The young emperor stood there.
His face was pale, lips tightly drawn, with disheveled platinum blonde curls tied back, and blood-stained bandages wrapped from his arms and fingertips to his shoulders and neck.
…It was as if fate’s claws had already torn open this once-invincible warrior’s chest.
When Jiang Jianming’s gaze fell into those deep emerald eyes, his heart ached uncontrollably.
Since their last fallout, they hadn’t faced each other like this for a long time.
“You may go now.”
Jiang Jianming said gently to the young guard. The guard hesitated for a moment, looking towards Ryann.
The emperor stared motionlessly at the commander, as if he had become a statue.
The commander repeated, “It’s fine, you may go.”
Even after the young man left, Ryann’s eyes remained fixed on Jiang Jianming without blinking.
“Your Majesty.”
Jiang Jianming opened his arms, “Come here.”
His expression was soft and clear, just like before. As if there had never been any friction or pain between them, as if they had always been fine and would continue to be fine.
The emperor stepped back with a deathly pale face, seemingly wanting to hide. Jiang Jianming, as if anticipating this, quickly took two steps forward and pulled Ryann into his embrace.
“…!”
Ryann’s entire body trembled violently, his lips suddenly lost all color, and all light vanished from his eyes.
What broke him wasn’t the devastating external injuries, nor the bitter defeat, but his beloved who held him.
Jiang Jianming stroked his hair, rested his chin on Ryann’s shoulder, his hand moving down the emperor’s back, smoothing the blood-stained battle robe.
He softly comforted, “Shh, don’t be sad, don’t be sad… we’re fine, everything’s fine…”
He felt tears falling on his neck. Ryann buried his face deeper, arms tightly wrapped around his waist, trembling even more violently.
“…I knew you would come, from the moment of the ambush.”
Two desperate tears rolled down, the great emperor closed his eyes and said hoarsely, “I wanted to save you, but I got you killed instead.”
Jiang Jianming shook his head without speaking, knowing that nothing he could say would help now.
The high concentration of crystal particles in Far Star’s environment was beyond what he could endure. The fact that he appeared normal now was only due to the effects of medication.
Since he chose to come here, he only had a few days left – just enough time to return to the empire and settle his affairs before saying goodbye.
He knew this, and surely His Majesty knew it too.
Ryann had desperately tried to find him a chance of survival, but ultimately failed.
And here he was on the starship in Far Star, wearing the crisp imperial military uniform, the golden commander’s epaulettes gleaming.
The emperor didn’t become angry as he used to, but just kept holding him and crying. As if letting go would make the person in his arms dissolve like spring snow.
Jiang Jianming sighed inwardly, thinking to himself: This was somewhat cruel of him.
“Your Majesty, let’s return home.”
He lowered his gaze, brushing his cheek against Ryann’s messy hair, “It should be spring now in the White Jade Palace. I’d like to see it with you… Could you spare some time to accompany me in the coming days?”
Several days later, the expeditionary force returned to the Aslan capital.
The failure of the expedition and the death of countless soldiers were hard for the people to accept. After returning to the country, the emperor became dazed, barely speaking or seeing anyone.
Jiang Jianming pushed Ryann like herding sheep to face the public and bear the responsibility for the military defeat. He personally conducted memorial services for the fallen heroes and appeased the military department, ultimately leaving no time to see the spring scenery.
The medication’s effects were nearly at their end.
Just when the empire’s situation had finally stabilized, Jiang Jianming couldn’t find Ryann anywhere.
He had hoped to at least spend his last few days nestled in His Majesty’s embrace, but now he couldn’t find him anywhere – he wasn’t even going to the political hall, and nobody seemed to know where he was.
“Stop worrying about that little bastard.”
In the palace garden, he sat drinking tea and chatting with Lin Ge. The latter tried to appear spirited, “Think about it, is there anything you want? We’re the ones running the entire empire now, why not indulge yourself these last few days?”
Jiang Jianming couldn’t help but smile bitterly at these words.
He had lost his sense of taste and smell, long saying goodbye to culinary pleasures; he was wasting away from illness daily, making fashion pointless; as for traveling and sightseeing, his physical strength and energy wouldn’t allow it—
Most importantly, with the expeditionary force’s devastating defeat and return, so many of the deceased couldn’t even have their remains returned home for burial.
