When Edwan hurried back to the Imperial Palace, the interior and exterior had already returned to calm.
Inside the Emperor’s bedchamber, several princesses and dozens of maids surrounded the large bed, most with solemn expressions.
The old Emperor lay on the bed, maintaining steady breaths, but his eyes could no longer open. His left hand, exposed from the blanket, was wrapped in a white bandage.
Edwan asked in a deep voice.
Princess Dana shook her head gently, eyes red-rimmed, and General Fremont could only bow his head and sigh.
"Brother," Emilia said softly, "Father is already old. It is a fact we must all accept."
"I know, it’s just..."
Edwan embraced Emilia, gently patting the back of her neck, gazing upward at the lamp beside the bed.
Princess Dana spoke softly, "His Majesty’s brain has started to wither. We have already brought in the best doctors for consultations, and with this set of sustaining devices, it may allow His Majesty to hold on a little longer."
"Your Highness," Fremont said beside them, "you must now shoulder the responsibilities of this country."
A princess whispered, "But His Majesty has left no decree to determine the Crown Prince."
"Prince Edwan is the first in line," Princess Dana said. "His Majesty has decided to establish Prince Edwan as the Crown Prince, it just hasn’t been announced yet... This country needs Edwan."
Fremont added, "The Royal Guard Army has pledged their allegiance to you, Your Highness."
The idle whispering in the Imperial Palace subsided instantly.
Edwan sat beside the bed for a while, lowered his head to hold the old Emperor’s arm, sighed softly, and turned to walk toward the palace door.
"I have a few meetings to attend to first."
The maids bowed their heads in salute, and everyone watched as Edwan left the bedchamber.
Emilia breathed a slight sigh of relief.
She remembered Yang Ming’s instructions before he left, glanced at the knight’s longsword hidden in the cabinet, and with some weariness, yawned.
"Go and rest, Emilia, all is well here," Princess Dana advised.
"No, Mother," Emilia replied, "I wish to rest on the sofa nearby, to spend as much time as I can with Father."
Princess Dana said tenderly, "Very well."
Emilia walked to the long sofa beside the cabinet and fell into a deep sleep before a maid could bring a pillow.
Princess Dana glanced at her personal maid, who quickly went over, seating herself beside Emilia, in case the princess might speak in her dreams out of nervousness.
Edwan’s convoy stopped outside a suburban prison.
In the deepest level of the prison, surrounded by projection screens, Yang Ming held a wine glass barely sipped, while Edwan had already drunk himself slightly tipsy.
Edwan spoke deeply, "I feel despicable."
Yang Ming sank into the soft sofa cushions, unable to stifle a yawn.
"Your Highness, I’ve just been busy for half a day, and I’m now looking to take a nap."
"No way, you must listen to my ramblings," Edwan insisted, "I have no one else to confide in right now."
"Then I’ll give you half a Galaxy Time."
"Don’t appear so despondent; your grievances about your father outweigh your respect for him.
"He is merely sick, lying there quietly awaiting the end of life; everyone has this journey, it is a law of nature.
"Now you can unleash your political ambitions without restraint."
"But he is still my father," Edwan whispered, "I disagree with his policies and his style, but I am nevertheless a continuation of his genes."
Yang Ming smirked, "The topic of fathers and sons has spawned many interesting stories."
"Enough about that," Edwan queried, "you weren’t involved, were you? In what happened at the Imperial Palace."
Yang Ming said, "I was the orchestrator, yet I can say with a clear conscience, I did not harm your dear father in the slightest."
Edwan nodded, "General Fremont said something similar."
Yang Ming reminded him, "Tomorrow you need to prepare a televised speech to announce you are about to become the Emperor of the Luofeng Empire, to form a base of public opinion."
"Isn’t this too hasty?" Edwan hesitated slightly.
"The rebellion on the Fifth Administrative Star will likely be completely subdued within half a month, serving as your first official record of governance."
Yang Ming unveiled his plan concisely,
"Once the rebellion on the Fifth Administrative Star is quelled, I will focus on unifying the military, reestablishing a centralized command system.
"To reassure the New Federation and the Sherman Empire, I will create the facade of a bipolar military, pitting Gudun Mah against Leon, with small frictions and conflicts in everyday affairs, all under my control.
"This gives us the opportunity to develop military strength amidst internal competition."
Edwan frowned at Yang Ming, "Ming, I sense a strong sense of urgency in your plan."
"Edwan, do you know what has happened recently, how the New Federation is handling the Sherman Empire?"
"Burying insects; it’s an inhumane tactic... You mean?"
Edwan’s eyes widened, and Yang Ming nodded softly as he set down his wine glass.
Yang Ming said, "My friend has informed me that this plan by the New Federation has been in place for decades, with eggs spread throughout the Sherman Empire."
"Hasn’t the Sherman Empire started searching?"
"It’s hard to find them all; moreover, due to the continuous eradication of about a dozen swarms, they should have already activated a self-preservation mechanism, and they will hide even more discreetly."
"Is there the same in the Wind territories?"
Edwan panicked slightly, "We are to face a second Natural Disaster... This is unimaginable!"