Jiang Jianming knew a little about the love and hate relationship between Major General Xie and his wife.
To put it simply, the Xie family was a new noble who started out as a commoner, and the ancestors were wealthy businessmen who had nothing but money. And the Sekt family was an old noble who surrendered to the empire. It was a pity that even though the ancestors had an illustrious reputation, because the younger generations temporarily lacked manpower and resources, the speed of decline in the past few decades was like sitting on a starship.
Xie Yuduo and Donna, at the age of not yet sensible little kids, under the advocacy of both parents, it was decided that both be betrothed to each other. They grew up together as childhood sweethearts, and they knew that each other would be their significant other from a young age.
Logically speaking, the next step should be such a political marriage, done since time immemorial, or make do with kindness, love, or respect for each other to make it through such a lifetime.
The problem laid with this person. Xie Yuduo.
No one knew from which gene of his ancestors did Major General Xie’s military talent, pursuit of the sea of stars, and loyalty to the Empire were mutated from.
This person skipped a grade and went to the Kaios Military Academy, graduated as the chief of the First College, and after working in the Golden Sun Wheel for two years, finally devoted himself to Silver Big Dipper without any regrets, and strode towards the forefront of the Far Interstellar.
…Leaving Miss Donna, who was still young, with the newly born baby in her arms.
And Donna von Sekt was a very traditional old aristocratic woman who liked jewelry and flowers, yearns for romantic love, and hopes to have a handsome gentleman husband who would hold her arm at dinner parties, and Xie Yuduo was obviously not such a person.
Xie Yuduo had been stationed in the Far Interstellar Space all year round, and when immersed in the affairs of the fortress, he wouldn’t even be able to call his family for a whole year, which made many young recruits think that the major general was still single.
Donna, on the other hand, day after day, year after year, lived alone and raised her daughter alone. She couldn’t endure the torment of her youth, and she wouldn’t be able to bear the kind of mental torture that she may receive the news of her husband’s death at any time.
Perhaps at first, she just wanted to use her reckless behavior to discourage Xie Yudou, or to at least let him care about his family a little more.
It’s a pity that the couple still failed to reach a reconciliation until the love turned into hatred.
Amidst the ups and downs of the music, Donna stepped into the central ballroom, casually danced a few laps with several men who came forward to invite her to dance, and finally hooked onto Laurent’s shoulders.
The two swirled to the music, Donna’s black curly hair fluttered and jewelries gleamed under the lights.
Jiang Jianming watched from a distance, and turned his head to talk to Audrey in a low voice. “So, Madame Sect in Aslan…cough, the matter of an ambiguous relationship, does the major general himself also know?”
Audrey took a sip of the red wine. “Should have tacitly agreed, otherwise the military department wouldn’t be able to ignore this kind of thing.”
Jiang Jianming: “Already…..like this, why not get a divorce?”
“Jiang, it’s impossible even for me to have a clear understanding about other people’s private affairs.”
Audrey smiled bitterly, “It may be because of family level reasons…or maybe it’s because of the children. In their situation, Major General Xie is also the General of the Silver Big Dipper. If they divorce, there is a high probability that Little Emilia will be awarded to the Xie family, but Madame Donna couldn’t bear to part with her daughter. Anyway, Major General Xie doesn’t care about her, that’s all.”
“…..” Jiang Jianming stared at Madame Donna’s expensive set of high-end dance dress and jewelries all over her body, and thought to himself: If he had known that the major general was so rich, he should have bluffed the report for reimbursement.
The Snow Dove that was damaged in the last fierce battle in the star city had been sent to the Golden Sun Wheel for repairs, and with supplementary purchases such as energy ammunition, he was once again poor.
Time passed, and soon Audrey was approached by Madame Donna for a conversation, and Jiang Jianming tactfully dodged to the side, patiently waiting for what was to happen to him.
But until the end of the dinner, Laurent only came over halfway and invited him to chat for a while in the quiet corridor.
And the content of the conversation was really just like what was written in the message. Seventy to eighty percent of them were serious topics such as the situation of the empire and where the non-crystal race should go.
Fortunately, Jiang Jianming had a clear idea in his heart, and carefully chose the unlikely to go wrong words to chat with him.
The conversation, which lasted less than an hour, ended as fireworks started to be set off outside the compound.
When the sky filled with fireworks lit up the night, Laurent turned around with a smile, “Your Excellency the Crown Princess, how was it? These fireworks. Every year I set them off for an hour, and everyone always likes them very much.”
“As I mentioned, I am no longer the crown princess.” Jiang Jianming said gently.
Laurent shook his head. “Until the next crown prince is selected, His Highness Ryann will still be the Crown Prince, and you will still be the Crown Princess.”
