Dawn Sleep [Interstellar]

Soon, Xie Yuduo met that mecha engineer.

“Major General Xie, uh, thank you for your hard work in battle, General. This humble official is…”

The middle-aged man opposite had brown hair and black eyes, with proper features. He nervously clasped his hands together, stuttering yet speaking rapidly as he gave a self-introduction.

By this time, Xie Yuduo was already so tired his brain felt swollen, but he still precisely caught a few pieces of information from the man’s words that alarmed him.

Surname Jiang, former serving officer, secretly recalled by the empire after retirement, mecha engineer—

“Excuse me, could you perhaps be the adoptive father of Little Excellency Jiang?”

“This humble official wanted to inquire…” Jiang Sheng was extremely anxious inside. Hearing this, his eyes widened. “Ah, Li-little Excellency?”

Xie Yuduo was about to speak, but the words that had rolled to the tip of his tongue were forcefully swallowed back.

Looking at the middle-aged man before him with a face full of nervousness and panic, sweat beads hanging on the tip of his nose, for a moment he, like Diana, also fell into a predicament where it was difficult to speak.

But unlike the shy Miss Lance, Xie Yuduo was after all a general. It wasn’t the first time he had to inform the white-haired of the misfortune of the black-haired.

So after a moment of silence, the Major General furrowed his brow and said in a deep voice. “Little Excellency Jiang Jianming once mentioned you.”

Jiang Sheng opened his mouth in bewilderment. Snowflakes fell on the man’s temples. “Major General…you know our Mingming?”

Just then, the two men standing opposite each other suddenly sensed something unusual about certain sounds.

It wasn’t that some sound that shouldn’t be there had appeared, but that sounds that should have been there had disappeared.

The voices of soldiers talking, the sound of military boots crunching in the snow, the clanging and miscellaneous noises of unloading mechas and moving weapons…

These excited waves after victory seemed to have been frozen into an ice surface by a sudden cold current.

Xie Yuduo and Jiang Sheng turned their heads.

The damaged fortress was utterly silent. The first ray of dawn erased the boundary between heaven and earth, refracted by ice crystals into a blinding brightness.

The officers and soldiers along the way parted to form a path, then stood still.

His Highness the Crown Prince walked through the crowd, against the light. His curly hair was loose, his figure indistinct in the light, his expression unclear.

He was carrying someone in his arms, a white cloth covering that person, its corner flapping noisily in the cold wind.

Countless bewildered gazes were cast from all directions, staring at that fluttering corner of white cloth.

No one dared to step forward, no one dared to make a sound, and no one even dared to move carelessly.

Who was the person His Highness Ryann was carrying? Who else could it be, to be carried like this by the Crown Prince?

Xie Yuduo’s vision darkened, and he suddenly staggered a step.

In the crowd, there were a few disorderly sounds of friction. Zheng Yue anxiously squeezed through, but lost the courage to come forward.

Instead, it was Ryann who stopped.

The Crown Prince paused, then raised his face—

Instantly, everyone around felt a chill in their hearts.

His Highness Ryann’s face was as deathly still as frost and snow. He wasn’t going mad or grieving, and those emerald eyes hadn’t shed tears either.

Yet all vitality had drained away, leaving only two dry, hollow sockets, hanging there gloomily, as if he had really become the “monster” the space bandits spoke of.

“Colonel Jiang heroically sacrificed his life for the country.”

Ryann’s voice was low and hoarse, very gentle, perhaps afraid of disturbing someone. “Come and take a look at him.”

“Little… Little excellency…”

Zheng Yue’s pupils contracted. His lips trembled as he reached out, his five fingers hovering in the air above that white cloth, not daring to touch it.

An arm pushed Zheng Yue aside.

Tang Zhen had come over. His eyes were red as he breathed heavily, moist mist puffing out from his nose and mouth.

He slowly lifted the white cloth, and after just one look, a grief-stricken sob escaped his throat, tears immediately falling.

How could this be…

“What happened…”

Tang Zhen said chokingly, tears streaming down his face. “…he was fine just yesterday…”

Under the white cloth, the young black-haired disabled human lay quietly in the Crown Prince’s arms, eyelids and lips closed, presenting a very clean and handsome final appearance.

The morning light above shrouded him like a thin gauze, making him seem as if he would melt into the snow-colored light.

All around was dead silent.

