In the height of summer, thick trumpet vines covered the exterior of the city lord’s official mansion on Blue Mother Star City.
Looking out from the office window, orange trumpet flowers crowded together, each leaf lush green, growing fatter with each rainfall.
No one knew that His Highness the Prince had secretly brought a lowly disabled human into the mansion, having him assist in governing the star city in the role of a secret advisor.
In just a few days, Jiang Jianming sat by the window of red flowers and green leaves, reviewing all the confidential documents and personnel files within the official mansion.
The result was increasingly headache-inducing the more he read.
No matter how he looked at it, Blue Mother Star was already abandoned by the empire.
All resources were transported to higher-class star cities, while in return, all those thorny problems were dumped here: the poor, patients, criminals, unprocessable garbage, germs and biochemical waste, even violent alien creatures.
A few urban areas still barely maintained a glossy exterior, but the inside was already rotten beyond recognition. Kaios nominally governed the star city, but in this environment, the changes he could make were extremely limited – money, resources, talent, technology, they lacked everything.
With the empire suppressing from above and no subordinates supporting from below, what else could be done besides muddle along?
If something went wrong on Blue Mother Star one day, this young little city lord would be the scapegoat. Ryann was proud and cold-natured, disdaining to explain anything to others, and would directly unleash his crystal bones to kill when truly angered.
Add to that his identity, once mob unrest broke out, the emperor far away couldn’t be troubled, so wouldn’t they trouble this Prince?
Thinking of this, Jiang Jianming felt a chill in his chest despite the heat.
He pushed the light brain to the corner of the desk, rubbing his aching temples as he stared out the window lost in thought.
The door behind him opened. Ryann brought him iced pear juice with lotus seeds and lily bulbs, and hooked a chair over with his leg to sit down. “How is it? Have you thought of anything?”
Jiang Jianming: “Didn’t I say before, Your Highness shouldn’t keep coming here, it’s easy to be seen by others.”
In this era, disabled humans handling government affairs was a heretical act.
According to imperial law promulgated by Odin, if a disabled human obtained an undeserved position by disguising their race, once exposed, the punishment could be as severe as death.
The little monster who was equally heretical thought nothing of it, but Jiang Jianming didn’t want to invite unnecessary trouble.
Even the lowest servants in this mansion were new humans. What he was doing was a deception, so he couldn’t be too cautious.
Ryann tilted his head. “I have nothing else to do.”
He put down the sweet drink he brought and tapped the table, raising an eyebrow. Jiang Jianming helplessly picked up the porcelain bowl. Drinking this was no different from drinking plain water for him now. Ryann putting in so much effort was just a waste.
“Then go out more, to the urban areas or the wild areas. Use your own eyes to see what state people living in different places are in.”
“Your Highness is the master of this star city, you need to hear the voices from this planet.”
Jiang Jianming took a sip of pear soup, raising his eyes to look at the youth before him.
“Please don’t despise us dirty and ignorant lower class people. We are all your subjects… It should be you who cleanses us, educates us, gives us strength, until we become something that can satisfy you.”
Ryann frowned slightly. “What you say is incorrect.”
Jiang Jianming asked gently. “How so?”
Ryann stood up, his sharp gaze looking down from above, “You’ve made a very serious mistake.”
Before Jiang Jianming could show a questioning look, the youth suddenly leaned close, seriously poking his chest with a fingertip, “It’s not me and you all, it’s us and them.”
Jiang Jianming: “…Ah, hm?”
“You’re already being kept by me now, and you’re helping me with work in the city lord’s official mansion, so you should be with me.”
“Always remember to keep your position straight, Aslan.”
Having finished correcting him, the little prince suddenly turned back, gracefully… snatched away the iced pear juice he was drinking, and downed it in a few gulps.
He even licked the corner of his lips expressionlessly for Jiang Jianming to see, “This is how I’m satisfied.”
Jiang Jianming: “.”
These past few days, he had come to recognize two grave problems more and more deeply.
First, the child’s temperament was too rebellious, sometimes it was really difficult to keep up with his train of thought.
Like now. In the blink of an eye, the golden-haired youth lowered that exquisitely beautiful face again, blinking his curled eyelashes. “What’s wrong, are you angry already? There’s still plenty in the kitchen, shall I get you another bowl?”
…Second, this child happened to be born pretty and cute, with a temperament like a proud yet sweet cat, making it really difficult for him to harden his heart and get truly angry.
