Chapter 119 The Talent Show: Do you still remember Tuoba Yu'er by the Daming Lake?
After returning from paying their respects to Feng Qing in the palace, several familiar noblemen gathered together and began to talk about the noble ladies in the harem.
"If you ask me, this Noble Lady Lian is truly blessed with good fortune. Born into a merchant family, she managed to enter His Majesty's harem, make contributions, and rise to her current position. She is definitely not a simple person," said a nobleman's husband.
"Indeed, in comparison, Minister Lu was somewhat less fortunate. Back then, he was considered one of the most prominent young masters in the capital, but due to his maternal family's foolishness, he suffered quite a bit as a result, which is truly a pity..."
Despite being a man from a noble family, Lu Lingyue only became a court attendant, a rank far lower than that of Shen Lianzhou, and the reason for this is common knowledge.
Another husband shook his head regretfully, then realized he had said something inappropriate, quickly stopped, and covered his mouth with a smile.
"Hehe...Why are you saying all this? The tea's gone cold. Come on, have some tea."
The other men listened with a sigh, and some of them couldn't help but have other thoughts.
Your Majesty's harem is empty, and you have no daughters. If you could send your sons into the palace, and by chance gain their favor and have a son or daughter, wouldn't that be an immense fortune?
Many people held this view, each plotting their own way of sending their sons into the palace.
The eldest son of the emperor entered the palace to visit Yang Lingyi.
"Yi'er, how have things been going in the palace lately?" The eldest prince sat on the brocade stool, looking at Yang Lingyi with affection.
Yang Lingyi: "Thank you for your concern, Father. All matters in the palace have established precedents to follow, and are not complicated. Your Majesty is diligent in governing, and I only need to manage the inner palace so that Your Majesty has no worries. This is not a difficult task for me."
"That's good." The eldest prince nodded with satisfaction, gently put down his teacup, and then changed the subject to a gentle tone, "My son now manages the harem very well, and everyone praises him. I am very proud. However... there is still an important matter on my mind."
The eldest prince's voice softened, and his words were full of concern.
"Now that the national mourning period is over, the people's hearts are with you. It is naturally wonderful that you and His Majesty are in perfect harmony."
“But the matter of the imperial heir cannot be delayed any longer. It was understandable that His Majesty was too busy with war to attend to these matters before. Now that the borders are pacified and the court is stable, if His Majesty still has no imperial daughter, you, as the Empress Fengqing, will be derelict in your duty.”
"At that time, not only will the ministers in the court seize the opportunity to petition Your Majesty to expand your harem, but even the imperial relatives and nobles will likely have many inappropriate thoughts," the eldest prince said earnestly, pulling Yang Lingyi aside.
“Father, I understand this principle... I have a deep affection for His Majesty and also long for a daughter. But having a daughter is a matter of fate, and it cannot be rushed.”
The eldest prince knew in his heart that Yang Lingyi was right. But given his position, even if Yang Lingyi and Yuan Yan weren't worried, there were plenty of others who were.
"Has Yi'er been examined by the imperial physician?" he asked again.
"I have seen it. His Majesty and I are both in good health. The imperial physician said that we should just let nature take its course and not worry too much. He just prescribed some mild tonics for me to take regularly and wait for good news," said Yang Lingyi.
After hesitating for a moment, Changhuangnan finally spoke the words that had been brewing in his heart for a long time.
“Yi’er, if all else fails, let Xueji and Qinglan serve His Majesty. They are the dowry servants I carefully selected for you. Your parents and family are with me, they are more loyal than ordinary people, and they pose no threat to you. If His Majesty can have a daughter, perhaps we can ask him to adopt the child and raise her from a young age, it will be the same…”
Just then, a palace servant announced in a long voice, "His Majesty has arrived."
So when Yuan Yan stepped into the palace, he saw the two of them bowing, with Yang Lingyi slightly lowering her head.
"Father-in-law, there's no need for such formalities," Yuan Yan said to the eldest prince, offering him a slight helping hand.
Her tone was gentle yet carried a natural imperial authority: "We're all family; there's no need for such formalities in private."
Yuan Yan's gaze then fell on Yang Lingyi, who was standing to the side, and his gentle demeanor was now tinged with warmth.
She reached out and gently supported Yang Lingyi's arm, helping him to his feet.
His fingertips lingered on Yang Lingyi's slightly cool skin for a moment, and his brows twitched almost imperceptibly.
Her gaze swept across Yang Lingyi's face, catching a hint of sadness in Yi'er's eyes that she hadn't been able to completely conceal. However, she didn't point it out immediately, but instead took his hand into her palm.
Yang Lingyi's hand was enveloped by Yuan Yan. Strangely enough, her previously depressed and uneasy heart suddenly calmed down.
He gently moved his fingers and grasped Yuan Yan's hand in return.
Sensing Yang Lingyi's subtle actions, Yuan Yan smiled before turning his attention back to the Crown Prince.
He chatted and laughed as if he hadn't noticed anything amiss. "What were you talking about with Yi'er just now, Father-in-law? I think I heard you two having a very pleasant conversation outside the palace."
"It's nothing important, just some intimate conversation between father and son."
The eldest prince's words were inconvenient to say in front of Yuan Yan, so he changed the subject with a smile. After sitting for a while, he got up and took his leave.
After the eldest son left, Yuan Yan ordered the palace servants to withdraw.
"What's wrong, Yi'er? Did your father-in-law just say something?" Yuan Yan didn't let go of Yang Lingyi's hand, and led him to sit down on the soft couch.
