Xia Chujian continued her analysis. "Shaofu Star is within your Zong family's sphere of influence."
"Cangge Star should be within the Quan family's sphere of influence."
"Kanli Star is definitely within the Su Clan's sphere of influence."
"That leaves only Guiyuan Star. Could it be within the Li family's sphere of influence?"
"That can't be right. Since the Imperial Family does not permit any noble family to station themselves on Guiyuan Star, the Li family's Ancestral Mansion is not on Guiyuan Star, but on Beichen Star."
"So how do they govern Guiyuan Star?"
Zong Ruoning neither confirmed nor denied it. Smiling, he said, "Then why do you think that among the Four Great Clans, only the Li family has been so eager to marry into the Imperial Family?"
Xia Chujian remembered. "The Beichen Empire's history books mentioned that eighty percent of the Empire's Empresses came from the Li family!"
"But the history books also say that none of the past Beichen Emperors were legitimate sons born to an Empress."
Zong Ruoning nodded. "Yes. The Beichen Royal Family used to have Three Palaces Six Courts Seventy-Two Consorts."
"Most Empresses of the central palace could not bear children, but they held the greatest power in the inner palace."
"Still, although the Li family produced many Empresses, every prince and princess they bore either died of illness or met an unnatural death. In short, not a single one ascended the throne."
Xia Chujian said, "Come to think of it, that's actually not bad. Precisely because none of the children born to Li Empresses became Emperor, the Imperial Family could keep marrying Li daughters as Empresses without the bloodlines becoming too close."
"Otherwise, after ten thousand years, the entire Imperial Family would be inbred. The heirs they produced... tsk, tsk. Better not think about