The woman replied, "I am Qi Yuling. I usually keep a low profile and rarely appear in public, Your Majesty must have mistaken me."
However, Qin Zhao was unwavering in his judgment and asserted, "I couldn't be mistaken. You have been to the northwest border!"
Qi Yuling's body stiffened, but she denied once again, "My main occupation is running a moneylender's shop. I wouldn't have gone to such a remote place."
However, Qin Zhao had already confirmed his suspicion from her subtle body language.
He then revealed a fact that Qi Yuling couldn't deny, saying, "The person you met at the northwest border was Qi Yan Su Luo!
There was another person present that night, and he is in my palace.
If you don't admit it, I will summon him to confront you!"
Qi Yuling's thoughts turned, and she finally nodded.
Qin Zhao stood up and walked in front of her, asking, "What is your relationship with Qi Yan Su Luo?"
Qi Yuling spoke slowly, "I used to be a princess's secret guard. After the fall of West Lin, I was separated from her for many years.
We coincidentally reunited at the northwest border."
"Why did you stay in the capital instead of returning to West Lin with her?"
Qi Yuling looked up at Qin Zhao's face and said, "The princess asked me to stay behind and manage her business.
When the princess was taken away by Huo Chengjin, she hid jewelry in her luggage.
She used those jewels as initial capital and gradually became a hidden wealthy merchant.
The moneylender's shop sends at least ten million taels of silver to West Lin every year.
In addition... the princess asked me to provide financial assistance to Your Majesty when necessary."
After listening, Qin Zhao fell silent for a long time and said, "You may leave. Let me be alone for a while."
"Yes."
Qi Yuling left, and Qin Zhao half-lay on the meditation chair, recalling his moments with Qi Yan Su Luo.
Since she resolutely left him, he deliberately tried not to think about her.
In this way, he lessened the pain and loneliness.
Qi Yuling's appearance shattered the calm facade he had maintained.
He remembered what Qi Yan Su Luo had said before leaving.
It turned out that the things she didn't allow him to touch were her business empire.
A princess from a fallen kingdom, with no relatives or reasons to stay in the capital.
What kind of hardships did she experience to gradually build a business with an annual income of millions of taels of silver?
Just thinking about it made Qin Zhao feel heartache for her.
In his imagination, he saw Qi Yan Su Luo cautiously wandering through the alleys of the capital, seeking partners willing to cooperate with her.
To avoid the Emperor's surveillance, she disguised herself in different identities and traveled around...
Gradually, Qin Zhao's eyelids grew heavy, and he unconsciously sank into a dream.
In his dream, he saw Qi Yan Su Luo once again...
The next day, Qin Zhao selected four men from the imperial garden and bestowed them with the titles Xian Jun, Liang Jun, Shu Jun, and De Jun.
From despair to numbness, they eventually resigned themselves to their fate.
They began to hope for Qin Zhao's favor, but after he conferred their titles, he never visited the palaces where they resided.
They spent their days gazing at the palace gates, their eyes gradually filled with resentment.
They were called the resentful men of the deep palace by the palace maids and eunuchs.
Qin Zhao discussed with Huo Jun and decided to send her to the South Sea.
As he saw her off at the Yun Guang Palace, he happened to overhear a conversation between two eunuchs.
"Have you heard the news? Zhou Dejun was at the Spring Fei Palace the day before yesterday, reciting poems and longing for the emperor.
It was overheard by Wang Xianjun, who mocked him mercilessly.
Little did they know, that night Zhou Dejun sneaked into the Qiuye Palace and intended to teach Wang Xianjun a lesson, only to discover that he had written a novel about the emperor!
The fictional plot in the novel was far more exaggerated than his poems.
Wang Xianjun, feeling violated and humiliated by the invasion of his privacy, got into a fight with Zhou Dejun!
Now both of them have swollen faces, it's quite a sight!"
After the palace servant finished speaking, he suddenly felt that the atmosphere around him was off. He looked up and saw the emperor and General Huo standing nearby!
It seemed like they were quite entertained by the conversation...
