Diego Gatto, an ugly-looking and big-mouthed imperial proclamator, surprised Jiang Ziyue when he appeared at home. However, the situation at Jiang Ziyue's home also surprised Gatto. Dana Kira Pontik, a military corporal on leave, actually lives in his house, which is also home to a woman whom Gatto had not noticed before.

Fatume bint al-Obaid bin Azaei, who greeted a rare guest of honor and hurried to work. She had a charming face under her black turban, which impressed Gatto.

"The presence of the Minister really makes the humble house shine." Jiang Ziyue's mother, Jiang Xiaoqi, said excitedly while serving water to Gato.

"You're gracious, ma'am. I'm also an old comrade-in-arms of Colonel Jiang, and I should have come to visit you a long time ago. Gatto said humbly.

"Not too old, Diego." Jiang Ziyue smiled and held Gatto's hand tightly.

Gato looked at Jiang Ziyue, then at Dana Pontik in civilian clothes, and said with a smile: "I have a great sense of honor to see you together. Remember the lines of the conscription advertisement? ”

"Embark on our common journey with me, the sea of stars!"

"Your life is really envious of me." Gato flattered.

"You know I don't like sycophants." Jiang Ziyue became serious, "Say, what did the consul send you for?" ”

"I'd like to talk to you alone."

"Okay."

Jiang Ziyue said that, he took off his military coat from the coat rack, put it on his body, said goodbye to his family, and took Diego Gato outside the house, along the quiet path of the Bailin community, and walked into the woods.

Gato quietly activated the secrecy device made into a clasp on his chest, so that the voice of his conversation with Jiang Ziyue became indistinct from three meters away, and it was not easy to be detected by the monitor.

In early winter, the Bailin community is filled with fog and is quiet and cold.

"I am here for the Senate and for the people of Rome." Gato said solemnly.

"I have always fought for the Senate and the people of Rome." Jiang Ziyue responded, "Say, what's the matter?" What does the Archon need you to convey? ”

"I wasn't sent by the consuls. This time I sent myself here. ”

"Oh, what the hell is going on then?"

"I look at your face, I must have been worrying about how to solve this unprecedented crisis in the past two days." Gato didn't answer directly, but cared about Jiang Ziyue.

"Yes." Jiang Ziyue looked very worried, "Time is too short, I'm worried about whether I can evacuate everyone in time." And ......"

He didn't say anything, but Gato gave him a follow-up, "And you're worried that the Immortal Star Federation will definitely use this opportunity to attack us." ”

"Yes. We've lost all of our strength in the 'Aegis' field, and they've gained the strategic initiative and are ready to attack at any moment. As soon as the crisis of the planet 'New Byzantium' is known, it will attack in a big way. We will be trapped both internally and externally, taking care of one at the expense of the other! ”

The more Jiang Ziyue spoke, the more excited he became, and even smashed his fist on the trunk of a tree on the side of the road, and then said with remorse: "It's all my fault, I didn't follow Dr. Cai Lili's advice, and for the sake of military tactical victory, I ruined this planet, ruined the Senate and the Roman people!" ”

"You don't have to blame yourself." Gatto reassured, "The fragile balance of the 'Cerberus' Samsung system determines that this catastrophe will come sooner or later. Our priority now is to devise a surefire solution to this crisis. Do you know the details of 'The Legend of Exodus'? ”

"Your Excellency the Consul has briefed me through Fischel. But I don't think the military deployment is thorough. According to the plan, all fleets will be reduced to the 'Cerberus' three-star system, and the deployment will be carried out around disaster relief and evacuation, which is a conservative strategy. Once the Federation attacks from the border and adopts a cannibalization strategy, we will sit back and watch the outer planets fall. ”

"But you didn't give your opinion to the consul."

"Yes. He did not consult me, nor did he let me give my opinion, but only asked me to end my leave as soon as possible and rush back to the planet 'Iserlon' to assist General Karios in commanding the Frontier Fleet. ”

"And what about your opinion?" Gatto asked earnestly.