Jiang Jianming could only sigh, “No, Little Highness, really no…”
Ryann: “You’re calling my name less and less, I mean the one you gave me.”
Sunlight filtered through the flowers and leaves into the mansion’s study. The little prince reached out both hands, first grasping his hands, then cupping them in his palms, saying seriously, “Aslan, you’re special, I like hearing you call my name.”
Jiang Jianming felt both exasperated and amused, reaching out to tousle the youth’s platinum curls, “Alright, Ryann. Stop fooling around, let me tell you about some important matters.”
……
In fact, even Jiang Jianming himself hadn’t expected that after burying himself in the mansion’s documents for days, the first breakthrough he’d find would actually be an old acquaintance – the garbage in the wild areas.
“The interstellar ships transporting garbage dump waste from upper-class star cities in the wild areas. There are actually many things inside that can be recycled and reused. It’s just that the poor don’t recognize them. Even if they do recognize them, they have no means to process and utilize them.”
Outside the window, a fine night rain was drifting, trumpet flowers falling to the ground.
In an unknown corner of the study, the black-haired disabled human pointed at the statistical chart he had made on the virtual screen, explaining to the little prince beside him.
According to what Jiang Jianming had seen with his own eyes over many years, among the garbage in the wild areas, besides food waste, plastics, waste paper, and fabrics, there were also large amounts of usable metals and synthetic materials.
There were even parts from heavy machinery and high-tech instruments that could be used after repairs and patches. If talent caught up, they could even reverse-engineer the most cutting-edge production technology from Yongle Garden Star City.
Why was this happening? It was simple. The empire was indeed cutting off Blue Mother Star’s resource supply, but processing garbage also required manpower and resources.
Some great nobles and tycoons wanted to save this expense, so they dumped troublesome garbage wholesale in Blue Mother Star’s wild areas.
After all, it was a lowly place no one cared about, after all, they were humble lives not counted in the population, what problems could a bit more or less garbage cause?
“Precisely because no one cares, as long as we act carefully, it shouldn’t cause much of a stir.”
Jiang Jianming said in a deep voice, “Your Highness is currently in a weak position. Let’s not discuss the future for now, but just to establish a foothold in this star city, you need to proceed cautiously and low-key in the beginning, can you do that?”
The little prince sat opposite, quietly looking at the pale and thin young man before him.
Such long years of suffering couldn’t be healed in just two or three months of recuperation. Who knew how many times this person had personally sifted through rotten garbage, how many times his fingertips had been cut by sharp objects, to be able to give such a confident exposition.
He felt a sharp pain in his chest, as if his own heart had been cut by something. “Very well, I’ll listen to you.”
Jiang Jianming: “Then, what are Your Highness’s thoughts now?”
“Haven’t you already made it very clear? Let the refugees in the wild areas become scavengers, hmm…”
Ryann pondered, speaking while organizing his thoughts, “If the people in the wild areas are unwilling to trust the imperial military, perhaps we could disguise ourselves as black market merchants. First teach them some basic identification knowledge, then have them secretly sell those ‘garbage’ items they’ve sorted out to us.”
“We’ll need some organization. If it leads to fighting among the refugees, efficiency will decrease… Officially recruit scavengers? That would take too long… Cooperate with the ‘lords’? Not reliable enough… Wait.”
A light flashed in Ryann’s eyes. “That one-eyed girl who follows you, can we borrow her services?”
Jiang Jianming finally gave an approving laugh. “Your Highness is so clever.”
Ryann showed a hint of pleasure. “It’s simple.”
“Don’t be proud. You learn very quickly, and your intuition is good, but you’re actually still one small step short.”
Jiang Jianming smiled gently, “Considering the conditions in the wild areas, bartering would be better than monetary transactions. We should first provide necessities to the refugees through exchange, let people eat their fill before discussing anything else.”
Ryann was stunned for a moment, then showed a look of realization. “I see. This is what you meant… by needing to see with one’s own eyes, hear with one’s own ears, to truly understand.”
Jiang Jianming nodded. “Besides these covert actions, we also need to do something openly. We don’t need to achieve great results, but we need to let those around see that you’re trying to do something.”
This was also his suggestion after careful consideration: not achieving too great results could make the emperor who was watching them and the conservative forces on Blue Mother Star let down their guard, thinking that His Highness Kaios had no real ability and wasn’t worth worrying about.
