by Feng Yue
“After careful operation, we tentatively named it as ‘unknown matter.’ Everything was still fairly normal at that point.”
Captain Xiao was silent for a long time. He looking at Ye Xuan, his gaze serious. “Until you violated the regulations and took off your helmet?”
“Yes.” Ye Xuan closed his eyes and admitted his mistake honestly.
After refusing wireless communication, he took off his helmet and inhaled the fresh air that he had never gotten to enjoy, completely unafraid of the 0.1 percent of the unidentified matter in the air.
Then…
“It was like the ‘avalanche’ recorded in the dictionaries of the ancient times,” Ye Xuan said.
With the noise he made then, horrifying waves stirred up from the ‘snow of metal’ and swept in all directions. And so the turmoil of the heavens and the earth began…
Everything fell into a furnace.
“Dr. Ye, I hope you understand that the crew committee can totally sentence you to euthanasia based on your actions that have violated the regulations and the serious consequences.” Captain Xiao said after a moment of thought, “In fact, the other colony ships have strongly demanded that we do so.”
“Yes, I am clear about that.” Ye Xuan nodded, and forced out a smile. “I am willing to take responsibility for my actions.”
“Responsibility? Can you afford to do so?” The sarcastic voice sounded again. It was Bai Nan, and he never liked Ye Xuan.
Captain Xiao continued, “But actually, I think that although your behavior has violated the rules, you have found a hidden danger that we have not noticed, before the committee makes a large-scale investment in the land.
“Although the consequences are serious, it would still have happened sooner or later if you had not taken such a course of action, and it would still have been difficult to avoid. Therefore, as punishment, I will temporarily deprive you of your right to freedom of movement, but you will retain your seat on the crew committee.
“Before the judgment of the Joint Court is issued, you have to keep yourself well and useful, and continue to contribute to mankind…” Captain Xiao disregarded the voices of surprise surrounding him, and made a final decision.
On the ship, although everything was decided by the crew committee, the role of the captain was equally important. He had the power to veto any order issued by the committee. Even though he faced certain restrictions as well, he still had great power.
Ye Xuan also found the protection offered to him by the captain somewhat difficult to believe. He could also picture how his actions would put the captain in a passive position in the joint parliament of the colony fleet.
“That’s it, boy.” Captain Xiao gave him a cheerful smile. “Don’t ask me why. If it had been me down there, I would have done the same. So, for my sake, do away with the scripts and cliches, and answer me honestly.
“Does the air of the new world feel good?”
Ye Xuan nodded.
“Then go back to the cage and continue reflecting on your mistakes.” Captain Xiao knocked on the table and ended the meeting. “The rest can wait until the joint science and technology department produces a preliminary report on the situation on the ground and the most important ‘unknown matter’.”
The sound of people getting up from their seats rang out.
He turned and left.
[1] The name literally translates as the palace of eternal joy.
[2] The literal translation of a Chinese proverb that means always being melancholy and moody because of the change in seasons and scenery stirs up negative emotions.
779 Special Pardon
The atmosphere in the embassy of Burgundy in Sacred City was heavy. Very few people could come and go as the entire building was heavily guarded.
After several days of transactions and conflicts behind the scenes, a meeting that was held in the name of ‘peace’ was finally coming to an end. The most important aspect of this meeting would be settled soon, albeit not at the meeting but between the proxies in the embassy.
Despite spending such a long time in the embassy, probably very few people would take a closer look at this ordinary and plain building. The old era was finally coming to an end. The rise of Caucasian and Anglo, along with the defeat of Asgard, were expected, but the rapid rise of Burgundy was shocking and unexpected.
No one would have imagined that, other than Caucasian and Anglo, one of the biggest beneficiaries would be Emperor Don Juan, who was not even 10-years-old and had only just succeeded the throne.
Within eight to nine days, the Church and Burgundy were already on very good terms. The Cardinal Bishops were unwilling to lose their power, so they were more than willing to go along with what Burgundy had proposed to them in secret. Both sides needed something from the other, so they got along very well very quickly. But aside from the collaboration, it was hard to tell just how much true and genuine feelings both sides had for each other.
Although there was always the risk that they might be leaving themselves open to an attack, ultimately, Burgundy still committed to this move under the leadership of Richelieu. With full support from the Cardinal Bishops and plenty of urging by the scattered soldiers from various countries, Burgundy consolidated all the old powers and joined Caucasian and Anglo in this banquet.
Anyone with a keen sense of politics would understand that after the bell tolled at midnight tonight, the days of Sacred City’s dominance would be over and would be replaced by these three powers…
At this point, the final discussion was already underway in the Burgundy embassy. There were three Bishops, who were taking the blame on behalf of the Church, to serve as witnesses as Wolf Flute, Hua Sheng, and Richelieu had finally reached the most important juncture. After successfully taking away more than half of the assets of the heavy industry, the young man, whom many had been secretly calling him “damned cripple” behind his back for the past few days, still refused to back down.
