This grand imperial wedding made the entire empire boil with excitement for a month before finally settling down.
During this time, countless people became obsessed with the couple to the point of dizziness, and all sorts of wild things appeared on the intelligence network.
“Wedding of the century!! They truly deserve this [throwing flowers][throwing flowers][throwing flowers]”
“Ten Iron Blood Emperor-Commander fans in tears, it’s perfect, perfect.”
“Indeed, living long enough to see wonders is the eternal truth. I must exercise well to live a long life and witness every sweet moment between Their Majesties in the future!!”
——These were the relatively normal ones.
“Question, I want to fund a memorial hall for Their Majesties at my own expense. What’s the application process?”
“Question +1, suppose I previously purchased small statues of both the Emperor and Commander, now if I arrange the two statues in a kissing position on my table, is that illegal?”
“Don’t leave! Share the link to buy… I mean, the small statues!”
——These were the somewhat fanatical ones.
“Hehe, I furiously produced a 200,000-word 18X ancient-style fan fiction, names are coded, those who know will understand, read it quietly everyone. [Difficult to Bear Your Grace.txt]”
“What the hell??? This friend must be drunk……”
“Open up, checking whatever form that is.”
——This was… playing too wildly and getting the account banned.
This caused the Minister of Industry and Information Technology to nervously ask the emperor whether new regulations should be introduced to impose some restraint.
Jiang Jianming heard about this through Lin Ge and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“Let it be, let it be. Taboos against rulers are the first step toward autocracy. Mother used to say that if you want to know whether an empire is open-minded, there is a simple standard of judgment——see whether ordinary people dare to call the ruler’s name in public.”
He sighed helplessly. “The kids are having fun, just let them play.”
“Oh,” Lin Ge nodded, “so you’re officially authorizing secondary creations, right?”
Jiang Jianming: “Get out of here.”
Perhaps this incident became a catalyst. The next day, deep in the White Jade Palace, the two newly-wed Majesties had a conversation unknown to others.
“Now that the external crisis has been resolved, and the internal conflicts between nobles and commoners, between the two races, have eased. I think it’s time for this empire to try some changes.”
Jiang Jianming put down his teacup, lowered his gaze and gently blew on the tea, “What does Your Majesty think?”
“Changes?” Ryann’s heart stirred as he reached out to pour tea for him, “You want to… reform the current imperial system?”
“Yes, thoroughly eliminate the aristocratic system and make this society more equal. This is also what the White Dove Red Leaf Society aspired to. However, the realistic conditions at that time were insufficient, and this ideal could only become a castle in the air.”
Ryann chuckled softly. “The Commander is quite blunt. Zhen is right in front of you, and you want to abolish Zhen? And you’re even asking for Zhen’s opinion?”
Jiang Jianming kept a straight face. “Aren’t I also Your Majesty’s spouse? By that logic, what I want is… to die together with you.”
Ryann laughed out loud. He suddenly reached out to hook the neck of Jiang Jianming across from him, pulled him close, and pressed their foreheads together——
“Zhen has no desire to be an emperor,” he tilted his head and kissed Jiang Jianming’s lips, “Be good, if your physical examination results reach a passing grade today, Zhen will consider this matter.”
Jiang Jianming: “Ah, yes, yes, you only have desire for me. So will you turn into crystal and devour me again tonight?”
Hearing this, Ryann suddenly became serious. “Let’s talk about this issue.”
“Jiang, you shouldn’t indulge me too much. In the future, when I can’t resist the urge to absorb you, you should learn to refuse.”
Jiang Jianming blinked. “It’s fine, I don’t feel uncomfortable.”
Ryann: “No, I’ll become addicted.”
“Will… will you?”
“Yes.” Ryann gritted his teeth and took a light breath, looking exactly like someone determined to make a painful decision, “We need to quit, gradually reduce the frequency, and in the future only once a month, or twice… on special days, as a gift or reward.”
