The squad of soldiers escorting Chu Changhe, seeing their comrades-in-arms fall one after another, only then came to their senses, and one and all opened fire in return.
But under this sudden, abrupt assault, the imperial soldiers of the escort squad simply couldn't organize any effective counterattack.
In under a minute's time, they'd all fallen.
Chu Changhe witnessed all of this, not a trace of change upon his face.
The officer who'd escorted Chu Changhe just now laid a hand at his chest, and made his salute.
"The Chu Family Shadow-Guard, greeting the Marshal!"
The rest of the soldiers saluted one after another, looking at Chu Changhe with reverence in their faces.
"The Chu Family Shadow-Guard, Chang Yilong, greeting the Marshal." At this point a man in the uniform of the imperial fleet stepped forward from the shuttle-craft — and upon his shoulder there was, of all things, a single star!
He was, plain to see, an imperial brigadier general.
"I ask that the Marshal board at once; the change of events here will very soon be discovered by the Prince Faction. We must break out in the shortest possible time!" This imperial brigadier general called Chang Yilong spoke up.
"Mm." Chu Changhe at once boarded the shuttle-craft along with the Empress.
Within the shuttle-craft's cabin lay several corpses, along with some traces of blood; it seemed a fight had taken place here too.
Those corpses had, at this moment, all been flung down outside, mingled in with the corpses of the squad out there.
Chu Changhe noticed that those Chu Family Shadow-Guards who'd just escorted him had not boarded.
"Will they not come away with us?" Chu Changhe asked.
That officer answered, "We have a task of our own — to create some chaos here; otherwise the shuttle-craft will very soon be discovered by the imperial army's people."
Chu Changhe understood; he looked at these several faces, and made them a military salute.
"Tell me your names."
The officer said, "Chu San."
The rest of the soldiers, too, spoke up one after another.
"Chu Fang."
"Chu Si'an."
…
These were their true names — all surnamed Chu.
For the Chu Family Shadow-Guards were orphans the Chu family had taken in; cultivated by the Chu family to a certain age, they'd be sent out to carry out their tasks.
They'd have a new name and a new identity of their own — but never, ever, would they forget that surname of theirs, Chu.
And now, their identities laid bare, to remain here would have but one result.
Watching the hatch close slowly, only then did Chu Changhe sit down in a seat.
"Yilong, you've lost this brigadier-generalship of yours now." Chu Changhe looked at the man before him, and bantered.
Chang Yilong… no, now one ought to call him Chu Yilong.
Chu Yilong, without the least ceremony, removed straightaway the star from his shoulder-board, and the imperial-army badge at his chest.
"These things I long since ceased to prize. Rather than stay in this wretched place, I'd sooner return to our Chu family legion — even were it only to be a common soldier under your hand."
Chu Changhe clapped Chu Yilong on the shoulder.
"You've all made your plans, I take it."
"Our Chu Family Shadow-Guards in the Imperial Capital Star, and in the Starlight Central Star Region besides, are all readied; we'll, without fail, escort you and the Empress out of the Starlight Central Star Region! The detailed arrangements — there's no time to explain them clearly to you now, but I beg the Marshal to trust us!" Chu Yilong said with firm resolve.
"I've done you all a wrong. For the sake of this old thing, there's no telling how many lives will be spent this time." Chu Changhe heaved a sigh.
"Marshal, don't say such a thing. Were it not for you, then we, all of us, would long ago have starved to death in who-knows-what corner of this cosmos. It was you who gave us our lives and our identities; and the mission of us Chu Family Shadow-Guards is to give our loyalty to the Chu family. That we can be sacrificed for your sake is, for us, the most glorious thing of all!" Chu Yilong said, unshakably firm.
Chu Changhe said no more; he merely looked, through the porthole, at the Imperial Capital Star's ground receding without cease outside.
And it was just at this moment that the Imperial Capital Star's starport flared up with a red light — which meant that the whole Imperial Capital Star had entered a state of highest-grade alert.
By the look of it, Qin Ming had already discovered the fact of Chu Changhe's escape.
The guard fleet charged with the Imperial Capital Star's security now sortied, and began searching out Chu Changhe's whereabouts; before long, a T2 interstellar warship barred the way before the shuttle-craft.
