Jiang Jianming obtained the optical brain a month after waking up.
He wanted to make up for the knowledge gap of the past year, and the smart network was still the most efficient method. He was psychologically resistant, but constantly avoiding was not a solution.
Of course, the more important reason was that lying in bed and recuperating was truly very boring.
The virtual screen opened into a semi-circular rectangular shape, and Jiang Jianming saw the smart network search engine page, feeling as if he had experienced a lifetime.
— After the Far Star network disconnection, he had not visited the imperial network for a long time.
He first scanned the hot searches of major social platforms. But these past few days were calm, with celebrity gossip and TV drama marketing occupying half the landscape, and the rest were internet jokes and humorous news, with no useful information.
Jiang Jianming casually clicked into a film hot search and watched the promotional trailer for a big movie with the crystal particle battle as its background.
As he smiled to himself, his wrist device rang, and Ryann asked with a serious face. “Can you really do this this afternoon?”
“Mm-hmm,” Jiang Jianming was absent-minded.
Ryann: “… What are you doing?”
Jiang Jianming: “Browsing the smart network.”
The other side fell silent, and Jiang Jianming helplessly said, “Okay, okay, today it’s just saying a few words in front of the camera. It’s not the imperial palace, not even a room, and not directly facing the crowd, so don’t be so anxious.”
A week ago, the empire had released the news of his awakening, and today was his first public appearance. Several official media would come in the afternoon, and according to Ryann’s meaning, he just needed to greet them from his sickbed.
Ryann: “Don’t browse the internet for too long, it’ll exhaust you.”
Jiang Jianming: “Mm-hmm-hmm.”
Jiang Jianming continued to perfunctorily comfort the other side, moved his fingers, and logged into his Kaios Military Academy account.
The familiar page popped up.
The Kaios Military Academy’s official website had an anonymous internal forum that wouldn’t be canceled after graduation, and it was lively all 365 days a year. From popular entertainment to hot news to daily casual posts, everything could be discussed.
Jiang Jianming had just clicked into the largest traffic miscellaneous discussion area when his eye twitched—
The first post in the top row was starkly:
Home —>> Mixed —>> Miscellaneous Discussion Area
Theme: “Textual Research, A Shallow Analysis of the Ocean of Hatred and Heavenly Love between the Founding Emperor and the Commander — Using Historical Materials from the Founding War and Early Establishment Period” [hot] [essence]
Pages: (1) (2) (3) … (49)
Jiang Jianming: “…”
What could make you discuss this for a full nineteen pages!
Wait, why was it even essentialized? Was this opening gossip post really worth essence? What was the administrator doing!
He forcibly hypnotized himself into not seeing it and clicked “Post”.
Theme: “【Back to Relearning the Basics】Just Back from Far Star, Seeking Three Years of Temporal Science Popularization”
Far Star Silver Big Dipper soldiers often become disoriented after long-term separation from the Imperial Star City, with confusion after retirement being common. Therefore, in the Kaios Military Academy’s internal forum, such help posts were frequently seen.
With the academy’s quality standing there, and both students and staff highly respecting the Silver Big Dipper, they would usually enthusiastically provide science popularization, even setting up a special prefix “Back to Relearning the Basics”.
Because the atmosphere was so good, even soldiers who didn’t graduate from Kaios Military Academy would specially apply for temporary accounts, just to post requests for enlightenment.
Soon, red small dots began popping up in Jiang Jianming’s backend. After refreshing, replies appeared under his post.
1F Anonymous (Original Poster)
-Returned from medical treatment, opened the smart network and found nothing comprehensible. Advance thanks for enlightenment.
2F
-First row, welcome home hero [flower scatter][flower scatter][flag]
3F
-Welcome home!!!
4F
-Welcome home, original poster, take care of your health
…
The earliest few replies were basically without nutrition, as enlightenment masters also needed time to type. Jiang Jianming exited from his post.
Then, he saw the “Emperor and Commander’s Ocean of Hatred” so-called textual research post again.
— Good heavens, you’re just floating on the homepage and can’t go down, right??