Jiang Jianming: “I certainly have no problem with that.”
But you look like you’re suffering terribly trying to restrain yourself. Is it really necessary to use your self-control on something like this…
Perhaps this was a racial difference? Jiang Jianming fell into contemplation.
Perhaps for Ryann, who possessed the crystalline attribute, taking his beloved into his own body was a very comfortable thing?
Like between human partners… Jiang Jianming’s expression turned strange as he glanced at Ryann: no, no, no, if that was the comparison, wouldn’t limiting it to once or twice a month be too cruel?
****
Time passed steadily this way, with golden roses in the palace blooming and withering, year after year, month after month, equally brilliant.
Later, the empire built a small floating fortress at the coordinates of the original Crystal Nest.
Though called a fortress, it actually served no purpose and was not equipped with military facilities. The empire did not station troops there, only intelligent machines performed routine inspections.
The only landmark there was a giant monument to the fallen heroes.
It was a monument, and also a lighthouse.
Many scholars believed that the Crystal War was not an ending, but a prelude to humanity entering the great cosmic era.
Perhaps in the future, humans would encounter more unknown forms of cosmic life, and when that time came, the fires of war would reignite, and their descendants would embark on new journeys.
“Who can say for sure?”
At the newly built Black Shark Base headquarters, Sylph sat in a swivel chair, looking at the flickering star map and said with a smile. “Perhaps right now, some cosmic race hundreds or thousands of light years away has observed our war with the crystals and become interested, already preparing to run to the human star system to take a look.”
Lin Ge wailed. “Spare me!”
Sylph: “We can’t lose our sense of crisis. Aren’t we already working on establishing relevant departments? Has the minister in charge been selected?”
Lin Ge: “Well, that person has been chosen.”
Sylph’s eyes lit up. “Who?”
Lin Ge: “You.”
“……?”
“Who else but you?” Lin Ge walked behind Sylph and patted her shoulder, “Empress, please quickly find a second leader for the base, you have a new position now.”
……
White Jade Palace.
The esteemed Emperor Kaios was following an online tutorial, carving apples into a plate of red-skinned little rabbits.
After arranging the little rabbits, he somehow felt they looked adorable. So he opened his wrist device, took a photo and sent it to Jiang Jianming: [Come back to eat apples.]
After sending this message, Ryann washed his hands and sat back at the table waiting for a reply.
One minute passed, two minutes passed……
Outside the window, the sky was clear, but no one came. Sitting in the palace, the blonde emperor wilted with boredom, his eyes gradually losing their luster.
No reply again. A few days ago, Jiang had said he set a “special reminder” for him, but this person was indeed always good at deceiving.
Of course, this wasn’t to say that he couldn’t live without him, just that he needed to be more attentive to a physically weak lover; nor was it that he had some neurotic psychological trauma, just a consideration for safety concerns……
Ryann sent another message via his wrist device: [Where are you?]
After another moment, Jiang Jianming finally replied with a location.
And added: [The rabbits are cute, I’ll eat them when I get back.]
The displayed location was at Kaios Military Academy, obviously a very safe place.
Ryann was instantly alert: [Why are you at the military academy? Didn’t you say you were going to the library to borrow books?]
Jiang Jianming: [On the way back I met my former teacher, who said they built a new mecha arena this month, and I couldn’t resist taking a look.]
Ryann: [Oh, the mecha arena.]
Ryann: [You even went inside.]
Ryann: [Really just taking a look?]
In the third district of Aslan Star City, at Kaios Military Academy.
Inside the newly built mecha arena, the crowd roared.
In the spectator stands, a group of young boys and girls blushed, letting out meaningless screams like “Ahhh, Commander Jiang is so cool——!!” or “Oooooh!!”
On the field stood an ordinary E-class mecha, a common model used by new students.
However, at this moment, its mechanical arm firmly pinned another D-class mecha that was two sizes larger to the ground. The latter struggled desperately to break free, but its head was stomped down with a “clang,” finally unable to move at all.
