Chapter 001
Many Many Years Later
Shannchyuan opened his eyes. His head felt very dizzy. He looked up at the ceiling that lay before him. He turned his head right and left. Except for himself, there was no one else there. A few seconds later, he realized he was lying in a bed. While trying to sit up, he saw that there was an IV needle stuck in his arm.
He looked around the room. From the decorations in the room, he realized he was in a room in the hospital. Shannchyuan had something to say. But he couldn't make any sound. It was then that he realized that there were tubes coming out of his mouth and nose. The two hoses were connected to the ventilator machine next to the bed. Shannchyuan gasped. He must be in terrible condition if he had to use two tubes to supply oxygen to his lungs.
He was trying to remember. But the pain that hit his head made him fail to remember many things. He could only remember his name, age, and where he lived. Moreover Shannchyuan remembered that before this he fainted. But he had no idea how long he had been unconscious.
Suddenly, the door of the room opened. Several people rushed inside. From the clothes they wore, Shannchyuan could tell that they were doctors and nurses.
"Your Majesty has come to your senses!" Said one of the people who had just entered it. The man was wearing glasses with gigantic frames. He was in his mid-forties. He seemed to be the leader of the group of doctors and nurses who had just entered. The other doctors and nurses immediately flocked to Shannchyuan.
Eh? What did he call me? Did I hear right?
They then did things that were commonly done by doctors and nurses when examining patients. During their inspection, Shannchyuan didn't try to say anything. Apart from having a tube in his mouth, he also chose to wait until they said something.
"Good morning, Your Majesty," said the man wearing glasses with enormous frames. "Can Your Majesty hear my voice?"
Shannchyuan nodded. Even though he still couldn't fully digest what had happened, at least he could guess the basics.
"Please, don't say anything just yet. Your Majesty is still in a very weak state. We are delighted that Your Majesty has finally come to your senses."
Ah! I didn't hear wrong. They did call me that.
Shannchyuan really couldn't say anything. It was exactly as the doctor had said. His condition was still far from recovering. But the most important thing had happened, namely that he woke up. He knew that was what made the doctors and nurses look so happy.
One nurse then injected something into Shannchyuan's IV line.
"Your Majesty, don't move too much. Your Majesty had just come to your senses. Right now, the most important thing is to get lots of rest."
The doctor's words were quite reasonable. Shannchyuan would not refute it either. Right now, it wasn't the time to ask what things had happened to him. A few minutes later, Shannchyuan felt his eyes getting heavy again. Not long after, he fell asleep.
When he opened his eyes again, he was no longer lying in that room. He was already in a different room. There was no longer a ventilator tube attached either in his mouth or in his nose. But the IV needle was still stuck in his hand.
"Good afternoon, Your Majesty!"
Shannchyuan looked for the source of the sound. There was a man sitting on the right side of the bed. The person was in his late forties or early fifties.
"Good afternoon," answered Shannchyuan.
"Your Majesty don't need to force yourself to answer if Your Majesty's throat or mouth is still sore," said the person.
"It doesn't matter. I'm fine," said Shannchyuan.
The person raised the top bunk so Shannchyuan changed from lying down to sitting. This bed was an electric patient's bed, so the person just had to press a button, no need to turn any crank.
"The doctor said during these three hours that Your Majesty's condition is improving at an extraordinary rate," said the person. "They can't explain it. Medically speaking, this is nearly impossible."
"In this world, things that are hard to believe have often happened," said Shannchyuan.
"Yes, Your Majesty," said the man.
Shannchyuan was feeling confused. He didn't know who it was. So he didn't know what to call that person. If he called him wrong, of course, he would look stupid. Or perhaps that person might even get suspicious.
"Is there a mirror?" Asked Shannchyuan.
"Mirror? Would Your Majesty want to wash your face?"
"No. I just wanted to see how I am doing."
"All right, Your Majesty. I will immediately fetch a mirror."
The person then rose from his seat. He went outside. Not long after, he came back with a small mirror. He gave the mirror to Shannchyuan.
When Shannchyuan looked at his face in the mirror, he was shocked. He saw the face of an old man. He realized he was no longer young, but definitely not that old.
Have I been unconscious for years? This is absolute nonsense!
"Can I read today's paper?" Asked Shannchyuan. Curiosity to know what had happened completely overcame him.
"I don't think this is a very good idea. Your Majesty should get plenty of rest. It's not time to take care of other things yet."
"Can I read today's paper?" Shannchyuan repeated his words. This time, he said in a much louder voice. He hoped that the person sitting in the chair right beside him would understand what he wanted.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I will fetch today's newspaper," said the man. He then got up from his seat and left the room. He returned with a stack of newspapers. There seemed to be five or six newspapers he had with him.
