In the face of Jiang Ziyue's accusations and threats, all the elders continued to fall silent.

Jiang Ziyue's words, although most of them are accusations carefully concocted by the propaganda official Diego Gato, are also very close to the truth.

The Senate, which has long been separated from the masses of the people, is now not only focused on internal power struggles, but also a place of struggle between vested interest groups. Each and every one of them, whether conservative, reformist, or so-called centrist, is already a representative of the rotten ruling class who stands in opposition to the broadest masses of the people.

Only by maintaining the rule and exploitation of the majority of ordinary people, these elder families and groups, which are larger than one and intertwined with each other, can retain their privileges, their wealth, and their seemingly rightful rule.

Now, Jiang Ziyue, who has been promoted by Wang Zeren and grown into an invincible hero, comes from the most ordinary family in the empire, that is, among the objects of their rule and exploitation, and is likely to use the power of the dictator and his own wisdom and courage to launch a "revolution" against them.

"We also need your commitment not to engage in political fighting."

Suddenly, someone shouted. The tone was worried, but still full of strength.

It was the patriarch Liu Mingqin who spoke.

This was unexpected by Jiang Ziyue and the Big Four of the Legacy Executive Group behind him, as well as by the other elders.

Since Marshal Du Yimin became dictator in 2890 and treacherously slaughtered the senators, no one has had the slightest confidence in the dictator candidate's promise of "no political struggle".

Liu Mingqin continued: "You must promise that you, Jiang Ziyue, will never abuse your ultimate power and never attack any senator after becoming the dictator of the Senate and the Roman people's salvation and war. You must promise that you will not execute any of the elders during your reign. ”

"Even if one of you disobeys the law, can't I bring him to justice?" Jiang Ziyue immediately asked.

"Nope! The people don't need your commitment to the Senate. ”

Li Jingxian, who had been standing behind the patriarch Li Zhongkun, stood up with a shout, and then said impassionedly:

"According to our constitution and tradition, once a dictator has been appointed, the senators of the Senate, like all citizens of all the territory of New Rome, must be unconditionally loyal and obedient to the orders and instructions of the dictator, and shall have special citizenship rights and duties under the dictatorship.

At this time, the Senate and the people of Rome were faced with extremely difficult difficulties, and it was precisely the superiority and efficiency of the dictatorship that needed to be brought into play. Although you, Jiang Ziyue, were only nominated, I, Li Jingxian, have had a dislike with you, have been redeemed by you, and have fought side by side with you in the vast Yingxian Spiral Arm interstellar space. I have witnessed your wisdom, I have witnessed your victory, and I have witnessed your greatness. ”

Speaking of this, Li Jingxian, who was dressed in a general's uniform, strode up to Jiang Ziyue, and then raised his hand in Rome and took an oath: "I, Li Jingxian, the lieutenant general under the command of the Senate and the Roman people, hereby swear, from this moment on, I am loyal to you, the Senate and the Roman people's dictator of national salvation and war, obey every order you give, even if you sacrifice!" VENI VIDI VICI.”

Li Jingxian's behavior was also unexpected by everyone. Under the pressure of the coup d'état, this proud "second generation of the Yuan" and "prince, party, party, leader" made such an explicit statement to his former subordinate Jiang Ziyue in front of all the elders and officers and soldiers.

Jiang Ziyue was silent for a moment, and said solemnly:

"General Li, you are loyal to the dictatorship of the Senate and the Roman people, not to me Jiang Ziyue personally. It is also the dictator who will rule the Senate and the people of Rome, not me Jiang Ziyue personally. But I, since I joined the army at the age of sixteen, have not fought a battle without victory, as the warrior of the Senate and the Roman people, Jiang Ziyue, who is a powerful Immortal spiral arm interstellar human world, will be the greatest dictator in the history of the Senate and the Roman people, because I will use my wisdom and courage beyond this world to save the Senate and the Roman people from disasters and wars. ”

Then, in a cordial tone, he said, "General Li Jingxian, you can stand by my side and fight with me again for the Senate and the people of Rome." ”

"Thank you for your trust!" Li Jingxian saluted again, then stood behind Jiang Ziyue's right side, and set his eyes on his father Li Zhongkun opposite.