The shield in front of the E-class mecha’s cockpit fell away. Jiang Jianming released the control lever and said gently, “Your movements are good, but your fundamentals aren’t solid enough. Go back and practice more.”
Inside the opposite mecha, the student nervously climbed out, “Yes… yes! Thank you for your guidance, Commander!!”
Jiang Jianming was about to say something more when the flashing message alert interrupted him.
As soon as he opened the communication page, he saw Ryann’s three questions probing his soul.
“……”
Commander Jiang guiltily glanced at the manual control panel in front of him.
He understood the reasoning, but…
It had been almost two years since he’d touched a mecha. Couldn’t he scratch this itch just once!
Ryann: [……Jiang.]
Ryann: [The apple rabbits are oxidizing.]
This message was excessively pitiful. Jiang Jianming couldn’t help but visualize a “QAQ” or a “crying cat head.jpg” emoji at the end.
He felt as if his heart had been stabbed, his guilt skyrocketing. He even started imagining Ryann crying into a puddle of liquid cat.
What made it worse was that because similar scenes had actually happened before, his guilt became even more severe.
Commander Jiang retreated in defeat: [Coming back now.]
Ryann was relentless: [It’s too late, they’ve already oxidized.]
Ryann: [image.jpg]
Ryann: [Look at them.]
Jiang Jianming: [What should we do, how about you eat them first, and we’ll carve another batch together when I get back?]
Ryann whispered demonically across the network: [But these aren’t ordinary apples. Aileen Agate, fifty thousand credits each.]
Jiang Jianming collapsed: [Fine, fine, fine, I’m leaving now. I’ll rent a flying vehicle to come back, okay?]
Ryann: [No, stay where you are and wait for me to come to you.]
By the time Ryann arrived at Kaios Military Academy in the palace’s flying vehicle, that mecha was already sitting in the open arena.
About a hundred military academy students stood in the field, along with several famous mecha instructors. Brand new referee robots ran around chaotically, their screens replaying the mecha battle that had just ended.
The mecha sat in the center of the field, its cockpit open. Jiang Jianming was inside, talking and smiling, his eyes very gentle.
The academy students surrounded him, many young and naive faces chattering away.
These children must have initially been nervous and fearful, blushing and unable to utter a word.
But Commander Jiang appeared so gentle, so approachable, just like a young new teacher. Soon they were chatting enthusiastically.
Ryann felt a moment of daze. He controlled the flying vehicle to descend little by little, staring intently at Jiang Jianming’s profile.
He seemed to see a bonfire in the wilderness, a broken human in tattered cloak surrounded by refugees… in fact, he had never seen it with his own eyes, only heard Lin Ge’s description.
But at this moment, the dark night had been transformed into blue skies and white clouds. The children stood with straight chests and bright eyes. There was nothing more beautiful, nothing more stirring than this.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, Jiang Jianming looked up and immediately saw Ryann’s flying vehicle. He waved and called out. “Your Majesty!”
Ryann stopped the flying vehicle and walked toward him. Jiang Jianming then used his hand on the edge of the mecha cockpit as leverage and jumped down directly.
Ryann was startled and instinctively rushed forward a couple of steps, extending his crystal bones to catch him, and in the next second, held the person steadily in his arms.
Immediately, among the military academy students, erupted a wave of screams they tried hard to suppress but couldn’t.
The mecha teachers were both amused and embarrassed, reprimanding the children for their rudeness.
Ryann raised his eyebrows and snorted, putting Jiang Jianming down. He put on an inscrutable expression, turned around——and from the driver’s seat window of the flying vehicle, took out a small lunch box.
He opened it, while using an exquisite silver pick to stab a rabbit-shaped apple and handed it to Jiang Jianming, simultaneously glaring coldly at the military academy teachers and students:
“The Commander’s health is poor. Who incited him to get into a mecha?”
