CH 46

Past and Present (3)

….he was really being spoiled by Garcia.

The next day, as Jiang Jianming laid deep in the soft quilt, he opened his eyes, dazedly seeing that the time displayed on the inside of the treatment cabin had reached noon. 

Consequently, he thought so from the bottom of his heart.

“You didn’t catch a fever this time,” Garcia opened the cockpit lid, and felt Jiang Jianming’s forehead with the back of his fingers, “There is progress.” As he said this, His Highness’s arm passed through the back of Jiang Jianming’s neck, and wrapped his shoulders slowly. He held up his upper body steadily, lowered his voice and said, “Get up and eat something before continuing to sleep.”

Jiang Jianming lazily leaned on the prince’s shoulder, “I used to not be disturbed by the fatigue of the day before yesterday.” His eyelashes were drooping and his voice was a little hoarse, “Fever will not affect my training, I will only be tired but I won’t be able to sleep easily and will only be too lazy to lift my hands like now. “

Garcia paused, “You mean, you want me to feed you?”

Jiang Jianming: “…Did you only hear the last sentence?”

Of course, a joke was a joke.

If one wanted to stay in the distant interstellar world, it would be absolutely impossible to really be “pampered” to the point where one couldn’t lift his own shoulders or hands, 

Jiang Jianming himself knew it well, thus he got up to wash and eat after he sobered up a little.

Since he followed Garcia, the two have become “undomesticated” together, and there was no daily training that must be attended.

He sent the worn clothes to be changed and washed, ignored the officers and soldiers who were talking about him along the way, and sent the mecha for routine maintenance, hand in the collected real crystal ores, record the merit, and supplement crystal particle tranquilizers and new crystal bullets for the Wings of Venus.

After Jiang Jianming finished all this, he would be very free in the afternoon.

He sat at the desk and called Xie Yuduo.

Jiang Jianming smiled and propped his forehead, “Major General, are you free? I want to talk about the message left inside the Crown of Golden Dawn.”

The projection side was still Xie Yuduo’s office.

The major general, who was slumped on the table, sat up immediately and became rejuvenated, “What do you have in mind?”

“No, it’s just that I tried to deduce the meaning of a few images during this time. It may take up a little bit of your time. Please see when you are free……”

Xie Yuduo hurriedly said, “Now, right now.”

“That’s good.” Jiang Jianming nodded, he opened the notebook at hand, and picked up a pen.

——In this era, there were very few people who liked paper writing, and he was one of them.

Four lines of words were written inside the notebook: “Please ignite the withered years, pass through the lingering flames of the old civilization and the thousands of miles of cold stars, and wake up in my arms, before the dawn of mankind.”

It’s just that in this, there were many synopsis and annotations from the writer.

“As such, there is something strange about these few words.”

Jiang Jianming poked his own handwriting twice with the tip of his pen, pursed his lips and considered his  words, “After reading it for a long time, it gave me the sense of time and space disorder.”

“First, the term old civilization.”

“If it is based on our current time, it can have two directions. One is the human civilization in the Old Blue Mother Planet Era before the black wave radiation erupted.”

“Furthermore, it is the period from the eruption of the black wave radiation to the collapse of the Old Empire.”

“I personally prefer the latter. At the end of the Blue Mother Planet Era, the old humans lived a prosperous and peaceful life, pursuing civilization and progress. The impression is a bit different from the “withered years” in the previous sentence.”

Xie Yuduo frowned, and said, “Little Excellency, do you think that ‘withered years’ and ‘old civilization’ refer to the era of madness and chaos before the establishment of the New Empire?”

“It’s just a guess.”

Jiang Jianming looked at these words and pondered for a moment, and then said again, “Because the sentence ‘ignite the withered years’, from my intuitive impression, seems to refer to the founding war. “

“I remember reading this kind of sentence when I was in the military academy: ‘The Emperor’s starship iron cavalry was the start after the end, and quickly burned through the three galaxies like a raging fire, burning up the chaotic and disorderly era’………It is really common to use the meaning of igniting fire to refer to the founding war.”

“Continuing, ‘thousand of miles of cold stars’ should refer to the universe, this ‘mankind’ is such a big term, and ‘before the dawn’, it can be said to be the darkest and most painful moment of the night, but can also be said to be the most hopeful moment.”

“Speaking of which, don’t you find it strange?”

Suddenly, Jiang Jianming raised his head, and there seemed to be some sharp light in his clear eyes, “Looking at the first three sentences, Major General, do you think of anyone?”

Xie Yuduo didn’t have to ponder about it for a moment.

Jiang Jianming said indifferently, “Born in the dark and withered years, flames were ignited from the Blue Mother Star, the ending of the old civilization with the founding war, and the launch of the Holy Battle as expedition to the thousand of miles of cold star, bringing dawn to mankind.”

