EOL Chapter 38

“Why did he conspire with me and not with His Royal Highness?” Xiu said, “The servants of the Dawn Palace can all testify that since the second day of my confinement, His Royal Highness has been following me closely. I have no time to contact the High Priest. But His Royal Highness conspired with the High Priest’s only son to murder me as early as when we were on the Xueli Planet. He seems to be more suspicious than me.”

 

This is simply giving people something to talk about… Is this intentional? Or is he panicking?

 

 

Is it good intention or bad intention?

 

Many thoughts flashed through Alfred’s mind in an instant, but he knew that he must not hesitate in front of the emperor, otherwise he would be at a disadvantage, so he did not pause and decisively took the risk to take over the conversation.

 

“Neither your majesty nor I mentioned the high priest. Why does the prince think that this matter is related to the high priest?”

 

Xiu seemed not to have expected him to ask this, and paused before responding immediately.

 

Alfred did not wait for him to organize his words and continued, “Your Majesty, the prince just said that as soon as he told me about this, the rumor spread, and he inferred that it was me who spread the rumor. Since the prince admitted that he told me about the existence of the same origin civilization, then where did the prince know this from?”

 

“I… I just got the news on the day of my second brother’s funeral.” Xiu said, pausing for a moment, “I was going to report it to His Majesty that day, but something unexpected happened and delayed it. I was unable to find time to be alone with His Majesty, and was subsequently confined to my room. I could only tell His Royal Highness the Prince and ask His Royal Highness to help pass the information to His Majesty.”

 

 

Even that tiny pause was suspicious enough in the emperor’s eyes.

 

He stared at Xiu and asked, “Are we still in the era when the Ethernet network has not been developed, and news must be spread by word of mouth?”

 

Xiu immediately said, “This news is too important. I don’t think it’s appropriate to spread it through the Internet or on paper. It’s too unsafe. The servants may also leak the secret. Although His Royal Highness and I are not on good terms, when it comes to such imperial secrets, I still choose to trust the royal family members rather than outsiders.”

 

In the emperor’s mind, as long as the seeds of doubt were planted, all subsequent actions were nothing more than fertilizing and watering the seeds to provide nutrients for them to germinate.

 

It seemed that Xiu’s explanations were quite fluent, but the more fluent his narration was and the less panicked his expression was, the more the emperor felt that it was a disguise.

 

 

“Where did you get your information from?” he continued to ask at a very fast pace.

 

“Yes… the military intelligence agency reported it to me. It was the legion on the First Cantilever Arm. The aether flow was unstable at the time, and they couldn’t contact the main planet for a while. I was on Xueli Planet at the time, close to them, so they reported it to me directly.”

 

“Really? You knew it on Xueli Star, so why did you only remember to report it to me on the day of the funeral?”

 

Xiu’s face remained calm as he answered fluently, “At first I thought it was a false alarm. This kind of thing is very sensational. Later, after I checked, I found that it was indeed true. That’s why I decided to report it to you.”

 

“How did you verify it?”

 

“I have mobilized the military to conduct multiple investigations—”

 

“Prince.” The emperor interrupted him, “You have been the crown prince since you were born, so you are too used to holding power. Have you forgotten that I have handed over the military power in your hands to Alfred? How did you mobilize the military forces?”

 

 

Xiu opened his mouth but no sound came out. The fast pace of the conversation was suddenly broken and a suffocating silence fell in the hall.

 

The emperor sneered and scolded, “How dare you say you want to verify it? You actually said that such a ridiculous thing is true?!”

 

Not to mention Xiu, even Alfred was stunned by surprise, feeling that this trend did not seem to be consistent with expectations.

 

The emperor continued, “I have received accurate reports that a space communication station was found on the border. The location matches the area where the rebels appeared back then. Apart from this, there is nothing else! You said there is another civilization. Where is it? Have you seen it with your own eyes?”

 

Xiu had just had his lie exposed on the spot, and he seemed to be still in shock and unable to speak.

