Chapter 159: Yu Wen gets arrested

General Vane walked over, his steps hesitant. He pulled out the warrant of arrest for Yu Wen, and it was for aiding and abetting a fugitive. "General Yu, I am to arre-, I mean, escort you to the imperial palace for questioning," he said, but that’s not what was written on the imperial order.

It clearly mentioned that he was to be arrested for helping Zi Rui evade arrest. He was also to be personally escorted back to the imperial palace by General Vane. If he was to resist, they were permitted to use excessive force. The icing on the cake was that his arrest should be live-streamed.

Alex read what was written, his expression getting uglier and uglier the more he read. He glared at the general while yelling, "Are you fucking crazy?"

Yu Wen sneered. He had expected some type of response, but this was beyond his expectations. He didn’t think she was stupid enough to ask for him to be arrested. With Red Valkyrie’s firepower, did she think it was a good idea to come after him like this?

If he refused to go, it would mean he would be declaring that he was above the crown. He would be charged with treason, and the penalty ranged from confiscating personal assets to a death sentence depending on the severity. Yu Wen knew why she was doing this. It was to use him to draw Li Jun out of hiding. This was why she made sure to add that it should be live-streamed.

Alex scoffed, looking at these stupid lapdogs. "Over my dead body," he said, his hand on his plasma gun. He was ready to blow their brains out at Yu Wen’s order. In retaliation, they drew their weapons, the tension in the room intense.

General Vane made sure to add, "General Yu, people are watching. It’s best that you come quietly."

"If he goes, then Red Valkyrie goes with him," added Alex, his voice much more imposing than usual. General Vane knew this would happen, but what choice did he have? He could only cross his fingers that Helion wouldn’t find out about this and increase the intensity of their firepower. But who was he kidding? Once this arrest was live-streamed, they would know. This meant he could only expect to bring back his troops in body bags.

Yu Wen raised his hand to stop Alex. After a second or so, he said, "I will come with you. Deputy general Alex and Red Valkyrie will stay here to assist on the frontlines."

Alex turned his head sharply and looked at him with an expression that seemed to exclaim ’WTF’. Yu Wen gave a reassuring nod. Left with no choice, Alex could only accept it, but he made sure to remember all their faces. He was going to put a sack over their heads and beat them in a dark alley.

General Vane walked over while taking out a set of cuffs reserved for someone at Yu Wen’s caliber. Alex couldn’t stand it anymore. He blocked the general’s path and asked through gritted teeth, "Is this really necessary?"

"Unfortunately," he replied. Like a guard dog, Alex refused to move. He really wished he was a dog so he could bite off his flesh and end his life. A hand grabbed his shoulder, and Alex could only gnash his teeth as he stepped aside.

General Vane moved forward. With a sincere expression, he said, "I am truly sorry I have to do this."

Yu Wen took out his phone and messaged Li Jun. He didn’t want him to worry. He told him to ignore anything he saw. He didn’t want Li Jun to fall for another one of Xiu Ying’s traps. As soon as he put it away, General Vane cuffed him. This entire process was live-streamed on StarNet.

StarNet, which had been cursing Xiu Ying and her evil spawn, exploded further. Yu Wen’s arrest was like a tanker of gasoline driven into a nuclear plant. They cursed her for dooming Aurelia. Her daughter helped end Li Jun’s life, and she hadn’t maintained the protection shields put up by Li Mingze, leaving them all vulnerable. Now she had arrested the best chance they had to suppress Helion.

The protests on the streets and on StarNet ramped up. This time they were calling for her to abdicate and for Li Yu to be arrested. Xiu Ying’s mask had long shattered. She didn’t hesitate to send the military police into the street.

The once peaceful protest turned violent. The protesters clashed with the military police, things were set on fire, and the leaders leading the charge were arrested.

On StarNet, people hurled curses at Xiu Ying. What stood out was how they mentioned Li Mingze. He was a madman, but he had never suppressed the civilians, no matter how they came on the streets to express their dissatisfaction. In fact, Li Mingze would send refreshments and food with a representative. They hated him, but he got things done.

***

Li Jun was on day three of not talking to anyone. They had tried to get him to open the door, but he refused to see them. He just sent a message for them to leave him alone before switching off his phone.

Crossed legged he watched the videos of his parents from before he was born to after. The father he remembered was stern and rarely smiled. The version of his father before his mother died was gentle and happy.

He smiled a lot and followed his mother around like a loyal dog. Whatever his mother told him to do, he would do it with a smile on his face. He was the very definition of a henpecked husband. When he came into the picture, his father cried and refused to watch his wife suffer through another pregnancy.

She told him she could handle it, but he refused. For the next couple of months, he wouldn’t let his wife lift a finger. In the first months of his life, Li Jun seemed attached to his father’s hip. The first thing he did when he woke up was to make sure his wife wasn’t disturbed.

Li Jun wiped his swollen eyes while saying, "Maybe in another lifetime you can grow old together." That’s all he could do. If he could go back in time, he would protect them both.