Empire Conquest
Chapter 400 - 396: The Saiyi Child Emperor

Chapter 400: Chapter 396: The Saiyi Child Emperor

Saiyi Imperial Kingdom, East Capital Bay, aboard the "Longxing" Battleship.

Although various facilities and equipment had already been prepared, it still took some time to arrange the venue. The surrender ceremony and the signing of the ceasefire agreement officially began around 10 o’clock in the morning. Since the Tiaoman Empire and members of the Consortium Group, such as the Gaoju Kingdom, had declared war on the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom, it was necessary for representatives of all nations to sign the ceasefire agreement and to exchange documents written in each other’s languages with the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom.

The ceremony was very cumbersome and did not conclude until noon.

The real drama unfolded in the afternoon.

Emperor Xia had arrived on the "Longxing" Battleship early in the morning but had stayed in the Commander’s quarters the entire time.

As for lunch, it was delivered by Secretary Liu Changxun from the officers’ mess — a set meal comprising two meat dishes, one vegetable dish, a bowl of seaweed soup, and a bowl of white rice. It couldn’t have been more simple, yet Emperor Xia devoured every bit of it, nearly licking the plate clean.

The voracious manner in which he ate suggested that he hadn’t had a full meal in a long while.

When the secretary mentioned this, Liu Changxun couldn’t believe it and thought it was a joke.

Although he had heard that the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom was experiencing an unprecedented famine due to intense strategic bombings and a comprehensive strategic blockade since early spring, Liu Changxun believed that in such a vast country, even if the common people went hungry, Emperor Xia shouldn’t be starving.

It was assumed that even if the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom was in decline, they could certainly guarantee Emperor Xia’s three meals a day.

It wasn’t until he saw Emperor Xia that Liu Changxun realized the secretary was not joking.

Could this short, frail, hunchbacked old man really be Emperor Xia?

This person was Showa, the 124th Emperor Xia of the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom.

In fact, he wasn’t even 40 years old, and was far from being an "old man," but due to his thin and short stature, plus enduring long-term hunger, he seemed somewhat aged.

One could tell by the look on his face that it had indeed been a long time since he had a full meal.

Not to mention anything else, he hadn’t even wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth.

Liu Changxun felt pity and reminded Emperor Xia, even offering his own handkerchief.

If Emperor Xia was in such a state, one could only imagine the lives of the common people of the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom.

The afternoon began with the investiture ceremony.

According to tradition, the king of a vassal state would travel to the Empire, and during an imperial audience, receive an investiture from the Imperial Family, establishing his ruling status in his own nation.

Under normal circumstances, the king of a vassal state needed to be invested only once in his life, which was during the year he ascended to the throne or the following year, when he would attend the imperial court.

Thereafter, it was only necessary to send envoys to the Empire each year with tribute, and to receive investiture and titles from the Imperial Family, which represented the legitimacy of their reign.

Usually, only the king of a vassal state had the right to the title of king.

The imperial audience and investiture were not just ceremonial; they were foundational to the relationship between the Empire and the vassal state.

On this foundation, the Empire provided fundamental security, including domestic safety for the vassal state, which in turn supported and participated in military actions initiated by the Empire through the deployment of personnel and provision of resources, maintaining common interests and gaining rewards commensurate with their contributions.

For nearly a hundred years, all five kings of the Gaoju Kingdom had followed this practice.

In fact, this was precisely why the Empire could not tolerate the existence of the Lower High Kingdom and could not reconcile with the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom.

The reason was that the existence of the Lower High Kingdom rendered the Empire’s promises to the Gaoju Kingdom empty talk, severely damaging the reputation and prestige of the Empire.

Of course, the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom was not an ordinary vassal state.

At the time of surrender, the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom made only one demand: to not abolish the Emperor Xia, recognizing him as the highest ruler of the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom.

The Saiyi Imperial Kingdom did not propose the establishment of a Supreme Emperor above Emperor Xia.

