The question arose.
In the sixty-four years since the founding of the New Empire, there had only been two emperors.
Among the two emperors, the chief had already ruthlessly said “no one is calling you” to both of them.
So, the only one left was the other emperor.
Even though that emperor, by all accounts, should have died a heroic death long ago, after using the process of elimination, even the most bizarre result had to be accepted.
…Jiang Jianming felt two bouts of headaches and chest tightness, and he was running out of breath again.
He was certain that with his current physical condition, the fact that he hadn’t fainted yet couldn’t simply be attributed to good mental quality. Thanks to the many shocks he had received in the past two days, people had become somewhat numb.
In fact, thinking about Ryann’s overly strong crystal bones, thinking about the cold and stern pressure he occasionally revealed, thinking about his face that was too similar to the founding emperor…it wasn’t hard to match up.
The strange thing was that the emperor held a god-like status in the hearts of the empire’s people, while Crown Prince Ryann, no matter how heroic and tall his public image was, was always the little highness in his heart who would stick to him and take care of him when he was sweet, would be stubborn and throw tantrums when he was angry, and would personally go to the fortress trading area to buy apples with a face shield when he was in a whimsical mood.
Even someone as bold in thought as Jiang Jianming didn’t dare to think in that direction.
At this time, among the three people who were looking at each other, it was the chief who had overturned the cart who reacted the fastest.
And she very keenly found the most important point, or at least what she thought was the most important point.
“Little Excellency!” Sylph grabbed Jiang Jianming’s hands, “Please don’t overthink it, the relationship between me and the emperor is definitely not the spousal relationship that is publicly transmitted, it never was from the beginning.”
Lin Ge also changed her face, she was the one who realized later that there were these two contradictions, and hurriedly said, “Yes, yes, I guarantee this, Kaios may have problems everywhere, but at least his body is clean and pure, they haven’t even lived together, don’t overthink…”
Jiang Jianming stiffly shook his head. “I’m not overthinking.”
To tell the truth, if it were anyone else, he might really have overthought it.
But the chief…not to mention anything else, when Ryann took him to the Omega Alien Star to propose, the chief was their witness, and the crystal bone ring was made by her.
Last year, when he and His Highness returned to the country together, the chief specifically told him that His Highness loved him.
How could he overthink this? Was he supposed to fantasize that the Empress Dowager of his country had a taste for finding a mistress for her lover??
Jiang Jianming glanced sideways at Ryann.
“…..”
Ryann was hanging his head, but his evasive eyes were clearly sneaking glances at him. His handsome face was gloomy and icy, his lips were tight, and his large, bright crystal bones were propped up on the ground like folded wings, truly imposing even when not angry.
For some reason, Jiang Jianming easily saw the suppressed tension in him, and even a bit of panic.
Was this person afraid that he would mind?
Jiang Jianming couldn’t help but soften his tone and said gently, “Don’t you remember what I said? I will always be with you, until the end of life, or until you no longer want me.”
Ryann trembled slightly, and complex emotions appeared in his eyes.
“You…” Jiang Jianming frowned, and couldn’t help but start to doubt himself. He actually felt that the two prestigious founding emperors at this moment were like lost children.
He actually felt that this person was very sad and wronged, and at this moment, he wanted to retract his crystal bones and burrow into his arms, pitifully acting like a spoiled child.
…Stop, what kind of rebellious fantasy is this, comparable to fantasizing about the Empress Dowager’s bad taste.
Unexpectedly, a few seconds later, Ryann slowly retracted his crystal bones, leaned into Jiang Jianming’s arms, and really rubbed his lips against his shoulder.
Jiang Jianming: “…”
Jiang Jianming was shocked, how could you really burrow in!!
The great founding emperor, just like this??
Soon, the few of them entered the room and each calmed their emotions.
Lin Ge ordered breakfast and had the little robots bring it over. Jiang Jianming held Ryann as they sat on the edge of the bed, and found that His Highness…or rather, His Majesty, seemed a bit listless.
He suddenly remembered that in the chaos just now, the chief had said “Do you want to die?”, and his heart immediately rose. He stood up and quietly asked the chief, “Chief, is…..cough, is his condition not very good?”
