Chapter 369: Walking Alone in the Abyss
'Adwan, you will only drag this country into the abyss!'
"Freedom and democracy, who doesn't know the concept of freedom and democracy! But the most powerful political system in the Milky Way is the Empire! We are just the Empire's tentacles extending to this border area. We can only feed more than a billion people, which is the limit. What else do you want to do? What else can you do? If you announce the reform of Luofeng today, the Empire's fleet will be able to put its gun barrels on your head within six galactic hours!"
"You disappoint me so much, Edwan. Please go away...leave the palace and don't show up in front of me!"
'Luo Feng doesn't need an emperor like you!'
'Edwan, you understand this, and you are clearly capable of doing this.'
'No one can save this country, Adwan, not you, not me.'
'Adwant, I am very disappointed in you...'
…
"Father!"
Edwan suddenly opened his eyes and sat on the sofa, breathing slightly.
He frowned hard, trying to relieve the aftereffect of the stimulant - a slight headache.
There was the sound of high-pace footsteps coming from the side, and Gui Na hurried over.
The tightly drawn curtains opened simultaneously, and the filtered morning light sprinkled into his spacious and old office, illuminating the tiny specks of dust.
Taking the warm water brought by Miss Guina, Edwang took two sips and felt the strength of Guina's small hands kneading his trapezius muscles.
"Where is the Imperial formation?"
"We still have seventy minutes to arrive, and you just slept for less than fifty minutes."
Guina asked:
"The boss sent a message asking for your opinion on whether to inject you with a sleeping agent so that you can pretend to be sick and avoid the possible attack from the empire this time."
"Sleeping agent?" Edwang said with a smile, "Ming, do you want me to have a good sleep?"
Gui Na smiled and said, "There should be some considerations in this regard."
Adwant raised his hand and touched the back of his head, exclaiming: "It's amazing, is my anti-scan chip really installed? I don't even have any wounds."
"We have used the latest technology for you, Your Majesty...Do you allow me to inject you with a sleeping agent?"
Adwant thought about it carefully.
He whispered, "Bring the sleeping agent here. We'll see what happens later. If they come to the ground to see me, I have nothing to be afraid of. What I'm worried about is that they will let me board their ship."
"That must not happen," Guina said, "It would be too dangerous for you."
"And you, Guina."
Edwin turned his head to look at Guina and said with a smile: "Compared to me, you are the one who should avoid the Sherman Empire delegation. Don't forget, you said yourself that you are Unit 1."
Terminator Assassination Group.
Guina frowned slightly.
Edwan said: "You also need to consider the opinion of me as the emperor. If you are exposed, it will be the greatest disaster for Luo Feng."
"Well, I'll pay attention."
"I will go see her... help me prepare a formal dress, and then gather all the officials to prepare to welcome the delegation."
Edwan gave a few simple instructions and turned to walk towards the lounge.
The girlfriend I waited for until late at night yesterday is still sleeping soundly.
Edwin tiptoed to the bedside and bent down to kiss her forehead.
"Well...Edwang, are you coming over to rest..."
"I still have some official business to attend to. You can continue to sleep. Sorry, I'm still too busy here."
"Uh-huh."
The girlfriend wrapped her arms around Adwang's neck, and seemed unwilling to let him leave, but she soon fell asleep again, and Adwang left her confinement with some difficulty.
Is it because she is too strong, or is it because I am too weak?
His Majesty Edwan, who always stayed up late, fell into deep thought.
The door of the lounge was gently pushed open by Guina. Guina frowned and looked at Edwan, with some thought .
Adwant motioned for her to be quiet and quickly left the lounge.
"What's wrong?"
"Something went wrong. Near the border of the New Federation, the two fleets led by Gudunmaha to support the Empire have been divided and surrounded by the elite fleets of the Imperial Expeditionary Force... News from the front line shows that a group of secret troops have been stationed on Gudunmaha's flagship. Gudunmaha may have been coerced."
Edwang clenched his fist subconsciously.
"The fleet that supported the Empire was in turn divided and surrounded by the Empire's elite fleet?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, you heard me right."
