The Way of the Empress

T/N: As of March, I’ll be increasing the release rate for TWE (this project) to 2-3 per week as RLDRFH ramps down.

-komorebi

 

Zhuo Yang looked at the beautiful galaxy outside the window as they chatted with each other. The uneasy feeling in his heart returned as he peered at the stars few ordinary people could see.

Zhuo Yang opened his mouth and was about to say something to Moodys to ease the uneasiness: “Moodys…”

But before he could say anything, Moodys’ personal communicator rang. “Dididi-”

It was a message from Emperor Star.

Moodys immediately connected the communicator, and the voice of his secretary Hathaway immediately came from the other end: “Your Highness things aren’t good. Who knows where the ‘Anti-Imperial Society’ that disappeared for ten years suddenly jumped out from, creating chaos and riots across Osphia.”

Hathaway’s voice was extremely anxious.

“What’s the matter?” Moodys and Zhuo Yang’s eyebrows tightened at once.

Hathaway was full of sadness. “They keep on parading and hurting people with body explosives. The government has lost control of the situation. Osphia is in panic, and the residents are afraid to go out.”

Moodys tone was stern. “Why didn’t you tell me about such an important matter immediately?”

Parades and riots could never happen in one day. Let alone becoming so big that the government could not contain it.

“His Majesty… His Majesty Winston said you can’t be distracted, and not to tell you. But… but yesterday, they bombed the Avril Building in the capital of Emperor Star! Your Highness.” Hathaway felt a headache. “The news can no longer be suppressed.”

She urged: “Your Highness, come back quickly.”

No one could have imagined that the Anti-Imperial Society that had disappeared for ten years would make a comeback at this time with a big move.

“I know, I’ll go back right away.” Moodys’ palms clenched into fists unconsciously. Before ending their call, he initiated a dialogue with the captain driving the spaceship: “Space jump, prepare for space jump immediately. We have to go back to Emperor Star1The author uses Capital Star and Emperor Star interchangeably. Basically, the capital is located on Emperor Star, so Capital Star should be a short hand (e.g., “DC” for Washington DC). as quickly as possible.”

But before his voice fell, Hathaway opened her mouth and was about to say something. But before Moodys could listen, the 3D projection flickered and dissapeared.

Zhuo Yang was shocked: “What’s going on?”

“Signal blocking, unable to link. Signal blocking, unable to link.” The mechanized voice of artificial intelligence rang.

Zhuo Yang looked at Moodys in amazement, and was about to say something when there was a sudden shock. His feet were unsteady as he stood up. The vibrations became more and more severe, and he almost fell to the ground.

Fortunately, Moodys quickly supported him, and Zhuo Yang barely on before standing firm.

“Mecha, it’s a mecha fleet, we are surrounded by a fleet… Your Highness.” The pilot exclaimed.

Another soldier’s voice sounded immediately: “Military communication channel. Hurry up, hurry up and contact Deputy Commander Gu Che, Deputy Commander Ding Hui, and Commander Felman, His Royal Highness is surrounded.”

Hearing the words, Zhuo Yang immediately looked out the windows.

As expected a black mecha fleet spread out from the warship like flies, surrounding their spaceship.

“What’s the matter? Is it interstellar pirates? Or an Alliance fleet?” Zhuo Yang asked hesitantly, feeling that the Heart of the Rose was indeed an ominous place.

Moodys said in a deep voice: “All the space stations that the Alliance uses to reach Lyra galaxy have been destroyed. This is the space jump channel Osphia’s military uses. Even if it is the Alliance, they have to get through Lyra, and then Vol Star where the Vulture Legion is located…”

“They can’t be so fast. Even if they could pass through the Lyra galaxy and Vol Star, we would have heard something.” He directly denied the possibility of it being the Alliance.

Moodys directly used his mental network to call up the real picture outside the spaceship. The murderous mecha fleet was composed of all medium-sized combat military mechas.

“Such a pomp is definitely not an interstellar pirate.” Moodys looked at the real picture and announced directly: “Felman Dawson and the Vulture Legion have betrayed us.”

Zhuo Yang recalled a weird feeling with he first met Felman. He never expected his intuition to be accurate.

“What should we do? The signal is blocked and messages can’t be sent to Major General Gu Che and Ding Hui!” Moodys’ escort team panicked at the sign of the mecha fleet swarming outside.

Others cursed furiously: “Damn it! Damn Felman Dawson, the empire supports him and his legion, how can he betray us.”

They are soldiers of the empire and dying of Felman’s hands, this traitor, isn’t a pity.

But the Crown Prince… His Royal Highness is still on the spaceship.

The panicked pilot of the spaceship kept trying to link the signal and get in touch with Gu Che and Ding Hui, but there was always a fuzzy screen. Seeing the approaching fleet, the pilot was sweating profusely. “What should we do? What should we do?”

