Chapter 642: Imperial Princess.

Cyuren attended a meeting with the county magistrate after submitting his report on the situation at the border. As one of the candidates for the strategists of the empire, Cyuren had spent his week in his office and hadn’t had a long sleep since the decree from the emperor about the expansion of the empire. Although his rank in government was still at the lower level, his predictions had helped the empire to strengthen its weaknesses to prevent the Sultans from taking advantage during the war later.

"The Imperial Chariot of the Princess has arrived!" A high-pitched voice was heard outside the room that broke the tension and the silence in the meeting.

Everyone was shocked when they heard the princess came to join the meeting without prior notice. Without a second thought, all of them stood up and straightened their attire to make sure they didn’t displease the princess’ eyes. Cyuren stiffened, and his gaze was filled with anxiety when he looked at the table.

"The Imperial Princess is entering the room!" The high-pitched voice was heard right behind the closed door, and immediately a eunuch opened the door without asking for permission.

Everyone lowered their heads like they were trying to look at their own chins to show how feeble their existences were in the face of the imperial family.

The moment the door closed and the air stagnated, footsteps that approached the table and the rustling sound of a dress were heard. When they heard the sound of a wooden chair creaking, they knew the princess had taken a seat, but they didn’t dare to lift their heads, not before the princess allowed them to.

"I have decided to postpone the meeting about the expansion that is currently being held," a strict and deep woman’s voice broke the silence. "You all may have a seat," she ordered.

All of them bowed their backs toward the voice before they all took a seat, still with their heads lowered. Nobody dared to put their hands on the armrests, they put their hands awkwardly on their laps. There were five princesses in the imperial family, but the voice that they heard, it was the first princess, the one that was both feared and respected even among the imperial family members. The moment the first princess made a move, something serious had happened in the empire, she always came first to handle it.

"I have heard that Anastasha Asghar came to the capital city two days ago, and she came to meet with one of you here," the princess revealed. "And that someone gave her a confidential book of our people without hestiation," she added.

Cyuren closed his eyes when he realized he got caught. He already knew his fate was sealed at that moment, and he already imagined himself being executed. He wondered if everyone in the room was glancing at him, or if the princess was staring at him.

"By tomorrow morning, I want you to come into the palace and present your precious life," the princess ordered with her deeper voice. "Now that matter has been solved, I want you all to leave because I have something else to discuss with Registrar Cyuren," she added.

Everyone stood up, leaving Cyuren alone with the princess, and it shocked him that she didn’t immediately point a finger at him. He noticed how she used an excuse to have another matter to discuss when in truth she was going to question his decision on giving the record book of the people from the Demonic Cult.

"You must be wondering why I did that, Registrar. However, that’s none of your concern," the princess said after she read Cyuren’s expression. "Now lift you head," she ordered.

Cyuren slowly lifted his head, but his gaze was still fixated on the floor.

"For what reason you gave Anastasha Asghar the record book of the people from the Demonic Cult?" The princess asked.

"I did it for the empire’s benefit, Imperial Princess," Cyuren answered.

"For the empire’s benefit, you say?" The princess asked. "There are two people that I despise the most. Do you know who those people are?" She added.

"No, Imperial Princess," Cyuren shook his head.

"Incompetent people, and those who believed a woman’s words," the princess revealed. "People like you only know what men think. Do you know how and why the empire still exists to this day? Because a mind of a man is predictable by another man, but a mind of a woman, no man can ever predict them," she added.

"A man can often anticipate another man’s ambitions because they were shaped by similar expectations. A woman in politics has lived under different expectations, learned different survival strategies, and that’s they can’t be analyzed with the same method you always used," the princess explained. "Right now, you think you’ve understood a woman well enough to take her words at face value, you’ve already made your first strategic mistake, Registrar," she added.

Cyuren was speechless, he didn’t have anything to say because there was nothing to defend since he did accept Anastasha’s ambition and honesty at face value. He had just given Anastasha a weapon to ruin her own family, and soon he would realize that the same weapon would be pointed elsewhere once she had achieved her goal.

Cyuren stood up from his chair and slowly kowtowed in front of the princess. He didn’t speak for forgiveness or for mercy, he presented his life to the princess that was sitting in front of him.

"What do you think you’re doing, Registrar? I said that the culprit should present their life tomorrow morning in the palace, not here in this room," The princess asked.

"My life worth nothing, Imperial Princess, and what I have done... I realized I have endangered the empire, creating a threat more dangerous than it has ever faced. I... have nothing else to offer but my life, Imperial Princess," Cyuren spoke quietly, his hands trembling at the idea of his existence being the one who brought the empire’s downfall.

"Your life or anyone’s life are replacable, and the emperor doesn’t care about one life over the others. No, in fact, the emperor doesn’t care about the lives, the emperor only cares about the purpose of those lives. What you said is the truth, before even you made a mistake, Registrar, and long before I was born," the princess pointed out.

Cyuren didn’t know what to say anymore, and it was the first time he had encountered the first princess that high-ranking officials had talked about. He remembered that his foster father, the eunuch that served the emperor and managed to be favored by the emperor himself, warned Cyuren about the first princess countless of times. He finally felt what it felt like to stand before the first princess, the current strategist of the Khan Empire, Neesa Khan.

"As we speak, your foster father is kowtowing in front of the emperor, begging to spare your life, Registrar Cyuren. In this moment, the life you hold dearly is in my hand because the emperor has entrusted me with this matter," Neesa revealed. "Do you want death or do you want to devote your whole existence only to the empire?" She asked.

Cyuren pressed his forehead and nose even harder on the floor, he realized there was not life or death in the option, only physical death or the death of his identity.

"I will devote myself only to the empire, Imperial Princess," Cyuren answered with conviction.

"Understood. Tomorrow, you will face the emperor," the princess hummed and nodded with understanding as she slowly rose from her seat. "Now that the matter has been solved, I have to hurry and prepare for the next issue," she paused to fix her dress. "Anastasha Asghar is on her way to the Immortal Mountain. Is that correct?" She asked.

Cyuren’s eyes widened and he could feel his heart skipped a beat when Neesa mentioned Anastasha.

"Yes, Imperial Princess. She plans to watch the Heavenly Alliance tournament with the guests she brought into the empire," Cyuren nodded, grazing his forehead and nose against the floor.

"Warn her..." Neesa paused. "Warn her that Neesa Khan is coming to see her," she revealed as she walked past Cyuren and then left the room.