Ch57.1 - Hello, Stan Star

At Stan Star, inside the Imperial Palace.

Perhaps this was the first palace coup Stan Star had witnessed in a hundred years. Everything happened so suddenly and unexpectedly. Prior to this, everyone’s attention had been on the young general who had departed for war and the merchants who hadn’t returned safely. But now, in the dead of night, the lights of the imperial palace burned relentlessly, and the emperor’s great hall was in utter disarray.

The crown prince and empress had initially plotted only to assassinate the emperor. However, they had gravely underestimated him. Despite years of illness and physical frailty, the emperor was far stronger than he appeared. Moreover, the prime minister had spent years cultivating numerous skilled and extraordinary individuals, who managed to gain some advantage in their confrontation with the palace guards.

But no one had anticipated Zuo Qingshan’s astonishing speed. The palace guards’ reinforcements arrived astonishingly fast, and so did Zuo Qingshan’s warship. Based on everyone’s calculations, it shouldn’t have arrived until the next morning at the earliest. But before the first light of dawn, the warship that should have been outside the planet was already hovering over the palace.

Despite his youth, the young major general was incredibly skilled on the battlefield. With one swift kick, he sent the retreating crown prince, who had been hiding behind his guards as he retreated—crashing into a wall, drawing a miserable cry from him.

Zuo Qingshan commanded the people behind him, “Capture everyone alive. If anyone resists, execute them on the spot.”

As expected, the crown prince resisted. Lu Wei bellowed, “How dare you, Zuo Qingshan? Where do you get the authority and audacity to do this? Aren’t you afraid of being punished?”

A figure slowly appeared behind Zuo Qingshan.

Everyone froze, including Zuo Qingshan himself. “Your Highness… you’re awake?”

Lu Xingwang hummed in response, standing still as his distant gaze fell upon the crown prince. He ordered, “Send people to lock all the main gates of the palace and arrest the empress and prime minister.”

The crown prince was momentarily stunned, his eyes filled with deep resentment as he glared at Lu Xingwang.

Lu Xingwang’s expression remained icy, and his words shattered the crown prince’s last shred of hope. “Not just the main gates. From now on, all passage through towns and interplanetary warships will be under strict surveillance.”

Zuo Qingshan looked at him with admiration, then turned to his officer and said, “Did you hear that? Hurry up and go.”

If only there were a little more time, Zuo Qingshan could have figured it out himself. But what made Lu Xingwang truly strong was his ability to remain calm and composed, regardless of the circumstances or the urgency of the situation. He could grasp what matters, making the right decision at critical moments.

The crown prince looked at Lu Xingwang with a gaze as sharp as a knife. “You’re still not dead?”

By this point, he didn’t even bother to pretend anymore, or perhaps he had simply had enough. After donning the mask of hypocrisy for so many years, speaking honestly now felt much more comfortable.

A faint smile curled at the corner of Lu Xingwang’s lips.

The light of dawn fell down as the youth walked toward the crown prince. Lu Xingwang’s gaze was sharp, it could cut through the air like a blade. He stepped on the crown prince with one foot, sneering coldly. “Are you disappointed that I’m not dead, Your Highness, Crown Prince? But let me offer you some advice, rather than wasting time focusing on me, you’d be better off focusing on your own life and death.”

The crown prince’s expression shifted, his face darkening as he cursed furiously. “Lu Xingwang, don’t get too smug. If you have the guts, kill me now!”

Lu Xingwang raised an eyebrow. “Kill you?”

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Lu Xingwang half-knelt on the ground said, “Good day, Emperor Father.This sonhas returned.”

The emperor was clad in a silver and gold dragon robe, looking incredibly regal. Though illness had taken its toll on his body in recent years and weakened his health, his spirit remained unyielding, though he’d become much thinner. When he heard the sound, he didn’t turn around but merely said, “Lately, I’ve been dreaming of your mother.”

In the great hall, there stood a group of civil and military officials who had hurried from outside.

Behind Lu Xingwang stood a row of soldiers, their postures impeccably aligned. The air outside was filled with a chilling and murderous tension, yet it was very calm inside the grand palace hall.

The emperor had just experienced the peril of a coup, but he didn’t ask a single question about the crown prince and empress. It was like he had expected this all along, or perhaps he simply didn’t care and couldn’t be bothered to ask. He sat there looking out the window, immersed in his own world.

Lu Xingwang asked, “What did you dream of her?”

The emperor’s lips curled into a soft smile. “I dreamed of the first time I met her. She was wearing a white dress and asked me which family I was from, saying she’d come to my house for an arranged marriage.”

A trace of gentleness flickered in Lu Xingwang’s eyes.

The empress was strong-willed, but she had her own tender side. She was extremely persistent about the things she believed in, and would often risk everything to follow them.

“I told her I was from a poor family, with nothing but empty walls, and probably not worthy of someone rich young lady like her.” The emperor smiled faintly. “Do you know what she said?”

Lu Xingwang replied, “No.”

The emperor reached out and gently stroked the orchids blooming by the window. The soft, green branches were pliable and graceful. A resigned smile appeared in his eyes. “She said that an empty home would be good for my ambitions, and that my poor background meant I had no wives or concubines, so all the family wealth would go to our children.”

Lu Xingwang remained silent.

He never thought that his mother had such grand ambitions. Doesn’t the emperor’s family wealth cover the entire world? If someone with ill intentions heard this, they might accuse him of coveting the throne.

Lu Xingwang spoke in a soft voice, “Mother was young and naïve back then. Please don’t hold it against her, Emperor Father.”

