Right, then — this old fellow really did mean to get one over on him. Still, reckoning by age and generation, he genuinely could pass for Zhao Chen's grandfather; he'd just treat it as respecting his elders. So Zhao Chen talked himself round.
"Grandpa Chu, I'm perfectly fine. It's only that the Azure Governor and the others kept wanting me to hand over some ship technology and work with them — and when I wouldn't, they wouldn't let me leave. They even said I was under suspicion of secret collusion with the Mechanical Race, inside and out, and insisted on hauling me back for a round of interrogation." Zhao Chen wore, just now, the very picture of injured innocence.
He went on, aggrieved: "You tell me — what did I come all this long way to the Water Lily Star System for? Nothing but to save the two academies' people. I risked my life, charged into the swarm alone, and brought back those talents, those future flowers of the Empire. And now, of all things, the Azure Governor and his lot suspect me? It's enough to chill the heart!"
Seeing Zhao Chen play the wronged innocent, Xue Xiaoxiao and the other women all felt their eyes light up. How had they never noticed before how brilliantly this fellow could act?
The Azure Governor's face stiffened to see Zhao Chen lodge a complaint outright. Before he could get out a word of explanation—
Governor Chu, on his end, had already flown into a rage. He leveled a finger straight at the Azure Governor and thundered, "Blue Fatty — you actually dare call my grandson-in-law a Mechanical Race mole? This is you insulting my Chu family, is it! The whole of the Starlight Empire knows my Chu family and the Mechanical Race are locked in a feud to the death. In my Chu family's ancestral hall, every last one of the spirit tablets standing there belongs to someone who fell fighting the Mechanical Race. Even if you, Blue Fatty, went and made yourself the Mechanical Race's little bride, no one of my Chu family would ever consort with them!"
That Governor Chu should fly into a rage was within everyone's expectations. The sea-deep blood feud between the Chu family and the Mechanical Race was well known across the whole Starlight Empire. Which was precisely why the Empire's royal house was so at ease with the Chu family steadily building up their power in the Chu River Star Region — even funding the development of T4-grade warships. After all, on the far side of the Chu River Star Region lay the Mechanical Race, and the Mechanical Race served to hold this Duke in check. The stronger the Chu River Star Region grew, the safer the Starlight Empire became. Now, for the Azure Governor and the rest to say that Zhao Chen — the Chu family's grandson-in-law — was in collusion with the Mechanical Race amounted to a slap in the Chu family's face!
"Governor Chu, there's a misunderstanding here — please, hear us explain it slowly…" Marshal Huang Zhixiong stepped forward to speak now.
Governor Chu looked at him with open contempt. "Explain, my foot! What sort of grease you old rascals have stewing in your bellies — as if I didn't know. And you, Yellow Rat — don't imagine that just because you've gone from a skinny rat to a fat one you're fit to speak to me here. You goddamn well aren't qualified. And another thing! You'd best not wear that uniform in front of me — you don't goddamn deserve it! Damn it, the mere thought of a creature like you wearing the same clothes as me sets my teeth on edge. I won't feel right until I've planted a few kicks on you. Back in the day, planted in my corps fleet to soldier along and pad your service record — I should have dragged you to the front lines against the Mechanical Race then and there! That little bit of caning was letting you off far too easy!"
Rat this, rat that.
Zhao Chen could see the fury in Marshal Huang Zhixiong's eyes — yet the man didn't dare let a scrap of it show. This was the naked gulf between two Five-Star Marshals.
Governor Chu's words, moreover, confirmed a rumor that had gone around for years. In his youth, Marshal Huang Zhixiong had once been transferred to serve in Marshal Chu Changhe's corps fleet — for a posting on the border front was, after all, the easiest place to rack up military merit. Unfortunately, the family behind Huang Zhixiong had forgotten Chu Changhe's temperament. After a string of blunders large and small — and worse, after violating the military code Chu Changhe had laid down by drinking and taking women aboard a warship while on a mission — Chu Changhe had gone straight to Huang Zhixiong and very nearly given the order to have the boy shot on the spot. Had it not been for Huang Zhixiong's own elder sister, a consort of the reigning Emperor, pleading for him — and the Emperor, invoking a favor Chu Changhe had once owed him, asking Chu Changhe to spare Huang Zhixiong this once — there would be no "Marshal Huang Zhixiong" at all today.
