In a rather decent-looking house on Dragon Island, Leines I was eating. His appetite was quite good because he had been able to sleep peacefully on a soft bed for the past two days, without enduring the rocking of the ship’s cabin at sea.
For soone who had never had contact with the ocean from a young age, this was definitely a lucky thing, so his appetite was wide open, and he ate many delicious things every day.
Because he was an Emperor, the Great Tang Empire gave him the treatnt he deserved: as long as he had requests, they were generally t.
For example, he could order als, stroll in the yard, bask in the sun, read newspapers, and watch television...
There were no restraining devices in the room, the windows were bright and clear without even bars because it was just an ordinary room, not a cage.
In fact, Leines I, the Emperor of the Laines Empire without identification on Dragon Island, couldn’t escape at all unless he was willing to swim to the Eastern Continent himself; otherwise, he couldn’t even buy a train ticket from Dragon Harbor to Weigang.
The TV was broadcasting news of the Great Tang Empire’s battles near the old capital, and the colored images gave Leines I a sense of ti-traveling.
In his own Saint Laines Palace, he could only watch black-and-white TV because there were no colored TV towers built before the war...
A colored one should have been built, Leines I thought silently, because he really liked this colored TV: clearer images, more directly portraying the brutality of the battlefield.
The news reporter, wearing a steel helt, narrated the intense front-line battle in the shaking cara, as a shell just landed in the distant background behind him, stirring up dust that covered the sky.
Everyone instinctively shrunk their necks; the massive explosion shook the ground and mountains around, making it seem as if the entire world was collapsing.
"Just now, just now! One of our 155mm howitzers fired and hit an enemy bunker! A direct hit! My God, did everyone see that? The dirt is falling on my shoulders! I’m at least 100 ters away from there!" The war correspondent shouted excitedly into the microphone.
Perhaps the loud noise was too overwhelming just now; his ears were a bit unresponsive, making his voice sowhat exuberant.
Leines I watched the earth-shaking images, biting the chicken leg in his mouth, more excited than the participating Tang Army soldiers.
Seeing the organized Tang Army soldiers rushing out orderly from behind the reporter, launching an attack on the Qin Army’s position, Leines I silently muttered a prayer for failure in his heart, enjoying the mayhem as a spectator, naturally hoping for the images to be as fierce as possible.
However, soon he saw the ergence of the 59 tanks, covering the infantry as they continued to advance; the tracer bullets shot by the machine guns flew wildly across the battlefield, and the Tang Army’s armored vehicles also rushed out, bombarding the distant Qin Army fire points continuously.
The whole scene was incredibly intense, and soon the Tang Army soldiers approached the Qin Army trenches, the intense gunfight between the two sides gradually subsided as the 59 tanks rolled over the Qin Army trenches, ending the news footage here.
"Thanks to the front-line reporters for bringing us the interviews! So far, our army has penetrated the Qin Army’s positions, surrounding the old capital of Dahua from both the southeast directions. Soon, we will liberate it and return it to the people!" The announcer in the TV, switching back to the news studio, solemnly announced the achievents of the front-line troops.
Leines I tossed the cleaned chicken bone back onto the plate, wiped his mouth with a napkin on the side, and sighed regretfully.
His prayer for the Tang Army to be repelled evidently didn’t work, just like his previous prayer for his navy to successfully attack Dragon Island didn’t work either.
Here, he had to finish all his food, which was the only requirent for him, to avoid waste, which was reasonable and fair. Although the Great Tang Empire could now ensure that the vast majority of civilians were well-fed and warmly clothed, rejecting wastefulness was still the main the of this empire.
The overall public opinion in Great Tang society still focused on frugality, with only the nobility and businessn opting for higher consumption. Everything developed within a certain scope, with the Great Tang Empire’s control surpassing other countries by dozens of orders of magnitude.
"Co in!" Hearing the knock on the door, Leines I casually ordered. He maintained a decent level of respect here; at least most of the ti, people knocked before entering to show respect.
This aspect pleased Leines I very much; although he wouldn’t fantasize that one day if Tang Mo were captured, he would be treated the sa way, he was sowhat comforted to see the other side maintaining imperial power.
Two officers he hadn’t seen before ca in, followed by Admiral Lu Qianshan. He had just been promoted after annihilating the Laines Empire Navy fleet, becoming an admiral of the Great Tang Empire Navy.
Reaching this rank wasn’t easy for him, so he proudly dressed neatly, chest decorated with dals, standing before Leines I — after all, he owed this big favor; he must express his gratitude properly.
Seeing the two unfamiliar faces, Leines I felt that the atmosphere was not quite right, he frowned slightly, put down the napkin in his hand, and asked, "Who are these two?"
One of the unfamiliar officers walked to the TV, turned it off, and then replied, "We are here to confirm sothing with you. This matter requires you to make a choice yourself, because your son... he has already chosen."
The other unfamiliar officer continued, "Laines the Second, your son, and the Crown Prince of the Laines Empire, has decided to acknowledge your death and succeed as the Emperor of the Empire. So, theoretically, you are already dead."
"However, our kind Emperor of the Great Tang Empire has still decided to offer you a choice." Another unfamiliar officer took out a pistol, frightening Leines I into a pale face.
The officer placed the pistol on the table, pulling out an unknown liquid from his pocket, saying, "Poison, pistol, both are available..."
"Of course, this is not a choice." Seeing Leines I almost scared to paralysis in the chair, Lu Qianshan decided not to scare the royal captive anymore: "You can choose to live as a civilian on Dragon Island... or choose death..."
"..." Leines I knew this wasn’t kindness at all, but a way to trouble the Laines Empire... If he was braver, more dignified, he should have grabbed the poison and drank it in one gulp.
Unfortunately... he didn’t dare to do so. If he wanted to die, he wouldn’t have beco a captive Emperor. When his fleet was annihilated, he should have jumped into the sea to give himself a dignified end.
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The second update will be slightly later, you can watch it in the morning.
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