Xie Yuduo’s face changed suddenly.

He was stunned for four or five seconds, became hesitant to speak several times, and finally a title slipped out from his mouth, “……Great Emperor.”

Great Emperor?

For the people of the empire, this title had a special meaning.

Emperors could be changed from generation to generation, but there would be only one ‘Great Emperor’, and that was the founding emperor of the New Human Interstellar Empire.

Jiang Jianming turned silent for a moment, “Major General, how much do you know about……His Majesty the Empress Dowager Sylph?”

Assuming that the answer to the riddle was really related to history and the founding emperor, then whoever could say the words “my love” to the emperor……

Naturally, it should be the emperor’s beloved wife, the extremely mysterious Empress Dowager who had lived in the White Jade Palace for decades since the emperor died.

“Wait wait wait.”

Xie Yuduo managed to recover from the deduction of “Great Emperor”, and quickly took a sip of tea to suppress his shock, “Little Excellency, but these words, didn’t His Royal Highness Ryann left it for you—”

“No, Major General, I doubt it very much.”

Jiang Jianming shook his head, he frowned, “Is this letter really written by ‘Ryann’ to ‘me’? …Objectively, there should be no other possibility, however…….”

However emotionally, he subconsciously felt that something was wrong.

The message was left in the cockpit of the Crown of Golden Dawn, and only Jiang Jianming, who was carrying Seth Henry, could open its cockpit.

This also meant that the person who left this message firmly believed that he would come to the Far Star, firmly believed that he would work hard in Silver Big Dipper, and in the end, successfully come into contact with this unusual mecha.

The person was even more convinced that he would get to open the mecha, crack the code, read such an unclear but heavy enough message, and would strive to explore the meaning behind it.

Here was the doubtful point.

Just like Garcia now, Ryann had always been a little overprotective towards him before, and Jiang Jianming knew it.

The Crown Prince three years ago would rather “sever ties” than reveal the truth to his lover.

Can Ryann really imagine that Jiang Jianming would not give up to such an extent, and personally go to the distant interstellar to collect his body?

“…..No.”

Jiang Jianming shook his head, he told Xie Yuduo his opinion, and then said in a low voice, “The Little Highness, he was reluctant.”

“The Little Highness was only seventeen years old, still too young.”

“If you say that he endured humiliation himself, I’d believe it; but if you say that he has the awareness, push me into danger every step of the way, and use his last words to guide me to find out the truth–at least, as far as I know, His Royal Highness Ryann, he wouldn’t be able to do it………………” 

Before he could finish the sentence “wouldn’t be able to do it”, there was a creak behind Jiang Jianming.

Xie Yuduo was listening intently with a turbulent heart, and was almost not startled by this sound.

Upon closer inspection, the side door of the bedroom was opened by Garcia on the other side.

Jiang Jianming turned his head, frowned and lowered his voice, “Your Highness, follow the rules.”

Thus Garcia, who poked his head out over there, tightened his lips, and closed the door sluggishly.

Knock, knock.

A knock sounded on the door.

Jiang Jianming: “Please come in.”

Garcia opened the door and walked in.

This series of movements was so smooth that Xie Yudao was stunned speechless, and almost knocked over the teacup next to his hand.

–Learning to knock on the door before entering, how did he tame him so quickly??

Back then, the identities of Jiang Jianming and Prince Ryann were very different. However, it only took more than a year for them to get married from the time they first got acquainted.

At that time Xie Yuduo didn’t know the details, he just thought it was absurd and very funny.

But now, after witnessing how these two get along with each other, Major General Xie fell into deep confusion.

They were together for a year and a half back then, why haven’t they had a baby yet?

Oh, they’re not yet of legal childbearing age in the Empire.

That’s all right.

Garcia walked behind Jiang Jianming, glanced at Xie Yuduo with a cold expression, “You two, do you have so much to say every day?” He reached out and took the notebook on the table, “What is this?”

Jiang Jianming didn’t mind him looking at it, and only stood up and faced him, “A piece of ciphertext that I need to decipher. What do you think these words mean?”

Xie Yuduo became nervous, he didn’t expect the Little Excellency to be so courageous, to dare and ask himself directly!

Jiang Jianming: “Don’t think much about it, just tell me your first impression, Your Highness.”

Garcia looked at it for a few seconds and raised his head in doubt.

“Isn’t this a love letter?”

Jiang Jianming:”…….”

Xie Yuduo:”…….”

Jiang Jianming held his forehead heavily, and smiled with difficulty, “……Yes, it is indeed as you said.”

“Then what do you think the person who wrote this love letter felt at that time?”

Garcia: “Since it’s a love letter, isn’t it missing the lover?”

A suffocating silence filled the air again.

