Xiu Jun stared at the imperial secretary, his mind reeling at the incredulous news. Even for someone of his stature, the idea that the emperor could simply vanish was utterly bewildering. The same emperor who was known for his timidity, who would jump at the slightest provocation, had disappeared?
He dismissed the fleeting thought of Yue'an using his blank magnetic card to buy cat food. That mystery could wait. Right now, he had more pressing matters to attend to. Grabbing the secretary by the arm, Xiu Jun ushered him into the waiting vehicle.
The two military commanders who had accompanied Xiu Jun today exchanged glances, their eyes darting between their superior and the visibly shaken secretary.
"Marshal...?" one of them ventured hesitantly.
Xiu Jun paid them no heed. As soon as the car door slammed shut, he turned to the secretary, his voice sharp with urgency. "How long? And where?"
"The Central Commercial District..." the secretary stammered, his words trailing off.
Xiu Jun's eyes narrowed. The Central Commercial District? That was unexpected. He fixed the secretary with a penetrating stare. "The time, man! How long has he been missing?"
The secretary took a deep breath, steeling himself. "Five hours, sir."
"..." Xiu Jun was momentarily struck speechless. The emperor had been missing for five hours, and these incompetents had only now thought to inform him? It was almost beyond belief.
Without hesitation, he pulled up his communication device and dialed Marshal Kevin, who should have been at the military base. As the call connected, Xiu Jun turned to the two commanders beside him, his voice brooking no argument. "Contact the transportation department. Shut down power to transit routes two through six. Route one is to be reserved for military use. Every vehicle entering or leaving is to be thoroughly checked."
He paused for a moment as the call connected, then spoke directly into the device. "Marshal Kevin, His Majesty is missing."
The two commanders exchanged shocked glances, the gravity of the situation finally sinking in. One immediately began coordinating with the transportation department, while the other leapt from the car, commandeering a vehicle from the High Court and speeding off without delay.
On the other end of the line, Marshal Kevin took a moment to process the information. "Location and duration?" he asked, echoing Xiu Jun's earlier questions.
Xiu Jun's response, however, differed slightly from the secretary's account. "Central Commercial District. The black market. Five hours."
Marshal Kevin's face turned ashen at the news. He turned to glare at the cowering secretary, who bore little resemblance to his usually confident self. "Useless!" Kevin spat. "You're more harm than good, you incompetent fool!"
With that, Kevin abruptly ended the call, presumably to mobilize his troops.
Xiu Jun's gaze swept over the secretary, who had made no attempt to contradict his mention of the black market. He input a series of military commands into the vehicle's control panel, setting their destination. The car smoothly glided out of its parking spot and accelerated to top speed.
"Whose idea was it?" Xiu Jun asked, his voice dangerously calm.
The secretary kept his eyes downcast, shrinking into his seat without uttering a word.
Xiu Jun's voice rose slightly. "Letting him go to the black market, then concealing his disappearance from the military - whose brilliant plan was that?"
The secretary mumbled something inaudible, his head bowed even lower.
"His Majesty... he said he wanted to see it for himself," the secretary finally admitted.
"So you just let him go?" Xiu Jun's voice was cold as ice. "And who decided to keep the military in the dark?"
Beads of sweat formed on the secretary's forehead.
"Prince Kels, Prince Gary, Duke Rodney..." As Xiu Jun listed the names, the secretary's head sank lower and lower. Xiu Jun's gaze could have frozen hell itself.
Xiu Jun had been a Marshal for over two decades, appointed by the late emperor himself. The previous ruler had been a man of vision and ambition, dedicated to expanding the empire's influence. He had placed his absolute trust in Xiu Jun, allowing him free rein to conquer new territories. It had taken more than ten years, but they had successfully claimed the 18th star system.
Those campaigns had been the most satisfying of Xiu Jun's career. He hadn't needed to worry about logistics, supplies, public opinion, or the security of the home front. For those glorious years of conquest, he had been free to focus solely on military strategy and execution.
Tragically, just two months after officially incorporating the 18th star system into the empire, the aging emperor had passed away.
In the wake of the emperor's death, the designated heir had met with an untimely demise, plunging the empire's political elite into a cutthroat struggle for power. In their eagerness to secure influence in the new era, the royal family had suffered numerous casualties.