Jiang Jianming’s face was expressionless, his finger hovering over the “block this post” button for three to five seconds, before finally silently… clicking open the post.
He wanted to see to what extent they could research this. And what exactly was the topic that could make this post stretch to nineteen pages!
First, a pinned image jumped out.
The twilight sky was like molten gold, the setting sun illuminating the palace walls of the old imperial Yongle Garden. Two figures stood at the highest point, backlit so their faces and clothes were indistinguishable, but everyone knew it was Kaios and Aslan.
The image quality was slightly blurry, likely captured by a soldier’s wrist device, but the blur was just right, bringing forth an artistic sense of “standing side by side overlooking the vast world”, making it seem even more dreamlike.
Jiang Jianming’s heart rate increased slightly. Restraining a subtle sense of embarrassment, he clicked “download original image” and “save”.
Then he looked at the main post.
1F Du Kang Relieve Worries (Original Poster)
-Yesterday, while chatting with a young child about the Holy War, I said the Great Emperor had deep, unrequited feelings for the Commander, which startled the kid. Actually, by carefully analyzing things, one can always find traces. As a historian, the basic literacy is… (rest omitted)
…I just want to open this post to discuss the clues I’ve discovered over these years. Next, I will, with a serious attitude of textual research, bold speculation, and rigorous verification, explain my perspective to everyone.
[Emperor and Commander’s City Wall Pinned Image.jpg]
This was not recent, but from several years ago.
Du Kang Relieve Worries, Du…
Jiang Jianming’s eyes were a sheet of dead gray: “.”
— Teacher! Teacher, what are you doing, teacher!!!
As expected, the early replies were crazy insults like “Heretic/cult, roll away” “Hoping the sugar-blood-loving idiot fails every exam” “If you’re staff, hoping you fail the year-end assessment” “History department new student’s pain mask, can you stop insulting history researchers?”
But the teacher remained as steady as Mount Tai, seemingly not seeing the scolding at all, seriously listing and analyzing evidence.
13F Du Kang Relieve Worries (Original Poster)
-Cutting to the chase. Since we’re discussing the relationship between Emperor Kaios and Commander Aslan, we must first analyze how these two specifically came to know each other.
Everyone should know that Commander Aslan left very few video materials. Our current understanding of the Commander’s appearance mostly comes from oral accounts from the old generals and soldiers of the Founding era, and very rare videos. Frontal photos simply don’t exist.
This is strange. Although Dawn Aslan was a wanderer from the wild area, he later worked as a staff member in the official residence. The official residence certainly wasn’t lacking in high-tech equipment. How could he not leave a single photo? To achieve this, unless the Great Emperor intentionally concealed the Commander’s appearance and background from the start. What does this suggest? It suggests their meeting must have been very early, with a greater likelihood of a private acquaintance preceding Aslan’s recruitment to the official residence, where he was immediately hidden tightly by the Great Emperor.
14F
-Can we ban this idiot? @Administrator
15F
-What is this nonsense? How could a wild area wanderer possibly meet the little prince of Yongle Star City? This is completely contradictory!
16F
-Uh, is the original poster having a mental breakdown during exam week and coming to the forum to go crazy?
No worries, there’s a make-up exam. Pat on the shoulder, even His Highness Jiang failed exams before, so what’s there to fear!
17F >>Reply to 16F
-Wake up, you saint. His Highness Jiang enrolled combat practice, fighting actual crystal people… One might say passing the make-up exam would be the real miracle.
…
35F Du Kang Relieve Worries (Original Poster)
-While researching the Founding War, I found something interesting: a very obscure book called “Old Emperor’s 52nd Year Blue Mother Star Miscellany”, published in the 8th year of the New Emperor’s reign, discussing the actual situation when the young Prince Kaios first took over Blue Mother Star. The author is unknown but has solid credentials, with all claims being verifiable.
Interestingly, it records a rumor: that Prince Kaios once kept a disabled human lover. The author interviewed a temporary worker from the Blue Mother Star official residence, directly quoting on page 81: “That young prince was cold-faced and taciturn, only showing a gentle, soft expression when returning from the back courtyard. If his face was dark and his steps hurried, medical staff would soon be summoned.”
