The rain had stopped and started again, intermittently falling until dusk. No one knew that amidst the pitter-patter of the rain, the fate of the entire human empire was violently swaying at a crossroads.
It wasn’t until the night cleared up that Jiang Jianming, sitting in a heated palace room, recovered from the chill brought by the spring rain.
…Or perhaps it wasn’t the chill from the weather. He sat by the window, his index finger pressing against his slightly aching temple, and heaved a deep sigh.
The last time he learned the truth about humans being colonized by crystal particles, although shocked, he was able to recover and still wanted to resist with all his might.
But today, being informed about the White Bird Project and suddenly knowing about the existence of those endless sacrifices, it made people unable to laugh.
Jiang Jianming thought to himself, perhaps he would have to wait until he truly returned to the front line of the Far Star battlefield for this heavy feeling to ease a bit.
“Headache?” Ryann came over and handed him a cup, “Have a drink.”
“It’s nothing, just suddenly learned too much.” Jiang Jianming stared out the window in a daze, casually took the cup and took a sip, immediately frowning in bitterness—
He thought it was the usual warm milk for the night, but it turned out to be medicine!
Jiang Jianming raised his eyes somewhat resentfully, opened his mouth to speak, but was stuffed with a honey candy by the crown prince, so he had to shut up.
Ryann wiped his fingertips with a handkerchief, sat down next to him, and coaxed, “Wait until we go to war, win, and kill the Crystal Nest’s mother nucleus, the crystal disorder will most likely disappear, and then you won’t have to drink medicine.”
Jiang Jianming held the candy in his mouth without speaking, thinking to himself, where is such a good thing? Even if they chose to go to war, there would still be a long way to victory. The race war might last for decades or even centuries, and he would definitely be among the first to die.
He was not afraid of death. But after he died, would Ryann, who would lose his lover and watch with his own eyes, still be able to remain forever proud and bright, forever forging ahead?
But this was inevitable, the pain of parting from life and death was something one had to experience in life, the little highness couldn’t possibly avoid it… Jiang Jianming suppressed his wild thoughts, looked up at Ryann and smiled, “Yes, then I won’t die of illness. For the rest of my life, I’ll just sit in front of the window of the White Jade Palace, look at the roses, bask in the sun and read.”
His expression and tone were obviously perfunctory, but Ryann said joyfully, “That’s good.” He also said, “You said it yourself, remember it well, if you dare to go back on your word, you will be punished by me…”
Unfortunately, the highness got stuck here, and for a moment he couldn’t think of what the other party could do if “punished by him”.
Jiang Jianming couldn’t help but chuckle, he drank the medicine with the candy, and put the cup back into Ryann’s hand, “You made it, please wash it clean and give it back to me.”
…….
That night, Jiang Jianming had a restless sleep, and he didn’t wake up until noon the next day. His mental state was still not very good, and he couldn’t even eat a few bites of food.
Ryann didn’t want to let such a fragile patient go out at all, but unfortunately he couldn’t persuade the patient himself. When it was time to meet with the emperor, Jiang Jianming still squeezed out some energy to change into a full set of formal clothes. When he got on the aircraft, his posture was upright, and outsiders couldn’t see anything unusual.
–As for the aircraft, of course it was no longer the aircraft it used to be.
If it weren’t for Ryann being the crown prince, no one in the military would dare to ask him for compensation. Jiang Jianming firmly believed… The annuities of the two of them added up might not be enough to cover the things that His Highness destroyed and the mechas he used up on a daily basis.
In front of the banquet hall, they met Yuan Changze.
This “Light of the Disabled Humans” of the Autonomous Dominion was standing with Vice Speaker Lopez, holding a briefcase in his arms, looking somewhat uneasy.
Crown Prince Ryann and Colonel Jiang looked at each other as if they had a tacit understanding, and couldn’t help but wonder: Looking at Lin Ge’s meaning, tonight is to discuss the secret matters of the White Bird Project and the future of mankind. It’s not strange that the Vice Speaker of the Autonomous Dominion knows the inside story, but why is Yuan Changze here?
Jiang Jianming pushed Ryann into the aircraft, leaned out half of his body, and greeted, “Your Excellency Lopez, Little Young Master Yuan?”
Lopez turned her head and saluted with full courtesy. Yuan Changze, like a frightened bird, jumped a bit, saw that it was Jiang Jianming, first looked around hurriedly, and then ran over in small steps.