If he still had the heart to think about how to indulge himself, he wouldn’t be himself anymore.
So finally, Jiang Jianming could only say helplessly, “Please don’t, I’d be grateful just to have a few quiet days at the end.”
Lin Ge sniffled and turned to look into the distance, “By the way, there’s something…”
“Sylph asked me to ask you if you’d consider frozen hibernation?”
Jiang Jianming responded instantly. “No consideration needed.”
Actually, Sylph had mentioned this before – using advanced medical technology to preserve someone’s body until future treatment methods became available to wake them up.
But Jiang Jianming had no interest in this. He knew that even if they eventually developed medicine to treat chronic crystal disorder, his body was already too damaged to have any hope of survival.
What use would it be to become a half-dead freeze-dried specimen now, other than wasting money and resources and adding pressure on the living?
Lin Ge knew his temperament well and wasn’t surprised, only saying, “Alright, we’ll do whatever you want.”
“By the way, where’s Sylph?”
“She seems to be conducting experiments. The little girl has been working really hard these past few days, maybe still hoping to find a chance. Should I call her over if you have something to say?”
Jiang Jianming said it wasn’t necessary and didn’t ask further.
That night, he specially set an alarm for dawn to wake himself up, put on some clothes, and quietly went to Sylph’s laboratory.
He stood silently at the automatic door for a while, then suddenly raised his hand and knocked hard.
A scream came from inside from Sylph.
When the young girl opened the door, her face was pale and her lips were trembling, “…Commander? Why are you here in the middle of the night? You scared me to death.”
Jiang Jianming looked at her, his eyes deep. “In the middle of the night, you’re the one – why are you still working?”
As he spoke, he naturally moved to step inside.
“Commander!”
Sylph shifted to the side, blocking the way with her body, hands tightly gripping the doorframe. “Please go back and rest, there are many pathogens in here, you can’t come in…”
Jiang Jianming: “His Majesty just talked to me about your laboratory yesterday, said it’s very clean. He said he grew up in the laboratory since he was young, which made me want to come see.”
Sylph was both amused and exasperated. “Commander! Stop trying to trick me, you haven’t seen His Majesty these past few days, right?”
Jiang Jianming: “Indeed, but how did you know?”
Sylph’s face froze. She realized she was the one who had been tricked, but still firmly blocked the door. “What exactly do you want to do? Whatever it is, we can talk tomorrow…”
Jiang Jianming’s expression darkened, and he shouted sternly. “Move aside!!”
In the next second, he suddenly drew out a gun. They were too close – by the time Sylph came to her senses, the gun was already pressed against her chest.
Jiang Jianming said coldly. “Ms. Sylph Song, human experimentation is illegal. Do you know what the consequences would be if it was revealed that you, as the empress from the Glorious Autonomous Dominion, were doing such things?”
“The gun is loaded with tranquilizer darts. You can either move aside willingly and let me in, or pass out on the floor and let me in. Your choice.”
Sylph suddenly raised her face. In the night, she bit her lip as large tears fell.
“You think I want this? If there was another way, don’t you think I’d rather easily develop medicine to cure you!?”
She lifted her chin and cried out loudly. “Everyone’s like this – either pointing crystal bones at me forcing me to do it, or pointing guns at me stopping me from doing it!”
Sylph stopped blocking the door, instead grabbing Jiang Jianming’s arm and pulling him inside, tears streaming down her face.
“Fine, go in then. I already told His Majesty we couldn’t keep this hidden. Go see what state he’s in—”
The depths of the laboratory were silent.
Jiang Jianming turned on all the lights, making it suddenly so bright it was hard to open one’s eyes.
At the very back was a sealed laboratory. A metal door prevented seeing inside, with only countless instruments and data readings beeping chaotically.
In the middle was a chair, presumably where Sylph had been sitting.
Before Jiang Jianming could say anything, Sylph stepped forward with red eyes, sobbing as she angrily slapped the switch.
After the iris recognition passed, the metal door opened.
Behind it was a short corridor. At the end of the corridor was a wide glass door leading to another specially separated room.
