Now the trap could be sprung. While everything Lelouch had said was true, came from the heart, it was also part of a dangerous gambit he was playing in his attempt to push his rebellion to the next stage. What he needed was an army. Not composed of the Britannians who would naturally flock to him, but rather the Numbers. Starting with the Japanese, and growing from there.

His behaviour had several specific goals behind it. One of which was to annoy the Emperor. Another was to create a certain psychological impression that would be beneficial to his future goals: A hotheaded, impulsive genius who was basing his actions on emotional impulses rather than cooler reasoning. Either one of which would lead to the same thing, namely...

"Then my first request as Viceroy," Lelouch lifted his open right hand and formed it into a fist one finger at a time. "Due to the turbulent circumstances within Area Eleven leading to my new position, I hereby deem it a necessity -" And now, for dramatic effect he brought that fist in front of his own face, and snapped all five fingers open at once. "To grant equal rights to the Japanese people!"

... the refusal of this very request. It was a simple enough strategy, truly. Start grand and work backwards from there. Make it clear from the start that, though he'll take the position, this is his ultimate end goal. It wouldn't be difficult for him to use Diethard to manipulate the media, across the Internet if need be. Highlight the Emperor's pigheadedness. Show them that he cares not a jot whether they live, die or even starve to death in the streets. Not the Numbers. Not the Britannians. Not his own children. Not a single living soul.

From there he would build up his support group using both Japanese and Britannians seeking a better way of life by using the Black Knights. They would build up their Stand users, Geass contractees (if C.C. played ball, which was admittedly unlikely) and Knightmares. Then discretely expand into other Areas. A few manufactured Stand attacks would not be as difficult to pull off as it would have been before, and he could offer special "advice" on how to properly handle them. Bringing more to his fold and away from the Empire of expanding, creeping decay threatening to bleed this world dry.

"Interesting," the Emperor chuckled. "Very well then! I accept your unorthodox proposal!"

It felt as though someone had turned his heart into lead, heavy and poisonous, in one go. Lelouch's hand felt suddenly a little bit preposterous in front of his face right now, but he couldn't quite get the muscles in his arm to work properly to get it out of the way. In the end he had to use his other hand to drag it into a less inappropriately dramatic gesture so he could properly and eruditely express his feelings on the matter.

"Why?" Lelouch asked, feeling his dreams collapsing under the weight of an impossible response. The Japanese people given comfortable, free lives where they could live as equals? That would have as surely stopped him dead in his tracks as a bullet to the heart. "Why did you agree so easily? I thought you would have needed greater convincing than that!"

-Lulu's Bizarre Rebellion Chapter 41