The palace servant exclaimed in shock, quickly kneeling down to apologize, but Qin Zhao stopped him and said, "Continue telling us, what happened between the two of them later?"
The palace servant hesitantly opened his mouth and said, "Your Majesty, Wang Xianjun and Zhou Dejun said they wanted to fight each other."
Upon hearing this, a sudden realization dawned upon Qin Zhao!
Those young men, full of energy and eager for competition, letting them idle in the palace was truly a waste.
She should create opportunities for them to showcase their martial skills.
She nodded slightly and said, "They really know how to entertain themselves, so I can rest assured."
Huo Jun: "..."
So that's called self-entertainment, not self-destruction?
Qin Zhao and Huo Jun continued walking forward, and Qin Zhao said, "I'm leaving the Southern Sea matters to you. After this competition, we may not see each other for a long time. Take care of yourself."
Huo Jun nodded, "Thank you, Your Majesty. Please take care of yourself as well."
"I will."
After Huo Jun left, Qin Zhao went to stay in the Bingquan Palace.
This news, specially spread by Qin Zhao, quickly spread throughout the palace!
The emperor, who had never had any intimate relations with men, actually spent the night at Huo Guijun's place, shocking everyone!
In the Bingquan Palace, Huo Chengjin tried his best to conceal his excitement and asked, "Why did Your Majesty suddenly come to see me? Is it not good?"
Qin Zhao replied, "I was afraid you would be lonely, so I came to see you. Is that not good?"
Huo Chengjin quickly nodded, "Of course, it's good. I have always been looking forward to Your Majesty's arrival."
Qin Zhao looked at Huo Chengjin's appearance and realized that she had been too kind to him, to the point of forgetting his faults!
She took a step forward, and Huo Chengjin followed behind.
He thought with anticipation that he would be able to sleep with Qin Zhao, but then he heard Qin Zhao say, "You sleep on the floor."
Huo Chengjin's mind went blank for a moment and he asked, "What does Your Majesty mean?"
Qin Zhao didn't answer, she just had Linglong throw all the bedding from the bed onto the floor for Huo Chengjin.
After Linglong replaced the beddings with new ones, Qin Zhao lay down to rest.
Linglong had four palace maids take turns guarding the room.
Huo Chengjin touched the prominent cheekbone on his face and then slept on the floor.
The next day, Qin Zhao slept until mid-morning before getting up and leaving.
A few days later, she heard that Huo Chengjin had been beaten half to death by the Four Virtuous and Virtuous Jun.
Qin Zhao couldn't help but smile.
This way, she had found a way to torment the male lead.
From now on, every time Qin Zhao stayed in the Bingquan Palace, Huo Chengjin would be beaten once.
As a result, he became mentally unstable, wandering around the Bingquan Palace in a dazed and crazy state.
That was the ending the male lead deserved!
9th year of Taiqi, 9th of November."
Qin Zhao listened to Xiao Ang Ming's incessant chatter and impatiently yawned.
"Your Majesty, it has been nine years and you have yet to produce an heir. This is truly detrimental to the stability of Yue Kingdom.
I implore Your Majesty to pay more attention to this matter and visit the various palaces more often.
If there are no men in the harem whom you favor, you can hold another selection.
Yue Kingdom is vast and abundant, and surely we can find a handsome man who captures Your Majesty's heart!"
Qin Zhao coughed lightly, interrupting Xiao Ang Ming, and said, "I have made a decision. I will not bear any children in this lifetime.
As for the successor, I will choose a few female infants from the clan to raise by my side.
When they grow older, I will select the most outstanding one to be the Crown Princess."
The courtiers, seeing that the Emperor's mind was made up, refrained from further discussion.
Over the past nine years, they had witnessed the Emperor's decisive and authoritarian methods.
Only power ministers like Liu Yu, Huo Jun, and Xiao Ang Ming, who had accompanied the Emperor in his conquests, dared to argue with him.
But in the end, they too would compromise with the Emperor.
A month later, the Qin clan selected five infant girls to be sent to the imperial palace.
