Chapter 294 Dark Squad
The level of intelligence in the human living area of the Imperial Star is very low, and each level is controlled manually.
With this badge paving the way, Yang Ming had a smooth journey and successfully got on the downward elevator to the palace module. He crossed his legs on the sofa and quietly thought about the scene he would face next.
He didn't tell Catherine that he was going to attend the old emperor's party.
What can he do?
It's just going with the flow and getting some benefits.
While Yang Ming was lost in thought, he recalled the encrypted communications with Bligh. Bligh said a few words at that time that left a particularly deep impression on Yang Ming.
"Master, are you really going to the Emperor Star? Although the Emperor has not shown any signs of vigilance towards you, from what I understand, there are many secret protective devices around the Emperor that represent the highest level of technology in the Empire. If we rashly use mental imprints on him, we will most likely fail and be captured directly."
Yang Ming wanted to ask Bray at that time.
What exactly is the structure of this guy's brain circuit?
He is just a small vanguard and transformed warrior, trying to control the old emperor of the empire?
Well...it's not impossible.
Yang Ming raised his hand and swept across his dress, throwing away this bad idea. He repeatedly reminded himself in his heart that the greatest danger to the Imperial Star did not lie with the emperor, but with the mechanical thinking body controlled by the Sherman family.
As for how many protective measures were around the seemingly defenseless old emperor, Yang Ming had no interest in trying.
bite!
The beautiful girl standing at the elevator door said softly, "Sir, we have arrived at Gate 0024 of the Palace Module."
Yang Ming stood up and walked out of the elevator.
After he walked a little further away, the elevator attendant couldn't help but lean over to look at Yang Ming's back a few more times, then took the secretly photographed photo of Yang Ming's profile and used the dedicated network on Emperor Star to share it with her sisters.
“It may be difficult to implement this matter…”
Several officials who were discussing some government affairs walked towards the elevator.
The waiter quickly put the communicator into his sleeve, his expression returned to a professional smile, and he stood dignifiedly at the elevator door, bowing to several officials.
The second time Yang Ming came to the palace, he almost got lost.
The square during the daytime now had more than a dozen buildings, and men and women could be seen inside, seemingly holding more than a dozen singing and dancing performances at the same time.
All the lights in the hall where the emperor handled government affairs were turned off at this moment.
Where is the emperor?
"Viscount Hanton," a voice came from the left, and two middle-aged men in guard uniforms walked out of the shadows in the corner, "Please follow us, His Majesty is waiting for you."
"Thanks."
Yang Ming glanced at the nearest building complex and saw some pretty exciting scenes. He smiled and said, "The palace is so lively at night."
One of the guides smiled and said, "Are you wondering why there are more than a dozen parties?"
Yang Ming nodded: "I am indeed a little confused."
The guide smiled and said, "These are only some of the royal family members, representing Your Majesty here to entertain nobles from all corners of the empire. Because there are many nobles coming to the Imperial Star to meet Your Majesty recently, more than ten banquet halls will be used at the same time."
Yang Ming asked: "Have all the hereditary nobles arrived?"
"Hereditary Viscounts and Honorary Earls, hurry here in batches," another guide whispered, "Your Majesty's meeting with these nobles is an honor they can boast of for the rest of their lives. This is a rare occasion in the empire's history of the past thousand years."
"After all, we have achieved a huge victory against the Space Zerg and the New Federation. This victory is also unprecedented."
The two guides talked to each other and showed Yang Ming the "dog-licking" culture in the palace.
There was still a long way to go, so Yang Ming took the opportunity to strike up a conversation with the two middle-aged men.
These two people were probably middle-level cadres of the palace security department and were close aides to the emperor. One of them was from a military technical background and the other was selected from the military.
Yang Ming has a brother on his left and an older brother on his right, which makes the two middle-aged men feel a little flattered.
So what if they are heroes of the empire? They still have to curry favor with local tyrants like them who hang around in the palace.
In an attempt to give Yang Ming some advice, the two elder brothers mentioned several taboos in the palace.
First, no videos or photos may be taken inside the palace, and no monitoring or eavesdropping devices may be used. If discovered, it would be a serious crime.
There is no regular surveillance here, but if something goes wrong, the palace module can call up the "memory" of any area.
——Their original words were memories, and Yang Ming didn’t quite understand this.
Second, the Emperor’s interest is extremely important, because every time he gets excited, it is possible that new princes and princesses will be born for the empire.
Therefore, when His Majesty the Emperor suddenly becomes interested in a woman, all affairs must be suspended to allow His Majesty to perform this rare human ritual.
What he meant was that His Majesty hadn't been in the mood for a long time.
Third, do not go to the banquets hosted by the princes, princesses, and princes who live on the surface of the Imperial Star unless it is necessary. Going in would be like falling into a mud pit. It is a paradise of decadence, and His Majesty the Emperor does not like those guys very much.
The princes who really have the possibility of inheriting the throne and the favored princesses all live near the palace module.
And these princes and princesses all have the possibility of inheriting the throne.
Yang Ming said gratefully: "Thank you both brothers for the reminder."
