My palace is full of female protagonists.

A young official dressed in red sang with great emotion: "(Singing) The flowers were in full bloom, but now they are all left to broken wells and crumbling walls. What a pity for such a beautiful day and scenery, whose courtyard now enjoys such delightful pleasures..." His voice was clear and penetrating, and every note seemed to touch the softest part of people's hearts, moving all the listeners.

Another young man in white chose the love story, his deep and affectionate voice perfectly conveying the love that transcended life and death: "(Singing) In heaven, we wish to be birds flying wing to wing; on earth, we wish to be trees with intertwined branches. Heaven and earth may end, but this sorrow will last forever..."

These two opera excerpts, one gentle and delicate, the other tragic and poignant, both captivated the audience, leaving them utterly mesmerized. Consort Yi listened with rapt attention, her eyes sparkling as if she were already immersed in those beautiful yet sorrowful love stories.

At this moment, Emperor Zhao Chengyu, seeing that everyone was very interested, asked Xiao Kuangzi to send a message to the front, proposing to see these young officials compete in martial arts. Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince immediately ordered the removal of the large drum in the main hall and replaced it with several layers of thick mats laid in the center to set up a simple fighting platform.

"Gentlemen, now that we've had our literary contest, let's see how your martial arts skills are." The Crown Prince stood on the arena, his gaze sweeping over each of the young officials present, his tone carrying a hint of anticipation and provocation.

Upon hearing this, the young officials were eager to try their skills. They knew this was not only an opportunity to showcase their abilities, but also the key to winning the favor of Consort Yi. Thus, a unique martial arts competition began.

Some officials were skilled in boxing, their punches fierce and powerful, each one seemingly capable of shattering the air; others were proficient in leg techniques, their leg movements as swift as lightning, dazzling the eye; still others brought out their preferred weapons, their swords flashing like dragons and their knives like snakes, showcasing their superb martial arts skills.

Consort Yi sat behind the screen, watching with great interest. She secretly admired these young officials, noting their exceptional literary talent and martial prowess. She began to silently select a partner, someone who could both understand her and fight alongside her.

Zhao Chengyu's unease grew stronger. He had brought his two daughters here to watch the group of men vying for attention like peacocks displaying their plumage. One of them was his wife, who was now staring intently at the men; the other, though nominally his concubine, was actually his adopted daughter. They had come to choose a suitable husband for her.

Zhao Chengyu couldn't help but ponder to himself, "How could any man be more outstanding than me, a time traveler? Admittedly, these ancient people might indeed be considered both scholarly and martial, but under the feudal system, even if they were exceptionally intelligent and talented, they would ultimately be bound by those ignorant and outdated laws and regulations." Thinking of this, he became even more determined in his heart: monogamy should not only be upheld, but the practice of not taking concubines should also be strongly advocated. Only in this way could the purity of the affection between husband and wife and the stability and harmony of family relationships be guaranteed. After bestowing the title of princess upon Yi Jingwei, her marriage should only be one that allows her to truly enjoy monogamy.

As Zhao Chengyu was lost in thought, his gaze unconsciously fell upon Zhao Qier's slender and graceful back, and he became completely dazed. A subtle pang of sadness welled up in his heart, and his eyes kept glancing at Zhao Qier.

On the other side, Consort Yi is Zhao Chengyu's concubine and also his and Zhao Qi'er's goddaughter. Although her inner thoughts are often bizarre, she is just a playful little foodie. It is already remarkable that she can still think about surviving when her entire clan was wiped out when she was a child. Apart from having insomnia at night, you can't tell that she is such a child with a tragic fate.

However, Zhao Chengyu felt unsure whether he had transmigrated into real history or history from a book. This place didn't quite match the history he had learned; it was a country in chaos. Moreover, when Empress Gao introduced the country's situation, she only mentioned a few neighboring countries; he didn't know if the more distant countries were historically powerful nations.

However, what offered him some solace was that he had heard of most of the poems these officials recited. These poems, like messengers from afar, gave him a sense of belonging in this unfamiliar land. He understood that although this world differed from the history he knew, it was still based on his own understanding. The culture, language, and customs here were all intricately connected to the world he was familiar with.

