When it rains, it pours—getting a fever right when the medicine had expired!
Hua Zhen had originally thought that attending the Angel King's birthday banquet would only require him to imitate his predecessor's mannerisms and avoid exposing himself. Who would have thought Gus would bring him more bad news?
During the birthday banquet, the Angel King might publicly assess the learning progress of the two young princes in front of all the guests!
The moment Hua Zhen heard that, he practically spat blood. Wasn't this a bolt from the blue? It had already been confirmed that the Enlightenment Education for young princes was completely beyond his level. Those obscure, unfamiliar terms—forget understanding them, he could barely tell whether he could even read them. Yet these things were tied to his very life.
Other people's transmigrations were smooth sailing, so why had the difficulty level shot up so much when it came to him? Couldn't they leave the poor guy a way to survive?
As the saying went, an arm could not twist a thigh. To the Angel King, Hua Zhen did not even count as a little finger. Complaining was useless. After realizing that, Hua Zhen felt like crying but had no tears. After venting for a while, he could only tug at his hair and enter a miserable state of "emergency cramming."
Twenty-four hours a day, he never stepped outside. During the day, he studied as usual with the two instructors. At night, while watching recordings to learn his predecessor's behavior, he also crammed the knowledge he had previously "missed." Unless he was too exhausted to keep his eyes open, he would not sleep.
Because he was unaccustomed to the food and stayed up watching videos every night, Hua Zhen inevitably lost weight. Seeing him like this, Gus repeatedly urged him to take care of his health. Hua Zhen got irritated just listening to him and waved him out of the room.
"Do you think I don't know I should take care of my health? You think I want to be like this?"
People were forced to their limits. Under enormous pressure, the potential they unleashed could be unimaginably great. That saying really was true!
In just two months, Hua Zhen had forcefully memorized seventy to eighty percent of the knowledge his predecessor had learned over six years. Though it was all rote memorization, it was enough to show that the guy was truly giving it everything he had just to stay alive...
"If I'd had this kind of drive for the college entrance exam, I'd have gotten into a top-tier university ages ago!" Hua Zhen cursed as he looked at his reflection in the mirror, complete with huge dark circles beneath his eyes.
"Your Highness, tomorrow is the Angel King's birthday. You should rest early tonight~" Lian Xi said heartbrokenly as she dried his hair.
After spending two months with Hua Zhen day and night, the misunderstandings between them had long since been cleared up. Little Girl's impression of him had changed drastically. He was kind and approachable, without the slightest air of superiority. Someone like him was rare not only in the palace city, but throughout the entire Angel Civilization.
"Of course. Tomorrow is the main event~" Hua Zhen turned and gave Lian Xi an apologetic smile. "You've been staying up with me every night too. You've really worked hard~"
"It's nothing!" Lian Xi shook her head. "Being able to serve Your Highness is this servant's blessing~"
What a sensible little girl~ Hua Zhen's smile deepened. "By the way, Lian Xi, after that Old Stick's birthday banquet is over, I'll teach you how to cook when I get back..."
Although Angel Civilization's technology was highly advanced, Hua Zhen simply could not accept its food. They mostly relied on roasted dishes, which could not compare with the variety of Huaxia Cuisine at all. Hua Zhen had lived alone in another city after graduating college, so ordinary home-cooked dishes were no challenge for him. Teaching Lian Xi would be more than easy.
"Cook?" Little Girl opened her tempting little mouth, her face full of disbelief. "Your Highness knows how to cook?"
"You're underestimating me~" Hua Zhen proudly puffed out his chest. "Not just cooking—I can make a couple of snacks and desserts too. Have you ever had ice cream? It's cold, sweet, and insanely delicious. You'll definitely like it~"
Lian Xi looked utterly unconvinced and remained highly suspicious of Hua Zhen's words. How could a prince who had grown up with a golden spoon in his mouth know how to cook? And what was this ice cream? She had never even heard of it, okay?
Hua Zhen did not mind her reaction. He stood up and rubbed her little head. "Your prince isn't as simple as you think, Lian Xi. Just wait. When the time comes, you'll definitely be shocked!"
That intimate gesture made Lian Xi's little face flush bright red. "Y-Your Highness..."
At fourteen or fifteen, she was completely like a little sister to Hua Zhen. During breaks from his tedious studies, he had often teased her like this. It was pretty fun, wasn't it? "All right, I won't tease you anymore. Lian Xi, get some rest early too, okay?"
"O-Okay, Your Highness~"
After Lian Xi left the bedroom, Hua Zhen lay back on his small bed. He stared at the elegant ceiling for a while before letting out a faint sigh. "My predecessor's personality isn't that different from how I was as a child. Rather than learning to imitate him, it's more like acting naturally. That part isn't difficult for me... It's just Consort Xin Yao... Sigh, I only hope she won't notice anything..."
The Angel Civilization's territory was extremely vast. Centered around the Tiangong Main Star, the surrounding planets extended outward in successive rings, forming an enormous circular nebula known as the Angel Nebula. Its interstellar distances were measured in light-years.