Jiang Ziyue looked at Gato and said, "Turn passive into active." Only the necessary number of cruisers were retained in the country to assist in disaster relief, and the remaining fleets of the Central Fleet and the main forces of the Frontier Fleet were deployed to the planets 'Iserlon' and 'Neu-Rhine' on the 135th Parallel, and the posture of attacking the territory of the Federation was put on a posture to contain the forces of the Federation as much as possible. ”

"But what if the enemy is not fooled and sends troops to kill him directly? At the moment, they have the advantage of troops. ”

"Pretend to be a suspicious soldier." Jiang Ziyue looked like he was in the chest, "The high-profile reorganization of the 'Zheng He' fleet is composed of all cruisers, and it is under my personal command. Then I announced another copy of the battle plan of the 'Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty', and I and some of the ships of the former 'Zheng He' fleet would find a remote place to hide, so that they could be deceived from keeping more than half of the fleet in their own territory. At that time, their offensive power was severely weakened, and there was nothing to fear. ”

"Are you so confident that you can scare the enemy with a fake fleet?" Gatto still had some doubts.

"In a few years, I won't have that confidence. But we've swept thousands of light-years across their borders this year, and their presidents, ministers, and parliamentarians must not have forgotten the majesty of our encirclement of their planet. This plan is a psychological warfare, which is risky, but the rewards must be high. However, as a precautionary measure, it was necessary to send a fleet of three or four hundred cruisers to the deep space outside the spiral arm to respond. ”

"It's a pity that the plan of the 'Exodus of the Golden Record' is to mobilize all the fleets to the 'New Byzantium'."

"In response to our kind of military deployment, the enemy has two options. The conservative and deliberate approach is to take a step-by-step, gradual annexation aggression against us. Take advantage of the shrinking forces of our forces to advance from the frontier and gradually occupy the planets from near to far. In this way, we will be beyond the reach of the whip, and in the face of a catastrophe and insufficient troops, we can only allow them to expand the area under their control. Even if we wait until we complete the retreat of the 'new Byzantine' planet, we will be completely at a strategic disadvantage, and it will be difficult to return to heaven. The radical but also efficient approach is to concentrate forces on the planet 'Neo-Byzantium', attack the retreating fleet, force our army to a decisive battle, and then use superior forces to destroy our army and completely destroy our defense forces. At that time, the Senate and the planets under the rule of the Roman people will naturally be powerless to resist, and the human world of the Perseus Spiral Arm will quickly be included in the territory of the Federation. ”

"If they use the latter trick, won't the rear be empty?"

"Yes. But because our forces were concentrated in 'Neo-Byzantium', the distance made it difficult for us to quickly and effectively counterattack them. On the contrary, it can give them the opportunity to sweep our country and then return to China for rescue. Moreover, it is very difficult to abandon the large number of retreating 'neo-Byzantine' people and go straight to the territory of the Federation. ”

"Your analysis was a real eye-opener for me." Diego Gato exclaimed in admiration.

"It's a pity you're not an archon." Jiang Ziyue said with a wry smile.

"We can do as much as we can within our purview, can't we?" Gatto, however, was still full of optimism and confidence, "And someone like you, who has always won battles, should be prepared for the day when he needs to take control of the situation and make difficult decisions." ”

Jiang Ziyue shook his head and said, "General Karios is now nominally in command of the Border Fleet and the Central Fleet, as long as the Archon still trusts me, I can still get some resources from the General to make up for the shortcomings of the 'Out of Ruijin' plan." As for the overall situation, you see that I have already thought about it, but can I decide? ”

"Anything is possible, Jiang Ziyue." "I advise you to be prepared for anything," said Gatto. ”

"The proclamator who has a lot of opportunities came to me to give me this illusory advice?" Jiang Ziyue asked.

