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

Seeing Ling Yan in a state of panic with tears welling up in her eyes, Xiao Muyao felt a pang of pain in his heart and quickly stepped forward to shorten the distance between them.

He reached out and gently yet irresistibly took Lingyan's slightly trembling hand in his palm.

It seemed to want to convey warmth throughout her body and dispel the chill in her heart.

"Yan'er, don't be sad."

His tone was gentle, like a spring breeze brushing across a lake, carrying endless tenderness and affection.

His gaze was fixed on Lingyan's eyes, full of deep affection and determination: "Anyway, I will never have any children in this life, so whether I take the medicine or not will be the same. I don't want others to use this matter to attack you anymore, so naturally I have to resolve this once and for all, so that they will never blame or attack you again."

"Since I am determined to protect you, I must do it thoroughly, eradicate them completely, and eliminate any thoughts they may have. Only in this way will no one in the court or the palace dare to blame you or speak ill of you. To ensure that everything goes smoothly and that everyone is convinced, I will take the sterilization pill willingly. As long as you can live a peaceful life from now on, I will have no regrets."

After speaking, he gently stroked Lingyan's hand with his thumb, as if to silently comfort her and wait for her to calm down.

However, Lingyan did not believe what he said.

He was the emperor; how could those imperial physicians dare to go against him?

Therefore, even if he had not taken the sterilization pill, the imperial physicians would never dare to say it.

They will inevitably side with him, blatantly lying to deceive those ministers.

Besides, it wouldn't be difficult for either her or those imperial physicians to create a fake pulse indicating infertility.

Why would he actually take this medicine?

So she knew that he was doing this to put her mind at ease.

Let her know that he will absolutely never abandon her because her looks have faded and his love has waned.

He will love her as always, for the rest of his life.

It seems he overheard her conversation with Lian Zhixin that day, which is why he gave her such a reassurance.

And only now did she finally feel at ease.

She knew that nothing would ever change his feelings for her.

After all, he was a man, and an emperor at that.

However, he admitted to all the officials that he was infertile.

This undoubtedly means abandoning one's dignity and face as a man.

And, I'm afraid it won't be long.

All the people of Dazhao will know about this.

After that, the news will spread throughout the world.

Let the whole world know that he, as a man and an emperor, is infertile!

How many men in the world can do that?

That's why she trusts him so deeply now and will never doubt him again in this lifetime.

Lingyan's mind was churning with a thousand thoughts, like a tangled mess of hemp.

Looking at Xiao Muyao's sincere face and thinking of his resolute actions, her thoughts suddenly seemed to be gently sorted out by a hand.

She slowly closed her eyes, her chest rising and falling slightly, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.

The pent-up frustration in his chest seemed to dissipate without a trace, carrying with it all the helplessness and sorrow he had felt before.

What's done is done, and fate's wheel has turned.

No matter how much bitterness and sorrow there is, it only adds to the heartache.

It is of no benefit now or in the future.

With such courage and determination, he placed himself in the eye of the storm.

She built a protective wall around herself by cutting off all her offspring.

Such sentiments are heavier than Mount Tai, burning hot and fervent.

Lingyan opened her eyes and gave a touching smile.

He gripped Xiao Muyao's hand tightly with his own, their fingertips intertwined, conveying his unwavering resolve.

"Since things have come to this, from now on, I will cherish your feelings and walk hand in hand with you, day and night, year after year."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Muyao's eyes instantly lit up with a dazzling light.

He gently pulled Lingyan into his arms, resting his chin on her head and inhaling her familiar scent.

I felt my heart was completely filled, with no gaps left.

And a faint smile played on her lips, full of anticipation and cherishing for the years to come.

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

Now that the officials had agreed to the matter, Xiao Muyao acted swiftly.

A few days later, an imperial edict was issued to establish Qi'er as the crown prince.

And this decree was announced to the world.

The inscription reads: "By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I, having received the mandate of Heaven and ascended the throne, have devoted myself wholeheartedly to the cause of the nation's prosperity and the stability of the state. Now, Prince Su's heir, Xiao Yiqi, is pure and benevolent, possessing both virtue and talent, with the world in his heart and wise strategies at his heart."

His loyalty and filial piety are evident, and he is well-versed in propriety and righteousness. He devotes himself wholeheartedly to the affairs of the country and the people, and is always concerned about their suffering. I have observed him for a long time and am very pleased. I have decided to establish Xiao Yiqi as the crown prince to inherit the throne. I hope that he will rule the world in the future, bring glory to our dynasty, and bring peace to all people. This is hereby proclaimed to the world so that everyone may know.

The imperial decree was issued like a boulder thrown into a lake, stirring up a thousand waves.

In the bustling streets and alleys, people whispered among themselves, their faces full of confusion.

How could Your Majesty have chosen the heir apparent of Prince Su as the crown prince?

This reaction was the same as the reaction of the officials back then.

A few days later, a secret rumor spread like wildfire.

"Do you know that His Majesty made Prince Su his heir because he was infertile?"

Inside the tavern, someone spoke in a low, mysterious voice.

The listener stared in astonishment, nearly dropping his wine cup: "Is this really true? I thought it was because the Empress was unlucky, but I never imagined the problem lay with His Majesty."

However, after a brief uproar, the people gradually calmed down.

An old man on the street stroked his beard and said, "His Majesty and His Majesty the Empress are both exceptionally wise and have the country at heart. With their careful guidance of Prince Su's heir, he will surely become a wise ruler in the future. We commoners can just live our lives in peace."

Everyone agreed that this made sense, and their worries gradually disappeared.

We await the growth of the new crown prince and look forward to a new era for the court.

…………

At this time, all the teachers responsible for teaching Qi'er were already in place.

Thus, at this moment, a wise and virtuous ruler began his first step in preparing for his future.

In addition to their daily instruction, Lingyan and Xiao Muyao also...

The remaining time was naturally spent developing and expanding the Great Zhao Dynasty.

The memorials submitted by officials in the court are now very short and concise, unlike the lengthy ones of the past.

Putting aside other things, just the fact that an emperor would spend most of his day reading these memorials is enough.

In a crucial memorial, the important matters only occupied a small part.

Then what's left to write is just a waste of time!

Because most of a memorial is just flattery or greetings.

Only then will we get down to business.

I don't know what's wrong with it, it's always been like this.

Therefore, Lingyan decreed that all officials should no longer include irrelevant remarks in their memorials.

Cut out any unnecessary words and get straight to the point, stating the matter at hand.

What the country needs are elites who can get things done, not sycophants who only know how to talk big but are all show and no substance.

Once the decree was issued, the officials naturally had no choice but to obey.

But in reality, apart from some officials who were already sycophants, many other officials breathed a sigh of relief.

Because over the years, every memorial has required a great deal of time to first craft elaborate and flowery praises of His Majesty.

They're exhausted too, you know.

But this has always been the case.

If they didn't do it, other officials did.

Then it's hard to guarantee that His Majesty won't blame him.

Therefore, we can only continue to follow the crowd.

Fortunately, this rule has now been abolished.

They are finally free.

Therefore, Lingyan and Xiao Muyao spent far less time on memorials each day than before.

You can also use this time to do many other things.