And on page 95, “That afternoon, I saw the prince actually take a box of jewelry circulating among nobles, hesitating before entering the back courtyard. He soon returned, looking dejected, probably because the disabled human didn’t like it much.”
……..
Jiang Jianming couldn’t help but laugh when he read this.
He knew approximately what time that passage was describing.
When he first entered the official residence, Ryann was probably trying hard to be good to him but didn’t know exactly how to treat him, existing in a state of “grab whatever good things and try to feed them to him”.
He, not understanding the situation, simply thought Ryann had inherited the luxurious bad habits of Yongle Garden’s nobility, remaining cold towards the gifts and even scolding the little prince occasionally.
Ryann would get scolded but never talk back, just bring different gifts to try again, seemingly enjoying the process.
Looking at it this way, he indeed seemed like a heartless, unfaithful man. Colloquially, well… a scumbag?
Thinking this, Jiang Jianming suddenly paused.
He frowned uncertainly, secretly thinking: His demand to keep the wedding expenses under 200,000 probably wasn’t unreasonable, right?
After all, Ryann’s gaze at him was truly resentful, and Lin Ge and Sylph had fallen silent when they heard about it.
Jiang Jianming mentally noted this and prepared to seriously search commodity prices after finishing this post.
42F Du Kang Relieve Worries (Original Poster)
-Anyone who slightly understands knows that no one has seen Commander Aslan’s crystal bone. Currently, there are two theories: first, Commander Aslan has been chronically ill, unable to release his crystal bone; second, the commander’s crystal bone level is too low, not matching his personal abilities and status, so he simply didn’t release it to others.
Regardless, this state of being weak and without a crystal bone is actually very similar to the public perception of non-crystal individuals. I boldly speculate that the rumored “disabled human lover” was likely Commander Aslan, secretly recuperating in the official residence.
If this is true, we can speculate widely. Did the Emperor initially bring him into the official residence as a staff member because he valued the commander’s abilities, or because of… more pure emotional reasons?
Oh, friends can click “only view original poster” for easier reading.
……
He had to admit, the post’s technical content was indeed high. Jiang Jianming read until noon, even continuing during lunch.
Finally feeling somewhat drowsy, he worried about affecting his afternoon state and thus closed the smart brain for a short nap.
He slept comfortably, and when he opened his eyes, he rolled half a turn on the pillow and grabbed his wrist device, finding a message from Ryann.
[Did you rest at noon? Don’t keep going online.]
[Take medicine after meals, Zhen will check when returning.]
[Are you asleep?]
[Jiang, reply when you wake up.]
It was exactly like a parent managing a child. Jiang Jianming smiled, sending Ryann the pinned image he had just saved.
Soon came a reply. [Where’s this from?]
Jiang Jianming typed. [Someone posted on the forum, looks pretty good, right?]
Ryann: [You like this feeling? Want to take wedding photos here?]
[Sure.]
After sending this, Jiang Jianming suddenly remembered the teacher saying he had no photos left, and added another line. [Even if not wedding photos, just taking vacation pictures would work.]
Ryann: [!]
The exclamation mark was retracted in a second, replaced by a [?]
Ryann asked reservedly. [What’s wrong with you? Did you see something messy online?]
Jiang Jianming: [No no, really not, just occasionally want to play around.]
Ryann: [I’ve opened the ticket page. When are we going? Would tonight be too rushed? How about the chartered flight at ten tomorrow morning?]
Jiang Jianming: “…”
He chatted with Ryann while unable to resist opening the campus forum again.
He was then surprised to discover many new posts had appeared on the homepage of the miscellaneous discussion area.
Home —>> Mixed —>> Miscellaneous Discussion Area
“F*ck, f*ck, f*ck, did you all see this!!!!!!” [hot]
“Who doesn’t know, at half past two in the afternoon! ! Can see Commander Aslan!!!”
“Sh*t sh*t sh*t, quick go see the ‘Imperial Announcement’ report, His Majesty is passionately confessing to the Commander hahahahaha”
“Trending, comrades, #FoundingEraEmperorCommanderOfficialAnnouncement#”
