Emperor's Bane

Chapter 664: Zhuang Sen is thinking

Chapter 664: Zhuang Sen is thinking...

"I'm here for a meeting, what are you doing?!"

A burst of dog barking was like a thunderclap out of nowhere, almost shaking down the entire [Camelot Palace]. A certain Calibanite who was originally sitting on the jade-white stone steps with his eyes closed was also disturbed by this sudden change. He had to interrupt his rare thinking time and turned his gloomy eyes again.

Jonson was unhappy.

It was with great difficulty that he finally brushed away the years of dust in certain parts of his brain: after all, he didn't need them in war, but on this land of Ullanor and in the foreseeable decades after the Emperor left, he needed them very much.

There was nothing he could do about it: the external brain at position one, whom he relied on the most, was so busy with their own personal affairs that the substitute player at position two was still far away on Caliban at the other end of the stars. He only knew how to send him official documents all day long, and he didn't seem to be helping him solve problems decades ago.

#Lion sighs#
It would be nice if Luther was here: I wonder if the letter he sent back to Caliban a while ago, asking Luther and his friends to bring some people to attend the Ullanor parade, has been delivered. It should be in time, right? I just don't know what Luther would think.

After all, ever since the old man returned to Caliban and brought together dozens or hundreds of worlds to form a so-called alliance, he has visibly devoted all his energy to it. Not to mention participating in the Great Crusade, he has not even left the territory of the so-called [Greater Caliban].

Is this a good thing... or a bad thing?
The lion couldn't understand.

But Luther looked happy: This is better than anything else, just let him do it himself.

Zhuang Sen stroked his chin, thinking about his adoptive father whom he hadn't seen for decades: he actually missed the feeling of Luther being by his side, and the time when Morgan fought alongside him. Without these two people around, he didn't even have someone to talk to.

Coleswain is very good: but after all, you can't tell him everything.

Alajos's loyalty was trustworthy, but his mind was not.

As for Astelan: he preferred to send him out to guard the side, which would be good for the health of both of them.

The Primarch shook his head and threw these annoying names out of his mind. He pushed open the heavy door at any time. The smell of pine scent on the pillars made his mind clearer and his mood improved a little.

To be honest, Jonson began to be reluctant to leave this room: Morgan had left a set of special treatment for all her brothers in her Camelot Palace, including private rest rooms and exclusive special services, and for some primarchs, she would pay special attention.

Jonson was one of them: the Calibanites' lounge was almost a proportional replica of the fortress on Caliban. Whether it was the iron lanterns hanging on the walls, or the heavy candlesticks and stone murals, they were all specially airlifted from Caliban or selected by Luther himself. Even the humidity in the room was exactly the same as that of the jungle world, exuding an uncomfortable chill.

But Jonson fell for it. He rested better here than anywhere else. On the contrary, he was not used to the dry air on Ullanor: the dryness even spread all the way to the corridor of Camelot Palace. As soon as he opened the door, the huge temperature difference made the Lord of Caliban frown impatiently, and the two dark angels guarding the door became even more silent.

"grown ups."

The two warriors spoke in low voices.

Jonson snorted softly in his throat, then glanced across his room: Morgan's private lounge was there, and although she was outside now, two silent Dawnbreaker guards still stood at the door.

"What about her?"

Dawnbreaker answered with an address that Jonson had never heard of, but he knew someone would take him there soon. The Lion thought about whether to push open Morgan's door and take a look. He had the key to the lounge opposite, just as Morgan had the key to his lounge, but he quickly dismissed this meaningless idea.

Turning back, the Primarch decided to see if Conrad or Corax were there. Logically, they would be in a room, most likely Conrad's, and then turn it into a pure black artificial cave: Jonson had been invited in for a visit once, but that visit left him with bad memories.

He always felt that when Conrad and Corax hid in the shadows and looked at him, their gazes made him shudder: as if he was a monster, a monster that would be defeated by the two of them working together, especially the look Corax gave him, which was even more frightening to Zhuangsen than Conrad's.

Then again, he hadn't had a private conversation with this youngest brother yet, but Morgan said he was a "very good kid," a rare reliable figure among the brothers, just a little more terrifying than Conrad: now Zhuang Sen could agree with this idea.

His bestial intuition had already told Jonson what kind of person the Raven King was: he was indeed as Morgan had said, very calm, reliable, and a little kind, but deep down, Corax was more of a monster than Conrad.

Deep in his soul, the coldness and ruthlessness disguised as calmness and indifference made Conrad look like a child: Corax's soul seemed to be missing something. He was indeed kind, but this kindness was the result of acquired education, not the original appearance of his soul.

