When the young girl Lin Ge first saw with her own eyes the starship that soared above the starry sky, she surely could not have imagined that seventy-six years later, she would stand alone atop the imperial palace in the new empire’s capital, letting the evening breeze of Aslan Star City kiss her black hair.
As the last ray of sunlight was swallowed by the silhouette of the building complex, the female emperor leaned on the snow-white carved railing with both hands, squinting her eyes, once again recalling that deep night in the wild area.
She seemed to hear her own hysterical scream—only a madman under extreme stimulation would make such a sound, and everyone in the territory was frightened by this shout.
But she didn’t care. She rushed towards that starship like a madwoman.
In the cold winter snow, her ill-fitting broken shoes were lost. The girl, barefoot with disheveled hair, was like a vengeful ghost.
“Bastard!! Trash!! Shit!!”
She shrieked in that sharp, breaking voice, crying loudly. “You liar, why did you come late!! You promised one year, why did you come late!!”
She fell clumsily in the snow, sharp ringing in her ears drowning out consciousness. Until an arm yanked her collar, lifting her up.
Through blurry tear-filled eyes, she saw platinum curly hair dancing in the fierce wind, that figure emerging from the dazzling light of the starship.
Half of Kaios’s face and both hands were wrapped in bloodstained bandages. His exposed eye was piercingly cold, his voice cutting through the frigid wind. “Where is he?”
Lin Ge was nearly exhausted. She clutched Kaios’s arms, choking out. “East… east, crystal disorder pit… you…”
She wanted to say “Did you really bring medicine?”, wanted to say “Hurry and find him, although it might be too late”, wanted to say “He really did wait for you, actually I also…”
But Ryann didn’t listen to her nonsense at all. The youth’s arm was as strong as iron tongs. Lin Ge was dragged a few steps and thrown into the mecha’s cockpit. The strong light from the lit control panel made her close her eyes—
“Tell me the direction!”
Kaios shouted coldly.
Golden crystal bones slammed onto the control panel’s touch screen. Almost instantly, those bandages all burst into bloody flowers.
Just piloting the mecha by activating crystal bones proved that the crystal particles in his body were already in an extremely dangerous state of disorder.
Lin Ge screamed, clutching her head.
The mecha took to the sky!
That journey, she kept shaking and crying. It had taken her about an hour to walk back, and Jiang Jianming had taken that gun – it would only take a second to fire. Very likely when they arrived, all they would see was a corpse.
She neurotically repeated this cruel reality, but rather than accusation, it was more like she wanted the other to be mentally prepared… such a missed opportunity was too cruel for anyone.
But every time she looked up, the youth’s emerald eyes remained cold and hard, unwavering, just looking ahead, hoping to go faster, even faster.
It was already too late, he was late. He must have known this before he set out.
He had made himself so battered and bloody, surely he had exerted all his strength, even risked his life to come here.
Even so, he still didn’t make it in time.
Even knowing he wouldn’t make it, he still came.
In those short two minutes, in the torment that could drive a person mad, Lin Ge’s mindset suddenly became clear.
She seemed to understand why Jiang Jianming had entrusted his lifelong beliefs to this little bastard he had only just met.
Was it because of his powerful crystal bones, or his noble birth? Or was it…
The mecha plunged at extreme speed towards the ground. The massive pit grave for crystal disorder patients revealed its grim outline from the depths of the night.
A tiny human figure stood at the edge, holding a gun.
Light suddenly bloomed in Lin Ge’s eyes – Jiang Jianming was still there!
She screamed heartrendingly. “Don’t!! Jiang, don’t shoot – don’t!!!”
The fierce wind blocked her mouth. Kaios directly pushed open the cockpit and leapt out mid-air. His crystal bones were like a huge golden sword, slashing through the night at an angle.
…Or was it because they had the same never-say-die, unstoppable soul?
True crystals grew, engulfing the corpses in the mass grave.
Like a sea of flowers engulfing the rotting wasteland.
****
So what about herself now – had she been tempered by time to be strong enough?
The female emperor of seventy-six years later looked down at her empire, her crimson prosthetic eye flickering.
The truth about crystal particles that could be revealed to the public had already been disclosed to the maximum extent.
At this time, the myriad lights below must be in chaos, right?
That’s great, let them all make a fuss, shout, yell. They’ve just eaten, so cry louder for me… the female emperor thought maliciously.
