Recreation

"What's wrong, my lord?"

In the mayor's office, Hong San, having signed a new document and sent it out via the internet, turned and asked with a smile, "It's been a long time since I've seen you look so lost and hesitant."

Kang De leaned against the French windows, lost in thought and silent.

"Good heavens." Mayor Distant Harbor stroked his chin and clicked his tongue in amazement. "Could it be that His Majesty the Emperor said something extraordinary in the letter, so much so that Miss Wei Yunyuan changed her strategy so drastically after seeing it, and did something to you—a person of integrity, benevolence, and gentleness—that both troubles and secretly pleases you?"

Upon hearing this, Kant, a man of integrity, compassion, and gentleness, flew into a rage, grabbing Kang De Hong San by the neck and shaking him violently. "You dare to say that! If you'd just gone to make the trip, none of this would have happened!"

Hong San obediently stuck out his tongue, making a hoarse sound, his face turning bright red.

Seeing this, Kang De released his grip, but was still not satisfied. He slammed the man's head onto the table and rubbed it hard, yelling, "You son of a bitch, what an ungrateful wretch! How dare you cheat and shirk your duty!"

The real Cathayan offered no resistance, his head slammed against the table and rolled around, uttering indistinct words. "Isn't this wonderful? Miss Wei Yunyuan is a beauty of unparalleled grace; in my opinion, she's exactly what our lord desires. Isn't she the type you've been longing for?"

Kang De retorted angrily, "What nonsense are you spouting! How dare you slander your lord's innocence out of thin air!"

"How can it be out of thin air?" Hong San protested. "Back in Valentan, you pulled me aside and asked, 'Does your master have any of those elegant, dignified, and graceful Eastern beauties who are dressed in flowing white robes, exuding an ethereal aura? You mean a very special kind, the shy, dignified, and subtly alluring type.' I clearly remember you calling them 'long, straight black hair.'"

"After everything in the Distant Harbor was settled and operations were running smoothly, the local powerful figures wanted to send you beautiful concubines. You initially refused with righteous indignation, but upon hearing that they were maids of Cathay, your attitude changed completely..."

Kang De retorted, "Nonsense! Didn't I refuse?"

"My lord, you must speak from your conscience!" Hong San cried out. "Wasn't it me who swallowed my pride and went to see those powerful figures for you, finally managing to film those Cathay maids with a miniature camera and show them to you? You weren't satisfied after seeing them, complaining that they were 'bananas' (meaning they are Westernized), and now you're putting on this act of being uninterested in women!"

He struggled under Kang De's control, saying, "I may not know what a 'banana person' is, but Miss Wei and the others aren't banana people, are they? They've been offered to you, yet you're still making excuses!"

The lord, who was indifferent to women, retorted angrily, "What do you know? This is called 'With the Star Palace still intact, how can we have a home!'"

As time went on, Hong San's audacity grew, and he exclaimed, "Incredible! So, for the twenty years that our lord was away from the mainland, he was still thinking about the Star Palace!"

Enraged, Kang De immediately grabbed a cactus from the White Mist World and planted it in the marble floor, intending to give Hong San a taste of what China male high school students do in a group setting.

This refers to the practical experiment of Newton's Third Law, scientifically known as Aruba.

Even with Hong San's composure and courage, he was so frightened that he begged for mercy repeatedly.

"The number of strange women has increased again."

Hong San squatted on the ground, curiously studying the seemingly dead cactus in front of him, listening to his master sitting on the sofa sighing softly.

The mayor carefully plucked a thorn from his arm, rubbed it between his fingers a few times, and casually replied, "Miss Wei Yunyuan is a remarkable woman. If she truly respects our lord, there will only be good things, not bad."

"I wasn't talking about her," Kang De sighed. "The emperor wants me to be his son-in-law."

"This is a good thing," Hong San said without turning his head. "My master has mentioned this several times. If His Majesty marries you, it will preserve the dignity of the nation and save the Divine Land from collapse..."

"... Finding a husband and finding a son-in-law are two different things."

"Wait, His Majesty has a daughter? That's not right, the age doesn't match up. His Majesty is in his prime, the same age as the Lord. Even if he had a daughter, it wouldn't be..."

Hong San then turned his head belatedly. "--The other one?"

