Recently, the inner palaceâs head maid noticed the Emperor often had wet dreams. Although info about the Emperor should be kept confidential, this news still reached the Prime Ministerâs ears through a mysterious route.
The Prime Minister, being the Emperorâs all-rounder nanny, was worried the Emperor had contracted some unspeakable disease and was too ashamed to talk about it, so he secretly went to the imperial physician for counsel. The imperial physician said: It was because his Majestyâs harem was empty. With no one to roll with, the needs accumulated for a long time would naturally lead to easy ejaculation. Furthermore, if he kept holding back, it would lead to trouble sooner or later.
And so, after discussing with the officials, the Prime Minister advised the Emperor to select concubines to fill the harem and extend the bloodline.
The Emperor became very unhappy after hearing this, he was unsure of why and blamed it on the Prime Minister poking his nose on too many things.
What? You want to manage everything from big to small? National affairs asides, why do I have to listen to you even in my private ones?
The Prime Minister saw that persuasion was unsuccessful and started using the usual move, banging head and shedding tears.
The Emperor felt helpless, but he still wouldnât back down. What selecting concubines? Didnât the old Emperor die from working out too much in bed? The current Emperor was spooked because of that.
Giving in was not an option, but looking at the beauty crying was also not okay. Then, how about compromise and let the Prime Minister enter the harem?
Once this idea came up, the Emperor suddenly saw a ray of light peeking through dark clouds. He told the Prime Minister who was still busy acting, âWhy donât you enter the palace then?â The Prime Minister froze, momentarily didnât know how to respond. Selecting consorts was his idea, wouldnât he be slapping his own face and the Emperorâs if he rejected it now?
The officials in court stared blankly at each other. The Emperorâs suggestion seemed to beâŚnot impossible. To be chosen as consorts, the person must have an outstanding appearance, character, and background. Looking all over the country, no one was more suitable than the Prime Minister.
But they also couldnât just push the very valuable Prime Minister into the fire pit.
The Prime Ministerâs number.1 colleague, Vice Minister of Palace Secretariat, knelt down, âYour Majesty, please reconsider!â
Although having a malewife was not unheard of in this world, even the old Emperorâs favorite, Consort Xiao, was also a man, butâŚbut men canât have children!
With the Prime Ministerâs background, he must be conferred as an Empress, but if the Empress couldnât give birth, then who would inherit the throne?
The Emperor retorted, the throne would naturally be inherited by the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince had been named a long time ago; he was the posthumous son of Emperorâs brother from the same mother.
When the Emperorâs brother was alive, he was also a crown prince.
Back then, the Emperor didnât have any interest in competing for the throne. His only wish was to travel around the world and be an idle prince for the rest of his life.
However, the old emperor was a fatuous and incompetent monarch. After the crown prince died on the battlefield to protect the country, the other princes started fighting with each other, forming factions and blundering the sweat and tears of the people.
The winter that year came with heavy snow, white bones buried under white plains, very few poor people survived through it.
Only then did the Emperor decide to fight for the throne. Outwardly, it looked like he did it for power, but in fact, it was to save the people from perils.
Even so, the Emperor was still unwilling to be tied down. He made his seven-year-old nephew the crown prince very early on and taught him benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom since he was young. Once that child could stand on his own, he would return the throne to him.
After hearing this, officials nodded. There didnât seem to be any problems with the Emperor couldnât have children then. In the end, the only one left standing was the Prime Minister who was currently lying on the floor.
Prime Minister still wanted to make one last-ditch effort. He hurriedly knelt down and said, the harem couldnât participate in politics, but he had already promised the old Minister to assist the Emperor for a lifetime. If he couldnât follow it through, the old Prime Minister wouldnât die in peace.
During the tug-and-pull with the officials earlier, the Prime Ministerâs collar was yanked down, when he knelt and lower his body, a white, smooth neck was revealed.
The Emperor turned and looked somewhere else, âBeloved minister needs not worry, if you entered the palace, I will allow you to continue to be in court.â
The Prime Minister finally ran out of reasons. Vice Minister of Palace Secretariat also stepped back and hid in the crowd. This cheap group of colleagues promised to go through thick and thin together, yet now only he was left to face the wind and storm alone.
The Prime Minister broke down in tears and prostrated to thank the Emperorâs grace.