At the same time, this attitude of trying to do something would attract talented individuals who still had conscience and ambition.
Moreover, with His Highness Kaios’s extraordinary crystal bones and his youth with unlimited future potential. If there were any hidden gems on Blue Mother Star, they might very well determine that the little prince was a lord worth assisting, and come forward to offer their services, saving the trouble of recruiting subordinates.
After listening to the explanation, Ryann agreed to each point, and also put forward some of his own views. As they discussed back and forth like this, before they knew it, it was already deep into the night.
“…We still need to find a way regarding armament. It’s difficult, but we must think of something. Blue Mother Star has almost no military force of its own, only the urban areas are equipped with the minimum mecha troops to resist alien creatures, and the guard force of the city lord’s mansion is only five thousand strong.”
“It’s too few. Once something happens, these forces won’t even last a day. Cough cough…”
Jiang Jianming was, after all, an ill person. Staying up until this hour had depleted his physical and mental energy, and he finally couldn’t continue speaking.
Ryann, on the other hand, had been completely drawn into a state of highly concentrated thought by him, and only awakened when he suddenly started coughing.
“Aslan!”
The little prince suddenly stood up, immediately filled with remorseful frustration.
“How are you? Where does it hurt?” He stepped forward, wanting to lift the person up in his arms, but as he reached out, he didn’t dare to touch. He anxiously felt for the inner pocket of his robe, “Wait, let’s give you medicine first…”
Jiang Jianming didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “Your Highness, Your Highness, I’m fine… Ryann! Listen to me….hiss!”
His arm was grabbed without any say, and a new needle was inserted where the IV had been removed just a few weeks ago.
Jiang Jianming had no choice but to let Ryann administer the medicine. As the syringe was almost empty, he suddenly asked, “By the way, has Your Highness considered the issue of popularizing crystal particle tranquilizers?”
“I guessed you’d bring this up.”
Ryann removed the needle for him, “Don’t worry, the production of tranquilizers isn’t difficult. I have the data, as long as there’s enough real crystal ore, there won’t be a problem.”
“As for real crystal ore, there’s no need to worry either. The Gray Owl Laboratory has developed a special radiation lamp, named the solidification ray, which can extract real crystal ore from the corpses of alien creatures.”
After the medicine was administered, the disabled human was lifted up.
Ryann held him in both arms, nuzzling Jiang Jianming’s forehead with his chin as a form of comfort, and said softly, “The crystal disorder tide is something the empire has always wanted to control. Supplying it to the entire population isn’t difficult. Don’t overthink, get some sleep now, I’ll take you back to your room.”
The little prince couldn’t be easily persuaded at times like this. Jiang Jianming could only sigh and bury his face in the youth’s shoulder to avoid being seen by others on the way back to the sickroom.
And so, the hot summer slipped away quietly between the mansion’s office and the sickroom, in the gaps between secret plotting and recuperation.
In places unknown to others, subtle changes were taking place in Blue Mother Star City.
“My goodness…”
In Zone Z, Lin Ge stared blankly at the white grains of rice between her fingers, “They really gave us food. Not bad, little bastard.”
In Zone M, inside a remote pharmaceutical factory, mysterious vials were being transported by robotic arms, obediently settling into brand new boxes.
At the foot of the iron-gray building of Zone D’s urban defense force, an officer stretched lazily. “Ow, my butt’s gone numb from sitting… But you know, during the meeting just now, His Highness Kaios’s speech really excited me!”
“Although many details were still a bit naive, it’s been so many years since we’ve seen a noble with this kind of heart… Right, Xiao Chen?”
Beside him, another officer holding a half-empty bottle of alcohol spoke softly. “Hmm… hard to say, hard to say.”
He adjusted his military cap and smiled, “Hehe, I just feel like there might be some capable person behind this little prince.”
Meanwhile, in Zone A, early autumn had arrived.
Some rumors were gradually rising.
It was said that deep within His Highness Kaios’s residence, there was a small sickroom, strictly off-limits to outsiders, guarded even more closely than the mansion’s security.
Living there was a beautiful and bewitching disabled human who, despite his lowly status, had captivated the little prince’s soul. Even after nearly half a year, His Highness hadn’t grown tired of him.
His methods were truly superb, and he was utterly shameless.
Rumors, as always, were of uncertain truth. But as the saying goes, there’s no smoke without fire.
Many people with various intentions began to turn their gaze towards that small sickroom.
