214: The Empress's three imperial edicts terrified the entire court!

Admittedly, Ji Hongxue had indeed been plagued by headaches over the Jiuli Divine Dynasty's frantic offensive.

But now, the answer lay right on her imperial desk.

The existence known as the "Netherworld Heavenly Demon" thought himself a hunter lurking in the darkness, looking down upon all living beings.

Little did he know that his every move had long been seen clearly by the true "Heavenly Dao."

And in a manner that could be called playful, the script had been handed over to her, his "number one prey."

This war sweeping across the world was unfair from the very beginning!

"Someone, come!"

Ji Hongxue's voice rang out; her usual composure and majesty remained, but with an added layer of unfathomable calm.

A commander of the Imperial Guard clad in golden armor strode into the hall and knelt on one knee.

"Your Majesty!"

"Pass down my decree!"

Ji Hongxue rose slowly, her dragon robe trailing on the floor. Those phoenix eyes, which once held all the common people of the world, now contained only the cold light of total insight.

"First, order the Grand Marshal to immediately contract all border defense lines."

"Abandon the thirteen fallen dynasties on the periphery and lure the enemy deep!"

"What?!"

The commander of the Imperial Guard looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with horror and confusion.

"Abandon thirteen dynasties?"

That meant hundreds of millions of subjects and tens of thousands of miles of territory!

This... this was an unheard-of, insane decision!

Ji Hongxue ignored his shock, her cold voice continuing to issue commands.

"Second, in my name, proclaim to the world!"

"The Old Ancestor of the Jiuli Divine Dynasty has undergone Possession by an Outer-Domain Heavenly Demon. The current Jiuli is already a demon's nest bringing calamity to the world."

"They launched this war only for a blood sacrifice of all living beings to restore their demonic power!"

The commander's mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg; he was completely stunned where he stood.

This news was a hundred times more terrifying than abandoning territory!

The Old Ancestor possessed? Outer-Domain Heavenly Demon?

Could such things, which only existed in ancient secrets, be true?!

"Third..."

The corner of Ji Hongxue's mouth curled into a cold arc.

In that smile was a hint of playfulness imitating that man, something she hadn't even noticed herself.

"Order the Shadow Guard to announce that the Divine Son of the Su Family, Su Chen, used an ancient array in the Heavenly Capital to kill a Clone of the Heavenly Demon. Embellish it to the extreme and spread it throughout the entire continent!"

"I want the whole world to know that my Great Xia is aided by one chosen by destiny!"

"Moreover, I want that Old Devil hiding in the gutters to taste what it means to be unable to eat or sleep in peace while he enjoys his feast of blood!"

Three decrees, each more earth-shattering than the last!

The commander was completely bewildered, his Divine Soul trembling; he could not understand the Empress's subversive strategy at all.

But he could feel an unprecedented confidence and sense of control emanating from the Empress.

That sudden world-ending catastrophe seemed to have become a game she was certain to win in her eyes.

"Do you understand?" Ji Hongxue's voice lacked warmth.

"As... as you command!"

The commander suppressed the overwhelming waves in his heart and left to carry out the orders.

Inside the Imperial Study, silence returned.

Ji Hongxue slowly sat back on the dragon throne; that Animal-hide Diary had quietly vanished.

She closed her eyes, and Su Chen's lazy face appeared in her mind once more.

"Keeping a mistress in a golden house?"

"Ling Qingzhu? Liu Ruyan?"

"Do these things still matter?"

"No."

"They don't matter at all anymore."

Compared to the safety of the entire world and whether she could play her role well in this play called "Heavenly Dao," this girlish jealousy seemed utterly ridiculous.

All she had to do now was make good use of this "script" and perform this great play well!

Not only must she win, but she must win beautifully!

Win so that the "Incarnation of the Heavenly Dao" sitting high in the clouds would look at her, this "chess piece," with new respect!

Her phoenix eyes opened again, burning with a fire more intense than ever before.

The name of that fire was ambition.

Only this time, her ambition was no longer just to rule the world.

But also... that man... Great Xia Imperial Palace, Zichen Hall.

The air in the hall was so heavy it could be wrung like water; a storm was brewing.

The civil and military officials—armored generals and robed civil servants—stood clearly divided on both sides.

But at this moment, everyone's face was written with the same expressions: shock, confusion, and an undisguisable fear.

Just now, the Empress's three decrees had struck everyone's heart like three hammers of judgment, leaving them dizzy and their Divine Souls in turmoil.

"Your Majesty! This must not be done!"

The Grand Marshal was the first to step forward, his weathered face full of anxiety and confusion.

"To abandon thirteen dynasties is to abandon hundreds of millions of subjects! To discard them so easily is no different from cutting one's own flesh to feed a tiger, and it will surely chill the hearts of all who have pledged allegiance to our Dynasty!"

The Grand Marshal's voice was like a resonant bell; he was a soldier, and the belief of not yielding an inch of land was etched into his bones.

"Indeed, Your Majesty!"

The Old Prime Minister also stepped out tremulously, tears streaming down his face.

