Chapter 8 Chapter Eight: The True Emperor and the False Prime Minister

The Imperial "Moon" is an airless planet.Torch ships can land on it.Our ship "Tom Paine" is one such flare ship.It can stay in space, and as a space navigation station on a planetary orbit, it can land on a platform.If I hadn't fallen asleep when I landed, I could have seen the spectacle of the landing.I heard that when Tucker piloted this spaceship to land, it was as easy as picking an egg from a plate. Tucker is one of six outstanding pilots with such virtuosity. I didn't go up to the stand to see it.All I could see was the inside of the bellows passenger compartment connected to the airlock, and the underground railroad to New Batavia.The subway here is extremely fast.The moon has less suction, and people can fall freely during the journey.

We first visited the residence of the leader of the opposition and Penfort officials.Penforte is expected to take office after the election.His residence is magnificent.I couldn't help thinking that the residences of the high ministers of the empire must be very luxurious.It appears that New Batavia may very well be the most magnificent capital city the world has ever seen.Unfortunately, from the outside, it does not show its luxury and magnificence.However, it is, after all, the only city in the solar system, and one that can defend itself against fusion bombs. The Penfort House features a sky-high living room where, through a bubble balcony, views of the planet and Earth can be seen.Bedrooms and offices are located a thousand feet below solid rock, accessible by a private elevator.

I don't have time to browse this palatial home.They dressed me up beautifully and asked me to visit the emperor.I was dressed in ancient court dress: a pair of straight-leg trousers out of shape, and a country-style swallowtail coat.The jacket and trousers were dark black, with a stiff white breastplate on the shirt; a white bow was tied on the winged collar. The outfit was ugly, but it did a good job of accentuating the multicolored Velhammina medal slanting across his chest.Perhaps, wearing black and white can attract people's attention and interest. Although this traditional clothing is ugly, it is very dignified and dignified.After being dressed like this, he really looks like someone who is going to visit the king.I looked at it in the mirror and was quite satisfied.

Roger Clifton handed me a roll of my nominations for ministers.He also slipped a typed list into my inner pocket.The original list had been submitted in advance to the Emperor's Minister of State after landing.According to the arrangement, the purpose of this visit is for the emperor to inform me that I will form a cabinet, and then I will humbly put forward my proposal.Before the emperor nods his approval, my nomination is absolutely confidential, and no news must be leaked. In fact, various alternatives have already been arranged.During the trip, Roger and Bill devoted their energy to considering the cabinet list and making sure that the list of nominees was reported to headquarters.The news organizations will not know the contents of the list until after my audience with the emperor.

I picked up the roster, and picked up the stick.Roger was stunned. "My God, how can you bring this thing to the emperor?" "Why not?" "Hey! Don't you know this is a weapon?" "It's a ceremonial weapon. Roger, what duke, what boring baron doesn't carry a sword? I'll have that too." He shook his head. "They are nobles, and their dresses and swords symbolize their obligation to support and defend the monarch with their arms. You are a commoner. According to tradition..." "No, Roger. Take advantage of this moment!"

"But I don't understand what you mean." "Hey, look, if I wear this wand today, will the message go to Mars?" "What? Well... I think so." "That's good! They'll know if I wear the talisman; they'll know if I don't. Because it's a matter of etiquette, a Martian tradition," "Yes, but you..." "You forget that I'm a Martian too!" Roger's face suddenly paled. I continued: "Think about it, the Prime Minister who is about to be named His Majesty the Emperor, how much impact will this have on the 'Ka Clan'?"

At this time, Tucker came in.He also agrees with me. They took me to the palace dressing room and handed me over to Colonel Patil, the aide-de-camp to Kaiser William. The colonel was an amiable Indian, very polite. He saluted me respectfully.The lowness of his bow meant that I was going to be the Royal Prime Minister. He glanced at my amulet, and then said softly, "Sir, is that a Martian's amulet? It would be better if it could be kept here, it would be much safer." "No, I'm taking it with me," I replied. "Sir, what did you say?" His eyebrows were furrowed, waiting for my own uncorrected obvious mistakes.

