The Last Sentinel

Carbon-based universe, Blue Star, the Ming Dynasty Imperial Palace in Beijing.

Ever since the fall of [Great Wall Watch], the Jiajing Emperor couldn't wait to move the palace back to his old home in the Forbidden City. What was the ethereal Jade Palace, or the heavenly palaces of the Nine Heavens? In his eyes, nothing was as safe and secure as his family's ancestral home.

As dusk settled and the light of day grew dim and faint, the military headquarters building next to the Hall of Mental Cultivation was not particularly grand or spacious. The layout of the building was simple and cramped. A wisp of deep sandalwood incense slowly diffused in the air, suppressing the chilling atmosphere of the Forbidden City outside the hall.

A few slivers of dim light peeked through the latticed windowpanes. Inside, several heavy elmwood tables were laid out horizontally, their surfaces piled high with sealed boxes of memorials. A thin layer of ink clung to the inkstone, and a wolf-hair brush rested askew on the brush rest. Scrolls of confidential documents were laid out layer upon layer, their edges slightly frayed from repeated handling.

Yan Song, Gao Gong, Zhang Juzheng, Huang Jin, and several others sat around a table, their embroidered robes trailing to the ground, the folds of the fabric concealing the heavy weight of the imperial court. The room was mostly silent, save for the soft rustling of fingers turning pages, and the occasional hushed conversations, each word spoken in a whisper, each sentence connected to the grand scheme of things.

Some leaned forward, their fingertips pointing at the spread-out military reports, quietly analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of the border region; others stroked their long beards with their fingers, their brows furrowed, pondering the gains and losses in the allocation of funds and provisions; still others, high-ranking officials, spoke with restrained and calm voices, refuting the shortcomings in the strategies point by point. The atmosphere in the hall was tense, everyone holding a sharp blade in their hearts, knowing that the situation in the border war was interconnected and could have far-reaching consequences.

The sound of heavy, rapid footsteps echoed from the stone floor outside the corridor, penetrating the tranquility of the main room.

"Yu Huatian, Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, has urgent business to discuss with His Majesty!"

Huang Jin looked up and called out, "Come in."

Yu Huatian lifted the curtain and strode into the military headquarters. His brocade boots stepped over the blue bricks, and his hands trembled slightly in his sleeves, his eyes revealing an undisguised excitement.

Given his rank as deputy commander, he was not qualified to step into the duty room at the core of the empire's power. It should have been Commander-in-Chief Zhu Qi who came to report, but Zhu Qi was away on assignment in the capital, so he was temporarily assigned to fill the vacancy.

Being able to step into this place, even just to kneel on the ground and listen to the decrees of the officials, is a height that countless Jinyiwei guards could never reach in their entire lives.

Thinking of this, Yu Huatian's chest heaved with emotion. He dared not look up and glance around, quickly kneeling heavily on the ground, his back ramrod straight, his tone utmost respect: "Your Majesty, the Embroidered Uniform Guard has just received three important pieces of intelligence!"

Gao Gong frowned, leaned forward slightly, and waved his hand impatiently: "Stop beating around the bush, tell me!"

Yu Huatian bowed his head and reported loudly: "First, a rebellion has occurred in the Warhammer universe. King Arthur of the Round Table, who has been in the Warhammer universe for three hundred years, has suddenly announced ten major charges against Guilliman Robert, including betraying the Emperor's will, usurping the power of the Empire, plotting to murder Imperial Warmaster Horus, and sowing discord between the Emperor and the Warmaster. King Arthur has declared that he will purge the court of corrupt officials and completely eliminate Guilliman Robert and his Ultramarines!"

"Guilliman Roberts declared that King Arthur is actually the thought of Horus, that King Arthur is Horus, and he called on all the space chapters of the Imperium to go all out to destroy King Arthur and completely banish this fifth evil god created in the Warp back to the Warp."

As soon as the words were spoken, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became heavy. The expressions of the ministers changed one after another, worry appeared between their brows, and suppressed murmurs rose and fell. Some of them had a thin layer of sweat on their palms, and their fingertips unconsciously tapped the edge of the table.

"How could this happen! At this crucial moment, our ally in the Warhammer Universe has fallen into internal strife! Isn't this just dragging us down?"

"Who says otherwise! What a bunch of noobs who just let us down!"

"We're doomed. We can't count on Warhammer Universe and Emperor Empire anymore..."

Thump—

The clear, resonant sound of the chime reverberated, rippling the layers of bright yellow curtains like waves on water. Behind the curtains, Jiajing's imperial voice slowly descended, silencing the clamor in the room: "Where are the other two pieces of intelligence?"

