The news of the sole heir of the Emrys Dynasty being almost assassinated in front of the planetary governor's Mansion quickly spread throughout the upper hive of the Hyperia Sector!
But what was even more terrifying was that the noble heir's life and death were still unknown, with no news whatsoever, only a few rumors leaking out that he had been poisoned by Dark Eldar toxins and was on the brink of death.
Immediately, a tense atmosphere, like a shadow before a storm, enveloped the hive district, and nobles from top to bottom felt uneasy and fearful of incurring retaliation.
However, a very small number of families were gloating, as the heir had been suddenly assassinated in front of the planetary governor's Mansion, and Agamemnon could not escape blame!
Rather, the situation they preferred to see was to hope that the heir's death news would come sooner, so that the Emrys Dynasty would unleash all its wrath on the damned Agamemnon family, allowing them to profit from the dispute.
How could Lucienne not understand the thoughts of those bystander families? So, after resolving the unrest, she immediately called in the best apothecaries from the entire family.
Then, she almost ran to the Emrys Residence.
Centered around the Emrys Residence, the surrounding ten blocks were all under strict martial law, with Astra Militarum regiments visible everywhere, loaded with ammunition and ready for battle.
Lucienne was truly afraid that Emrys would just to live like this.
The transaction was secondary; the most hateful thing was that he died right at her doorstep. This move was clearly meant to destroy Agamemnon!
Whether it was bad luck or not was another matter, but Agamemnon had certainly taken on this blame.
He was the only scion of Emrys, and now he died at your doorstep. Even if it went to the High Lords Council, Agamemnon would have grievances he couldn't voice.
Quarrels were one thing, but if it led to death, then don't blame others for fighting you to the death.
No one wanted to fight the Emrys Dynasty to the death, so Lucienne, with an uneasy heart, stepped into the Residence, silently praying that the guy would be alright, otherwise, they, Agamemnon, would be the ones to suffer!
Finally, Lucienne saw the heir.
The good news was that the heir was to live, but the bad news was... the other party was clearly furious!
It was a bit different from what she imagined; the other party seemed very energetic, showing no signs of having been assassinated, sitting in a dimly lit hall, his entire being shrouded in shadow, as if exuding an unsettling low pressure.
At a certain moment, Lucienne even had an illusion, as if the person sitting in front of her was no longer that callow youth.
But the true ruler of a Rogue Trader Dynasty, whose campaigns spanned the vastness of the Imperium of Man across the galactic sea!
An invisible pressure filled every corner of the room, as if making the air much thicker, and every inch of her skin and hair involuntarily stood on end, making her anxious.
Emrys sat in the chair, his mood actually far less angry than it appeared. The reason for doing this was purely to put pressure on the governor to achieve his subsequent plans.
Silence, suppression!
Just as Lucienne was almost at her breaking point, Emrys, shrouded in shadow, finally broke the silence: "Madam Lucienne, I need an explanation."
Anyone could hear the anger in his tone.
"Lord Emrys, with your wise intellect, it should not be difficult to see that this assassination has nothing to do with Agamemnon."
Lucienne, knowing she was in the wrong, no longer had her previous assertiveness. She only wanted to appease the heir's anger, so she initiative lowered her stance: "Of course, your assassination in front of the governor's Mansion is something I cannot escape responsibility for, and I am willing to compensate you for your losses."
"Losses... Madam Lucienne, you seem to have misunderstood my meaning." Emrys, from the shadow, revealed a chilling glint in his deep eyes: "What I need is not compensation, but... an explanation, a reasonable explanation."
Lucienne was immediately speechless.
Explanation?
How was she supposed to explain? You were assassinated as soon as you left, what does that have to do with Agamemnon? That's purely your bad luck!
Moreover, she hadn't even blamed him yet!
If Emrys hadn't been assassinated, how could a large number of Dark Eldar have suddenly appeared in her governor's Mansion? If she had run a little slower at that time, the position of planetary governor would have been taken by someone else!
But unfortunately, she was in the wrong, so even though Lucienne was full of resentment, she could only swallow her anger and force a smile: "Then... what explanation do you want, Lord Emrys?"
Her meaning was also very simple: they were all old foxes, so let's stop acting and get straight to the point... what exactly do you want!
Seeing that the other party was so understanding, Emrys' tone softened considerably, seeming somewhat heartbroken: "Madam Lucienne, within the Emperor's domain, within the scope of your rule, someone is so powerful that they can let so many Dark Eldar infiltrate unnoticed, and you are completely unaware. Don't you think... there's a problem?"