Jiang Jianming: “You are truly wonderful, now give it back to me.”

Garcia remained silent, while holding the notebook in his hands. He looked at these four lines of words carefully, and suddenly a strange sore emotion surged in his heart.

Emptiness? Sadness?

He didn’t know how to describe it.

It seemed as if he was watching his lover walking towards him from far away.

It would be a very small, negligible tragic figure, walking between the sky and the earth.

He would trek across the mountains, wade through the dark sea, and walk against the flood of time and space. When he stood alone on the wreckage of blood and fire, the wind would pass through his ribs like a knife.

There seemed to be a voice calling from the bottom of his heart.

——Don’t go down, don’t come over.

It was as if a hole had been opened in his heart, which was painful and at the same time thirsty, making him desperately hope for something to fill that void.

Then there came a second cry.

——No, you’ll want to come over, you will come.

You will come to my side, come to my arms and let me hold your scarred body.

Don’t be afraid, my love. At the end when all the flames of war and dust have settled, at the moment when the long night and the dawn are intertwined, I will hold you and rest together….

“Your…..Your Highness!”

Garcia woke up suddenly.

He lowered his eyes slowly, and saw a piece of white, and tender skin of someone’s nape.

The prince was stunned for a moment, as if he didn’t realize what was going on.

His arm was wrapped around Jiang Jianming’s waist at some point, and with a slight movement of his fingertips, he could touch the lower abdomen of the disabled human being through the cloth.

Jiang Jianming looked at him with helplessness mixed with tenderness, and tenderness mixed with tolerance, “Your Highness, I didn’t ask you to give me a practical demonstration.”

Garcia went a little stiff.

Because he had hugged Jiang Jianming into his arms in a daze.

The distance was close at hand, and the void was also filled. The disabled human being was thinner than he imagined, but also not as delicate as he actually thought.

Not a fragrant flower.

But is a sharp, cold and fragile ice skate.

Jiang Jianming said meaningfully, “Your Highness, is it so comfortable for you to hold me? How long do you want to hold me?”

“…..”

The prince silently put aside those beautiful emerald eyes, and then his eyes swept to one side as sharply as a knife. 

Two or three seconds later, he let go of Jiang Jianming very slowly, and said in a low voice, “Excuse me.”

For a moment there, he couldn’t bear to let go.

At the other end, Xie Yuduo, who was sitting on his chair, stared blankly at the projection in front of him.

In all fairness, His Royal Highness and Lieutenant Jiang were far beyond incomparable in both appearance and temperament.

The scene of a beauty hugging a beauty, the kind that couldn’t be separated from each other, was a perfect match.

The major general said in a gloomy tone, “…You two, can the communication now be cut off? This lowly official’s dog eyes are flickering a little bit.”

At this moment, there was a rush of footsteps outside the office!

The automatic door opened from the outside, and Rita rushed in quickly.

The female adjutant looked pale, “Reporting to the Major General!”

“Latest……..news from the frontline.”

“The exploration team investigating the emergence of subspecies and high-level alien creatures is in distress. Judging from the last message from the captain, it is very likely that the……..entire team has been destroyed.”

Rita took a deep breath and said with difficulty, “We…we are sending drones to confirm.”

Crack!

Xie Yuduo’s pupils constricted suddenly, and the porcelain teacup he loved to hold all year round was shattered by the crystal bone that suddenly appeared between the major general’s fingers, and the unfinished tea dripped down in between.

The air instantly became heavy like lead. On the other side of the projection, Jiang Jianming and Garcia quickly looked at each other, and their expressions changed suddenly.

First, several high-level alien creatures suddenly appeared in the low-risk area, causing heavy casualties to the officers in the adaptation period.

Subsequently, the elite team sent by Silver Big Dipper to investigate was completely wiped out.

No matter how unpredictable life and death were in the distant interstellar world, this was absolutely impossible to be the result of ordinary events.

Xie Yuduo’s face was ashen, he almost gritted his silver teeth, and his handsome face was shrouded in evil spirit in a blink of an eye, “Damn it……”

The muscles at the corners of the major general’s mouth twitched, his jaw creaked and quiver. Because those people in the exploration team were all sent out by him.

Now dead, it was equivalent to saying that his order had sent those brothers to their deaths.

Xie Yuduo’s eyes became clouded, he turned to Rita and said, “Call Lieutenant Colonel Huo Lin over here.”

But no matter how heartbroken he was, he still had to issue a new order as quickly and calmly as possible, even if it might mean another death. Because he was the supreme commander of the fortress and Silver Big Dipper’s general.

It had been like this for many years.

“Major General!”

Rita was taken aback, and said in a low voice, “Lieutenant Colonel Huo Lin has not been out of low-risk areas for many years since he was in charge of training the officers in adaptation period.”

