A child's feelings for their mother were innate. From the womb, they could sense her every word and action. After birth, it was their mother who cared for them so attentively. A child's dependence on and love for their mother simply could not be expressed in words.
This meant that the habits and mannerisms of Hua Zhen's former self would differ somewhat no matter how convincingly he stayed in character. Xin Yao might have treated him that way before, but Hua Zhen could clearly sense that she had already noticed something unusual about him.
Of course, he could not do something as stupid as confessing the truth, so he could only continue this clumsy act of deceiving himself and others.
For a full ten days, he had no idea how he endured it. Every day, he was either being played with or on his way to being played with, leaving him exhausted in body and mind.
He had to admit that despite Xin Yao's noble status, she personally took care of every little thing for her little one. She attended to every detail, treating Hua Zhen with exceptional tenderness and consideration, wishing she could give him all the very best things.
That kind of doting affection, as though she feared he would fall if held in her hand or melt if kept in her mouth, along with her meticulous care and protection, made him feel warmth for the first time in this unfamiliar world. He would be lying if he said he was not moved.
But that was all. No matter what Xin Yao did, she was still only a strange woman to Hua Zhen. He could not truly regard her as his mother. It was not that Hua Zhen was being pretentious, nor that he lacked human feeling.
Anyone who put themselves in his shoes would understand. For someone who missed his family and desperately wanted to return home, such thoughts were perfectly normal. After all, he did not belong here, did he?
Ten days later, Gus arrived at Consort Xin Yao's Bedroom Palace right on time. The moment Hua Zhen saw him, he let out a huge sigh of relief. Those nerve-racking days were finally over~
Naturally, they had to put on a show of sadness at parting. Xin Yao was equally reluctant to let him go. Those ten days had passed far too quickly for her. After finally placating her, Hua Zhen boarded the airship with Gus and returned to his own bedroom palace...
If one were to ask who had been the busiest during the Angel King's birthday celebration, someone would surely say it was Fei Lie De, the highest-ranking official of the Construction Department, who presided over the festivities and arranged every matter. Yet that was not actually the case.
Hua Tuo's personal guard, the stone-faced man who had appeared twice before, was named Angus. During the birthday banquet, he handled no fewer major and minor affairs than Fei Lie De.
As for the reason~
This would make it clear. A total of 2,358 Subordinate Civilizations had come to attend the Angel King's birthday. Of them, more than half intended to curry favor with the Second Prince, Hua Tuo. Hua Tuo could not possibly receive every one of them personally, aside from those with relatively high status, so the task of meeting them fell to Angus.
Although Subordinate Civilizations ranked below Angel Civilization, they were not to be underestimated because of that. Their role in the Heir Apparent Position Struggle was crucial. Both First Prince Hua Ye's faction and Second Prince Hua Tuo's faction were doing everything they could to win them over.
"Your Highness, I have compiled the list of these rulers. Please review it!"
Inside Hua Tuo's bedroom palace, Angus handed him a Storage Device. After speaking, he stepped back two paces and waited for his highness's next instruction.
Hua Tuo accepted the Storage Device and nodded in satisfaction. As he scrolled through it, he asked without looking up, "How are things on Hua Ye's side?"
"Reporting to Your Highness, He Xuan is still handling everything as usual!" Angus answered.
"Heh~ Eldest Brother has certainly been kept busy doing all he can to continue the royal bloodline..." Hua Tuo shook his head with an amused smile and placed the Storage Device on the table. "Angus, you've worked hard this time. Go back and get some proper rest. Once Father is done with his matters in a couple of days and we have said our farewells, we'll set out to search for the Dark Sacred Silver Mine!"
"Yes, I take my leave!"
After Angus left, Hua Tuo stretched lazily and leaned back, narrowing his eyes. "For years, Eldest Brother and I have been locked in a struggle over the heir apparent position. I've always wanted to find a breakthrough to shatter this balance, and the discovery of the Dark Sacred Silver Mine has shown me an opportunity... Facts have proven that I was right!"