The man gave a newspaper to Shannchyuan. He put the other newspapers on the table to the left of the bed.
Right away, Shannchyuan read the first page of the newspaper. He immediately looked for the date printed on it. Actually, that was his primary intention when he asked that person for a newspaper.
Shannchyuan could hardly believe his eyes. Although he didn't remember anything, Shannchyuan still remembered the current month and year. To be more precise, it was the month and year just before he fainted. The year listed in the paper was not at all the year he remembered. The time between the year he remembered, and the year listed in the newspaper, was thirty-five years.
Shannchyuan shook his head several times. Anything was possible in this world. But what had just happened to him was hard for him to believe.
"What's wrong Your Majesty?" The person's voice sounded slightly anxious.
"How long was I unconscious?" Asked Shannchyuan.
"Fifteen days, Your Majesty."
"Fifteen days?"
That fact astonished Shannchyuan. Thirty-five years was definitely not the same as fifteen days. Shannchyuan grew increasingly worried about himself. Being unconscious for fifteen days might not be unusual for someone who was as old as he was at that time. However, forgetting the things that had happened in thirty-five years of life was definitely not a simple thing.
"The doctor said that Your Majesty may have lost some memory. Just like it has happened several times."
"This thing has happened before?"
"That's right, Your Majesty. This is the sixth time that Your Majesty has been unconscious for a few days. Once Your Majesty woke up, usually there were many things that Your Majesty could not remember."
"So I've often been unconscious for fifteen days?"
"Previously, Your Majesty was only unconscious for between three and seven days. This is the first time Your Majesty has been unconscious for more than a week. We are all already feeling so anxious."
"That means there is a possibility this will happen again. It could even be worse," said Shannchyuan.
"I dare not speculate like that. Let the doctor explain to Your Majesty."
Shannchyuan started reading the newspaper. The news that was plastered in the newspaper was normal news. It did not differ from the news he usually read. Shannchyuan felt a little strange. He didn't remember what happened to him, but he remembered what news he usually read in his daily life.
"Actually, where are we?"
"Your Majesty is currently in the hospital."
"I know this is a hospital. I mean, which hospital?"
The person fell silent. After a few seconds, he continued his words in a cautious tone.
"We are in an underground bunker. Deep underground. Regarding more specific matters, I think there are other parties who have more authority to explain it."
Shannchyuan frowned. For a moment, he doubted his position. They addressed him as "Your Majesty," but at the same time, there were many restrictions. The person who was talking to him at that time seemed afraid to say much.
It is possible that I am a prisoner in this place.
"Can I take a walk outside this room or not?"
"Your Majesty's condition is still very weak. I think we should wait for the green light from the doctor."
"Didn't you say earlier that my condition is improving at an incredible speed?"
"That's right, Your Majesty. But maybe not well enough to be able to walk outside."
"What if I use a wheelchair? You can push my wheelchair."
The person thought for a bit, before nodding while opening his mouth. "Yes, Your Majesty! I'll ask first."
He got up from his chair and went outside the room. This time, he was gone for a while. Shannchyuan was dozing off, waiting for the person to return. It was only about twenty minutes later that the person returned to Shannchyuan's room. He pushed a wheelchair.
"Your Majesty may look around the situation outside in this wheelchair. But it's only fifteen minutes at most."
Shannchyuan nodded. Fifteen minutes was more than enough. At least for that day. Hopefully tomorrow he could do the same.
That person helped Shannchyuan off the bed. Shannchyuan's legs were still weak, so he really needed help. But other than that, Shannchyuan felt himself to be fine.
After Shannchyuan sat down in the wheelchair, the person he was with immediately pushed the wheelchair towards the bedroom door. As soon as the door opened, they rushed out.
They were in a corridor like those in a hospital in general. The corridor was about two meters wide. Shannchyuan could not estimate the length of the corridor because as far as the eye could see, he could not see either end of the corridor. The room where Shannchyuan was just now was only one of the many rooms on the right and left sides of the corridor.
That person was pushing Shannchyuan's wheelchair. After about three hundred meters from his room, they met a doctor and two nurses. They entered the door of a room that was there. But less than a minute they came out again.
"Good afternoon, Your Majesty." The doctor bowed deeply when he saw Shannchyuan.
"Good afternoon," answered Shannchyuan.
The two nurses who were with the doctor also bowed towards Shannchyuan. Their faces looked so relieved. But at the same time, Shannchyuan saw a look of tension.
The three of them then went in the direction they had come from.
"Can we enter this room or not?" Asked Shannchyuan.