To prevent the very foundations of the empire from crumbling, they had ultimately turned to an unlikely candidate: the late emperor's youngest son, Jonsen Cinters, who at 31 years old had never been considered as a potential heir.
In the age of interstellar travel, human lifespans had extended considerably, along with the periods of adolescence and prime adulthood. At 31, Jonsen was barely out of his teenage years by the standards of their time.
This young man had received virtually no training in the art of ruling. Xiu Jun could still vividly recall the look of terror and bewilderment on the young emperor's face during his coronation ceremony.
The political heavyweights surrounding the young emperor were well-versed in the art of "befriending the distant and attacking the near." They constantly advised Jonsen to appease Marshal Xiu Jun, to present an image of trust and closeness.
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However, their attitude towards Marshal Kevin, who was permanently stationed on the capital planet, was markedly different. To prevent the young emperor from placing too much trust in Kevin and slipping from their control, they changed their tune: "He can't be trusted. His achievements pale in comparison to the other Marshal. He's getting old, he can't protect you anymore. He won't hold the position of Marshal for much longer. Just keep up appearances with him."
Combined with Xiu Jun's heroic reputation, this led the young emperor to wholeheartedly embrace all the suggested tactics for appeasing and befriending Xiu Jun.
He made every effort to appear close to Xiu Jun, and Xiu Jun, being no fool, reciprocated with an appropriate show of respect.
However, Xiu Jun's respect was strictly limited to the young emperor himself. He showed not an ounce of courtesy to the other members of the political elite.
On one hand, Xiu Jun was well aware that he would never be permanently stationed on the capital planet. It was only natural for the political faction to try to win him over, to prevent him from potentially leading a rebellion from afar.
On the other hand, while the political faction was busy manipulating the young emperor, they continued to use the research department to antagonize Xiu Jun.
Besides, expecting genuine feelings from those who played political games? That was a sure way to an early grave.
Unlike Xiu Jun, who spent most of his time away from the capital, Marshal Kevin was deeply concerned about the young emperor, who had been reduced to a mere rubber stamp for advisory documents and forced to use his private funds to appease various factions. However, thanks to inherent biases and the constant whispering of the nobles in the emperor's ear, Kevin's repeated warnings fell on deaf ears, easily outweighed by even the slightest mention of Marshal Xiu Jun's prowess.
Given the military's sensitive position, they couldn't interfere too much in political matters. Xiu Jun, being away most of the time, was in no position to influence things directly. Over time, even Marshal Kevin had chosen to give up on trying to change the situation.
But this didn't mean they would allow the political faction to act recklessly!
Allowing the emperor to visit the black market, and then waiting five hours after his disappearance to inform them?
What were these people thinking?
Were they hoping the emperor would conveniently disappear, paving the way for them to usurp the throne?
Xiu Jun hadn't even had the chance to meet with the young emperor since his return to the capital planet. Usually, for matters as significant as the energy crystal situation, the easily startled emperor would have immediately sought him out. When only the secretary had been sent, Xiu Jun had initially thought that perhaps the young ruler had finally shown some growth. But to learn that he had recklessly ventured into the black market and disappeared? It was beyond comprehension.
Xiu Jun closed his eyes briefly, still finding it difficult to believe. What an utterly foolish course of action this had been.
Allowing the emperor to enter the black market was bad enough, but to lose him there and then delay seeking military assistance? These people were either incompetent or malicious. More likely, they were both.
While Xiu Jun was aware that many nobles had establishments in the black market, not all businesses there were under their control. Did they truly believe that the denizens of the black market would refrain from harm simply because the visitor was the emperor?
Of course not.
Suddenly, the Central Commercial District of the Cinters Star capital was placed under martial law. All shops were evacuated, customers and staff alike ushered out.
The impact wasn't limited to the district. The entire planet's transportation system ground to a halt, with military personnel checking every transit point.
Marshal Kevin was the first to arrive, striding purposefully into the cordoned area and soon disappearing from the view of the gathering onlookers.
Meanwhile, Yue'an had just pinned down a young man who had suddenly appeared before him, narrowly avoiding a thin beam of light that had shot into the space.
