A Daughter Offered on a Snowy Night! Xue Ke's Alluring Temptation!

His mood for flirting with the beauty had been interrupted.

Tang Yu slowly turned his face, casting an indifferent glance at Great Emperor Xue Ye.

It was merely a gaze devoid of any emotion.

The smile on Great Emperor Xue Ye's face froze instantly, and his entire being felt as if he had plunged into an ice cellar.

In those pitch-black eyes, he saw not a shred of reverence for imperial power, but only a purgatorial scene of corpses strewn across the fields and rivers of blood.

This was a terrifying fiend who had truly carved his way out of a mountain of corpses; the shadow of death pressing directly upon his soul made the throat of this high-and-mighty monarch tighten.

A fine layer of cold sweat instantly seeped from his forehead.

Terrified to the core, Great Emperor Xue Ye dared not press the matter any further.

To alleviate this deadly awkwardness, he could only throw his head back and let out a dry, hollow laugh.

"Come, come! My ministers, join me in a toast!"

He hurriedly turned his head to raise his wine cup toward the officials below.

Yet, under the cover of the wide wine vessel, a trace of extreme, dense gloom was growing wildly within his turbid, aged eyes.

Time slipped away bit by bit, and this extravagant victory banquet gradually drew to a close.

Great Emperor Xue Ye took a deep breath, adjusted his facial expression, stood up from the dragon throne, and swept his gaze across the hall.

The previously noisy hall fell silent instantly; all the court officials set down their cups, holding their breath in concentration.

"Marquis of Wuyang has campaigned abroad, shaking the world with his might, and has achieved unprecedented, immortal merit for our Heaven Dou Empire!"

"Today, at this victory banquet, I officially issue an imperial decree: I hereby confer the title of Prince upon Tang Yu!"

"The prosperous lands of the three northwestern provinces of the empire are all designated as his private fiefdom; he need not pay taxes and shall have full authority to govern them himself!"

As these words fell, the entire hall plunged into a deathly silence.

The officials widened their eyes in shock, the sound of gasping breaths rising one after another.

Ennobled as a Prince at eighteen!

In the history of the Heaven Dou Empire since its founding, this was absolutely the first time such a thing had ever happened.

Not to mention the direct severance of three entire provinces as a private fiefdom; this was equivalent to acknowledging the existence of another state within a state on the map of the Heaven Dou Empire.

After the brief shock, the hall instantly boiled over.

Those high-ranking officials and nobles no longer cared for court etiquette; they left their seats one after another to approach Tang Yu, bowing and offering congratulations repeatedly, fearing that falling even a step behind would displease this newly minted Prince.

Listening to the chaotic chorus of congratulations, Tang Yu leaned back in his chair, his slender fingers tapping lightly on the table.

The three northwestern provinces.

He quickly sketched the layout of the Heaven Dou Empire's map in his mind.

That region had complex terrain and was extremely rich in mineral resources.

Most importantly, that vast area happened to border the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, one of the Upper Three Sects.

The hall was filled with the fragrance of wine.

After the conferment was complete, the officials quickly recovered from their shock and began raising their cups, offering toast after toast to Tang Yu at the head of the hall.

This was the youngest prince of a different surname in the Heaven Dou Empire, and an absolute hegemon who held the power of life and death over the three northwestern provinces.

Anyone who could strike up a friendship now would surely be able to walk sideways in the imperial court later.

Facing these hypocritical flatteries, Tang Yu merely took a casual sip from his cup. He did not even look the ministers in the eye, appearing languid.

If this were anyone else, they would have long been charged with the crime of lèse-majesté, but with Tang Yu, the officials felt it was only natural.

A melodious and winding sound of silk and bamboo instruments rose quietly from both sides of the hall.

Dozens of dancers with graceful figures stepped with light, dainty steps into the center of the hall.

The woman in the lead was exceptionally eye-catching.

She wore a bright yellow cutout dance dress, her skin as white as lard.

Her exquisite features were flawless, and her brow carried an innate air of nobility.

This woman was none other than the apple of the Heaven Dou Empire's eye, Xue Ke.

Accompanied by the rhythm of the orchestra, Xue Ke danced gracefully in the center of the hall.

Every turn and every arch of her back displayed her proud, stunning figure to the fullest.

During the dance, Xue Ke's gaze frequently drifted toward Tang Yu, who sat at the highest point.

She knew better than anyone the intention behind her father's arrangement of this dance.

Great Emperor Xue Ye wanted to use a honey trap, having her marry this immensely powerful Marquis of Wuyang, so as to bind this god of slaughter to the war chariot of the Heaven Dou imperial family.

Regarding this scheme, Xue Ke felt not a shred of reluctance.

Not to mention that Tang Yu had sword-like brows and star-like eyes, his heroic spirit piercingly intense.

With the peerless merit of leading the Black Horse Iron Cavalry to crush ten Star Luo cities and forcing the Star Luo Emperor to cede territory and pay reparations, what woman in this world wouldn't want to marry him?

Becoming the woman of such an unparalleled powerhouse is the ultimate dream of every woman.

Yet before tonight, Xue Ke's heart was filled with helplessness.

Because no matter how she showed her affection, both openly and covertly, Tang Yu had always shown a lack of interest in her.

But tonight, the situation had undergone a completely different change.

As the dance steps shifted, Xue Ke keenly sensed that Tang Yu was actually watching her with great interest today.

That gaze even carried a hint of undisguised aggression.

Does he like me?

This discovery caused a surge of immense joy in Xue Ke's heart.

To hold the man's gaze, her dance steps became even more vigorous.

As her skirt fluttered, those fair, slender legs appeared and disappeared, radiating a lethal allure.

She wore no shoes today, her bare feet treading upon the soft Western Regions Carpet.

Those exquisite, petite jade feet possessed an extreme sense of beauty; every time her toes touched the ground, it was as if she were plucking at his heartstrings.

"Xue Ke."

Tang Yu rested his chin on one hand, his eyes scanning Xue Ke in the center of the hall.

He made a decision in his mind instantly.

This princess was a top-tier beauty, both in appearance and figure.

Since she was performing so hard, he might as well take her into his chambers.

Great Emperor Xue Ye, sitting nearby, took in the change in Tang Yu's gaze, and a look of surprise flashed across his aged face.

Before this, in order to win over Tang Yu, Great Emperor Xue Ye had sent gold, silver, treasures, and rare herbs, yet he had never seen Tang Yu show much of a reaction.

He had assumed this god of slaughter was only interested in killing on the battlefield.

Now that he saw Tang Yu finally revealing his true nature as a man, Great Emperor Xue Ye immediately leaned in closer and asked with a playful tone:

"Marquis of Wuyang."

"What do you think of this daughter of mine?"

Tang Yu turned his head and evaluated her without reservation.

"Naturally beautiful, a rare find."

Hearing these eight words, Great Emperor Xue Ye felt a surge of wild joy in his heart.

As long as Tang Yu had designs on Xue Ke, this game of chess was alive.

The banquet lasted until late at night before finally coming to an end.

The ministers left the main hall one after another.

Great Emperor Xue Ye cleared his throat and summoned Xue Ke to his side.

"Ke'er."

"The Marquis of Wuyang has had quite a bit to drink tonight; you shall escort the Marquis back to his residence to rest on behalf of your father."

As the old emperor spoke, he gave his daughter frantic hints with his eyes.