“Please as usual, you can call him whatever you are used to, little excellency.” The chief smiled at him, patted Jiang Jianming’s shoulder, and let him sit back on the edge of the bed.
She looked at Ryann again and slowly said, “Last night, His Majesty forcibly disrupted the projection frequency by his own will. Doing so would definitely cause mental damage, but the most dangerous moment is when the projection frequency is disrupted. Since nothing has happened until now, you don’t need to worry.”
When Sylph said this, Jiang Jianming became even more worried. But he was still able to stay calm, and methodically recounted what had happened last night. He said they had sneaked into the military department and saw from Xie Yuduo’s communication the sight of Ryann’s first base body dying horribly.
And while he was speaking, Ryann had already taken off his shoes and outer clothes, climbed onto the bed, and lifted the quilt. When he did these things, his face was expressionless, and his movements were a bit stiff, as if he hadn’t been in contact with human society for a long time.
In the end, he slowly pulled the quilt, covered half of Jiang Jianming, and then curled up under the other half of the quilt, closed his eyes next to Jiang Jianming, and fell asleep.
Jiang Jianming looked at Ryann worriedly, “…Is it because he was shocked by seeing his own death that he is like this?”
Sylph sighed softly and said softly, “I think, he is probably scared that you were frightened, and wanted to come and show you in person that he didn’t die, and your initial judgment was not wrong.”
“Just for that?” Jiang Jianming looked up in surprise, the light at the window flickered in his hair, highlighting the young man’s handsome facial features.
So…it turned out that Ryann’s original body really came to see him.
After a moment of silence, he asked again, “So…Great Emperor Kaios didn’t go to the Crystal Nest that year?”
Did he choose frozen hibernation? To preserve the strongest power for mankind, to fight in a future where technology is more advanced and national power is more prosperous?
Jiang Jianming shook his head in his heart, these were indeed two rational strategies, people like Old Marshal Chen would probably support it.
But the Ryann he knew was not the type to push responsibility onto others and choose to escape.
Lin Ge cleared her throat and personally brought over breakfast, “Hey, don’t worry, Mingming, eat something first. We’ll explain slowly.”
“Your Majesty.” Jiang Jianming wanted to stand up in a hurry, but Ryann was still clinging to him, sleeping.
Afraid of waking Ryann, he had no choice but to take it with both hands, and said in a low voice, “Your Majesty is kind, I am very frightened, you don’t have to…”
But Lin Ge didn’t want to hear him say this, and interrupted him with two sighs of loss. “Mingming, listen to me.”
“That year, Kaios did go to the Crystal Nest, and all two hundred thousand people were buried in the sea of stars.”
“He was…sigh,” Lin Ge laughed and shook her head, her eyes sad, “because he was a little monster, right? He was just critically injured and underwent consciousness projection at the base.”
Jiang Jianming lowered his eyes and didn’t speak. The female emperor’s words seemed to round up the logic, but he intuitively felt that something was missing.
Lin Ge saw it, exchanged glances with Sylph, and said in a mute voice, “He suffered a lot for this, I really can’t bring myself to tell you, it’s no use saying more… it’s already in the past, there’s no need to torment you twice.”
Jiang Jianming: “So when His Highness went to the Crystal Nest to die alone that year, was it also necessary for the White Bird Project?”
Lin Ge: “…It’s already in the past.”
Sylph: “Both were his will, voluntarily going to the Crystal Nest, voluntarily undergoing projection, voluntarily becoming the Empire’s weapon against the crystal particles, he set for himself only two destinations: to die from mental exhaustion in repeated projections, or to win this war and return in triumph.”
Jiang Jianming felt a prickling pain in his heart, he turned his head and looked at Ryann who had fallen asleep, and stopped asking, instead he started to eat breakfast in an orderly manner.
But in his heart, he was neurotically repeating: his destination only had two options… only two. Die from mental exhaustion, or return in triumph.
Fortunately, his little Highness really didn’t die, but if he wanted to take his Highness home, only victory was possible.
“I’m sorry, Mingming, I’ve been keeping it from you.”
