Ministry of Disturbance

"Ministry of Disturbance" by H. Beam Piper is a science fiction tale set in a far-off future where Emperor Paul XXII's Galactic Empire is rattled by political games, secrets, and danger. The story looks into the ideas of being true to someone, mistrust, and fighting for control as the Empire changes, following Emperor Paul XXII as he deals with plans against him that threaten his rule. He discovers that Prince Travann and others are plotting against him because he's worried about being betrayed by his ministers and other important people. As the Emperor works to calm down student protests about how poorly the government is run, he also has to deal with threats coming from inside his own palace that he is desperately trying to defend. The story becomes even more interesting when time travel is discovered, representing the need for the Empire to change and come up with new ideas because it isn't growing anymore. In the end, Paul's journey shows how things have to be balanced, how tempting control can be, and how important it is for a crumbling government to move forward.