If necessary, the Raven King's methods would surely be more terrifying than the Night Haunter.

Jonson could swear to this. He was fully prepared before he stood in front of Conrad's door, but after knocking on the door several times, there was no response, and there were no soldiers guarding nearby: but his two warriors guaranteed that the person must be inside.

Maybe this guy is playing dead? And Corax is cooperating with him: ever since the two of them got together on Morgan's ship, Conrad has always been able to convince Corax to follow him to do those mindless things, and Midnight Haunter can also feel a little bit like a big brother in front of the Raven King.

This is what Morgan told him: Zhuang Sen actually likes these little stories very much.

The Lion King smiled, and then fell into a brief confusion. He knew that the Emperor would not summon him in the short term, and there seemed to be nothing to do in the Legion, and the brothers he was familiar with...

To be honest, not that many: since he had basically let go of the Warmaster issue, Jonson had been able to distinguish among the blood brothers who were willing to stand with him, how many of them were willing to believe in him, and how many were won over by Morgan using various means?
The ratio is quite disparate.

He knew, but he didn't care.

Zhuang Sen has always been a pragmatist. It's enough that they are willing to maintain a united front with him. As for their respective reasons, the lion doesn't care, nor does he need to care: things like this have always been the division of labor on Morgan's side, and what the lion has to do is to gnaw on the hardest bones for his sister within the formulated plan.

This has been the division of labor between the brother and sister for decades since they knew each other.

The same will be true in the future.

He liked this division of labor: at least he no longer had to worry about everyone's loyalty, even though he had never actually believed in them.

The lion sniffed his nose and finally got used to the dry feeling of the outside world, but he smelled trouble in the air. He remembered the dog barking that interrupted his thinking: that sound must have come from some careless bastard, he was too familiar with that bastard.

A furry, itchy bipedal canine was vividly present in Jonson's mind: the Calibanite was walking in the direction of the sound, and he needed something to pass the next moment, whether it was good or bad.

By the way, he could solve several problems that had been accumulating in his mind: they had been lurking in the lion's heart ever since he attended the previous Primarch meeting. Morgan obviously did not have time to answer them one by one, but he had other acquaintances among his brothers, and there were always a few smart people who would be willing to give him some pointers.

……

Leman Russ is not included.

------

As soon as Zhuang Sen opened the door, he found a man being beaten.

Looking more closely, he realized that this was none other than his good brother who had fought with him in the battle.

Leman Russ was the first to be controlled by his brothers.

There were three or four Primarchs surrounding the Fenris Wolf King. Conrad wrapped around Leman Russ like a snake and locked him firmly to the ground, while Corax on the side was adjusting the strength of the electric net used for binding.

These two guys are here.

Although Sanguinius at the very edge was just squatting aside, from the bird sounds and flower scents from the wolf king's mouth, it could be known that it was this archangel who knocked him down: although the Caliban people thought he was just talking nonsense.

After all, even if Leman Russ was completely unprepared at the time, it would be unlikely for Sanguinius to knock him to the ground with his bare hands given his fighting power: Jonson had indeed never seen what the archangel looked like when he really took action, but he had also not heard of how brilliant Sanguinius's military achievements were. His legion was good, and his personal character was also worthy of praise.

and so……

"What did Russ do? Even Sanguinius wants to fight him."

The lion walked around the chaotic battle zone and looked at Leman Russ, who was pinned to the ground by Conrad and could not escape despite all his efforts. He felt a little emotional: Conrad's fighting skills finally had some formal style.

If it were him...

Well, I guess I'll get into trouble.

"..."

It seems that it is time to prepare some extermination plans for Conrad.

"He deserves it."

Arriving before Johnson was Chagatai Khan, who also came to attend the meeting. The Primarch refused Morgan's lounge and sat on the balcony of the hall, feeling the dull breeze, holding a glass of Chogoris version of kumis specially prepared for him by the Spider Queen's mortal servants. Judging from the rare expression of enjoyment on the Khan's face, the drink was very successfully prepared.

Opposite the Khan was Angron, who was resting with his eyes closed. The two Primarchs, who had never spoken to each other before, now showed a strange sense of harmony and seemed to have a high opinion of each other.

"How to say?"

"While we were in the meeting, a group of Leman Russ's followers quietly slipped into the banquet room. By the time the Dawnbreakers discovered them, it was already too late."

"Drinking a little wine secretly? That's nothing, right?"

"The problem is that he brought a full 20,000 people to Morgan's party."

"And they all slipped in."

"Now, even the alcohol reserves of the mortal auxiliary troops have been consumed."

"..."

Leman Russ's screams still echoed in the room for a long time, but the little bit of pity in Zhuangsen's heart had disappeared completely.

