Chapter 2215: The Empress

"Oh, you heard all of that?" Shang Hongyu felt a blush creep up her face. "Those old farts, completely disrespectful, only concerned with the interests of the Sea Clan! They truly infuriated me!"

Previously, some clan leaders and elders from the prominent families had privately approached her. They began by offering seemingly sincere condolences, urging her to grieve, and even advised her to plan for her own happiness in the future.

Shang Hongyu was initially angry, believing that after the Dragon King's death, those individuals had become brazen enough to harbor designs on her.

Little did she know, those people then began to subtly hint that Zu An was young and handsome, a top-tier combatant in the world, and that if he supported the Human and Demon Clans, the Sea Clan's situation would become dire.

They also noted that Zu An had done a great service for the Sea Clan and needed to be properly repaid, lamenting that currently, the only ones with a good relationship with him in the Sea Clan were the queen and her sister.

Although everyone spoke ambiguously, she was not so naive as to miss their meaning. It was clear they wanted her to use her charms to seduce Zu An, so the Sea Clan could receive his favor, or at least, if conflicts arose between the Sea Clan, Humans, and Demons, Zu An wouldn't take sides.

She was utterly incensed at the time.

She had been teetering on the brink of death these past few days, pursued by the demon's subordinates, and it was only by a fortunate coincidence that she encountered Zu An.

Later, to gain the demon's trust, she even had to sacrifice her purity—though now, looking back, it didn't feel like a sacrifice at all. Being with Zu An was indeed a wonderful and enjoyable experience, but she had already given far too much.

Yet these individuals had done nothing from beginning to end, and in the end, to thank Zu An, they wanted to use her as a sacrifice. What was that if not being generous at someone else's expense?

Her willingness to be with Zu An was because their feelings had reached that stage, a mutual desire. If intertwined with these mercenary interests, what would it become then?

If Zu An were to learn of these underlying motives, what would he think of her?

So, in the mourning hall, she had angrily stormed out. She had originally come to chat with Zu An and her sister to clear her mind, but who knew their conversation would lead them to the table, the windowsill, the wall... and beyond.

Oh, if those people knew, who knows how they would secretly mock me.

Pretending to be proper on the surface, yet she was the one who willingly offered herself...

Sensing her current emotions, Zu An frowned. "It seems I was too lenient with them before; they actually dared to pressure you like this."

Shang Hongyu was startled and quickly tried to dissuade him. "Actually, it's not entirely their fault. If it were me, I'd probably resort to such a desperate measure for the sake of the Sea Clan. Please don't be angry."

If her actions were to lead to another conflict between Zu An and the Sea Clan—which would undoubtedly be a one-sided routing—she would surely blame herself.

Zu An asked gravely, "Who do you intend to establish as the new king?"

Shang Hongyu shook her head slightly. "Because the Dragon King felt he was in his prime, he never named an heir. Now, several of his sons have a claim, and each has a group of supporters. Their forces are evenly matched, so whoever becomes the new king, the other factions will not accept him. That's why everything is currently at a stalemate."

"There's no need to be troubled by this. You can be the new ruler," Zu An said with a smile.

If she had a son, he could be supported to the throne, but she had no children. Rather than supporting the Dragon King's other sons, it would be better to directly support her ascent to power.

"Me? I'm just a woman, I can't possibly do it!" Shang Hongyu was startled, shaking her head vigorously.

"Why not? Who says a woman can't be a ruler? There are many queens in this world, like those of the Medusa Clan, the Qingqiu Fox Clan, and your own Mermaid Clan, where women have always held power." As Zu An spoke, he stepped forward to help her smooth out her wrinkled clothes. His hands seemed to possess a magical touch; with a gentle caress, they could instantly smooth out the creases.

"These are only a few isolated cases, after all. How could a woman like me possibly rule an empire as vast as the Sea Clan? Those princes would surely oppose it immediately, and their many supporters would certainly cause an uproar." Shang Hongyu's voice trembled slightly. His hand brushed over every inch of her clothes, as if an electric current flowed through her, causing her body to involuntarily soften once more.

Various enchanting memories of being conquered flashed through her mind. She secretly sighed, "This man is truly a captivating devil."

"Each prince has supporters?" Zu An chuckled lightly, seemingly unconcerned. "I don't care which other prince has whose support. I only support you. The key is, are you willing?"

Hearing his words, Shang Hongyu took a deep breath, her heart churning with turbulent emotions.

After all, she was the Queen of the Sea Clan, and her perspective was naturally exceptional. She had simply never considered the option of becoming queen before, but now, with his suggestion, she immediately realized that this path was indeed viable.

It was important to note that while her virtue and the help she had given to many were reasons for her being loved and respected by the Sea Clan over the years, more importantly, it was because she was the Queen.

Now that the Dragon King was dead and she had no heirs, who would truly respect her in the future?

After a new king ascended the throne, simply confining her to a deep palace and maintaining superficial courtesy would already be considered fortunate.

