independent kingdom within the alliance remains legal and reasonable.
Currently, doing so is more beneficial than detrintal to the Central Empire. Originally, the Spiderweb Domain devastated by war was a significant reconstruction burden, a fiscal black hole. Now, it’s entirely shifted to the Alliance, and the Central Empire can still receive two trillion in annual inco from the Eastern Border. Although those two trillion are to gradually increase over ten years, the clear three hundred billion in inco now is higher than the net inco of a typical Cosmos Domain after tax costs and losses; ten years later, it’s equivalent to the inco of ten Cosmos Domains.
The Alliance’s controlled area counts fourteen Star Domains, much larger than a typical Cosmos Domain. That’s because the Spiderweb Domain itself is comparably large, having twelve Cosmos Domains, while a typical Cosmos Domain usually doesn’t exceed ten, with smaller ones having even just six or seven. Adding the ng River and Dragonhawk Star Domains north of the Eastern Cosmos Domain, there are fourteen in total.
This even amounts to the administrative division of two smaller Cosmos Domains.
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