“Your Excellency Jiang… no, His Highness the Crown Princess.” The young man saluted with his hand on his chest, glanced around, and said in a low voice, “After that day, you weren’t blamed by the Crown Prince, were you?”
It was only then that Ryann slowly straightened up from the shadows, his face expressionless, and said faintly, “No.”
In an instant, Yuan Changze shivered from head to toe. “!!”
…His little highness was being deliberately mischievous again. Jiang Jianming hooked the corner of his mouth, pressed his fist against his lips, and restrained the urge to laugh as if nothing had happened.
“Your Highness, wait for me here.” He said softly to Ryann, and pushed open the door of the aircraft.
After hearing Old Marshal Chen’s words, thinking about it now, Yuan Changze’s reaction that day was so intense, perhaps he was intimidated by the little highness’s mental pressure.
Jiang Jianming signaled Yuan Changze to walk a few steps with him, and probed a few words in the conversation, and indeed got a positive answer.
“His Highness…” After thinking about it, Jiang Jianming still tried his best to say sincerely, “He’s actually not a bad person, he’s just used to being unrestrained, and he has a bit of a fierce temper.”
He thought such words had no persuasive power, but Yuan Changze shyly smiled, his eyes filled with longing light, and said in a low voice, “I know, I know. Crown Prince Ryann is the hero and faith of the empire, and so are you.”
Jiang Jianming sighed at the boy’s innocence again, so this is what it means to be naive and easy to fool…
He also thought of Diana, if the doll lady of the Lance family was a rabbit who was red-eyed and timidly shrinking in the corner, Little Young Master Yuan was like a lamb, a handful of wool, and he would happily run with you as soon as he was deceived.
After stopping the aircraft, the four of them walked to the banquet hall together.
The footsteps interlaced on the winding path, Yuan Changze kept looking towards Ryann nervously, and couldn’t help but talk to Jiang Jianming.
“Your Excellency Jiang, I have heard of your deeds. I am ashamed to say that at first I didn’t believe that a disabled human could accomplish such a series of feats… How did you do it?”
Jiang Jianming glanced at Yuan Changze lightly, he had heard too many such questions. There was no point in answering, because his experience was not something other disabled humans could imitate–nor was it worth imitating.
But he also understood the longing and confusion in the words of this young nobleman known as the “Light of the Disabled Humans”, which was also the longing and confusion of the vast majority of disabled humans.
Jiang Jianming thought for a moment, and slowly recounted the time when he was cornered by a group of imperial citizens, who demanded to know if he was a crystal disorder patient.
“They were emotional at that time because they found that their dreams were shattered, and they realized that under normal circumstances, disabled humans could never compete with new humans, and they were disheartened by this reality,” Jiang Jianming said, “But I have different thoughts.”
Yuan Changze’s gaze was involuntarily drawn over, seeing Jiang Jianming’s pale face hidden in the dim night, his thin and pale lips opening and closing.
“More than four hundred years ago, during the chaotic war period when civilization collapsed, the lives of disabled humans were as cheap as grass, and they lived worse than livestock.”
“More than a hundred years ago, during the old empire regime, disabled humans were still considered inferior people due to genetic defects.”
Jiang Jianming coughed softly a couple of times, and adjusted his collar, “At that time, who could have thought that today’s disabled humans could walk proudly on the streets bathed in sunlight?”
“I am an exception, I used some methods that are not worthy of admiration to achieve my goals. But since there is me now, there will be others in the future. The road will be paved step by step, and it will go further…”
“Whether it’s humans with crystal bones, or humans without crystal bones, or whatever kind of humans there will be in the future.”
Yuan Changze was a bit confused, “In the future?”
Jiang Jianming looked up at the starry sky and muttered to himself, “Yes, there will be a future.”
Ryann, who had been walking in front with Lopez and listening to Jiang Jianming’s words in silence, looked back at this moment and saw the somewhat melancholic look in his eyes.
A few seconds later, the crown prince put his arm around Jiang Jianming’s waist and led him forward, not letting him continue talking with Yuan Changze.
……..
Today, as expected, there were no other guests, and the banquet hall was very spacious. As the four of them walked in slowly, the light from the three-tiered golden chandelier was shining on the empress sitting at the head.
