Human beings are always born in chains, but they always yearn for freedom.

But human beings are born free, but they are always trapped in shackles.

In the face of humanity's small future, there have been two paths full of thorns, like subjects whose Creator is trying to resist for punishment and who are always longing for freedom.

In the midst of secrecy, Dark Zeng chose a path that belonged to ice and snow.

Under mystery, Light had chosen a path that belonged to the Agni.

The growth of all things, the apoptosis of all things, and the revival of all things. Under the interweaving of dawn and darkness, the old world tends to perish, and new life can bloom in the night. No one does not look forward to the light that belongs to all things, but no one is not the devourer of that nightmare, obliterating those who hold the flowers of the other side but do not want to lead to life and death. The old and new worlds will eventually fall into endless ice and snow together, turning into nourishment for the beginning of another cycle.

......

The endless night is like a road that can never be seen, and everyone who waits here alone cannot escape the fate of being lost in the end.

Whether it was Ye Gu or the little emperor of the empire, after dragging the tired feelings of their bodies and minds, they were disturbed by the inherent sleepiness of human beings, and finally subdued by them and entered the boundless and dim dream.

When the crisp sound of a huge pendulum in the tall attic in the center of the empire was heard, the most extreme darkness finally dissipated in the westernmost part of the Burning Empire.

The morning sun from the east mixed with the dew of the summer morning sun brought the calmest morning to the Flame Empire and even the Canglong Continent.

Knock, knock, knock!

The six crisp sounds in succession finally pulled the little emperor back from the bizarre dream and brought him into the world that belonged to him.

The room that belonged to him has always maintained the most austere style of previous emperors. Except for the large bed in the middle and a small wooden red empire-style bed that was temporarily moved nearby, there was only the simple desk.

After quickly putting on his red and spacious emperor uniform, the little emperor didn't care about the yang color on the small bed, nor did he ask everything about Ye Gu last night, dragged his still slightly drowsy head, picked up the purple scepter that he had been carrying with him all along, and walked straight out of the door, going straight to the ruling palace in the imperial palace that specializes in handling government affairs.

"Your Majesty, good morning, haven't you slept well? The person who spoke was Zhou Xing, the manager of the palace.

He had been waiting at the door for a long time, and when he saw the little emperor come out, he reached out and handed the towel glass that had been prepared to the little emperor together.

As the eunuch chief of the empire, he has been with the emperor since he was a child and has never left.

Naturally, after the little emperor ascended the throne, he has been dealing with everything inside the palace. He was solely responsible for everything except politics and military affairs, and the emperor never asked.

A few years ago, when the empire was at odds with the northern cold country, Zhou Xing, as a representative of the diplomatic team, experienced a game of wisdom with the mission that crossed the desert and grassland from the cold country.

Therefore, for people with such feelings, the little emperor will not care about his loyalty at all, and Zhou Xing will not have any thoughts of his disloyalty in front of the emperor.

For people like him, everything about the emperor is everything to him, and when the emperor's life comes to an end, most of the people like them will choose to end their lives in the same way.

"You go and help me with a few things. Now there are still four days before Longqing, although everything in the empire is ready, but those unintelligent people who are ready to move are always thinking of destroying the great plans of the empire. The little emperor said, took the glass and poured the water in the middle into his mouth, and after stirring it, he spit it out into the basin in front of him along with the strange aura that had formed overnight.

"Your Majesty, please. Zhou Xing said respectfully.

"Call a royal carriage and take me to the top floor of the ruling palace, and I will meet the western soothsayer who came from the southern capital today. I heard that she was very good at divining people's fate, and I wanted to talk to her. The second thing,"

The little emperor paused, wiped his face quickly but carefully with the towel in his hand, and then said: "Inform the trusted Prime Minister Luo Heng and the leader of the new guard, Yan Ling, well, call to the ruling palace at about two o'clock in the afternoon, and the affairs of Long Qing will still depend on them to complete." ”

"Is it in the form of an order?" Zhou Xing asked, and after taking the little emperor's toiletries, he handed them to the attendants behind him.

"Don't make a big fuss, let those who are not wise attack me again, my empire will be destroyed by them sooner or later. ”

"Yes, Your Majesty. ”

"There is a third thing, Ye Gu, who was arrested last night, you inform the officers of the Imperial Capital Prison not to hurt him, I also need him to become a sacrifice of the dragon clan. In the same way, you must take care of Yang Cai upstairs, try to meet all her requests, but do not let him leave my room. The blood of these two people will be the best sacrifice that the empire has given to the dragons. The little emperor said, took the scepter in his hand, stepped on the red staircase and carpet inside the palace, and walked towards the door of the dormitory.

Not long after, the carriage that Zhou Xing temporarily contacted stopped on the path of the dormitory, which was not very spacious.

All the items related to the personal affairs of the little emperor of the Flame Empire are all filled with a sense of simplicity and plainness, and even this dormitory is located on the edge of the palace close to the crisp grass and trees.

"Coexist with the flames!"

"Coexist with the flames!"