"They don't even have any shame!" Edwang cursed, pacing back and forth in anger, and then forced himself to calm down, "What did your boss say?"
"The boss asked you to inject a sleeping pill immediately, and Guton Maha will try to find a way to rescue us.
"The Empire will not attack its vassal states directly, as this will destroy their credibility with them.
"These are the boss's exact words."
Miss Guina said quickly:
"But as long as the Empire randomly charges our officers with crimes, such as treason, we will be in a very passive position. Guton Maha has a very dirty background."
"What can he do in the expeditionary force? He can't be exposed... He must not be exposed..."
Adwant pursed his lips tightly:
"Call your boss for me and ask him not to expose himself. We can definitely handle any attack from the Empire here.
"Luo Feng's current situation was not easy to come by. Please ask him to think rationally."
"yes."
"This Rona," Edwang sneered, "this time they really have bad intentions. Let General Lyon lead the fleet to surround them and don't interfere with them. Just put pressure on them. If they attack, we will fight back in self-defense... Forget it, don't surround them. It's enough to lay ships on the periphery and put pressure on them."
Guina immediately closed her eyes and began to send messages to the outside world.
At this critical juncture, the goddess did not respond, which made Guina have some bad associations.
…
Adwant was right.
The imperial delegation did come with bad intentions.
The ministers of the Luofeng Empire, as well as the political and business representatives of the Luofeng Empire, waited in the square in front of the palace half an hour in advance.
At this moment, Edwang was sitting in the lounge near the palace gate, and Guina was holding a tray with the sleeping pill in it.
The Sherman Empire's six-ship fleet has entered the atmosphere of Ilando. Five ships are stationary in the thin atmosphere, and a kilometer-class supply ship is falling rapidly toward the ground.
In the past twenty minutes or so, several pieces of very bad news reached Edwang.
The Sherman Empire took control of General Gutonmaha who was at the front line, launched an investigation into Gutonmaha's assets, and took control of more than a dozen related officers;
Outside the border of Luofeng, six border defense fleets of the Sherman Empire were gathering. On the borders of other directions of Luofeng, fleets from three affiliated countries of the Sherman Empire had already appeared.
The private residences or workplaces of the main ministers of Luofeng have all received death threats from unknown sources...
All of this is in conjunction with the arrival of Her Royal Highness Princess Rona.
There must be a purpose for their actions.
Force the emperor to abdicate?
Or is it a more direct method?
"Your Majesty, Advan," Miss Guina reminded, "Please get the injection immediately."
Edwang nodded, and Guina immediately knelt down, quickly pushed up Edwang's sleeve, and took out the fast-seeping patch.
"Wait! Wait!"
With one swift movement, Adwant pulled his sleeves back.
His Adam's apple trembled, and his slightly sunken eye sockets showed a bit of fatigue: "Let me think about it for a few more minutes, there is still time, Guina."
"yes."
"Guina, tell me," Edwang whispered, "What can they do? How can they feel that they can control the Falling Wind Empire again? They have done so much preparation, they must be carrying out a certain plan... like my father did, right?"
Guina frowned slightly: "Your Majesty Edwan, you seem to know these things."
"I know my father. I can sense the difference between before and after. But Ming always thought that hiding it from me would prevent him from getting angry at the Empire, so I acted as if I didn't know."
Adwang's Adam's apple and eyes kept shaking.
He was thinking.
The brain is constantly turning.
"Your Majesty, Edwan, don't worry about it. We will help you deal with these people."
"What about the fleet that Gutonmaha took away? There are 600,000 Luofeng soldiers on it, which is one-third of our military strength."
"The Empire will not..."
"It should be. You said it yourself. The Empire can do anything. After the failure of the last battle, the cracks within the Empire have become extremely obvious. The top brass of the Empire have been pushed into a corner. They can do anything!"
Adwant stood up and paced back and forth.
Gui Na checked the time and quickly sent a message.
She had to report this to her father.
【Enforced.】
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," Guina suddenly stepped forward, one hand like a steel hoop around Adwan's arm, "I need to carry out my father's orders."
"Stop! Stop Guina!"
Adwant shouted.
Guina had already pressed the patch on Advang's arm and was about to start the injection.
