Chapter 161: Rescuing his man

The maid didn’t leave unscathed. She had burns and cuts all over her arm and chest, which were incredibly unsightly to look at. They were all on edge, not daring to breathe too loudly lest it angered Her Majesty.

An urgent voice came through the phone, and the smile on Xiu Ying’s face vanished. She sat up with a jolt, her eyes bloodshot. She stood up, and the mud covering every inch of her body slowly slipped down.

Soon loud smashing sounds and screams filled the once tranquil spa. The imperial guards who were stationed outside didn’t even flinch. They remained ramrod straight, their expressions aloof, like they hadn’t heard what was going on inside.

It was the maids outside who were trembling like reeds, fearing that they would be next. Thirty minutes later, the large doors opened, and the maids prostrated themselves to the floor. They didn’t dare make a sound.

In the room, a maid was cowering in the corner, blood sipping down her face and the other crawling over to a maid whose head was submerged in the mud pool. The villain who did such a cruel thing to innocent people was getting dressed in her imperial regalia before heading to the Imperium Conclave.

As soon as those doors opened, the generals bowed while loudly saluting her. She walked in, and with the grace and elegance she possessed before, she sat down and said, "You may take a seat."

She glanced at the faces sitting around the table. Some couldn’t conceal their dissatisfaction in their eyes, and others were anxious. She sneered internally. If only she had enough power to strip away Blue Sapphire’s military power, they wouldn’t be in this situation. She knew they were like a volcano lying in wait for the right moment to strike. She just didn’t think it would be this that would set off Blue Sapphire to rebel.

No matter, she had the entire imperial army backing her up. Aurelia will watch as Blue Sapphire tear their masks off and show their true colors. She gestured for them to start briefing her. At the center was a holographic projection playing the live feed of Blue Sapphire’s fleet surrounding the entire planet.

Xiu Ying’s mind was churning. She was devising a plan to use this as an opportunity to bring Blue Sapphire down. She could control public opinion and get the support of the people to take down private military groups. She just had to make sure that Blue Sapphire attacks first, unprovoked. The more vicious the attack, the better.

Just then the atmosphere in the room shifted. The women and men who were arguing back and forth about the way forward stopped. Their phones were vibrating, and from that sound one could tell it was an emergency broadcast. For one to infiltrate the emergency system, they must have put in a lot of effort, or perhaps they had authority to access it.

It was meant for warnings on impending natural disasters or communication in wartime, but now it was being used by Li Jun to speak to the entirety of Aurelia. His handsome face showed up on all their screens. The man they had all thought was dead. The man they had seen get vaporized to nothingness was now right in front of them, alive and well.

Unlike his playful and unserious self, he now carried a majestic gravity that silenced the room. His presence was heavy, making others tremble before him. Though his anger was held back, it gave him an aura of quiet power.

"I know you seeing me alive and well must be disconcerting to most of you. When everything is settled, I will release a proclamation document explaining everything," he said before a written imperial decree appeared on the other half of their screens.

Imperial Proclamation of Imperial Prince Li Jun.

By the Celestial blood running in my veins and the authority of the empire, I command the Imperial Queen of Aurelia to surrender herself at once or be seized by force. She is charged with the vilest of crimes: conspiring with a Helion spy to slay the late Imperial Queen Haku Ume, murdering the Imperial Emperor Li Mingize, poisoning the leader of Red Valkyrie, unleashing the cursed drug Chronos upon Aurelia’s people, and countless other crimes that will be documented. These acts are treason against the empire and crimes against its citizens. The confession of the Helion spy stands as undeniable proof, and the empire will tolerate no denial, no delay, and there will be no mercy.

Li Jun spoke every word without stuttering. His voice was firm and authoritative. This decree set Aurelia by storm. Before they could digest that the Imperial prince was alive, they were bombarded with Xiu Ying’s list of crimes. They hadn’t even had time to discuss what they had just heard when a live confession of a man chained with plasma chains began to play.

It was Kai Jing. He no longer had bruises on his face like before. He looked as good as new, with only his forehead laced with sweat. His hair was a disheveled mess, and his complexion slightly pale, but that was it. This was all thanks to the advanced medical capsules on the warship. Apart from being exhausted, he could speak clearly.

He stated his name, who he was, and everything he did. He confessed everything except the information about the book and his ability to change future outcomes. This news was even more shocking. It seemed to be getting worse the more they heard. The fact that Helion had someone this powerful was terrifying. Did they have more of them, or was it just this one?

Meanwhile, the generals all looked towards Xiu Ying, but the person was gone. While they were stumped by Li Jun’s presence and engrossed in his words, the person had slipped away like a ghost. It was like she had never been there. Her entire world had come crashing down in an instant, but she still had a bargaining chip.