Chapter 371: Expanding the Harem (II)

The Empress saw Zhang Jian's gaze and smiled faintly.

"Mother entered the palace today!"

Zhang Jian said calmly: "You need not concern yourself with what the Empress Dowager says; I am the Emperor of Great Xia, and only I can command the world, not the world command me!"

This is his confidence.

As the founding Emperor of Great Xia, he need not take too many steps back, and his room for maneuver is greater.

Gazing at Zhang Jian before him, whose heroic spirit was flourishing and whose imperial aura grew ever stronger, the Empress felt a hint of tenderness she could not conceal rise in the depths of her eyes.

She spoke softly.

"Your Majesty knows I pity your concern, but in this matter I have indeed given thought."

"Even ordinary civil and military officials have three wives and four concubines, yet Your Majesty has remained devoted to me for over twenty years, never entertaining another thought, and all household affairs are entirely entrusted to me!"

"If the Zhang family were still of humble origins, it would be one thing, but now Your Majesty is exalted as Emperor of Great Xia, Son of Heaven, a model for the world, and I too will strive to assist Your Majesty."

"Marriage alliances are sometimes indispensable; if one alliance can reduce unnecessary loss and risk to Your Majesty's realm and legacy, I will naturally aid Your Majesty in accomplishing this sage governance!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jian glanced up and down at the Empress and smiled.

"The Empress has given this much thought!"

Zhang Jian glanced at the Empress, knowing that speaking such words would inevitably leave her feeling deeply wronged in her heart.

He could have firmly refused, but he did not.

Great Xia lies in ruins awaiting revival, the Six Palaces newly built, and indeed it is necessary to re-select palace maids to fill the Six Palaces.

The ancestral rules must ultimately be established.

Without rules, there can be no order, nor can future Great Xia emperors, Sons of Heaven, be constrained.

In short, he may exclusively favor the Empress, crown her above the Six Palaces, but future emperors and kings cannot, even if merely for show, must fill the harem and strive to produce more outstanding talents for the imperial house.

Not selecting palace maids is unrealistic.

As for selecting princesses and clan women from the former Northern Chu royal family to enter the palace, this is true, and it can maximally eliminate the hostility of Northern Chu's old ministers toward Great Xia.

It can also help Great Xia swiftly eliminate the estrangement and blood feud between the peoples of the two nations.

At this moment, the Empress clapped her hands; Zhang Jian's eyes flickered, yet he saw from behind the palace gates two exceptionally beautiful, full-figured ladies emerge, each dressed in splendid, graceful palace attire.

This style of palace attire is elegant and dignified, though the front fastening is slightly low, unable to conceal their jade-like white skin.

"Empress, what is this?"

Zhang Jian glanced at the Empress, feigning ignorance.

The Empress spoke calmly.

"Your Majesty, Yuyao and Qu Lian have always been attendants in my chambers; they have followed me since they were thirteen or fourteen, and now, grown older, they cannot leave the palace, so I ask Your Majesty to grant them a favor, lest others bear grudges..."

She spoke with double meaning.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jian was speechless, his gaze fixed on the Empress as he said:

"I never expected the Empress to undergo such a transformation, yet she has become so magnanimous!"

The Empress let out a soft hum upon hearing this.

"Has the Empress always been so petty?"

Seeing her reaction, Zhang Jian smiled and said:

"Of course not; the Empress has always been virtuous and dignified, managing household affairs with order and clarity; were it not for her virtue in managing my household affairs so clearly, my Zhang family might not have risen so swiftly to scale great heights in a single leap!"

Zhang Jian sought out pleasant words to comfort the Empress.

At this time, trivial matters abounded in the court, and Zhang Jian did not linger long.

The victorious expeditionary army returns; next he must draft the list of ennoblements, each general's reward must be fitting and measured.

In warfare, nothing is more to be avoided than unclear rewards and punishments, uneven distribution of spoils!