Many officers and soldiers stood with their mouths agape.

They were all people who had experienced life and death separations on the battlefield, but the scene before them was still too abrupt, too cruel. More people were still in a numb state of being unable to accept reality—

How could this happen? What happened to make things turn out like this?

Behind Tang Zhen, Bei Man’er covered her face with the back of her hand, sobbing uncontrollably.

Yesterday.

Just yesterday.

Everyone had still been listening to Jiang Jianming’s cold voice commanding the entire army; the Crown of Golden Dawn, awakened after four years, had guided everyone to break through despair, moving towards death to find life.

Now the war was won, and a brand new dawn had also risen.

And their two wounded Highnesses, at this moment, only needed to return to receive their cheers and reverence, to reap the well-deserved merits and honors.

But how could the ending be like this?

Also yesterday, Jiang Jianming had even entered Major General Xie’s starship, not seeing anyone, just leaving behind the Crown of Golden Dawn and the intelligence Seth, then leaving again.

At that time, their closest linear distance was perhaps only about a hundred meters.

At that time, there must have been more imperial soldiers who brushed past him, no one sensing anything unusual, just letting this person walk away like that.

The first sob came from somewhere unknown, as if some switch had been turned on, quickly spreading.

The Crown Prince’s reaction was actually the calmest. He walked forward, even calling out to the Major General. “Xie Yuduo, you come take a look at him too.”

Xie Yuduo stood there woodenly, not moving. Instead, a strange middle-aged man stumbled over.

“Ming…Mingming?”

Jiang Sheng’s expression was as blank as if his soul had been dug out. His eyes were fixed, and he actually reached out in front of the Crown Prince, trying to snatch Jiang Jianming’s body.

Ryann slightly raised his head, his pupils gleaming with an eerie dark golden light.

“Your Highness, please forgive him!” Xie Yuduo almost thought the Crown Prince would lash out and kill someone the next moment. He rushed over to block between the two, “This is Little Excellency’s adoptive father!”

But the imagined scenario didn’t happen. That glimmer of light in Ryann’s eyes extinguished again, returning to a hollow appearance.

His Highness nodded, seeming to ponder briefly, and actually handed forward the slender body in his arms.

“Use the rest of your life to be proud of him,” he said. “The empire will never have a second Jiang Jianming.”

“Your High—” Xie Yuduo could hardly believe his eyes as he watched Ryann hand Jiang Jianming over to this middle-aged man’s arms.

But Jiang Sheng seemed unable to bear that weight, collapsing to the ground while holding Jiang Jianming.

“Mingming, is it Mingming?”

Jiang Sheng opened his eyes wide, staring blankly at the young man in his arms, his lips trembling non-stop.

He breathed lightly. Was this really his child? Why had he become so pale, so thin, so… cold?

In his memory, his Mingming was only in his teens, with a slender body soft and warm, a pair of black eyes bright and charming when he smiled, his voice calling “Dad” occasionally a bit sticky.

When he left home on a long journey that year, the child silently helped pack his luggage, neither crying nor complaining, his delicate features showing no trace of anxiety about the future.

He had promised the child he would come home after the war ended.

Mingming just nodded and said okay, seeing him off at the door.

So for all these years, he had studied desperately, focusing solely on completing the tasks assigned by the empire, trying to stay alive to go home and see his son.

While others gossiped idly, he worked day and night calculating data, drawing designs, testing mechas.

He never knew which disabled person had come to the front lines to enlist, nor which Crown Princess the heir apparent had chosen.

But how could the ending be like this?

“Mingming, stop sleeping, open your eyes and look at Dad, okay?”

“It’s Dad, Mingming… Dad is here.”

The middle-aged man carefully cupped Jiang Jianming’s cheeks with his rough palms.

He shook gently, calling out incessantly, longing to wake the sleeping child.

“The war is over. Dad will take Mingming back to our home, to live like we used to, okay…”

Only the cold wind of the alien star answered.

More people around began to cry softly.

A cold hand was placed on Jiang Sheng’s shoulder. Jiang Sheng looked up blankly. It was His Highness the Crown Prince.

But Ryann’s gaze didn’t look at him, instead falling vaguely somewhere, as he said in a faint tone. “My condolences.”

Jiang Sheng shuddered, tightly hugging the young man in his arms, seeming to have aged decades in an instant.

