Yun Zhang glanced coldly at the civil official, Li Guan, a disciple of Wei Zhong.
Yun Zhang guessed that this person might have been displeased because he had witnessed his argument with Wei Zhong and gained the upper hand, and thus came to provoke him.
Thinking of this, Yun Zhang snorted contemptuously and questioned, "Lord Li's words are laughable. Why can others hear them, but I, the person directly involved, cannot?"
Upon hearing these questions, Li Guan's hard-won courage vanished almost entirely.
He thought to himself with regret, "I have elderly parents to care for and young children to raise. Why did I have to get involved in this conflict?"
However, under the watchful eyes of everyone, he was now in a difficult position.
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, slowly raised his head, and looked at the gold thread on Zhao Zhilong's robe. He said slowly, "Your Majesty, I have learned that Prince Yi was sent to Yunluo when he was young, and unfortunately became a drug slave of the recently arrested traitor Li Liang. I am worried that Prince Yi's body has been tortured as a result, which may affect his ability to have children. Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty to replenish the harem as soon as possible to appease the people."
"Hahaha—" Upon hearing this, Yun Zhang was not angry at all; instead, he burst into arrogant laughter.
"Li Guan, I heard that your principal wife has not conceived after a year of marriage, so you immediately brought a concubine home." Yun Zhang said casually, but Li Guan was sweating profusely.
"Now, in your mansion, you probably have more than a dozen concubines, right?"
He slowly turned around, his gaze falling on Zhao Zhi, and respectfully cupped his hands, suggesting, "Your Majesty, I believe we should investigate Lord Li's financial situation. Given Lord Li's current official rank and corresponding salary, it seems difficult for him to support so many concubines."
Upon hearing this, Li Guan's legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground with a thud, even dropping the jade tablet in his hand. He hurriedly picked it up and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, my family affairs are unrelated to state affairs. I only raised this issue out of concern for Your Majesty. As for my family affairs, they are my private matters and have nothing to do with court politics."
Looking at Li Guan's disheveled appearance, Zhao Zhi couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
It's difficult to be a ruler, and it's not easy to be a subject either.
If Li Guan had encountered an emotionally unstable emperor, his family would have already been raided and thoroughly investigated. But Zhao Zhi wouldn't. "Water that is too clear has no fish," he reasoned, "now is not a good time to investigate corruption."
She slowly said, "Lord Li, I don't care about your family affairs, nor do I want to ask. However, I am more concerned about whether you are focusing your attention on state affairs."
Upon hearing this, Li Guan was startled and quickly explained, "Your Majesty is wise. I am wholeheartedly devoted to the country and have no other intentions. I only dared to raise this issue because I am worried about Your Majesty's succession."
Yun Zhang watched coldly, feeling disgusted by Li Guan's hypocrisy.
He said calmly, "Lord Li, if you truly care about the country, you should know that His Majesty has already made it clear that he has his own plan for this matter. It seems that you weren't listening to His Majesty just now. Could it be that during court, you were also thinking about how to have children with your concubines at home?"
"Your Majesty, I did not!" Li Guan was speechless with fear and trepidation.
Zhao Zhi nodded, agreeing with Yun Zhang's words. She said in a deep voice, "Lord Li, I hope you understand that there is no room for hypocrisy in the court. I hope you can prove your loyalty with concrete actions, rather than just talking here."
As Li Guan listened to Zhao Zhi's words, he became increasingly nervous.
He quickly kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, I understand. I will do my utmost to serve the country."
Zhao Zhi waved his hand, signaling Li Guan to step down.
Li Guanru was as if he had been granted a pardon. He quickly got up and, looking disheveled, joined the ranks.
Looking at Li Guan's disheveled appearance, Yun Zhang couldn't help but sneer, knowing that this man would definitely be much more restrained in the court in the future.
Seeing Zhao Zhi's tired expression, Qin Han raised his voice and said, "If you have something to say, speak now; otherwise, the court is adjourned."
"Your Majesty, I also have an important matter to report."
Lin Wanqing, holding a jade tablet, slowly stepped forward.
The ministers all turned their heads to look at the Assistant Minister of Rites, wondering what the only female official in the Yun Dynasty had to say.
They've already seen one joke; is there any other amusement to be had today?
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