"Gui Na! Let me talk to your boss! I want to talk to Ming! If you force me to sleep, I will commit acts of self-harm!"
Guina paused.
There was a hint of conflict in her eyes; that was the protection principle at work.
Gui Na sent a communication request.
About two minutes later, Yang Ming's somewhat low voice came from Gui Na's fingertips.
"What do you think?" Yang Ming asked directly, "I'm on my way to Gutonmaha, so I can't communicate for too long."
"It's useless, Ming. You are just an imperial hero and can't interfere with them."
Adwant tore off the patch and said quickly:
“I know this kind of communication is dangerous for you, but now, I have to convince you that Guina only listens to you.
"We must now find a way to avoid the Empire's stranglehold. We don't have enough time, and the Empire won't allow us to escape their control. The economy we have worked so hard to develop is just a piece of fat meat in their eyes.
"They are forcing me to meet with them, so I will go meet with them. I will find a way to make them let Luo Feng go temporarily."
"What can you do?"
Yang Ming's voice became more severe:
"Edwan! Don't be too idealistic! What they are going to do now is very likely what they did to your father!"
"That's our chance, Ming."
"Are you stupid? Do you know what they did to your father!"
"Replacement, intelligent machine replacement, and you have the means to control this intelligent machine, just like you influenced my father back then, right Ming?"
“…”
Edwan laughed and continued:
"Do you know when I decided to place all my bets on you? Of course, this has nothing to do with our friendship. It was when I was sure that you could suppress my father. This is the opportunity, Luo Feng's only chance. Otherwise, no matter who becomes the emperor, the Sherman family can use the same method to control Luo Feng in their hands."
"But, Edwan, this doesn't make sense!"
"There is no such thing as reasonable or unreasonable politics. We have come this far and are only two steps away from success."
"Guina, enforce it."
"Ming! Ming, do you want me to die here now, Yang Ming?"
Edwin was tense all over:
"If you respect me, you should do as I say! I am the emperor, but you are my subject! Yang Ming! Even if you make me fall asleep, you can't stop them from taking me away! We can't go to war with Sherman at all! We are just toys for Sherman to play with! Whether I am asleep or not has no effect on this matter, they can even mobilize their border defense fleet! Are you going to sacrifice all your mechanical legion? Yang Ming! Answer me! Don't you care about your ideals anymore!"
“…”
"father?"
"Listen to him."
"Promise me that you will give the throne to Emilia in the future. I believe that Emilia is better than me. She will perfectly replace my role and continue our cooperation. Also, and... the Luofeng Alliance must abide by the three principles we set. The people of Luofeng will usher in a new era of democracy, freedom, rule of law, fairness and independence. Promise me, Ming. Revolution must pay a price in sacrifice, and the first one to sacrifice should be the emperor of this country!"
Yang Ming's voice became a little hoarser.
"...I promise."
"Thanks."
Edwang broke free from Guina's grip, raised his head and took a deep breath.
He smiled, adjusted his dress, and turned to look at Gui Na: "Tell her for me... Forget it, I am not qualified to love her."
After saying this, he just smiled, picked up the ceremonial scepter representing the emperor of the vassal state, lowered his head and walked towards the door.
Guina wanted to follow, but was stopped by Edwan's gesture.
She couldn't be exposed.
"Go find Emilia immediately and keep an eye on her. This guy is smarter than we thought."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Edwang opened the door and the guards outside saluted at the same time.
The sunlight outside the door was a little dazzling.
"Your Majesty, Adwan, Princess Rona is unwell and would like to invite you to the ship to discuss some simple matters... They specifically noted that you can bring your ministers, but Princess Rona wants to speak to you in private."
"Call them back and I'll go there myself."
"His Majesty?"
"Call them back and I'll go there myself."
Edwin smiled and said:
"Don't think that we are on the planet Elando. In fact, the rulers here are far away in other spiral arms. Go and do as they say. Is Emilia awake?"
"Your Majesty, Her Royal Highness the Princess is washing up."
"Let her prepare for a while, and maybe invite her to lunch later."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
…
"Commander... Commander?"
"Ah," Yang Ming subconsciously raised his hand and pretended to cough, swallowed his saliva, and tried to return to normal, "What's wrong?"