Lin Ge looked down at the people coming in from a high position, with her scepter and long sword crossed and leaning against the throne.
Her demeanor was devoid of her usual playful and unruly attitude, but there seemed to be a storm brewing in the depths of her eyes.
“Your Majesty.” Lopez bowed deeply, and when this female vice speaker raised her face, her expression was equally serious.
In this atmosphere, Yuan Changze didn’t dare to move at all, only Crown Prince Ryann was calm and composed, pulling Jiang Jianming forward, and sitting in the seat below the right hand side of the emperor.
It was then that Lin Ge spoke.
“Zhen has decided to go to war in full scale.”
She said it lightly, and her eyebrows and eyes were also indifferent.
Ryann and Jiang Jianming were prepared in their hearts, Yuan Changze was clueless, and only Luna Lopez was stiff all over.
Lin Ge slowly changed her posture, leaning on the emperor’s throne, sitting with her legs crossed.
Her eyes were deep, “No one can predict how things will go in the future, but the key to determining victory or defeat will be the collective will of us humans. We always have to fight a desperate battle, and looking at the past and the future, now is the best time.”
“……” Crown Prince Ryann and Colonel Jiang each lowered their faces, their faces simultaneously showing a speechless expression.
Good heavens, they thought today’s emperor was serious, but the declaration of war was pieced together from their statements yesterday…
Vice Speaker Lopez naturally didn’t know the details, she suddenly clutched her chest and bowed, loudly saying, “Your Majesty’s courage is admirable.”
Lin Ge chuckled, waved her hand, and asked with a tilt of her head, “So, what about your courage? To be honest, Zhen is a bit surprised that the original speaker didn’t come in person.”
The original speaker…Jiang Jianming thought to himself, indeed, the high-level officials of the Autonomous Dominion had long been aware of the issue of crystal particles, and had communicated with the royal family in secret countless times where they couldn’t be seen on the surface.
Even in the emperor’s style, perhaps the report he wrote about the Crystal Cult and crystal particles didn’t sink into the sea, but was directly sent to the desk of the speaker of the Autonomous Dominion!
Lopez said firmly, “Please rest assured, Your Majesty, the Autonomous Dominion has always been a firm advocate of advancing. Since the empire has decided to go to war, we will also abide by the agreement.”
As she spoke, she took a briefcase from Yuan Changze, took out a chip box and a paper document from it, and personally placed it on the long table in the center.
“From today,” Lopes said, “The Glorious Autonomous Dominion voluntarily returns its autonomy, completely obeys Your Majesty’s will, to cooperate with the upcoming wartime state. From now on, there is no Autonomous Dominion, only the Glorious Star City of the Human Empire.”
Yuan Changze exclaimed in surprise, “Vice Speaker Lopez!?”
In an instant, the young man’s face turned pale. He didn’t understand what Lopez and the emperor were talking about, he could only vaguely feel that it was about an important war… But the words “return of autonomy”, he heard them clearly!
Lopez remained unmoved and continued, “In addition, the Autonomous Dominion will also present our sincerity to Your Majesty, to the Human Empire: the second base body of the Base Body Project.”
Jiang Jianming’s eyes tightened, and his heart pounded!
He instinctively looked at the stern-faced crown prince beside him. Back then…when Ryann took him to the depths of the Black Shark Base, he had taken out a chip.
When it was inserted into the instrument, the first line of text it displayed was something he still remembered clearly—
Base Body No. 000–Ryann Kaios Generation Data Archive!
Lopez slowly turned around, the golden light of the lamp swaying over her slightly dark skin, the vice speaker looked at Yuan Changze who was standing behind her.
“Little Young Master Yuan, I asked you that day.”
She said word by word, “If there is a chance, would you like to be one of those heroes who fight for human civilization?”
“Your answer to me was, willing, right?”
Suddenly, Ryann and Jiang Jianming realized something. In shock, they simultaneously cast sharp glances at Yuan Changze standing below!
The fair and handsome young man was stunned there, his eyes full of confusion, “Ah…?”
He didn’t know what had happened, but he definitely felt a chill spread throughout his body.
Jiang Jianming’s face was as calm as ice. But in the shadows, his right hand was already clenched tightly.
It should have been guessed long ago. Under the fire that swept an entire civilization, where could there still be innocent flowers left?
It was they who decided to ignite the flames of war.
So naturally, they should welcome this cruel blaze.