"Viscount Hanton, you are a well-known figure in the aristocratic circle and the young man most valued by His Majesty. You will definitely receive various banquet invitations."
"Some can go, some can't go, you must think carefully."
Yang Ming looked up at the distant hall in front of him. The shape of the hall was a bit like the ancient Greek temple on Earth, with orange and yellow lights flickering inside.
Yang Ming asked: "I saw a Princess Rona on the news. Does she live near the palace or on the surface?"
"Princess Rona? She rarely goes back to the Imperial Star. She lives on the surface," the guide on the left said with a smile, "Princess Rona is past her ridiculous age. She is an excellent diplomat and often travels to vassal states on behalf of the Empire."
The guide on the right lowered his voice and said, "I heard that Princess Rona is getting along very well with the princes of several vassal states, and there may be some innovations in the gameplay."
The two middle-aged men looked at each other and each smiled meaningfully.
The corner of Yang Ming's mouth twitched slightly.
A few seconds of silence for Adwant.
Adwang's body was taken by Princess Rona a few years ago. In the past, people thought that Adwang had made a good deal, after all, Princess Rona was beautiful, had a sweet voice and good temperament.
Now it seems that even Adwang’s eyebrows are green!
"Viscount Hanton, we are just ahead."
"Our authority only reaches here. You can go in on your own."
"please."
"I've benefited a lot from having you two escort me on this journey."
Yang Ming smiled and carefully sensed the biological energy around him. Not finding any ambush, he walked towards the hall a hundred meters away with confidence.
This chat was not in vain.
There are no monitoring or eavesdropping equipment in the palace, which is a very important piece of information.
From the tone of the two captains of the palace guards, Yang Ming could hear their disdain for most of the princes and princesses. This was also related to the strong constraints of the Imperial Aristocratic Code on the princes and princesses.
Among these princes and princesses, except for the lucky one who inherited the throne, the others could only be idle personnel. Their greatest value was to marry into foreign countries or fill in overseas missions.
Tsk, a cage of canaries.
Yang Ming climbed the stairs and arrived at the door of the hall under the watchful eyes of hundreds of guards.
He paused and looked around, but he did not see the 'father-in-law' who was responsible for reporting, nor did he see any floating ball or video doorbell.
Just go in like this?
The guards just stared at Yang Ming and had no intention of moving forward.
Yang Ming made up his mind, lowered his head to clear his throat, raised his hand to adjust his collar a few times, then held his head high and chest out, and walked forward with firm steps.
He broke through a layer of ice-blue light curtain, and the scenery in front of him suddenly changed.
Right in front of us, the huge fountain made a rushing sound. More than a dozen young girls with good figures and faces were playing by the pool. Four of them looked very similar, but their figures were slightly different, and their clothes were also a little different.
Clones?
Behind the fountain, a small banquet was going on.
Different from those erotic and open aristocratic gatherings seen on Yangming Road, the place here is quite plain.
Seven or eight young people sat on both sides of the long table, each accompanied by two members of the opposite sex dressed in gorgeous clothes; the emperor sitting on the main seat wore a nightgown, sat cross-legged barefoot, had no dignity at all, and kept sliding the projection screen in front of him.
Yang Ming took a closer look and subconsciously thought that the old emperor was browsing the "collections" in his online favorites.
But he quickly realized that the old emperor was indeed browsing his "collection".
"Your Majesty!"
A familiar voice sounded:
"White Ghost, Viscount Hanton is here!"
"Um?"
The old emperor looked up at Yang Ming, waved across the fountain, and said with a smile: "Come here quickly, my sharpest sword. I am so glad that you are here. I will give you the most generous reward."
The seat to the emperor's right was empty, it was the seat reserved for Yang Ming.
Yang Ming sighed inwardly and took a step forward.
He had already seen clearly the source of that familiar voice... Lieutenant Colonel Atro of the Military Intelligence Bureau.
Why is this guy here? What qualifications does he have to be here?
Yang Ming didn't quite understand.
The others were all young people, and one of them was a young man who was breathing rapidly and looking at Yang Ming with angry eyes, a young man that Yang Ming didn't really want to see.
The youngest earl in the empire, the genius of the Lasoga family, the fanatical illegitimate fan of the White Ghost, Revell Lasoga!
The emperor's right hand, as Yang Ming understood it, was an organization or individual that did the emperor's dirty work and posed a deterrent to the emperor's visible forces, similar to the 'Jinyiwei'.
Well, it’s the Jinyiwei, definitely not the Dongxi Factory!
The old emperor said that he wanted Yang Ming to choose, but Yang Ming actually had no choice. If he wanted to choose the emperor's left hand, it would mean that he would just be a viscount in the future and would have to be a humanoid weapon that went to war with the empire alone.
And now, his situation is not very good.
There is a truth to this, and Yang Ming understands it.
Once he becomes the emperor's lackey, it will be difficult to clear his name in the empire, as he will become a thorn in the eyes of the nobles, the Senate and even the military.
This is a big gamble.
He is using his own military strength to fight for the position of boss of the empire.
