In the 64th year of the New Emperor Calendar, the frontier Yu Region.

Large areas of darkness and sporadic brightness constitute this cosmic space.Burning stars emit light of different wavelengths, scattered asteroids have maintained their own trajectory for tens of thousands of years, and the silence contains all of them.

Before the footsteps of human beings arrived here, they have operated for hundreds of millions of years according to the rules of the universe.But just over fifty years ago, the White Bird Expedition extended the footsteps of the pioneers of the empire here.

Since then, there have been occasional starships passing by this Yu Region, just like black sparrows crossing the dark sea.

At this moment, a fleet of fleets is walking through the dark sea with a dim blue tail flame.

They are not glamorous, and the hull made of alloy is covered with transparent crystal thorns.The traces of the alien attack scratched the silver Beidou's military emblem.

Those are the soldiers who are dragging their tired feet and trekking towards their hometown.

Outside the battle command room of the flagship, two young men in silver Beidou military uniforms stood guard at the door.

"Hey, Lieutenant Tang." One of them probed and whispered to the chestnut-haired young man next to him.

"You said, who is the major general communicating with? It's been an hour and nothing has happened."

Tang Zhen turned to Byakugan: "I don't know, I've been standing at the door all the time..."

Another youth sneered, realizing that he had asked a mentally retarded question.He twisted his neck and was about to stand for another hour when he suddenly heard Xie Yuduo's voice from inside.

"Xiao Tang is outside, come in."

Then the automatic door opened.The two young men on guard were refreshed, and Tang Zhen immediately walked in three steps at a time, saluting: "Here! Hello, Major General!"

The command room was empty and there was no one else.Xie Yuduo sat alone on the innermost command seat, and the huge virtual screen was wrapping the major general inside.

The multi-day expedition made the youngest general of Yin Beidou become haggard.He had lost a lot of weight, and his eyes were black and blue, but his expression was still determined.

At this moment, the major general was staring at the window in front of him, as if he was concentrating on something, he pointed casually: "Well, sit down."

The automatic door closes.Tang Zhen walked two more steps in, and just found a random seat to sit down, when Xie Yuduo asked, "Little Tang, can you write a self-criticism?"

"Review?" Tang Zhen was taken aback.

"Yes," Xie Yuduo stretched out his hand and gestured, "It's official, with a format, and handed it over to the Imperial Army."

Oh... Tang Zhen showed an enlightened expression.During this crystal nest expedition, they did make a lot of actions that did not fully obey the orders of the military department.

Now that he is about to return to the country, Major General Xie is going to try to fool those old-fashioned people in the military department again.

"It should work, let me try." Tang Zhen grabbed his military cap, simply pinched it off and put it aside, and pulled out a virtual screen in front of himself.

In fact, this kind of thing was previously handled by the major general's adjutant and secretary——Major Liu Rita. Unfortunately, Rita did not go out with the army this time, but was left by the major general to look after the house.

As for the members of this group of expeditionary forces, 99% of them are iron-blooded rough guys who can only chop alien creatures, and they can't write documents at all.Looking at it this way, Young Master Tang, who came from a meritorious nobleman and just graduated from a military academy, has the most culture in this area.

Tang Zhen complained again in his heart: It is not bad to write written documents. In the days when there is no battle, he, the guard officer, has been completely reduced to a servant who takes care of the major general's daily life.

So here comes the question, why does the young master of a famous family in his majestic imperial capital possess such skills?Is it because he came from the Sixth Academy of Logistics? Don't be kidding, it's obviously because he took care of a disabled human being in the military academy...

He opened the blank document and asked: "Major General, what should I write? Is it a problem of going too deep into the crystal nest?"

"Oh no no no, not those."

Xie Yuduo cleared his throat, his expression wandering, "Just say..."

"I feel very guilty about losing the first fortress."

Tang Zhen: "Oh."

He bowed his head and typed two words.

After a pause, he raised his head dully: "... huh?"

Xie Yuduo folded his arms and murmured: "We must call back as soon as possible."

Tang Zhen jumped up as if struck by lightning.

"W-why the fortress is lost!!?"

These words were no less than the collapse of the sky, Tang Zhen's face paled in an instant, his teeth chattered in fright: "What... when did it happen, how did you lose it, how did you lose it, who did you lose it to?"!?"

He quickly turned around in a hurry, raised his hands and said incoherently: "Isn't the empire supporting us? What about the second and third fortresses, ah!? Then the rest of us staying in the fortress..."

Xie Yuduo still looked like an old god.Just when Tang Zhen couldn't bear to rush forward, and the subordinate was shaking Major General Xie's collar, a clear voice came from the major general's screen.

"I haven't lost it yet."

The voice sighed, "Tang Zhen, be careful."