Yu Huatian pressed his forehead against the cool blue brick and hurriedly kowtowed: "Your Majesty, the second intelligence report is that the patrol team on the far side of the moon conducted a routine inspection of the Star Legion and found that the Star Legion has vanished without a trace!"

These words were like a boulder thrown into still water, causing an instant uproar in the entire Grand Council, and all the officials were shaken.

Gao Gong slammed his hand on the table, causing the inkstone to tremble slightly. He abruptly stood up, his voice rising: "What? The Star Legion is gone? How could this be! That's a full ten army groups, fifty-five organized elite interstellar expeditionary legions!"

Yu Huatian remained kneeling on the ground, his voice steady: "Reporting to Lord Gao, the patrol team arrived at the Star Legion's headquarters and found that only the main AI was functioning. The patrol team initially thought they had encountered an enemy attack, but there were no signs of battle in the entire headquarters, barracks, airfield, or weapons depot! I have determined that they fled in a planned and organized manner! They were prepared to leave, and set up an exit program before leaving, constantly misleading us into thinking they were guarding the Void Ancestor, when in fact they had already fled more than a month ago."

Zhang Juzheng slowly gathered his sleeves, his eyes deep and his thoughts racing. He pondered for a moment before speaking, "A little over a month ago? Wasn't that when Qi Tian had just taken control of the Mythical Cave Heaven, Flower Fruit Mountain?"

"That's right." Huang Jin nodded, tapping the table lightly with his fingertips, a look of understanding flashing in his eyes. "And Qi Tian is the first commander of the Star Legion. The Star Expeditionary Legion has always listened to Qi Tian. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it's Qi Tian's private army! It seems that Qi Tian has transferred the legion away."

With a fierce flick of his sleeve, Gao Gong shouted angrily, "Such a major event as transferring the legion, and you didn't even inform us! Qi Tian is utterly lawless!"

Huang Jin suppressed the chaotic discussion and pressed on, "What about the third piece of information?"

With a creak, the door to the military command post was suddenly pushed open, and a gust of cold wind, carrying the chill from outside, rushed into the room. Yan Shifan strode in, his brocade robe fluttering, his expression carrying a hint of imposing sharpness.

"The third piece of intelligence I have to share is that just now, the Li family of Chentang Pass announced that they have formed an alliance with the three major natural disaster forces. The Heavenly Court is furious about this. Chentang Pass has disregarded the Heavenly Laws and secretly joined forces with the three major natural disaster forces. This is simply an act of treason!"

Yan Song, who had been sitting silently, slowly raised his old eyes, his cloudy gaze falling on his son, his expression cautious: "Donglou, is the information reliable?"

"Reliable." Yan Shifan replied, cupping his hands in greeting, a cold glint in his eyes. "Father, to be honest, the leader of this alliance is an old acquaintance of ours, the Arrogance of the Seven Prodigies—the Holy Son of the Demon Family—Mo Lijie!"

Yan Song turned to look at Xu Jie, who had remained silent beside him, and bowed slightly: "Grand Secretary Xu, what is your opinion?"

Xu Jie slowly straightened up, his expression solemn, and his gaze swept over his colleagues in the room: "A new vortex has formed at Huaguo Mountain. All forces have torn off the facade of peacetime and have sent troops to Huaguo Mountain. Whether it is natural disasters, the Heavenly Court, the Warhammer Universe, or the Li family of Chentang Pass, all forces have completely broken up. It is really not advisable to intervene in such a chaotic time. I suggest that the court postpone it and wait for a better opportunity."

Yan Shifan immediately retorted, taking a step forward and speaking sharply: "Wait a little longer? What about Qi Tian and his Star Legion?"

Xu Jie's lips moved slightly, but in the end he remained silent.

Yan Shifan continued loudly, "In my opinion, Qi Tian and his army have formed a stubborn stronghold within Huaguo Mountain. If we launch an attack on the enemies outside Huaguo Mountain now, coordinating from within and without, we can achieve a decisive victory on all sides. Whether it's weakening the forces at the source of the three major natural disasters or the forces related to Chen Tang Pass in Heaven, we're guaranteed to profit!"

"On the contrary, if we follow Xu Ge Lao's example, meekly waiting for an opportunity in the shadows, we might end up being devoured by the enemy, who will seize Flower Fruit Mountain, leaving us unable to even catch up with the heat of the shit!"

Upon seeing this, Gao Gong immediately stepped forward, his brow furrowed, and reprimanded, "Young Grand Secretary, this is a refined place; don't do this 'eating shit' nonsense..."

