The Great Dream God

In Zhang Tianlong's quiet and slightly desolate courtyard, Zhang Tianlong sat alone in a creaking rocking chair, as if the whole world had stopped as he swayed.

His gaze passed through layers of clouds and looked towards the endless sky, as if he was looking for some answers.

Beside him, his eldest son and second son stood quietly, their faces covered as if by dark clouds, revealing uneasiness and confusion, their lowered heads hiding the turmoil in their hearts.

Zhang Tianlong's wife had a face so gloomy that water could almost be squeezed out of it. Her tightly pursed lips revealed dissatisfaction and anxiety. As soon as she opened her mouth, she launched a series of accusations against Zhang Tianlong. Although her voice was small, it was full of power, like an invisible sword that cut the tranquility in the air.

Zhang Tianlong's wife's eyes flashed with disappointment, and her words were full of blame and worry: "Look at yourself, Zhang Tianlong, how can you be so lacking in fighting spirit? In the Senate, that Princess Ziyang, a woman, can actually make you feel so pressured that you can't even stand up straight! This is not just a matter of face, but also your expectations and responsibilities to yourself. You have been a role model for so many people, but now you are suppressed by a woman. How can people believe this? We all know the talent and courage of Princess Ziyang, but this cannot be a reason for you to retreat. You should use this pressure as motivation to improve yourself and surpass her. This is the attitude that a real man should have."

Zhang Tianlong's eyes fell heavily on his wife, filled with endless helplessness and confusion. His voice was low and heavy, as if every word carried unspeakable pressure: "I was surprised by the decision of the Senate. They stood on his side and ignored me coldly. Even our common precise people, those compatriots who once fought side by side and were connected by blood, began to support that woman. This situation seems to indicate an unstoppable trend. They want to push this woman to the pinnacle of power. This makes me feel extremely frustrated, as if the whole world is going against the current."

Zhang Tianlong's eldest son, with a firm look in his eyes and a tone full of unwillingness to admit defeat, spoke bluntly to his father: "Father, we must stand up and fight back! We must not let the power of Princess Ziyang override us. We cannot tolerate such humiliation!" His words were loud and clear, and every word was like a heavy hammer, hitting the family's honor. "If we don't take action, what will happen to our status in the aristocratic circle? Nowadays, too many people look at us with contempt, and our dignity is being eroded bit by bit." His words were full of worries about the current situation and expectations for the future, hoping that the family can regain the lost glory.

Zhang Tianlong's second son, with a hint of indignation and helplessness in his tone, recounted what happened at the banquet yesterday: "At the banquet, those friends who used to laugh and scold with me, they actually showed their true faces in front of power. They flattered the high-ranking people and belittled the weak. I have become a 'weakling' in their eyes and was left aside. Father, you are now the undisputed ruler of the human empire. The glory of our family depends on your protection! Our dignity and our status are all pinned on your prestige. You must never give in to someone like Princess Ziyang, and you must not let her arrogance threaten the glory and status of our family!"

Zhang Tianlong, the once ambitious emperor, now sighed helplessly: "I also want to raise my arms and fight back to reverse the current predicament. However, reality is like cold shackles, tightly binding my hands and feet. Every word I said and every strategy I proposed seemed like a stone falling into the deep sea, unable to stir up a ripple. In this huge human empire, I have become a lonely commander, a commander without real power. This emperor's throne seems to be shining, but it is just an empty title, a symbolic scepter, which cannot bring me the slightest power to change the status quo. My authority is like a figment, and no one cares about my decisions. This is my current situation, an emperor in name only, who can only watch the empire's ship swaying in the storm in silence."

The wife was extremely emotional, and her words were full of anger and determination. "Then let's be ruthless!" She gritted her teeth, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from the raging fire in her heart, "Let's find a few reliable people, quietly approach her, and let her be defenseless and helpless. Or, more directly, get rid of her, put an end to it, and let all these troubles disappear!" Her eyes flashed with a firm and fierce light, as if she had been driven into a desperate situation by despair, and only the last counterattack was left. However, behind this ruthlessness, it also revealed her powerlessness and deep helplessness about the current situation.

Zhang Tianlong frowned and retorted in a resounding voice: "We are not those unrestrained and rampant bandits. Our behavior must abide by morality and laws. As an emperor, my responsibility is to protect the peace of the country and the well-being of the people, not to hide in the dark and plot. Assassination is a cunning and despicable method, which is definitely not the behavior of an upright empire. It tarnishes our reputation and undermines the principles of fairness and justice. How can it be adopted by a monarch like me? We must solve problems in an open and aboveboard way, and face challenges with wisdom and strength, rather than resorting to daggers in the shadows."

The wife's words were full of helplessness and reproach. She looked straight at her husband, as if she wanted to penetrate his heart. "In that solemn and majestic Imperial Senate," she spoke slowly, with a hint of heaviness in her tone, "you always seem so out of place, unwilling to compromise on this, and hesitant on that. The principles you uphold seem so fragile in the face of the game of power, and every time you give in, you lose more face. You are afraid of being stained by dust, but you don't know that in such an environment, not being stained by dust is the most difficult thing."

"You always look forward to a perfect solution, and hope that everyone can understand and agree with your position. But the reality is that when you choose to remain silent in disputes again and again, when you choose to avoid those difficult issues, your voice is gradually drowned out. You watch yourself become disgraced, and the glory and dignity you once had are completely worn away by repeated setbacks."

"Then you will understand," she said with a hint of sadness in her tone, "when your influence is exhausted and no one listens to your decisions anymore, you will know the loneliness and powerlessness. At that time, you can only exit the grand stage of the human empire in disgrace, with no one cheering or regretting you. This is the price you pay for your current stubbornness and hesitation, and it is also the outcome you must bear alone."

Zhang Tianlong's words were full of determination and self-mockery, and his eyes were like the deep night sky, carrying endless emotion. "If there is really no one in this world who is willing to stand up and support me and understand me, then I will choose to leave the stage without hesitation."