Jiang Jianming insisted, “I have never been a princess in the true sense. Private engagement is just an act of being young and ignorant. Your Excellency the Prime Minister, please let it go.”
Laurent laughed a few times, then turned to look at the young man in front of him with deep eyes. “…the royal family and the empire owe you a lot, and I really have no position to persuade you to let go of your worries.”
The prime minister spread out a hand, and his eyes seemed to reflect the flickering fireworks. “But Your Excellency the Crown Princess, you must know that whether it is an individual, the empire, or even a species…not giving up on something, one cannot evolve in the direction of progress.”
Jiang Jianming smiled politely, “Do you also want to give up, such like me, the so-called elimination of disabled human race?”
“How could it be possible?”
Laurent pointed behind him with his finger, “Look.”
Jiang Jianming turned his head, the corridor was empty, at first he didn’t understand why Laurent asked him to look at it.
But as he moved his gaze up, he saw a portrait framed in a dark gold frame hanging at the end.
It was…a photo of the Founding Emperor and Empress Dowager Sylph.
Jiang Jianming saw the Great Emperor Kaios first.
This legendary emperor was only twenty-five years old when he first ascended the throne. The young emperor had deep and cold eyebrows and eyes, and every inch of his beauty was flawless. He wore a crown on his head, held a scepter in his hand, and his platinum curly hair hung on the scarlet thick robe on his shoulders, and wound all the way to his waist.
And on his side, the young Empress Dowager Sylph had silver hair and blue eyes, with a clean and smooth skin. She was wrapped in a white gold-woven dress, with a smile on her pale pink lips, holding a bouquet of white lilies that symbolizes purity, like a saint coming out of a mural.
Thinking of Madame Donna, Jiang Jianming couldn’t help but feel the contrast.
In those years, the Great Emperor and Empress Sylph were also married politically.
It was the 62nd year of the Old Imperial Calendar. The rebel army launched from the Blue Mother Star had already attacked the Purple Silk Star City, and it was only a short distance away from the capital of the old empire——the Eternal Paradise.
However, the arduous war lasted for many years, and the rebels had reached their limit in terms of people and materials.
Not to mention that the Purple Silk couldn’t be attacked, the Eternal Paradise Star City’s artificial defense fortress, space artillery and the stationed old empire fleet were still waiting for them to exhaust their strength, making the situation reach an impasse.
At this time, the largest armed organization against the tyranny of the old empire at that time, the White Dove Red Leaf Party, made a crucial decision.
They joined the rebel army in a “conditional submission” manner.
The two most important conditions were: one, to divide specialized autonomous territories within the empire, that was, the glorious dominion afterwards…
The second was marriage, marrying the youngest daughter of the Consul of the White Pigeon Red Leaf Party, Sylph Song, who had just reached adulthood, to the emperor as his wife. After the establishment of the new empire, she would be named the only queen.
The conditions were quickly accepted, and the rebel army, which received material support, and the reinforcements from the White Pigeon Red Leaf Party attacked twice, breaking through the Purple Silk Star City in one go.
Soon, when a large number of old nobles in the Eternal Paradise saw that the battle was lost, they chose to surrender to save their lives. The rebel army only paid a small price of bloodshed, and stepped into the capital of the old empire.
It could be said that this marriage became the chess piece in the decisive victory.
What was rare was that although it seemed to be a forced choice under the circumstances, the emperor and his wife have always loved and respected each other…at least on the surface.
Under the portrait of the emperor and his wife, Laurent raised his face with a slight smile.
“I truly love this empire, and I love every living person in these three galaxies.”
He looked at Jiang Jianming beside him and said slowly, “The Great Emperor led the humans in this galaxy out of the dark quagmire, but this is not enough, far from enough…injustice and filth still existed.”
“I once asked a wise man the reason, and the wise man told me: because evil is not a quagmire, but a shadow that cannot be shaken off.”
“I hope to usher in a more different era…a new world where everyone can always have true light.”
“And in order to bring a better future to everyone, during this process, I am willing to help everyone give up on some unnecessary burdens.”
Laurent frowned, and he whispered, “It’s like a fish giving up its fins to possess a vast expanse of land. Your Excellency the Crown Princess, you…can you understand me?”
Jiang Jianming quietly listened to Laurent until he finished speaking. He didn’t show it on his face, but his mind was actually a little distracted.
Too similar.
The Great Emperor Kaios and Ryann…or rather, Garcia.
Perhaps because it was precisely too similar that when he looked at the group photo of His Majesty the Great Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, he felt a subtle discomfort in his heart.
No way. The corner of Jiang Jianming’s eyes twitched. He thought to himself in a daze. Will I also eat such a low-level vinegar?
No, he can’t be that childish.
It must be due to being entangled by Garcia for a long time.
