The mistress has no feelings, why do you provoke her?

Looking at Emperor Wen's gaunt and emaciated face, as if he were about to burn out.

Song Wenjun and Xiao Ji felt a pang of bitterness in their hearts and could not bring themselves to voice their objections.

The couple's love was as strong as gold, but times have changed.

Xiao Ji is about to become the ruler of a country. He shoulders the heavy responsibility of revitalizing the Nan Yue Kingdom and also has the obligation to ensure the continuation of the royal family.

Taking in many concubines became inevitable.

Song Wenjun felt a pang of sadness, but thinking of the future of the Southern Moon Kingdom, she suppressed her bitterness.

She lowered her head slightly, her voice soft yet firm: "Daughter-in-law, as you command."

Xiao Ji was somewhat surprised and couldn't help but glance at Song Wenjun, only to see that she looked calm.

Although he was unwilling, he could only bow to Emperor Wen and say in a deep voice, "Your subject obeys."

Emperor Wen smiled with relief when he saw that the two of them had agreed: "In that case, I can rest assured."

His gaze was unfocused, fixed on the outside of the hall.

A plum blossom peeked into the hall through the window, a gentle breeze blowing.

The petals drifted down gently.

The room suddenly felt cold.

As if by telepathy, Xiao Ji looked at Emperor Wen.

But he had a smile on his face and his eyes closed.

His eyes were red, and he softly called out, "Father?"

Emperor Wen leaned quietly against the couch, offering no further response.

The entire bedchamber was instantly filled with a deathly silence, with only the occasional sound of the wind outside, which seemed to be sobbing.

Upon seeing this, Eunuch Fu felt a pang of anxiety and slowly stepped forward, his body trembling.

His hands trembled uncontrollably, and he softly called out again, "Your Majesty..."

However, Emperor Wen still did not respond.

Eunuch Fu took a deep breath and boldly placed his finger on Emperor Wen's nose.

After probing three times, Fu Gonggong's eyes revealed a look of horror.

Immediately afterwards, he knelt down on the ground with a thud.

With all his might, he cried out in anguish, "Your Majesty has passed away."

The crowd was stunned at first, then a large number of them knelt down, and the sounds of crying and sobbing instantly filled the entire palace.

Almost at the same moment, the palace bells tolled.

The deep, drawn-out chimes echoed one after another, reaching every corner of the palace and the entire capital.

For a time, the entire Southern Moon Kingdom was immersed in grief and solemnity.

With Emperor Wen gone, the country could not be without a ruler for even a day.

After Emperor Wen was buried in the imperial mausoleum, Xiao Ji was put on the throne, and Song Wenjun became the empress.

After the investiture ceremony, Song Wenjun was so exhausted that her back felt like it was about to break.

Being an empress is not the same as being a princess; you have to be considerate and meticulous in everything you do.

She also had to maintain a haughty demeanor at all times, preserving the dignity of an empress.

Once she was finally alone in the palace, she slumped down and sighed, "I'm so tired."

Zhi Shu hurriedly stepped forward to massage her lower back and said with a light laugh, "Your Majesty, please bear with it."

"I have to put on makeup starting at dawn, and with that heavy phoenix crown weighing several pounds, my neck feels like it's going to break."

Song Wenjun couldn't help but complain, reaching out to pinch her face, which was already stiff.

Zhi Shu shook his head and laughed as he read it.

Not long after, Xiao Ji, dressed in a black and gold dragon robe, walked into the hall with steady steps.

The golden dragon on the dragon robe was lifelike, shimmering with a majestic luster in the dim light.

The palace maids hurriedly knelt down in unison, their bodies bowed low, not daring to utter a sound.

Xiao Ji waved his hand slightly and said in a low voice, "Everyone, get out."

"Yes," the palace maids replied softly and quickly withdrew.

In an instant, only Song Wenjun and Xiao Ji remained in the room.

The two looked at each other, and as if they were on the same wavelength, they both burst out laughing at the same time.

Immediately afterwards, they both removed the heavy and magnificent golden crowns from their heads, casually placed them aside, and then lay back, completely relaxing and sinking into the couch.

Xiao Ji raised his hand to wipe his face, sighed softly, his tone tinged with helplessness and emotion: "As expected, not just anyone can sit on this throne. From now on, I'll have to get up before dawn every day to attend the morning court, and I won't have time to rest until the moon is high in the sky. Sigh, I really don't know how I'm going to get through this."

Hearing his words, Song Wenjun's lips curled up slightly, and she chuckled, saying, "Emperors throughout history have all done it this way, so why do you think it won't work?"

"I was never cut out to be an emperor," Xiao Ji said lightly, with a hint of teasing. "This is clearly a case of being forced into it; there was really no other way."

Song Wenjun gave him a reproachful look and said, "Look at you, but there's something you need to do as soon as possible."

Xiao Ji rolled over, propped his forehead with his hand, and looked intently at Song Wenjun, asking, "What is it?"

Song Wenjun pursed her lips slightly, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "You've probably forgotten what you promised the late emperor when he passed away."

As soon as she said this, Xiao Ji knew she was referring to his promise to the late emperor to take concubines.

When this matter was brought up, Xiao Ji still had a faint smile on his face and said in a relaxed tone, "No rush."

“But this is the late emperor’s dying wish.” Song Wenjun looked troubled and said earnestly, “Now that you are the emperor, you bear the heavy responsibility of ensuring the continuation of the royal family line.”

As Empress, the mother of the nation, I should possess a magnanimous heart. I understand your difficulties and will not be jealous or quarrelsome. Moreover, I will do my utmost to safeguard the inner palace and will absolutely not cause you any trouble.

As she spoke, her eyes reddened slightly, and her voice carried a hint of helplessness, as if she had resigned herself to her fate.

Xiao Ji frowned slightly, reached out and gently lifted her chin, looking directly into her eyes, and said, "What, are you trying to make decisions for me now? I can listen to you on everything else, but not on this."

“But even if I don’t mention it, what about the ministers? Won’t they bring it up?” Song Wenjun asked with some concern.

A confident smile appeared on Xiao Ji's face as he said with certainty, "Even if we were to take a concubine, we would have to wait a year. Father Emperor has just passed away, and no one will bring this up now."

Seeing his confident demeanor, Song Wenjun's heart stirred, and she tentatively asked, "So, you already have a plan?"

Xiao Ji chuckled softly, reached out and took a strand of Song Wenjun's hair, twirling it around his finger.

"I said I would be with you for life, and I will keep my word. You just need to be happy every day, and don't worry about anything else."

His domineering sweet words warmed Song Wenjun's heart.

She nestled into his arms and said emotionally, "I have no regrets about being able to be your husband in this life."

Xiao Ji held her in his arms, his voice low and hoarse: "One lifetime is not enough, at least for countless lifetimes."

Under the lights, Song Wenjun, dressed in a red dress, was radiant and beautiful.

Xiao Ji swallowed hard and said softly, "That brat Linlin is almost five months pregnant. Has your body recovered by now?"

Judging from his expression, Song Wenjun knew what he was up to.

She hurriedly reached out and pushed him: "Can't you let me rest for a bit? How can you keep giving birth one after another?"