As soon as Yang Ming approached, the Earl could not help but stand up suddenly, scaring the beautiful woman next to him so much that she covered her chest.
"Mr. Ghost!"
Revil's expression was full of surprise and emotion:
"I hope that we can work together in the future and burn everything for the great empire and the great Majesty!"
Yang Ming instantly understood why Revill appeared here.
Simple, gullible, and a passionate young man.
The old emperor looked at Revil, then at Yang Ming, with a hint of meaning in his eyes, and said with a smile: "Come and sit down, Hanton, come next to me."
"Thanks."
Yang Ming did not salute, but bowed his head to the emperor.
Two beauties who had been waiting for a long time walked forward slowly, one was wearing a tube top and gauze skirt, and the other was wearing a white long skirt. They both showed natural and appropriate smiles to Yang Ming.
They pulled out Yang Ming's chair, one of them helped Yang Ming sit down, and one of them waited behind.
Yang Ming didn't even need to pick up his chopsticks when eating, they could all take care of it.
The emperor leaned towards Yang Ming and said with a smile, "I'm very happy that you can come."
"It is my honor to serve your majesty."
"It would be great if the empire had more people like you who have great power or authority and are able to adapt."
The emperor picked up the wine glass in front of him and gently clinked it with Yang Ming.
“You are a wise man, Hanton, I don’t need to explain the significance of this banquet.
"Atro and Count Lasoga of the Military Intelligence Bureau are both old acquaintances of yours. You can get to know the others later. They are all guys I selected from different systems.
"Like Atlo, he has an uncle who has retired from the military but retains a huge influence. Lasoga is the representative of the new generation of imperial nobles. They are also the most promising young people in their respective systems. "
Yang Ming wondered, "Your Majesty, what system am I in?"
The emperor sneered, then threw his head back and laughed so hard that tears almost came out.
"You are the sword, Hanton," the emperor said with a smile, "you will help me organize and train a guard that only obeys my orders."
Yang Ming nodded slightly.
The emperor suddenly asked, "You seem to want a group of cells?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, this is very important for my genetic stability."
"How about I set it as a mission reward?" The old emperor chuckled. "In fact, someone told me that if you get that group of cells, you might become a new Valkyrie, a true ancient god life form... I actually know a lot about these things."
Yang Ming's expression froze.
The problem indeed arises here.
"Your Majesty, do you doubt my loyalty to you?"
“Fuck loyalty. I don’t believe anyone is loyal to me, a human being. Haha.” The old emperor’s eyes flickered slightly. “They are only loyal to the position under me, and I was just chosen for this position. The empire has a stable system. The emperor can serve as a symbol and the key to the ultimate weapon.”
Yang Ming became a little more wary of the old emperor.
"You know what, Hanton," the old emperor said in a low voice while looking at the fountain, "I originally wanted to just let it go, and let this life pass by like this, but when I look back on my life, I suddenly feel a little unwilling. I haven't figured out the true meaning of being an emperor."
"What does it really mean?"
"Relax a little and just chat with me. Just think of me as an old drunkard who's off work and wants to drink."
bite.
The old emperor clinked his glasses with Yang Ming, and Yang Ming took a sip of the water.
The old emperor sighed and said, "Do you think that if I continue to do this, will the empire face an internal crisis?"
"Yes," Yang Ming said bluntly, "Your Majesty, you want to use me to create fear for them, and in the face of fear, someone will inevitably stand up and resist."
"Rule by fear is a form of tyranny," said the old emperor. "I have been brainwashed this way since I was a child, by the teacher sent by the Council of Elders."
Yang Ming was silent.
The old emperor murmured:
“But I think that necessary fear can correct their understanding of the word emperor.
"The Council of Elders is too bloated, the military has too much power, and the development of the Divine Religion only consumes a huge amount of funds without any practical significance. The Empire's new calendar reform has put the imperial power on the shelf, but has spawned more privileged scum.
"I have about 56 years left to live. I already have enough offspring. Next, I want to make a big difference in this country."
Yang Ming smiled and said, "Your Majesty, it is better not to take too big a step. You are still young and strong in the profession of emperor, and you have plenty of time ."
"Tsk," the old emperor nodded with a smile, "You are so bold. Remember, don't use the word great to describe me in any occasion. You can use words like handsome and wise."
"Yes, wise majesty."
"Here's this," the old emperor threw a disc into Yang Ming's hand, "This is your mission. Go and kill this prince as your grand entrance ceremony. Cause some disturbances as appropriate, but don't let the Council of Elders and the military get clear evidence."
A pledge of allegiance?
To kill a prince?
Yang Ming put the disc away and was about to say a few words to flatter the emperor when he heard the emperor mutter in a low voice:
"He's my brother. Tsk, he raped my history teacher. Give him a shocking death... You would do something like this, right?"
Yang Ming raised his hand and rubbed the tip of his nose.
Although he really wanted to say "the first time is new, the second time is familiar" to show off in front of the emperor, his shame made him choose to remain silent and just nodded calmly.
"I was a pirate during my most difficult times," Yang Ming whispered.