His expression was desolate as he shook his head quickly. “It’s impossible… This is impossible.”

“Your Highness Ryann, Major General Xie, my Mingming is only in his twenties, he’s still so young, how could he possibly have sacrificed himself?”

“Look… can you… can you try to save him somehow… Are there any medics…”

“I beg you… please try to save him, try again, can you? Didn’t Mingming achieve merit? He could contribute more to the empire if he lives, I beg you…”

No one could answer such humble pleas from a father. People turned away, unable to bear watching. Xie Yuduo just shook his head bitterly.

“Your Highness,” Tang Zhen took a few steps forward, his nose red from crying, “How exactly did Little Jiang… Was his passing painful? Was someone by his side?”

“…”

Ryann remained silent. He stared distantly at Jiang Jianming lying in Jiang Sheng’s arms, silent for a long time.

The wind whispered past his ears, as if someone was speaking gently with a smile.

Your Highness.

Say something nice. Look at them, they’re crying so hard.

A ripple appeared in Ryann’s eyes. He thought carefully, then spoke. “He was already coughing blood and having an attack before I passed out, deteriorating severely. In the end, he probably just reached a point where he couldn’t hold on anymore, without much more suffering.”

“As for his final moments, although he was alone when he passed, he had the wind and snow to accompany him.”

“…”

Tang Zhen’s face turned pale. He steadied himself by leaning against a nearby broken wall.

“So,” he mumbled, “actually, when he was remotely commanding the entire army yesterday, Little Jiang already knew he was about to…?”

Tang Zhen suddenly laughed bitterly. Tears kept falling, soaking the Silver Big Dipper uniform. “Heh, so it was like this again.”

…Good Highness, do you really know how to speak?

Ryann raised his head, vaguely seeing gentle night colors beyond the morning light. The black-haired young man, wrapped in a thick coat, sat under the lamp, speaking with a hint of reproach.

Are you deliberately upsetting me? Originally, bringing back a body should be done secretly. We’ve just won the battle, you should let everyone be happy first.

No. Ryann thought blankly. I’m not upsetting you, and I won’t annoy you anymore. I’ll listen to everything you say.

Forget it. That person shook his head with a light laugh, now leaning against the starship’s porthole. What else, Your Highness?

Ryann turned his head and walked towards Xie Yuduo, asking, “Has the Crystal Cult withdrawn?”

Xie Yuduo’s mind was in chaos, feeling only spasms in his stomach and a bitter taste in his throat, unable to speak at all.

Ryann had to ask again.

Xie Yuduo’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he finally spoke hoarsely. “They’ve gone. We eliminated about 70-80% of them… The final battle that turned the tide was commanded by Little Excellency.”

“Is that so. Then before he left, did he know we would be victorious?”

“…We can only say that at that time, the advantage was already very great.”

“Then he must have known. That would have been enough for him.”

“E-enough?”

Xie Yuduo’s eyes widened slightly. He stared at Ryann for a long time, not knowing what to say.

Ryann looked around coldly and said slowly. “Alright, let the soldiers cry for a while and then stop. Shaken morale is risky.”

So, not just Xie Yuduo, but more people around began to look at the Crown Prince with panicked eyes.

“Your… Your Highness…”

Xie Yuduo’s face was deathly pale. He managed to squeeze out a sentence, “Don’t be like this. You don’t need to be like this. We all…about Little Excellency…”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Ryann shook his head expressionlessly. “I tried to persuade him, begged him, but he wouldn’t stop. Since that’s the case, this day would come sooner or later… None of us owes him anything.”

“Besides, Jiang Jianming isn’t the only soldier who sacrificed himself. There’s no need for special treatment, and he wouldn’t like it either.”

“Oh right, I brought back that medical mecha. Later I’ll see if Jiang left any messages. If there are new discoveries, I’ll call you. Go rest for now.”

“—Your Highness the Crown Prince!!”

Jiang Sheng trembled with anger, never expecting the heir apparent to be so cold-hearted, “Mingming wasn’t just an ordinary soldier, he was a non-crystal human, he shouldn’t have come to such a Far Star environment at all! Why on earth would—”

Ryann said coldly. “That’s because of me. You can hate me, but following me was Jiang Jianming’s own choice.”

“My condolences.”

After saying this, he directly opened the military channel, turning to walk away while issuing orders.