What they are doing now is to place the Liangxia Imperial Family above the Saiyi Imperial Family. Only with the bestowal of the Liangxia Imperial Family can the rule of Emperor Xia have legitimacy.

Without the bestowal of the Liangxia Imperial Family, even legitimate lineage does not grant the right to rule over the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom.

The enfeoffment ceremony of Emperor Xia at the East Capital Bay is not because Emperor Xia is ill and cannot endure the travel, but to announce this event outside the home of the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom, letting seventy million Saiyi people know that the Emperor Xia, whom they have worshipped as a demigod for over two thousand years, has now bowed to the Liangxia Imperial Family.

From now on, the Emperor of the Empire is the Supreme Emperor of the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom.

It should have been completed decades ago, during the era of Chen Bingxun!

If Chen Bingxun had not shown mercy and, representing Emperor Shiwu, had not enfeoffed Emperor Xia—making Emperor Shiwu the Supreme Emperor of the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom, or had he left a Prince with the army to exercise rule, turning Emperor Xia into a puppet, the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom would have possibly surrendered long ago.

According to historical records, at that time, the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom pleaded for enfeoffment by the Empire.

The reason is quite simple: after being bombarded open by Chen Bingxun’s great cannons, the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom, which had closed off from the world for hundreds of years, suddenly realized how powerful their neighbors had become.

Consequently, the trend of adopting Tang dynasty culture and learning revived.

Under this trend, from Emperor Xia down to the common folks, everyone believed that it was not shameful to learn from the powerful countries on the western continent.

Who could have guessed that Chen Bingxun would outright reject the offer and then leave the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom with his fleet.

Of course, history is written this way only to highlight Chen Bingxun’s boldness and generosity.

The truth is that after Chen Bingxun led his fleet to the doors of the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom, it attracted the covetous Western Powers, and the Bulan Kingdom even sent a fleet into East Ocean, attempting to force the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom to open ports and trade just as they had done with the Liangxia Empire.

To monopolize the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom, Chen Bingxun followed the decree of Emperor Shiwu and led the fleet to the Flame Sea.

For the following decades, Chen Bingxun fought the navies of the Bulan Kingdom and other Western Powers in the Flame Sea and Fan Flame Ocean until he fell in service to his country at the battle outside the Jibu Fortress.

Another critical reason for not enfeoffing Emperor Xia was to stabilize the then-rising Newland Federation.

While the Navy of Newland was not yet strong, the Imperial Navy was also not considered powerful; there was no reason to make another enemy. Importantly, the Navy of Newland was the main competitor of the Empire in the East Ocean, and a stable rear was essential while Chen Bingxun campaigned in the Fan Flame Ocean.

Given the situation at the time, enfeoffing Emperor Xia and monopolizing the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom would likely have led the Newland Federation to join the camp of the Western Powers and engage militarily in the East Ocean. Since Chen Bingxun could not fight on two fronts, the Empire had a high probability of defeat.

The best outcome would have been to retain the overseas territories in East Ocean and miss the opportunity to expand into the Fan Flame Ocean.

Without resources from the regions surrounding the Fan Flame Ocean and the market of the Fanluo region, the full-scale industrialization that followed would not have been possible, nor the current Liangxia Empire.

Thus, Chen Bingxun’s actions were not out of disdain for the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom but due to the compelling circumstances.

Besides, at the time, it was an order from Emperor Shiwu, and Chen Bingxun acted under the Emperor’s command.

Now, these problems no longer exist.

All the Great Powers have entered the war, clearly dividing into two distinct camps, and they must fight to determine a victor. So even if Emperor Xia were enfeoffed now, it would not worsen the situation.

The enfeoffment ceremony itself was quite simple, lasting less than fifteen minutes.

The key was one matter: the Empire’s Eldest Prince was to hand over to Emperor Xia the Imperial Decree bearing the National Seal, and Emperor Xia had to accept the decree after three bows and nine kowtows.

Once completed, Emperor Xia became a subject of the Liangxia Imperial Family, an Imperial Son of the Empire.

Of course, he was more like an adopted son.

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