Yan Shifan rolled his eyes, his arrogance palpable, and interrupted the other man directly: "You want to teach me how to do things? Besides, I hate people who take sides, especially lackeys like you. As soon as you see your superior losing an argument, you immediately step in to take sides. You don't even deserve it! You can't offer a single reliable suggestion. The reason you're in the Grand Council is because the Qingliu faction needs to balance power, not because you're qualified to stand here!"

Gao Gong's face flushed crimson, veins bulging in his neck, and he trembled with rage, gritting his teeth as he roared, "You..."

Yan Shifan refused to back down, his voice growing increasingly sharp: "His Majesty needs strategists who can provide plans and solutions, not useless cowards like you who only know how to fight amongst themselves! Get out of here!"

He pushed hard with his arm, the force suddenly released, and Gao Gong was caught off guard, staggered, and fell to the ground with a thud on the cold blue brick floor.

The surrounding ministers remained calm, seemingly indifferent. It was common for civil officials to quarrel and fight in the Ming court. People laughed, saying that if a scholar was not proficient in the Six Arts, how could he hold a high position? If he really couldn't do it, he should go out and become a military general.

Yan Shifan ignored Gao Gong, who had fallen to the ground, turned to face the curtain, and solemnly cupped his hands in greeting: "Your Majesty, I believe we must take action and provide support to Huaguo Mountain."

From behind the curtain came Jiajing's calm voice: "Should we send Li Wenzhong to reinforce Huaguo Mountain?"

"No!" Yan Shifan shook his head decisively, his thoughts clear and logical. "Currently, the main attacking force of the Heavenly Court is the main force of Chen Tang Pass and the scattered forces of the Demon Clan, far from being the main force of the Heavenly Court's Heavenly River Navy and the South Heavenly Gate Fleet!"

"General Li is guarding the Sword Qi Great Wall, facing the frontal battlefield with four layers of barriers. If he leaves now, the Heavenly Court will definitely seize the opportunity to invade! They will attack my carbon-based universe from the frontal battlefield!"

Jiajing's voice came again: "In your opinion, how should we provide support?"

Yan Shifan reported loudly, "The destiny is on our side! I have received intelligence that there is a fragment of the Yongzhou Cauldron, one of the Nine Cauldrons of the Great Tang Dynasty's destiny, within Huaguo Mountain. If the Great Ming can share its destiny with the Yongzhou Cauldron, it can greatly stabilize the dragon vein's origin within Huaguo Mountain, providing the Star Legion with an excellent logistical and recuperative base!"

Gao Gong struggled to his feet, his clothes disheveled and wrinkled, his face contorted with indignation. He strode forward and loudly protested, "Grand Secretary Yan, it's easy for you to talk when you're not in the same boat. The Ming Dynasty's fate is already sealed; how can we allow an outer dynasty to borrow its fortune? The last time the Han Dynasty borrowed its fortune, it already severely weakened the Ming Dynasty. If we borrow it again now, what will happen to the Ming Dynasty's Jade Capital? How will we revive the ancestors and emperors of the Ming Dynasty?"

"Your Majesty, Yan Shifan's words are absolutely unacceptable!"

"Once Huaguo Mountain is destroyed, or its vitality is severely damaged, all the fortune we lent out will be lost, and then the Ming Dynasty will truly be in danger."

Yan Shifan's eyes were filled with frost as he retorted sharply, "If Flower Fruit Mountain falls, the Yongzhou Cauldron falls into the hands of the Heavenly Court, and fifty elite legions of the star system are annihilated, we will be in just as much danger!"

"Whether you advance or retreat, it's still a stab!"

"Neither you nor I can escape this blow!"

"Rather than passively taking a beating, it's better to step forward and fight! Even if we are killed, it won't diminish the national prestige of our Ming emperor dying for his country, the Son of Heaven guarding the nation's gates!"

The room reeked of gunpowder. The two men glared at each other, seemingly on the verge of another fight. The entire room held its breath; even the sound of turning the pages of documents vanished, replaced by the quiet, lingering scent of sandalwood.

Just then, a mocking, aged laugh echoed from behind the heavy curtains, piercing through layers of brocade and resounding throughout the military headquarters: "Great-grandson, is this the treacherous minister Yan Shifan you spoke of? In my opinion, he has far more backbone than those loyal ministers!"

From behind the curtain, Jiajing's voice carried a hint of respect: "Greetings, Your Majesty. You shall handle matters here. I shall take my leave!"