Chapter 86

The news that Wen Ling was under house arrest in the medical cabin spread like wildfire throughout the base. At first, everyone thought it was just a temporary conflict, until Miao Weizhen officially signed an order revoking Wen Ling's command of the alliance army.

"This is a necessary measure." At a hastily convened meeting of senior officers, Miao Weizhen faced everyone's questioning gazes with a terrifyingly calm tone. "His Highness Wen Ling's health is no longer suitable for continuing to command. For the survival of the alliance, we must make this decision."

Xing Lan was the first to stand up and object: "Brother, you can't do this! His Highness Wen Ling is doing this for the sake of the alliance..."

"It's precisely because of the alliance," Miao Weizhen interrupted her, his eyes stern, "that we can't let him continue to harm his health. Or would you rather watch him die?"

This statement silenced everyone. The medical report lay on the table, documenting in black and white the extent of Wen Ling's neurological damage. Dr. Anthony nodded silently, confirming the report's accuracy.

However, the transfer of power was far from smooth.

A group of generals led by Han Zhong publicly stated that they would only accept Wen Ling's direct command.

"Unless Your Highness gives the order personally," Han Zhong said bluntly in the communication, "my fleet will not leave the existing defense zone."

Even more challenging was the Consciousness Link Project. Without Wen Ling as its core, the entire project stalled. Xing Lan attempted to take over Wen Ling's role, but discovered that the Mirror Sea Core remained unresponsive to her calls.

"It only recognizes Brother Wen Ling." Xing Lan rubbed his temples tiredly. "Without him, we wouldn't be able to activate the reality stabilization field."

Miao Weizhen's reaction was surprisingly calm. "Then suspend the project," he said. "The priority is to stabilize the war situation."

His decision-making became increasingly arbitrary. When scouts reported that the Federation was assembling a new fleet on the border, he ordered the abandonment of all outlying strongholds and the complete contraction of the defense line.

"This is self-destruction!" an old general slammed the table at a military meeting. "Giving up these strongholds is like handing over half the alliance to others!"

Miao Weizhen just looked at him coldly: "Either do as I say, or you hand over command now."

The old general left the table in anger and then left the main fleet with his trusted troops. The seeds of division began to sprout.

Meanwhile, Wen Ling, under house arrest in the medical cabin, was in a less optimistic state. Guards reported that he often woke in the middle of the night, covered in cold sweat, calling out Miao Weizhen's name. When doctors suggested psychological counseling, he always shook his head and refused.

"He's punishing himself," Dr. Case confided to Ayuan, "for the people he couldn't save."

As Ayuan nurtured the new Star Tear Orchid, she couldn't help but glance toward the medical bay. "I can't believe the Minister would become like this," she whispered. "There must be some reason behind this that we don't know about."

But the shadow of suspicion continued to grow. Even Luo Yan seemed hesitant to carry out his orders. When he was ordered to "dismiss" several officials who insisted on seeing Wen Ling, the special forces remained silent for the first time during their mission.

This subtle change did not escape observers far away in deep space.

"The division is more serious than we expected." Qu Beichen listened to the latest report, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest. "It's time to give them the final push."

He issued an order: secretly support the "loyalty to the king" action of generals such as Han Zhong, and at the same time pass false information to Miao Weizhen, suggesting that Wen Ling's supporters are planning a coup.

This strategy quickly proved effective. Upon receiving the intelligence, Miao Weizhen immediately strengthened the medical cabin's security and ordered the arrest of several officials who had close ties with Han Zhong. Upon learning this news, Han Zhong led his troops toward the Jinghai base.

Civil war is about to break out.

No one noticed that, amidst all this chaos, Xing Lan had quietly improved his consciousness link device. No one noticed that Luo Yan's special forces always avoided the real key figures when "arresting" officials.

No one knew that in the isolation room at the deepest part of the medical cabin, Wen Ling was nodding gently at the faint light and shadow on the wall.

Han Zhong's fleet deployed in offensive formation outside the Mirror Sea. The warships' main guns began charging, and a faint blue light formed a dangerous web across the starry sky. The atmosphere throughout the star region was tense, as former comrades now faced each other coldly behind energy shields.

"Hand over His Highness Wen Ling," Han Zhong's voice cut directly into the command center. He stood in a holographic image on the bridge, his fingers tightly gripping his sword. "I'll give you one last chance, Miao Weizhen."

In the command center, the officers looked at each other in bewilderment, no one daring to speak. Xing Lan anxiously glanced at his brother, only to see Miao Weizhen's expressionless response: "General Han, your actions now constitute mutiny. Withdraw your troops immediately, and I can pretend nothing happened."

"Rebellion?" Han Zhong laughed in anger. "Who put the consul under house arrest? Who abandoned 300,000 civilians? I think you want to rebel!"

At this tense moment, a piercing alarm suddenly sounded. The monitoring officer reported in panic: "A large-scale jump signal has been detected! It's... it's the Federation fleet!"

At the edge of the star field, space rippled like water. A massive, elite Federation fleet leaped out, precisely inserting itself between the two opposing armies. Aboard the leading flagship, the Beichen, a holographic image of Qu Beichen slowly emerged.

