Chapter 46: The Empress's Storm

  "You and I are husband and wife, what can't be said? Speak quickly."

  "Miss Yuemei comes from a noble family, is well-read and knowledgeable about etiquette, beautiful and virtuous, and also skilled in medicine. She's a rare good woman." Jiang Wencan paused for a moment, then said softly: "If Your Majesty has intentions towards her, you can take her into the harem, and we'll have another sister too."

  Zhang Zixing was shocked and said: "I have no improper thoughts about that Wei Xuan, why does Wen Jie have such an idea for no reason?"

  "Doesn't the husband know about Yuemei's feelings for him?" Yang Jiu also chimed in, "Yuemei has been studying medicine since she was a child and after reading the husband's great work 'Baicao Jing', she has always admired his talent. Unfortunately, the husband doesn't understand romance and is too cold towards her. If the husband intends to take her in, I'm willing to go talk to her, Yuemei will definitely be overjoyed."

  Huang Feiyan also spoke up, "The two sisters are right, Yuanmei has a gentle temperament and is very easy to get along with. If she can be accepted, the four sisters can serve their husband wholeheartedly together."

  Zhang Zixing slightly furrowed his brow, shook his head and remained silent, secretly wondering what method Wei Huan had used to make Jiang Hou and the others unanimously advise him to take a concubine.

  The father of Huaiyuan was the old minister of the court, Huai Fan. During Emperor Yi's reign, he once held the position of second-in-command and had a close relationship with Nan Bo Hou E Chong Yu, who was a loyal supporter of Wei Zi Qi's faction. Unfortunately, after Wei Zi Qi failed in his bid for the throne, Emperor Yi became wary of his influence and feared it would be detrimental to Crown Prince Xin. He took advantage of an opportunity to demote Huai Fan to the position of middle-ranking official, and even after the new emperor ascended to the throne, he was never again given a prominent role. Huai Fan had two daughters: his elder daughter, Huai Jian, had married Wei Zi Qi as his principal wife, while his younger daughter, Huaiyuan, had been interested in medicine since childhood and studied under several imperial physicians. On one occasion, she successfully treated the illness of E Chong Yu's beloved concubine and was subsequently adopted by him as a goddaughter.

  Zhang Zixing, although he had already ascended to the throne as the Son of Heaven, never relaxed his vigilance against Wei Ziqi and Wei Ziyuan, especially the seemingly virtuous and generous but actually deeply cunning elder brother Wei Ziqi. After the new emperor's accession, this Wei Ziqi changed his usual demeanor, becoming low-key and reclusive, cutting off contact with various princes and ministers, appearing to have no ambition whatsoever. However, according to information from "Tianying", Wei Ziqi was absolutely not as proper as he seemed on the surface, apparently he had not completely given up on the throne. Since there was still no conclusive evidence of treason, Zhang Zixing also did not dare to act rashly, lest it cause turmoil within the imperial clan, and merely ordered Sun Bi to intensify surveillance, reporting any movements at any time.

  Zhang Zixing was clear in his mind that beneath the surface of stability and prosperity, and rapid development of the great merchant family, there were undercurrents surging. Not only did the imperial princes have lingering ambitions for the throne, but the four major marquises also had different intentions, and it was absolutely impossible to take them lightly. Fortunately, when he first ascended to the throne, he quickly grasped the military's power, and widely implemented benevolent policies, promoting new ideas and becoming the people's heart's desire. With his current prestige, whether in the military or among the civilians, as long as he raised his arm and called out, there would definitely be a response from the masses. Therefore, he was not afraid of these people stirring up any waves, on the contrary, he hoped that they could reveal their fox tails early, so that before the start of the Great War of the Gods, he could properly and reasonably eradicate them, thoroughly eliminating internal threats.

  Although Wei Yong is not bad, her identity is special. Her father, Wei Fan, is a cunning and treacherous person. Judging from the fact that Jiang Hou's three concubines unanimously advised him to take Wei Yong as his concubine, it can be inferred that Wei Yong herself may not be so simple. If she were to be taken into the harem, there might be endless troubles in the future.

  "Your Majesty is the most revered emperor, ruling over the entire realm. However, there are only a few concubines in the harem, including my three sisters and that Moon Princess, totaling only four people. This is truly a failure on our part as servants, and we are unworthy of Your Majesty's favor."

  Yang Jiu and Huang Feiyan exchanged a glance, their faces suddenly turned pale, and they knelt down in unison, with shame on their faces: "Sister Wenqiang, why must you cover up for us? Except for the two sons born to Sister, Guo and Hong, my sisters and I still have no children, and cannot extend the imperial bloodline. It is truly shameful to face our ancestors! Please, Your Majesty, punish us!"

  In ancient times, a wife's inability to give birth was the most serious fault. In ordinary families, husbands could use this as an excuse to take concubines or even divorce their wives, let alone in the imperial family. Zhang Zixing knew that this had always been their heart disease, so he quickly helped them up and comforted them warmly: "The matter of having children is due to my bad luck, not because I don't love you, so there's no need to worry about it. Even if I only have two sons in this life, the affection between us will not be reduced by a single bit!"

  In fact, Zhang Zixing had also considered this issue. From the perspective of reproductive science, without any contraceptive measures, with three women and him having ** for so long and frequently, they should have been able to get pregnant a long time ago. The reason why none of them are pregnant might still be on his side. It's possible that when he crossed over and merged with Shou Wang's body, some kind of strange change occurred, making it impossible for him to impregnate women in this world. However, Zhang Zixing didn't care about having offspring; as long as he could free the super brain, with the genetic technology of the 24th century, there was no need to worry about not having children.