“It’s useless, this star field is under the jurisdiction of the Vulture Legion. It is very easy for Felman Dawson to disconnect our signal. Moreover, even if Gu Che and Ding Hui received the news, the Lyra Galaxy is still a long way from the Heart of Rose, and they have to pass through the Vol star… The speed of a single-ship’s space jump can be very fast, but it will take a long time to bring the entire legion.” Moodys was calm from beginning to end, even in the face of danger. “It seems that he dispatched the entire Vulture Legion. Even if the Dawn and Glory Legions receive the news, it will be too late.”

His words were clearly hopeless, but inexplicably the entire spaceship fell silent.

Everyone believed in him and looked at him expectantly, as if expecting him to guide them. “What should we do? Your Highness, what should we do?”

“How much ammunition is left in our spaceship? Do we still have mechas?” Moodys asked in a deep voice, staring at the black mecha fleet outside the window.

The pilot of the spaceship immediately replied: “Yes, yes, there is ammunition. As long as a soldier has permission of the military, they will also carry mechas with them.”

“I also have a miniature mecha here.” Zhuo Yang suddenly thought of something.

This is what Moodys gave him for self-defense previously. He has been safe the entire time and has never used it.

Another soldier was gloomy and despaired: “But even if there are mechs and enough ammunition, we can only fight interstellar pirates at most. We can’t fight the entire Vulture Legion.”

“Let’s fight, His Royal Highnesses are still on the spaceship.”

The Vulture Legion had rebelled, and the Anti-Imperial Society began to riot again, and the country was already in turmoil.

At this time, they couldn’t let His Royal Highness have an accident or fall into Felman’s hands, and can only fight to the death.

Zhuo Yang frowned. He didn’t know what to do at such a time, so he could only hold Moodys’ hand tightly.

As long as he is with this person, even if he dies, he will not feel the slightest fear.

“You know what? The thing I regret the most is that I couldn’t withstand your coquettish behavior, and brought you to the front line to let you accompany the army.” Moodys gently pushed Zhuo Yang’s sweat-soaked hair away and bent down to kiss his forehead.

What he regrets most now is that he brought Zhuo Yang to such a dangerous place and did not let him stay safe on Emperor Star.

Zhuo Yang looked at him speechlessly. “Don’t say that, Your Highness…”

“We can only rely on fate now— it depends on luck.” Moodys said this to everyone.

At this moment, the signal in the spaceship suddenly stabilized. Before they could get excited, Felman Dawson’s shady and ugly face appeared on the screen.

Felman was condescending, and no longer looked at everyone in the spaceship through the light screen like a victor, but only said to Moodys: “Good evening, my respected imperial prince, future emperor…”

“Oh, yes, and my dear crown princess. I really didn’t expect the crown prince to bring you to the border. You are such a beauty.” As he finished speaking, he looked at Zhuo Yang with an undisguised coveting.

Zhuo Yang’s appearance is indeed rare, and what is even more rare is his ability as a SS-level guide.

Moodys took a step forward, covering Zhuo Yang behind him, and looked at Felman coldly. “What do you want to do? Commander Felman Dawson.”

“Of course I’m here to see you off. The final ride. Can’t you see such a simple thing, Your Highness?” Felman grinned.

This time he came to take Moodys’ life.

“If I die, the Dawn Legion and the Glory Legion are in the Lyra Galaxy. Do you think you can still live?” Moodys didn’t really want to talk to him.

But people all have the desire to survive, and he still hopes for a miracle to happen. The location of the entire army of the Vulture Legion can be detected by the people of Glory and Dawn. When his signal is interrupted and discovered… If they can delay, they can wait for the rescue from the Glory and Dawn Legions.”

“I don’t regret death. As long as it’s for my beliefs, why should I be happy in life, and why should I be afraid of death? Besides, it is not a loss for me to be buried with the god of war of the Dawn Legion, Osphia’s crown prince.” Felman said. “What’s more, after killing you, I may not necessarily die.”

Moodys frowned: “Are you from the Alliance?”

This is unlikely. Commanders of the ten major legions are all from aristocratic backgrounds. This is no reason the Alliance could send someone to be dormant for so long, and even reach a high position without making a move.

Besides, if he was a member of the Alliance, why didn’t he leak information when they were fighting in the Lyra galaxy to turn the tide?

Why did he choose to ambush them at this time?

“How can the Alliance compare?” Felman’s face distorted, with a look of disdain on his face. His eyes were filled with the light of faith. “My faith is restoration, the great faith that changes the entire human race. Even if I die, the history books will forever remember me.”

Moodys looked at his brainwashed appearance, and then thought of the Anti-Imperial Society that had been dormant for many years, and suddenly had a guess. “You are from the Anti-Imperial Society?”

“We are the Prophets, Humanity’s Saviors!” Felman retorted.

Moodys: “…”

He really didn’t expect that this largest reactionary organization that has existed in Osphia for many years turned out to be so deep that they even had members amongst the commanders of the ten major legions.

How many members of this organization are still dormant in Osphia? How much power do they have?