"Shuttle-craft No. KYA031 ahead, hold position where you are; by the Imperial Capital Star's latest order, no flying craft is permitted to leave the Imperial Capital Star, and you're to submit to the inspection of our guard fleet!" The other party's notice came over the public channel.
At a time like this, how could they possibly submit to inspection?
"Full speed — charge on through!" Chu Yilong said, his look grave.
"Yes!" The pilot, paying no heed to anything, maneuvered the shuttle-craft straight round that T2 interstellar warship and charged directly for the space beyond the Imperial Capital Star.
That T2 interstellar warship, seeing this, at once made ready to launch an attack.
And just as this T2 interstellar warship's main gun took aim at the shuttle-craft, a laser beam suddenly shot over, piercing straight through the T2 interstellar warship's hull armor from the flank.
The one that had fired was a T3 Dragon-Croc-class Medium Interstellar Battleship not far off!
Thereupon, a video window appeared before Chu Changhe — a commander likewise clad in imperial-army uniform.
"The Chu Family Shadow-Guard, reporting to the Marshal. You may continue your passage; we'll ride escort and see your shuttle-craft safely through!" this Shadow-Guard commander said.
"You've had a hard time of it, Chu Xiaochuan." Chu Changhe looked at this man before him, and let show a kindly expression.
Chu Xiaochuan was taken aback; his eye-rims went hot, and he forcibly held down his feelings.
"You… you still remember me…"
"How could I not remember you? The first time I laid eyes on you, you were three years old; you bawled your eyes out at the sight of me, and I even wiped your nose for you," Chu Changhe said with a laugh.
Chu Xiaochuan clenched his fists; he looked toward Chu Yilong at Chu Changhe's side.
"Chu Yilong, the Marshal is entrusted to you. Should the least mishap befall the Marshal, then even as a ghost I'll never let you off!"
"Rest easy — before I die, I'll absolutely…" Chu Yilong had just begun to speak—
when he was cut off by Chu Xiaochuan.
"Even if you die, even if every Shadow-Guard at your side dies, the Marshal must not come to the least mishap!"
Chu Yilong gave a pause; he looked at that resolute expression of Chu Xiaochuan's, and nodded heavily.
"I understand. I will, without fail, get the Marshal out!"
At the last, Chu Yilong made Chu Xiaochuan a military salute, and the comm closed.
This was, too, the last comm this Shadow-Guard Chu Xiaochuan would ever make.
This shuttle-craft was very small, very fragile — yet its flight-path was exceedingly safe.
For all that guard-fleet interstellar warships kept trying, again and again, to intercept it, there'd always be some interstellar warships — ones that had originally belonged to the imperial army, or to the guard fleet — that would come cutting their way out and join fierce battle with them.
Behind every one of these interstellar warships that stepped forth was a band of Chu Family Shadow-Guards.
They had lain hidden in the Imperial Capital Star for years, never carrying out a single task, even working their way into the upper ranks of the Imperial Capital Star's military — right up until now, when they carried out their first task, which would also be their last.
And the end that met the overwhelming majority of these interstellar warships was that, after covering the Marshal's withdrawal, they were encircled and destroyed by the swarming guard fleets.
Chu Changhe watched all of this, an air of sorrow upon his face.
"In the Imperial Capital Star system there are, all told, 769 Shadow-Guards. This time, to save this old man of mine — how many of them have you used?" Chu Changhe looked toward Chu Yilong.
Chu Yilong said, without the least hesitation, "All of them."
Chu Changhe heaved a sigh.
"A wretched old man — not worth it."
"As for this combat mission — it was the unanimous decision of all 769 Shadow-Guards. To fight for the Marshal is our glory," Chu Yilong said with firm resolve.
And it was just at this moment that an enormous interstellar warship barred the way before the shuttle-craft.
It was, plain to see, a T4 Boreas-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship!
For one must bear in mind — a T4-grade interstellar warship that could be stationed here, in this stretch of the star-firmament around the Imperial Capital Star, was one of no common standing.
A video window popped open — an officer with three stars upon his shoulder-board.
"Shadow-Guard Chu Xiong, greeting the Marshal. I ask the Marshal to board."