Chapter 435 Extra (2)

At the beginning of her reign, the Empress rewarded the meritorious officials who followed her in the Northern Expedition against Dajing, and then used swift and decisive measures to clean up the court and uproot the corrupt officials who were harming the country.

He implemented new policies: he established numerous official schools and used the proceeds from the imperial estates to help children from poor families study; he reformed the imperial examination system and eliminated cheating.

Despite strong opposition, he implemented a land survey system, investigated hidden lands throughout the country, eliminated the centuries-old abuses of powerful clans, reclaimed the fertile lands that had been seized, and distributed them all to landless refugees.

This move solidified the foundation of the nation, reassured the people, and swiftly cut off the trend of powerful nobles seizing power, laying the foundation for the dynasty's revival.

Two years after ascending the throne, she proposed moving the capital to Youzhou, with the emperor guarding the country's gates, and repairing the Great Wall to defend against foreign enemies.

People were sent to Youzhou to build a palace, which is still under construction.

The capital was tentatively set in Lin'an.

She proved with her strength that, given a chance, a woman can also sit on the throne and become a restorer of the dynasty.

The ministers who once looked down on her because of her gender now look at her with new respect.

On the morning of that day, the ministers reported that the imperial harem only had one imperial consort, which was a nominal position and not in accordance with etiquette. They proposed to select young men to fill the harem.

Their sons were all exceptionally talented, proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and they believed themselves to be a perfect match for the emperor. If they could send their sons into the palace and have the empress give birth to a crown princess, their family would rise to prominence.

Yun Zhaoxue is now only interested in governing the country. In order to govern the Great Zhou well, she has read through five thousand years of Chinese governance strategies, taking the essence and discarding the dross.

She had absolutely no interest in taking a husband, especially since she already had a jealous man at home. If she were to take a husband, that man would probably turn the harem upside down.

Sitting on the dragon throne, she glanced at the man standing at the front of the military officers, met his resentful gaze, and coughed lightly, saying, "The new palace in Youzhou has cost a fortune. It is not too late to discuss the selection of concubines when the national treasury is full and the world is at peace."

"Your Majesty..." The ministers wanted to persuade him further.

She glanced at the prince, her voice carrying an air of authority: "If you gentlemen have any spare energy, you might as well discuss the people's livelihood more."

She already has the most handsome man in the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, and two adorable sons.

With such a gem before her, no one else could catch her eye. Governing the country was already exhausting enough; if she were to bring a group of men into the palace, who would be constantly vying for her affections, it would not only cost her money to support them, but also require her time and energy to favor them, support their families, and mediate their disputes.

Most importantly, she is the one who is pregnant. If she accidentally gets pregnant herself, won't she be exhausted to death?

If only men could father children...

But if a man can give birth, will she take a husband?

They didn't seem to be interested either.

She is, after all, a law-abiding citizen of the 22nd century.

The practice of polyandry is not acceptable; of all the waters in the world, I only choose one.

Back in the inner palace, he had just sat down to review the memorials.

Just then, six-year-old Erbao cried out urgently from outside the door, "Mother, something terrible has happened! Father... Father is packing his things and running away from home!"

"No, he's running away from the palace! He says he wants to move back to the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion. You must go and try to persuade him!"

Yun Zhaoxue inwardly scolded him for being "childish," thinking he was almost thirty years old.

She put down the memorial, stood up, and walked outside: "Where has he gone? Has he returned to the Prince's residence?"

"Uh...not yet, he's still packing. Mother, let's go see him! I saw that Father's eyes were red, and when I asked him what happened, he said he got sand in his eye, and said something about being 'petty and intolerant of sand,' and he was so remorseful...so distressed..."

Yun Zhaoxue took Erbao's hand and walked towards the inner palace: "Let's go, let's go take a look."

When they arrived at Kunning Palace, where Xiao Xuance lived, the man was carrying a bundle and walking out.

Da Bao pleaded, "Father, don't go! If you leave, won't you be making room for someone else? Da Bao doesn't want to call anyone else 'Father.' In Da Bao's heart, you are the only father. Please don't go yet, let's wait for Mother to come..."

Yun Zhaoxue saw the man carrying a small bundle, walked over, and ripped the bundle off.

He held it in his hand and weighed it; it was so light that it probably contained only one or two pieces of clothing. He probably didn't even bring any money with him, so it didn't seem like he was going to run away from home at all.

She put her hands behind her back and looked up at him: "Your Majesty, where are you going? As Your Majesty, you cannot leave the palace without permission."

"You promised the minister you would take a concubine, is that true?" The man's voice was low and muffled. "If that day really comes, could you tell me in advance so I can prepare... I, I..."

Yun Zhaoxue replied, "So that you can prepare to leave the palace in advance?"

Da Bao and Er Bao, who were standing nearby, felt a heavy weight in their hearts upon hearing this.

They all disliked their fathers taking concubines or their mothers taking concubines. Without those messy people in the harem, their families could always live in harmony, unlike the children in those palace intrigue stories who spent their days scheming to win favor and seize family property.

It now seems impossible for my father to take a concubine, because he is the emperor's consort.

However, if the Empress had a younger brother or sister with another man, they would definitely take away the Empress's affection.

They were unwilling, but dared not interfere with the Queen Mother's decision, so they could only stand silently to the side without saying a word.

Whether or not the Queen Mother can give up the idea of ​​taking a husband depends entirely on the Father.

“It’s not that I’m running away from home,” Xiao Xuance said, lowering his eyes and staring at the tips of his shoes. “I just want to leave the palace and be quiet. I’ll come back after your selection of concubines is over.”