Lin Ge stared at the black-haired and pale young man in front of her, and said bitterly, “I thought, I could wait another three to five years. In the end, I still couldn’t…”
There was no way, if you want to talk about the phase of the crystal particles, you have to talk about the Holy War and the White Bird Expedition, you have to talk about the soldiers who went to their deaths and that founding emperor.
You have to talk about the Base Body Project, linked to the base body data chip that Garcia got…
Jiang Jianming was calm and clever, and Ryann was so sharp that he was deadly. After thinking about it, nothing could be hidden.
From then on, they had no choice but to accept the arrangement of fate, and devote themselves to this hard racial war with all their energy.
It was her selfishness that allowed them to relax for a few more years.
“I was waiting until everything was ready… waiting until the internal contradictions of the military department were resolved, the Silver Big Dipper to open up the route to the Crystal Nest; waiting until the base’s consciousness projection technology was completely mature, tranquilizers and mecha control technology were upgraded, and the Base Body Project could be implemented; waiting until the autonomous dominion…return; waiting until the Empire…” Lin Ge sighed long, “The people of the Empire accepted the return of the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess. Then disclose information to everyone and launch a general attack.”
Jiang Jianming spoke gently, “Plans can’t keep up with changes, it’s usually like this in times of war.” “But, I can understand Her Majesty’s thoughts.” He took a final sip of juice, and put the cup back on the plate.
“Lieutenant Bei Man’er of the Silver Big Dipper and Major Zheng Yue of the Golden Sun Wheel, these two have been with me for a while. When I learned about the crystal particles…..I also couldn’t tell them.”
He knew that Bei Man’er, a young lady from a noble family, would occasionally fiddle with her black pearl jewelry and lace hat in front of the mirror while handling military affairs. Zheng Yue would invite a few former colleagues to have a drink at a roadside stall after coming out of the Golden Sun Wheel building in the evening.
Being a soldier was dangerous enough, there was always a mundane and comfortable daily life. But it was different in the end times, once the matter of the entire human race being colonized by races was exposed, it would be earth-shattering. It was too hard for him to speak up.
He also had to consider the issue of confidentiality. If Bei Man’er knew about the phase, would she not be able to help telling her loving parents and her beloved Tang Zhen? Would Zheng Yue tell his life-and-death buddies?
Jiang Jianming sighed in his heart, it was hard for these few people at the top of the empire to bear such a heavy secret for decades.
Suddenly, he heard a slight friction sound next to him.
Jiang Jianming thought Ryann had woken up, and when he looked sideways, he almost doubted his own eyes–
He saw a golden crystal bone slide out from under the blanket and was slowly rubbing against his leg!
Where did this come from, wasn’t His Highness sleeping?!
Jiang Jianming couldn’t help but widen his eyes and look at Ryann next to him– His Highness was curled up between the pillows and blankets, his platinum hair spread out, his curled eyelashes hanging down peacefully, nothing unusual.
And the crystal bone that had come out was thin and soft, and was drowsily sticking to Jiang Jianming’s side, its tip occasionally shaking, just like a little snake that had drunk too much.
“This…”
This interlude was too sudden, Lin Ge and Sylph were taken aback and looked at each other.
It was fortunate that Jiang Jianming was not afraid. If a normal disabled human turned his head and saw a Super S-class crystal bone swaying behind him, wouldn’t he scream out in fright?
Jiang Jianming watched with his heart pounding, he couldn’t help but let his thoughts wander, thinking of the time when he was in military school, he used to feed a stray cat and its tail would wag.
He reached out and grabbed the crystal bone, squeezed it, and Ryann next to him frowned and moved.
Hiss, it seems that the tail can’t be touched randomly! …Ah pooh pooh pooh, what tail. Jiang Jianming’s face turned pale, and he stuffed the crystal bone back into the blanket like a thief.
It was funny to say, knowing that Ryann was the base body of the emperor, he rationally felt that he should be in awe.
But the emperor, in such a state of sometimes going crazy and sometimes being confused, and unclearly coming to rub against him for affection, Jiang Jianming couldn’t feel awe…
And after his last episode, he had been hospitalized for several days; last night was so embarrassing, after being held by Ryann with his crystal bones for a long time, he actually felt mentally okay until now.
Jiang Jianming frowned and pondered in secret.
Could it be, this was the mutation from going to the Crystal Nest once?