  The three women were so moved by his words that they burst into tears, and Jiang Wenyue hesitated before asking: "What about Yumei's affair..."

  Zhang Zixing shook his head and said, "Let's not mention Huaiyuan's matter again, I have my own measure."

  Huang Feiyan had been friends with Wei Yong for many years, and couldn't help but say: "If husband can take that barbarian girl as his concubine, why can't he tolerate sister Wei?"

  "Swallow!" Zhang Zixing detected the bias in her tone towards Yuemei, and his anger rose, his voice becoming stern. "You have always been virtuous, why did you suddenly utter such rebellious words?"

  Huang Feiyan saw that he was truly angry and was startled, hastily kneeling down: "Your servant has committed a crime!"

  Zhang Zixing's eyebrows were tightly locked, and he said coldly: "Since you know you are guilty, why don't you say it yourself? What crime have you committed?"

  Huang Feiyan didn't know why Zhang Zixing suddenly got angry, so she said: "Feiyan... Feiyan has offended husband, it's her fault..."

  "You don't know, and I'll tell you, let Wenqiang and Jiu'er be fair. If the husband wrongly accuses you, I will apologize to you! You keep calling her a barbarian girl, clearly with ulterior motives. Great merchants and Eastern Barbarians are all descendants of Yan and Huang..."

  Zhang Zixing suddenly remembered that in this era, such a call was absolutely wrong. The Dongyi were indeed the authentic Chiyou tribe, and it was unclear whether the rumor that Chiyou was the son of the Yan Emperor was true or not. He quickly changed his words: "At the time of the birth of the human ancestor, what distinction was there between Da Shang and Dongyi? We and the Dongyi are of the same ancestors, and besides, the Dongyi is now part of the Eastern Qi, all under the rule of Da Shang, all subjects of mine. Why distinguish between them? If it's according to your way of speaking, then Her Majesty the Empress is a person from Eastern Lu, so her ancestors also have the suspicion of having barbarian blood?"

  Huang Feiyan glanced at Jiang Wenyue, her face flushing with shame, and she lowered her head in silence as tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. Zhang Zixing hardened his heart and continued to say: "Yueji's feelings for me are not inferior to yours. On that day, I had intentionally brought her back to Langya, but she chose to stay in Dongqi. Firstly, she was afraid that you would have some prejudice against her, and secondly, it was to share my worries and govern the land of Dongqi. Feiyan, ask yourself, if you were left alone in the desolate border, seeing your husband only once a year, how would you feel? Fortunately, Yueji did not follow me back, otherwise, I don't know how many cold eyes she would have suffered!"

  Huang Feiyan knew that if she were to be separated from Zhang Zixing like Ruyue, she would absolutely not be able to bear the loneliness. Her face grew even more ashamed and she cried: "Feiyan knows her mistake! Feiyan is willing to go with husband to Dong Qi, personally apologize to sister Ruyue!"

  Jiang Wenchu also sighed: "Moon Princess, with both literary and military talents, is willing to sacrifice her happiness for the great cause of her husband, guarding Dongqi, truly has the spirit of Mother Xin. When my husband goes to Dongqi on a certain day, he must bring Wenchu and Jiu'er together, let me see this respectable sister."

  "Mother Xin" refers to the wife of Shang Dynasty's Wu Ding, Fu Hao. The military power of the Shang Dynasty reached its peak during the reign of Wu Ding. Through a series of wars, Wu Ding expanded the territory of the Shang Dynasty several times over, and the commander who led the troops on behalf of Wu Ding was none other than his queen, Fu Hao. Fu Hao achieved countless military merits and was also the most important ritual priestess of the Great Shang, with her own separate fiefdom, and was revered by later generations as "Mother Xin".

  "Wen Qian, don't worry, I'll take you all to see Wang Yue'e in Dong Qi later," Zhang Zixing nodded and helped Huang Feiyan up. Seeing her crying so sadly, he softened his heart and gently stroked her hair: "Feiyan, knowing your mistakes and being able to change is what makes you my good wife. As for the matter of becoming a concubine, I have my own plans. If fate permits it in the future, I will follow fate and do as it dictates. You all don't need to worry about this anymore."

  "Your Majesty has this intention, and I will not say more," Jiang Wencai was a clever woman, and did not advise on the matter of Wei Huan again. She said: "Your Majesty remembers to take in several sisters into the palace, so as to avoid people saying that this empress is good at jealousy and cannot tolerate others..."

  "Obeying the imperial edict!" Zhang Zixing deliberately showed a respectful expression, causing all three women to burst out laughing, and the atmosphere gradually returned to its previous harmony. In fact, when he heard the empress's words, someone in his heart was also very pleased, because this way, from now on, he could properly marry several beauties, who let him be "imperial decree to flirt"?

  In the study of the mansion, Wang Fan listened to Wang Yuan's words, his tightly furrowed eyebrows never relaxing.

  Wei Yong bit her lip and said in a low voice, "Father, I ask myself, my appearance is not inferior to that of the empress and concubines, why do you always ignore me?"

  Wu Fan sank into deep thought for a long time, shook his head and said: "Yuan'er, you're also tired today, go rest first."

  Yuwen silently walked out without a word, her cherry lips already bitten bloody.

  Wan looked at his daughter's back and let out a long sigh, his eyes fell on the bronze tripod in the study, and he became cold and stern again.