Cang Lang City.
There were hundreds of thousands of Great Zhou cultivators gathered!
For the past two years, the Empress of Great Zhou led the army to defend the borders and did not retreat.
However, a month ago, she was injured and fainted, losing them territory in a radius of five kilometers!
The eldest prince took over control of the army of cultivators and retreated the entire way, letting go of a large part of their territory. They retreated the entire way North of Cang Lang Mountain Range where Cang Lang City was their temporary foothold.
City Lord’s mansion.
The generals, commanders and many Nascent Souls of the Great Zhou army gathered within the main hall of the mansion where the Empress of Great Zhou sat high and above with a frosty expression.
Although she was a woman, she had a steely aura that was unyielding!
Ji Yaoxue’s face was a little pale – her wounds had not recovered fully.
At the front of the Nascent Souls, a purple-robed man stood with one hand behind his back. His black hair fell like a waterfall and his eyes were deep, emanating an extraordinary bearing.
Although the purple-robed man stood below, he was not weaker than Ji Yaoxue in terms of aura!
The atmosphere was extremely tense in the main hall.
“We can’t retreat!”
Ji Yaoxue said word by word with a resolute expression, “It’s not about losing our territory when we retreat, it’s the fact that countless citizens of Great Zhou are going to be slaughtered by the three dynasties! As long as things are under my rule, I’ll not permit something like that to happen!”
“Yaoxue, you’re injured. Don’t waste your energy on something like this. Leave everything to me,”
The purple-robed man below smiled indifferently. Although he spoke as though he was concerned, there were no emotions in his eyes and he was unusually calm.
The purple-robed man was none other than the eldest prince who had accompanied the army!
Ji Yaoxue was unmoved and said deeply, “I can hand things over to you, but you must promise me that you will guard over Cang Lang City and not withdraw the troops!”
“Guard over Cang Lang City?”
The eldest prince laughed and asked, “There are millions of troops in the allied army of the three dynasties, a few times more than ours. Their force is mighty and ferocious. How should we guard against them?”
“Yaoxue, you are still overconfident at times.”
The eldest prince stood on no courtesy in his words against Ji Yaoxue!
Perfected Lord Ming Ze stood behind Ji Yaoxue and frowned when he looked at the cultivators and generals in the main hall.
“The situation doesn’t seem right. You must be careful, empress.”
Perfected Lord Ming Ze transmitted his voice stealthily.
“That’s right. We can’t defend!”
“I heard from a secret report that the allied army has already arrived at Cang Lang Mountain Range. Once the night passes, they will surely cross the mountain range and push into Cang Lang City. We won’t get another chance if we don’t retreat now.”
A few generals under the lead of the eldest prince discussed in hushed tones.
When she heard the discussions in the main hall, Ji Yaoxue glared at the eldest prince coldly. She had an icy expression and said slowly, “Since you’re unable to guard Cang Lang City, retreat! I’ll guard over it personally!”
“Fufu.”
The eldest prince laughed lazily and asked, “Yaoxue, are you truly going to be this stubborn?”
“That’s right!”
Ji Yaoxue’s tone was resolute and unyielding.
Retracting his smile, the eldest prince said coldly, “Don’t blame me then.”
“Hmm?”
Ji Yaoxue narrowed her eyes. “What do you want?”
“Nothing,”
The eldest prince sneered and a killing intent flashed through his eyes. “Since you insist on doing things your way stubbornly, I have no choice but to replace you!”
The moment he said that, the main hall went silent!
Ji Yaoxue’s expression changed as she bolted upright. However, her body swayed and she nearly fell over.
Perfected Lord Ming Ze supported her hurriedly before turning to the eldest prince to question with a sharp gaze, “Eldest prince, you’re forcing the empress to abdicate?”
“Abdicate?”
The eldest prince reared his head in laughter and shouted with a menacing gaze, “That throne wasn’t hers to begin with! I’m the eldest son and the throne should have been mine to begin with!”
Ji Yaoxue was worked up and her old wounds were agitated, causing her to cough out a mouthful of blood; her face turned even paler.