"Wormhole Transportation has always been something the Angel King cared deeply about. I thought Your Highness would follow our earlier plan and present the matter of that child Ai Xi to the Angel King as a birthday gift, but I never expected you to change the plan at the last moment..."
"I couldn't possibly do that, Teacher!" Hua Tuo glanced at Miller beside him. "She was exiled from the Heavenly City because of genetic defects. Although Micro Wormhole Transportation was realized in that child, it ultimately came from her mutated genes. She's pitiful enough already. If I told Father about her, she would inevitably be taken back for research. That is not something I want to see~"
Miller watched him for a while before finally giving a helpless, bitter smile. "You truly are a kind child. If this had been First Prince Hua Ye, he would probably have told the Angel King long ago~"
"Kindness has nothing to do with me... Without her, some of my research simply can't continue!" Hua Tuo paused, the corners of his lips curling upward. "But then again, Teacher, didn't the Dark Sacred Silver Weapon as a birthday gift accomplish the same goal? Now that I have the authority to mobilize the Construction Department, I'll have priority when it comes to resources. That resolves the problem of resource shortages!"
At his words, Miller's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. He sighed. "I have always been at ease with Your Highness's handling of matters, except for..."
"Teacher!" Hua Tuo interrupted. "I understand what you mean. Exceeding Father's permitted limits is dangerous, but for the sake of Angel Civilization, I have no choice. Father has grown old. He no longer possesses the decisiveness and boldness he had in his youth."
If one day he passed the throne to that useless Hua Ye, the foundation built over tens of thousands of years would sooner or later be squandered by that fool. Teacher, is that what you wish to see?"
Hua Tuo's words left Miller speechless for a moment. After a long while, he sighed again and asked, "How far has it progressed?"
"The research on First Generation Angels was completed long ago, but as for Second-generation Angels... Ever since we overcame a technical problem last time, we've gotten stuck again. Sigh..."
"The most perfect genetic configuration, the most perfect coding arrangement, upgrading the Gene Engine and implanting entirely new coding programs—this technology has always been firmly controlled by the Angel King. If it were truly so easy to research, the Angel King would not have spent over ten thousand years on it!" Miller said after taking a sip of tea.
Hua Tuo rubbed his aching temples. "Come to think of it, when I returned this time, I had planned to win Xuan Ji from the council over to my side. Who would have thought Father had long intended to assign him to Old Third as a tutor? What a waste of talent. If that man served me, why would I need to worry about the Second-generation Angel technology failing to succeed?"
"So that was why Your Highness gave the Dark Sacred Silver Dagger to Third Prince Little Highness, to earn a favor in advance?" Miller smiled like an old fox.
"Heh~ It seems nothing can be hidden from you, Teacher~~" Hua Tuo laughed. "By the way, Teacher, what do you think of that little fellow?"
"A clever little devil!" Seeing Hua Tuo's confusion, Miller smiled. "Did Your Highness notice? When Little Highness encountered you and First Prince Hua Ye, he was not as cautious as Fourth Prince. That shows he understood that with the Angel King around, neither you nor First Prince Hua Ye could do anything excessive before he came of age!"
In contrast, when Little Highness encountered me, both his words and actions were proper and measured. If he isn't a clever little devil, then what is he?"
"At such a young age, he not only thought of Wormhole Transportation itself, but even proposed an idea like the Micro Wormhole Transportation Weapon... Heh, did he really merely notice something that others had overlooked? I forgot to tell you, Your Highness. When you and the Angel King were discussing the search for the Dark Sacred Silver Mine, I noticed something rather interesting..."
Hua Tuo furrowed his brow. "What did Teacher notice?"
"Third Prince Little Highness's expression at the time. At times he frowned, at times he sighed softly. How should I put it... He seemed to be struggling with something..." As he spoke, Miller's voice suddenly lowered. "I have a feeling, Your Highness... Of the three princes, this little fellow may perhaps become your greatest rival in the future!"
"..."
Hua Tuo's frown deepened at those words. After a long silence, he gave a cold chuckle. "As expected, none of the children born into the imperial family are easy to deal with~" Yet his words were filled with helplessness.
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