Everyone present cried out, "Long live Her Majesty the Empress!"
Even Yan Lingji couldn't help feeling a surge of pleasure.
For the first time, she truly felt the taste of power.
She had to admit, being hailed by the masses as "Her Majesty the Empress" really did make her feel a little dizzy with it.
But she knew very well that she owed her position as empress to her master, who had raised her up with his own hands.
Her master enjoyed the thrill of wantonly playing with an empress.
A woman of noble status, casually toyed with by him.
As a temptress, Yan Lingji could naturally understand that feeling.
What man wouldn't like it?
A woman who stood high above everyone, yet was wantonly toyed with like a little beast.
It could greatly satisfy their desire to conquer.
Her master was no exception.
Na'er watched this scene and blinked.
It all felt so strange.
And Sister Yan Lingji looked so domineering like this.
She seemed even more captivating than before.
She didn't look like the same sister who had always teased her.
"Na'er, you need to learn from your sister."
Jiang Ce's voice rang in Na'er's mind.
The black bodysuit beneath her dress tightened slightly.
Na'er's cheeks reddened, and she answered softly, "I understand, Brother."
"First order."
Yan Lingji sat upon the imperial throne, nine snowy-white fox tails swaying gently behind her as her peach-blossom eyes swept over everyone in the hall.
"Seal every gate in the imperial palace. People may enter, but none may leave."
"Zhao Tieyi, Chief Guard of the Imperial Palace."
Zhao Tieyi dropped to one knee, his forehead touching the ground. "Present."
"Take your men and seal every gate, side entrance, and back door in the palace. No one may enter or leave. Anyone who dares to secretly pass on messages or let someone out of the palace—execute them."
"As you command."
Though Zhao Tieyi was unwilling, his directives and principles of conduct had been rewritten. He could only force himself to stand and stride away.
He was the chief of the imperial guards, once sworn to protect the royal family. But now, he had become a puppet.
The enemy was too powerful, too terrifying.
He was utterly powerless to resist.
"Xue Jianfeng, commander of the Royal Knights."
Xue Jianfeng also knelt flat on the ground. "Present."
"Take your knights and patrol the perimeter of the palace. Coordinate with the guards to seal it off. Don't let a single fly escape."
"...As you command."
Xue Jianfeng gritted his teeth and turned to leave.
Yan Lingji looked at the Heaven Dou Emperor, who knelt at the very front, and curled her lips into a faint smile.
"Heaven Dou Emperor."
The Heaven Dou Emperor shuddered all over.
"You know every blade of grass and every tree in this palace better than anyone, don't you?"
"...What do you want?"
The Heaven Dou Emperor raised his head and looked at Yan Lingji, his voice low.
"You'll lead the way. Search every secret chamber, treasury, and passage in the palace, as well as the private treasuries of past emperors and the collections of the Worship Hall. Take inventory of everything. Leave nothing out."
The Heaven Dou Emperor's face turned ashen, and his body rose to its feet against his will.
"Take a team of guards and a few civil officials with you. Follow the former emperor of the empire."
Yan Lingji waved to the guards below.
"Move everything of value in the palace to the main hall. Don't leave a single thing behind."
"Your Majesty, if anything is missing..." She smiled.
"You know the consequences."
The Heaven Dou Emperor's old face flushed red. He trembled with humiliation, yet couldn't utter a word.
His body no longer obeyed his will. It was forcibly controlling his actions.
He turned and led the guards and civil officials out of the hall.
"Yang Hai, commander of the Imperial Army."
"Your subordinate is here."
Yang Hai knelt on one knee, his head bowed.
"Take your men and seize control of the four gates of Heaven Dou Imperial City. The city-defense guards, the city-defense battalion, and the patrols, too."
"Your subordinate obeys."
Yang Hai rose and headed out of the hall.
"Sister, you go with them, too."
Yan Lingji said this to one of the clones beside her.
The other woman gave her a seductive smile, then left with Yang Hai.
Yan Lingji looked at her seven remaining clones.
"Sisters, split up and take control of all the nobles in Heaven Dou Imperial City."
After all, when it came to controlling people, her abilities were naturally the strongest.
Her innate divine ability, Heavenly Illusion.
She could directly rewrite their consciousness and thoughts, implant new memories, and weave dreams.
It was perfect for controlling those filthy nobles who loved stirring up trouble and causing chaos.
The seven clones answered in unison, then vanished in a flash through the hall's doors.
Yan Lingji turned to the nobles and officials trembling in the hall.
"You lot—and the people from the Finance Office, too."
"Go. Take stock of the imperial treasury and all the tax records from previous years. Check every single income and expense."
"I want to know where the empire's money has gone all these years."
Several officials in charge of the finances turned deathly pale. Their bodies rose against their will, and they headed out of the hall.
The nobles and officials left behind watched Yan Lingji issue one order after another, their hearts sinking lower and lower.
This woman wasn't here to grab what she could and run.
She truly meant to take control of the entire Heaven Dou Empire and turn it upside down.