“Anglo’s stand is still the same,” Hua Sheng said very calmly. “The Sacred City is the treasure of the entire world. Its ancient records and assets should be guarded by all humans together.”
Wolf Flute continued to smoke while nodding his head in agreement. “Yes, Caucasian thinks the same.”
After successfully taking over the library, Richelieu remained smiling. “No problem. Most of the technology can be transferred, but the exact details will still need to be further discussed.”
Actually, Burgundy never expected to take over all of Sacred City’s technologies and ancient records. In terms of power and the amount of say in such matters, Burgundy knew that it would never be able to stand against Caucasian and Anglo, who were already allies with each other. But this was all part of a negotiation, where the seller would wish to sell at the highest possible price while the buyer would hope to buy at the lowest possible price. Besides, technology was something that was easily transferable, so they would probably just share it.
Right now, it was as if Richelieu had found himself in a business selling books in the library. He could not stop the buyer from buying what they wanted, but at least he would be able to make some profit out of it. No capital was required for this business anyway. He would sell away Sacred City so that he could make some profits for himself. Just like what Hua Sheng said, there would be profits as long as they were willing to talk and discuss.
After the fundamentals had been decided, the three of them would quickly pass a note to people on the outside, who would haggle over the small details in another place.
Onto the next issue. Although the three Bishops were already looking very glum, it did not matter to Hua Sheng, as he went for the kill once again.
“What once belonged to mortals should be returned to them.” The young man, who was seated in the wheelchair, spoke in a tone that seemed to accept no rebuttals, “The legitimacy of Protestantism, and the necessity and justification of the Religious Court of Inquiry should be acknowledged in the new legislative ame
ndment.”
This was a direct assault at the core of the Sacred City. Not only Protestantism, but Caucasian’s Orthodox Church would definitely be keen to make the same request. Although the Church would never recognize Charles’ status as “Son of God,” they would have to give in in other areas. If they wished to complete the handing over of power and authority in a peaceful and harmonious manner, some things would be inevitable, and this included the condition of the Church becoming a subsidiary.
Hua Sheng looked at the three Cardinal Bishops and brought up a personal request from the Hand of God, “Sacred City must release Mr. Abraham immediately and unconditionally. His name and reputation must be restored and his losses compensated. His immense contributions to the study of the history of music must be recognized.”
Compared to the previous request, this one was almost insignificant. But the three Bishops looked even more glum now. They looked at each other as if there was something that they wanted to say, but ultimately said nothing.
In the silence, Hua Sheng finished smoking a cigarette quietly. He maintained a calm demeanor from the very beginning but now, there was a hint of unhappiness, “What? Are you saying this is not negotiable? I suggest the Cardinal Bishops think through this carefully. Although I am the proxy of Anglo, I am, first and foremost, the Secretary General of His Highness. If Sacred City is not even sincere enough to agree to such a small request, I’m afraid we don’t have to waste our time on the following matters…”
In an instant, the three Bishops felt terribly stuck. Once they mighty had fallen, they were bound to be bullied even by the weak.
Just a few years back, it was impossible for an Anglo envoy to speak to them in such a tone. In fact, they might not even choose to grant him an audience. Aside from the fact that he was carrying himself with such authority, if Hua Sheng was speaking on behalf of Anglo just now, then he was definitely speaking on behalf of Ye Qingxuan now. He was making a request to the Sacred City on behalf of the founder of Protestantism, the Hand of God and the Chief Inquisitor.
Actually, it was not really a request since there would be no room for negotiation. There were only two possible options they could take, which was to either release or not to release. If they chose the latter, they would have to be prepared to face the wrath of His Highness. At the same time, the Son of God from Caucasian would probably not just sit by and do nothing either.
In fact, they might not even have to wait and see what Charles would do after the news had traveled to Caucasian. The fact that Wolf Flute was here meant that the three of them probably have to bear the consequences right now. They looked to Richelieu for help.
But right now, Richelieu pretended not to notice as he seemed to have completely ditched the agreement of advancing and retreating together. After a short pause, the Bishop in the middle gritted his teeth and spoke, “With regards to the request by Hand of God, of course, the Church will be more than happy to cooperate, but in actuality,” he paused to wipe the cold sweat on his forehead before continuing, “nine days ago, Mr. Abraham was already given special pardon. We have no clue where he might be right now. Therefore, we aren’t able to make a promise now. Please give us a bit more time.”
What he said clearly sounded like a plea. Whatever little amount of pride that Sacred City still had was clearly gone now. They would not be pleased with what he had done. But despite putting away whatever pride he had, the chilly atmosphere in the meeting room remained.
There was a stillness in the air as Hua Sheng extinguished the tobacco roll and looked up with his cold and steely eyes. “Special pardon? Throughout all the meetings, the Sacred City was being managed by all the countries together. Any government decree would have to be agreed upon by all the countries. In that case, who was the one that signed for the special pardon?”