"Looks like I've arrived just in time." He glanced at both sides with a smile. "Do you need mediation?"

Han Zhong's fleet was clearly in turmoil. Several lieutenants exchanged uneasy glances; the idea of ​​cooperating with the Federation made everyone uncomfortable.

Miao Weizhen's eyes were as cold as ice. "This is an internal matter of the alliance. The Federal President has nothing to worry about."

"Internal affairs?" Qu Beichen feigned surprise. "But I heard that one of your important figures is being illegally detained. As a responsible member of interstellar society, the Federation cannot sit idly by."

As he spoke, a violent explosion suddenly erupted from within the base. The command center's surveillance footage showed thick smoke billowing from the medical bay area.

"Someone's breaking into the prison!" Luo Yan's voice rang out over the communication channel, accompanied by the sound of fierce gunfire. "The enemy's firepower is very strong, we're being suppressed!"

Xing Lan looked at Miao Weizhen in horror: "Brother, this is not in the plan!"

Miao Weizhen didn't answer. His fingers moved quickly on the console, pulling up surveillance footage from various areas. It was clear that a well-equipped special forces team was storming the medical bay. Their tactical movements were clean and efficient, clearly elite troops with professional training.

"Launch the emergency plan." Miao Weizhen finally gave the order, with a barely perceptible tremor in his voice.

"But Brother Wen Ling..."

Xinglan's voice was filled with tears.

"Execute the order!"

Miao Weizhen turned around suddenly, his eyes as sharp as a knife.

In the medical bay, the battle was in full swing. Luo Yan's special forces were surrounded and separated, relying on cover to fight back. The mysterious special forces had already broken through three lines of defense and were approaching Wen Ling's isolation room.

"Protect His Highness!" Luo Yan roared in the communication channel, trying to organize a breakout, but was suppressed behind the bunker by dense firepower.

Just as the special forces were about to break through the last line of defense, the alloy door of the isolation room suddenly opened slowly from the inside.

Wen Ling stood at the door, his face as pale as paper. The days of house arrest had made him lose a lot of weight, but his deep green eyes were as clear as a mirror.

He held an energy pistol in his hand, with smoke still coming out of the muzzle.

Obviously, part of the explosion just now came from indoors.

"Put down your weapons." His voice was not loud, but it carried unquestionable majesty.

The commander of the special forces was stunned for a moment, then revealed a respectful expression: "Your Highness, we are here to rescue you."

"Save me?" Wen Ling's eyes swept over the special markings on their equipment, a sneer curling around the corner of his mouth. "Carrying federal weapons and using federal special forces tactics to save me?"

Before he could finish his words, he had already pulled the trigger. A precise beam of energy struck the commander's wrist, and the weapon fell to the ground with a thud. The shot was so fast that no one could react.

"It seems," Wen Ling walked steadily out of the isolation room, his eyes sweeping over the stunned crowd, "someone is eager to prove the crime of treason."

In the command center, Xing Lan suddenly exclaimed, "Brother, look at the star map!"

On the holographic star map, Han Zhong's fleet, which had been hesitant, suddenly began to maneuver, but not towards the base. Instead, it formed a sophisticated pincer formation to encircle the federal fleet on its flank. At the same time, Luo Yan's special forces had somehow broken through the encirclement and regained control of key positions within the base.

Miao Weizhen finally revealed a barely perceptible smile: "It seems that all the fish have finally been caught."

He connected to the full channel communication, and his voice spread throughout the entire star field:

"Closing the net."

These two words were like a thunderclap, exploding in everyone's ears.

In the medical bay, Wen Ling bent down to pick up the commander's dropped weapon, carefully examining the serial number. "Tell Qu Beichen," he said to the remaining special forces soldiers, his voice as cold as ice, "We received his 'gift'."

In the star field, Han Zhong's fleet had already completed a perfect encirclement of the Federation Fleet. The old general's voice rang out over the communication channel, a bit playful: "I'm sorry to have worried you all. Did you perform this scene well enough?"

Only the most careful people would notice that Han Zhong's fleet always maintained a textbook-perfect tactical formation during the encirclement process, and the coordination between the ships was seamless, which did not look like a "loyalist" force that was suddenly formed.

In the command center, Xing Lan finally understood something. She looked at Miao Weizhen, her voice trembling: "When did it start?"

"Start with the K-7 star field," Miao Weizhen said softly, his eyes still fixed on the star map. "Sometimes, the best way to make the enemy believe you're fighting among yourselves is to actually fight among yourselves."

"But those civilians..." Xinglan's voice was choked with sobs.

Miao Weizhen turned around and, for the first time, revealed his hidden fatigue in front of his sister: "This is the price. To gain Qu Beichen's trust, I must pay a real price."

In the medical cabin, Wen Ling, escorted by Luo Yan, walked towards the command center. Passing by the subdued special forces soldiers, he sighed softly. This scene was so real, so real that even they themselves would wake up in the middle of the night, so real that it cost them blood and lives.

But no matter what, Qu Beichen finally believed in the internal strife of the alliance. And now, it's time for him to pay the price for this wrong judgment.

On the "Beichen", Qu Beichen looked at the fleet that was perfectly surrounded, and the smile on his face finally froze.