"Will Sanguinius be angry about this?"

"The sons of Leman Russ could not get used to the bitter wine of Baal: they had no taste, but they got drunk on the wine brought by other legions, and made a lot of noise and mess, and ruined all the wine that Sanguinius brought from his homeland, which is said to be the production of the whole of Baal for several years."

"Tsk..."

Zhuang Sen shook his head and looked in the direction of Sanguinius: Although the archangel was still smiling, for some reason, looking at that sweet smiling face, the lion shuddered for no reason.

Especially when he heard the smiling Sanguinius saying something to Corax, who was holding an electric rope and was about to lock up Leman Russ.

"No, my brother Corax."

"The battery is too low. It's useless against a guy as hairy as Leman Russ."

"Please turn it up to the highest setting, thank you."

"Are you sure?"

The Crow King looked a little guilty.

"Morgan told me that the maximum power of this electric rope is enough to reach the surface of Titan..."

"Trust me: and trust our brother Leman Russ: this little charge won't even penetrate his skin."

Sanguinius's soft whisper was more pleasant to the ear than the devil's temptation. When he noticed the gaze from Zhuangsen, his smile remained unchanged, but he asked back in a gentle voice.

"What's wrong, brother?"

"..."

"No, it's nothing."

The lion quickly looked away.

Perhaps his previous assessment of Sanguinius was a little inaccurate?
Zhuang Sen muttered to himself: I don’t know if it’s a coincidence, but since he basically let go of his obsession with the Warmaster, his perception of the things around him seems to have changed.

Trying to ignore the pig-like howling of Leman Russ, the even more pig-like howling of Conrad after being accidentally electrocuted, and the Wolf Guards who were knocked unconscious by Sanguinius and piled in the corner, Jonson's gaze returned to Jagatai Khan. He roughly counted the number of blood brothers present and found that there were two fewer people than during the meeting.

"Where are Morgan and Guilliman?"

“They are busy.”

The Khan looked indifferent: but in fact he seemed to know everything.

"The Emperor has just sent a task to his two most capable politicians' children, asking them to help arrange the order in which the various legions and their mortal auxiliary troops will pass through the parade stand during the Ullanor parade a few days later. The Emperor was not very satisfied with the plans prepared by the Terran officials."

"is there a problem?"

“There are so many problems.”

Khan seemed to be laughing.

"The mortals originally intended to form individual legions and line them up according to their respective legion numbers."

"But they found that if they followed this plan, they would put the Death Guard and the Thousand Sons together, and the Word Bearers and the Salamanders would also be together, which would cause some unnecessary trouble."

"trouble?"

The lion raised an eyebrow.

"At the Emperor's feet?"

Facing his question, the Khan just smiled but did not answer. Instead, Angron, who seemed to be resting with his eyes closed, suddenly spoke.

"The main problem is Vulkan. He refused to allow his Legion to coexist with the Word Bearers. He was so adamant that he went to the Sigillite to protest. That's why he didn't come to this meeting: not even Horus could change his mind."

"That's it."

Jonson nodded and turned his gaze to Angron, who had opened his eyes.

"You're well-informed, brother."

"Not really."

Angron smiled with difficulty.

"I just have a pretty good relationship with Horus, and a pretty good relationship with Vulkan: the former is a rare military commander among the Primarchs, and the latter is a rare kind person among our brothers. They both have a good temper with me."

The lion was silent for a moment.

"What about me?" If I remembered correctly, Angron should be on his side in this election.

"You're not bad, Jonson."

Angron's smile seemed to grow a little wider.

"Your military command level is comparable to Horus's."

The lion was satisfied: this was definitely a compliment to him.

"but……"

Angron changed the subject.

"At least one thing I believe is that you can definitely defeat the Wolf God."

"Which point?"

Zhuang Sen thought about it, but found that even he himself could not be sure of the answer.

Is he really anywhere, stronger than that Horus?
Except he has Morgan and Luther.

Angron leaned forward, fixed his eyes on Jonson, and spoke the name that made Jonson's eyes turn fierce.

"Ran Dan."

He said.

"Although I didn't catch up with the most important battle in that great expedition, I was still able to learn some of the details through various means. Just a few words were enough for me to understand the catastrophe of the Randan War: I once imagined that if I were in your position, would I be able to withstand the pressure you were under at that time?"

"It's hard."

It was the Khan who answered him.

"Few of us could have handled the pressure that Jonson was under at that time."

"Not including you? Chagatai?"

Angron asked back.

"I am not sure."

The Khan seemed to think about it.

"But I think my chances of withstanding this are higher than yours, Angron."

