My palace is full of female protagonists.

Zhao Chengyu rubbed his temples, trying to dispel the blurry, fragmented pieces of his dream, which swirled like morning mist yet left no trace. He took a deep breath, realizing once again that he was in a completely unfamiliar world, a world where he, as emperor, wielded supreme power but also bore endless responsibilities.

As your gaze sweeps over the layers of exquisite and intricate curtains, each one seems to speak of the solemnity and luxury of royalty, yet also adds an invisible sense of constraint.

"Your Majesty, are you awake?" Xiao Kuangzi's soft voice came from outside again, full of respect and concern. Zhao Chengyu responded softly, his voice short but revealing the majesty befitting an emperor. He thought to himself, now that he had transmigrated to this world and become its monarch, he needed to shoulder the responsibilities and duties that came with it.

"Change your clothes first, I'm going to see the Empress." Zhao Chengyu finally made a decision. He realized that he should no longer run away from either the country or the Empress. Although he felt a little uncomfortable with this sudden "wife" status, reason told him that this was a reality he had to face as the emperor.

The maids entered at the sound, their movements light and swift, and helped Zhao Chengyu change into civilian clothes. Once dressed, Zhao Chengyu stood before the bronze mirror, gazing at the familiar yet unfamiliar face reflected in it, a surge of indescribable emotion welling up within him. This emperor bore a striking resemblance to himself, though he looked a bit older. Perhaps it was due to the heavy workload of his childhood, his subsequent exile, and his diligent work ethic; even without exertion, he seemed to be frowning. He was also taller than him—a perk, perhaps.

Entering the Imperial Study, a faint scent of ink wafted through the air. Unlike the opulence of the sleeping quarters, this place exuded a greater sense of tranquility and solemnity. The Empress sat before her desk, holding a scroll of books, her brows revealing an extraordinary air of wisdom and refinement. Upon seeing Zhao Chengyu enter, she gently set down the scroll, rose, and bowed, her demeanor displaying grace and virtue.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and peace." The Empress's voice was gentle yet clear, every word perfectly chosen.

Zhao Chengyu stepped forward, extended his hand to help her up, and said gently, "Your Majesty, you may rise. I was being willful today and left those old things to you."

The Empress smiled slightly, her eyes sparkling with tenderness: "Your Majesty is too kind. As the Empress, it is my duty to share Your Majesty's burdens and difficulties."

Zhao Chengyu gently rubbed his temples, deliberately showing a tired expression on his face, his tone tinged with apology and helplessness: "Your Majesty, it seems my headache hasn't fully recovered yet. The many affairs of the court are truly overwhelming me. Could you tell me in detail about the current situation so I can have a better understanding?"

Upon hearing this, the Empress, though somewhat doubtful, saw Zhao Chengyu's serious expression, which seemed genuine, and assumed the Emperor was truly concerned about state affairs and wanted to learn more for future decisions. She smiled slightly and said gently, "Of course, Your Majesty. Our country has a vast territory. During the reign of the late Emperor, we stabilized the borders of the Three Rivers and Four Continents and successfully recovered six vassal states, making our dynasty renowned far and wide. Recently, two more vassal states, due to frequent natural disasters, intend to completely submit to our dynasty. This is their petition and a summary of the opinions of the court officials. They must be reviewed one by one, and through a sacrificial ceremony, we must pray for Heaven's permission to accept them." As she spoke, the Empress walked to a nearby bookshelf and pointed to it.

"As for the distribution of power within the country, besides our royal family, there are two other prominent families: the Qi family, the Left Chancellor, and the Su family, the Right Chancellor. They each wield significant power in the court. In addition, there are sixty-four princes and chieftains, scattered throughout the country, each governing a region and serving as a vital force in maintaining local stability. This is their report sent this month, detailing the situation in various regions." The Empress then pointed to another bookcase, gesturing for Zhao Chengyu to look at it.

Zhao Chengyu took the file and pretended to browse through it, but in reality, he admired the Empress's competence and meticulousness. He blinked, pointed to the last row of bookshelves, and asked curiously, "What's in this bookshelf?"

The Empress walked to the bookcase, gently stroking the wood grain, and explained, "This bookcase contains summaries of major decisions and daily affairs reported by various government offices. It covers everything from farmland irrigation to commerce and taxation, from culture and education to military defense. Whenever there are new decisions or important matters, the government offices record them in detail and report them to the court for reference in making decisions."

