"Come, come — let me introduce you: His Highness the Second Prince, and His Highness Prince Yan." The Azure Governor warmly pulled Zhao Chen along toward the two lords. Though Zhao Chen was, within, exceedingly unwilling, there was nothing to be done — this Azure Governor had already waved a hand toward that side.
The Second Prince, Qin Ming's, gaze had already come to rest upon Zhao Chen.
"Your servant pays respects to His Highness the Second Prince, and to His Highness Prince Yan." The Azure Governor first made his salute, then, pointing to Zhao Chen beside him, said, "Allow me to introduce, for the two of you, this young hero. Zhao Chen! Lord of the Owl Dragon System of the North Wind Star Region; twice running he fought fierce battles against the hive-race fleets, his battle-merits resounding. And on this trip to the Capital Star, he'll be directly conferred a marquisate!"
Prince Yan's eyes lit up; he sized Zhao Chen up and down. "By the look of you, you're not yet 30, I'd say."
"That's so," Zhao Chen said.
"Not yet 30, and granted a marquis's title — this, in our Starlight Empire, is a very rare thing indeed."
"Your Highness the Prince praises me too highly."
The Second Prince, Qin Ming, too, said with a smile, "I've heard tell of Lord Zhao Chen's deeds as well; it's my good fortune to meet you today. Another day, let's you and I have a good, private talk."
"Without fail."
Before these two men at the very apex of the empire's pyramid, Zhao Chen bore himself for all the world like a constrained, nervous little lord — not daring, even, to meet the Second Prince Qin Ming's eyes. Because there were no small number of people present, they naturally couldn't chat with Zhao Chen alone. And this gave Zhao Chen a chance to get himself free.
Zhao Chen quietly returned to the corner, shooting a glance at these two. Prince Yan he wasn't familiar with. But the Second Prince — he was an "old friend." Perhaps the Second Prince himself didn't know that he'd already, indirectly, crossed swords several times with this reserved little lord.
The slave-trading business, wrecked by Zhao Chen.
The plan to control the Reef Star Region, wrecked by Zhao Chen.
The Hurricane Conglomerate had, too, ties beyond counting with the Prince Faction — and this could, of course, be reckoned to Zhao Chen's account as well.
Were this Second Prince Qin Ming to learn that these matters were all the doing of this fellow Zhao Chen — then by all estimates, the Second Prince Qin Ming would directly seize Zhao Chen on the spot, and pull out his tendons and flay off his skin before the hatred in his heart could be eased.
At last, this banquet ended, and Zhao Chen at once got himself free and returned to his own interstellar warship. What left Zhao Chen with some regret was that the little Princess had, of all things, not attended this banquet. By rights, the newly risen nobles attending today's banquet were all the future pillars and mainstays of the Starlight Empire; even the Second Prince Qin Ming had come to meet them in person — by rights, the little Princess ought to have been present too. It seemed everything would have to wait until the day of the conferral ceremony.
……
Two days later.
The Capital Star.
In the high sky, a full 20,000 meters above the ground, there was here a palace resplendent in gold and jade, employing a comparatively classical architectural style. Palaces of this kind, upon the Capital Star, the royal house had a great many of. This was but one of them, used expressly for the enfeoffing of lords and the conferring of merit upon nobles.
Zhao Chen walked out of the space elevator; he could breathe air exceedingly sweet and fragrant. The whole Capital Star's environmental quality was forged to the very highest grade. It could be called an existence like unto a paradise beyond the mortal world — though, of course, behind this was a vast investment of resources. Walking out of the space elevator, one need not worry at all about not knowing the way, because there was only one road one could take. On the two sides of the avenue paved with a kind of jade-stone were imperial soldiers dressed in military uniform, holding laser guns. And so one need only walk the one road all the way to its end.
Walking into the crystalline, glittering great hall, in accordance with the route the maid had sent to his handheld terminal earlier, Zhao Chen made his way to his own position. Zhao Chen cast an eye around; those present today came to roughly 200 or 300 people. Among them, Governor Chu of Chu River was present, and the Second Prince Qin Ming and Prince Yan were both there. Though this was a conferral ceremony of the empire's elite echelon, for so many high officials to appear all at once was, all the same, a thing that had never before happened.