The people who came to celebrate the Angel King's birthday ranged from royal nobles of the palace city to Angel Commanders of every rank, as well as rulers of Subordinate Civilizations. There were so many that they could not be counted. The grandeur and scale of the occasion were imaginable. For this birthday banquet, the Construction Department, one of Angel Civilization's Six Great Institutions, had spent nearly ten years preparing.
Naturally, the banquet venues and arrangements differed according to the guests' identities and status. It truly was a matter of serving dishes according to the guest.
Let's set aside the other locations for now and first talk about the venue at Main Palace City.
Angel Guards stood in neat rows along both sides of the broad main avenue, stretching so far that the end could not be seen. Every hundred meters, a giant piece of Voucher Column Architecture stood symmetrically on either side. Not only were they engraved with Angel Civilization's unique relief carvings, but they were also equipped with Dark Energy storage devices. They gleamed with flowing light and strange, dazzling colors. Beneath their magnificent appearance lay an oppressive force that could not be ignored.
The reason was that these pieces of Voucher Column Architecture were actually part of a massive defensive mechanism outside Main Palace City, used to protect the palace city's core area.
At the end of the main avenue stood a majestic gatehouse. Two hundred-meter-tall angel statues stood to its left and right, gripping long swords with solemn expressions. Ripples churned at the center, making it impossible to see the Tiangong's core area from outside. The rulers of the Subordinate Civilizations who arrived here all clicked their tongues in admiration.
"A wormhole transmission device this enormous, kept active year after year—the energy consumption must be staggering. Other than Angel Civilization, there probably isn't a second civilization in the universe willing to be so extravagant!"
"Exactly. In our Kenda Civilization, maintaining just one Wormhole Bridge Station would empty our coffers~"
"You've got it good. Unlike our Aisass Civilization, we don't dare activate the Wormhole Bridge Station unless absolutely necessary. The rate at which that thing consumes energy can only be described as terrifying!"
In the current era, technology was advanced, but wormhole applications had yet to become widespread. Only high-level civilizations could afford to establish large wormhole bridges, and even then, their transmission range was extremely limited.
Slightly weaker civilizations could only obtain the right to use Wormhole Bridge Stations from higher civilizations through tribute. The more valuable their tribute, the greater their usage privileges. As for maintenance and energy consumption, they were entirely responsible for those themselves. Higher civilizations would not concern themselves with such matters.
Beyond the gatehouse was the true core area of the palace city. A massive landmass floated amid ethereal clouds, as though shrouded in a thin veil—vague and hazy, seemingly near yet far. But when the view drew closer, one would discover that it was no landmass at all. It was clearly a colossal flagship.
Its design and structure differed from ordinary Tiangong spacecraft. Its gilded hull resembled an inverted comb jellyfish. Layer upon layer of ancient yet exquisite palace halls rose atop the flagship. When sunlight gently brushed over the earth and forests, the golden radiance reflecting from the palace eaves created a luminous haze that was especially dazzling and resplendent.
The four corners of the central Main Palace were supported by massive dark-gold metal pillars, steady and imposing. Hazy gauze curtains hung from the stone steps between the pillars. As the breeze passed, the thin veils fluttered softly. The silver curtains and starlight reflected one another, displaying brilliant, multicolored splendor. This was the core of the entire palace city, as well as the place that represented the Angel King's noble status—the Tiangong Ship!!
After the rulers of the Subordinate Civilizations arrived at the Tiangong Ship plaza, civil servants from the Construction Department would come forward to receive them and arrange them in designated areas according to their civilizations' level. As for the commanders returning to Angel Civilization, they already knew the way well.
Figures moved throughout the plaza as exclamations of awe rang out without end. Everyone wore traces of reverence on their faces. After all, Angel King Hua Que's status in their hearts could only be described as supreme. It was precisely because of him that Angel Civilization had become so powerful and the Subordinate Civilizations had been spared the harassment of other forces.
"Bzz~"
Just then, the ripples at the distant gatehouse suddenly churned. Immediately afterward, everyone saw a small aircraft emerge from within and steadily land at the edge of the plaza.
Once the cabin door opened, a boy of twelve or thirteen stepped out. He had tousled golden hair and wore a luxurious ceremonial outfit in strikingly vivid colors. Though his face was youthful, it was not difficult to see traces of Old Angel King Hua Que in his features.
"He can actually fly an aircraft into the Tiangong Ship. Who is this kid?" A whisper rose from the crowd as they watched the boy's cold expression and straight-ahead gaze.
"Looks like you didn't do enough homework before coming~" Someone beside the speaker supplied the answer. "If I remember correctly, this should be His Highness Third Prince Hua Zhen of the Tiangong!"
The man finally showed an expression of sudden realization and clicked his tongue in admiration. "So that's how it is... Look at him, so young yet already possessing such an ethereal temperament. Given time, he will surely..."
"Waaah... Cough, cough... Bleurgh, bleurgh..."
"He will surely... Huh?!!"
The man's voice abruptly cut off, as though someone had suddenly grabbed him by the throat. Staring at Hua Zhen, who was crouched on the ground vomiting rainbows, his mouth hung wide open. He was completely dumbfounded.
The previously bustling plaza fell so quiet that a pin could be heard dropping. Every gaze turned toward Hua Zhen in unison, and for a moment, the atmosphere became extraordinarily strange.
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