I still remember that year when he led hundreds of thousands of soldiers to defeat the enemy forces of seven kingdoms. On the day of his glorious return, his good brother was torn to pieces by a vicious wolf.

Afterwards, Mu Beichen searched the entire desolate mountainside for traces. In that barren land, only a torn white robe came into view. At this moment, he had to accept reality and reluctantly brought the torn robe back to the capital city. He erected a tombstone for Hua Mancheng and Mu Wange to be buried together near the imperial city, the place where they first met.

The pain he felt at Hua Mancheng's death was no less than that felt at Yu Qianqian's.

As she lightly brushed aside her flowing sleeves and robes, glancing at herself as she silently turned away, her chaotic thoughts were suddenly shattered by a cry: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty... Something terrible has happened!"

Hearing the sound, Mu Bei looked over and saw Wang Fu running towards the palace. Before he arrived, urgent shouts came first.

For some reason, a vague worry suddenly settled between his brows. "What's causing this panic?"

Wang Fu knelt down with a thud and exclaimed in shock, "The hundreds of young women that the ministers had previously selected for Your Majesty were all assassinated in the outpost outside the palace!"

Oh my god! It's good that they died, thank goodness!

Looking back at the kneeling eunuch, he thought and thought, and almost burst out laughing. He wondered who had done such a good thing, getting rid of this major worry before Yu Qianqian even found out.

"So that's all there is to it?" Mu Bei sighed casually. "Let him die if he wants. It saves me the trouble of sending him to the palace. From now on, the Empress alone is enough for the harem. I have never liked a hundred flowers blooming."

"..."

What is all this nonsense?

What has made His Majesty so bewitched?

“But… many of these deceased concubines were close relatives of the ministers,” Wang Fu said. “Many ministers are waiting outside to plead their case to Your Majesty. Judging from their appearance, they may not leave anytime soon. Your Majesty should make plans in advance.”

"It's alright, I will handle these trivial matters myself." As he said this, Mu Beichen's expression changed, and his tone gradually became low.

Throughout history, the balance between the interests of rulers and ministers has been difficult to weigh. Even if one were to comply with their wishes today and fill the harem with three thousand beauties, there would be even more trouble in the future. In this dirty place where conspiracies and intrigues are hidden everywhere, there is no bottom to power and profit.

Even though the officials are in turmoil, compared to the urgent situation caused by Yu Qianqian's stubborn temper, it is nothing to him.

"Issue my decree: From this moment forward, no one shall divulge even a single word of this matter, or else... be executed without mercy!" Mu Beichen's cold and stern eyes were as sharp as frost and snow. As he spoke, his thunderous voice echoed repeatedly in the vast and sparsely populated hall.

Subconsciously, he always felt that this matter was not so simple. Since the palace maids who participated in the selection process had been carefully selected countless times, the vast majority of them were daughters of court officials or noble ladies from the royal family, and very few were commoners.

He knew perfectly well that everything was nothing more than a power struggle and infighting between the emperor and his ministers, yet he couldn't control it in a short time. So, defying the world's condemnation, he killed all the daughters of the officials. One can imagine how ruthless this man was.

"Starting today, a city-wide investigation will be launched to find the murderer!"

The next day, the area within the towering walls was eerily quiet and desolate, while outside, a cacophony of voices rose and fell like a sudden, turbulent storm.