"To be exact, I'm here to make sure you're prepared. Now I'm a little relieved. ”

Jiang Ziyue stopped, turned to him and said, "We are facing the most serious crisis in the entire Senate and the Roman people since its founding. ”

Diego Gato looked at Jiang Ziyue and said, "Hu Jinbo said the same thing in 2608, Weikett in 2751 and Du Yimin in 2890. But the foundation of the Senate and the Roman people is still as solid as a rock because we have people like you, heroes like you. At this critical moment, you should stand up and take on the great responsibility of saving the Senate and the people of Rome. Just as you did in New Rhine, in Africa, to lead the people and the army, and to overcome danger and enemies without hesitation. ”

"I will, Diego Gato. When the Senate and the people of Rome needed me, I would go into battle without sparing my life and honor. Jiang Ziyue said resolutely.

"Okay, I'll take my leave." Diego Gato said and stretched out his hand to shake Jiang Ziyue's hand.

"Goodbye, Diego."

Gato then turned and strode away, but when his figure was about to disappear into the mist, he turned his head and shouted: "Jiang Ziyue, remember your declaration: having a humble position is a symbol of victory, a harbinger of the enemy's defeat!" ”

It was the declaration made by Jiang Ziyue when he spoke to the inhabitants of the planet in turmoil during the Battle of the "New Rhine" Star Field in 2918.

Gatto's deep, yet loud voice echoed through the misty woods, forming an echo that gradually dissipated.

Jiang Ziyue felt heavy.

Back home, her mother Jiang Xiaoqi had already gone out to work, leaving only Dana Pontik on vacation.

Jiang Ziyue didn't say anything, and began to pack up.

"Ziyue, are you going back to 'Iserlon'?" Dana asked with concern.

"Yes. I had to rush back as soon as possible to buy time to do more work. Jiang Ziyue said while packing up his clothes, "Has your discharge application been approved?" ”

"Not so fast. However, I am a resident of the planet 'Taiji', and the military department will still give priority to it. It's just that now there are rumors everywhere that our planetary and self-government betrayed the Senate with the people of Rome. ”

"Rumors are everywhere. Dana, don't care what others say, after the formalities are completed, immediately take my mother and Fatumi to the 'New Tianzhu' Planetary Empire Mining Company to find my father. Before December, you must leave 'New Byzantium'. ”

Jiang Ziyue, who is familiar with the content of the "Out of Ruijin" plan, knows very well that the Senate will not disclose crisis information and disaster relief plans to the public before December, and all civilian travel will continue unrestricted. But from 1 December, all external traffic will be fully controlled, and the Senate will evacuate the population in batches as planned, when he is far away and the safety of his family is completely out of control.

"I know you can't just tell us the secrets you have. But I will definitely follow your request, and I will ask for the assistance of the 'Tai Chi' planetary office in the capital to help us leave as soon as possible. ”

"Thank you. But be sure to take them out before December. Please. Jiang Ziyue pleaded.

"Don't worry, I will help you pick up Mrs. Jiang and Miss Azai as soon as possible, I already treat them as my own family." Dana assured him.

"Okay, Dana, thank you." Jiang Ziyue said and turned around and hugged Dana, giving a passionate kiss in return.

Dana also hugged him tightly, enjoying the rare warmth.

After a while, Jiang Ziyue let go of his lover, took out a small box from the inner pocket of his jacket, and took out a platinum ring. It was the wedding ring of his deceased wife, Lota Stoldt.

"I beg your pardon, I've thought about it for a long time, and I think this is the only one that is suitable." Jiang Ziyue said affectionately, "If you don't dislike it, please accept a widowed man's marriage proposal and promise to marry me." ”

Dana looked a little excited, hesitated for a moment, accepted the ring, and said, "How could I dislike it?" I promise you, Ziyue. ”

"Great. If all goes well, we will get married in April next year. Jiang Ziyue said happily.

"I'll let you do it."

Then the two hugged each other tightly again and kissed each other passionately.

It's just that all happiness and beauty seem to be quite short-lived.

Jiang Ziyue then left his home in the Bailin community, left the beautiful planet "New Byzantium" on an aerospace plane, and returned to the familiar starcruiser "Siegfried" to fly to the planet "Iserlon".