There are quite a few nobles and noble families who have raised interstellar pirates for family interests in Osphia. Are there other people… Thinking of the news he just received and his current situation, Moodys suddenly had a terrible premonition about the situation of Emperor Star…

However, he cannot even manage his own situation now.

“Okay, my honorable crown prince, future emperor, I have finished telling you farewell. It’s time for me to send you and everyone in this spaceship one last time.” Felman’s eyes swept through everyone in the spaceship, and finally fell on Zhuo Yang’s body. “Your Highness, you are really a beauty, so beautiful that people are reluctant to kill you, especially since you have the highest spiritual power in the entire empire… ”

He once killed a peerless beauty. As a homosexual, although he regrets it, it is not a pity.

But if Zhuo Yang died, he would be very sad.

“Since you don’t want to kill me, then don’t kill me…” Zhuo Yang’s eyelashes trembled, his fingernails inadvertently dig into the flesh, and he pretended to be very scared.

Felman looked at him with interest and asked bluntly: “Are you willing to follow me? If you are willing to follow me, for the sake of your beauty, I can let you go so that you don’t have to die with these people.”

“Of… Of course, as long as you can keep me alive, I’ll do whatever you want me to do, General.” Zhuo Yang hesitated, as if he couldn’t see other people in his eyes. Staring straight at Felman, as if he had seized a lifeline, he couldn’t wait to agree.

In the spaceship, the crown prince’s guard looked at him in disbelief, shock written all over their faces. “You…what are you talking about? Crown Princess…”

“You…how could you betray His Royal Highness?” They couldn’t wait to swallow Zhuo Yang alive.

It is said that adversity reveals one’s true feelings, and this crown princess finally showed his true colors.

“I… I’m only thirty years old this year, I’m still so young. I have a chance to live, why can’t I choose to live? Why, why do I have to die with you, the crown prince and I were forced to marry and replace my brother. I have no feelings at all. Isn’t being with him for ten years enough? Why should I die with him?” Zhuo Yang seemed to peel off the painted skin of a perfect crown princess, spitting out selfish words.

He looked at Felman’s projection as if he was looking at a life-saving straw in a desperate situation. “I don’t want to die, I want to live, I don’t want to die with you.”

“Okay, I’ll let a spaceship pick you up. You. You will open the door of the spacecraft and come out by yourself.” Felman looked at Zhuo Yang and immediately showed a satisfied smile.

The people in the crown prince’s bodyguard suddenly got angry and rushed towards Zhuo Yang, grabbing him and wanting to kill him. “Bitch, you bastard, how can you treat His Royal Highness like this?”

A punch landed on Zhuo Yang’s beautiful face, leaving a huge black green in his eyes.

It made Zhuo Yang very embarrassed, and his appearance was no longer so beautiful.

“Enough!” At this moment, Moodys, who had never spoken, stopped the guard.

The guard looked at Moodys in disbelief. “Your Royal Highness—”

“I said enough, Jason.” Moodys called out the guard’s name. As if hit by a dark blow, his blue eyes darkened immediately.

No matter how unwilling the guard named Jason was, he obeyed and let Zhuo Yang go after hearing the crown prince’s order, shooting over a hateful glare.

Moodys walked towards Zhuo Yang, and Zhuo Yang took a few steps back as if very scared. Maybe out of shame, maybe out of fear to look at Moodys.

Moodys walked up to him, cupped his face gently, stroked the bruise on his face from Jason’s punch, restrained himself, and said with gentlemanly pain: “If this is yours choice, I will respect your choice.”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness, you have always been good to me. But…but I’m still young, I really…really want to live…” Zhuo Yang dared not look up at Moody, and could only keep repeating this sentence.

Time passed by minute by minute.

He knew that Moodys was delaying for time, waiting for the rescue from the Dawn and Glory Legions. Therefore, he also tried his best to delay for time. Since Felman likes his face… even if it will make Moodys misunderstand him, make Moodys sad, and make everyone disdain him…

The small spaceship sent by Felman soon arrived in front of the spaceship door. Zhuo Yang moved to the spaceship door step by step as if he was guilty. When he walked to the door, he winked at a guard member, hoping he was able to grasp what he meant, and held himself to delay a little longer.

However, I don’t know if it’s because of his good acting skills or something else.

The escort team members not only turned a blind eye to his eyes, but also gave him a vicious look at the place where Felman’s projection perspective was behind his back.

Zhuo Yang: “…”

It was impossible for him to actually get on Felman’s spaceship. In order to continue delaying time, he can only find a way to save himself. Zhuo Yang dawdled slowly to the door, opened his mouth and wanted to say that he didn’t take his things yet: “General…”

At this moment, he didn’t know if Moodys understood what he meant or something else, but he rushed over from behind, and hugged him.

“I won’t let you go. I won’t let you leave me.”

 

Don’t believe ZY’s act!

 

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1The author uses Capital Star and Emperor Star interchangeably. Basically, the capital is located on Emperor Star, so Capital Star should be a short hand (e.g., “DC” for Washington DC).