"Are you sure that the birth chart of the Lady of Fushan County is really the same as the birth chart left by the Taoist priest?"

"My daughter has already had someone check the birth charts of Fushan and Prince Jin. I believe we'll have news soon."

Indeed, within half an hour, Ning Yan's birth chart was sent to Mu Xiang's desk.

Compared to the one on the yellow paper, it was exactly the same word for word.

The father and daughter exchanged a glance and then plotted for nearly an hour before the Empress left the Prime Minister's residence.

Within two days, some rumors began to circulate in the capital.

"The current crown prince has a peculiar destiny; he can only marry one wife!"

"Who said that? The news I heard is that His Highness the Crown Prince has killed too many people and can only marry a woman seven years older than him, otherwise the world will descend into chaos!"

"Nonsense! The news I heard is that the abbot of Huguo Temple analyzed His Highness the Crown Prince's birth chart and said that he must marry a divorced woman to suppress his bad luck, otherwise it will affect the fate of the country and bring about disasters..."

“You’re all wrong! Abbot Tianyan said that His Highness the Crown Prince has a unique destiny and must marry a woman with a unique destiny in order to ensure the prosperity of the dynasty and the well-being of the people. Otherwise, disasters will ensue and the people will suffer.”

"A woman with an unusual destiny, a truly unusual destiny—who exactly is she?"

"Let me tell you, I heard that the abbot has found that woman with a peculiar destiny, but she refuses to marry the crown prince..."

"Impossible, is there really someone who doesn't want to marry the Crown Prince?"

"What if she has a husband and children? Why would she give up a perfectly good life and insist on getting a divorce and remarrying? Does she really think the Crown Prince won't look down on her?"

"That makes sense, but if the Crown Prince doesn't marry her, wouldn't the common people be the ones to suffer?"

...

In the palace.

The day before yesterday, Chu Haoxuan vomited blood when he woke up in the morning, which terrified him. He left Chu Yu in the palace that day and threw all the memorials on his desk to his son.

"You are the Crown Prince of the State, and it's time for you to share the burdens of your father. From now on, you will be in charge of approving all these memorials. If you don't understand something, you can ask your father."

"Do you have a plan for the arrangements of officials from the Qing Kingdom?"

Chu Yu naturally had a plan. Currently, those in charge of managing the Qing Kingdom were all his trusted confidants. If he couldn't openly marry Yan'er in the Gan Kingdom, he wouldn't mind taking his people to the Qing Kingdom and declaring himself emperor there.

We can just hand it over to Zheng'er after Father Emperor passes away.

However, it's best not to leave if you can avoid it.

The climate in Qingguo is hot, with half the year being summer and the other half being spring and autumn, and there is no winter, which is the opposite of the northern lands.

People get sunburned very easily, and he was afraid that Yan'er wouldn't like it there.

Chu Yu spoke eloquently in the imperial study, and Chu Haoxuan nodded repeatedly. Apart from some minor flaws in certain suggestions, everything was generally fine.

The father and son were busy in the imperial study for a long time when Consort Qiong arrived with soup.

Chu Haoxuan had a chivalrous streak; he invited her into the Imperial Study, had her drink soup, and even promised to visit her that evening before finally sending her away.

Soon after, another concubine arrived.

"Your Majesty, Consort Zhao requests an audience."

"Then please invite them in."

Consort Zhao quickly entered the palace and bowed to the Emperor.

"My beloved concubine, no need for formalities. What brings you here?"

"Your Majesty, it has been a long time since you visited my palace. You can't always be so busy with state affairs. You need to rest and relax as well."

She has been in the palace for three years and desperately needs a child. Only with a child can she take action to eliminate the Empress; otherwise, she will never have a chance at that position.

Only after having a child can she become the most honorable woman in the world.

"Alright, alright, I'll come over for dinner tonight. You should go back now; I have important business to attend to."

"Your Majesty, I obey. Then I will go back and wait for Your Majesty."

Consort Zhao walked away gracefully, and Chu Yu suppressed the sarcasm in his eyes and continued to deal with the memorials on his desk.

No wonder he vomited blood. He had to serve two concubines in one night. It's no wonder he got sick from overwork.

As evening approached, the chief eunuch suddenly entered and whispered something in the emperor's ear for a while.

Chu Haoxuan's expression was quite interesting, and he kept glancing at Chu Yu.

"Alright, you can go now."

After the head eunuch left, Chu Haoxuan tentatively asked, "Yu'er, you're eighteen this year. It's time to marry a proper wife. Is there a woman you like?"

Chu Yu shook his head decisively, "No. My son was focused on fighting the war and didn't have time to think about these things at all."

Lying is shameless, as it's a way to marry the woman you love.

"Now you can start thinking. If you don't find a woman you like in this year's election, then I will bestow a marriage upon you."

Chu Yu said, "Since ancient times, marriages have always been arranged by parents and matchmakers. Your subject will obey you and Mother."

Chu Haoxuan kept staring at his eldest son's expression, and seeing that he didn't blink as he spoke, it didn't seem like he was lying.

He felt a slight sense of relief, but what was with the rumors that suddenly appeared in the capital?

"Alright, it's getting late. You should go back now. Come to the Imperial Study tomorrow to continue learning how to review memorials."

"Your subject obeys the decree and takes his leave."

After seeing the Crown Prince off, Chu Haoxuan immediately sent someone to summon Abbot Tianyan to the palace for an audience.

The rumors originated from Huguo Temple, and they even came from a place the Empress had visited. He suspected that the Empress and the Prime Minister were plotting something, but the Crown Prince didn't seem to be the one to do it, so he simply asked Tianyan directly.

He now only has two children, Yu'er and Zheng'er. Yu'er is in his prime and enjoys a high reputation among the common people and court officials. Although he is his own son, he still has to be wary of him.

Especially his current physical condition, he was perfectly fine before, so why did he have problems after becoming emperor?

Despite having so many women in the harem, he tried for over three years but couldn't conceive a single child. When the imperial physician examined him, he couldn't pinpoint the exact number.

He suspected that someone had tampered with his body. Upon careful recollection, it seemed that the changes in his body had only started to occur two years ago. At that time, the Crown Prince was not in the capital, and he rarely visited the Empress's palace. He had not drunk or touched anything she sent him, so he ruled out the mother and son first.

The rest were the concubines in the harem.

But what were their motives?

None of them had children, so they were probably the ones who most hoped he would live to be a hundred.

I can't figure it out...

Abbot Tianyan was brought into the palace. At that time, the Emperor had just finished having dinner with Consort Zhao.

He left directly and returned to his palace, while Abbot Tianyan was brought before the Emperor.

The emperor dismissed all the servants and asked the question he most wanted to know.

"What did the Empress talk to you about?"

Abbot Tianyan said, "When Her Majesty inquired about the Crown Prince's marriage, this humble monk, after examining him, told her that the Crown Prince's destiny is peculiar; he can only marry one wife in this lifetime, and this wife's destiny must be exceptionally noble, otherwise she will not be able to suppress the Crown Prince's destiny, and the fate of the nation will be in jeopardy." (End of this chapter)