Tang Zhen was astonished as if he had been whipped. When he came back to his senses, he rushed forward, punched his head in front of the screen on the command seat, and even pushed Xie Yuduo aside who looked disgusted.

"Xiao Jiang!?"

In the center of Major General Xie's screen, it is not a three-dimensional star map or crystal particle monitoring data, but a real-time communication window.

Some pale black-haired youths were sitting opposite, with thick military overcoats on their shoulders, holding a steaming white porcelain teacup in their hands, smiling at him with familiar eyebrows and eyes.

"Young Master Tang really didn't make any progress." Bemaner walked over briskly, handed Jiang Jianming a vial, and stabbed Tang Zhen by the way, "Fortunately, it's a private occasion."

"..." Tang Zhen was like a dumb man who ate Coptis chinensis, and the corners of his eyes twitched.

Damn it, why blame him, which general would say that the fortress was lost in non-private occasions!Not even in private!!

No, the point is how Man'er and Xiao Jiang are on the starship together!?

Bah, bah, that's not right, the real point is——

Tang Zhen: "So, you didn't lose it?"

"Ah, this one."

Jiang Jianming unscrewed the vial, poured out two white pills from it, and bit it in his mouth: "We are discussing."

Tang Zhen: "Shang... discuss what?"

Jiang Jianming on the opposite side ignored him, bowed his head, took a sip of hot tea and sent the pills down.

Next to him, Xie Yuduo leaned back on the chair with his legs upright: "Why do you lose the fortress?"

"In the current situation, it is meaningless to stick to it. The First Army of the Silver Beidou is full of elites. If the fortress is lost, it can be regained. If the soldiers die, they will not be able to return."

An hour after the inter-galaxy long-distance communication ended, Jiang Jianming sat on the bed in the bedroom.

With a transparent mask hanging from his mouth and nose, he was inhaling medicine, a fogged sedative plus a drug to suppress chronic crystal disorder.

But this patient didn't even have the slightest sense of being a patient. He was looking sideways at the three-dimensional star map, and his fingers were beating on the virtual keyboard. "I still advocate a strategic retreat, Your Highness."

As he spoke, a thin white mist appeared and disappeared on the mask.

Lai An stood at the head of the bed, reached out to adjust the speed of the drug delivery machine, and frowned: "What about Xie Yuduo's fleet?"

Jiang Jianming: "I just discussed with the major general. If we can clear the space pirates here, we can let the fleet jump over and temporarily park at the second fortress."

Lai An said nothing.Behind the two of them, the curved portholes reflected the outer universe, as well as the fleet trailing through the universe.

What they are currently riding is the "White Emerald". This starship with the same name as the imperial palace is a flagship armed interstellar warship that is only allowed to dispatch when the royal family is on their own. It adopts the most cutting-edge technology and can carry about 400 soldiers.It is unquestionably the strongest ship in the empire.

In the 64th year of the New Emperor's Calendar, the alien party "Crystal Sect" rebelled, and many Star Cities headed by Aslan were attacked. Since then, the prelude to the war has been opened.

The arduous defensive battle lasted for two days, and the Crystal Cult was finally forced out of the empire's borders.Before he could take a breather, the first fortress of Yin Beidou was attacked again.

The empire sent troops urgently, but before the reinforcements approached Alien Alpha, the first fortress was already in a hurry-the main general was absent, the elite was missing, and it was really almost impossible to defend.

But at this time, the second fortress of the Silver Big Dipper located on the alien planet Beta also fell into a bitter battle with the Lava Pirates.

This group of space thieves who usually like to run away with a single shot, suddenly bit up like mad dogs, and couldn't shake them off.

Difficulty arises from this.

In the flagship of the reinforcement fleet, Jiang Jianming and Lai An also had a headache for three whole days.

If the reinforcements went directly to rescue Alien Alpha, it would be easy to be harassed by space pirates from the rear.If we delay for a few more days, let alone how much the people in the first fortress will have to sacrifice; Xie Yuduo's expeditionary fleet will also have nowhere to park, and one more day in the Yu Region will be more dangerous.

In this regard, Jiang Jianming proposed a strategic retreat, simply abandoning the first fortress for the time being, and letting the silver Beidou army inside withdraw.

First work together with the reinforcements to expel the space pirates in the second fortress, welcome back Major General Xie's expedition fleet, and then recapture the first fortress.

"Even according to what you said, the recapture battle will not be easy."

Ryan snorted softly, he pulled a chair beside the bed, sat down next to Jiang Jianming, and squeezed his lover's wrist to test his temperature.

"Who can predict what will happen if you choose to retreat in front of a heretic like Crystal Cult whose details are still unclear?"