Isn't that just a load of nonsense?
Lucienne twitched her mouth. Of course, she knew there was a problem, but what could she do if she couldn't find evidence? So she looked at Emrys, feeling a bit tired: "Lord Emrys,"
"No, you are wrong, governor."
Emrys, leaning on the chair, slowly walked out of the shadow, his cold and sinister eyes making Lucienne feel uncomfortable all over: "The real reason lies in the corruption of the Imperial nobility. It is because of these vermin that the damned xenos have infiltrated the territory ruled by His Majesty!"
His bloodshot eyes were extremely terrifying, and his voice rose again: "governor, I have reason to suspect that the xenos have infiltrated the bone marrow and blood vessels of Vigilus. They are attempting to subvert the Emperor's rule, attempting to challenge His Majesty's authority, and we... must use thunderous force to drive out those heretical scum!"
It was at this moment that Lucienne finally caught the key point from Emrys' emotional and impassioned speech. Her pupils suddenly constricted, and her face showed horror: "You... you want to strike at the Imperial nobility?!"
"No, Madam Lucienne, you are wrong again."
Emrys took steady steps, and his figure, in Lucienne's eyes, seemed to be suddenly magnified several times, carrying suffocating pressure and shadow, completely enveloping her: "We are clearing out those vermin for His Majesty and for the Imperium!"
"No... no, you can't do that!"
Lucienne's eyes widened, as if looking at a monster, she stared at Emrys and trembled: "You have no evidence, you can't do that!"
"Evidence?"
Emrys' lips curled slightly, looking down at Lucienne, who was already slumped on the ground, her face full of fear, with a half-smile: "I am the best evidence, governor."
"With me here, I won't let you do that!" Lucienne could not agree to this plan. She was already a member of the nobility, and if she wantonly slaughtered nobles, it would inevitably cause the already wavering nobility to completely turn to the Ecclesiarchy and Tartarus Eight!
At that time, Agamemnon would still be the one to suffer!
"Is that so? That's truly a pity..."
Emrys sighed, turned and sat on the chair, resting his right hand on his head, staring at her indifferently: "By the way, there's something I need to remind you of, be careful... of Dark Eldar assassinations."
"Are you threatening me?!"
Lucienne's eyes flowed with murderous intent, both terrified and horrified. This guy dared to threaten her!
"No, this is not a threat."
Emrys said faintly: "This is merely a sincere blessing from a friend to you."
"You..."
Lucienne gritted her teeth, but couldn't act out.
Others might not know, but she was very clear that Emrys was suspected of having ties with the Eldar. The mysterious alien who publicly assassinated the cult leader yesterday was the Eldar!
Then, this bastard turned around and told her to be careful of the Dark Eldar, but the problem was... who could distinguish between the Dark Eldar and the Eldar?!
If she really walked out of this door, Lucienne couldn't guarantee that she would see the Sun the next day, and the Emrys heir was also assassinated, which was reasonable!
"Aren't you afraid I'll tell others?" Lucienne was furious and glared at the other party: "Once this matter leaks out, you won't have an easy time either!"
"Makes sense."
Emrys nodded slightly, then beckoned.
Then, someone exactly like her walked out of the room, almost indistinguishable, causing Lucienne's expression to change dramatically, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks.
"Let me introduce her, she is a android." Emrys looked at her with interest and chuckled: "Of course, it's impossible to completely replace you, but... maintaining your appearance, returning to the governor's Mansion, and then being suddenly attacked and killed, do you think that's reasonable?"
As he spoke, a tall figure appeared behind Lucienne like a ghost. The Spear of Song was placed directly on her neck, enveloped in a dissolving field of light, instantly making Lucienne's hair stand on end and cold sweat pour down.
"No, calm down... don't be impulsive!"
It just goes to show how quickly nobles react. Lucienne immediately sobered up, drenched in cold sweat: "I can do everything you said, there's no need for it to be like this!"
"governor, actually, I don't want to do this either."
Emrys lightly picked up the teacup, took a sip at his lips, and slowly put it down: "You can think carefully, this matter might not be a bad thing for you and for Agamemnon, but an opportunity."
"What opportunity?"
Feeling the person behind her disappear, Lucienne finally breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Emrys warily. "An opportunity to help Agamemnon reclaim power." Emrys' eyelids lifted slightly, and his fingertips tapped the table: "How many of the current nobles do you think are biased towards Agamemnon, and how many wish... you would die immediately and have your bodies divided?"
