C10

This was an era where power reigned supreme. If the Emperor did not tell one to get up, one could only keep kneeling!

However, the Emperor acted as if he did not see her kneeling as he continued, "It's not like We've never seen you before, take off your mask."

"Your minister's daughter obeys the decree." Ji Yunkai lifted her head, removed her mask, and fearlessly stared at the Emperor.

"You, you, you …" Even though the Emperor was mentally prepared, his expression still changed from the fright.

After putting on the mask, Ji Yunkai was still the number one beauty of Revelation. This disparity was too great for the Emperor to accept.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?" Ji Yunkai was calm, there was not a trace of timidness or unease, as if there was nothing on her face.

What kind of woman, with such a yaksha face, could still remain calm? Did she not care at all?

Before, he had revealed an expression of unease, cowardice, and inferiority, but now, he appeared as if nothing had happened. Not a single trace of the previous fright could be seen.

What happened to Ji Yunkai? Why did she get over it so quickly?

"How dare you! Who dares to look at This Dragon's face!" How could an emperor be frightened by an ugly woman?!

"Your Majesty, please forgive me." Ji Yunkai sneered, and lowered her head.

She could somewhat understand the Emperor's shock. If it was not for the original owner, these black spots would have grown on the Emperor's face instead. If the Emperor had not seen these black spots, he would not have wanted to vomit.

"As for your initial offense, We will not bother with you." The Emperor's expression was ice-cold and displeased. "We heard that you injured Ji Lan. Is that true?"

"No!" Ji Yunkai rejected the accusation without hesitation.

"How dare you lie in front of Us!" The Emperor threw the cup in his hand without any warning. Although it did not hit Ji Yunkai, it was still frightening.

Unfortunately for him, Ji Yunkai was not scared, and she did not really care about the Emperor's little trick. "Your Majesty, I really did not hurt Ji Lan."

"If you didn't injure Lan`er, where did the wounds on her face and body come from? Could it be that she fell down on her own?" The Emperor was furious. He had always hated Ji Yunkai and had never liked her ever since he was young.

"In reply to Your Majesty, Ji Lan did indeed fall down on her own. She tripped over the threshold, thus breaking her nose and tilting her chin. As for her waist injury, if I recall correctly, it was caused by Madam Ji." Ji Yunkai did not even put the Emperor's anger in her eyes and calmly narrated the chain of events.

"You're trying to force logic! If you didn't throw a vase and hurt Lan`er, how could Lan`er have been injured?" Obviously, the Emperor knew what happened in the Ji Family.

"Your Majesty, I didn't throw the vase. If Your Majesty doesn't believe me, you can ask my father." Ji Yunkai lied with her eyes wide open, but she was not afraid of being exposed.

Her family was ugly beyond belief. Imperial Advisor Ji was someone who cared too much about face, so he would naturally help her cover it up. Otherwise, if news of her attempted suicide spread, Imperial Advisor Ji would not be able to live a good life.

"Alright, We will set aside this matter for now." The Emperor had already asked Imperial Advisor Ji before, and the words of Imperial Advisor Ji were similar to what Ji Yunkai said. If not for that, he would not have asked Ji Yunkai, and would have directly ordered for her punishment.

"I humbly request that Your Majesty investigate and restore my innocence as soon as possible." He wanted to thrash Ji Yunkai, but right now, the Emperor was helpless against her.

The Emperor forcefully suppressed the impatience in his heart and said: "Yunkai, where is the Phoenix Pendant? Didn't you say that you wanted Us to take it Ourself? Right now, We are here, quickly hand over the Phoenix Pendant. "

As she expected... he wanted the Phoenix Pendant.

Ji Yunkai was not surprised, but she was not in a hurry either.

"Your Majesty, the Phoenix Pendant only belongs to the future empress of Revelation. I can only hand it over to the empress of Revelation." The Phoenix Pendant is not only a symbol, as its practical value is far higher than others; which is why the Emperor desperately wants the Phoenix Pendant.

"We have yet to establish Our empress, you can leave it to Us for now." It was precisely because the value of Phoenix Pendant was so great that the Emperor was so slow in accepting Ji Yunkai as his empress, but he also did not have any thoughts of making any one else the successor to the position.

"Your Majesty, the Phoenix Pendant can only be handed over to the empress of Revelation."Ji Yunkai did not explain herself, and only repeated her words.

The Emperor was extremely furious and immediately put a big hat on Ji Yunkai, "How dare you! The Phoenix Pendant is a part of Our Revelation's royal family! Could it be that you want to take it for your own?"

"This subject does not dare to keep it for myself. This subject only follows Empress Xian's last request." Empress Xian Hui was the mother of the current emperor. She had passed away long before.

"Men, search her!" The Emperor did not have a good temper, Ji Yunkai pushed his patience and got in his way again and again.

"Your Majesty, are you sure you want to let the guards search me?" Ji Yunkai picked up the orchid mask and put it on her face. She no longer continued to kneel as she stood up and looked at the emperor.

As soon as the guards entered, they saw the Emperor and Ji Yunkai staring at each other, and did not know whether or not they should go forward.

The Emperor did not pay any attention to Ji Yunkai and immediately ordered, "What are you waiting for, search!"

"Yes sir!" The guards stepped forward. Unfortunately, after taking only one step, they heard Ji Yunkai say, "Your Majesty, I'm not afraid of death!"

"What do you mean?" The Emperor's expression changed slightly. The imperial guards did not dare to act rashly when they saw the situation. They froze on the spot. They could not move forward, nor could they retreat.

Ji Yunkai said indifferently, "Your Majesty, you should be clear about the rules of Prince Yanbei's Mansion. I don't even have many days left to live if I marry Prince Yanbei." In everyone's eyes, she was someone who was about to die, so no one would care about her or treat her as a human being.

If she died, then there would be nothing left. No matter how unhappy or furious she was about it, she would not be able to take revenge in the future.

"Are you threatening Us?" The Emperor was so angry that he laughed instead. He looked at Ji Yunkai like he was looking at a dead thing.

Ji Yunkai had no doubt that the Emperor would order for her corpse to be torn into ten-thousand pieces if he could.

"No, I am only telling Your Majesty that sooner or later, I will die. I am not afraid of death. Therefore… all of you, don't force me." If she dies, the Emperor would not be able to think of how to get out himself out of this mess.

Long ago, the founding empress of Revelation created the Phoenix Guard. It was not controlled by the emperor and was born after her own son died miserably by the hands of a woman. As long as one was the empress of Revelation, they could rely on the Phoenix Pendant to mobilize the Phoenix Guard to protect the empress and her children.

Of course, the founding empress had clearly requested that the Phoenix Pendant and the position of empress be one and the same. It was impossible to become the empress without the Phoenix Pendant, and it was useless to have the Phoenix Pendant as long as one was not the empress.

As for how powerful the Phoenix Guard were, Ji Yunkai did not know. She only knew that the empress, who always had the Phoenix Pendant, would be able to live peacefully until her death and not waste away in the harem; neither would she be crippled by the emperor. However, it did not mean that empress had a lot of power. At the very least, it could not contend with the power of the emperor, could not control the imperial government, and could not decide the successor to the throne.

Ji Yunkai did not understand why the Emperor would want the Phoenix Pendant in the first place. Since the Emperor wholeheartedly wanted it, he would not force her to death. Because, once she dies, the Emperor will never be able to obtain the Phoenix Pendant....