The out-of-nowhere task-reminder startled Zhao Chen awake from his bed.
He sat up and glanced at the time — it was still his rest period, and beyond the floor-to-ceiling window by the bed hung a high moon and a starry sky.
Only three hours had passed since he lay down.
But this out-of-nowhere "intelligence" was destined to keep Zhao Chen from sleep.
Qin Ming dead?
What was this about.
Earlier Qin Ming had, by chance and coincidence, dodged Zhao Chen's ambush; how had he now suddenly died?
Zhao Chen at once contacted Lilith, having her come to his room, and at the same time look into everything concerning Qin Ming.
Lilith's schedule was identical to Zhao Chen's — this as well, to keep pace with his work.
And Lilith's room was right next to Zhao Chen's, so no sooner had Zhao Chen risen from bed than Lilith knocked and appeared before him.
A gauzy black sheer nightdress let one faintly glimpse the snow-white skin and the proud peaks beneath, the tail swaying behind her, and the little wings, all giving off an air of allure.
"Commander-in-Chief, I've already set people to investigating the matters of Qin Ming and the Imperial Capital Star. By the intelligence we had earlier, Qin Ming should be holding his accession ceremony today, and becoming the Starlight Emperor. How could he possibly die at such a time." Lilith, hearing Zhao Chen say Qin Ming might be dead, was greatly startled.
"I'm not too sure myself; it's a rumor I got through some small channel, so I need you to confirm it on your side."
Zhao Chen walked to the washroom, which was partitioned off with clear glass, so that as Zhao Chen took off his sleepwear, Lilith could still see his body.
Gulp.
Lilith gulped, and for a moment didn't know where to put her eyes.
Reason told her she shouldn't look, yet a little imp in her heart had hold of her eyes.
As Zhao Chen changed out of his sleep-trousers, Lilith couldn't help grumbling within — whoever designed that washbasin had put it exactly so as to block the crucial spot!
Damn it! (•́へ•́╬)
While Lilith was letting her thoughts run wild, Zhao Chen walked out in a set of casual clothes.
Lilith felt a touch of regret.
Beep, beep, beep.
Just then, the comm channel on Lilith's side rang, and she set to handling it straightaway.
Zhao Chen walked to the window and murmured a word; the scene beyond it changed at once from moon and stars to grassland and blue sky.
And a robot came over, offering Zhao Chen a cup of water.
Zhao Chen drank his water, watching Lilith beside him, whose expression had plainly shifted.
"There's word?" Zhao Chen asked.
Lilith nodded, and said gravely: "By the latest word we've gotten. Several hours ago, when the Imperial Capital Star was holding Qin Ming's accession ceremony, there was a sudden upheaval. Now… now the Imperial Capital Star is already under the control of Prince Yan, Qin Xiaotian, and Qin Xiaotian has already become the Starlight Emperor in name!"
Prince Yan?
Qin Xiaotian?
This out-of-nowhere upheaval was one even Zhao Chen hadn't foreseen.
"Tell me in detail — just what happened." Zhao Chen sat in a chair.
Lilith walked over before Zhao Chen; as she spoke, her eyes, of all things, didn't know where to settle.
For Zhao Chen wore only a set of thin casual clothes, which of all things set off Zhao Chen's figure exactly — even certain details.
This left Lilith's heart pounding as she reported her work, the tail behind her swaying past her control.
Luckily Lilith's professional grounding was solid, or she'd likely have been unable to finish the report at all.
But Zhao Chen at this moment had not yet realized the lethal force his own body held for women — the more so for a succubus.
"Qin Xiaotian backstabbed Qin Ming and took the throne himself? Several star-region governors and several Five-Star Marshals came out in support of Qin Xiaotian — even some who'd originally been Qin Ming's trusted partisans among them?" Zhao Chen felt this bit of gossip was a wild one to swallow.
Among it was the matter of Qin Ming's mother's adultery — one-woman-many-men doings — but because it wasn't very important, it was passed over in a line.
"I never thought Qin Xiaotian had privately built up so much strength. The Grey Moon Star Region, the Pegasus Star Region — even the Starlight Central Star Region and the Azure Star Region, right under Qin Ming's nose, sided with Qin Xiaotian. I don't know whether to say this Prince Yan hid himself deep, or to say that this Prince Qin Ming truly was too much of a good-for-nothing," Zhao Chen muttered.
"By the intelligence so far, the Princes' faction is finished. Qin Xiaotian has already brought the great majority of factions under control; next, likely, is to consolidate his strength and meet our coming offensive," Lilith said.
Zhao Chen raised a hand, and the map of the Starlight Empire appeared before him.
"The Snow-Swallow Star Region is Prince Yan's own interstellar territory, so it's naturally loyal to him. Ah, right — the Purple Perilla Star Region we haven't touched on all this while; what's its attitude?" Zhao Chen asked.
Lilith answered: "After this civil war ended, the Purple Perilla Star Region's Su family announced that old Su had gone into closed-door retreat, and the Su-family scions have all, on one pretext or another, drawn back within the Purple Perilla Star Region, near enough cutting off dealings with the outside. This time Qin Ming had originally invited the Su family, but the Su family declined on one pretext or another. By the look of it, the Su family means to go on being neutral."
"That old Su gentleman is a wily old hand; he won't lightly come out and pick a side. Had we won the civil war as before, I'd have gone and courted the Su family, and the Su family, I'd reckon, would have defected to our side. But who'd have thought this Prince Yan would kick up his stunt at exactly this moment!"
Zhao Chen looked to Lilith: "Prince Yan should still have some trump cards, no? Otherwise how could he so easily persuade so many family powers to back him. The more so with this civil war only just ended? Does he not fear being called to account by us?"
Lilith said: "Prince Yan does indeed have grounds for confidence. By what the intelligence shows. After taking the throne, Prince Yan began adjusting the earlier battlefield deployment tasks, and pulled 50 legion-fleets — 150,000 interstellar warships in all — straight out of the Snow-Swallow Star Region. And he's declared besides that he's already in contact with the Holy Radiance Empire; he'll purchase interstellar warships from the Holy Radiance Empire, and can provide the various powers a channel to buy interstellar warships too. And he pledges they'll defeat the rebel faction… that is, us and Governor Chu; and then set the Starlight Empire in order anew."
"150,000 interstellar warships? The Holy Radiance Empire's backing?" Zhao Chen muttered, and thought a while: "On these trump cards alone, this Qin Xiaotian couldn't possibly square off against me outright. I feel he's still got a trump card in hand — and one of no small energy. After all, the strength our Owl Dragon Legion has shown so far, anyone with eyes can see is not to be lightly provoked. If Qin Xiaotian dares step to the fore at such a time, then at least in his own eyes he has the means to play the board against us. Even… I suspect that, from the way he's endured in silence right until now to make his move, the assassination of the eldest prince back then might well have been his plan too!"