The Lord of the World Eaters nodded, he was not angry about this.

"Why do you say that?"

"It's very simple."

The Khan put down his glass: Jonson was trying to follow the pace of their conversation.

"If I were to command the Randan War, I would most likely not be able to adapt to deploying troops on multiple fronts at the same time, because I have never had relevant experience. This is a problem of ability: but what is really important is the attitude problem, that is, I may not be able to tolerate the uncertain outcome of this war."

"The real difficulty of the Randan War for me is that for a very long period of time, we can only compete with the opponent in vain, and victory is far away: this long and hopeless delay is not the war I am good at."

"But Jonson could persevere: that's where he's better than most."

"So what do you think is the difficulty for me in the Randan War?"

Angron asked.

"Only one thing: or at least that is all I can discern so far."

The Khan held up a finger.

"Angron: You lack the reason to continue such a war."

"Or in other words: you don't have the determination to fight for the entire Great Crusade."

"People like us, like all the other Primarchs except you, no matter why we joined the Great Crusade, no matter how we feel about the Emperor, we are here to fight for a reason, perhaps for a noble cause like the future of all mankind, or perhaps just to protect our own little piece of land: but reasons are reasons, and they give us the awareness to face even a powerful opponent like Randan."

"But you are different, Angron: you have no reason to fight."

"You fight because there is nothing else you can do except fight."

"Actually, there is still one..."

Angron muttered quietly, his breath steady enough to startle even Jonson, if he was judged in this way, then one of Jaghatai and he would definitely fall today: but Angron was silent for a while, then nodded and clapped his hands a few times.

He acquiesced.

"I've always been told that the Khan of Chogoris is cruel but wise, and they're right."

"Morgan told you that."

The Khan snorted.

"She is the only one who won't say bad things about others behind their backs. At least she will never let bad words come out of her mouth, but she will make you actively doubt it in your heart."

"So would Horus."

Angron shook his head.

"They are all the same kind of people: just a little different in their individual abilities."

Jonson didn't like this comment, so he decided to change the subject.

"Chagatai: What on earth is the order of the military parade you just mentioned?"

This sentence made the Khan's attention shift back to Zhuangsen. Zhuangsen felt that his brother seemed to have seen through him at some point, but the Khan did not point it out. He just slowly picked up the pot of kumis again.

He really likes it.

"Like I said earlier: the numbered option is rejected."

"Then, the Terran officials came up with a second solution: each Astartes Legion had its own title, and the mortals wanted to line up in alphabetical order through the High Gothic language table."

"sounds good."

"Yeah, it sounds like that."

The Khan snorted.

"Until they found out, they were going to put the Iron Warriors and the Imperial Fists together."

"Isn't there the Iron Hand among them?"

"When you need the Iron Hands, you can't find them."

"..."

Jonson raised his brows.

"But at least the Thousand Sons and Death Guard are no longer a front-and-back combination, right?"

"correct."

Angron's laughter was heard.

"But the Thousand Sons will now be partnered with the Space Wolves."

"That won't do. We'll start a second Ullanor War."

"..."

"Another point."

Chagatai shook his finger.

"Do you know where the Death Guard are going?"

"You mean..."

"Yes, the Death Guard are joining forces with the Dawnbreakers: I can already imagine them fighting each other."

"However, Jonson, you don't need to worry about the casualties of the Dawnbreakers. After all, your Dark Angels will be right next to them. The Death Guard will be the unlucky ones who have to fight with fewer people."

The Lion King was silent.

But he did not refute this statement.

"But then again."

Khan seemed to have thought of a joke.

"There are advantages to alphabetical arrangement. At least this way we can put Guilliman's Ultramarines at the end, so that their queue won't make others impatient."

"How many men did Guilliman bring?"

"I don't know, but his legion camp is larger than the three legions next to it combined."

"And that's not counting his auxiliary forces: according to Fulgrim, if you look from orbit, the entire land of Ullanor is dyed blue: the transport fleets that deliver supplies to the Ultramarines have squeezed out the Glorious Queens of other legions."

The lion king raised a brow.

"Can't Guilliman hold back a little?"

"Maybe he has calmed down."

The Khan spread his hands, and Angron on the other side nodded affirmatively.

"Indeed, Jonson: have you never seen Guilliman's arrogance?"

"What do you mean, Angron?"

"You should know that my future fiefdom is next to the Five Hundred Worlds, right?"

"so?"

"Guilliman came to see me a few hours ago, when we had just finished that meeting."

Angron narrowed his eyes slightly, as if the memory was very unpleasant to him.

"He asked me..."

"Are you interested in having my territory accept the [Marshall Plan] from the Five Hundred Worlds?"