Li Zhongkun took a step forward with understanding, looked around at everyone, raised his hand to Jiang Ziyue to salute Rome, and said: "For the safety of the Senate and the Roman people, the senator Li Zhongkun agreed to the political will and dictatorship nomination of the consul Wang Zeren, and agreed to pass the final resolution to appoint citizen Jiang Ziyue as the dictator of the Senate and the Roman people for national salvation and war, and to command all powers to save the Senate and the Roman people. ”

As soon as the words fell, the veteran of the reformists, Baldel Blackett, and the female patriarch, Ajlina Christoplovna Ulyanova, stepped forward together, raised their hands to Jiang Ziyue, and said in unison:

"Senators Baldel Blackett and Ajelina Christoplovna Ulyanova agreed with the political will and dictatorship nomination of the political magistrate Wang Zeren, and approved the adoption of a final resolution appointing citizen Jiang Ziyue as the dictator of the Senate and the Roman people for national salvation and war, and commanding all powers to save the Senate and the Roman people."

The centrist patriarch Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz followed suit and stepped forward to salute and vote: "Patriarch Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz agrees with the political will and dictatorship nomination of the political governor Wang Zeren, and approves the adoption of a final resolution to appoint citizen Jiang Ziyue as the dictator of the Senate and the Roman people for salvation and war, and to command all powers to save the Senate and the Roman people." ”

Then there was an unbearable silence in the chamber again. Everyone looked at the four senators who had not yet taken a stand, while the other three conservative senators all looked at their leader, Greenel Rocchi.

Greenel Rockey is old and glamorous, cold and arrogant. She looked around, still silent.

After a while, another female senator, Liu Mingqin, stepped forward and saluted and voted to the dictator nominee Jiang Ziyue: "The patriarch Liu Mingqin agrees with the political will and dictatorship nomination of the political official Wang Zeren, and agrees to pass the final resolution to appoint citizen Jiang Ziyue as the dictator of the Senate and the Roman people for national salvation and war, and command all powers to save the Senate and the Roman people." ”

Then Schmeitrin von Dammstein and Fernandez Asturia also stepped forward and announced that they had agreed to the nomination and passed the final resolution.

According to the provisions of the Imperial Constitution on the dictatorship system, the dictator and the final resolution can be passed with the consent of two-thirds of the senators, while the first senator and consul, who has the power to nominate candidates, tacitly agrees to propose the orator and pass the final resolution.

Thus, the final resolution at this point was passed by eight votes (including the one that the deceased Wang Zeren agreed to by default), and Greenel Rockey, the last bastion of conservative patriarchs, had become insignificant. If she agrees, the nomination and resolution can be unanimously passed, which will only add icing on the cake to Jiang Ziyue's road to glory; If she opposes, she will only try to block the car with her mantis arm in front of the giant wheel of history, and become a laughing stock or even the object of hatred of the people.

Jiang Ziyue quickly lost his patience and turned around and walked towards the Yingxian corridor. He was already the dictator of the Senate and the Roman people—de jure and in practice, there were too many things for him to deal with now.

At this time, Grindel Rockey loudly declared:

"Elder Grindel Rocchi agreed with the political will and dictatorship nomination of the political magistrate Wang Zeren, and agreed to pass a final resolution appointing citizen Jiang Ziyue as the dictator of the Senate and the Roman people for national salvation and war, and commanded all powers to save the Senate and the Roman people."

After speaking, she raised her hand to Jiang Ziyue's back and saluted.

But Jiang Ziyue didn't look back, and strode out of the Senate hall. The white figure gradually disappeared into the corridor of the Immortals, which depicted countless heroes and events in the interstellar human world.

“VENI VIDI VICI.”

Li Jingxian saluted his distant back and shouted slogans.

Fischl and other bureaucrats and generals who did not have the right to vote stood by and watched the scene of great change with indifference.