The private conversations she had with various ministers in the mourning hall were clear proof of this.

In everyone's eyes, she was merely a bargaining chip, a beautiful one, to be used at any time to curry favor with Zu An.

This time it was Zu An, which was acceptable since they already shared mutual affection. But what if next time it was someone else?

If the Human Clan, Demon Clan, or even extraterrestrial demons invaded, and the invaders were powerful and lustful, would they push her out again?

Besides herself, her sister was also a renowned beauty in the Sea Clan. The entire Mermaid race was famous for their beauty. If, at that time, the various clans asked them to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of the entire Sea Clan, what could they do?

Would she always be sad and angry alone, then run to A'Zu to cry?

No, absolutely not!

She must control her own destiny; what happened in the mourning hall today must never happen again.

Moreover, what kind of beauties weren't by A'Zu's side? Even before she knew him, she had heard all sorts of romantic tales about the Regent King, and without exception, those women were all prominent figures in the world.

If she didn't possess the title of Sea Clan Queen and her own power, how could she possibly compete with those women in the future?

Even if she took a step back and didn't compete with others, as long as she controlled the Sea Clan, she could help A'Zu more in the future.

Whenever he was weary from his travels, this place could always become his sanctuary, a home and haven for rest.

With this thought, her gaze became resolute: "Alright, I'm willing!"

Zu An immediately smiled. "That's more like it."

Feeling his gaze, Shang Hongyu's face flushed. "Now there's still a question: people will be curious why you support me, and that reason will determine the extent of your support."

"Just tell them you're my woman, and I'll give you unlimited support." Zu An couldn't resist embracing her again. Shang Hongyu's body was soft and fragrant, wonderfully comfortable to hold.

"My clothes were just smoothed out; don't wrinkle them again," Shang Hongyu said, giving him a playful glare. "Announcing it publicly right now wouldn't be appropriate. After all, the Dragon King just died, and he still had considerable prestige within the Sea Clan. Stating it directly would not be conducive to my taking over, and it wouldn't be good for your reputation either."

Zu An chuckled. "My reputation is already dreadful. I've heard many stories circulating about me and the little Demon Empress, and the Human Queen, so one more wouldn't make a difference. But you have a point; let's keep it private for now."

Shang Hongyu smiled ambiguously. "Are those rumors true or false?"

Zu An's face flushed, and he said vaguely, "Half true, half false."

He wasn't exactly lying; the relationships were real, but the versions of the rumors were too outrageous. Many of the deeds were pure fabrication. Was he really that shameless?

Shang Hongyu, being considerate, didn't press further. She then said, "Then let's say you and my sister are in a relationship, and out of your affection for her, you're helping me."

Next door, Shang Liuyu: "???"

At first, the sounds from next door were simply too loud, rendering her attempts to cover her ears useless. Unable to sleep, she had no choice but to listen.

Of course, she wouldn't admit that she was also a little bit curious and wanted to listen...

But how could an innocent maiden like her endure such a thing? Soon her face was flushed, and her eyes were a little unfocused.

She didn't quite catch some of the later words, but when she realized they concerned her, she immediately jolted.

What exactly did her sister mean by this? Constantly making her a part of their schemes.

Clearly, the two of you are involved, but now you're using me as a shield.

I'm a respectable young woman; don't I have a reputation to uphold?

A'Zu would surely refuse, right...?

No, he'd definitely refuse. We're like siblings, after all.

The next second, she indeed heard Zu An's hesitant voice: "Wouldn't that be bad for her reputation?"

Shang Hongyu rolled her eyes. "You carried her out of the Tomb of Ten Thousand Dragons in front of everyone, and she looked thoroughly ravished by you. If you don't acknowledge it, *that's* what would be bad for her reputation."

Zu An nodded. "Uh, well then, I hope Sister Shang doesn't mind."

Shang Liuyu: "???"

You really have the nerve.

"Don't worry, she won't mind," Shang Hongyu said, glancing next door with a smile in her eyes. "She might even secretly be delighted."

Oh, little sister, I'm sorry for having a taste of your good fortune first. The least I can do to make it up to you is to help you as much as possible.

Speaking of which, my sister can be a bit too coy sometimes. Shouldn't she have taken the initiative in such matters? There was clearly only a thin veil between them; if she had just taken a slight initiative and pierced it, I wouldn't have gotten ahead of her.

Shang Liuyu next door was completely flustered. What did she mean, 'I don't mind'? I mind very much!

She hurriedly got up, wanting to go next door to clarify, but the splashing of water reminded her that she had just been in the bathtub.

Blushing, she quickly submerged herself back into the bathtub, then started looking frantically for her clothes.

Just then, Zu An's voice came again: "I'll accompany you to the mourning hall first."

"Okay," This time, Shang Hongyu did not refuse. Before, she had misunderstood that he was going to the mourning hall to intimidate her, but now it was clear he was going to support her.