“The war is over. Silver Big Dipper’s Second and Third Armies, withdraw to your respective fortresses on your own.”

“Golden Sun Wheel, listen to my command. Take these two days to count casualties and organize supplies. On the third day, we set out… to return to the country and report our mission.”

Within moments, His Highness the Crown Prince’s figure had already disappeared around the corner. Major Liu Rita wanted to chase after him, but was stopped by Major General Xie Yuduo’s outstretched hand.

“What’s the point of chasing?” the Major General said bitterly. “With His Highness in this state, what good would it do for others to catch up?”

“Let him be alone for a while, he might be able to vent. But perhaps…”

Xie Yuduo leaned tiredly against the fortress wall, his gaze unfocused as he stared at the distant sky.

He recalled the arrogance that once danced in the young Crown Prince’s eyes, how he would squint smugly when in a good mood, and how he would impulsively blow things up with true crystals when angered.

He liked eating apples, liked “nesting” outside the fortress, but later preferred rolling in bed hugging the little excellency; occasionally, he would also brazenly bully himself to amuse the little excellency.

The Major General’s mumbling voice was only audible to himself, “Perhaps, we are about to lose both of the Highnesses.”

…….

In the distance, Ryann’s expression remained calm. Even though he had escaped the crowd, he didn’t break down or go crazy.

He slowly planned his next steps.

First, he needed to rest for a moment, as he was still injured. He could lie in the treatment cabin until noon… By then, the emotions in the military should have settled, and he could come out to offer a few words of comfort and reorganize the troops.

The afternoon would be time to consider subsequent arrangements. Jiang’s death must be temporarily concealed, that was certain; given his unique racial identity, if news of his death reached the empire, the situation could become complicated. Better to wait and think it through calmly before deciding.

Besides politics, more consideration was needed on the strategic front. Would the Crystal Cult possibly make another move, could the space pirates act?

What policy should the Silver Big Dipper First Army adopt next, and then there was the First Fortress, so badly damaged – funds for repairs would need to be requested from the emperor…

Again, the wind whistled crisply.

That person sighed with great concern: What a huge expense.

Oh right, please help me donate my annual allowance. That money hasn’t been touched much, it’s over two million currency points.

“Understood,” Ryann muttered hoarsely to himself.

His Highness remembered back then, when the commoner military academy student was just a commoner, how poor his life was.

His foster father’s pension wasn’t small, but Jiang wanted to do such unusual things, there were always large expenses, and personal use was compressed to the minimum.

Jiang was particularly averse to owing favors, so he could only assist within the limits the other allowed.

Later, he died once, and the things Jiang wanted to do became even more shocking. He must have deprived himself a lot financially.

Finally, after the bitter came the sweet – he became the Crown Princess, and Lin Ge even gave him the royal annual allowance for the first three years together. Unfortunately, he didn’t get the chance to use it.

Thinking again about this person’s sacrifice just before dawn, it seems that sometimes you really have to believe in fate.

Ah, are you saying my luck is too bad?

In a daze, that figure was sitting on the fortress’s gun turret again, gazing silently into the distance.

The Silver Big Dipper military uniform billowed in the wind as Jiang Jianming took off his military cap and held it in his hand, turning back to smile gently at him: Didn’t Your Highness just say it very well?

“…I know.”

Ryann stood motionless, his Adam’s apple moving painfully up and down, as if saying these words would pierce his vocal cords and make them bleed.

“It wasn’t that bad. Your life was very lucky, very happy… You met all good people, saw hope in everything you sought, and in the end, you got what you wanted. You were very satisfied.”

“So…” Ryann slowly leaned against the wall, his bent back already soaked with cold sweat.

His eyes were unfocused, his lips trembling, like a fish thrown ashore about to dry up and die. “I don’t need to feel sad for you.”

He reached out, clutching tightly at the fabric over his heart. The organ there felt as if it had been cut open, “…I don’t owe you, I’m not sad.”

Ryann repeated this several times, making sure he was alright, before raising his empty eyes again.

Jiang, are you still watching me?

Look, I’m doing everything you wanted to do, saying everything you wanted to say.

Are you satisfied with me like this?

But at this moment, the wind stopped. The smoke cleared, the sky was cloudless for thousands of miles, and on the fortress’s black iron alloy, unmelted frost and dried blood congealed.

The main gun turret stood silent at the end where the wind’s sound faded, and there was no one there.