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

The next morning, the atmosphere in the Golden Palace was so heavy it seemed like water could be squeezed out of it.

The officials filed in, each with a different expression, but all of them harbored a sense of urgency.

After the shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" had ended, before Xiao Muyao could even begin to address the important matters of the court.

Then an old minister stepped forward, his white beard trembling, and broke the silence: "Your Majesty, I have heard that the palace is making great efforts to invite famous teachers for the heir of Prince Su. I believe this is extremely inappropriate. Your Majesty is in the prime of life and should have a biological heir to inherit the throne. I implore Your Majesty to select concubines and expand the harem to ensure the continuation of the imperial line!"

After saying this, he knelt down with a thud and kowtowed loudly.

This statement is like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples.

The court hall erupted in a flurry of kneelings, with over 90% of the officials echoing the sentiment, their shouts rising and falling in waves.

"Your Majesty, the foundation of the nation lies in the continuation of the imperial line. Only by selecting consorts and filling the harem can the dynasty be ensured to last forever!"

"Your Majesty, although the Empress is virtuous, the royal bloodline must not be broken. I hope Your Majesty will prioritize the well-being of the nation!"

The earnest voice echoed throughout the palace.

The crowd, some looking anxious, others filled with worry, all focused their gazes on Xiao Muyao, who sat atop the dragon throne.

However, he never once glanced at Ling Yan beside him.

Perhaps he was afraid to look at her.

However, Lingyan and Xiao Muyao had anticipated this situation.

At this moment, Xiao Muyao sat upright on the dragon throne, his expression calm and composed.

His gaze slowly swept over the group of officials below the steps, his eyes cold and resolute. His voice was steady and unhurried as he said, "My ministers, stop making unfounded speculations and discussing matters of the inner palace. I will make it clear today: this matter has nothing to do with the Empress. It is because I am ill and unable to conceive, that I have chosen a suitable candidate from the imperial clan and carefully nurtured him to inherit the throne."

But as soon as these words were spoken, an uproar broke out in the court.

The ministers whispered amongst themselves, their discussions a constant murmur.

The doubt and the certainty were clearly written on everyone's faces.

The officials felt that His Majesty was protecting the Empress and using himself as a shield.

Therefore, there were those impatient old ministers who boasted of their loyalty to the emperor and their love for the country.

Ignoring the impropriety of the palace, he stepped forward and said loudly, "Your Majesty, we know that you have deep affection for the Empress, but the succession of the nation concerns the future generations and cannot be taken lightly! We have heard that the Empress experienced many hardships in the Duke's mansion in her early years, which may have damaged her foundation and made it difficult for her to have children. Your Majesty, we earnestly hope that you will prioritize the greater good and not let personal feelings ruin the country!"

After speaking, he prostrated himself on the ground again, his forehead touching the ground with a loud thud.

Upon seeing this, the other officials also knelt down, their voices of pleading rising and falling.

The entire hall was filled with these urgent and persistent admonitions.

It seemed intent on completely shattering Xiao Muyao and Lingyan's resolve.

Lingyan sat above, her expression remaining calm and composed upon seeing this.

She knew he would handle the matter properly.

Otherwise, I wouldn't have been worthy of making that vow to her in the first place.

Although she was also very surprised that he would say that it was his physical illness that made it difficult for him to have children.

But judging from the reactions of the officials, she knew they didn't believe her.

However, she was genuinely curious about how he would resolve the matter.

Xiao Muyao's posture remained as upright as a pine tree.

Faced with the persistent advice and skeptical kowtows of his ministers, he showed no sign of anger.

It was as if the tense and deadlocked situation before them was just a common scene in the imperial court.

He slightly raised his hand, and his wide sleeves fluttered in the breeze.

The movements were neither hurried nor slow, but carried an invisible pressure that gently suppressed the noisy discussions throughout the hall.

Then, his gaze swept across the faces of the officials below the steps.

