Zhang Tianya’s Trouble

　　The coalition has been defeated!　　Emperor Charlemagne Valentine, the pride of the Snowflower family and the most outstanding emperor in the history of the empire, looked at the secret report in his hand as if he had been struck by a hammer, gasping for breath.　　How could this happen? How could an army of a hundred thousand be defeated by just a few thousand? Could it be true, as the rumors say, that those who came were indeed the divine punishment sent by the Goddess of Light? Charlemagne slumped on his throne, his head bowed, his face pale.　　In the council chamber, the imperial ministers and the elder senators rarely argued; they cautiously observed the emperor's expression, as if reaching a tacit understanding. Charlemagne handed the secret report to Marshal George Sevilla, who took it and, though he had expected this, his expression still changed dramatically upon seeing the contents. After a long pause, he stammered, "The imperial coalition of a hundred thousand has been completely annihilated, while the enemy's seven thousand suffered no losses. The coalition commander, Duke Philip Augusta, is missing. The Althitis Highlands are now fully under the control of the Green-clad People."　　"What?!"　　The ministers and senators were shocked. Although they had prepared for failure by observing the emperor's expression, the annihilation of a hundred thousand troops, especially at the hands of merely seven thousand, was unbelievable. Even the legendary Saint Roland and his Twelve Holy Knights could not have accomplished such a feat.　　Soon, the council chamber was in uproar. Ministers demanded that the emperor send troops again. Despite the loss of ten thousand in the battle, it was not enough to cripple the empire's robust strength, and the emperor should assemble elite troops to retake the Althitis Highlands and redeem their honor.　　On the other hand, the senators, already discontented with the ministers, accused them of seeking glory while ignoring the suffering of the common people. After such a devastating defeat, the empire should temporarily cease hostilities and negotiate for peace. The years of military campaigns had drained too much energy, and though the Byzantine Empire seemed strong, it was internally hollow. If the empire continued its reckless path, it would ultimately be dragged into a bottomless abyss of war.　　Upon hearing this, the ministers erupted in anger, hurling insults at the senators, calling them cowards and traitors, suggesting that the senate might as well rename itself the Traitor's Chamber.　　The conflict between the imperial civil servants and the senate had deep roots, ultimately representing a struggle between the nobility and the common elite. Most civil servants in the Byzantine Empire were nobles, while the senators were elected by the citizenry. The ministers managed the empire's operations, while the senate was responsible for legislation and oversight. Crucially, every significant expenditure had to be approved by the senate, earning it the nickname of the empire's purse.　　When the founding emperor of Byzantium established the country, he received support from many nobles. However, he soon discovered that the nobility's interests conflicted with his governance strategy, to the extent that they posed a risk of overshadowing the royal authority. To balance the power of the nobility, the wise and formidable founding father imitated Saint Roland, establishing the senate, mandating that senators be elected solely from citizens. This initiated a struggle between citizens and nobility in the governance of the empire, with the emperor often acting as a mediator and judge between the two sides, reaping the benefits.　　As the ministers and senators argued fiercely, Charlemagne's frustration grew. He finally erupted, slamming his hand on the table and shouting, "Silence!"　　No one expected the emperor, now over sixty, to have such vigor. Everyone fell silent, saying in unison, "Please forgive us, Your Majesty!"　　"You are all pillars of the nation! Is this the time for such discord? In our hour of national crisis, you should stand together with me to weather this storm, not bicker among yourselves!"　　Charlemagne paused, noticing that everyone lowered their heads in fear, then continued, "The interdimensional portal appears every two thousand years. When it appears for the fifth time, it will remain forever. According to ancient legends, whoever controls the portal controls the world. Now, the portal has reappeared for the fifth time, a divine opportunity for the empire to conquer the world! Are the senators truly going to hinder me at this critical moment?"　　His words, though not harsh, struck the hearts of the senators like heavy hammers. The ministers felt a surge of joy, as it was rare for the emperor to express such clear support for them. After all, war was a great opportunity for the nobility to gain power and prestige; they could not afford to miss it.　　