"The soldiers are out there fighting bloody battles; how can we be cowards before the fight has even begun?"

"And that talk of an Outer-Domain Heavenly Demon is groundless! If we rashly proclaim it to the world, it won't shake the morale of the Jiuli army, but instead, it will make our Dynasty the laughingstock of the world!"

For a time, the entire court was in an uproar, with voices of remonstrance rising one after another.

On the dragon throne, Ji Hongxue, dressed in her red-gold dragon robe and imperial crown, listened quietly to the clamor below.

Behind the twelve strings of pearls hanging from her crown, her phoenix eyes were as calm as an ancient well.

In the past, she might have explained.

But now, there was no need.

How could a group of Mortals who hadn't even seen the script understand the logic of a player like her, who had received spoilers from the "Heavenly Dao"?

What she needed to do was not explain.

It was to execute.

"Enough."

A cold voice rang out; it wasn't loud, yet it instantly suppressed all the noise in the hall.

Ji Hongxue rose slowly, and a regal majesty more pure and unfathomable than ever before swept through the entire hall like an invisible tide.

All the ministers who met her gaze felt as if their Divine Souls were being gripped by an invisible giant hand, their breathing coming to a halt.

They were horrified to discover that in just one night, Her Majesty the Empress's prestige had climbed to a level they completely could not comprehend!

It was no longer just the overbearing nature of a monarch.

Mixed within was a hint of... divinity that saw through all things and controlled everything!

"My mind is made up; no more words are needed."

Ji Hongxue's voice was cold and resolute, devoid of any emotion.

"Luring the enemy deep is to draw the entire Jiuli demonic army into our heartland and completely annihilate them in a single battle! This is called: 'Shutting the door to beat the dog'!"

"Proclaiming the matter of the Heavenly Demon is to seize the moral high ground, shatter the enemy's morale, warn the world, and cut off all their external aid! This is called: 'Removing the firewood from under the pot'!"

"Publicizing Su Chen's deeds is to raise a banner named 'Heavenly Mandate' to intimidate that Old Devil hiding in the shadows and let him know that his conspiracy has long been exposed to the light! This is called: 'Attacking the heart is the best strategy'!"

Her words were forceful and logically sound.

Inside the hall, there was instant silence.

Those ministers who were previously in an uproar were now all stunned.

They stared blankly at the magnificent figure on the dragon throne, feeling as if their brains were completely inadequate.

So... Your Majesty had already planned the entire situation?

So behind these seemingly insane decrees lay such profound calculations?

The Grand Marshal and the Old Prime Minister looked at each other, both seeing deep shock and shame in the other's eyes.

They were still on the first level, obsessing over the gain or loss of a single city or pool.

While Her Majesty the Empress was already standing on the fifth level, incorporating the entire world's layout into her chessboard!

What breadth of mind! What boldness!

"Your Majesty... is wise!"

The Grand Marshal was the first to react, kneeling on one knee, his voice filled with heartfelt awe and fervor.

"I... was dull-witted! I nearly ruined Your Majesty's grand plan! I beg for punishment!"

"We... beg for punishment!"

The entire court of civil and military officials knelt in unison, their shouts of "Long live the Empress" echoing through the clouds.

At this moment, no one questioned her anymore.

Ji Hongxue looked at the kneeling crowd, but there was no trace of pride in her heart.

"Wise?"

"No, she was just a student who... transcribed the decrees of the Heavenly Dao and executed them relatively well."

The truly wise one was that man hundreds of millions of miles away, lying in bed sleeping, who had even mocked in his diary whether she would be scared to the point of wetting herself.

At the thought of Su Chen, Ji Hongxue's mood became incredibly complex.

There was awe, powerlessness, and a hint of shame from having everything seen through.

But more than that, there was an unprecedented sense of peace.

With this "Heavenly Dao Script" in hand, this world-ending catastrophe had become a game... destined for victory in her eyes.

"Pass the order!"

Ji Hongxue's voice rang out again, filled with an unquestionable iron will.

"Soldiers of the three armies, act according to the plan!"

"Shadow Guard, within one day, I want the entire Xuanyuan Continent to know the truth about the Heavenly Demon's descent!"

"Also, prepare my carriage!"

"I will personally visit the Su Family."

As soon as these words were spoken, the civil and military officials who had just stood up were stunned once again.

"Visit the Su Family?"

"At this critical juncture?"

Ji Hongxue did not explain.

She was going to see Su Chen.

Not to question him about keeping mistresses in a golden house.

She didn't have the qualification now, let alone the courage.

She, she was going to... "seek guidance."

Since that "Incarnation of the Heavenly Dao" liked to watch the play, she, as the actor, naturally had to "ask for instructions" on the script's details from time to time to show her respect.

More importantly, she wanted to see it with her own eyes.

To see the other two Fiancées he kept hidden on Divine Son Peak.

She wanted to see exactly what kind of women could catch the eye of the "Incarnation of the Heavenly Dao" and be kept by his side!

That feminine jealousy and competitiveness, which had been forcibly suppressed, quietly reared its head once more at this moment.