His eyes were clear and firm, and his voice was loud and clear but his tone was calm: "My lords, this matter can be discussed later. After all, there are priorities. At this moment, there are many decrees concerning people's livelihood that need to be decided in the court. The well-being of the people and the stability of the country depend on the things we plan every day. How can we delay?"

After speaking, he leaned forward, placed his hands on the armrests of the dragon throne, and emphasized, "Do not let my family affairs interfere with official business and the peace of the people."

Those calm words were like a clear, rational stream, gently flowing through the court filled with heated obsessions.

The ministers looked at each other, and a few of them wanted to speak again to offer their advice.

But when she met Xiao Muyao's unquestionable gaze, she silently swallowed her words.

He could only slowly get up and straighten his clothes, but his expression still held resentment and doubt.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the main hall eased slightly, but undercurrents still simmered.

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

After the morning court session, all the officials went back and pondered how to persuade His Majesty to change his mind and select concubines.

They have fallen silent for the time being.

However, the royal family reacted very strongly.

The reason, of course, is that since the Crown Prince of Su could be selected.

They are all of royal blood, so how could they not be them or their offspring?

Therefore, everyone was very eager to try.

They're already planning and strategizing.

Some ruthless individuals are already planning to eliminate Qi'er first.

Of course, Lingyan and Xiao Muyao had anticipated these things.

Knowing they would definitely target Qi'er so their family could seize the position, they had already decided to deal with these people.

Not to mention, Lingyan had already been planning to take action against them for years.

So she immediately ordered the Imperial Guards to take back all their property.

It was also stated that the imperial court would no longer support them, and they would have to rely on their own efforts to support themselves.

So these people have nothing left except their royal status and their respective residences.

Several old princes, relying on their seniority, came to exert pressure.

But they were so frightened by Lingyan that they all fled in panic, not daring to utter another word, and could only accept it.

Furthermore, Lingyan issued an imperial edict that from then on, they could only support themselves through their own abilities.

Moreover, they must not break the law or regulations, and must not do anything that harms the court or the people.

Otherwise, they will know the consequences themselves.

Those who received the imperial edict naturally understood what the consequences would be.

So even if they were unwilling, they could only honestly find ways to earn money to support themselves and their families.

As for those beautiful dreams from before, they are now just wishful thinking.

They knew perfectly well that their current predicament was due to their own unthinking thoughts.

So they are already blessed to be alive. They dare not have any more delusions or take any action.

Of course, even if they wanted to take action.

They had no money, no manpower, and no power.

What will they use to cause trouble?

They simply no longer have that capability.

The reason why Lingyan treated the imperial family in this way.

Aside from Qi'er, it was mostly for the sake of Da Zhao.

The sheer amount of money spent by these members of the royal family, along with their families, in a single year is enough to leave everyone speechless.

The key issue is that they've all accomplished nothing; they've wasted their time on pretense. Isn't that a waste?

Wouldn't it be better to use this money to build up the Great Zhao?

I still remember that my ancestor Zhu Yuanzhang suffered because of his past hardships.

So after becoming the Hongwu Emperor, he thought of not letting his family suffer, so he used the national treasury to feed and care for them.

But generation after generation, these members of the royal family were also exceptionally prolific.

This resulted in the Ming Dynasty having to support an increasing number of people every year.

The serious consequence of this was that it drained the national treasury.

The national treasury was empty, but the imperial court needed money for various purposes.

So where does this money come from?

Nature comes from the people.

This has led to increasingly higher taxes for ordinary people, which they simply cannot afford.

The people's lives were so miserable that even surviving was a struggle.

This forced Li Zicheng to rebel, ultimately leading to the downfall of the Ming Dynasty.

Although there were many other reasons for the fall of the Ming Dynasty.

However, it cannot be denied that the national treasury's funds also play a significant role.

Given such a precedent, how could she possibly allow these incompetent people to continue to drain the national treasury and cripple the Great Zhao Dynasty?

Do they still want to bleed the imperial court dry?

impossible!

Get them all out of here as soon as possible!