Under Ye Qingwan's gaze, the corners of Ye Yu's lips slowly lifted. Then he nodded calmly. "Alright!"
Ye Xuan was a spy for the Devil Race. If Ye Yu remained in the Great Yan Imperial Palace, he could suffer another poisonous attack at any time. With his strength currently so weak, he had to leave first.
As for revenge, it would not be too late to return once his strength had recovered. Besides, he wanted to see just how quickly Great Flame would decline in this life without him and Ye Xuan secretly holding things together.
Hearing Ye Yu agree, not only Ye Qingwan but even Ye Xuan froze in surprise.
They knew better than anyone how deeply Ye Yu valued affection. They had never imagined that Ye Yu would truly want to leave.
Realizing that Ye Yu was still resisting, Ye Qingwan's expression darkened again. This feeling of something slipping beyond her control made her uncomfortable, made her miserable. She immediately gritted her teeth and said coldly, "Fine! This was your choice!"
The next moment, Ye Qingwan took out a Sound Transmission Jade. Then a cool, clear voice rang out from it and spread throughout all of Azure Prefecture.
"From today onward, Ye Yu is no longer an Imperial Prince of Great Flame. Any dynasty that takes him in shall be an enemy of the Great Yan Dynasty!"
Ever since Demonic Cultivators had begun appearing in Azure Prefecture, the various dynasties and even the major sects had exchanged Sound Transmission Jades, so that if anything happened, they would not be too late in sharing the news.
The current Great Yan Dynasty was at the height of its power, faintly showing the momentum of becoming Azure Prefecture's number one dynasty. Ye Qingwan's words were meant to leave Ye Yu with nowhere to stand in all of Azure Prefecture.
After saying that, Ye Qingwan looked at Ye Yu with a mocking smile. Resist? Then let him see the price of resistance! I'll wait for you to beg me!
Unlike Ye Qingwan, the entirety of Azure Prefecture instantly erupted into an uproar.
Several dynasties around Great Flame immediately began secretly sending messages to one another.
"Did you receive that message just now? Great Flame actually expelled Ye Yu from the royal family!"
"I received it. Did I hear wrong, or does the Great Yan Royal Family have two people named Ye Yu?"
"How could that be? I investigated long ago. The Great Yan Royal Family has only two Imperial Princes: one named Ye Yu, and the other Ye Xuan."
"Then it's true? Has that girl Ye Qingwan gone mad? She actually expelled Ye Yu?!"
Ye Yu's name had long spread throughout Azure Prefecture. Not only was his talent exceptional, but he also possessed extraordinary Imperial Heart Art. During the years he was Crown Prince, Great Flame had been at its most glorious.
Putting all that aside, Ye Yu was also the only one who could suppress the Nine Nether Blood Spring and walk out alive.
Nine Nether Blood Springs were now appearing from time to time across Azure Prefecture. They had been planning to visit Great Flame soon to seek Ye Yu's advice.
"Let's agree on this first. Ye Yu can go wherever he wants, but no one is allowed to snatch him by force. Whoever gets him must share the method for suppressing the Nine Nether Blood Spring!"
"Hello? Hello? Hello?! Damn it, those petty bastards already made their move!" Qin Wushuang, ruler of the Great Qin Dynasty, stared at the Sound Transmission Jade Token that had gone completely silent and cursed furiously.
After pondering for a while, Qin Wushuang's eyes lit up. He said to the eunuch beside him, "Go summon the Ninth Princess. I have something good for her to do."
Naturally, Ye Qingwan had no idea that the other dynasties were already preparing to snatch Ye Yu away. She remained seated upon the high platform, calmly waiting for Ye Yu to yield.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Before Ye Yu could speak, several ministers suddenly rushed into the hall from outside.
When the ministers saw Ye Yu's miserable state, they all sucked in a breath of cold air. Then they hurriedly spoke up one after another.