After Jiang Ziyue left, Dana Pontik also left his house.

She went to a general hospital with a background of the planetary "Taiji" for a gynecological examination, and then to the office of the "Taiji" planetary autonomous government on the planet "New Byzantium".

It is normal for an ordinary "Tai Chi" planetary citizen to visit the office. However, her actions were monitored because the planet "Taiji" and the self-government on it no longer existed, and more than 10 million planetary dwellers and their alliance of mayors disappeared into space without a trace, leaving the Senate suspicious; At the same time, it is also because of her close relationship with Jiang Ziyue that many people pay attention to her whereabouts, intentionally and unintentionally.

"Miss Pontick, your daily life and work have been monitored." Feng Wanfang, the director of the office that received Dana, said with a smile, "Of course, you are not the only one who enjoys this treatment, all the citizens of the 'Taiji' planet in the empire, especially in the 'New Byzantium', are under surveillance. ”

"Then can't we just leave the 'new Byzantium'?"

Von Van explained to Dana: "I have been instructed to submit a report to the Privy Council and the Senate, informing the Senate of the whereabouts of our self-government and citizens. We have a new home, the planet 'New Central Plains', located on the side of the Swan Spiral Arm near the Perseus Spiral Arm. We will continue to serve the Senate and the people of Rome as the central government, exercise a high degree of autonomy, and enjoy and carry out the powers and duties stipulated in the original Constitution and the Basic Law. But the Senate didn't want to announce this change to the people so quickly, they felt it was too sudden. So it's clear that during this transition period, our citizens are still under suspicion and distrust. As a result, there are some restrictions on individuals leaving 'New Byzantium' at will, especially on the ships of the State Company. But our own merchant ships will always have their doors open to their own people. ”

"I would like to apply for two non-'Taiji' planet residents to leave on our spaceship to the planet 'New Tianzhu'. I don't know if I can get help? ”

"Jiang Ziyue's parents?"

"Not exactly. One is Jiang Ziyue's mother, Jiang Xiaoqi. The other is the sister of Jiang Ziyue's late comrade-in-arms, Fatoume Azai. ”

"Why do you have to take one of our merchant ships?" Feng Wanfang asked, while lowering his head to look at the information of the two people that had been retrieved by the intelligent system projected on the display screen on the table.

"I don't want Jiang Ziyue to worry. Our ships are much faster than state passenger liners. ”

At this time, Feng Wanfang raised his head and said, "Miss Pontik, Jiang Xiaoqi is fine, but that Fatume Azai is on the grey list." ”

"Grey list?" Dana immediately questioned.

"There is a suspicion of identity, and it may have been involved in terrorist activities or organizations against the 'Tai Chi' planet, or it may have been expelled for crimes on the 'Tai Chi' planet...... In short, it is impossible to enter our merchant ships through normal channels. ”

"How so? After graduating, she came to work in 'New Byzantium' and had been working in 'New Mecca' before. Dana said puzzled.

Feng Wanfang could only reply helplessly: "I don't know about this, I don't have the authority to view more detailed content." It seems that you still let her go on the passenger ship of the state-run company. ”

"Okay, thank you, Director Feng." Dana said and got up to leave.

"Miss Pontic." Feng Wanfang stopped her, "This office has good confidentiality measures. I wonder if you're a commissioner directly under the command of the Sheriff's Bureau? ”

"Commissioner?!" Dana was surprised, "Oh no, I think you're mistaken. I'm just a soldier who happened to be transferred to the military department. ”

"But your resume shows that you're not simple. Before you joined the army, you had special training from the police. ”

"Aren't you also trained in the police force?" Dana asked rhetorically, all the personnel sent to the field by the planet "Tai Chi" will have this experience.

"I think I'm overthinking." Feng Wanfang said apologetically, "I'm really sorry. Please feel free to contact us if necessary. ”

"I will, Director Feng. Good bye. Dana pushed the door open and left.

Dana Pontick's pretty figure disappeared behind the door, and Feng Wanfang immediately opened a special encrypted communication.