Both Yue'an and the young man were momentarily bewildered.
The young man hadn't expected his would-be captor to suddenly employ lethal weapons. Yue'an, on the other hand, was still trying to process the situation. His shopping trip had been uneventful until now, and it was clear that the people outside were after this whimpering young man.
The young man, his voice trembling, pleaded softly, "Please... save me. I know Xiu Jun. I can recite his communication code for you!"
He promptly rattled off a string of numbers, which indeed matched Xiu Jun's code.
"Meow," Yue'an gently patted the pale-faced youth. The soft, warm paw touched his cheek, and by the time the young man had gathered his wits, the white cat had already slipped out through the car door.
Seconds later, agonized screams erupted from outside.
The young man listened carefully, recognizing the voices as those of his pursuers. Still, he didn't dare move, holding his breath as he cautiously surveyed the car's interior.
The vehicle's layout was simple and uncluttered, with the only noteworthy feature being an enormous shopping container. This was the type provided by the Central Commercial District stores for customers making bulk purchases who didn't want to wait for delivery.
It seemed that luck was on his side; he had stumbled upon Xiu Jun's cat out on a shopping trip.
The young man – none other than the current Emperor of the Empire, Jonsen Cinters – hugged his knees tightly, silently thanking his lucky stars.
His eyes darted around, pausing briefly on the cat-shaped computer and the unlocked control panel on the dashboard. His fingers twitched slightly, but ultimately, he refrained from touching anything. Yue'an was still outside; he couldn't abandon him.
As Jonsen contemplated this, he heard another flurry of footsteps outside. He clenched his fists nervously.
Yue'an had effortlessly subdued the armed group pursuing the young man. He looked up at Marshal Kevin, who had just rushed into the parking area, let out a surprised "Meow."
Kevin hadn't expected to encounter Yue'an here either. He glanced from the petite white cat to the unconscious bodies sprawled around it, weapons scattered on the ground. With a wave of his hand, he ordered his troops to continue into the black market, then crouched down to examine the men Yue'an had incapacitated.
"Were they after you?" Kevin asked.
Yue'an took a couple of steps back towards the car, turning to meow at Kevin.
Kevin considered for a moment, then followed Yue'an's lead.
Inside the car, Jonsen heard footsteps approaching. He curled up tighter, his neck almost disappearing into his shoulders.
There was a gentle tap on the car window. Jonsen flinched, his eyes red-rimmed and on the verge of tears.
Kevin decided to open the car door, reaching out to steady the young man who nearly tumbled out. The Marshal let out a long sigh of relief.
"Your Majesty, you're safe now."
Jonsen whirled around, and upon seeing Kevin in his crisp military uniform, he visibly relaxed. He leapt up, clinging tightly to Kevin, and burst into tears.
Yue'an watched the young man sob uncontrollably, then looked at Kevin, whose eyes had gone blank as he patted the emperor's back comfortingly.
Meow? Your Majesty? What was going on here?
Meanwhile, Xiu Jun had just arrived at the Central Commercial District. No sooner had he and his First Legion Commander stepped out of their vehicle than they were swarmed by fearless media representatives.
Xiu Jun swept the crowd with a cold gaze, causing the reporters to shudder collectively and clear a path for him. However, in the next moment, they converged on the more approachable-looking First Legion Commander.
"Sir, could you please share some information about this incident? The entire capital's transportation system has been paralyzed, greatly impacting civilian life!"
"Can you reveal anything about an event significant enough to require the deployment of both Marshals? Thank you!"
The First Legion Commander glanced from one reporter to another, unsure how to respond. He certainly couldn't disclose that the young emperor had gone missing. Such news would devastate the credibility and reputation of both the military and political factions.
Maintaining his composure, the commander glanced at his superior, who was striding ahead without so much as a backward glance, clearly leaving him to handle the situation. He sighed softly.
"We received reports of large-scale illegal transactions taking place in the Central Commercial District," he improvised, his face a mask of seriousness.
"There's a possibility of armed conflict. We urge everyone to cooperate and evacuate the area immediately."
As soon as he finished speaking, the ground beneath them shook violently, as if something had exploded underground.
The First Legion Commander froze, his eyes widening in disbelief.
What? He had only been making that up!