But as the saying goes: the death penalty may be spared, but the living punishment is hard to escape. Chu Changhe, following the military code of the ancient days, took up the cane in his own hand and beat Huang Zhixiong 100 strokes! He beat him clean to the brink of death — and until Huang Zhixiong's family came to collect him, gave him no treatment at all, seeing only that a breath was left in him. When Huang Zhixiong's people finally came for him, he was for all the world like a dead rat; had today's medical technology not been so advanced, there'd have been no saving him. From that day to this, Huang Zhixiong had never dared set foot half a step into the Chu River Star Region, nor dared meet Chu Changhe face to face. This was their first meeting in years.
Hearing Chu Changhe dredge up the old business, Huang Zhixiong clenched his fists, his eyes brimming with shame, fury, and fear. In the end he silently retreated several steps, out of range of what Governor Chu's video window could see.
Watching this, Chairman Feng cursed inwardly: A good-for-nothing is a good-for-nothing. Trash before, and now, in a change of coat, still nothing but showy trash.
"Governor Chu, calm your temper — the matter between you and Marshal Huang is an old almanac now. Let's not bring it up again. As for Zhao Chen, I've already gotten to the bottom of it just now: it was our own people below who got it wrong. I'll give the order this instant to punish that pack of underlings severely. To dare frame Governor Chu's dragon-riding son-in-law — they must have eaten a bear's heart and a leopard's gall[1]!" The Azure Governor said it with an ingratiating smile.
"Then I'll take my grandson-in-law and go right now. Do you mean to stop me?" Governor Chu fixed his eyes on the man.
The Azure Governor smiled. "Zhao Chen is a young hero — he saved the teachers and students of both academies. Naturally he may come and go as he pleases! No one in the Azure Star Region could stop Zhao Chen. Whoever dares bully Zhao Chen sets himself against me — against the whole Azure Star Region!"
This old fellow's hide is thick enough — his talent for telling barefaced lies with his eyes wide open beats even mine. Zhao Chen applauded quietly in his heart.
"Hmph. I know very well what's in your minds. But I'm telling you: Zhao Chen is the grandson-in-law of Chu Changhe. You dare touch Zhao Chen, and you touch Chu Changhe. Weigh up carefully just how much you're worth. And if you don't like it, you're welcome to haul out your own fleets and we'll measure up! I, old Chu, and these old bones of mine will oblige you to the very last!"
With that, Governor Chu turned again to Zhao Chen, all warmth and benevolence. "Grandson-in-law — since it's all settled, then, let's first get out of this fetid, poisonous place."
"Of course." Zhao Chen rose. Just as he was about to take his leave of the three old foxes now eating crow—
Beside Governor Chu in the video window, an adjutant appeared and murmured a few words. Almost at the same moment, the Azure Governor received a comm request from one of his own subordinates.
At the other end of the comm window, the subordinate reported in a hurried fluster.
"Report — Her Highness the Princess's household guard fleet has arrived, demanding to see Baron Zhao Chen of the Owl Dragon Star System at once."
The several people in the booth all turned to Zhao Chen with surprise on their faces.
Her Highness the Princess?
The Starlight Empire had but one Princess. And she was His Majesty's most treasured darling — her standing surpassing even the Crown Prince's and those of the other princes.
Zhao Chen was not only Governor Chu's grandson-in-law, but had a connection to the Empire's little Princess as well?
Xue Xiaoxiao gazed at Zhao Chen, eyes shining, as though she'd caught the scent of another big, juicy melon.