Yun Zhaoxue originally thought he would threaten to run away from home and promise her that she would never participate in talent shows again, but she didn't expect him to be so magnanimous.

Whether it's genuine generosity or just pretense, try it out and you'll find out.

She added, "What are you coming back for? To watch me favor those chosen husbands?"

Xiao Xuance's Adam's apple bobbed, and he said in a low voice, "Then I'll wait until His Majesty has finished his favors before I come back."

Otherwise, he feared he might not be able to resist trying every means to stop her, and might even kill those who were trying to seduce her.

The mere thought of another man in her bed made him feel as if an invisible hand was gripping his heart, causing a dull ache and almost suffocating him.

Yun Zhaoxue waved her hand, signaling the palace servants to leave. Her two sons also tactfully retreated to a distance.

She walked up to the man, gently kissed his lips, cupped his face in her hands, and pressed her forehead against his. "Alright, you jealous man, I was just joking with you. Agreeing to those ministers' request for a selection of concubines was merely a temporary measure. In a few years, I will announce to the world that there will be no more selections of concubines."

Upon hearing this, the man's originally dim phoenix eyes gradually brightened, gazing at her with sparkling eyes, as if he couldn't believe it: "Really? You're really willing to give up your harem of three thousand beauties for me?"

Yun Zhaoxue leaned close to his ear, her breath warm: "Really. I can't even handle one of you, what if there are three thousand more? Do you think my back will last? I'm still a little sore from all the trouble you caused me last night."

Xiao Xuance felt a slight heat in his ears, reached out and put his arm around her waist, gently massaging her with his palm.

Every time he was favored, he would do everything in his power to please her in bed, trying to prove that he alone could make her comfortable, so that she would have no energy to think about anyone else.

As they rubbed each other, somehow their lips met again, their clothes disheveled.

At this moment, a female official from the inner palace came to the door and reported: "Your Majesty, good news has come from outside the palace. Princess Mingshu has safely given birth to a daughter."

Xiao Mingshu was awarded the title of County Princess for her meritorious service in compiling medical books.

Xiao Xuanwu was appointed as a third-rank general and stationed in Tanzhou.

Upon hearing this joyous news, the dazed look in Yun Zhaoxue's eyes vanished instantly, replaced by her usual composure.

He got up from the man's lap, straightened his robes, and immediately instructed the female official to prepare generous gifts and go to the Lu residence to offer his congratulations.

After leaving the Lu residence, Yun Zhaoxue turned to the man beside her and asked, "Isn't Shu'er's daughter adorable?"

"Cute," Xiao Xuance replied softly, though he couldn't help feeling envious. He had long since given up on having any more children, and besides, his wife was now the Empress. Pregnancy was already hard enough, and she also had to govern the country, which would only double the burden. His niece was practically a daughter to him, so he could only keep this envy to himself.

“Let’s have a daughter too,” Yun Zhaoxue suddenly said. “We’ll have one and you can take care of it.”

Hongzao and Lüzhi later married as palace maids, one to Zhufeng and the other to Zhuiying, both of whom were now fourth-rank generals. After their marriages, the two women wanted to stay in the palace to serve, but Yun Zhaoxue did not want to confine them, feeling that they were more at ease outside the palace.

Last year, they each gave birth to a daughter, both soft and cuddly little babies, incredibly cute. At that time, Yun Zhaoxue had her eye on them, but with the world newly settled and many things to be done, things still needed to be accomplished.

Now that the world is at peace, we can consider having another daughter.

When Da Bao and Er Bao heard their mother say she was going to have a daughter, their eyes lit up.

Da Bao eagerly said, "Mother, I can also help take care of my little sister!"

Erbao excitedly exclaimed, "Me too! Me too!"

Xiao Xuance, however, disagreed and gently advised, "Your Majesty, pregnancy and childbirth are too arduous and exhausting for women. Besides, if we have another child, it might not even be a daughter. If we have another brat, the three of us together would be too noisy."

"How will we know if we don't try?" Yun Zhaoxue said dismissively. "Back then, I was pregnant with twins during my exile, and all three of us—mother and children—were safe and sound. Now, reviewing memorials in the imperial court, can it possibly be more arduous than exile?"

She plans to have one last child.

If it is a son, it is fate; if it is a daughter, it is also fate.

When the two sons heard that she had conceived while in exile, they felt sorry for their mother's suffering and said with exceptional understanding, "Mother, you have worked so hard. From now on, we will practice martial arts diligently, become great generals, and guard the border so that you will never have to worry about powerful enemies again."

Erbao patted his chest and promised, "If you have a little sister, the whole world will be hers, and we will definitely not fight her for it!"

Seeing how sensible her son was, Yun Zhaoxue felt gratified and smiled, saying, "Let's talk about these things later."

For her, succession to the throne doesn't consider gender, only ability and willingness. If someone isn't suited for it, forcing them onto the throne would only harm the child and bring suffering to the people.

“I’ve already promised our son,” she gently squeezed the man’s hand, her eyes hinting, “You wouldn’t want me to break my promise in front of our son, would you?”

Whether he agrees or not, we're not allowed to use that condom tonight.

Knowing that his objections were futile, Xiao Xuance had no choice but to compromise, replying in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I will obey."

After a month of effort, Yun Zhaoxue was diagnosed with pregnancy.

Ten months later, she gave birth to the Crown Princess in peace.

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The End.

The story is finally finished! Hooray!

This book has now come to an end. Thank you all for your continued support.

Although the story has ended, the protagonist's tale continues vividly.

The green hills remain unchanged, the clear waters flow on; see you again with our new book.