Jiang Jianming was secretly annoyed by his strange emotion, thus naturally, he was in a slightly bad mood.
He was not aware of his problem of “talking very viciously when he is in a bad mood”, therefore, when he opened his mouth calmly, the first sentence was, “You are wrong, Your Excellency Laurent.”
In the distance, colorful fireworks exploded, and the chilly night wind carried the children’s laughter.
Jiang Jianming said calmly, “It’s not that the fish gave up its fins to possess vast expanse of land. It’s the fins of the fish that evolved into limbs that enabled the fish to crawl on land.”
“It seems that Your Excellency’s knowledge of biology is still somewhat lacking.”
He smiled softly, “Fortunately, you didn’t help the fish cut off its fins, otherwise it would be terrible.”
“…….”
Silence permeated the night.
In the corridor, the shadows of the two people elongated faintly, as if some kind of confrontation.
At some point, the elegant smile faded from Laurent’s eyes. He scanned Jiang Jianming from head to toe with a chilling gaze.
Jiang Jianming cleared his throat. “Sorry, it was a joke.”
Laurent withdrew his gaze, and gave a hearty smile. “Where are the words…Your Excellency is right, my knowledge is shallow, I have learned from you.” (TL: or “Not at all…..)
Their conversation stopped there, and after Laurent placed his hand to his chest and saluted Jiang Jianming, he turned and walked to the courtyard where the people gathered.
Jiang Jianming stood here alone for a long time, catching the cool night breeze, and staring at the beautiful and well-matched portrait of the emperor and empress with empty eyes.
He knew that it was not a painting created by the painter completely according to their own will, but a copied photo. It was said that the original photo was preserved in the White Jade Palace. Many people who regard the Great Emperor as their belief like to buy a copy to hang on the wall, or make a copy of the photo into an electronic projection.
In a trance, Jiang Jianming had an illusion that the eyes of the emperor and empress dowager in the painting seemed to be looking at him from afar.
He didn’t know where this feeling came from, maybe every person who looked up at the portrait of the emperor and empress would have this feeling… He didn’t know.
Beep beep…
The sudden sound of the wrist device called back Jiang Jianming, who had many imaginations continuously emerging in his mind.
It was the timer he set himself, to remind himself to check the text messages, and to timely appease the Little Highness who was locked at home by him.
At this stage, it could be speculated that there was something wrong with Laurent, and insisting on going to the banquet alone, made Garcia annoyed for a long time again.
But there was no choice. Whether it was to avoid as much as possible, not to cause trouble or to avoid causing large-scale public commotion. Garcia was not suitable to follow him.
Garcia himself was aware of this matter, so in the end, he only emphasized the need to reply to the message in a timely manner. If he didn’t reply within the time limit, His Royal Highness would personally come over.
Jiang Jianming immediately turned on his wrist device to reply, but soon, he unexpectedly discovered…..In addition to several text messages from Garcia, there was also a message from the military.
The sender was Old Marshal Chen. There was no text in the content, and only a video file was attached.
Jiang Jianming’s spirit was lifted up, he hoped that it was a clue about the real crystal ores. While confirming that there were no people or surveillance around, he put on an earpiece and at the same time clicked on the video with his fingers.
The wrist device projected the video into a small window, and the general who appeared on the opposite side was wearing the Silver Big Dipper military uniform, and his handsome eyebrows and eyes were intertwined with fortitude and coquettishness that should have been contradictory. It turned out to be the ‘long time no see’ Major General Xie, Xie Yuduo.
“Little Excellency, it’s me, it’s Xie Yuduo.”
Major General Xie sat lazily on the seat, with one leg folded over the other, but his eyes were full of energy.
The background behind him was a bit strange, it’s not in the fortress or the wilderness, but it looked like the control room of a ship.
“I left this communication message using the military’s interstellar communication device. You and His Highness should be together, so I won’t go on repeating it again.”
“Maybe it’s a bit sudden, and I don’t want to scare you, but…”
The cheers of the crowd floated faintly in the distance, and Xie Yuduo’s voice was drowned by it.
On the projection, the smile between the major general’s eyebrows and eyes was also illuminated by a ray of white light rising from the night sky. His lips parted and closed.
“I’m currently sitting in the starship of Silver Big Dipper, and the starship is on its way to the Crystal Nest.”
Boom……
Fireworks bloom, brilliant as day.
Jiang Jianming’s brain went completely blank while being dazzled by the light.
The world was jubilant, and the sound of the beating heart was stretched out and amplified in the eardrums, which caused him not to hear clearly…or suspected that he did not hear Xie Yuduo clearly.
Jiang Jianming adjusted the progress bar of the message a little bit forward, thus this time, he heard it clearly.
Xie Yuduo said, “…the starship is on its way to the Crystal Nest.”
