Shocking! Five men are in love with the same woman!

After listening to Lingyan's series of detailed and innovative suggestions, Minister Zhou took a while to slowly come back to his senses.

He suddenly stood up, his hands trembling slightly with excitement, and bowed deeply to Ling Yan, almost touching the ground.

His voice, hoarse with excitement, said with boundless reverence, "Your Highness, your methods and insights are like divine inspiration, enlightening me and leaving me astonished! Your wisdom far surpasses my imagination. Every suggestion you made is incisive, novel, and unique, truly a wise strategy for governing the country. My admiration and respect for Your Highness cannot be expressed in words."

Then Minister Zhou raised his head, his eyes filled with fervent light.

He looked firmly at Lingyan and continued, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will do my utmost to implement all of Your Highness's suggestions. No matter how many difficulties and obstacles lie ahead, I will never back down. I am willing to dedicate the rest of my life to reforming the Ministry of Personnel and creating a clean, efficient, and fair governance environment for our Great Zhao Kingdom, so that under Your Highness's leadership, our Great Zhao Kingdom can prosper and flourish for generations to come."

At this moment, Minister Zhou was completely captivated by Lingyan's talent and charm.

A burning fighting spirit ignited in his heart, and he resolved to do everything in his power to realize the reform blueprint of Lingyan.

Looking at Minister Zhou's excited yet determined expression, Ling Yan smiled with slight relief.

She gently raised her hand, gesturing for Minister Zhou to rise: "Minister Zhou, you flatter me. I am very pleased with your determination."

Lingyan's voice was gentle yet powerful, her eyes revealing her expectations for the future: "Minister Zhou, you bear a heavy responsibility. I expect you to strictly follow the established plan and steadily advance the reforms. If you encounter any difficulties, you can discuss them with me at any time, and we will find solutions together."

Upon hearing this, Minister Zhou straightened up, looked intently at Lingyan, and solemnly replied, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will not fail in my mission. I will do my utmost to strictly implement the reform measures, and I will promptly discuss any difficulties with Your Highness without any slackening."

Lingyan nodded slightly after hearing this, her eyes full of trust and encouragement, and said softly, "Alright, Minister Zhou, I trust you."

...............

With the sound of firecrackers a year old, the spring breeze sent warmth to Tusu.

Thousands of families always exchange new peaches for old ones.

It's Lunar New Year's Eve again, and Lingyan is already nineteen years old this year.

After the New Year's Eve palace banquet that evening, Xiao Muyao was summoned to the palace by Emperor Jingzhao early the next morning.

It was during the Lunar New Year period, and the imperial court had already closed for the holidays. The court would not resume its regular sessions until the sixteenth day of the first lunar month.

After all, the Spring Festival is a time for people to reunite with their families and relax.

Officials have worked hard all year and also need time to spend with their families and enjoy some rare peace and quiet.

Therefore, there was no need to attend court today, and during the New Year period, the ministers would not be so inconsiderate as to cause trouble for Emperor Jingzhao.

Therefore, Emperor Jingzhao did not have many affairs to attend to during the New Year period.

Unless it's something very important that needs to be handled promptly.

For example, if an emergency military situation suddenly occurs on the border, or if a major disaster or unrest occurs domestically.

But none of these situations occurred at that time.

Therefore, if his summons of Xiao Muyao to the palace today was not for official business, then it must be for private matters.

As for what kind of private matter it was, Lingyan could more or less guess.

During the Chinese New Year, parents are usually concerned about when their children will get married or have children.

So what we're talking about today is the issue of having offspring!

Lingyan's guess was indeed correct.

When Xiao Muyao was summoned to the Dragon Palace and found the Empress there, he immediately realized why he had been summoned.

After understanding, Xiao Muyao remained calm and, following protocol, bowed to Emperor Jingzhao and the Empress above.

Sure enough, Emperor Jingzhao's concerned voice rang out: "Sixth Prince! You and your wife have been married for four years now! But why haven't we had any good news? I know you are in very good health, so could it be that your wife injured her body in the early years at home, which is why she is unable to conceive?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Muyao calmly replied, "Father, Yan'er is in excellent health. She is a doctor herself, so how could she allow herself to develop an incurable illness? Therefore, Father is overthinking it."

Upon hearing this, the Empress asked in confusion, "That's strange. If both of you are healthy, why haven't we heard from you for several years? Are you deliberately trying to avoid pregnancy?"

Upon hearing this, both the Emperor and Empress turned their gazes to Xiao Muyao, their eyes filled with sharp scrutiny.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Muyao replied frankly, "Your Majesty is right. It is because I do not want children yet that I have been deliberately avoiding pregnancy."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingzhao immediately flew into a rage: "Nonsense! You are the crown prince, and the future ruler of the country. How can you not have an heir? Your willful and reckless behavior, disregarding the overall situation and acting solely according to your own desires, has utterly disappointed me."

Xiao Muyao did not answer, but simply lowered his head and listened quietly.

Seeing this, the Empress was somewhat worried and immediately looked at Emperor Jingzhao to comfort him, saying, "Your Majesty, please don't be angry. It is precisely because our son prioritizes the affairs of the country that he neglects his own family. He doesn't want his offspring to affect or share his heart and energy. His dedication to the Great Zhao is a blessing for Your Majesty and the people!"

At this point, Emperor Jingzhao's expression softened.

The Empress continued, "Besides, both of them are still young and healthy. The issue of having children is just a matter of time, so Your Majesty really doesn't need to worry too much."

After listening to the Empress's words, Emperor Jingzhao pondered for a moment, his expression softening slightly.

However, he still spoke with a serious tone: "What the Empress said makes some sense, but the matter of offspring concerns the foundation of the country. How can it be ignored so easily? Sixth Prince, as the Crown Prince, you should understand the great responsibility you bear. I understand your desire to prioritize national affairs, but that does not mean you can completely disregard the continuation of the royal bloodline."

He looked sharply at Xiao Muyao and continued, "Although the current situation in the court is stable, the future is uncertain. A qualified crown prince must not only have outstanding performance in politics, but also consider the long-term development of the country and ensure that the throne is passed on to someone. How can you disregard such an important matter because of your own momentary thoughts?"

Emperor Jingzhao then picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip to calm himself down, and said, "I am not forcing you to have an heir immediately, but you need to understand the urgency of this matter. You should reflect on your behavior and not lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of a small thing, thus failing to live up to my expectations of you."

After speaking, Emperor Jingzhao turned his gaze to Xiao Muyao again.

His eyes held both the worry of a father and the majesty of an emperor, awaiting his response.

Xiao Muyao stood there quietly, his face filled with struggle and difficulty.

His gaze wandered, sometimes looking at Emperor Jingzhao, sometimes glancing at the Empress. His lips trembled slightly, as if a thousand words were stuck in his throat, yet he could not utter them.

His hands unconsciously clenched and unclenched, revealing his inner struggle and contradictions.