Xie Junlin opened his eyes.
Looking at the elderly minister below, he restrained the impulse to drag this man out and behead him.
His thin lips parted slightly.
“When you brought this up the other day, I already stated that this matter should be discussed later. I am only thirty-six. Do you think I won’t live past thirty-seven, and that if I don’t hurry to select a prince, the throne will be left without an heir upon my demise? Is that it?”
The ministers were all startled by these words.
Why was His Majesty in such a foul mood today?
This matter had been brought up before, and although the Emperor had been displeased, he had never been so harsh and severe, even going so far as to utter the word “demise”…
Not daring to think too much, the ministers knelt simultaneously to beg for forgiveness.
“Your Majesty, please calm your anger!”
“Your Majesty is in the prime of life, destined for eternity and ten thousand years of reign. How could you not live past thirty-seven?”
“We beg Your Majesty to calm your anger!”
Xie Junlin swept a glance over them.
He did not call for them to rise, leaving them to kneel.
He thought to himself that he had probably been too lenient in the past, which allowed these people to repeatedly challenge his authority!
For a moment, the hall was so quiet one could hear a pin drop.
In this deathly silence, the ministers grew increasingly uneasy.
They did not dare to look up at the Emperor, only daring to glance subtly at their colleagues beside them, exchanging meaningful looks.
What should they do?
Should they still follow Royal Historian Wang in seeking death?
The one who had spoken so boldly earlier was Royal Historian Wang. Yesterday after court, Wang had discreetly communicated with many of them, saying he would bring up the matter of adopting a child in court today and hoping they would all chime in to support him…
Many of these ministers had marital ties with the imperial clan, and members of the clan who wished to have their children sent to the palace as princes had already visited them multiple times to plead their case. They had thought that with Royal Historian Wang leading the charge today, it wouldn’t hurt to back him up from behind.
But now, the Emperor was enraged. Did they still dare to do so?
If they joined Royal Historian Wang in provoking the Emperor further, would His Majesty simply chop off their heads?
Amid the silence, many had already chosen not to follow Royal Historian Wang in his foolish endeavor.
Royal Historian Wang subtly turned his head to look at these people, but as soon as they met his gaze, they immediately lowered their heads to avoid him.
Royal Historian Wang gritted his teeth.
Damn it.
A bunch of disloyal cowards!
Though the others had retreated, he could not back down.
He had already accepted someone’s silver, and no matter what, he had to see this matter through today.
Royal Historian Wang trembled as he looked up at the throne.
He thought to himself, surely the Emperor wouldn’t actually chop off his head over such a trivial matter, right? It shouldn’t come to that, should it?
Clenching his teeth fiercely, Royal Historian Wang kowtowed and, steeling himself, spoke again.
“Your Majesty, please calm your anger. We sincerely wish for Your Majesty to reign for eternity. However, emperors throughout history have always chosen to appoint an heir early to stabilize the court and reassure the people. Your Majesty, I believe there is no harm in selecting a few children to raise in the palace for now. If Your Majesty later has your own flesh and blood, you can always send them away…”
Royal Historian Wang trailed off at this point.
Xie Junlin looked at him and coldly finished the unspoken words for him—”Royal Historian Wang, there is another sentence you left unsaid, isn’t there? You meant to say that if I manage to have children in the future, I could send the adopted child away. But in case I am truly incompetent and cannot produce an heir, then it would be better to designate a successor early rather than make a blind choice in old age. Am I right?”
“…”
Royal Historian Wang trembled in fear.
The Emperor’s temper today was truly formidable!
Terrified, he immediately prostrated himself and kowtowed repeatedly!
“Your Majesty, please calm your anger! This subject deserves death! I dare not! I absolutely did not mean that! I am utterly loyal to Your Majesty and only have your best interests at heart!”
Xie Junlin let out a scornful laugh.
He said sharply, “You dare not? I think you are exceedingly bold! Among all the officials in this hall, everyone else remains silent, yet you alone insist on stepping forward to provoke me. Do you have more heads to spare than they do?”
Royal Historian Wang’s face turned deathly pale.
It’s over…
The Emperor was truly enraged…
He was finished!
Xie Junlin swept his gaze across all the ministers and said coldly, “Even an ordinary commoner would be angered if constantly reminded of their inability to have children, let alone me? I am the Son of Heaven. You repeatedly use this matter to wound me—do you truly believe I dare not have your heads chopped off?”
Now it wasn’t just Royal Historian Wang kowtowing; all the ministers prostrated themselves and kowtowed, shouting for the Emperor to calm his anger.
Faced with the imperial wrath, every official in the hall trembled with fear.
Xie Junlin watched the ministers coldly.
Hah.
Telling him to calm down?
They constantly provoked his anger for no reason, and when he finally became enraged, they all knelt and begged him to restrain it. So, was he not allowed to be angry after being provoked?
What he detested most was being told to calm his anger!
Amid his fury, Xie Junlin felt an indescribable desolation and weariness.
Look at this—this was the miserable life he led for being unable to have children.
Everyone pressured him to adopt another’s child. They all believed that since he was destined to be childless, there was no need to struggle. After all, he couldn’t produce an heir—what was there to fight for?
A man without sons, even if he were the Emperor, was still looked down upon.
Xie Junlin lowered his eyes in self-mockery.
Humans were truly strange. In the past, when he had no hope, he could accept his fate and face the ministers’ pressure calmly. But now that the ancestors had manifested and guided him, letting him know there might be a woman who could bear his child, he suddenly found the ministers’ coercion unbearable.
It was as if he now had the confidence to fight back.
He looked at Royal Historian Wang.
Suddenly, a flicker passed through his eyes.
He recalled what the eunuch Chen Hai had said to him yesterday.
His thin lips parted slightly. “Royal Historian Wang, do you know what Chen Hai said to me yesterday?”
“…”
Royal Historian Wang looked up at Xie Junlin, trembling. “This subject… does not know.”
Xie Junlin said indifferently, “Yesterday, Chen Hai mentioned that my long-standing childlessness might not be my fault, but rather that the imperial consorts are incapable of bearing children. He suggested that I seek out commoner women who have already given birth to seven or eight children and bring them into the palace. These women might bring me good fortune in conceiving.”
Royal Historian Wang was stunned.
What?
Blaming the imperial consorts for being infertile?
Could it be that all of them were incapable of bearing children? That seemed unlikely, didn’t it?
While Royal Historian Wang was lost in thought, Xie Junlin continued leisurely, “Royal Historian Wang, if I recall correctly, your wife has given birth to four children, hasn’t she?”
Royal Historian Wang froze again.
Suddenly, his pupils contracted sharply!He stared at Xie Junlin in disbelief, a preposterous suspicion forming in his heart!
Xie Junlin’s thin lips curved slightly. “Royal Historian Wang just declared your unwavering loyalty to Us, that your devotion is solely for Our sake. Since your allegiance is so steadfast, We shall honor it. Return home today and ask your fertile wife whether she would be willing to enter the palace and accompany the Emperor.”
“…”
Royal Historian Wang was so shocked he nearly choked on his breath!
The other ministers also stared at Xie Junlin in disbelief, as if they had just heard the most absurd statement!
How could it not be absurd?
The Emperor, who possessed the six palaces, was openly demanding a minister’s wife in court!
Although the act of seizing a subject’s wife had occurred since ancient times, never had an emperor been so brazen as to publicly demand a minister’s wife right in the court hall!
It was so outrageous they could hardly believe it!
While the other ministers exchanged stunned glances, Royal Historian Wang’s legs gave way, and he collapsed to the floor.