Ten minutes later, the Senate announced to the world through the public radio and television and network system, and Günter Hermann Fischl, the temporary agent of the consul and the chief staff of the Privy Council, announced that the Senate had passed the final resolution to appoint citizen Jiang Ziyue as the dictator of the Senate and the Roman people's salvation and war, and to lead all powers to save the Senate and the Roman people.

At this point, all the power of the Senate and the Roman people was formally concentrated under the dictator Jiang Ziyue.

Immediately after Fischer's announcement, the new dictator Jiang Ziyue publicly issued a series of orders:

The Senate and the entire territory under the jurisdiction of the Roman people were in a state of emergency, and all citizens and organizations were to obey the dictator's orders as the highest code of conduct.

Appointed Admiral Blake Carrios, Lieutenant General Fernández de Zurbarán, Diego Gato and Otto Bateman as the dictator's four assistants to the military and civil affairs.

The "Mao Ze Dong" squadron of the Central Fleet was designated as the fleet of the dictator's headquarters, the flagship "Mao Ze Dong" super "commander" class battleship was appointed as the general flagship, Vice Admiral Li Jingxian was appointed as the commander of the "Mao Ze Dong" fleet, and the "Lin Biao" was still the flagship of the fleet.

The planet "Neo-Byzantium" was ordered to be brought under military control, and all individuals and organizations were to be placed under the command and arrangement of the dictator's representatives appointed by the dictator.

Order all military and civilian spacecraft with a cargo capacity of 10,000 tons or 10,000 cubic meters or more outside the "New Byzantium" star field to immediately unload passengers and cargo nearby, and then assemble at full speed on the "New Byzantine" planet with empty cabins.

The two detachments of "Charlemagne" and "Caesar" were ordered to immediately launch an attack on the Perseus Star Federation along the Silver Road, along the routes of "New Rhine", "Egil", and "Andromeda".

However, the final order to attack was a complete bluff.

Jiang Ziyue knew that although he had been promoted to the dictator of the empire, the commanders of the two detachments of "Charlemagne" and "Caesar", Trilissell and Heathberg, did not take him seriously. These two loyal lackeys of the conservatives will never change their ways of acting in favor of the conservative patriarchs, after all, they have two powerful fleets that are enough to support themselves.

To this end, after Jiang Ziyue promulgated a series of orders and appointed tens of thousands of local governors, state-owned enterprise legal persons, and military and police as representatives of the local dictator, he led 24 "sword and axemen" -- heavy members of the Senate Guard dedicated to guarding the dictator, to the "Dzerzhinsky" prison in the northern suburbs of New Rome.

It is a large prison for mid- and high-ranking civil servants and military officers who have broken the penal law. Unlike a typical prison, there are no high walls of barbed wire, and there are no heavily armed guards, and all the "cells" are in the form of small villas, with beautiful surroundings and complete facilities. The prisoners here are not so much serving their sentences as they are on vacation – "house arrest".

When the door of the cottage opened automatically, and the heavy members of the Senate Guards, equipped with heavy and powerful power armor, walked in in a procession, Helvir Irina, who had been stripped of her meritorious service and military rank, was lying on her back on a cloth chair by the pool in her nightgown, reading intently a red-paper ancient book, "Mao-Zedong-Anthology", with the words "for the male army" on the cover. The book was published in the 1960s and was distributed exclusively for military personnel.

"The Senate and the Roman People's Salvation and War Dictator, Your Excellency Jiang Ziyue is here!" The leading "knife and axeman" announced loudly.

Irina had no choice but to quickly put down the red ancient book and stood up.

Jiang Ziyue, who was wearing a captain's hat, soon came to the former female general.

Helvir Irina, who is over half a hundred years old but still young and beautiful, straightened her dressing gown, then raised her hand to the new young dictator with a standard gesture and shouted, "VENI VIDI VICI."

"Hervir Irina, I, Dictator Jiang Ziyue, revoke all previous accusations and judgments against you, re-award you the rank of admiral, restore all the merits you have received, and appoint you as the new commander-in-chief of the Central Fleet, commanding the two major fleets of 'Charlemagne' and 'Caesar'."

