The bronze cranes in the palace glowed coldly in the morning light. Officials stood solemnly on the steps according to their ranks, and the patches on their court robes cast dark patterns in the silence.
Li Zhan was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, his fingertips tapping lightly on the armrests of the throne. When his eyes swept across the steps, they fell on Cui Xian, the Minister of Rites. This old minister stood up extra straight today, as if he had some important proposal in mind.
"Your Majesty," Cui Xian stepped out, his tablet clanging against his palm with a resounding sound. "I have a memorial to submit."
Li Zhan nodded calmly: "Speak."
"Since the Empress entered the palace, her elegance and grace have been praised by the court and the public." Cui Xian initially offered a few polite words, then suddenly changed the subject, "However, royal offspring are crucial to the foundation of the nation. Your Majesty is in the prime of life, and the harem is still empty. I earnestly implore Your Majesty to recruit many beautiful women to fill the six harems and prolong the throne."
As soon as he finished speaking, several old ministers with white hair and beards came forward to second his motion.
"Master Cui is absolutely right! Since ancient times, even when an emperor establishes a queen, he needs the assistance of concubines in order for the empire to flourish."
"I second the proposal! Among the new embroidery pieces presented by the Jiangnan Weaving House is a screen with a Hundred Children pattern, which is just right for the occasion!"
Li Zhan's fingertips rested on the armrest, his knuckles turning pale white.
He didn't look at the ministers who echoed his sentiments. Instead, he gazed at the rising sun outside the hall and spoke slowly, "Which history book was Lord Cui reading last night?"
Cui Xian was stunned, not knowing why His Majesty asked this question, but he bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, it is the Book of Rites."
"Oh?" Li Zhan raised an eyebrow, his voice low but penetrating. "Then do you know that 'wife is Qi'? The Queen is pregnant and needs to rest and recuperate. Are you organizing the selection now to make me a tyrant who favors his concubines over his wife?"
Cui Xian's forehead was covered with cold sweat, and he kowtowed hurriedly: "I dare not! I am only thinking about the royal heir..."
"Offspring?" Li Zhan suddenly leaned forward, the golden thread on his dragon robe dazzling in the morning light. "Isn't the one in the Queen's belly my offspring?"
He paused, his gaze slashing across the courtiers like a knife. "The Imperial Physician just checked the Empress's pulse yesterday, and the pregnancy seems stable. Disturbing her is absolutely forbidden. You proposed the selection today, but tomorrow you will persuade me to depose the Empress and appoint another one?"
The stairs suddenly fell silent, even the breathing became lighter.
Li Zhan slowly sat up straight, his tone returning to calm, but with an unquestionable pressure.
"I hereby decree that from this day forward, the harem system will be abolished. Apart from the Empress, no other concubines will be accepted."
Cui Xian raised his head in shock: "Your Majesty, please think twice! The ancestral system..."
"Ancestor's rule?" Li Zhan sneered. "Governing a country should follow the trend. Now that the country is peaceful and the people are safe, why do we need to rely on filling the harem to show off our prosperity?"
He looked at the guards and said, "Bring me some writing brush and ink."
When the eunuch came forward holding the imperial edict, Li Zhan's eyes swept over the pale-faced ministers.
"I'll say it again—if anything goes wrong during the Queen's pregnancy, you will be held accountable."
The sound of cinnabar hitting paper was especially clear in the hall. He said in a resounding voice: "Abolish the harem and cancel the selection of concubines. This matter will never be discussed again."
After the imperial edict was read, Cui Xian collapsed on the ground, looking at the bright yellow scroll as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
The morning light shone through the window lattice, falling on Li Zhan's clenched fist, which still bore traces of ink from the night before when he reviewed the memorials. The ministers below the steps lowered their heads, no one daring to look at the cold-eyed emperor on the throne.
After the court session, Li Zhan went to have breakfast with the queen. He picked up a piece of osmanthus cake and handed it to her.
"Shuyi, today we have your favorite osmanthus cake."
Shen Shuyi took a bite from the hand he handed over, and the sweet taste spread across her taste buds.
She arched her eyebrows at Li Zhan, "Delicious~"
Li Zhan fed her another piece, "If it tastes good, eat more."
"I'm full..." Although Shen Shuyi took medicine to stop morning sickness, her appetite was indeed not as good as before.
Li Zhan finished the half of the cake she had left, then leaned over and kissed her on the lips, then rolled the cake away from her lips.
Shen Shuyi blushed, “Don’t you dislike sweet food?”
"Yes, but for some reason it tastes very good after you have eaten it." Li Zhan's deep eyes were filled with a mischievous smile.
Shen Shuyi patted his arm lightly, “Stop talking nonsense.”
"By the way, Jing Zhan, did the court officials object to your statement earlier about abolishing the harem?"
"No objection." Li Zhan held her hand. "Shuyi, just focus on your pregnancy and don't get upset by those trivial matters."
He is not Chen Junliu, who needs to use concubines in the harem to win over powerful officials.
As the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, he held great power and was not afraid of anyone or any form of coercion or threat.
Shen Shuyi smiled brightly, "Jing Zhan, you are the best~"
After breakfast, Li Zhan took her hand and took a walk in the imperial garden to help her digest the food. When she was tired, they went back to the bedroom to take a rest.
Chen Shuyi got up late in the morning, but he wasn't really sleepy so he just wanted to lie down.
With my eyes closed, I suddenly felt my stomach pressed against my palm.
Li Zhan originally wanted to wait until she fell asleep before getting up to read the memorial, but he couldn't help but reach out and gently touch her belly.
He lowered his head and whispered, "I am your father."
Upon hearing this, Shen Shuyi couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"The child is still young and can't understand."
"Then I'll have to talk to my child more often in the future. Maybe when he's born, he'll remember his father's voice."
Shen Shuyi grabbed his hand and said, “Yeah, that makes sense.”
"Go to sleep." Li Zhan gently stroked her long hair.
…
Time flies, the Tang Dynasty becomes more and more powerful, and Shen Shuyi's belly becomes rounder and rounder day by day.
It was summer again, and Chen Shuyi was afraid of the heat, so she wore thin and soft clothes, often exposing her arms and legs.
The way Li Zhan looked at her was sometimes particularly passionate.
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