 

Alfred said, “Your Majesty, we have all seen the technology provided by that civilization…”

 

 

“Those new technologies were obviously developed by scientists in the rebel army. There is no so-called ‘that civilization’!” The emperor said impatiently, “I have already found some evidence that the high priest is colluding with the rebels. Even you have reported this to me, haven’t you? Now that he realizes that the matter is about to be exposed, he made up such a ridiculous lie to divert attention.”

 

“Your Majesty,” Alfred said, “Excuse me, the rebels’ scientific research level cannot reach that level.”

 

“The rebels are impossible, but another so-called ‘co-civilization’ is possible?” The emperor snorted in disgust. “We are the only survivors of human civilization. It is a miracle that we can survive! Since they are co-civilizations with us, and they started from the same point, how can they reach the level of development that is completely different from ours as the rumors boast? Could it be a gift from God?”

 

“Obviously, if there really is a God in this world, then God favors them, not us.” Alfred said almost coldly, “It is difficult to admit that you are unlucky and weak, but I thought that as an emperor, you would be stronger.”

 

 

The emperor cursed: “How could you be so stupid! Even the prince believed this rumor that was trying to shake the rule of the royal family. It seems that I have to re-evaluate whether you are worthy of the position of prince!”

 

Alfred didn’t take the threat seriously at all and said, “Your Majesty, you are not completely unconvinced. Even I have heard rumors that the space communication station discovered by the voyage army is not simple. They dare not even approach it because they cannot judge the danger. Can the rebels build such a thing?”

 

“I gave you the military power, not to let you stretch your hands where you shouldn’t!” The emperor said coldly, “From today on, you don’t have to take charge of the legion’s command.”

 

Alfred pretended not to hear his words and continued, “I heard that you have been determined to become an emperor who created an era since your youth, so that you can occupy the most dazzling position in the history of civilization development like the founding emperor and be remembered for all eternity. You were born in an era when the survival crisis has completely ended. If nothing unexpected happens during your tenure, it would be natural for you to announce the beginning of a new era of civilization…”

 

 

“Shut up!”

 

“But an accident happened at a time like this. Not to mention creating a beautiful new era, I might even end up being the king of a ruined country—”

 

“I told you to shut up!” The emperor stood up suddenly, already furious.

 

“You used military power to threaten me to shut up, you didn’t dare to arrest the high priest for questioning because you were worried about the impact on your reputation, and you arrested ‘rumor spreaders’ everywhere… It’s ridiculous that when this civilization crisis comes, you are still busy trying to gain power.”

 

 

These offensive words really irritated the emperor. His pupils deepened, and the originally turbid light yellow color quickly became pure and deep.

 

Almost at the same time, Alfred’s eyes also burned.

 

The two people with the most advanced genetic abilities in the world were facing each other. Even the air seemed to be frozen, and the atmosphere was so tense that it was about to explode.

 

The original intention of genetic modification was not to attack, but it does not hinder the natural suppression of ordinary genes by higher genes.

 

Xiu’s face turned pale and he instinctively lowered his eyes. Just when he could hardly stand, Alfred took a step forward, and his power seemed to overshadow that of the emperor.

 

 

“Your Majesty, you are not going to compete with me in genetic ability here, are you?” He said, “I know that there are guards outside the door, but if we really fight, I may not lose – if I win overwhelmingly, then who will the guards be loyal to?”

 

Of course it is impossible for the emperor’s personal guards to rebel so easily, but the ability that the emperor lacks most is trust.

 

His burning golden eyes glared at Alfred angrily, but Alfred confronted him without fear. After a long while, the emperor touched the bell at his hand, and the guards outside pushed the door and walked in.

 

“‘Escort’ the Crown Prince and the Prince back to Dawn Palace,” he said.

 

In the end, he did not choose to make trouble on the spot.

 

 

Xiu touched his chest and saluted, then turned and left without hesitation, his steps a little unsteady.

 

Alfred looked at the emperor, and the golden pupils of both of them did not extinguish. Alfred slowly stepped back a few steps, took a last look at the emperor at the door of the hall, turned around and followed Xiu away.