They knew that from this day forward, the Heaven Dou Empire had truly entered a new era.
Yan Lingji leaned back against the throne, tapping the armrest with her fingers as her peach-blossom eyes swept over the trembling figures.
"Now..."
She smiled sweetly.
"It's time to settle accounts."
"Tell me. Who among you has committed crimes that outrage heaven and the people—lawlessness, human trafficking, and all manner of evil?"
"Confess on your own."
In the hall,
the controlled nobles' faces twisted, their eyes full of terror.
They knew Yan Lingji was going to settle accounts with them.
Their consciousness struggled frantically, trying to control their bodies, keep their mouths shut, and flee—
But their bodies simply wouldn't obey.
Their mouths opened against their will.
The first marquis's voice squeezed out of his throat, trembling with tears.
"I... My name is Zhao Shirong. I'm the chief aide to Duke Xue Lingshan..."
"For the past fifteen years, I've handled the transportation of thirty-seven batches of 'material' for the duke...
Each batch had between fifty and a hundred people, all commoners abducted from villages and towns along the border...
The elderly, women, and children... They were all sent to the Dark Blood Alliance's alchemy furnaces..."
The hall erupted in an uproar.
The second earl's mouth opened, too.
"I... On my own lands, twenty or thirty people 'disappeared' every month... I sold them all to the Black Cloud Chamber of Commerce..."
"To meet the quota... I once ordered every orphanage in my territory emptied... Three thousand five hundred children, the youngest only two years old..."
The third viscount spoke.
"I... I had dozens of maids in my manor... After I was done with them, I threw them down a well..."
The fourth man spoke.
"I... I helped Duke Xue Lingshan launder money... I kept the Black Cloud Chamber of Commerce's books..."
One noble after another opened their mouths against their will.
One heinous crime after another was laid bare.
Human trafficking.
Seizing farmland by force.
Establishing private torture chambers.
Colluding with Evil Soul Masters.
Buying and selling official posts.
Embezzling the imperial treasury.
Every single charge was horrifying.
The nobles in the hall turned deathly pale and trembled all over.
They knew—their turn was next.
They knew best of all what they had done.
Sure enough, the mouths of those nobles who hadn't yet spoken opened against their will.
"I... I was involved, too..."
"I... I helped Duke Xue Lingshan transport 'material'..."
"I... I took bribes from the Black Cloud Chamber of Commerce..."
One after another, they all confessed.
The few upright officials and ordinary nobles in the hall stared at the scene in disbelief.
They knew that hardly any nobles considered commoners human.
But they'd never imagined the nobles could be this depraved.
Only one man's eyes gleamed.
Wang Hai.
The official who had risen through the ranks on the strength of his military service, despite his commoner origins.
He stood among the crowd, watching Yan Lingji issue one order after another and the heinous nobles confess their crimes one by one. His excitement grew.
His eyes shone.
Her Majesty the Empress truly wanted what was best for the empire.
She hadn't come to fight for power or change dynasties and seize territory.
She was truly rooting out the parasites and ridding the people of their tormentors.
From this day forward, the Heaven Dou Empire had a true ruler.
Yan Lingji glanced over the nobles who had confessed their crimes. There were dozens of them.
She slowly rose to her feet, looking down at them from above.
"According to the laws of Heaven Dou, the crimes you've committed..."
"No. According to the new laws."
"Those who traffic in people shall be executed."
"Those who collude with evil Soul Masters shall be executed."
"Those who seize farmland by force, establish private torture chambers, or embezzle the imperial treasury shall be executed."
"Your crimes will be added together."
She paused.
"You shall suffer the ultimate punishment."
The dozens of nobles trembled violently.
They wanted to beg for mercy, speak, and kowtow.
But they couldn't open their mouths.
They couldn't lower their heads.
Their bodies wouldn't obey them at all.
All they could do was kneel there and watch helplessly as their doom descended.
"However..."
Yan Lingji changed tack, the corner of her lips curling into a bloodthirsty smile.
"Just killing you would be too easy."
"My master said..."
At those words, the hall erupted in an uproar.
Master?
Everyone looked up, staring at Yan Lingji in disbelief.
Such a powerful woman had stormed the imperial city and seized control of them all.
Even the Heaven Dou Emperor was kneeling at her feet—and she still had a master?
An even greater fear welled up in everyone's hearts.
Just who was her master?
And what kind of terrifying being could he be?
Yan Lingji paid no heed to their shock.
She raised a hand, her peach-blossom eyes full of amusement.
"Let's go through the Ten Great Tortures of the Qing Dynasty, one by one."
"We'll take our time."
Though the nobles had no idea what the Ten Great Tortures of the Qing Dynasty were, they could tell they were in for a terrible time. Their faces turned deathly pale.
"Spare us! Your Majesty, spare us! We'll never dare do it again!"
"Please, just give us a quick death! No torture! Please!"
"Your Majesty! I'll give you my entire fortune! I only ask that you let me die!"
"Your Majesty! I'll give you anything you want! Just don't make me suffer those tortures!"
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