Kang De nodded slowly. "And judging from the emperor's tone, his daughters are most likely cunning, power-hungry, very good at acting, and ruthless."

Hong San blinked. "I think I've heard you mention this before, about a month or two ago when you were bragging. Nobody took it to heart, but we all know you still have a score to settle with the Empire."

Kang De said in a low voice, "The emperor has guessed my origins and realized the threat posed by the Star Palace. Therefore, he wants to seek reconciliation with me, and marrying his daughter is one of the conditions."

"In exchange, he will join forces with me to fight the threat from the Star Palace, make the Empire our strength, eliminate all hostility and vigilance, and stop the pointless internal strife."

Hong San whistled. "For the emperor, an oath formed by marriage is too fragile, so he has other, more significant conditions to maintain the sincerity and value of this alliance, right?"

"That's right." The Earthling said calmly, "He wants me to marry his daughter, obtain legal authority and claims, inherit his position, and become the next emperor."

Hong San's expression shifted slightly. "Wow."

He showed neither excitement nor doubt, his expression remained calm, and he analyzed the situation rationally.

"It sounds like a tempting offer, but considering that the two parties in the negotiation are him and you, it actually seems more real and appealing. Seeing your hesitation, I know that the Emperor's words and reasons have already swayed you; his logic must be sound and his words credible. So, what makes you hesitate?"

"The benefits of reconciling with the Empire are obvious. Even receiving the Emperor's full support as the heir has greatly accelerated the integration of the Mortal World. We've saved a significant amount of time and energy, and the internal friction and losses from conflict or even war with the Empire will be avoided..."

Hong San tentatively asked, "Is the Emperor's condition that the First Prince be spared?"

"That's not it," Kang De said helplessly. "Judging from his manner, the moment I nod, he'll grab all his daughters and bring them to the palace for me to choose from. Once I've chosen, he'll arrange a room for me to have sex with. And if I do, when I come out, I'll find Alex kneeling before me. Given that this process will definitely take a long time, the emperor even has time to prepare a full set of torture instruments for me."

"I see..." Hong San laughed, "Then I understand."

Kang De rolled his eyes and said, "What do you know now?"

"You like to use the term 'sugar-coated bullet,' which can be roughly understood as 'a steel knife wrapped in syrup that comes at you.' So, my lord, do you think the emperor's proposal is a sugar-coated bullet?"

"I don't know," Kang De said in a deep voice, "But he is the emperor. For him to say those things to me and make such shocking suggestions, his purpose is certainly not just to admit defeat to me."

"My lord, you have maintained your rationality and skepticism even under such immense temptation; you already possess the qualities of a great ruler." Hong San clapped his hands and laughed. "No wonder the Imperial Sovereign holds you in such high regard."

"Your flattery is no longer effective, is it?"

"Yes, yes, I know that my lord has always maintained the highest level of trust and favor towards me, and no amount of flattery or sycophancy can increase that trust by even a fraction."

"To suddenly say such disgusting and cheesy things... that's a drop in his ego."

"That's quite something..." Hong San said with a smile, "However, my lord is a Mortal World lover, attracting the hearts of countless beauties of unparalleled grace and charm. He must be a first-rate man. Even the Emperor of the Empire has seen through your true nature and insists on marrying his daughter to you. Such a magnificent, handsome, and exceptionally talented man would certainly not stoop to my level, right?"

"... right."

As Kang De said this, he raised his middle finger.

Hong San laughed out loud with pleasure.

He then sighed and suddenly said, "Perhaps this is what His Majesty the Emperor also desires?"

"Um?"

Hong San sat cross-legged on the ground, looking up at Kang De: "Just like the joke I played on you, my lord, it happened in Valentan half a year ago, it's happening in Distant Harbor today, and it will surely happen elsewhere in the future. Even if it's three, five, ten years, or even further away, even if our status is far greater than it is today, you become the most honorable and greatest guardian of this world, and I become a loyal minister who fights valiantly under your command."

"At that time, we can still talk and laugh as we do today—I believe it without hesitation."

He sighed, "Throughout history, meritorious officials rarely meet a good end. They show one face when conquering the world, and another when ruling it. Rulers and ministers are always wary of each other. Power and interests distort people, corrupting loyalty and friendship... But I have never worried about such things while serving my lord. I have complete trust in you and know that you would never do such a thing, which puts my mind at ease."