After a moment, the deputy speaker of the senate, the renowned scholar Teles, spoke up: "But Your Majesty, if we go to war again, the empire cannot afford it!"　　As soon as he finished speaking, Minister Mikael immediately rebutted, "Nonsense! Though we suffered heavy losses in the Althitis battle, they were primarily the forces of the various duchies. In private, this is more beneficial for the empire to control those duchies. Besides, we have only lost a mere twenty thousand heavy infantry; this is insignificant for the empire. Our Starry Four Legion has yet to be deployed. Are you suggesting the empire cannot afford to continue fighting? What is your true intent?"　　As the ministers and senators fell into another endless argument, news of the coalition's defeat quietly spread throughout the imperial capital. Everyone was shocked. The common people, who had expected a glorious victory under the empire's banner, were instead met with the news of a devastating defeat. A hundred thousand troops—one hundred thousand!—had been lost to just a few thousand.　　Rumors about the special operations team had already circulated through the capital: tales of divine soldiers descending from the heavens and monsters emerging from the endless abyss. As these stories spread, the soldiers of the special operations team were depicted as having three heads and six arms, capable of unleashing thunder and causing earthquakes with a mere stomp. Even the vehicles used by the special operations team were said to be chariots of the dead, pulled by countless ghosts, moving without horses.　　The capital was engulfed in fear, with many nobles preparing to flee. Amid all this, Charlemagne began to feel a headache coming on.　　However, Charlemagne was not the only one with a headache; Zhang Tianya was also troubled.　　The battle at the Althitis Highlands had ended in a resounding victory for the special operations team, capturing over seven thousand coalition soldiers. Initially, Zhang Tianya thought it simple to have the captives work together to build camp structures, but he soon encountered a problem—he found it impossible to command these prisoners. Although he didn't worry about them revolting, their unwillingness to cooperate posed a significant headache for him.　　At first, Zhang Tianya sent a few politically savvy instructors to engage the captives in ideological work. However, upon reaching the prisoners, they discovered there was a complete language barrier. After a long and fruitless discussion, the captives remained defiant, some even shouting curses that were undoubtedly not kind, though the instructors couldn't understand.　　Without options, Zhang Tianya could only request the transfer of top language experts from the homeland. After a few days and nights of intense effort, the language experts discovered that the language and script of this world resembled a mix of ancient Latin and ancient Celtic. After numerous efforts, they finally produced a basic guide for communication in this foreign language. Although they could not yet converse fluently, they could at least understand the basic meanings.　　However, once communication was established, the situation became even trickier. Learning that the special operations team were also human and not demonic entities, the captives seemed to gain confidence. Despite their fear of the special operations team's weapons, they began to show audacity in their remarks.　　"Are these prisoners or leaders? I'm providing them with food and shelter, yet these ungrateful folks aren't satisfied? Do they want me to play the role of their parents?"　　This was not the first time Zhang Tianya had vented his frustration. The captives had turned into a hot potato—he could neither release them nor execute them. He couldn't get them to work either, as they protested vehemently, declaring that as soldiers of the empire, they could not perform such menial tasks. Some even remarked that the Green-clad People had no courage or honor, claiming their victory was merely due to cunning weaponry, and they should have a rematch with swords and blades.　　"Commander, this problem can actually be easily resolved," said Yuan Qinyu as he walked in, looking at the troubled Zhang Tianya.　　"What? You have a solution? Spill it!"　　Yuan Qinyu leaned closer to Zhang Tianya and whispered a plan. Upon hearing it, Zhang Tianya's eyes lit up, and he slapped Yuan Qinyu's head, saying, "Good fellow! Why didn't you mention such a great idea earlier? I've been worrying over this for days. I'll leave this matter to you; if you succeed, I'll give you credit!"　　Yuan Qinyu rubbed his head, looking a bit aggrieved. "I told you, Commander, don't hit me when you're excited! Smart people are being knocked silly."　　"You talk too much!"　　Seeing Zhang Tianya raise his hand again, Yuan Qinyu quickly dodged out of the way.