Zhao Chengyu had just been promoted to a junior manager position, but before he could even celebrate, he was killed in a car accident. This reminded me of the ten books I had just ordered on how to be a leader: *The Leadership Pipeline*, *Influence*, *The Effective Executive*, *Power and Leadership*, *Common Sense of Management*, *The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People*, *The Fifth Discipline*, and *Huawei's Gray-Scale Management Method*.

He even muttered to himself, "If you can't lead a team, you'll only work yourself to death." Upon hearing Zhao Chengyu's words, the Empress immediately knelt down and said, "Has it been a fault of yours, Your Majesty? Please forgive me!"

Zhao Chengyu realized his slip of the tongue and gave a wry smile. He quickly snapped out of his thoughts of modern life and realized that he was in an ancient palace, where books and ideas about modern management seemed completely out of place. He hurriedly explained, "Your Majesty, you misunderstand. I wasn't criticizing you. It's just... I suddenly had some ideas about governing the country, and I thought we could perhaps discuss how to handle government affairs more effectively."

Upon hearing this, the Empress's astonishment gradually faded, replaced by a hint of curiosity and anticipation. She stood up, straightened her clothes, and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, I am ignorant and humbly request your guidance."

After a moment's thought, Zhao Chengyu decided to express his meaning in a way more relevant to the contemporary context: "Your Majesty, it is an undeniable fact that our country is vast, populous, and burdened with heavy administrative duties. Although there are hundreds of ministers in the court and princes and prefectural offices throughout the country, the imperial palace only has a few dozen people assisting in government affairs. Now, the territory is vast, and the population is much larger than during the reign of the late emperor. After layers of approvals, so many documents are still presented to us. Don't you think there is a problem with this system?"

After listening, the Empress pondered for a moment, a glint of light flashing in her eyes: "Your Majesty is absolutely right. I often find myself troubled by this as well. Perhaps we can try to establish a special agency to classify and process all kinds of documents, and set clear deadlines to improve efficiency. At the same time, we can also encourage ministers to offer more constructive suggestions and reduce unnecessary requests and approvals."

Zhao Chengyu nodded approvingly, his admiration for the Empress's wisdom and ability growing even stronger. He continued, "Furthermore, we can consider strengthening the autonomy of local princes and prefectural governments, allowing them to handle local affairs more flexibly and efficiently. Of course, this requires finding a balance between oversight and decentralization to ensure the stability of the nation."

Zhao Chengyu knew his suggestion might be too avant-garde for the Empress, but her earnest expression and cooperative attitude made him feel gratified. The Empress frowned slightly, her eyes filled with both doubt and expectation. She confirmed again, "What His Majesty means is to create a large number of positions in various departments of the court to cope with the increasingly heavy state affairs. However, the selection of talent is indeed not an easy task. Although the imperial examinations attract many talented people every year, the number is ultimately limited, and it is difficult to guarantee that each one can be competent."

Zhao Chengyu smiled slightly, his gaze lingering on the distance, as if contemplating a broader world: "The Empress is absolutely right. That is precisely why we need to break with convention and broaden the channels for talent selection. Let me ask you, in the capital, besides the imperial examination, what other avenues are there for discovering talent?"

Upon hearing this, the Empress pondered for a moment before replying, "There are indeed three great academies in the capital. They gather renowned teachers from across the land and have cultivated many pillars of society. Whenever there is a vacancy in the palace, these academies are invited to recommend outstanding students, who are then personally selected by the Emperor."

Zhao Chengyu shook his head slightly, his tone tinged with helplessness: "This method is good, but it also has limitations. The academy is certainly full of talented people, but how can it represent all the talents in the world? You must know that talented people are hidden among the people, whether they are living in the city, working in the fields, or even imprisoned and enslaved. If we limit our vision to the academy, wouldn't we be like frogs at the bottom of a well, only seeing a small part of the sky? Moreover, we are not the people in each position. How can we know whether the people we select are capable of handling different positions?"

Upon hearing this, the Empress felt a surge of emotion. She had never imagined that talent selection could be so broad and far-reaching. She cautiously asked, "Does Your Majesty mean that even slaves, merchants, farmers, and even people of foreign tribes can be included in the selection process?"

Zhao Chengyu nodded, his eyes gleaming with determination: "That's exactly right. Talented people are not judged by their origins, but only by their ability and virtue to fulfill their duties. As for foreign envoys and foreign nationals, although they are not of our race, wouldn't it be a good thing if they could be used by us? We can establish a special agency to review their backgrounds and abilities, ensuring their unwavering loyalty to our dynasty. As for short-term employment of foreign envoys, we can take this opportunity to learn their advanced technologies and cultures, thus promoting the prosperity and development of our dynasty."