Shannchyuan couldn't see the face of the person pushing the wheelchair, because the person was standing behind him. Even though he couldn't see the expression on the person's face, Shannchyuan could feel that the person was at a loss to answer his question.
"Tell you what," said Shannchyuan. "I'll just get into the room myself. You wait outside."
"Yes, Your Majesty," replied the man. He then opened the door to the room.
Shannchyuan was trying to turn the wheels in his wheelchair. But he had trouble getting the wheelchair to move forward. The person with him then pushed the wheelchair into the room.
Unlike the room Shannchyuan was in earlier, in that room there were two beds. But there was only one bed occupied. The person who escorted Shannchyuan pushed the wheelchair until it was right next to the bed filled with patients. The patient lying on the bed was surprised to see Shannchyuan.
"In ten minutes I will bring Your Majesty back to the room," said the person who escorted Shannchyuan.
Shannchyuan nodded. The person then speedily left the room.
The person lying on the bed looked at Shannchyuan with a confused look. He was a young man of about thirty years of age.
"Do you know who I am?" asked Shannchyuan.
The young man lying on the bed nodded. "Your Majesty is Tianmuh Shannchyuan. This Great Emperor of our New World."
Shannchyuan was again shocked. In fact, he could already guess. The address "Your Majesty" was indeed meant for the Great Emperor. But the affirmation that the young man uttered still surprised him.
"Has Your Majesty forgotten again?" asked the person.
"Have we met before?"
"I started being here about a month before Your Majesty was transferred here. So I have met your highness many times. Since being here, Your Majesty had lost consciousness several times. After Your Majesty regained consciousness, usually Your Majesty experienced amnesia. It was about a week after you regained consciousness that Your Majesty was able to recall things that had happened in the past."
"So we do know each other."
"There's not much we can do here. So we often play chess to pass the time."
"Okay! You are right. Right now, I don't remember much. Can you now tell me a little why I got here?"
"In another week, Your Majesty will remember these things."
"One week is too long. I want to know now."
"Where should I start from?"
"You can start by telling me why I became emperor. There are so many people in the Tianmuh and Duanmuh families. Why did they choose me?"
The person started to stare. His eyes stared blankly ahead. "All of this started one day about ten years ago."
"Wait a minute," said Shannchyuan. "What's your name?"
"My name is Linqhwu Jiannjyh."
"Linqhwu?"
"That's right, Your Majesty. Your Majesty knows my father, Linqhwu Ueideng."
"Oh!"
That name sounds familiar. But Shannchyuan couldn't remember the figure of that person yet.
"And the person who brought you in here earlier was Chioulin Yeujow. Your Majesty also knows his father."
"Before you start telling me, I have something to ask you. I'm curious, why did the doctor and the two nurses enter this room for just an instant? As soon as they entered the room, they immediately came out."
"They want to check the person next to me," Linqhwu Jiannjyh pointed at the empty bed next to him. "But after coming into this room, they found out that the other doctors and nurses had taken the patient away to the laboratory about half an hour ago."
Shannchyuan nodded. "Okay, now tell me briefly about what happened. I do not have much time."
"So, ten years ago, there was a rebellion. The emperor who reigned in Tianjing was killed. The rebels massacred countless members of the imperial family. Many people from the Tianmuh Family died in the first three months after the rebellion. The surviving members of the Tianmuh family chose to change their names and go into hiding."
"So that's why the imperial supporters chose the new Emperor, who is from the Duanmuh family?" Shannchyuan said.
"That's right Your Majesty! The Tianmuh Family is a branch of the Duanmuh Family. So one could say the Duanmuh Family was the parent of the Tianmuh Family. Moreover, in fact, before the Tianmuh Family was formed, power in this new world was in the hands of the Duanmuh Family."
"But there are so many people in the Duanmuh Family. Why should I? Even I never had an intense relationship with the Duanmuh family. I was raised as a commoner."
"Your Majesty isn't the only member of the Duanmuh Family to become emperor. During the first five years after the rebellion, there were countless Duanmuh families who ascended the throne to become emperors. Immediately after ascending to the throne, usually the rebels could trace their whereabouts. The rebels always caught and killed them. And so on. Almost every four or five months, there was a new emperor."
"Is it that easy to catch the emperor?"
"The rebel side has a lot of spies. They infiltrated among the people loyal to the empire. They regularly report to the rebels. So it's not difficult for the rebels to capture the people who dare to become the emperor."
"The rebels have succeeded in coming to power. Did they not make an emperor out of their own ranks?" Asked Shannchyuan.
"The rebels believe that supreme power should not be left to one person. And the rulers should not pass that power on to their descendants. According to them, power should not be inherited."