However, language became Zhao Chengyu's biggest obstacle in this world. The language spoken here wasn't the Mandarin he was familiar with, making communication with the locals extremely difficult. If it weren't for inheriting the memories of the previous dynasty's emperor, Zhao Yingqing, during his transmigration, he probably wouldn't even have had a chance for basic communication with the locals. This memory, like a key, unlocked the door to this world, allowing him to survive in this unfamiliar environment.

This memory also brought him endless troubles. Zhao Yingqing's memories were filled with intrigue, struggle, and killing, and these cruel realities often left him feeling exhausted and helpless.

In his memory, he rarely read female-oriented novels. In those stories, the heroines often went through all sorts of hardships before finally achieving great things and making the country prosperous. As a fan of male-oriented novels, he always dreamed of becoming powerful, wielding national power, and being surrounded by many beautiful women who could live in harmony with him.

Occasionally, while browsing those entertaining short videos, I'll hear excerpts from female-oriented novels. Surprisingly, most of these stories end with the country flourishing and prosperous. This isn't hard to understand; after all, deep down, women harbor a beautiful wish—to be able to peacefully bear children. To achieve this, they naturally hope for a strong nation, a thriving family, and both abundant wealth and a leisurely life.

Currently, there are still five women in his "harem" who can be considered leading ladies. Even the Empress Gao, who has already established her own power, might lead a large army back to the country and launch a fierce war of defense if he fails to govern the country well.

Zhao Qi'er will help the Prince establish the Third Prince to usurp the throne, Yi Jingwei will use those militia to rebuild the Yi tribe, Consort Fang may summon another transmigrator, Consort Leng will be suppressed again by her sister, the country will probably even change its surname, and Consort Li will personally poison herself, right? Thinking of these things, Zhao Chengyu put away his little thoughts and admitted that this is a world where women are respected, a world where six or even more women are the main characters.

Zhao Chengyu gently shook his head, seemingly struggling with his own deep-seated beliefs. His gaze softened as he turned to the side, where the Third Young Master was kneeling on the ground, beside him knelt a pretty palace maid named Mei'er. Zhao Chengyu slowly asked, "I heard this young lady was redeemed from a brothel by the Crown Prince. Is that true?"

The third young master quickly replied, "That's right. After I arrived in the capital, I hid in a brothel for a few days to avoid trouble. During that time, Miss Mei'er took good care of me. She was kidnapped by human traffickers and ended up in a brothel, with no choice in her own life. The Crown Prince took pity on her when he saw that she was in danger because of me, so he redeemed her. Now that she has nowhere to go, I've taken her with me."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chengyu pondered to himself: Mei'er's experiences seemed like those of a heroine in some novels. Sold into a brothel as a child, she was forced to learn the arts; her first customer was hunted down by the court, and she was caught up in the turmoil; later, she was rescued by the Crown Prince, redeemed, and entered the palace as a maidservant to the Third Young Master. With such a background, if she wasn't given a good future, many more troubles would likely arise.

Thinking of this, Zhao Chengyu's gaze softened with tenderness and concern as he looked at Mei'er. He asked, "Since the Third Young Master is to hold an official position by Princess Yi's side, then his wife naturally cannot be some ignorant country bumpkin. You must have learned some skills in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting while you were in the brothels of the capital. So, are you willing to marry the Third Young Master and become his virtuous wife?"

Upon hearing this, Mei'er subconsciously glanced at the Third Young Master beside her. A complex light flashed in her eyes, a mixture of gratitude, shyness, and anticipation for the future. But she quickly composed herself, prostrated herself on the ground, and respectfully replied, "Whatever Your Majesty arranges, this servant will do. This servant is of humble origin and is not worthy of someone as distinguished as the Third Young Master."

Looking at Mei'er's determined eyes, Zhao Chengyu couldn't help but nod inwardly, it seemed she was willing.

