Chapter 13: The Thirteenth Day of Lying Flat

Lu Yuan actually quite liked people with dreams.

Even though he wasn’t that type himself.

But he was surrounded by such people, and he indeed preferred to keep them close.

War was something that required ideals and convictions as support. It was too grueling, too painful, and far too easy to turn a person numb and indifferent.

And Lu Yuan had no use for numb soldiers.

Lu Yuan understood the importance of morale. He knew how to mobilize the emotions of his soldiers, ensuring that even on the most difficult and dangerous battlefields, they remained positive, optimistic, and possessed a momentum as grand as a rainbow.

But this was actually difficult and troublesome. In particular, the more excellent the soldier and the more shrewd the commander, the firmer their will became, making them even harder to influence.

Lu Yuan loved to be lazy.

Therefore, he liked and was accustomed to promoting those who harbored the most fervent dreams and the strongest convictions—those who wholeheartedly yearned for victory and firmly believed they could achieve that goal.

Emotions were infectious. When surrounded by positive, upward-striving people, even someone like Lu Yuan would be affected, becoming just a little bit more motivated. The soldiers below them were even more susceptible.

Due to this habit, over time, a large group of lively, passionate, and eternally high-spirited youths had gathered around Lu Yuan.

He pulled his thoughts back. Siming had already opened the reader and was seriously reviewing the contents. His expression gradually settled into a calm focus, but his eyes remained bright.

Fervent expectations and intense ambition flickered within his gaze.

Lu Yuan smiled, leaned back into the sofa, and covered his eyes with one hand.

Strange as it was, perhaps it was the conversation he overheard last night that reminded him of the battlefield, or perhaps Siming’s expression at this moment was simply too familiar, but he couldn’t help but associate Siming with some of the people he knew back when he was Marshal.

Specifically, his former adjutant, Chen Feiyun.

Siming was a bit like him.

Lu Yuan remembered clearly that he was also a youth who loved to smile. He had a baby face, short curly hair, and deep brown eyes that always curved into crescents, his smile cheerful and warm. Even when he was serious, there was always a faint hint of a smile in his eyes, as if nothing could ever trouble him.

…They really were alike.

Lu Yuan glanced at Siming again. Clearly, their features shared no resemblance and their temperaments were entirely different, yet in this instant, the two faces seemed to overlap.

It could be considered a stroke of fate. Perhaps when the time came, Zhu Rong could even serve under Chen Feiyun. If he hadn’t guessed wrong, Chen Feiyun should currently be in charge of the First Legion’s Mecha Mobile Unit.

Looking at it this way, the impulsive decision to give Siming a hand wasn’t so bad after all.

There was a slight risk of exposing his identity… but it shouldn’t be a big problem.

He was already “dead.” Unless he suddenly staged a grand, public resurrection, no one would ever imagine he was still alive.

Who would keep a dead man in their thoughts so persistently?

–

Chen Feiyun sat in his office.

He was very young, only twenty-five years old even now.

When Lu Yuan first met him, he was only eighteen, having just graduated from the Imperial National Defense University.

Because he had skipped several grades, Chen Feiyun was four or five years younger than his peers, but his abilities were by no means weak. By graduation, he had already earned several military medals and been promoted to Major.

At that time, Lu Yuan had just taken command of the First Legion and had not yet ascended to the position of Marshal. When choosing an adjutant, he had taken a liking to him at first sight. Later, as Lu Yuan rose to the rank of Marshal, he had remained by Lu Yuan’s side.

Today, Chen Feiyun was still in the military. However, due to Lu Yuan’s “passing,” he was no longer an adjutant but had become the Captain of the First Legion’s Mecha Mobile Unit.

Lu Yuan was intimately familiar with military regulations; this career shift was entirely within his expectations.

A year had passed, and Chen Feiyun’s appearance hadn’t changed much. He still had that handsome baby face and a head of fluffy brown curls. But the change in his overall persona was immense—something Lu Yuan likely wouldn’t have imagined.

With his head slightly lowered as he wrote a report, Chen Feiyun’s expression held none of the warmth from Lu Yuan’s memories. On the contrary, his gaze was so calm it bordered on icy.

He wrote quickly, every stroke precise and earnest. Much like his expression, he was solemn and quiet, devoid of any worldly spark.

Consequently, the atmosphere in the office had become heavy and stagnant.

This state remained until someone knocked and entered.

The newcomer was a student soldier who still looked like a teenager. Having run in from outside, his forehead was faintly damp with sweat. As soon as he entered, he shouted excitedly, “Captain!”

“Mm.” Chen Feiyun’s gaze softened slightly as he looked at him attentively.

“Lady Geshu Ming is looking for you,” the student soldier continued. “She said she has good news!”

“Good news?” Chen Feiyun was slightly taken down, his gaze shifting past the youth to the person behind him.

Behind the boy, the woman named Geshu Ming walked in.

She looked like a very gentle and refined person. Her azure eyes held a faint tint of violet, currently curved slightly with a tender smile.

There was a smile on her lips as well. She wore no makeup, but her features were striking enough on their own; when she smiled, she became even more captivating.

Reaching out, she gently turned the boy around and nudged him out the door, whispering an apology in his ear before closing the door and looking at Chen Feiyun inside.

The warmth that had just risen in Chen Feiyun’s eyes had already faded, his brown eyes returning to the state of an unruffled, deep pool. He looked at Geshu Ming, waiting for her to speak.

He knew Geshu Ming—was even quite familiar with her. This was because Geshu Ming and Lu Yuan had known each other since childhood. And for several years, he had been Lu Yuan’s adjutant.

But Chen Feiyun was very wary of Geshu Ming.

On the surface, this woman appeared pure and gentle, but in reality, she was a politician whose heart was pitch black. Even Lu Yuan couldn’t escape her schemes; Chen Feiyun had seen Lu Yuan led by the nose by her several times, forced to do things he didn’t want to do.

Geshu Ming was also looking at Chen Feiyun.

She had essentially watched this young man grow up. Therefore, she knew exactly how much he had changed in the year since Lu Yuan’s “death.”

From a fervent, warm little sun, he had suddenly turned into ice that could never be thawed.

The current him, especially his gaze, looked almost identical to the Lu Yuan of the past.

Exactly the same.

Geshu Ming had come specifically seeking such a gaze, yet at this moment, a trace of regret rose in her heart.

What a tragedy.

Geshu Ming shook her head and sighed softly. “If Lu Yuan saw you turned into this, he would surely blame himself.”

“What does it have to do with the Marshal?” Chen Feiyun’s eyes turned cold. “What exactly do you want to say?”

“I just came to tell you one thing.” Geshu Ming looked into his eyes and said in a low voice, “The old Emperor is dying. I arranged the poison.”

Chen Feiyun froze.

A year ago, during the final battle, Lu Yuan had disappeared into the vastness of space because his Command Ship lost control. There was almost no chance of survival.

But a Command Ship couldn’t lose control for no reason; there had to be someone pulling the strings behind the scenes. And the person most likely to have done it was the Emperor.

Was Geshu Ming seeking revenge for the Marshal?

“…Never mind.” Seeing that Chen Feiyun remained silent, Geshu Ming sighed again. “Anyway, I just wanted to find someone to share this good news with. Other than you, I really couldn’t find anyone else suitable to tell.”

She stood up and suddenly ruffled the top of Chen Feiyun’s hair, leaning in close to his face and smiling at him with curved eyes. In this instant, she unexpectedly resembled a gentle and considerate older sister.

“Don’t keep your face so tense, kid,” she said. “Smile more. You know he liked you all to look happy and bright.”