"***, please reconsider! Ye Yu must not be expelled!"
"The Eldest Imperial Prince's past achievements are plain for all to see. If such a rash decision is made, I fear the people's hearts will be unsettled!"
Others might not know Ye Yu's accomplishments, but they knew them all too well. They were all old ministers who had served three reigns. They had personally witnessed Ye Yu's rise, and they had also watched his downfall.
But those had been internal matters of the royal family, matters into which they could not intervene. Now that Ye Yu was to be expelled, however, they had to step forward.
Ye Qingwan said nothing. Instead, her gaze fell upon the only woman in court.
The eldest daughter of the Liu Family, Liu Ruyan.
"Ruyan, what do you think?" Ye Qingwan asked.
Seeing this, the ministers all breathed a sigh of relief. Liu Tiannan, head of the Liu Family, held the office of prime minister and was a cultivator at the peak Golden Core Stage. Moreover, Liu Ruyan herself was betrothed to Ye Yu. As long as Liu Ruyan spoke, Ye Yu certainly would not be expelled.
"Your servant requests that ***, after dissolving my marriage contract with Ye Yu, expel him from the royal family." Liu Ruyan cast Ye Yu a disdainful glance, her face filled with disgust, before speaking indifferently.
The Hall of Mental Cultivation instantly fell deathly silent. Only Ye Yu remained calm. Everything was exactly the same as in his previous life, and his love for Liu Ruyan, once so obsessive it bordered on madness, had already vanished when Liu Ruyan wielded the Autumn Water Sword to cut off both his hands in that previous life.
"Miss Liu, how can you do this? Back then, the Eldest Imperial Prince took the utmost care of the Liu Family. Without the Eldest Imperial Prince, would the Liu Family have what it has today?!"
"Miss Liu, your marriage contract with the Eldest Imperial Prince was established by your forebears. How can it be abolished so easily?"
Seeing Liu Ruyan act this way, the many ministers hurriedly spoke up, no longer caring whether their words were appropriate.
"The marriage contract established by our forebears was between the Liu Family and the Great Yan Royal Family. It never specified Ye Yu; anyone else would do. What's more, Ye Yu is now nothing but a cripple. How could he possibly be worthy of me?" After saying that, Liu Ruyan gazed lovingly at Ye Xuan beside her.
Ye Xuan scratched his head, smiled at Liu Ruyan, and winked.
How could those present fail to understand what was going on? Their expressions all turned ugly.
At that moment, Ye Qingwan also looked at Ye Yu and sneered inwardly. You don't want to lose Liu Ruyan, do you? This time, you'll have to beg me, won't you?!
Ye Yu's love for Liu Ruyan was known throughout all of Great Flame. It was also the one thing for which the Ye Yu of the past had been criticized: a bootlicker!
It could be said that if Liu Ruyan said east, he would not dare utter even half a word about west.
The resources Emperor Emeritus Ye Zhentian had once left for Ye Yu had almost all been given to the Liu Family. Otherwise, how could the Liu Family have become what it was today?
Everyone's gaze fell upon Ye Yu, as though they could already see him about to struggle in pain.
Yet, to everyone's surprise, Ye Yu merely nodded calmly. "I agree!"
Liu Ruyan immediately gave Ye Yu a look that said he knew what was good for him.
The others looked at one another in dismay. Ye Yu truly seemed completely indifferent just now. Was this still the Eldest Imperial Prince they knew?
Ye Qingwan also froze. She seemed to understand what it was that she had sensed herself losing just now—it was Ye Yu's heart!
Impossible. How could Ye Yu, who was like a dog, possibly abandon me? How could he not care about any of this? It's all an act, meant to make me yield to him! He's resisting me!
"However, I hope Miss Liu will return the Autumn Water Sword to me." Ye Yu smiled faintly at Liu Ruyan. Yet beneath the blood and filth covering his body, that smile appeared somewhat chilling.
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