I picked out one of Penfold's common clichés to berate others for their arrogance: "Go knit your sweater, my boy, and leave my business alone," The attendant military officer's face suddenly became expressionless. "Very well, sir. This way, please." We stopped at the Royal Entrance.Looking from a distance, the throne on the high platform in the distance is empty.There were two long rows of people standing on both sides of the spacious hall, presumably they were all relatives of the emperor.At this time, he was waiting to welcome Sheng Jia.Probably at this time Patil had given some kind of signal: the "Song of the Emperor" was played in the palace, and everyone immediately stood still in awe, and Patil stood there upright like a robot.I stood in the overworked, slightly hunched posture of an average middle-aged man with sagging shoulders, pretending to be helpless.The people in the palace looked like exhibits in a shop window.But the atmosphere is solemn.I really hope that this solemn and magnificent ceremony will never be canceled in the palace. The strange costumes, spears and swords of the nobles are like a beautiful picture.

When the emperor's song was played to the last few stanzas, the emperor finally came out from behind.He strolled up to the throne.This is Grand Duke William of Orange, Monarch of Nasha, Duke of Luxembourg, Senior Sir of the Roman Empire, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army Navy, Mars Advisor...He is also Lord of the planets and the Lowland Empire of space. I couldn't see his face clearly, but for some reason, there was a general heat in my heart.I no longer feel hostile to the royal family. When Kaiser Wilhelm took his seat, the music of the Emperor's Song ended just right.The emperor nodded to his ministers in salute.At this time, Adjutant Patil stepped back, and I tucked the amulet under my arm, and limped forward slowly.The road seemed long, and the sight was like a great march.Along the way, the Imperial Suite was played, including the Marseillaise, the Star-Spangled Banner, and many others.

When I reached the stone steps, I stopped, bowed first, then bowed again, and finally bowed deeply to the ground.According to etiquette, nobles should kneel, but I did not kneel. I am a commoner and enjoy the same treatment as the king.I'm good at acting, so I can handle Yuru completely. "Hello, Your Majesty!" If I were Dutch, I would say "Sovereign", but I'm American. We talked in the Latin we learned as children.He reminded me that he had summoned me and asked me what I wanted.After that, he started talking to me with a British-American accent.That pronunciation also has the upper accent of the New England region in the northeastern United States.

