Chapter 2: Better to Return

  On March 1st, 751 AD, the commander of the First Legion, Flame Heaven Kayde, petitioned to Emperor George IX: His second son, Liu Yun, was seriously ill and needed long-term recuperation, and could no longer serve Princess. He requested to dissolve the engagement. George IX initially disagreed but eventually agreed after repeated requests from Flame Heaven. The next morning, Liu Yun Kayde bid farewell to the imperial capital of Cloud Peace with twenty guards and returned to his hometown in Wind Language Plain for rest. "The tumor of the Kayde family" thus faded out of people's sight.

  On the official road, a figure in white clothes with long hair flowing over her shoulders stood still, gazing quietly at the imperial capital of Yun'an City.

  Bathed in the morning sunlight, Yun An City is especially majestic and grand. This ancient city, since the founding of the Huo Yun Empire 500 years ago, has experienced endless storms and baptism by fire, and has become a spiritual pillar in the hearts of the imperial people.

  In the history of the Huoyun Empire, the famous Emperor George IV once left a royal family motto: "When Yun City falls, that's when the imperial bloodline is exhausted!"

  In the eyes of ordinary people, this is a city that will never fall. No matter how powerful the enemy is, as long as Yun City does not break, the struggle against resistance on the imperial land will not stop. The cumulative scars on the city wall have been preserved in the repeated repairs, like a thick historical book, telling the hardships and unyielding of a nation.

  Yun City, also the birthplace of Yun Cloud on this continent. In his eyes, it was just like the ancient capital Chang'an, giving him a sense of inexplicable closeness and hometown feeling. Now when he left, there were his loved ones here. All of this seemed very fleeting, as if it were a dream after falling asleep on the operating table.

  Liu Yun sighed and withdrew his gaze from Yun An City.

  "Second brother, the things for the road, I've put them on the horse carriage. If there's anything, write a letter to let me know."

  "Hmm." Liuyun responded with a murmur and took another look around.

  The only family member who came to see me off was Are.

  A group of young nobles stood far away, witnessing the great moment when the "poisonous tumor" was swept out of the imperial capital by the noble circle.

  "Cut, I really thought that kid wasn't afraid of a fight. But he still got beaten and ran away."

  "When I found out he was the princess's fiancé, I felt like vomiting. And yet he still wants to eat swan meat."

  "It's really no wonder that Kade family is a toxic tumor! This time, the Kade family has lost face big time!"

  The distant murmurs made Are's pretty face turn pale, with signs of an impending outburst. Liuyun grasped her sister's hand and shook her head with a smile.

  "Don't be impulsive, little sister. After a while, they will all slowly forget about me."

  After finishing speaking, Liú Yún turned around and strode towards the surrounding noble youths.

  "Farewell, everyone, we will meet again." With a bow and a wave of his hand, Liuxing turned around and leaped onto the horse's back.

  "Little sister, go back."

  Smiling, he whispered a word to Are, and Liuyun shouted "Departure" to the guards, galloping away. The group gradually disappeared into the distance, leaving behind only the figure of a girl gazing out with tears in her eyes.

  Imperial Palace.

  "On a hot day, why insist on divorce? You must give me an explanation!" George IX was furious in the imperial palace, looking at Yan Tian and asking loudly.

  "Your Majesty, please calm down. This matter indeed has its reasons. My second son is not well-behaved and has a bad reputation. If we don't call off the engagement, I'm afraid it will tarnish the princess's reputation in the future. I had no choice but to do this, please forgive me."

  Yan Tian knew that the emperor's anger was not because of this marriage being called off, but because it involved the face of the imperial family and the Cai De family.

  "In the prime of life, you have followed me since childhood, like a brother. In many years of war, the men of the Kayde family have shed blood and sweat for the Fire Cloud Empire, with countless deaths and injuries. At the Battle of Yan Yun, you led three thousand cavalry to rescue me from the midst of thirty thousand troops, two thousand eight hundred soldiers died for the country. I also married my daughter to Liu Yun to comfort the spirits of the dead soldiers. How can I face the people of the empire today?"

  George IX's face looked unwell, as if he had recalled that heart-wrenching First War once again.

  "Your Majesty, the Kaid family has been loyal to the emperor and loved their country for generations. Unfortunately, my unfilial son Mo Wu is not only incompetent but also has no military achievements. How dare he share the glory of Yan Yun's victory? The princess comes from a noble background, how can she marry such a despicable young man? This marriage will bring shame to the Kaid family and the imperial court!"

