Afterlife Department

Chapter 204 - Network

Huo Ling's connections don't stop from his father and mother. Huo Jinghua, the man Mary Jackson married after her divorce with Gerard Jackson, is a general. He has a wide network, added to the fact that the Huo family is just one of the few families that are of the purest blood.

By 'pure blood', it refers to their ancestry. And for the Huo family to remain pure bloods up to this generation, naturally, some of the previous generations were forced into marriage just to give birth to another pure-blooded generation.

Fortunately for Huo Jinghua, he is the fourth son in their generation. Thus, he doesn't have to worry being forced to marry a Chinese woman. He left their family's responsibility to his elder brothers.. And so, he married Mary Jackson, who is from the royal family. She is the current emperor, Kale's aunt.

As for Lewis Johnson whom Gerard Jackson married after his relentless pursuit of Gerard Jackson, the Johnson family are a family of businessmen, likewise with the Jackson family. Thus, they approved of Lewis Johnson marrying Gabriel Jackson who came from a family of businessmen. However, both men chose to serve the country by defending it from the Zergs. Now, both of them are colonels, and they achieved their current rank in the military with their own blood and sweat.

As for Jiang Ce, it dates back to the father of the previous emperor, who is the present emperor, Kale's grandfather.

The emperor of that time was of Chinese ancestry, unlike as it is now. He has a lover, who is his childhood sweetheart, and is also a pure Chinese. However, in his era, a turmoil in politics occurred and he was forced to marry the daughter of the most influential foreign family to balance the power of the East and the West. He didn't know that, at that time, his lover was pregnant.

A month after his marriage with the Empress, the Empress became pregnant. By the time the emperor found out that his childhood sweetheart was pregnant, and their child is a boy, the Empress was also carrying a boy. He was torn between his responsibilities and his lover. He can't let go of his lover, thus he continued on secretly meeting with her.

His dilemma lasted after a year where his childhood sweetheart and the Empress gave birth. They gave birth simultaneously, since the Empress had a premature birth. When he heard that the Empress was sent to the hospital to give birth, he was still showering affection with his childhood sweetheart and their baby. Thus, he rushed to the hospital and he was almost caught with his adultery.

The Empress delivered the baby safely despite being premature at birth. The emperor, despite not having any affection towards the Empress, but her child is still his. And so he showered with affection their son as much as he showered with affection his son with his lover.

The emperor thought he can continue with his adultery. His adultery was stopped when he suffered a sickness. He was ill for a long time, and when he can finally walk again, his next visit to his childhood sweetheart was actually for a funeral. She gave birth to a baby girl, and she finally cannot withstand the stress of being a mistress. Thus, she died from depression.

The emperor brought back his daughter with him to the palace. The Empress coldly received him this time, and told him right on his face she is aware of his adultery. She also told him that the heir actually isn't his!

The emperor spat out a mouthful of blood and he died in the doors of the palace. Although she may be cold to the emperor, but she was longing for a daughter. And so she took care of Mary and raised her as her own daughter. Her schemes are too deep, and by the time everyone found out that the heir doesn't have a Chinese blood, it was too late. He was already crowned as the emperor, and another political dispute almost occurred had it not been for the Empress' efforts.

She came to an agreement with the Chinese by granting all the pure-blooded families a noble title. However, she didn't reveal to them about the late emperor's son, or the Chinese will kill her own son – the emperor, and would rebel. Fortunately, the Chinese are driven by interests, not emotional entanglements. And so everything became at rest.

Everyone only cared about the sons, not daughters, since the sons are the ones who will be inheriting the surname of the family as well as the assets. And so, no one cared about Mary Jackson, the Princess. They thought that the emperor's genes are too strong thus her Chinese prominence showed. They didn't know she is a pure-bred.

Mary Jackson grew up thinking that her mother is the Empress. Only when the Empress died, and later was replaced by the new Empress whom the new Emperor married did she heard from the Empress Dowager's lips that she isn't her daughter, and that the Emperor isn't her brother. As to where is her biological brother, since both her biological parents are dead, even the Empress Dowager doesn't know.

The Emperor did all his best to find her biological brother, but they never found him. It wasn't until she remarried with Huo Jinghua, and the empire changed their leader, did she find Jiang Ce.

Huo Jinghua is a general, while Jiang Ce is a head scientist. However, they found Jiang Ce through Harry Walter, the marshal. It was when Harry Walter announced his marriage and Huo Jinghua visited the marshal and give his wishes to him and his partner that Mary Jackson met Jiang Ce.

The long-lost siblings can't deny the feeling of kinship when they met. Added to the fact that Jiang Ce grew up with his mother, whom Mary Jackson greatly resembled to, Jiang Ce knew she is his sister. It was a double happiness for Jiang Ce. He not only will be marrying Harry Walter, but he finally found his sister, the remaining family he has.