This sentence made Lucienne fall into contemplation. After a long while, she said bitterly: "Many, at least eighty percent of the nobles are unwilling to join the struggle. They are all waiting for Agamemnon to be disintegrated by the Ecclesiarchy and Tartarus Eight."
"Then the question arises, since keeping those nobles is useless, why don't you just... kill them?"
Emrys crossed his arms over his abdomen, propped his legs, and slowly leaned back in his chair, a playful glint in his eyes: "Actually, if you think about it carefully, all you lack is an opportunity, a reason to openly sweep away obstacles."
Lucianne's eyes lit up: "You mean..."
"Exactly. This opportunity... I can give it to you."
Emrys sat in his chair, looking down at the wavering Lucianne, a slight smile playing on his lips: "The heir to the great Emrys Dynasty has been assassinated. Heresy and traitors have appeared within the Imperium of Man. And you... only need to use this pretext to completely sweep away those scoundrels hindering Agamemnon, and at the same time reduce your burden."
"But..."
Lucianne was tempted, but she still hesitated: "Without evidence, if I do that, Agamemnon will be completely plunged into a whirlpool!"
"I've said it, governor, I am the evidence."
Emrys shook his head, thinking to himself how someone with such little political acumen could become a planetary governor. No wonder Agamemnon would be played to death by the Ecclesiarchy and the Tech-Priests.
"If you insist on evidence, I can give you that too," he said, casually tossing a document over. "Take a look, governor. So many genestealers are hidden in the hive city you govern. It truly shames the Emperor!"
"What? genestealers?!"
At this, Lucianne truly panicked. She hurriedly picked up the document from the ground, and after only a cursory glance, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar: "No... how is this possible? They've actually infiltrated the nobles of the upper hive!"
"Governor, this 'evidence,' plus me, do you think... it's enough?" Emrys tapped the table, waking Lucianne from her shock, and said lightly: "Now, I've given you the evidence you wanted, and I've given you the pretext... Do you know what to do?"
What business is the most profitable?
Emrys privately believed it was, of course, confiscating property!
Is there any business in the world, apart from the trade of confiscating property, that can achieve zero cost and returns of hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of times?
Don't you see how Wei Xiaobao, relying on confiscating property and exterminating clans, became rich overnight?
With the banner of righteousness held high in his left hand, and a sharp butcher's knife clutched in his right,
If he were to slaughter these vermin on Vigilus one by one, there would probably be innocents among them, but if he killed one and let one go, there would definitely be some who slipped through the net.
He wanted to take advantage of this opportunity, the assassination by the Dark Eldar, to give these vermin a 'surprise'!
Keeping the vermin alive served no purpose for the Imperium of Man or the common people, but dead Imperial vermin were not only very useful but also reduced a large amount of expenditure.
Was there anything in the world more beneficial to both sides than this?
Emrys always believed that only a dead Imperial vermin was a good vermin, wasn't it?
"Your plan... is a bit too radical."
Even with Lucianne's courage, she couldn't help but gasp at this plan.
If she truly followed Emrys' instructions, how many nobles would die? She feared that by then, there wouldn't be many families left in the entire upper hive city, would there?
This young man's murderous intent was a bit too heavy!
Lucianne looked at Emrys with some alarm. She seriously suspected this guy was an Inquisitor in disguise; otherwise, how could his killing aura be so strong?
"Bold? You are too conservative, governor."
Emrys shook his head. If he were doing it, he would kill even more, not like this: "To restore the glory of your ancestors and reclaim your former power, if you're not ruthless enough... how can it be done? If you lady this opportunity, you won't find such a good one again, governor."
Listening to his voice, Lucianne couldn't help but start to fantasize about the day Agamemnon regained power. Her heart pounded uncontrollably, as if a devil was urging her on!
She clutched the document and looked at Emrys. His figure seemed to grow taller, and a suffocating pressure assailed her. She suddenly felt... that from the moment she stepped into this mansion, she had fallen into this guy's trap.
From the very beginning, he had left her no room to refuse!
Either agree, and Agamemnon, as the implementer, would certainly gain huge benefits, but from then on, he would be deeply bound to 'Emrys'!
Or refuse, and then die, assassinated by the Dark Eldar!
"I understand what you mean, Mr. Emrys..."
After hesitating for a few seconds, Lucianne gritted her teeth. There was no turning back anyway, and things couldn't get much worse than they were now. Rather than sitting and waiting to be carved up by the nation and Styx-8, she might as well fight for her life!