  At this point, Yan Tian thought of his second son who had left the Imperial Capital and returned to Fengyu Plains alone, and his heart couldn't help but feel a pang.

  After listening to Yan Tian's words, George fell silent for a while, and his complexion finally improved somewhat.

  "It's a hot day, this matter has troubled you, just quit. Naya that child is also noisy every day, now it can be quiet. The children's affairs will be left to them in the future."

  In fact, when it came to arranged marriage, I thought that the heroic Kaid family would not humiliate my daughter, but unexpectedly, there was this abnormal person named Liu Yun.

  "You're getting on in years too, you shouldn't be leading troops personally anymore. The Minister of Military Affairs is old and retired, are you preparing to take over?" George sighed.

  "Thank you, Your Majesty." Yan Tian understood the emperor's intention as soon as he heard his words.

  This is a kind of compensation from the emperor to the Cai family, and also to let people in the court understand that the Cai family is still the most trusted family by the emperor.

  "Right, Flame Day, the enrollment of Yun Cheng Magic Martial Academy has ended. Those from other countries are all elites, but those who enrolled in Huo Yun Empire are all noble sons, many of whom are ignorant and incompetent noble sons, the situation is not optimistic." The emperor's words revealed deep worry.

  "Perhaps years of peace have made the nobles forget the horrors of war. These accursed nobles are truly a plague on the empire."

  These complaints, the emperor can only vent to Yan Tian. The Huo Yun Empire was founded on nobility, and over the centuries, these nobles have made great contributions to the empire, becoming its foundation. However, their privileged lives have also led many of them to degenerate slowly, leaving behind only their noble appearance, elegant demeanor, and decadent lifestyle, with their original qualities lost.

  It was this group of people who were so intertwined that they could move the entire body by pulling one hair, leaving George IX, who was the emperor, at a loss for what to do.

  "Your Majesty, I think there is a way to solve this problem. Next year when Yun Cheng Magic Martial Academy recruits students, why not expand the scope and allow talented young people from all over the empire to take the exam and select the best ones? For these students, after graduation, if they are willing to serve in the military, I will cultivate them with great effort. At the same time, we can also hold an Imperial Magic Martial Arts Competition to select a group of talents to enter the military or government service."

  "Hmm, you really understand what I'm thinking, old fox..." The emperor finally smiled.

  Emperor knew that the emperor wanted to use a group of young people from the bottom of society to inject some fresh blood into the empire. The nobles, have slowly declined, and their second son is not the bitter fruit of the noble life.

  "This matter is now left to you. Don't let those aristocratic masters catch wind of anything, or I'll be bothered again. Their eyes are only fixed on the piles of gold in front of them, they won't see the dark clouds of war. I want the nations of the Blue Moon Continent to know that I am not a warmonger, nor am I afraid of war!"

  Harem

  Xiang Yu Gongzhu was lounging lazily in the rocking chair in the garden, listening to Yinger tell stories about Li Du.

  Xiang Yu Gong Zhu was the youngest daughter of George IX, named Naiya. It is said that she had a fragrance like orchid and musk when she was born, and as she grew up, her skin was as white and clean as jade, so she was titled Xiang Yu Gong Zhu. From the age of seven, she studied under Lan Te Jian Sheng, and at seventeen, she became a primary sword master, showing extreme talent in martial arts. Moreover, she had been familiar with military books since childhood, and her ability to deploy troops and command battles was also extremely gifted.

  "These ridiculous people." Naya shook her head after Linglong told her about the behavior of a group of young nobles when Liuyun left.

  At this time, she had a few points of sympathy for her former fiancé who had never been seen.

  As for this marriage, she was opposed to it because among the noble youths in the Imperial Capital, there wasn't anyone who could catch her eye.

  In a sense, Naya was lonely, it was a feeling of being in a high place and not being able to win. She, Xiangyu Princess, was not a vase, the Sword Saint's door practiced martial arts, giving her the strength to not yield to men, military talent, allowing her to have the ability to look down on all men, royal birth, giving her the superiority of looking down on all living things.

  "The heroic Cade family has actually produced such a tumor." She let out a soft sigh, as if lamenting for the Cade family.

  "That group of frivolous young masters, they just pushed the blame onto me like that. Alas, although I opposed this marriage, I didn't force him to leave the Imperial Capital."

  She was completely unaware that when she asked for a divorce, although it was refused by the emperor, it had a huge impact on those young people in the capital who admired her.

  Are returned to the government after, she locked herself in her room. Thinking of her second brother, her tears fell again. In the moment when Yunyun left, she seemed to know that her second brother would no longer be a bad person from now on, but had become a heartless person.