"That is an interesting concept. In a different time and place, I might very well have endorsed that concept."
Linqhwu Jiannjyh laughed at Shannchyuan's words. Shannchyuan also laughed after seeing the young man laugh.
"Yeah, it sounds hilarious if it turns out that the reigning emperor doesn't even support the imperial institutions."
Linqhwu Jiannjyh nodded in approval of Shannchyuan's words.
"So instead of installing an emperor, the rebels set up a collective leadership. This leadership group comprised 73 people. Although in reality there were only 72 people sitting on the committee. One person had refused from the start. He absolutely did not want to be involved in the activities of the rebels."
"Are they not willing to replace that one person who refused with someone else who is willing to cooperate?" Asked Shannchyuan.
"The one person who rejected it was the person who wrote the manifesto for the rebels. So we can say that the person is the leader of the rebels. But it seemed he didn't expect that their later movement of rebellion actually succeeded in overthrowing the empire. So after their struggle succeeded, that person actually withdrew."
"Sometimes we do hesitate just as we are stepping through the door," said Shannchyuan. "I can understand how he felt."
"So officially, he is the number one person in that ruling committee. Even though he blatantly didn't want to interfere, his name was still listed as the leader of the committee."
"Then who took over his position on the committee?"
"The deputy committee chairman who is said to be that person's apprentice, then took over the position of the number one person on the committee. But formally, he remained a deputy chairman. He didn't want to depose his mentor at all."
"I guess we could call him a devoted disciple." Shannchyuan laughed. "I am a teacher. In dozens of years of teaching, there are always one or two students who think like that."
Suddenly Shannchyuan remembered an episode in his life. He was a teacher. Or at least been a teacher for years. He also suddenly remembered some things related to that. It turned out that conversing with other people like that really could stimulate the return of his memory.
"Five years ago, when Tianmuh Jinqkang was killed, no one from the Duanmuh family dared to declare themselves emperor. It was then that a group of people kidnapped Your Majesty and then crowned Your Majesty as emperor."
"Tianmuh Jinqkang? This name feels very familiar. Maybe later I can remember clearly."
"Before ascending to the throne, people knew him as Duanmuh Jinqkang. He was a very famous businessman. He was one of Your Majesty's supporters. According to some analysts, he deliberately sacrificed himself by becoming emperor so that Your Majesty would be willing to step forward after he died."
"That's a very stupid thing," said Shannchyuan.
"The line between stupidity and loyalty is sometimes too thin, Your Majesty."
"You are right! Then why after that I was not killed? Did the rebels' spy network suddenly become dysfunctional?"
"I don't know for sure. But what is clear is that Your Majesty has always managed to escape the ambush of the special forces sent by the rebels."
"But in the end they caught me too?"
"One year ago, finally, they captured Your Majesty. I don't know where they had detained Your Majesty, but three months after the arrest, they transferred Your Majesty to this place."
"So for this one year, they have put me under house arrest. It's very interesting."
"That's right, Your Majesty."
"Then why did they arrest you too?" Shannchyuan looked at the young man in surprise.
Linqhwu Jiannjyh laughed. "Because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. A year and a half ago, when the rebel special forces raided a place that was used as a secret meeting place for supporters of the Duanmuh family, I happened to be in the vicinity."
"You're not coming to the meeting?"
"No, Your Majesty. I just happened to be there."
"Then why didn't they let you go?"
"Because they later realized that I was the son of Linqhwu Ueideng, a supporter of the empire. Over the past few years, my father has indeed been a fugitive."
"Then where did they imprison you?"
"I don't know, Your Majesty. But I suspect they imprisoned me in the city where they arrested me. Ten months ago, they transferred me here. They said I was sick, so I had to be treated in this underground hospital. I don't know what is my illness. I feel myself fine."
"You said that the rebels always executed those who ascended the throne to become emperor. Then why am I still alive until now?"
"The Deputy Chief of the New World Rescue Committee, as they call the committee they created, insists on not executing Your Majesty."
The bedroom door opened. Chioulin Yeujow appeared from behind the door.
"Ten minutes have passed, Your Majesty. I really want to give Your Majesty some more time. But if I do that, there will be consequences that I have to accept."
Shannchyuan nodded. "I understand. Alright, I'll head back to my room now."
Chioulin Yeujow came into the room and moved to the back of the wheelchair. He then pushed the wheelchair toward the bedroom door.
"What is the name of that Vice Committee Chairman who decided not to sentence me to death?" Shannchyuan asked when his wheelchair reached the bedroom door.
"In the past, many many years ago, he was one of the Young Masters of a growing conglomerate network. His name is Mingju Tsaehorng," replied Linqhwu Jiannjyh.
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