The cold document slapped against his face. At the sound of Yue Xiaofei's voice, as dreadful as a summons to death, the Japanese Emperor slowly regained consciousness.
He struggled to open his heavy eyelids. His vision was blurred, and the searing pain in his forehead drew a groan from him.
The Japanese Emperor shook his head, trying to clear it.
When he made out his surroundings, the terror and humiliation he had just endured came rushing back like a return to hell.
He was still alive.
But he wished he were dead.
With trembling hands, the Japanese Emperor peeled the blood-soaked document from his face.
By the light reflected off the snow, he saw the stark words written in Chinese characters at the top.
"Edict of Self-Accusation"!
An Edict of Self-Accusation?!
The Japanese Emperor's pupils contracted sharply.
As the ruler of a country deeply influenced by Dragon Kingdom culture, he knew exactly what those words meant.
It was a proclamation ancient emperors issued to their subjects when the country suffered a disaster or they themselves committed a grave wrong, condemning their own actions and reflecting on their failings.
This man from the Dragon Kingdom wanted him, the Japanese Emperor, to issue an Edict of Self-Accusation to the entire world?!
Fear and fury surged through him.
Without thinking, he moved to tear the document—the embodiment of his utter humiliation—to shreds.
But his hands shook too badly to obey.
He did not dare.
All the Japanese Emperor could do was tremble as he read it line by line.
One glance at the first clause stopped his breath.
Every clause was a sharp knife driven straight into his heart.
"First: On behalf of the imperial family, offer the deepest remorse and most sincere apology to the people of the world, especially the people