"Nineteen Tiger Generals, heed my command."
Yang Cheng's cold voice rolled through the war council like thunder. "Each of you will lead one army. March to your assigned fronts. Any who rebel—kill without mercy!"
"By your command!"
The Nine Tiger Generals answered in unison, their voices echoing like crashing waves. Each led a mighty host, nine vast legions surging out from Fengtian City in nine different directions, roaring like a flood breaking its dam.
Every one of these generals had reached the realm of Martial Emperor. The troops under their command had been forged by Yang Cheng himself—trained, equipped, and disciplined to the same standards as those used to face threats from beyond the heavens.
Compared to them, the private armies of the Great Zhou noble houses were nothing but paper tigers.
What happened next stunned the entire empire.
Every rebel front collapsed like rotten wood. The so-called powerful defenses of the great clans disintegrated layer by layer, shattering under the overwhelming assault of the imperial armies.
Zhuang Clan Territory — Zhaocheng.
Shen Muxue stood on the battlefield in gleaming silver armor, her long spear resting in her hand. Behind her stretched ranks upon ranks of Great Zhou soldiers, their killing intent surging to the heavens.
Upon the city walls, Zhuang Gumo glared down, his face ashen with fury. "Shen Muxue! You're nothing but Yang Cheng's dog. How dare you march on Zhuang City?"
An elderly man stepped out from behind him, his aura heavy and fierce. This was the Zhuang clan's hidden powerhouse—an old Martial Emperor.
"A woman dares to shout before me?"
His eyes gleamed with disdain as he leapt from the city walls, divine energy exploding around him as he struck down toward Shen Muxue.
Shen Muxue's eyes went cold. She moved in a blur, her own Martial Emperor aura erupting with terrifying force. Her spear swept through the air, meeting the old man's attack head-on.
A sharp crack rang out.
"Crack!"
Bone shattered. The old Martial Emperor screamed as his arm was smashed to pieces, his body flung backward to crash into the city wall.
"Impossible…"
Zhuang Gumo's eyes widened in shock.
She—Yang Cheng's mere maid—possessed such terrifying strength?
Shen Muxue didn't bother replying. She simply raised her spear, her voice like ice. "Attack!"
The Great Zhou soldiers surged forward like a rising tide, their killing shouts shaking the heavens as they stormed the city.
Zhuang Gumo watched as Zhuang City fell into chaos. Desperation twisted his face into madness. He yanked out a black token from his robes and crushed it in his palm.
"Senior of the Chen Clan of the Horn Constellation Realm, I beg for your aid!"
The moment his voice faded, a violent spiritual pressure tore open the void above the city. From the rift stepped an old man in black robes—Chen Tiannan, a peak Insight God expert from the Chen family of the Horn Constellation Realm.
"How dare a bunch of backwater barbarians touch the vassals of my Chen Clan?"
Chen Tiannan's gaze swept over Shen Muxue like a blade, his tone dripping with disdain.
Zhuang Gumo's despair turned to wild joy. "Elder Chen, you've come at last! That wretch has no idea how high the heavens are—please, kill her!"
"Die."
Chen Tiannan flicked his finger. A strand of black true energy shot out like lightning, aimed straight at Shen Muxue's forehead.
But before it could land, a figure flashed before her like a streak of light. The tip of a spear struck the dark qi at its core.
"Boom!"
The energy exploded into nothingness.
Standing before Shen Muxue was a tall man clad in armor—Yun Jinghuai, his aura vast and deep as an abyss. The pressure of Insight God, Ninth Layer rolled from him like a crashing tide.
"Insight God, Ninth Layer?"
Chen Tiannan's expression twisted in disbelief. His eyes widened as panic flickered through them.
Yun Jinghuai's gaze was calm, indifferent. He said nothing. His spear moved like a dragon breaking from the sea, its point flashing with divine light as it pierced straight through Chen Tiannan's forehead.
"Pfft!"
Blood sprayed through the air. Chen Tiannan's eyes went wide with horror before his body fell limp, crashing into the ground below.
Life extinguished.
Zhuang Gumo stood frozen, his mind blank. His knees gave out, and he slumped to the ground, mumbling to himself in despair. "It's over… it's all over…"
Shen Muxue gestured coldly. "Take him."
The soldiers moved in, binding the terrified remnants of the Zhuang clan.
They had completely misjudged His Highness.
They had no idea what kind of power they were facing.
At the same time, in the Xu Clan's domain, a similar scene unfolded.
Xu Wanli, the clan patriarch, had summoned his hidden ally—Chu Yan, a peak Insight God elder from the Iron Sword Sect.
Chu Yan appeared in the sky, his aura surging. But before he could even boast, a golden figure plummeted from above like divine retribution—
It was Yang Cheng's Golden Corpse Puppet.
"Crack!"
The Golden Corpse Puppet swung its fist. The punch ripped through the air, the sheer force tearing space apart before it smashed straight into Chu Yan's body.