At this point, Hong San repeated, "Perhaps this is exactly what the emperor wants."

Kang De frowned. "This... doesn't make sense."

"Even the emperor, with his supreme status, has a heart, thoughts, and desires. A beggar longs for his next meal, but an emperor never worries about that. People always pursue what they want but cannot have. The emperor is also human; he too has things he cannot obtain... and then he discovered you."

Hong San smiled slightly as he said this.

"Looking at you this way, you really do seem very suitable." He counted on his fingers. "You have no worldly desires, only a superior moral compass and sense of responsibility. You're a lazybones with little interest in power itself, but you possess immense strength, methods, and decisiveness. You're sentimental and tolerant towards those close to you, trustworthy and keeping your promises, and extremely sentimental. Yet, you're cold and suspicious towards enemies and outsiders..."

He laughed, "It's quite normal that the Emperor likes you more and more the more he looks at you. In this light, you are practically the perfect image of a crown prince."

"The emperor desires a perfect successor who poses no threat, a minister of exceptional ability who is not a challenger, and a friend who is unafraid of power and has no desires for him. You are almost the perfect combination of these three. Your character, strength, and moral principles have earned his complete trust and peace of mind."

Kang De scoffed, "Why the hell do I only attract these old men?"

Hong San smacked his lips but didn't say anything.

This is perhaps the Versailles that our lord spoke of.

"I still feel he has ulterior motives," Kang De said, rubbing his temples. "His logic is flawless, and all his actions are justified. Reconciliation with me is indeed the best option, but I always feel that his purpose is not just that... Taking me as his son-in-law and heir can protect his country and withstand crises and risks, that's true, but he's certainly not satisfied with just that."

He hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "And..."

"Moreover, you have an instinctive hostility and destructive desire towards the nobility or privileged class. If you were to actually have the opportunity to rule the empire, you would inevitably do the same things you did in the Distant Harbor within the empire's borders... right?"

"Yes."

"Fighting against the entire imperial aristocracy, eliminating them, and even going against the imperial family... If it were strangers, it would be fine, but if it were acquaintances or even former comrades and subordinates, you would find it hard to do it. Is that your concern?"

"... Um."

As Hong San recounted his hesitations and doubts, Kang De nodded, feeling a sense of relief.

Only he can read it clearly and understand it.

Although Tina loved him dearly, she was, after all, of noble birth; and although the Parrot understood him better than anyone else, it had long since become estranged and indifferent to humanity and human nature.

The familiar laughter echoed in my ears.

"It's as if you're planning to go easy on Goth."

Kang De blinked, taken aback.

"Even we know about your bullying of the Grand Duke," Hong San chuckled. "Wasn't the plan to annex Goth also personally devised and issued by you? The Traitor Suppression Society has already been mobilized, hasn't it? Working with the Ministry of Unity, they've conducted a large-scale... well, strategic misdirection campaign against the nobles within the Empire."

He shrugged. "What was the code name again? Oh, Never Go Home Empty-Handed."

As he spoke, his smile was warm and sunny, and he looked up at Kang De.

"If it's a sugar-coated bullet, then let's follow the usual procedure and lick off the sugar coating," he advised. "Since the Emperor's intentions are sincere, then let's respond. The Star Palace is under imminent threat, and the problems arising from the Council are already significant enough. Resolving the Council, implementing the North-South Plan, and then annexing and managing Goth will consume a great deal of our energy and resources. If we were to pursue the Empire as well, I fear there wouldn't be enough time."

"After all, at this moment, confronting the Star Palace is the highest and only goal, isn't it?"

Hong San got up and said earnestly, "Even if it's just a honeymoon period with the empire, we can still take the opportunity to get what we want. Whatever the emperor's plans, we will do what we need to do—besides, isn't using sugar-coated bullets what we're best at?"

The two men locked eyes, Hong San smiled casually, nodding to Kang De in greeting.

Like a strategist who has finished offering his advice.

"You make a very good point."

Kang De slowly took out a recorder from his pocket and pressed the stop button.

Hong San's smile wavered slightly, "This... my lord, what are you doing?"

"If Tina gets angry about this, I'll bring this up and tell her it's what you told me."

"... Hey, my lord, isn't this a bad idea?"