After hearing this, the Empress had her concerns, but she was also moved by Zhao Chengyu's foresight. She hesitated for a moment, but finally couldn't help but ask, "However, Your Majesty, isn't this move too risky? After all, allowing someone with a complicated background to enter the court might cause unnecessary trouble."

Zhao Chengyu sighed, his gaze softening and deepening: "I understand the Empress's concerns. But it is precisely because of this that we must be even more courageous in trying new things and daring to break through. Back then, when Qi'er and I opened a market on the frontier and traded with various ethnic groups, didn't some people worry that it would lead to war? But as it turns out, it not only promoted the prosperity of the frontier but also enhanced the friendship and understanding among the various ethnic groups. Now, we are simply applying this courage and wisdom to the selection of talent."

At this point, Zhao Chengyu suddenly realized that he had inadvertently touched upon Zhao Yingqing's taboo subject—exile. He quickly composed himself and looked at the Empress, only to see her looking terrified and about to curtsy and beg for forgiveness. Zhao Chengyu felt a warmth in his heart and quickly stepped forward to support the Empress, gently comforting her, "Your Majesty, there's no need for this. I know what you're thinking, but please rest assured, I am your husband. We are just having a casual conversation as husband and wife. Be natural."

Night had fallen, and moonlight streamed through the window lattices, casting a soft, silvery glow over every corner of the Empress's chambers, adding to the tranquil night. The Empress sat before the bronze mirror, allowing the palace maids to remove her elaborate jewelry and change her into comfortable nightgowns. But her thoughts had already wandered far away. Emperor Zhao Chengyu's grand pronouncements on talent selection and the future of the nation echoed in her mind like thunder, leaving her unsettled. Her gaze shifted between bewilderment and determination, as if a fierce internal struggle was raging within her.

Meanwhile, in the imperial study, Zhao Chengyu paced back and forth, his brow furrowed, appearing deeply troubled. Xiao Kuangzi, the young eunuch who had served Zhao Chengyu since childhood, noticed this and asked softly, "Your Majesty, which beauty will you summon to your bedchamber tonight? Or will you return directly to the Empress's palace?"

Zhao Chengyu stopped, fragments of Zhao Yingqing's memories involuntarily surfacing in his mind—memories of the beauties in the harem. He remembered that, besides the Empress, he did indeed have five other beauties. Most of the other relationships were fleeting, driven by political considerations or momentary whims. Most of them received a generous reward afterward before being arranged to leave the palace and marry, never to be seen again. Thinking of this, Zhao Chengyu couldn't help but smile bitterly: "How did I become a scumbag?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Kuangzi looked bewildered. He had never heard the term "scumbag" before, so he asked curiously, "Your Majesty, what is a scumbag?"

Zhao Chengyu sighed and explained, "A scumbag is a man who is irresponsible in relationships and plays with women's feelings at will. Although I did not do it intentionally, those past experiences are indeed difficult to talk about."

The little box nodded as if it understood, then asked, "Your Majesty, you can marry anyone you like into the palace. So, Your Majesty, what are your plans for tonight...?"

Zhao Chengyu interrupted Xiao Kuangzi, his thoughts drifting away again, the Empress's gentle virtue and Zhao Qi'er's lively cuteness flashing through his mind. He murmured to himself, "The Empress is indeed beautiful and virtuous, and Zhao Qi'er is also lively and cute, but I am not her. Should I do this?"

Little Box was even more confused. He scratched his head and asked, "Your Majesty, what did you mean by 'not someone'? This servant doesn't understand."

Zhao Chengyu snapped out of his reverie and realized his slip of the tongue. He gently patted Xiao Kuangzi's shoulder and chuckled, "It's nothing, I was just talking to myself. You may leave now; I'll be staying in the Imperial Study tonight."

Little Box asked, "Is that to recruit palace maids to serve you in bed?"

Zhao Chengyu then realized that Zhao Yingqing often used the excuse of keeping palace maids in the imperial study's bedroom when he wanted to recruit them. Zhao Chengyu then said, "Forget it, let's go to Zhao Qier's place! Let her prepare." Zhao Chengyu thought to himself that, no matter what, when he saw Zhao Qier today, he could tell that she was the type to throw herself at Zhao Yingqing, so he wouldn't have to feel so awkward.