"Your Excellency, this is the most unreliable appointment in history." A bright smile bloomed on Irina's face, and she said in a flirtatious tone, "Both fleets should be secretly opposing your orders, how can you let me, a person who has been court-martialed, seize command?" ”

"I'm sure you have a solution." Jiang Ziyue said calmly, "Now I authorize you to recapture those two fleets for the Senate and the Roman people. In an hour's time, report to the cruiser 'Griffin', and General Karios will fully cooperate with your operation. ”

With that, he turned and left.

"Your Excellency, I still don't know anything, how can you be sure that I will be loyal to you?" Irina asked deliberately.

"General Irina, I, Jiang Ziyue, personally do not need your loyalty, but I am sure that you must be loyal to the Senate and the Roman people." Jiang Ziyue didn't look back, and strode away while responding.

“VENI VIDI VICI.” Irina saluted and shouted at Jiang Ziyue's distant back.

The same slogan soon appeared in another place.

When Frederick von Schwering was surprised to find that twenty-four "axemen" were guarding the dictator Jiang Ziyue and the current imperial treasurer Xu Dongqing in his vegetable garden, he hurriedly threw down his farm tools and saluted and shouted slogans.

"Minister Xu has submitted his resignation to me." Jiang Ziyue personally announced the appointment to the old accountant, "I, Jiang Ziyue, the dictator of the Senate and the Roman people's salvation and war, appoint you as the new imperial treasurer, and Xu Dongqing as your deputy, to lead the financial work of the Senate and the Roman people, and fully cooperate with the retreat and disaster relief work of the 'New Byzantine' planet and resist the invasion of the Ansean Federation army." ”

Schweilin excused himself: "Your Excellency, you are already old and weak......

"Since you call yourself a lowly office, it means that you have taken office."

Jiang Ziyue unceremoniously interrupted the old man's excuse, according to the dictator system, any appointment and order of the dictator is irresistible.

"Please arrive at the 'Photon Rose' in an hour and report to Diego Gato, Parliamentary Assistant to the Dictator. The Senate and the people of Rome need you. After Jiang Ziyue finished speaking, he immediately turned around and left.

Shi Weilin hurriedly saluted, and then warmly shook hands with Xu Dongqing, who was left.

Xu Dongqing said worriedly: "Gong Shi Weilin, what we will face is a mess of bad debts that cannot be done well. ”

Looking at Jiang Ziyue and the guards gradually moving away, Shi Weilin trembled and said:

"Mrs. Xu, at this time, what the dictator needs is not my ability, but my reputation, a reputation that can increase the confidence of the people. An invincible military commander, coupled with an old accountant who had maintained a surplus year after year, would have convinced countless people that the Senate and the Roman people would be victorious. ”

After personally inviting Irina and Schweilin, Jiang Ziyue returned to space with the guards commonly known as the "Twenty-Four Knife Axemen", but he did not return to the general flagship "Mao-Zedong" super battleship that he declared to the public.

In fact, the "Commander" class super battleship "Mao-Zedong" has not yet been built, and Jiang Ziyue just blew a big cowhide to all those who don't know. And the real "Mao-Zedong" fleet is still only maintaining its original size and has received his instructions, and is flying away from the "new Byzantium" at full speed and flying into deep space.

So, he still returned to the cruiser "Siegfried", which he had been following.

Both the entire New Roman Empire and Jiang Ziyue personally are facing unprecedented pressure. The three dictators in history are either just the dictator of national salvation or only the dictator of war, but this time it is the dictator of national salvation and war, which means that Jiang Ziyue will have to fight a large-scale war with the British Federation while evacuating billions of people from the "new Byzantium".

Fortunately, the "Exodus of the Golden Empire" project was secretly launched in advance and achieved considerable results, even after the twists and turns of the assassination of the archon, the social order of the entire "neo-Byzantine" planet remained stable, and the transfer of personnel and property to space was carried out in an orderly manner. The biggest concern now is the question of time.

Not many people would doubt Jiang Ziyue's ability on the battlefield, but after the success of the "Xuanwumen" operation, his series of personnel appointments made Diego Gatto, who actively promoted him to become a dictator, suspicious.