"Boom!"
The old man exploded midair, blood and flesh scattering like crimson rain.
Xu Wanli's soul nearly left his body in terror. His legs gave out as the soldiers of Great Zhou rushed forward and seized him on the spot.
In just half a month, the rebellion that had swept across the Great Zhou was crushed completely under Yang Cheng's iron-blooded command.
The Xu clan, Zhuang clan, and all other noble houses that had taken the lead in revolt were eradicated—every member executed, their estates and wealth confiscated by the crown.
Inside the Taihe Hall, Grand Secretariat Head Xu Yan stood pale and hollow-eyed.
Only now did he truly understand. The Crown Prince's "iron-blooded rule" wasn't a boast—it was reality.
Before absolute power, all schemes, balance, and politics were nothing but a farce.
Yang Cheng stood calmly before the dragon throne, his robes unruffled, his gaze sweeping across the silent court. His voice echoed coldly through the vast hall.
"From this day forth, in the realm of Great Zhou—any who collude with foreign forces shall be executed by lingchi, and their entire clans exterminated."
——
Later, in the inner palace, within the Radiant Sunlight Hall.
Noble Consort Zhuang Wanrong sat before her dressing mirror, her hands trembling slightly as she adjusted her hair. Her expression betrayed unease.
She had heard bits and pieces of what was happening beyond the palace walls, but no new news had come in for days. She didn't know whether the situation outside had turned in her favor—or against her.
Still, she clung to hope. As long as the noble clans won, she thought, I will regain my power and glory.
That belief was the only thing keeping her calm.
"Your Ladyship, Virtuous Consort Yun has arrived."
The palace maid's voice carried a faint tremor.
Zhuang Wanrong turned sharply. At the doorway, Consort He, Yun Yirou, entered in a simple yet elegant palace gown. Her expression was serene, her lips curved into a small smile.
"Consort He? What brings you here?"
Zhuang Wanrong rose immediately, her tone laced with suspicion and hostility.
Consort He had once been cast into the Cold Palace by the Empress Yun Liyue, yet later, thanks to the Empress's mercy, she had been reinstated. Now she was known throughout the inner court as the "Empress's loyal shadow."
The smile on Consort He's face deepened slightly. "Naturally, I came to watch the spectacle."
"Watch the spectacle?"
Zhuang Wanrong scoffed coldly. "Consort He, don't be so smug. Don't think I don't know what's happening outside. The Crown Prince's purge of the noble houses has already thrown the empire into chaos. The Splendid Radiance Hall holds little true power. Once the situation turns, let's see how long you can keep smiling. When your mistress falls, her lackey will follow!"
In her mind, the Zhuang clan still stood strong. The great clans had joined forces, and even foreign powers from beyond the heavens were backing them. Victory, she believed, was inevitable.
Consort He simply shook her head, pity flickering in her eyes. "You really don't know anything, do you?"
She stepped closer and spoke softly, her words cutting like a cold blade. "I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. The Crown Prince didn't cause chaos—he ended it. In just half a month, he crushed the rebellion and wiped out your Zhuang clan along with the Xu family."
Zhuang Wanrong froze.
Her face went deathly pale, disbelief twisting her features. "Impossible! You're lying! The Zhuang clan and the other noble families have ruled Great Zhou for two thousand years (2,000 years)! You expect me to believe they were destroyed just like that? You're trying to deceive me!"
She stared hard into Consort He's eyes, searching for even the slightest hint of deceit—but there was none.
Consort He's calm, unflinching expression sent a chill through her bones.
Before she could say more, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the hall.
A tall eunuch from the Tranquil Longevity Palace entered, holding a horsetail whisk. His face was cold and unreadable.
"Imperial Consort Zhuang, receive the decree."
He unrolled a bright yellow imperial edict.
Zhuang Wanrong trembled all over but forced herself to kneel, her voice shaking. "This concubine… receives the decree."
The eunuch's voice rang clear as he read aloud:
"By the mandate of Heaven, the Empress Dowager decrees: Imperial Consort Zhuang, born of the Zhuang clan, whose family betrayed the grace of the throne, conspired with traitors, and ignited rebellion—her sins implicate her entire clan. For her lack of virtue and moral conduct, unworthy of her position in the harem, she is hereby stripped of her title and confined to the Emerald Water Palace for life. Thus decreed."
"Impossible!"
Zhuang Wanrong's scream shattered the silence.
Her body went limp, collapsing to the ground. The jade hairpin in her hand slipped free, shattering into pieces on the marble floor.
Tears streaked her powdered face as she shook her head in despair. "No! There must be some mistake! I want to see the Empress Dowager—I demand to see her!"
But no one answered.
Her cries echoed faintly through the empty Radiant Sunlight Hall, swallowed by the endless, cold corridors of the Great Zhou Palace.