Zhao Chen and the rest began to wait where they stood; when they'd waited roughly 10 minutes, a kind of exquisite melody began to sound within the great hall, and all around was released a kind of exceedingly beautiful bird, with wings of five hues and 10 colors, which, as they flew and danced, made besides a most pleasant-to-hear sound. It had to be said, this being a royal-house conferral ceremony, the scene was set up quite finely after all.
But Zhao Chen looked at that empty throne ahead — and, slow to come, the appearance of that Starlight Emperor never arrived. The melody sounded on for another five or six minutes; doubt, too, rose in the hearts of the assembled waiting.
And it was just at this point that a woman's voice rang out.
"The Starlight Emperor is indisposed in body; today's conferral ceremony will be handled, in his stead, by the Second Prince Qin Ming."
Zhao Chen and the rest looked toward the one who'd spoken. The Starlight Emperor's consort, the Second Prince's birth mother — Consort Zhen.
In this instant, the whole hall fell into a kind of dead silence. Those able to appear here today — for their hearts to be without any depth of guile was an impossibility. A conferral ceremony that was originally to be handled by the Starlight Emperor in person, and now, of all things, all at once he claimed illness and would not come? And, moreover, it was not the Empress who came to announce it in person — on the contrary, it was announced by the Second Prince's birth mother, Consort Zhen. And, what's more, it was the Second Prince who would handle the enfeoffing ceremony.
The quantity of information within this was quite terrifying. No small number began to turn it over in their hearts. Could it be that this was the Starlight Emperor formally beginning to prop up the Second Prince? The Second Prince would become the new crown prince. Then what of the little Princess?
Ah, that's right!
The little Princess had, of all things, not been present today.
Zhao Chen's face was unchanging, but his mind had already begun to run through the various possibilities.
"Now I declare — the enfeoffing ceremony begins." Consort Zhen looked down upon the assembled below, her eyes filled with excitement and agitation. After waiting so many years, she had, at last, come to her day of rising up in the world.
The Second Prince, Qin Ming, slowly walked down, followed behind by a row of ceremonial maids, holding in their hands brocade boxes — within the brocade boxes being, of course, the new identities bestowed upon each of those to be conferred.
"Lord of the Bird-of-Paradise System of the Perilla Star Region — granted a marquis's title."
The Second Prince, Qin Ming, walked past them one by one, personally fastening the new noble medals upon them. At the last, it came round to Zhao Chen's place. The Second Prince, Qin Ming, as he read aloud, took out that marquis medal for Zhao Chen.
"Lord of the Owl Dragon System of the North Wind Star Region — granted a marquis's title."
"My thanks to Your Highness." Zhao Chen placed a hand over his chest and made a noble's salute.
At this point, that title-requirement within Zhao Chen's annual mission was, too, directly declared complete.
After that it came round to the people behind Zhao Chen; Zhao Chen stood where he was, waiting for the conferral ceremony to end.
And just as this conferral ceremony was proceeding, amid this somewhat special atmosphere —
Suddenly a small shuttle landed directly outside the great hall, and an officer-attired figure came running out, kneeling straight down in the great hall. To be able, on an occasion of this kind, to drive a shuttle straight in — this was quite enough to show the specialness of his identity, or of his duty.
"Report! His Highness the Third Prince, in charge of investigating the incident of the First Prince's ambush, has grasped an important lead. But His Highness the Third Prince just now sent a distress signal; by the signal, His Highness the Third Prince's interstellar fleet was set upon by a surprise attack from the little Princess's royal fleet, suffering grievous losses, and requests support. And according to the results of the incident-investigation His Highness the Third Prince reported back… it is suspected… it is suspected—" This soldier was hesitant and irresolute, not daring to say it clearly.
The little Princess's royal fleet attacked the Third Prince's fleet?
At this news breaking out, all present were dumbfounded.
"Suspected what! Here are all ministers of the Starlight Empire — say it straight out!" Consort Zhen wore a whole air of stern, awe-inspiring righteousness.