Starting from the Planetary Governor - Chapter 643

Chapter 641: Putting on a Hat

“How stupid.”

This is how Marshal Leroy concluded about Gu Hang’s decision.

“Gu Hang has no idea what he’s rejecting.”

“But it’s no wonder. He’s just a leader from a small place. He just rose to prominence in the past few decades because of some chance encounters and the resolution of some problems. Coincidentally, there was no one capable of taking the lead on the southern front, so the nearest so-called ‘alliance’ became the main force, making him the so-called commander-in-chief.”

“It’s hard to say how many illegal, irregular, and heretical factors are involved in the existence of his so-called alliance. Is Gu Hang fighting for the Empire or for his so-called grand alliance? The alliance he established is so independent. How much of it is for the Empire and how much is for himself?”

“He said that the problem in the Alfonzo star field has not been resolved? Is he trying to resolve his retreat, or is separatist thinking at work, and is he just thinking about expanding his territory and digesting the territory?”

“Of course, I’m not questioning his loyalty. If someone thinks so, it doesn’t matter. It’s just that this matter is not the focus of today. Whether Gu Hang and his independent alliance will become the next Iron Armor is a matter of the future. Maybe we will settle this issue in the future, but now, we are all on the united front, working for a goal.”

“Since he said that the problem of the Alfonzo Star Domain has not been solved, then let him rot in his Alfonzo Star Domain. A leader with separatist tendencies, a lucky man who got his fortune by chance…”

“Humph, I still have to say:”

“He doesn’t know what he is rejecting.”

“What he rejected is the opportunity to fight for the Emperor.”

“What he rejected is the most severe punishment for traitors.”

“What he rejected is the highest reward given by the Emperor: loyalty!”

“He may not care about these. A separatist warlord wants the so-called “benefits” and does not understand what is a truly noble pursuit.”

“But I am different, and everyone here is different.”

“We can understand what the highest honor is, and that is our lifelong pursuit!”

“We’ve already crushed the Zerg swarm in Lefo. Now, it’s time to escape this quagmire and charge into the traitor’s homeland, ending this war once and for all!”

“On the western front, Chapter Captain Salilius of Ortaupis is also attacking swiftly. Come, let’s see who can be the first to enter Rheaduches!”

“Destroy those traitors, and the Emperor will see our glory!”

Leroy’s words were met with a roar of approval from all present!

He looked around, feeling smug.

Thus, the military meeting had largely achieved its purpose.

By using the Southern Front’s Commander-in-Chief, Gu Hang, who had refused the proposal to join the attack, as a negative contrast, he successfully galvanized the fighting spirit of all present, uniting them in a unified goal.

The saying, ‘Loyalty is the best reward,’ was an undeniable and shared value within the Empire, unchallenged. By making Gu Hang a negative example, anyone who disagrees with Leroy’s all-out attack to razing the Ironclad’s homeworld, Rheaduches, is, like Gu Hang, a negative example, someone with ulterior motives.

As for competing with Salilius on the western front to see who could be the first to set foot on Rheaduches, he’s speaking the truth.

The honor of war always goes to the one who achieves the most iconic victory.

In the Iron Armor Rebellion, the biggest villain was naturally the Iron Armor. What would be the symbol of their defeat? The complete purging of the traitorous Chapter’s homeworld.

At this point, Leroy had unabashedly laid bare his ambitions.

His claim of “not caring about practical benefits” wasn’t necessarily true. The Iron Armor Rebellion affected four cosmic regions and tens of thousands of worlds, drawing the utmost attention from Holy Terra. Achieving outstanding performance in this war would, whether through victory or gaining practical benefits from Holy Terra, or garnering immense political prestige for the political faction he represented, be a practical benefit.

Of course, Leroy saw no conflict between the two.

Gu Hang not participating in the attack on the Princess Star Domain? On the contrary, he was more than happy to see it!

Let them rot in the south; the greatest honor will surely belong to the Black Cross!

…

Gu Hang himself had heard Leroy’s assessment of him.

First, the Alliance’s own intelligence gathered information and shared it with Gu Hang. Later, Gallardo, the Imperial Minister of Military Affairs, personally called him via astropathic communication and discussed the matter seriously. The fact that

Gu Hang heard these words wasn’t a reflection of the Alliance’s intelligence capabilities, but rather the widespread dissemination of Leroy’s words.

The circumstances of his speech were far from secret. The meeting was attended by numerous individuals, with complex identities and backgrounds. Word quickly spread, creating a sensation.

The Alliance had personnel on the northern and western fronts, even on Holy Terra. There were a handful of spies, bribed informants, and even publicly deployed liaison officers. With the news having spread this far, even the most incompetent Alliance intelligence organization couldn’t have failed to hear about it.

And what was Gu Hang’s reaction?

Disdain, certainly not.

But deep down, he wasn’t overly moved.

What Leroy said… wasn’t a big deal. That was Gu Hang’s mindset.

Wasn’t it insane to rush into the Princess Star Domain so quickly? The conquered territories haven’t even been fully digested yet.

The armies of the Black Cross, Ortopis, and others on the northern and western fronts were all assembled in response to the Empire’s call-ups. Whatever territory they conquered wouldn’t become their base. They had no interest in conquering territory, only in achieving merit.

Honor, prestige, and military exploits… these were their primary goals.

This was why Leroy had made being the first to enter Rhaeadoches his greatest strategic objective. Gu Hang had no doubt that this man would make irrational decisions, even at the cost of countless sacrifices, to achieve this goal.

After all, what difference did the sacrifices make? He might truly be heartbroken by the death of the Black Cross, but what did he care about the deaths of a few more Astra Militarum troops recruited from the Devouring Universe, a few battle brothers from other Chapters, or even a few members of the Inquisition?

The troops Gu Hang had brought with him were essentially his own, his own wealth; even a single wasted death would be heartbreaking.

However, despite this, Gu Hang couldn’t simply ignore these words and let them fester.

He soon gave a speech outlining his own strategy, which also included a few smears on Leroy, implicitly accusing him of “squandering the Emperor’s coin,” “disregarding casualties for his own glory,” “impeding the general trend,” “laying the seeds of defeat,” and “failing to complete the Emperor’s mission is the greatest blasphemy.”

Who doesn’t know how to accuse someone?

(End of chapter)