Clutching her chest, she smiled bitterly. “You’ve finally said those words.”
“Hmph, a woman really thinks she’s befitting to ascend the throne? There has never been such a thing throughout history!” The eldest prince sneered once more.
A look of pride flashed through Ji Yaoxue’s eyes. She pushed away Perfected Lord Ming Ze and stood by herself. “Brother, I’ve never had the intention to fight with you. But since you look down on women, I’ll insist on fighting!”
“How many people are going to be on your side if you force me to abdicate?”
Ji Yaoxue hollered with the wrath of an empress. She surveyed her surroundings with bright eyes and many generals and commanders lowered their heads one after another, not daring to make eye contact.
The Nascent Souls in the main hall were naturally fearless against the wrath of the empress and looked on calmly with focused gazes.
Ji Yaoxue’s heart skipped a beat at the reaction in the main hall.
Things in the army have changed in the month she was unconscious!
“Fufufufu!”
The eldest prince laughed with a mocking look in his eyes. “Ji Yaoxue, for the past 20 years, ever since you ascended the throne, there has never been peace in Great Zhou! How many people do you think will still stand by your side?”
“Oh, right, I’ve got to remind you as well. If nothing goes wrong, our second and forth brother should have already sent a motion to father to get rid of you!’
A clamor broke out in the main hall.
“What do you want?” Ji Yaoxue asked coldly.
“The Great Zhou Dynasty can’t fight the allied force of the three dynasties head-on. Of course, we’ll look to negotiate for peace. As for the condition…”
The eldest prince paused for a moment before looking at Ji Yaoxue with a fake smile. “Sister, we’ll have to trouble you to visit the three dynasties as a guest.”
“How dare you!”
Perfected Lord Ming Ze was enraged and hollered, “You’re thinking of sacrificing the empress, incorrigible! Furthermore, she’s your younger sister! Don’t you have any heart?!”
“There’s no kinship to speak of in politics,”
The eldest prince said coldly with an icy expression, “I believe that as long as the allied army retreats, even father won’t blame me for sacrificing you.”
Ji Yaoxue remained silent. More than anger, she felt sadness in her heart.
She hadn’t expected such words to be said from her closest kin!
“Traitor, how dare you!”
Perfected Lord Ming Ze waved his sleeves and sent forth a flying sword that shot towards the glabella of the eldest prince.
The eldest prince was unmoved and expressionless.
Clang!
Another flying sword flew through the air and struck away Perfected Lord Ming Ze’s flying sword.
Two Nascent Souls stood out in front of the eldest prince and glared at Perfected Lord Ming Ze coldly.
“Yong Yan, Jing Shan! The both of you!”
Perfected Lord Ming Ze stared at the two of them in disbelief.
“Ming Ze, a wise person makes a discerning choice. Handing over Ji Yaoxue might be the only way to hold back the allied army,” Perfected Lord Yong Yan said.
“Ridiculous!”
Perfected Lord Ming Ze snarled, “That is a method that will bring shame upon the Great Zhou Dynasty! There’s no way the allied army is going to retreat with their forceful march. You guys…!”
Perfected Lord Jing Shan interrupted him, “The wise recognize their circumstances. Ming Ze, we don’t wish to fight against you, you won’t stand a chance. Step back.”
“Are you guys going to stand by idly when the empress is in a plight?!”
Perfected Lord Ming Ze turned to look at the other Nascent Souls in the main hall.
Most people avoided his gaze. A small portion of them even chose to move and stand behind the eldest prince directly.
“Senior Ming Ze, you don’t have to care about me now that things have come to this,”
Ji Yaoxue was devastated and whispered, “All you have to do is head back and tell father that even if I die, I won’t fall into the hands of the three dynasties and allow them to humiliate me!”
“Hahahaha!”
When he saw that the outcome was already set, the eldest prince could not help but break into laughter. “Sister, don’t blame me for being ruthless. You can only blame yourself for being born in the royal family! You should have never fought me for the throne!”
Before his laughter was over, a change happened!