Moreover, from the brief interactions of the past few days, Lucianne had sensed that this heir of Emrys... would have an even broader future!
She even suspected now whether the Dark Eldar assassination was also a play orchestrated by Emrys himself? The purpose was... to draw the desperate Agamemnon into this game!
Terrifying!
This was Lucianne's assessment of Emrys!
But at the same time, it also gave her immense confidence in Emrys and Emrys. Perhaps only such a person could enable Agamemnon to reclaim its lost glory!
"I, Lucianne Agamemnon, representing the entire Agamemnon family, pledge my loyalty to you!" Lucianne knelt on one knee, bowing her head: "I swear by the ancestors of Agamemnon, to be your sword and shield!"
"There's no need to say that, governor. We are merely cooperating... there's no need to pledge loyalty to me."
Emrys didn't care whether Agamemnon was truly willing to pledge loyalty or not. From the moment Lucianne willingly became the butcher's knife in his hand, Agamemnon had no turning back.
"Yes... Mr. Emrys." Lucianne showed a hint of bitterness. He clearly didn't think much of Agamemnon, but she quickly perked up and asked: "You... no, I mean, what exactly should I do?"
"It's simple. Slaughter them one by one, then confiscate all their assets and turn them over to the public treasury." Emrys said lightly, yet with full malice: "Then... promote those who listen, and kill those who don't. Such a simple matter, I shouldn't need to teach you, should I?"
Never overestimate the dignity of Imperial nobles.
These nobles on Vigilus are not even as good as the nobles on Roselle. At least they truly fulfilled the adage of enjoying the Imperium of Man's preferential treatment and dying for the Imperium of Man!
What kind of vermin are the nobles on Vigilus?
Ever since he entered the hive city, he had been seething with anger, especially after seeing that the common people in the Mid Hive lived even worse than those in the Under Hive. He then understood that the nobles of Vigilus were irredeemable vermin, and keeping them alive was just a waste of resources!
"..."
Lucianne was shocked. You could play it like this?
A problem that had plagued her and Agamemnon for a long time seemed... to have been solved just like that?
Thinking deeper, it really seemed that simple!
Emrys was assassinated. She only needed to declare to the outside world that a few nobles, having learned the details of her transaction with Emrys, became jealous and hired the Dark Eldar for the assassination.
Next, by revealing the Coleman family's defection to Chaos, and those families corrupted by genestealers on the list, she could silence the others.
Then... she only needed to slaughter them one by one, seize this opportunity to brand all nobles opposing Agamemnon as 'heretics' and eliminate them completely!
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!
Lucianne's eyes gleamed, as if something had awakened within her.
Her entire body trembled uncontrollably, and she looked at Emrys with reverence: "You are simply too amazing, Mr. Emrys!"
Just one trick of framing and you're so excited?
Emrys was slightly speechless. It seemed the Agamemnon family had only survived to this day purely by luck!
"Don't rush to thank me, governor."
Emrys waved his hand, interrupting her, and got to the point: "I am a businessman. Since I've helped you, I should ask for a return, don't you think?"
Confiscating property, confiscating property, the most important thing is not the confiscation, but the property!
He went to all this trouble, beating around the bush for so long, wasn't it all for those assets?
The enlightened Lucianne was clearly very sensible: "No problem. I am willing to offer half of all confiscated noble assets as a token of Agamemnon's sincerity."
Half, and that was not a small amount.
In fact, it could be said to be a lot, especially since Agamemnon was the executor. Giving up half of the assets directly showed Lucianne's boldness, clearly indicating her intention to pledge loyalty.
She wasn't stupid; it was just that many times, she hadn't thought this far. But with Emrys' guidance, she had a sudden enlightenment. However, she also clearly understood that doing so would inevitably expose Agamemnon to political pressure from the Ecclesiarchy and Styx-8.
Therefore, she chose a 'patron' for the Agamemnon family: the heir of Emrys.
Although currently weak, Lucianne believed that as long as Emrys was to live, soon... he would lead Emrys back to its peak!
At that time, Agamemnon would become an unparalleled 'vassal,' its status rising, and who would dare to seize their interests?
This was a bold gamble, but Lucianne felt that since she was gambling either way, she might as well gamble on a future!
Emrys, who saw through Lucianne's thoughts, did not refuse, smiling and nodding: "Good, then I look forward to... governor, your performance tomorrow."
"Please, Mr. Emrys... enjoy the show."
A morbid flush appeared on Lucianne's face, as if she was laughing madly: "I promise, tomorrow... will be the most beautiful day on Vigilus!"