“Your Majesty!” Someone ran up panting, “Over fifty social platforms and communication software on the Intelligence Network have crashed. We’re arranging people for emergency repairs…”
“Very well, got it. It’s just right for Zhen to rest Zhen’s voice for a bit.”
Lin Ge stretched lazily, completely lacking in decorum. “Aiyoo, this old lady is dying of thirst. Bring Zhen some wine to taste.”
This was the second time of complete chaos on the imperial Intelligence Network since the founding of the empire.
All public discussion platforms first spiked red then crashed, lines jammed, official communication numbers constantly busy.
Government offices in various star cities were packed with nearby citizens. If the empire hadn’t made arrangements in advance, tripling the patrol police in star cities, there likely would have been trampling incidents before the emperor finished speaking.
The last time there was such a high level of public panic was when news reached the country that Emperor Kaios had fallen in the Fifth Holy War, with 200,000 Golden Sun Wheel soldiers perishing in the Crystal Nest.
The people mourned.
As time passed, different voices began to quietly emerge, saying the emperor was arrogant and warmongering, ultimately bringing about his own demise and dragging down the Golden Sun Wheel.
Small people who perform heroic deeds before death receive pity and praise, while heroes who fail to maintain their integrity to the end are often cursed. This defeat, along with the incident that forced the death of Commander Aslan, became indelible stains on that founding emperor.
Fifty-two years later, the truth came to light.
The female emperor said, “That was the empire’s first White Bird Expedition.”
She said, “A full 200,000 imperial troops, every single soldier, was a martyr who forged a shield with their blood to defend the empire.”
“It is precisely because those people died that we are still alive today. It’s the same principle as the wounded soldiers who chose to die in the war to reclaim Alpha Alien Star. The only difference is that their sacrifice was hidden for a long time, unknown to anyone.”
She continued, “Zhen is very glad that we can finally tell this story today. It proves that Zhen has completed most of the responsibility that Kaios entrusted to Zhen years ago.”
“Zhen knows that over the years, many people have said things they shouldn’t have, many have done things they shouldn’t have. It’s all right, you don’t need to apologize, nor do you need to feel guilty.”
“What’s important is what comes next. Whether we can live like proper human beings, not failing the wishes of the dead…”
The female emperor pointed to the sky, “Do you believe it? His Majesty the Great Emperor is watching us right now.”
…..
At the Black Shark Base, Sylph looked at the person beside her with a complex expression. “You really are watching.”
Ryann pretended not to hear, staring intently at Jiang Jianming’s sleeping face.
…..
A moment later. Not many of the crashed platforms on the Intelligence Network had been repaired, but Her Majesty the Emperor had finished her wine.
Lin Ge cleared her throat, “Alright, everyone calm down. The story is over, next, Zhen want to solemnly announce to my dear citizens…”
“First, the Glorious Autonomous Star Domain has voluntarily returned its autonomy. From today, it will be officially renamed Glorious Star City, fully and thoroughly submitting to imperial decisions, cooperating to defend against external enemies. The details will be announced tomorrow by former domain speaker Yuan Zhi and deputy speaker Lopez.”
“Second, the empire enters a state of total war. The Silver Big Dipper will soon dispatch troops to expedition to the Crystal Nest, with all rear star cities fully supporting the front lines. Hehe, everyone will have to endure some hardships from now on… The details will be announced tomorrow by military commander Chen Hanke.”
“Third…”
The female emperor paused here, slowing her speech, “Last year, the military received an anonymous proposal.”
“A young Silver Big Dipper officer, realizing the shortage of talent on the frontlines, suggested to the upper echelons to establish a specialized mecha troop, combining it with mental manipulation technology, allowing non-crystal humans to become mecha soldiers and fight for the country.”
Lin Ge shook her head, a mischievous smile on her lips, “Zhen knows this news has already spread, and many people have been guessing who proposed this motion.”
“So finally…”
“Regarding His Highness the Imperial Crown Princess, Lieutenant Colonel Jiang Jianming, Zhen has something Zhen wants to discuss with everyone.”
****
The female emperor’s little scheme was very successful.
The emperor died protecting the country, the crown princess bled on the frontlines. One’s sacrifice in the shadows was unknown, bearing infamy for decades after death; the other, due to worldly prejudices in broad daylight, was constantly denied “in life”.
These two reversals, when the truth was revealed, created such an intense emotional impact that it steadily suppressed the fear and panic people should have felt.
[Help, I’ve been crying non-stop since yesterday. I never imagined it was like this. Why did they hide it until today…]
[The Great Emperor for all time!!]