"You served my father well in the past. You can work with me now. How would you like it?" "The sovereign's wish is my wish, Your Majesty the Emperor." "Come up!" Maybe it's a good thing that goes too far, but it doesn't go well.That's when I had a sudden onset of leg pain.The steps leading to the emperor's throne were very high, and I suffered from heartache due to the pain in my legs and the psychological tension.I almost fell. Kaiser Wilhelm jumped up from his high seat, took my arm, and whispered: "Don't worry, old friend. Let's talk as soon as possible!" At this time I heard a commotion in the hall, and it seemed that many people were panting heavily. The emperor helped me to the stool in front of the throne and asked me to sit down.I was very embarrassed, but had to sit down.He reached out to me for the roster.I handed it over, and he opened it casually, pretending to look at the blank page.At this time, the music sounded again in the hall, this time it was chamber music, and the atmosphere in the court became lively: the ladies laughed, and the gentlemen showed their courteousness.The waiters were like cherubs in oil paintings, carrying various desserts and walking through the crowd. One of the waiters knelt down to salute William and presented the desserts.William took it casually, but still looked at the famous book.The little attendant brought the tray to my river again.I dropped by an order of incomparably fine chocolates, which must have been of Dutch origin, as nothing as fine as this can be made anywhere else. I found that there were many people at court whom I had met.Most of the world's idle royals, who once held many titles and are now listed as pensioners, appear here.In this way, the palace can be brightened a lot, and secondly, leaving the political world and staying in the palace will save a lot of trouble.It is said that this is also a way of governing the country of the cosmic empire. Willian finally dropped the roster at last.The music and conversation also ceased.In the hall, there was a sudden silence.Emperor William spoke unhurriedly: "The candidates you suggested are all people with lofty ideals, and I will approve this list." "Thank you so much, Your Majesty!" "We will officially notify you after we think about it." He bent down to me and whispered, "You don't need to step down from this damned step, I will announce my withdrawal immediately." I whispered: "Ah, thank you dear, Your Majesty!" He stood up, and I followed suit.As soon as the royal robe was turned around, William disappeared in the blink of an eye.I was led out of the palace.At this time, the relatives of the royal family began to talk and laugh happily again, and the music was played non-stop. Passing through the archway away from the official palace, Patil suddenly got out again at some point and stood beside me. "Sir, this way, please." The solemn and magnificent ceremony is over, but it can be seen that the emperor has just begun. Adjutant Patil led me through a small door, down a deserted corridor, and through another door into a modestly furnished office.There is only one thing that shows the majesty of the palace, and that is the finely carved fretwork, with the coat of arms of the royal family of the tableland and the immortal motto: "Persist to the end." some paper.In the middle of the desk, there is a pair of gilt shoes, pressing the original copy of my list. Patil left me alone in the room, closed the door and left.Before I had time to think about whether and where to sit, the emperor had already opened a door opposite and walked in. "You took a shortcut, but you had to go in a big circle to find it. In the future, you must ask the palace architects to open a door from behind the palace's throne, and create another passage, otherwise I will always have to dress like a circus horse." The kind of clothes you wear to walk the corridors outside." "Your Majesty, I guess these royal robes are probably the same as the tuxedo I'm wearing now, making people feel uncomfortable?" He shrugged. "Yeah, we're all going to have to put up with the inconveniences of work etiquette individually. Would you like a drink?" "Your Majesty, what wine do you drink?" "What?" He raised his head and looked at me. "That's all. Scotch on the rocks, as usual." Without a word I poured two glasses of wine and added some water to my own. William took the wine glass and only muttered: "It's full of air!" Then he went to look at the list. After a while, he raised his head and asked, "Joseph, what do you think of these candidates?" "Your Majesty, this is just the basic candidate for the cabinet." In fact, certain ministerial positions are prepared to be filled by one person as long as possible.For example, Penfolds holds two positions of national defense and finance, and three other departments, and has appointed a temporary assistant minister.Ministers who have served in government departments for a long time must be elected.I explained this to the Emperor. "Yes, yes. This is your second team. Well, what do you think of Bruen? Uh?" I was taken aback.I originally estimated that William would approve the list directly without expressing any opinions, but I didn't expect to raise this person suddenly.Good thing I've seen Penforte's files.There is a comment on this person's evaluation in it: "Young and promising, the future is promising", so I replied cautiously: "Bruen?" There must be young people." William made no comment and continued to look down at the list. Before long, the emperor put the list aside. "Joseph, do you plan to incorporate the Martian lands into our empire soon?" It seems that the matter of the list is left aside, and it is not a problem. "What? Not until the election, I suppose. Your Majesty." "Okay! You know, what I just told you was after the election. You must have forgotten how to say the word 'William'? Stop being Your Majesty, Your Majesty's, and being silly. You are six years older than me years old!" "Yes, William!" "We all know that your party has been working for years to incorporate all Martians