The Star Luo Empire is destroyed!
After the kiss, Tang Qing's gaze remained calm.
A hint of hesitation and struggle flashed in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes.
Suddenly, she stopped what she was doing, stepped out from behind the dragon throne, and came to Tang Qing.
With a thud.
She knelt down, her forehead pressed deeply against the cold floor tiles.
"Owner!"
Upon seeing this, Qian Renxue frowned slightly but remained silent.
Tang Qing's expression remained unchanged as he calmly looked at Zhu Zhuqing, who was prostrate on the ground.
"explain."
One word: simple and clear.
Zhu Zhuqing's body trembled slightly, and her voice became tearful.
"Please, Master... have mercy."
"Davis is dead, and my sister Zhu Zhuyun also died at his hands. The feud between the Dai family and the Zhu family is now over."
Crystalline tears slid down her cheeks, dripping onto the ground and splashing into a tiny water droplet.
"The rest of the Zhu family... they are innocent; they did not participate in any of Dai Tianfeng's decisions."
"Please, Master, spare the Zhu family... The entire Zhu family is willing to serve you for generations and never betray you!"
She raised her head, and her usually aloof and stunning face was now streaked with tears, filled with pleading and despair.
The main hall was deathly silent.
Only Zhu Zhuqing's suppressed sobs echoed in the air.
Tang Qing's gaze lingered on her, and he remained silent for a long time.
He was thinking.
The Zhu family, as the royal family of the Star Luo Empire, has a deeply entrenched and powerful influence.
But the head of the family in this generation is Empress Zhu Hongye. The entire family is almost entirely composed of women.
Killing them would not benefit him much; on the contrary, it would incite the other nobles in the Star Luo Empire to unite against him.
Keeping them around will be of great use.
Having the Zhu family step in to appease those wavering city-states and nobles would allow the Zhu family to accelerate their control over the entire Star Luo Empire several times over.
He didn't have much time to waste on these trivial matters.
a long time.
Tang Qing finally spoke.
"Get up."
His voice was calm, revealing no emotion.
Zhu Zhuqing felt as if she had been granted a pardon, but she remained kneeling on the ground, not daring to get up, her tearful eyes filled with expectation as she looked at him.
"For your sake."
Tang Qing said slowly.
"I can give the Zhu family a chance."
"Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!"
Zhu Zhuqing was overjoyed and wept, repeatedly kowtowing.
"Go, summon Zhu Hongye and the core members of the Zhu family to see me," Tang Qing ordered.
"yes!"
Zhu Zhuqing quickly responded, wiped away her tears, and respectfully withdrew from the main hall.
Not long after.
Led by Empress Zhu Hongye, a group of Zhu family women dressed in plain clothes and looking terrified were led to the center of the main hall.
They looked at the young man sitting high on the dragon throne, their eyes filled with fear and unease.
This man was the one who destroyed the Dai Dynasty and determined the fate of their entire family.
"Greetings, Your Excellency."
Zhu Hongye was the first to kneel down, her voice trembling.
Although she was the empress and still possessed considerable charm, at this moment, all her dignity and majesty had vanished, leaving only fear of the unknown.
Tang Qing's gaze swept over them one by one, finally landing on Zhu Hongye's face.
"Zhu Zhuqing has pleaded a way for you to live."
"Now, I need you to do one thing for me."
His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.
"In the name of the Zhu family, issue a message to all cities and nobles of the Star Luo Empire."
"Those who obey me will prosper, those who oppose me will perish."
"I want to see a complete Star Luo Empire that submits to me in the shortest possible time."
Upon hearing this, the Zhu family women below the main hall trembled in unison, their faces drained of color.
Those who obey me will prosper, those who oppose me will perish.
They had no doubt that if any noble family in any city dared to defy them, they would suffer a fate even more tragic than that of the Dai royal family.
And their Zhu family will become the first sword wielded by this new monarch against the entire Star Luo Empire.
Zhu Hongye took a deep breath, lowered her head even further, and her voice no longer carried any trace of the empress's grace, only utter obedience.
"I will obey Your Excellency's orders."
"The entire Zhu family will certainly handle this matter properly for you, sir."
Tang Qing nodded slightly and waved.
"Go."
"yes."
Zhu Hongye felt as if she had been granted a pardon, and quickly led a group of distraught Zhu family women, bowing respectfully as they withdrew from the suffocating hall.
The heavy palace doors slowly closed, and silence returned to the palace once more.
Qian Renxue remained nestled in Tang Qing's arms, raising her incomparably handsome face and gazing at him with her golden eyes.
"The Star Luo Empire has a vast territory, with numerous vassal states and cities, many of which are stubborn noble families with histories spanning hundreds or even thousands of years."
Her voice was soft, with a hint of inquiry.
"What if...someone refuses to submit?"
Upon hearing this, Tang Qing smiled slightly and lowered his head, his nose almost touching Qian Renxue's.
"I have made my words very clear."
"Those who obey me will prosper, those who oppose me will perish."
"The Zhu family is the knife, and the 'Shadow' Legion is the whetstone."
"Anyone who disagrees, anyone who wants to be that stubborn rock, 'Shadowless' will show them what it means to be reduced to dust."
"I have neither the time nor the interest to play those tricks of forming alliances with them."
"Those who resist, die."
...
Night has fallen.
Inside the sleeping quarters of the Star Luo Imperial Palace.
The dragon bed that once belonged to Dai Tianfeng has now been replaced with brand new brocade bedding, and a faint calming fragrance permeates the air.
Tang Qing leaned against the headboard, wearing only a loose silk robe.
The door to the bedchamber was gently pushed open, and a graceful figure walked in.
Zhu Zhuqing had already taken a bath, removed her tight leather armor, and changed into a black gauze dress as thin as a cicada's wing.
Her long, wet hair was casually draped over her shoulders, and water droplets slid down her fair neck, disappearing into the deep cleavage, leaving much to the imagination.
She walked slowly to the bedside, her long, beautiful legs, usually encased in leather pants, were faintly visible under the light gauze, swaying with each step in a breathtaking arc.
Those legs, straight and well-proportioned, exuded a feline explosiveness and suppleness, possessing a fatal attraction for any man.
"Owner."
Zhu Zhuqing called softly, then knelt down by the bedside. Her deep green cat eyes rippled with endless gratitude and tenderness.
She knew that if it weren't for the man in front of her, the Zhu family would have already been ravaged by blood.
She had no way to repay this kindness.
Only by using everything in one's power to please and serve him can one truly succeed.
Tang Qing didn't speak, but simply reached out and gently lifted her chin.
Zhu Zhuqing obediently raised her head and took the initiative to kiss his lips.
Tonight, she is completely different from the aloof wildcat with sharp claws she usually is.
She became exceptionally proactive, enthusiastic, and hardworking.
Like a real cat, she rubbed against Tang Qing with her shapely body, every movement exuding ultimate allure.
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