The emperor of the empire, who should have been above all others, sat motionless inside wearing white clothes, his head lowered.
Golden crystal had penetrated his right eye and chest, extending to his cheek. His body was a bloody mess, with many parts already half-crystallized, sending chills down one’s spine.
And in that room, blood was splattered everywhere – on all four walls, on various experimental equipment.
Ryann leaned against the wall like this, sleeping weakly in a pool of blood.
Until footsteps woke him, he slowly opened his eyes, their depths like a fog-covered sea.
“Aslan…?”
He looked up at the person standing before him, and in his confused state, showed a sad smile.
After a long silence, Jiang Jianming slowly sat down and pulled the blood-covered emperor onto his lap.
“Was this how you saved me back then?”
Ryann nuzzled against him in his arms, his voice low and hoarse, answering a different question. “Jiang, listen to me… just now, I had a dream…”
After days of continuous experimental torture, his cognition had become confused, as if returning to when he first gained consciousness, when he was first born in the Gray Owl laboratory of the old empire.
In his confused state, he didn’t know he was dreaming, only feeling that all the pain in his body was worth rejoicing over, rejoicing so much he almost cried.
“In the dream…”
“I hadn’t met you yet.”
Because in the dream, they were about to meet, rather than nearing farewell.
If possible, how he wished he could relive these twenty-plus years. This time, he would surely find him much earlier, protect him much better.
But the beautiful dream ended. Jiang Jianming stroked his head and sighed, saying, “Enough, stop this.”
“No.”
“Your Majesty, listen to me.”
“No…”
Ryann wearily lowered his eyes, slowly shaking his head, kissing Jiang Jianming’s cold fingertips, “You… don’t go… there’s still a way… you don’t know, I saved you last time…”
“Let go, Your Majesty.”
Ryann’s eyes gradually reddened. “I won’t let you go.”
Jiang Jianming: “I’m sorry, but…”
Ryann panicked, grabbing Jiang Jianming’s hand. “No, you can’t, I know you’re very tired, but can you wait a bit longer? You won’t have to suffer at all, can you—”
He paused, in an almost begging tone. “Go into hibernation, Aslan, Jiang, please.”
“…” Jiang Jianming dimly turned away his gaze.
“Don’t you want to see the military academy built? And the library? Don’t you want to see the situation of the disabled people improve? It’ll be soon, very soon…”
“Don’t you want to visit the Glorious Dominion? Hmm, say something? You’ve never been there, I heard they’re building a memorial statue of Helga, it’ll be finished by the end of this year.”
“I hurt you last time, you haven’t punished me yet. I failed in the expedition, you also haven’t told me why…”
Jiang Jianming, who had remained unmoved until now, finally sighed helplessly, “Wasn’t that because you were avoiding me, hmm?”
“Ryann?”
Just this gentle call made His Majesty suddenly cry again. Ryann trembled like a frozen small animal, desperately nuzzling into Jiang Jianming’s embrace, tightly gripping his fingers and refusing to let go.
He kept crying, sobbing hoarsely, “Stay, I won’t make mistakes anymore, I’ll always listen to you…”
Jiang Jianming: “Your Majesty, you can’t be tamed by anyone forever. When I’m gone, become a real person.”
“No, let me try once more, maybe there’ll be results this time…!”
“Please, please… Jiang, I’m begging you!!”
—It was completely impossible to communicate. Jiang Jianming sighed deeply with a headache. The one in his arms was crying so hard he could barely speak clearly, nothing like an emperor at all.
The originally clean clothes were now covered in blood from Ryann. Jiang Jianming tried desperately to comfort him for a long time but couldn’t succeed – he felt the emperor was about to faint from crying.
Jiang Jianming looked pleadingly at Sylph, who maintained a composed appearance and gave him a sweet smile.
Jiang Jianming: “…”
For a moment, he suspected he had been set up.
****
The next day, Jiang Jianming sat across from Lin Ge, covering his mouth with his fist and clearing his throat. “Cough, um… let’s discuss the frozen hibernation matter…”
Lin Ge stared at him blankly. “Didn’t you say yesterday you wouldn’t consider it?”
Jiang Jianming held his forehead. “His Majesty cried so pitifully, I couldn’t hold out.”