into the Empire." He pointed to my amulet. "I believe you have done a good job. If you win the general election, you have to find a way to get the state legislature to authorize me to make an announcement. What do you say?" "That's exactly what we're going to do. . . . Let me think about it," I said cautiously. The emperor asked me about other things, such as transportation, trade, and other economic issues, and then took the list again. "I just want to ask you, is this cabinet list exactly what you agreed to?" Of course this list is not Penfold's list.Roger, Bill and the others just thought that if Peng Fudai was a cosmic consultant, he would do this. A thought popped into my head: If only I had time to ask Penny what he thought of Brunn! Without saying a word, I picked up a pen from William's desk and crossed Brunn's name.The emperor smiled slightly: "It seems that this is a very good team. Joseph, I wish you good luck." The emperor's audience ended here.I was really eager to leave, but I couldn't leave before the emperor. This is the etiquette that must be followed, and it is also the emperor's privilege.He wanted to show me his workshop and his new model trains.in my opinion.It's not an adult thing, but I still had a few compliments on his new toy. "If I had been free, I would have been a very good shop supervisor." He lay on the ground, his eyes fixed on the inside of the engine of the locomotive. "But fate forbids me to do that." Then, another sentence popped up: "Being an emperor is a very strange profession. Joseph, you must not choose this profession." He stopped talking to me about toy trains.We went back to his office.I think this interview can probably come to an end here.Unexpectedly, he spoke again. "Did you have a hard time on the road this time?" "Not hard. I work while I'm traveling!" "I think so too. By the way, who are you?" This sudden question took me by surprise.It's like getting a pat on the shoulder from a thief, like climbing to a top floor only to find that the top step is missing, or having a nightmare and rolling out of bed to the floor.In short, at that time, my mind was dizzy with a bang.I would rather encounter the above things than hear this simple questioning from the emperor.I had no choice but to groan secretly in my heart, and quickly thought about how to get out of the predicament. "Your Majesty?" I didn't know what to say for a while. "Come on!" he said impatiently. "I already know you're not Joseph Penfort! You can play tricks on your mother, but I know it. Tell me the truth!" "My name is Lawrence Smith, Your Majesty the Emperor," I said feebly. "Hey, cheer up! Don't be a deflated ball! If I was going to arrest you, I would have called the guards. Did someone send you to assassinate me!" "No, Your Majesty. I am loyal to Your Majesty." "Your appearance and way of being loyal to me is outrageous! Well, you pour another glass, sit down, and tell me the truth!" I have told the whole process, including every detail.It took me several glasses of wine to feel better.When I talked about the kidnapping, he was very angry: when I talked about the impact of what they had done to Penforte, he turned livid.I could see that he was very angry. Finally, he said calmly, "So it's only a matter of time before he recovers, right?" "Dr. Capek said so." "Well, don't let him work until he recovers physically. He is a very talented man, six times better than you and me. Since you are doing his work now, let him rest well, our empire need him." "Yes, Your Majesty." "Don't call me 'Your Majesty' again. Now that you've taken his place, call me 'William' as he does. You know, it's in that title that I see you're an impostor .” "I don't know, Majesty . . . I don't know, William." "He's called me William for twenty years. So when he calls me 'Your Majesty' when he's just asking for an audience of state, I know there's something wrong. You're good at acting, but when we go inside to see When I got on the train, I knew it all." "Excuse me, how did you find out?" "You're very polite! I've asked him to see my trains before, and he's always been very candid about wasting my time. It's a secret between us." I suddenly remembered the file Penney had given me.Damn it.Presumably Penfort saw no need for notebooks to recall Kaiser Wilhelm's private details. There's nothing I can do about getting it wrong on such a simple detail. But the Emperor ignored my musings, and went on: "You have done a very good job. You have risked your life with the Martians before, and it is no surprise that you are now dealing with me. Tell me, Is it possible I've seen you in the past on stereo or something?" certainly!I had to timidly tell him my professional stage name.The emperor looked at me, stared at me for a while, then raised his hands and laughed wildly.My pride was hurt. "Er, haven't you heard my name before?" "I heard? Hey, I'm one of your most loyal viewers." He looked at me carefully again. "You and Joseph Penfort are really like each other. You are Lorenzo. It's unbelievable." "But I am Lorenzo!" "Oh, I do, of course I do." Then he brought up some of the skits I had acted in, and he talked to me about role-playing.I had to tell him that I would much rather and more play a real dramatic role. "Like this character?" "It's not quite the same. It's enough to play this kind of role once. I don't like to play this kind of role for a long time." "I think so too. But, in my opinion, it's not good to tell anyone this secret. Even to Roger, telling him will make him nervous. Besides, he has important things to attend to." Kaiser William After a pause, he continued, "Well, it's better to keep everything secret." "Just follow the emperor's opinion!" "Don't say that. I mean, it's better to keep it secret at the moment. I'd better pretend I don't know anything." "Okay, William." "It's time for you to go now. I'll ask Patil to take you back. ... Wait a minute," he rummaged around and pulled out a small book. "Maybe we will never meet again in the future, so before you leave, sign this and keep it as a souvenir, okay?"