The indiscriminate pressure caused everyone’s breath to suddenly hitch, including Lu Chen. However, just as when he faced the Empress’s Lingtian Phoenix’s authority, his expression remained unshaken.
“That’s right.”
He clenched his teeth and quivered as he said, “In my view, when Sacred King spoke to the Empress earlier, his words lacked respect for her and instead carried an air of coercion.”
Hearing these words, the smile on Jiang Chengwan’s face grew more intense.
“Let’s not discuss whether I had any intention of coercion towards the Empress. If I truly did, how would Assistant Lu respond?”
With this statement, the expressions of the courtiers underwent an immediate change.
???
They couldn’t fathom that Jiang Chengwan would say something like this.
For goodness’ sake, they hadn’t even finished with the act, yet he was acting so arrogant?!
Naturally, there was a process for a warlord to seize power, even if he was able to perform that step of ascending to the heavens.
Occupying the capital, executing the Empress’s faction, intimidating the court and officials, controlling the court, and perhaps even changing the Emperor were all common operations for a warlord seizing power. However, to barely become the power behind the throne and already openly display ambition…
Although he had prefaced it with an “if,” it sounded like a joke, but who would take it as such?
And who dared to joke about such matters?
However, considering Jiang Chengwan’s identity, they understood.
After all, before Jiang Chengwan, there had never been a precedent of a Sacred King intervening in the secular politics of a dynasty. Their previous knowledge and understanding didn’t apply to the first-ever warlord who had become a Sacred King.
It was only natural for him to act like this. As one of the most powerful figures in Zhongzhou, possessing the supreme power of the Sacred Spirit, he was exceptional even among ambitious warlords.
Upon hearing Jiang Chengwan’s words, Lu Chen naturally hesitated for a moment.
Once he grasped the situation, an inexplicable excitement surged within him.
The more arrogant and overbearing Jiang Chengwan became, the less he could tolerate someone who dared to challenge his authority.
This situation was highly beneficial to Lu Chen, who was eager to be relieved from his position.
Though Lu Chen was excited deep down, he maintained an unusually serious expression on his face.
When it came to acting, he believed he could stand up against anyone.
He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth before speaking slowly and forcefully, “As the saying goes, if a ruler humiliates a subject, the subject should die for the ruler. Regardless of anything else, I will not stand by and let anyone disrespect the Empress. Even if all the people in the world bow to the lecherous power you wield, even if everyone betrays the Empress, I will never abandon her!”
Reaching this point, Lu Chen suddenly raised his head, his voice passionate and fervent as he continued, “Unless I’m not present in the court, as long as I, Lu Huaiyu, exist in the court, I will never let the Empress be ashamed!”
As the words fell, Jiang Chengwan felt his breath catch in his chest, and something indescribable surged forth, causing him to release a deep, heavy breath.
She lightly raised her hand, pressing it against her increasingly tumultuous chest, her gaze fixed intently on Lu Chen.
After a moment, she parted her lips, as if she wanted to say something.
However, just at that moment —
Boom!
From a distance, towards the city gates, a deafening explosion rang out, followed by a brilliant burst of flames soaring into the sky, instantly dyeing the sky crimson.
It resembled a blossoming apocalyptic red lotus, both radiant and malevolent.