Nine dragons fight for the throne, I don't want to sit on this throne

Feng Mulan leaned against the window, her slender fingers unconsciously stroking her bulging belly.

The ground dragon in the hall was burning fiercely, but it could not dispel the gloom between her brows.

Light snow was falling outside the window, shrouding the entire palace in silence.

"Squeak--" The palace door was suddenly pushed open, and a biting cold wind swept in with snowflakes.

"When did you become so ignorant of the rules? You came in without even notifying me?" Feng Mulan shouted coldly without even turning her head, her tone carrying the sharpness that only a military general could muster.

She was a little dissatisfied. She was pregnant, and how could a servant be so rude as to dare to enter her bedroom without permission?

"I am returning to my own harem. Do I need to inform you?"

The familiar voice made Feng Mulan tremble all over.

She turned around suddenly and saw Chu Ning standing at the door of the palace in a black dragon robe, with unmelted snowflakes on his shoulders and a mischievous smile on his handsome face.

"You..." Feng Mulan opened her red lips slightly, unable to speak for a moment.

Chu Ning closed the palace door with his backhand and strode up to her: "Why, are you unhappy to see me?"

Feng Mulan came back to her senses, curled her lips, and turned her face away: "You still remember to come back!"

There was a hint of grievance and anger in his voice.

Chu Ning laughed heartily and held her in his arms: "Of course I will come back."

The warm palm gently placed on her bulging belly: "I have heard from the Queen that you will give birth in the next few days. Fortunately, I arrived in time, otherwise I would have missed it."

Naturally, he didn't want to miss the day his child was born. After defeating the Han army, he rushed here as fast as he could.

Fortunately, he finally arrived before Feng Mulan gave birth.

Feng Mulan snorted lightly, but did not break free from his embrace: "What's the big deal about coming back? You brought back a woman."

The tone was sour, like a jar of old vinegar had been spilled.

Chu Ning laughed and pulled her to sit on the couch. "After all, she is the empress and gave birth to Xiuning for me. Now she has handed over the entire Great Zhou to me. I can't just abandon her, right?"

He knew Feng Mulan too well.

This female general, who is as brave as any man, seems strong, but in fact she is the most loyal.

Her jealousy at this moment was nothing more than her worry about changes in the harem structure.

As expected, Feng Mulan's expression eased slightly, but she still frowned. "I don't want to get involved in your business, but if you make her the Vice Queen, what will happen to Wanying's status in the palace?"

She raised her head, her eyes full of worry: "With two queens in one harem, who will I listen to from now on?"

She felt annoyed just thinking about this kind of thing.

A hint of admiration flashed in Chu Ning's eyes.

He leaned over and whispered a few words in Feng Mulan's ear. Feng Mulan's beautiful eyes gradually widened, and finally she showed a look of realization.

"If that's the case..." Feng Mulan's eyes flashed with cunning: "It's not impossible!"

Chu Ning laughed out loud and reached out to touch her belly: "Can you let me touch the baby now?"

Feng Mulan snorted proudly, but did not refuse.

Chu Ning's palm gently moved over her abdomen, and suddenly, he felt a slight kick.

"He moved!" Chu Ning said in surprise.

Feng Mulan finally smiled: "This child has been very active recently. He always kicks me at night and keeps me awake."

Chu Ning put his ear to her belly, listening to the subtle movements coming from inside, his eyes full of tenderness.

Outside the window, the snow continued to blow, but inside the palace, it was warm and cozy. The two of them lay in each other's arms, whispering to each other until night fell.

The next day at the hour of Mao, before dawn, Chu Ning got up, changed his clothes and prepared to go to court.

Feng Mulan was sleeping soundly, and he left quietly, fearing to disturb her.

In the Golden Palace, civil and military officials had already lined up waiting.

Seeing Chu Ning arrive, everyone shouted in unison: "Your Majesty!"

Chu Ning sat upright on the dragon throne, his eyes blazing with fire. "Everyone, please stand up. I have two things to say to you at this morning's court."

The hall suddenly fell silent, and everyone pricked up their ears. They knew that since their Majesty had taken the initiative to speak, there must be something big going on.

"First, the ceremony for enthroning the Vice Queen and Princess Xiuning will be held in a month."

Chu Ning's voice echoed in the hall, "The Ministry of Rites must make proper arrangements and there must be no mistakes!"

Minister of Rites Deng Hongwen immediately stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will do my utmost to ensure that the ceremony is grand and dignified!"

Chu Ning's sharp eyes swept over the ministers: "Do you have any objections, my dear ministers?"

"We have no objection!" All the officials responded in unison, but Chu Ning clearly saw several old officials exchanging glances.

"it is good."

Chu Ning nodded slightly. "Let's talk about the second thing. The Vice Queen has just arrived and is not familiar with the affairs of the harem. She doesn't need to interfere for the time being."

Having said this, he deliberately paused and observed the reactions of his ministers.

Sure enough, many ministers showed expressions of relief.

"But I have been away from the palace for many days, and the memorials have piled up like a mountain."

Chu Ning changed the subject: "Let her review the memorials with me, so that she can quickly familiarize herself with the political affairs of our Great Chu."

As soon as these words were spoken, the whole court was in an uproar!

Yang Su, the Minister of Works, was the first to object. "Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable! After all, Wu Zhao was once the ruler of a country. If she were allowed to have access to confidential government affairs, I'm afraid it would be detrimental to our dynasty."

"Yang Aiqing is worrying too much."

Chu Ning interrupted him, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "Since the Vice Queen has already entered our Great Chu, she is one of our family, not to mention..."

He looked around at everyone meaningfully: "With her talent, she is more than capable of reviewing memorials."

The ministers looked at each other, no one dared to object, but they could not hide the worry on their faces.

Especially the cabinet ministers, their faces were ashen.

Chu Ning took it all in and sneered in his heart.

How could he not know what these ministers were worried about? Wu Zhao had been in charge of the Great Zhou for more than ten years, and her ability to govern the country was obvious to all.

If she were allowed to get involved in government affairs, there was no guarantee that a new power center would not be formed.

But precisely because of this, Chu Ning has to do this even more.

"This matter is settled." Chu Ning made the final decision: "Dismiss the court!"

Following the eunuch's shrill "yes," all the officials bowed and withdrew.

But Chu Ning knew that today's decision would definitely cause an uproar in the court.

He walked slowly towards the imperial study, a meaningful smile on his face.

Outside the imperial study, Wu Zhao had been waiting for a long time.

Even in her simple and elegant palace dress, she still couldn't hide her innate royal demeanor.

Seeing Chu Ning coming, she bowed slightly: "Your Majesty."

Chu Ning extended his hand to support her: "No need to be so polite. From today on, you will review the memorials with me."

He added meaningfully, "I suppose this isn't a difficult task for you."

Wu Zhao's eyes flashed slightly, and she instantly understood Chu Ning's intention.

She smiled calmly: "I will do my best to help your majesty."

The two looked at each other and smiled, saying nothing.

The snow outside the window had stopped at some point, but the storm in the court was just beginning to brew.