As soon as the little emperor stepped out of the door, two guards dressed in the uniforms of imperial soldiers hurriedly paralleled their right hands, their left hands at a forty-five degree angle, and their four fingers were together, shouting the slogan that belonged to the army to pay tribute to the supreme commander, this kind of etiquette was called the fire ceremony.

"The flame also coexists with you. The little emperor replied, and put his right hand slightly in front of him.

This kind of etiquette belongs to the military etiquette that has only been established in the Flame Empire in the last ten years, and is only used by soldiers when they meet the Emperor and the highest military commander of the Empire.

But the supreme commander of the Flame Empire's army, the Imperial Marshal, has not held this position for twenty years.

In addition to the development of steam technology in the empire in recent years, the cessation of the empire's foreign wars is also one of the reasons.

Even Long Qing, who is now the most critical in the empire, has no plans to re-elect the little emperor. The troops of nearly 100,000 people who were transferred into the imperial capital from all over the country in case of contingencies were only stationed on the edge of the imperial capital, waiting for orders at any time.

This kind of highest etiquette, for Ye Gu or Yan Xing, they are not qualified to enjoy it. It is also because of the proximity to Longqing, and the little emperor reaffirmed the correct exercise of etiquette before and after Longqing half a month ago, after all, most of the imperial soldiers have buried it in history.

But today, the etiquette of these two guards made him feel the ultimate sense of satisfaction, and it seemed that he still had some information and preparation for the control of the empire and the world.

"Your Majesty, the carriage is ready. Zhou Xing reminded on the side, pulling back the little emperor's thoughts.

"Remember my affairs, don't delay, everyone you see today will be a key part of the future of the Empire. The little emperor said, approaching the royal carriage that had just been pulled.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Zhou Xing agreed, and after bowing, he slowly stepped back and walked towards the hall outside the palace.

"Living with the flames. The soldiers on the side of the carriage saw the emperor walk in and hurriedly performed the fire salute.

"Well, take me to the Consul's Palace. The little emperor didn't pay attention to the soldiers in front of him, and walked straight into the carriage, pulling down the curtains around him by the way.

"Your Majesty, this carriage has the property of concealment. The soldier whispered as he drove the wagon.

"Oh, how is it hidden, can you tell me?" the little emperor asked, suddenly interested in the soldier in front of him.

"This is what Lord Zhou Xing just called, and it is a carriage that ordinary imperial officers ride. His Majesty sat on it, and no one could guess the identity of the person in the car. The soldier explained earnestly, but could not hide the nervousness and excitement he felt when facing the emperor.

"What's your name?"

"Return, return to Your Majesty, my name is Ye Qixing, an ordinary soldier of the Empire. ”

"Did you come out of the Imperial Orphanage?" the little emperor guessed, whenever he met the surname Ye in the empire, he usually belonged to the children of the Imperial Orphanage.

"Yes, Your Majesty. The empire has cultivated so much for me, and I will also contribute to the empire. ”

The little emperor only smiled slightly when he heard this, and did not continue to chat.

There are many people who are loyal to the empire on the surface, and there are not many in history who can hold out to the end.

As Zhou Xing had arranged, the little emperor's carriage quickly stopped at the back of the ruling palace.

Near a small flowerbed of verdant and flower-studded flowers, the little emperor lightly jumped from the carriage and glanced around.

"It's still so quiet at this time. The little emperor admired, turned his head again, and said to Ye Qixing, "I remember you." ”

After speaking, he didn't pay attention to Ye Qixing's excited expression, and walked straight into the imperial ruling palace that was built with great grandeur.

The ruling palace of the empire is one of the faces of the empire, and the emperors of the past generations will deliberately build it as the largest and most magnificent part of the palace.

The first floor of it is a hall that, apart from the pillars that support the entire palace, has only an emperor's throne at the top, symbolizing the supreme power of the empire.

It was the site of the Emperor's major meetings, where officials from all over the empire would first congratulate the Emperor on the day of the Dragon Celebration before marching to the Imperial Plaza for an exclusive military parade.

On the second floor, there is a smaller hall with a long round table and some surrounding chairs. It was the place where the Empire was held on a daily basis.

Above the third floor, it is the office space that belongs to other officials such as the emperor and the prime minister.

The Empire's morning meeting was postponed to nine o'clock today, which gave the little emperor at most two hours to meet the Western soothsayer.

For the future of the empire, he needs to convince himself with everything, and he seems to have no way back.

......

When the clock minute hand on the wall pointed to the number 6, the little emperor heard a familiar knock on the door, and the Western fortune teller, led by Zhou Xing, entered the emperor's exclusive office room.

"Your Majesty!" said the soothsayer, kneeling on one knee and saluting the little emperor.

"No need. This is not the West, outside the Empire, and there is no longer a need to kneel outside the informal setting of the Empire. The little emperor hurriedly stopped.

The soothsayer did not continue to be polite, but sat directly opposite him at the emperor's request.

The soothsayer was a woman in her twenties, dressed in a wizard's robe peculiar to Westerners, with blue pupils and red hair, which was out of step with the people of the Flame Empire.

"You're a soothsayer from the West, right, what's your name?" asked the little emperor with a smile.

"The name of my empire is Youli. The soothsayer replied cautiously.