Zhao Chengyu turned his gaze back to the third young master, Xue Ren, his tone serious and earnest: "Xue Ren, I'll ask you one more time, do you look down on Mei'er's background and not want her to become your mistress?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Ren quickly and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, Xue Ren is now just a farmer from the mountains, and the son of a former rebel. My status is lowly, so how could I dare to look down on Miss Mei'er? It should be me who is worried that she will look down on me. Moreover, when I was in the brothel, I always treated Miss Mei'er with the utmost respect and never did anything out of line."

Upon hearing Xue Ren's words, Mei'er's cheeks instantly flushed red. She lowered her head slightly, not daring to meet Xue Ren's gaze. Zhao Chengyu watched this scene and nodded inwardly, thinking that the young couple were quite well-matched.

He coughed lightly, then called out, "My Empress Zhao, there's a wonderful occasion here. Would you like to officiate?" Zhao Chengyu knew that neither he nor Zhao Yingqing were very familiar with the wedding customs of this dynasty, so he decided to have Empress Zhao, who was well-versed in such matters, officiate the wedding.

Zhao Qi'er had been listening to the commotion from the side. She turned to look at Zhao Chengyu with a gentle smile on her face: "Your Majesty, I am naturally willing to prepare a dowry for Miss Mei'er." Zhao Qi'er knew that although Mei'er came from a brothel, she was kind-hearted and had experienced many hardships. Now that she had found a good home, she was naturally very happy.

Looking at Zhao Qi'er, Zhao Chengyu felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He knew that Zhao Qi'er was not only an excellent empress, but also a kind-hearted and understanding woman. He thought for a moment and then said, "Also, find a minor official to help Miss Mei'er get married. As for Xue Ren, I'll appoint him as the commander of the Imperial Guard. This way, you will be respected in the counties and won't be looked down upon."

As soon as Zhao Chengyu finished speaking, Xue Ren and Mei'er both showed expressions of surprise and joy. They knew what this status and position meant to them. Xue Ren was so excited that he kowtowed repeatedly to express his gratitude: "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty! Xue Ren will repay Your Majesty's great kindness with my life!"

Mei'er also bowed slightly: "This servant thanks Your Majesty and Empress for your kindness." Her eyes glistened with tears, and her heart was filled with gratitude and happiness.

Consort Yi, who was listening to Zhao Chengyu and Zhao Qi'er's conversation, couldn't help but roll her eyes and said with a hint of coquettishness, "Your Majesty, didn't you say you were choosing a husband for me? Why are you busy presiding over other people's weddings first? I've been looking for ages and still haven't found anyone suitable."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chengyu laughed and said, "Consort Yi, you've wronged me. Xue Ren and Mei'er were a perfect match, and I was just going with the flow to help them get married. As for you, I carefully selected a group of excellent men for you, but you said you were picking a white swan from black swans. It's because you can't find one yourself."

Zhao Qi'er couldn't help but laugh as she continued, "That's right, Your Majesty. Let alone Consort Yi, if I were to choose from a group of outstanding men before my marriage, I'd probably be overwhelmed and have no idea what to do."

Upon hearing Zhao Qi'er's words, Zhao Chengyu feigned grievance and said, "I've put in a lot of effort for nothing, haven't I? In the end, you're blaming me for giving you too many choices?" His words carried a hint of jest, but also revealed his doting affection for Consort Yi and Zhao Qi'er.

Consort Yi couldn't help but laugh when she heard Zhao Chengyu say that. She knew that her words were indeed a bit willful, so she said, "Your Majesty, I was just in a hurry. As you know, I have no relatives in this palace except for you and my sister, the Empress. So, the matter of choosing a husband must be taken very seriously."

Hearing this, Zhao Chengyu felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He understood that although Consort Yi appeared carefree on the surface, she was actually very sensitive and perceptive. He gently patted the back of Consort Yi's hand and said, "Consort Yi, don't worry. Since I promised to choose a husband for you, I will definitely choose a man of excellent character and talent. However, you also need to give me some time to observe and select a few people first. It's not necessary for you to choose someone right now."

Consort Yi was deeply moved by Zhao Chengyu's words. She knew she had made the right choice; Zhao Chengyu was not only a wise emperor but also a loving brother who was like a father to her. She bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, I thank you!"