The emperor shook his head gently and turned around. His handsome face looked so much like the young third prince’s as he said, “But I made a promise with her.”

Lu Xingwang froze for a moment.

The emperor curled his lips into a smile and said, “That’s why she married me.”

His expression resembled that of a child who had stolen some candy, with a hint of pride and satisfaction in his eyes.

Lu Xingwang was momentarily at a loss for words. His mother had always been very strict with him since he was young, as if she expected him to inherit the throne, even though he wasn’t the crown prince. But upon a closer thought, the emperor’s harem was empty.

Since Consort Lan came into the palace, only a few women remained. And since his mother’s death, the emperor’s health had been getting worse with each year.

“I haven’t been sleeping well these past few days,” said the emperor as his hand lightly tapped on the window sill. “Do you think she’s upset with me for not taking care of you and has come to remind me?”

Lu Xingwang lowered his head. “Maybe she just misses you.”

The entire hall grew eerily silent.

After a long pause, the emperor smiled faintly. “I miss her too.”

In the 29th year of the Xingyuan Era, the Stan Star’s royal family was thrown into turmoil. The third prince, Lu Xingwang, was officially declared the crown prince. Due to the emperor’s grave illness, the crown prince was entrusted with the responsibility of governing the country. With tremendous authority and power in his hand, he enjoyed a moment of unparalleled prestige and glory.

Everyone thought the crown prince would be riding high on his success, but the young man sitting in the great palace hall wore a grim expression. Since returning from the crowning ceremony, Lu Xingwang hadn’t moved from his desk.

Aruo came in from outside and said, “Your Highness, several officials are requesting an audience with you.”

“I won’t see them.” Lu Xingwang said. “Just tell them I need rest and ask them to come another day.”

Aruo hummed in acknowledgment. “Yes.”

They simply wanted to curry favor and secure themselves with a faction. However, with the new ruler just ascending the throne and the emperor being deeply suspicious by nature, meeting with these external officials in haste would only appear undignified and overly eager. At this moment, refusing all meetings was the wisest course of action.

Only… Aruo asked worriedly, “Your Highness hasn’t rested properly since returning. Is there something on your mind?”

Aruo couldn’t fathom the depths of Lu Xingwang’s mind. The harder it was for him to deal with something, the more he’d isolate himself. When Imperial Consort Lan passed away, the prince locked himself in for an entire month, and now he seemed just as withdrawn as back then. Over the last two or three years, he’d been doing so much better. What could’ve happened on this expedition to shake him so badly that not even becoming crown prince could bring him comfort?

Lu Xingwang raised his head to look at her, his youthful features clouded with melancholy. His lips parted, as if he was about to say something, but he suddenly remembered something. In the end, he simply said, “You may leave first.”

Aruo could only say, “Your Highness, if something is troubling you, don’t keep everything to yourself and shoulder everything. Though I may not be able to help much, perhaps others will have a solution. When many people work together, the fire burns brighter. It’s better to have everyone help resolve it than for you to carry the burden alone.”

Lu Xingwang pondered for a moment before finally nodding. “I understand.”

After the maidservant left, the prince hesitated for a moment before finally opening his communication terminal. The message list was completely empty. When they first started communicating, he had found Jian Mei overly talkative and wished he could delete him from his contact immediately. But later, no matter what he did, he couldn’t delete this annoying kid from the list and had to put up with him.

Habits could be terrifying. The more you endure and the more time you spend together, the more they become a part of your life. When they were always together, he never gave it much thought. But now that it was all gone so suddenly, the world was quiet—too quiet. No one was there to chatter away anymore, and this silence felt unbearably painful.

After entering a series of contact codes, a “beep” sounded, and the call started.

A moment later, a video call request appeared. When Lu Xingwang accepted it, Lan Chang’s face appeared on the screen. “The communication is finally working,” he said. “You had me worried.”

Lu Xingwang said softly, “I’m sorry.”

Lan Chang shook his head, glancing at Lu Xingwang a few times before saying, “When your soul tablet on the family ancestral tablets started acting strangely, I knew something might have happened to you. The ritual for transferring divine power is a forbidden practice, but accidents can still occur. When your power is excessively strong, it can cause instability and mishaps. I heard your divine power has been restored?”

Lu Xingwang calmly replied. “It was a special situation. At the time, my divine power was fully restored, but now only part of it remains.”

Lan Chang was knowledgeable in such matters. “Of course, your body hasn’t fully recovered to the point where it can handle the divine power you possessed at your peak. The sudden overuse has left you severely depleted, and you can’t retain your vitality like this. Fortunately, the return of your divine power will help cleanse toxins from your body. As long as you take good care of yourself, you should fully recover over time.”

These comforting words had no effect on Lu Xingwang. His face remained as cold as ever, with no sign of happiness.

“I’m not concerned with that right now,” said Lu Xingwang.

Lan Chang raised his eyebrows in slight surprise. “Then what is it?”

“What about him?” Lu Xingwang asked directly. “The person who shared divine power with me—what’s going to happen to him?”

The room fell silent.

Perhaps the question was too sharp, or perhaps Lan Chang was genuinely caught off guard. He paused to think, leaving the room in silence.

Finally, Lan Chang sighed. His expression was heavy as he said, “You know how weak you became when you lost your divine power. And that was only because you were sustained by a priest’s divine energy. If it had been an ordinary person…”

Lu Xingwang frowned slightly. “If it had been an ordinary person, then what?”

Lan Chang didn’t answer immediately but looked at him solemnly. No words were necessary—his gaze said it all.