"It's alright, Tina will agree to everything I do unconditionally anyway. She's just throwing a tantrum and asking me to coax her, and of course I will. But recording today's conversation is a good way to give her a way out, making Tina think I've been misled by a treacherous official..."

"--You're incredibly perceptive! Why are you so keenly aware of women's thoughts only when you're using me? Wouldn't it be great if you were like this all the time!?"

Hong San was both amused and annoyed, and said helplessly, "You really are..."

Kang De put the recorder away, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly laughed.

"Life is unpredictable. I used to be thinking about how to storm the imperial court and seize the throne, and how my relationship with the emperor could have turned out like this in the blink of an eye."

He sighed.

"That's normal." As someone who's been through it all, Hong San thought back to their first meeting in Glittering Sand Town and chuckled softly, "This world is unpredictable and ever-changing; who could have foreseen it?"

Kang De remained silent.

"Therefore, my lord, you should spend more time at the Imperial Court these days," he said with a smile. "It would be good to use your personal charm to build a friendly relationship with the Emperor—from your description, although His Majesty is cold and ruthless, if he encounters the right person, a certain emotion that he has accumulated, lacked, and yearned for over the years will completely erupt."

Kang De glanced at him sideways and said, "You seem to know a lot?"

Hong San shrugged and replied, "About the same as my master."

"Then why didn't you suggest I try to deepen my relationship with your master?"

"My master doesn't need it at all."

Hong San dealt with it this way, but inwardly he smiled bitterly.

For the past few months, every time my master had a pleasant discussion with the lord, he would return and see me with a sour face, and might even hit me a couple of times.

She hit him twice, fine, but her eyes kept glancing down there, which terrified him.

"So, you're still too naive."

His lord's words brought him back to reality, Hong San looked up in surprise.

Kang De wagged his finger and said, "These middle-aged and elderly people in their forties and fifties have worn masks their whole lives. In reality, they can't let their guard down no matter who they're facing. What truly allows them to take off their masks is the online world—online chatting is sometimes more effective than face-to-face interaction in real life."

"Oh? You mean?"

"I left him a cell phone and a radio. Horus set up a secondary AI in the royal court specifically for transmitting data to the old man," Kang De chuckled. "A Fu has already agreed to design a set of emojis specifically for the Emperor, tailored for men his age... He'll like them."

He got up from the sofa and patted Hong San on the shoulder.

"Thanks... Hearing you say that gives me a better understanding. I will try to establish trust and cooperation with the Emperor. Just like you said, even a honeymoon period would be good."

"We can count on the Empire, on their vast territory, large population, and powerful nation, to benefit the cause of fighting against the Star Palace, but what I have relied on and believed in has never been these nobles."

"The emperor will see it, I will make him see it."

"So, are you ready, my mayor?"

Kang De's hand hovered in mid-air as he looked at the man before him with an expectant smile.

"--Let us sound the war horn together."

"All the passion, sweat, courage, and dedication of the rest of my life are prepared for this moment, for that future moment, and for all your battles."

Hong San shook hands with him. "I am your scout, your comrade-in-arms, your comrade."

Thus, after a long period of calm, the tranquil Distant Harbor once again became bustling, with all non-essential production activities temporarily suspended and all non-essential daily activities put on hold.

The broadcasting system is online, the television system is online, the drone system is online, the fully equipped army marches into the training ground, the air force roars across the sky, and melodious voices float through the city. His Highness Kang De will issue a war mobilization order, and the battle against the Council rebels is about to officially begin.

War.

The Distant Harbor is about to experience war again.

When the news of the invasion was confirmed, the Distant Harbor did not descend into chaos and panic. The Cathayan, who had recently arrived, were surprised to find that the bustling city had turned from lively to calm. However, there was no panic or unease in the calm, but rather a kind of anticipation that felt unfamiliar to them.

His Highness Kang De's speech was to begin in twenty minutes, but ten minutes earlier, a secret rumor had shattered the calm, stirring up waves and even chaos.

Some people say...

--The event is going to resume!

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PS1: This chapter is approaching 10,000 words again, and it seems like I can't finish writing it all. I originally wanted to take a break and do a combined 10,000-word chapter, but I felt that taking a break wouldn't be good, and I wouldn't be able to finish writing it anyway, so I'll split it up here. Oh well, I'll just post it as two chapters.