The crown prince obviously doesn't like this kind of battle plan of giving up a city before the official battle.

However, the public is the public and the private is the private.Differences in strategic opinion should not affect other things—

"Time is almost enough." Lai An glanced at the drug dispenser again, reached out to grab one from the fruit basket on the bedside table, "Do you want an apple?"

"Eat, crystal bones are not allowed for skinning," Jiang Jianming continued typing on the virtual keyboard without looking up, "There are still a lot of omnics and drones left in the fortress, and the main control system is also ours. Crystal Cult will be very difficult for a while.Crack."

"In addition, the Heroic Monument underground can be blocked, and the resources that cannot be taken away can be directly blown up and destroyed, leaving only the empty fortress to the enemy... The war of retaking it is still beneficial to us."

——Obviously, in the face of the anxious battle situation, in order to save time, the crown prince and princess of the empire have tacitly learned the model of combining public and private affairs.

Lai An leaned over to get a fruit knife, and when he sat back, he still had an uneasy expression on his face: "Now the empire is preparing to disclose the truth about the crystal particles. At this time, especially after the Star City defense battle, the news of the frontline loss will mean thatWhat, have you thought about it?"

Jiang Jianming paused, raised his eyes, and finally showed some embarrassment.

Drop—the machine makes a timing sound, and the inhalation ends.

The black-haired young man slowly took off his mask, sighed and admitted: "...This is indeed a problem."

He also understands the reason that if the truth is disclosed to the public when the situation is retreating steadily, it will only cause mass panic.

What's more, the symbolic significance of the first fortress is too great. If the fortress is lost but cannot be regained, it will also be a major blow to the morale of the imperial army.

Jiang Jianming picked up the towel next to him and wiped his face, rinsed his mouth again, and said in a low voice: "If you choose to retreat, the pressure of the follow-up recapture battle will be great, I admit."

Over there, Lai An cut off a piece of apple, peeled it, and carefully inserted it into the tip of the fruit knife and handed it over.

Such a friendly and considerate gesture, but His Highness's expression was very firm, "Even so, you still stick to your plan?"

Jiang Jianming leaned over, opened his mouth and took away the pulp, and mumbled while chewing: "Yeah."

The crown prince stared at him: "What if I say, I'm not allowed to retreat?"

Unexpectedly, Jiang Jianming's answer was quick and calm.

He swallowed the food in his mouth and said, "That can also be beaten."

After a pause, he added: "Although there may be more casualties."

"But if His Highness has made up his mind," the black-haired officer frowned and said softly, "You are the commander-in-chief, and I will obey the order."

Lai An snorted lightly, saying to obey orders... isn't this still a tactful way to say that he disagrees.

He cut two more pieces of fruit before putting down the knife in his hand, and said, "Do as you want, Colonel Jiang."

"I guess you will agree." Jiang Jianming smiled gently.He turned the screen he had been knocking on just now and pushed it towards the crown prince.

The above is a simple schematic diagram of the tactical concept.

"Then let's divide into two groups." He said, "Please take half of your Highness to meet Yin Beidou in the first fortress to evacuate, and I will go to Beta Aliens to deal with the problem of space robbers."

Sure enough, we were going to separate again... Lai An gritted his teeth in displeasure: "An accident happens every time you're not around me."

Jiang Jianming: "No, absolutely not this time!"

Lai An: "Tsk."

Jiang Jianming: "Really - if I mess around again, you just need to dismiss me. You can also deduct my annuity, so it's okay, right?"

Lai An's forehead twitched, and finally said angrily, "Then, why am I raising you!?"

Jiang Jianming: "..."

It makes sense that he couldn't refute it.

The crown prince turned around coldly with folded arms, making a gesture of "I'm angry".From the corner of his eye, he stayed behind, watching the crippled humans chasing him helplessly to coax him.

... He felt that since he learned the truth about the crystal particles, Jiang Jianming seemed to be more tense than before.

Patients with chronic crystal disorder can't bear to work like this, and mental and physical exhaustion will accelerate the progression of the disease.If the patient wants to live a long time, he must learn to rest, but it happens to be Jiang Jianming.

Lai An has no choice.He knew it was impossible for this person to allow himself to stop... Whether it was for personal reasons or for the country.

...

"Okay, let's talk about something else."

After the quarrel ended, the two of them sat back on the bed.Lai An held Jiang Jianming in his arms, rubbing the handicapped human's cold fingertips casually.

"Well, what?" Jiang Jianming squinted and smiled. He nestled in the arms of the crown prince, a bit like a lazy black cat.It seems that the strategic policy has finally been finalized, and I feel better.

Lai An pondered for two seconds, and said in a low voice: "That day... when my consciousness projection returned, the so-called Emperor Kaios... what did he look like?"