At this point, there was no disguising his murderous intent. As the successor groomed by Shi Dong and having once been the officiant for Hyakume, Hua Sheng was a vicious person who was reputed to have grown up on poison. He never failed to expect the worst of the people he dealt with. Besides, if Mr. Abraham had really been released on a special pardon, where did he go? No one saw him being released!
Now, it was clear to him that someone was trying to make use of this matter to find out what was Ye Qingxuan’s baseline. No, it was even possible that this person had already gotten hold of Abraham and was daring enough to try to negotiate with the Hand of God…
Hua Sheng began to chew on his fingernails subconsciously like a ferocious beast. How interesting.
Is it because the Religious Court of Inquiry used up all of its stakes, or this person sensed an opportunity now that the Hand of God was on his way to Aurora? In that case, should I contact Shi Dong, who is now in a state of retirement? It’s not good to only eat and sleep the entire day away. Old people should still find some things to occupy themselves with. This opportunity has come at the right time for me to eliminate some of the Cardinal Bishops who still insist on meddling. But first and foremost, I must find my first target…
In his heart, Hua Sheng had already decided on his course of action and was still considering which of the three he should get his hands on first.
“Oh? I am also interested to know who was the one who signed the special pardon?” Wolf Flute, who had been keeping quiet, finally spoke and seemed to look at Richelieu meaningfully.
Richelieu shook his head decisively. “This has nothing to do with Burgundy.” He left no room for dispute.
No kidding, they definitely had to draw a clear line between the Church and themselves. If the Church wished to take such risks, so be it, but it would be foolish for Burgundy to allow themselves to be dragged down as well. At this juncture, a small misstep could lead to dire consequences for Burgundy. The wise thing to do now was to quit while one was ahead.
At this point, the three Bishops looked sullen as they faced pressure from both sides. After a long time, they finally replied, “The person who signed the special pardon was… Sancta Sedes.”
There was only silence. No one expected Abraham’s special pardon to be signed by the person in this world that was most unlikely to pardon him. Amongst the three kings, the King of Red was still the most powerful compared to the current Sancta Sedes and the Church’s Pontifex Maximas.
For so many days, the King of Red had stayed out of all matters and allowed the various countries to split up Sacred City. Even the doors of Apostolic Palace had remained closed all this while. No one would have expected him to sign a special pardon and release Abraham at this point in time. This was not something that someone of his status would do. If he had wanted to interfere in the meeting, he had plenty of reasons and excuses to do so. There was no need to resort to doing something like this that could very well infuriate Ye Qingxuan and Charles.
In that case… what exactly was he trying to achieve? Before too long, Wolf Flute’s shoulder shook and there was a slip of paper in his hands. When he opened to read the paper, it was as if he had been struck by lightning.
The King of Red has brought Abraham to Caucasian. For some reason, Wolf Flute began to feel very uneasy.
780 The Loser’s Last Words
Six hours earlier, a long stream of people marched through the wilderness on the road that had been cleared ahead of them. There were still stalks of grass on the ground, and traces of wild game could still be seen on the road that had been cleared not long before.
After the rain, there were mud and puddles on the ground.
The sound of chanting and singing could be heard in the distance.
The barefooted peasants pushed their families in carts, following the guidance and the call of the divine. They brought barely any rations with them as they embarked towards a world of ice and snow.
In a few short months, the once barren Commonwealth of Caucasian had become a sort of heaven on earth, or so it seemed.
Everywhere there was fertile soil.
From time to time, there would be wheat field
s on both sides of the road. The heavy ears of wheat hung down, reflecting a brilliant golden light. When they were hungry, there were figs on the trees on the sides of the road. When they were thirsty, there was endless clean water in the streams, as sweet as milk and honey.
It was like heaven.
Along with the sound of deep shouting, under the pushing of several sturdy peasants, the coachman’s whip, and the neighing of horses, a carriage that had sunk into the mud drove out of the pit.
The peasants wiped the mud off themselves. As they prepared to leave, the old man on the coach called for them to stop. He took out a few silver coins and thanked them for their help.
“No need.” The lead peasant smiled good-naturedly. When he saw the rosary on his wrist, his face lit up. “Have you also come for the Son of God? Since we’re all believers we definitely can’t take your money.” He could not tell the difference between the Orthodox Church and the Sacred City, and he didn’t understand how important that seemingly worthless rosary was to the Sacred City.
The old man in the carriage did not insist on explaining anything. He just smiled warmly. “Something like that.”
A young man came up and asked, “Are you a priest?”
The old man nodded. “Yes.”
“Then please give me a blessing.”
The old man nodded. He placed his hand on the man’s muddy face and gave him a blessing from God, chanting the gospel that in the past had led so many people to fanaticism.
The peasants soon left.
The old man returned his gaze to where he had originally been looking.
There was no dignity or sternness.
He did not seem at all like the Sancta Sedes.
“The Commonwealth of Caucasian has really become a fertile land,” the King of Red said. “That kid of yours is a good person. You taught him well, Abe.”