[Sigh, I always vaguely felt there must be a reason why Her Majesty the female emperor has been supporting the frontlines these years even at the cost of money and people. I never thought the enemy was right beside us. It’s too scary, my tears won’t stop. It feels like the peace these years was stolen…]
[It was fought for, fought for by those martyrs for everyone!]
[I heard that Major General Xie of the Silver Big Dipper secretly led people on an expedition to the Crystal Nest without telling the military department. They really did open up a path, which gave the empire the confidence to publicly reveal the truth. Just one word: awesome. The Silver Big Dipper are truly tough guys.]
[The Golden Sun Wheel too! The empire has already said they’ll strictly enforce military discipline. Those noble kids who mixed in for status will all be kicked out. What’s left are the true Golden Shield! Our empire’s Silver Spear and Golden Shield!]
[Look! That famous public intellectual ‘Li ee’ who always supported the contraction faction has publicly apologized. He even said he’d donate half his assets for military pay…]
Emperor Kaios was indeed beloved in life, even if he was vilified after death. On the other hand, Jiang Jianming’s situation was more complex.
The small reporter who had once blocked Jiang Jianming on the street was said to have cried until oxygen-deprived and was sent to the hospital, writing a lengthy 10,000-word confession letter while on an IV drip.
The article was published on the Intelligence Network and was shared over ten thousand times within a few hours.
The public thought carefully and suddenly realized that this person’s luck seemed shockingly bad. He had tasted all the bitterness he should and shouldn’t have, but seemed to have had no time to enjoy any blessings.
Had pledged to marry without parental permission with the Crown Prince, but a few months later, His Highness Ryann “sacrificed” himself, making him a widow overnight.
As soon as he was appointed Crown Princess, Aslan Star City was attacked that very day. He had just left the hospital and went to support the frontlines again.
Although his merits were not few, almost every one was related to the Crystal Cult or crystal particles, so they could only be suppressed or downplayed. When people saw his rapid promotion, they said it was royal privilege; when they saw him injured and ill, they called him a useless disabled person.
He didn’t explain, even tacitly accepting those rumors, not wanting his death to bring unnecessary pain to others.
He finally gained the respect of the army, and after this war, the truth could be revealed to the public.
But when it came time for the triumphant return, he could no longer hear anything.
A few censored clips from the medical mecha’s surveillance were released.
The person who led the entire army to face death, quietly and lonely awaiting death under the snow-covered monument to the heroic spirits on the eve of victory – no one could bear such a scene when it was made public.
[His Highness Jiang was truly a wonderful person. I even met him before at the Aslan Library. He must have already been the temporary inspector of the Golden Sun Wheel then, but when he saw me unable to find a book, he personally helped me, without any airs at all.]
[Damn, I suddenly realized His Highness Jiang was only in his early twenties, right? Just a few years out of military academy. Most people that age are still children in their parents’ eyes.]
[My brother works in the Golden Sun Wheel. He said that Colonel Jiang actually didn’t like people calling him “Your Highness” when he was working. Maybe rather than being the Crown Princess, he hoped more to be recognized as an officer. But still so many people said he rose through royal favor… sigh.]
[I’m thinking, Colonel Jiang must have looked at the Intelligence Network on his wrist device while recovering at Black Shark Base, right? He knew the citizens he was dying to protect were saying such things about him…]
[Wuwuwu we know we were wrong! Couldn’t they have cut off the patient’s network access? It must have affected his mood!!]
[Aren’t you overthinking? The Black Shark Base said he’s been in a deep coma the whole time, only kept alive by medical equipment. We don’t know how he is yet.]
[Please, I’d trade ten years of my life for Colonel Jiang to come back and see the empire after defeating the crystal particles…]
[Actually, off-topic, but His Majesty the Great Emperor and His Highness Jiang should have gotten along well, right? Both with firm beliefs and a sense of justice, and their personalities quite complementary. I can’t help imagining if it had been His Highness Jiang accompanying the Great Emperor to conquer the world back then instead of Aslan…]
[Is the person above heartless to still be bringing up the grudge between the emperor and the commander at this time?! Reported!]
“Pfft.”
Her Majesty Lin Ge, who was using an alt account to browse the Intelligence Network and personally observe the public’s reactions, finally lost it when she saw the last two comments, spitting out the sweet wine in her mouth.
She wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, quietly thinking to herself: One day in the future, when the public learns that Dawn Aslan is Jiang Jianming, and how the commander spent his previous life…
Heh, the days you should be crying are still ahead.