At this moment, gazing at Zhang Jian's hastily retreating figure, the Empress's beautiful eyes saw her smile faintly fade, her depths filled more with complexity and sigh.

Having become the mother of this nation, for her it is truly unclear whether it is blessing or curse.

But the Empress quickly adjusted her mindset.

The Emperor originally already had a Bai clan consort; for her, the impact is not great.

Moreover, having shared weal and woe with Zhang Jian for over twenty years, her position in the inner court is unshakable by anyone.

Half a month later, the victorious expeditionary army returned; the court dispatched numerous civil and military ministers, as well as the Second Prince Zhang Zhao, to represent the Emperor of Great Xia in personally welcoming the troops at the capital gate.

At this moment, the originally bustling atmosphere of Haojing City reached its peak once more.

……

Three years passed like a white colt through a gap.

Northern Chu fell, Great Xia recovered the northern lands, and already three years have passed in an instant.

With three years of rest and recuperation, Great Xia's national strength grows day by day.

At the founding, politics were clear and pure; added to the Emperor of Great Xia's great efforts in examining fields and eradicating corruption, the people's appearance was completely renewed.

These years, thanks to the Agricultural Temple's tireless promotion of numerous excellent crops, Great Xia's people's grain bags and money bags have clearly improved.

These excellent crops differ markedly from the previous fruits, vegetables, and grain seeds.

Not only are they drought- and pest-resistant, but their yield has undergone a tremendous change.

This alone has saved countless lives.

Nor need it be said that now, at court, the examination and redistribution of land proceeds with great momentum; countless landless poor receive fields, filling Great Xia with vitality.

The Great Xia court again encourages commerce, revitalizes artisans, reduces taxes, and stores wealth among the people.

To this day, the smiles on the people's faces across the land grow ever more numerous.

The name of the Sage Virtue Emperor-Sage gradually takes root in the hearts of the people.

……

Haojing City, by the Zhenlong Well.

The surrounding abandoned palaces have been cleaned and reorganized, replaced by a section of crude, fiery-red palaces.

These palaces are arranged according to the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, with many skilled artisans bustling inside.

On the square, figures shout commands, many surrounded by spiritual light as they perform rituals.

In the center, several large earth-fire springs bubble with red light.

The original Yin Evil True Dragon Well here has been abolished, and the earth veins have been re-dug, connected to the deep earth-fire below.

This area now forms a vast square laid out in the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams pattern.

In the central region stand several massive bronze tripods, each nine zhang tall, their surfaces covered with countless depictions of mountains, rivers, land and grain, or sun, moon, gods, and demons.

From afar, one can feel a towering, awe-inspiring power, as if countless dragon energies swirl around.

"These are the Nine Tripods used by the ancient sage kings to suppress the dragon veins—such divine tripod power is vast and profound, truly mysterious and unfathomable, with boundless might!"

In the distance, many cultivators watch this scene from afar.

Several elders of the Dongzi generation from the Dongshen Guan stand in a corner observing.

They returned to Haojing City with Song Yingzhen just a few days ago.

The land survey mission was completed successfully; this journey counts as great merit, and the party received rich rewards, including many heavenly treasures from the state treasury—thus, the Dongshen Guan Daoists all wear faint smiles.

Dongjue Daoist gazes at this scene, his eyes also showing a hint of curiosity.

This dragon vein secret art is exceedingly rare.

Especially the dragon-suppressing secret art passed down from the Sage King's Dao lineage.

Even if one cannot discern its profundity, merely gaining insight is worthwhile.

She also wishes to see what profound mystery lies in the Sage King's Dao lineage's supreme secret art, capable of suppressing an ancient era.

On the other side, Zhang Jian stands in imperial robes at the center of the nine earth-fire springs.

After three years, he has finally gathered all materials for the Nine Tripods.

Once the Nine Tripods are completed, the fortune of the Great Xia will be fully stabilized, and the Sage King's Great Dao will have hope.

Even facing those major prominent sects alone, he will have greater confidence!