The Mad King's Heir

Yan Jia bit her lip in frustration. His Highness had already given up the throne and stepped away from royal duties but he was still the villain in their eyes. He was cursed at day and night without rest. Some had even made it their job to smear his name on Starnet. If he so much as coughs, a headline like "The tyrant is spreading deadly viruses" would be up in seconds. It was so infuriating.

Li Jun felt sorry for her, so he patted her head and said, "Don’t take it to heart. They couldn’t vent it out on my father, so I am the next best thing." Just then, the elevator doors opened and he stepped out. The nightclub was already empty with cleaning robots bustling about.

Yan Jia followed after him, saying, "That still doesn’t mean that they should abuse you. You haven’t done anything wrong." The hover car door opened and he sat inside before turning to look at her.

He smiled and said, "Forget all that. Just make sure we are ready for tonight. I want the whole imperial city to hear about it." As soon as he was done speaking, the door slid shut and the car drove off.

Yan Jia was left standing there looking frustrated and helpless. She turned around to walk back inside, only to find that they had sprayed ’die you fucker’ on the walls again. She gritted her teeth in hatred.

She wanted to find whoever did this and skin them alive but his highness had told her to let it go, so she could only relent. She tapped the tablet in her hand, assigning a cleaning robot to take care of it.

***

The grand imperial palace was perched high, overlooking the imperial city with such grandeur. The majestic palace was usually undisturbed, with barely any vehicles driving in and out of the large gates but today it was brimming with activity.

Countless envoys drove in and men and women dressed in black stepped out, their faces solemn. They appeared sorrowful but deep down, they were happy to commemorate the death of the madman. They all despised him and on the anniversary of his demise, they would drink extra cups of wine to celebrate.

Just then, a black hover car with the insignia of a bleeding Valkyrie stopped right at the entrance. A tall, handsome man with a cold aura stepped out of the vehicle, his very presence intimidating even to these nobles. His steps imposing, he walked into the palace, not giving any of these officials face.

This was the both feared and revered General Yu Wen, leader of the Red Valkyrie division. His father, General Yu He, had fought alongside the mad king, regaining occupied territories and stripping Helion Republic of their power. But once Li Mingze, was established on that throne, he killed his father with a devilish grin and labeled him a traitor to Aurelia.

How could his father be a traitor to the federation he fought for? It was utterly absurd. Not only that, but the Red Valkyrie was disbanded and labeled an illegal organization. It was only after his death that the Red Valkyrie’s label as traitors was revoked. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

If it weren’t that it was his duty to come to this commemoration ceremony, he wouldn’t show up. He would rather desecrate his grave. It was precisely because everyone hated the former imperial lord that no memorial was erected. He walked into the ceremonial hall and people gave way, creating distance from him.

Yu Wen looked around his action, subtle but his deputy standing next to him knew who he was looking for. He leaned closer and said, "It’s just like him, being fashionably late." Yu Wen didn’t respond. His blood feud with Li Jun didn’t begin when his father was murdered. It started long before that.

Saying that it started when they first laid eyes on each other would be fairly accurate. From the day Li Jun enrolled in the military academy, they had bumped heads at every turn. He was lazy, arrogant, and went out of his way to infuriate him.

To make matters worse, they would always be in a group together and he would always drag him down with him. This feud was fueled further when his father was killed. He hated Imperial King Mingze just as much as he hated Li Jun.

"Her Majesty, the Imperial Queen Ying and her Highness, Imperial Princess Yu have arrived!"

The group of officials turned towards the double doors and bowed their heads. Two women dressed in black gowns embroidered with gold dragons walked into the ceremonial hall. The two bore a striking resemblance to each other. Xiu Ying, despite being older, was even more stunning than her daughter. Her beauty was known all over Aurelia, with some calling her a divine goddess descended to the mortal world.

With her daughter beside her, she walked to the throne and said, "Please rise," before sitting down. Li Yu sat on the seat reserved for her and glanced at the empty seat to her mother’s left. She sneered internally. As expected, that bastard was late again. Xiu Ying realized that Li Jun wasn’t there, smiled and said, "Forgive his highness for being late. This time of the year is really difficult for him."

At first, those words made her sound like a caring mother truly apologetic for her son’s lateness. But in truth, it only drew hatred towards him. Who in this hall didn’t know that Li Jun spent his days in that filthy nightclub, drinking and engaging in acts of debauchery? He was a disgrace and didn’t deserve the title of Imperial Prince. Rest assured, his tardiness today would only result in the court officials petitioning for him to be stripped of his status.

"Let’s begin," she said but just as the divine priestess was about to start the ceremony, Li Jun walked in, his pace casual like he wasn’t late at all. Eyes filled with resentment and watching a good show fell on him, but Li Jun paid them no mind. As he walked, he happened to meet Yu Wen’s gaze.

Yu Wen’s expression was cold and oppressive, but Li Jun wasn’t terrified in the slightest. In fact, smiled sinisterly at him before looking away. He was obviously provoking him and it worked. The great general was enraged.