"Are we still going to check out the fleet of the affiliated countries that are suspected to be spies of the New Federation? I see that you don't seem to be feeling well. Are you too tired recently?"
"Maybe I didn't use enough gene stabilizing fluid. I feel a little sleepy, but it's okay."
Yang Ming rubbed his nose and said with a smile: "Let's go back to the command ship. I'm going to take a rest."
“Do you need an appointment with the medical team?”
"No...it's really nothing, I just..."
Yang Ming tilted his head back and closed his eyes tightly.
"I just suddenly feel a little homesick, it's nothing, leave me alone for a while."
"Okay, okay, if you need anything, please call us."
…
"I'm sorry, I can't sign these contracts."
The Empire arrives on board a ship on the planet Elando.
Adwant shook his head and pushed the contracts made of metal paper back to Princess Rona.
Princess Rona frowned and said, "You know, Adwan, the empire is going through a difficult time right now. We need our vassal states to make certain contributions, and we will give your Luofeng Empire very good feedback... You are fully capable of signing this contract."
"But then, Luo Feng will return to the way he was twenty years ago."
Edwang looked resolute and whispered:
"Do you know how ironic it is that in the interstellar age, when most political systems and planets inhabited by humans have endless energy, a large number of starving refugees appear on a planet?
"This is what really happened on Luofeng's fifth administrative planet. Whether it's energy, food, or the most basic supplies needed for survival, they are all clearly priced. Under the pressure of similar contracts, endless energy has no direct relationship with the people at the bottom."
Princess Luo An bit her lip and said, "I know this, but Edwang, please don't forget that the Luofeng family is the duke of the empire. You are essentially the nobles of the empire and must give priority to the interests of the empire."
"I must protect my people."
Adwant spread his hands:
"I can agree to some of the terms, but I can't give the industry we have worked so hard to build to the Empire for free."
Rona said hurriedly: "It's not free, here..."
"The technology industry is our foundation, Rona, we can't discuss this."
"Edwan!"
Rona stared at Edwin.
"You can't change anything! I must remind you that whether you agree or not, this matter will be facilitated. It is meaningless for you to refuse now, believe me."
Adwant stared at Rona.
Rona looked away.
"Your Highness, I have prepared a sumptuous lunch for you in the palace," Adwant stood up and smiled at Rona, "The ministers are still waiting, please let your spaceship land."
"Edwan!"
Princess Rona stood up. She obviously wanted to say something, but the words stuck at her lips.
Edwan shook his head and turned away with a somewhat regretful expression.
Two elderly maids opened the cabin door, revealing a luxuriously decorated corridor outside.
After Edwan walked out, the hatch was immediately closed.
A maid came over to meet Edwang, and when they passed each other, she suddenly lowered her head and bumped into Edwang.
Edwang was stunned for a moment, then felt a tingling pain in his arm, as if a needle had pierced him.
His eyes were a little blurry and he staggered forward two steps.
At the corner, more than a dozen maids filed out, lowered their heads and moved forward, constantly bumping into Edwang, and tiny needles kept appearing.
"you……"
Edwang held onto the railing, slowly slid down, and sat down. His breathing began to become slow and heavy.
His organs began to fail rapidly.
The maids just stood in two rows with their backs to him, listening to the increasingly faint breathing, with expressionless faces.
My vision is slowly blurring.
Edwang suddenly smiled, 'heard' the prompt sound of the chip in his brain starting up, and slowly closed his eyes.
He actually placed two chips, one to prevent detection, and one to trigger certain conditions when dead. He left a letter for Emilia, and he had to make sure that Emilia would continue on the path they had already left.
The light here seems...
It seemed like that afternoon, when he was seven or eight years old, he was sitting on his father's shoulders in a small garden in the imperial palace, listening to his father planning a grand blueprint and working out with several veteran ministers a strategy of relying on the struggle against powerful countries and finding opportunities for independence in the cracks.
My father was still young at that time.
'Adwan, you will lead this country into the abyss.'
'Adwan, as long as we work hard, this country will definitely have a bright future.'
"Edwan..."
bite--