Xie Yuduo’s voice suddenly turned sharp, “Call Huo Lin over here!”

His voice echoed in the office like the roar of a tiger.

Rita’s complexion changed slightly, she puffed her chest out and said, “Yes!”

She immediately turned and walked out.

“Stop.”

A cold voice suddenly came from behind.

It came from the communication device.

In the projection screen in front of the major general, Garcia was leaning on Jiang Jianming’s desk with one hand, and moved his upper body closer to Xie Yuduo.

The blond hair fell down, and the compelling sense of oppression on the prince’s body was revealed wantonly at this moment.

Garcia raised his eyelids indifferently, and spit out a word, “Coordinates.”

Rita turned around in astonishment.

Xie Yuduo was stunned for a moment, “Your Highness, you?”

“You’re going for us!?’

Garcia ignored Xie Yuduo, but turned his head. His expression was stern, and the sudden emergency did not even shake him the slightest. But when his line of sight met the black eyes calmly raised by the remnant human beside him, hesitation arose.

He had always been used to being alone, but now there was another person by his side.

His disabled human, how should he be settled.

Garcia looked at Jiang Jianming and asked, “Do you want to follow me or stay?”

Xie Yuduo and Rita change colors.

There was an unknown danger ahead, and Garcia had completely handed over him the right to choose.

Jiang Jianming remained silent, his eyes were like a deep evening mist.

There were only two options.

Will he stay in the fortress, or will he follow?

The answer was obvious.

“Little Excellency.”

Xie Yuduo suddenly said, “This mission is unusual, with great unknowns and dangers. You have just returned from the mission, and you may not be able to survive if you run outside, or else…”

“You don’t need to deliberately speak euphemistically to tend to my mood, Major General.”

Jiang Jianming raised his face and looked at Xie Yuduo steadily, “In the face of the overall situation, I still understand some things.”

Yes, he was a disabled person after all.

The words “after all”, how much helplessness and powerlessness were condensed in those two words.

The problem was not just the natural frailty and low tolerance to the crystal particle environment.

Disabled human beings who do not have crystal bones and could not manipulate real crystals would have almost no self-protection ability once they lose their new crystal weapons or when their weapons fail.

If he encountered an unexpected danger, as he was by Garcia’s side, the possibility of dragging his legs would be much more than that of what they would gain.

After all, His Royal Highness was so powerful, and he……

Garcia said coldly, “Since the decision has been made, don’t talk nonsense. Xie Yuduo, information.”

The prince seemed to be in a mood, Xie Yuduo didn’t dare to provoke him, and said hastily, “Your Highness, please come here, I will ask Rita to copy the details and coordinates to you.”

Garcia reached out and cut off the communication directly.

There was a moment of silence in the room.

Jiang Jianming had no expression on his face. He opened the drawer and took out a box of tranquilizers from it.

Took out one of the needles and then rolled up his sleeves.

During this time, he had not injected himself with any tranquilizers. Because Garcia only placed him inside the treatment cabin, let him inhale the crystal particle tranquilizer in aerosol form, and ordered him to drink oral medicine with tranquilizer added.

But this time, His Highness did not stop him, and merely watched Jiang Jianming give himself an injection.

“You lied.” The prince said with certainty.

“I did not, Your Highness.” Jiang Jianming lightly pushed the medicine into his body, “I said to Major General Xie that ‘I understand’.”

“I do understand that things are tricky this time, and my existence is also very difficult, but I didn’t say no.”

Garcia narrowed his eyes mockingly, “I thought you had a closer relationship with Xie Yuduo, but it turns out that you would even lie to him.”

Jiang Jianming lowered his head and checked the bullets of the Wings of Venus, and without raising his eyelids, he said with a smile, “You seem very happy?”

Garcia: “You should thank me for covering for you.”

Jiang Jianming: “Are you good or bad?”

With a soft sound, the magazine was installed back into the new crystal gun.

“Please let me go with you, Your Highness.”

Jiang Jianming turned his handgun in his palm.

His eyes were clear, and he said in a neutral tone, “I will be more useful than what some people think.”

As if seeing a scene that he finally wanted to see, Garcia stretched his lips and smiled contentedly. He raised his hands, leisurely holding the cheek of the remnant crystal human, and without concealing his aggression, he squinted his eyes, and said with a low voice, “Yes, but you have to be obedient.”

(TL: remnant human → remnant crystal human)

“No matter what happens…….stay by my side, listen to me, and you will be fine.”

Jiang Jianming also smiled, and raised his hand as well.

In the hand of the young lieutenant was the beautiful silver-gray gun.

The muzzle of Wings of Venus was raised and then lowered, and naughtily tapped the prince’s forehead.

“I will return to you these original words–you too, you must listen to me obediently.”