Yang Lingyi did not hide anything from Yuan Yan, "Father... Father said that the imperial heir is related to the foundation of the country, and he wants me to receive more favor and give birth to an imperial daughter with my sister as soon as possible."
Only when they were alone did Yang Lingyi reveal her true emotions. In front of Yuan Yan, she was like a wilted flower, somewhat dejected.
"So that's what it was about." Before asking, Yuan Yan had already somewhat anticipated it. Hearing this, he was not surprised, but gently pulled Yang Lingyi into his arms and stroked his back lightly.
"Yi'er, there's no need to worry. I have other plans regarding the imperial heir. When the time is right, a daughter will come."
She didn't say this simply to comfort Yang Lingyi. Yuan Yan's health was perfectly fine; the reason he hadn't conceived a daughter yet was because he had discussed the matter with the system and made some plans regarding having a female heir.
"Really? What does my sister want to do?" Yang Lingyi looked up, her eyes, which had been misty just moments before, now filled with surprise.
However, Yuan Yan did not tell him directly this time, but instead affectionately pinched Yang Lingyi's cheek.
"It's a secret. We can't tell Yi'er yet. You'll find out in a few days."
"Sister is keeping me in suspense again... You're making me unable to sleep at night." Yang Lingyi said, her cheeks slightly red from being pinched, her eyes moist.
Yuan Yan looked at his handsome appearance and chuckled, "If you can't sleep well, then don't sleep. You might as well do something else."
"What?" Yang Lingyi was still immersed in the emotions she had just experienced and had not yet reacted. She tilted her head slightly and blinked her eyes.
Yuan Yan leaned down and looked at him with a smile: "Of course, it's what I want to do for Yi'er."
"……elder sister!"
Only when Yang Lingyi saw Yuan Yan's actions did she realize that their posture was inappropriate. Her face flushed red, and she quickly got up from the bed, but it was too late.
Inside the palace, Yang Lingyi was pinned down on the bed by Yuan Yan, who devoured her repeatedly. In the midst of their passion, he had long forgotten about anything else, including the child.
...
The next day, Yuan Yan summoned the system.
"Give me one of those pills for cultivating offspring that I saw last time."
The system exclaimed "Ah!" and opened the achievement point exchange shop. [Host, are you referring to the Qilin Pill?]
It retrieved the corresponding item and took a look.
The Qilin Pill is an item in the Crown Prince training interface; one pill costs tens of thousands of achievement points, making it very expensive.
But it's absolutely worth the price. This is because the Qilin Pill is incredibly potent. If taken by the mother in early pregnancy, it ensures the baby will be free from congenital diseases, physically strong, and exceptionally intelligent, with comprehension and memory far surpassing that of ordinary people.
For an emperor, having a capable successor is of paramount importance. Therefore, despite its high price, the Qilin Pill remains one of the best-selling items in the shop.
"That's the one, exchange one for me," Yuan Yan said.
The system did as instructed, while unable to resist asking her curiously, "Host, are you preparing to give birth to an imperial heir?"
"Now is about the right time. Let's exchange for one to keep in reserve, and take it once I'm pregnant." Yuan Yan already had a plan in mind.
However, getting pregnant isn't something you can do just by talking about it.
With the encouragement of many parties, an official from the Ministry of Rites soon proposed in court: "Your Majesty is the heir to the ancestral temple, and the fate of the nation rests upon you. If there are vacancies in the palace and the harem is empty, it is not a good strategy to consolidate the foundation of the country. We hope that Your Majesty will follow the ancestral system, widely select virtuous men to fill the harem, thus fulfilling the will of Heaven and bringing peace to the people."
Yuan Yan was not surprised to hear this, as a general election was almost a routine practice after the new emperor of the Phoenix Kingdom ascended the throne.
As the emperor, it was her duty to take in male concubines, appoint ministers, maintain balance in the court, and give birth to imperial daughters.
Yuan Yan glanced at the Ministry of Rites official who made the suggestion, understood the situation, and spoke.
"Granted."
She entrusted the selection process entirely to the Ministry of Rites.
During the period of preparation for the imperial selection, Yuan Yan focused on state affairs, continued to eliminate political enemies, rectify officialdom, and promote maritime transport.
Based on his merits, Tian Guangliang was promoted to the position of Maritime Transport Magistrate, and was encouraged to work diligently in his post and not let down expectations.
In order to allow the country to recuperate and restore its strength, Emperor Yuan Yan issued an edict to reduce taxes. After discussing with the Empress Dowager, he also released a group of older palace women to marry freely.
As for other beneficial policies, Yuan Yan wanted to implement many more. However, since she had only recently ascended the throne, it was not advisable to carry out sweeping reforms, lest it provoke a backlash from conservative forces. Everything should be implemented slowly and steadily.
[Host, have you forgotten something...?]
Just as Yuan Yan was managing to balance her duties in the court and the harem every day, the system suddenly spoke up weakly, reminding her.
"What?" Yuan Yan didn't even look up, continuing to review the memorials.
[You really forgot!] The system exclaimed, with an expression that said, "I knew it would be like this."
[Do you still remember Tuoba Yu'er by the Daming Lake, oh no... in the Wu Kingdom's palace?] It looked at Yuan Yan with a complicated expression.
"Oh, what's wrong?" Yuan Yan didn't seem to care, his expression calm.
"My memory isn't that bad. It hasn't even been a year yet, what's the rush?"
She and Tuoba Yu'er agreed to bring him back within a year.
Although the deadline is approaching, it hasn't expired yet. Yuan Yan has too many things to do right now, so he's not in a hurry.
【You're not in a hurry, but Tuoba Yu'er isn't!】
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