"Your Majesty."
Wei Xun called from outside Yangxin Hall in the Zhou Kingdom Imperial Palace.
Xiao Mo withdrew his consciousness from the Book of a Hundred Lives and opened his eyes, breathing out deeply. "Come in."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Wei Xun answered and entered Yangxin Hall, bowing respectfully. "This servant pays his respects to Your Majesty."
"What is it?" Xiao Mo asked Eunuch Wei slowly.
"Your Majesty," Wei Xun replied with a smile, "the Empress Dowager has called for you to come dine with her."
Xiao Mo frowned. "Did Mother Queen say what it was about?"
"The Empress Dowager didn't say, but..." Wei Xun's eyes shifted. "This old servant suspects it has to do with selecting consorts."
"I understand. Prepare the carriage."
Xiao Mo really didn't want to go out, but there was no helping it. If the Empress Dowager had invited him to dine and he refused, people could accuse him of being unfilial.
Even if she wasn't his birth mother and he had only been adopted into the family, it still applied.
"Yes. This old servant will prepare the Dragon Chariot for Your Majesty at once."
"Wait." Xiao Mo called Wei Xun back.
"What are Your Majesty's orders?"
"Find an empty plot within the palace grounds, somewhere secluded and quiet. Set out all kinds of Taoist magic tools there, including things like Peach wood swords. I want to set up an altar and absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. No one is allowed inside. Understood?" Xiao Mo ordered.
"This old servant will see to it as soon as possible."
"Go."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Wei Xun had no suspicions about why His Majesty wanted this. He merely thought that His Majesty had become so absorbed in cultivating the Dao that he even wanted to set up a ritual altar.
Since ancient times, what emperor had ever set up a ritual altar inside the imperial palace?
In truth, Xiao Mo wanted to practice the Grass Character Sword Art. Setting up an altar was nothing but an excuse.
Though Yangxin Hall was spacious, it certainly wasn't suitable for practicing the Grass Character Sword Art indoors.
If his Sword Qi smashed this and broke that, the commotion would be too great. It might attract Yan Shan'ao's attention.
But if he claimed to be practicing the Dao and tinkering with an altar, then Yan Shan'ao wouldn't suspect him even if he practiced swordsmanship there every day.
Yan Shan'ao would only think His Majesty was utterly absurd, and trust him all the more.
Once his cultivation was about where it needed to be, he would summon Yan Shan'ao to the imperial palace and find a chance to finish him off.
Before long, Xiao Mo arrived at Lingxin Palace in the Dragon Chariot.
"Your son pays his respects to Mother Queen. Have you been well lately?"
Xiao Mo approached Empress Dowager Yan and bowed.
"Mother's been quite well."
Empress Dowager Yan smiled and nodded. She came down, helped Xiao Mo to a seat beside her, and patted his arm. "Mo'er, I hear you've been engrossed in cultivating the Dao lately. You're even dressed like a Daoist now. This won't do—you must devote yourself to state affairs!"
"Mother Queen worries too much. Prime Minister Yan is a capable minister who can govern the realm. He keeps the entire court running in perfect order, and everyone praises his virtue. Even I don't worry, so Mother Queen needn't either."
Xiao Mo praised Yan Shan'ao against his better judgment.
In truth, the court was rotten through and through. Led by Yan Shan'ao, officials formed factions, drove out their rivals, and even sold official posts.
The Zhou Kingdom looked ready to go belly-up.
Why was Yan Shan'ao so eager to make the Myriad Sword Sect his backer?
Because Yan Kingdom, their neighbor, was eyeing the Zhou Kingdom hungrily. Yan Shan'ao wasn't a fool; he knew Yan Kingdom meant to swallow Zhou.
"You..." Empress Dowager Yan sighed, sounding rather helpless.
But Xiao Mo thought she was secretly delighted.
"Forget it. Though my younger brother is good for little, he does have some ability. Let His Majesty cultivate the Dao if he wishes," Empress Dowager Yan said earnestly. "But even if you cultivate the Dao, you mustn't neglect the foundation of the state."
"What does Mother Queen mean?"
"Prime Minister Yan has already spoken to Your Majesty about this. You're no longer young, and it's time to select consorts. The ministers have all submitted lists of unmarried women of suitable age.
"I've looked them over. The daughters of those ministers are certainly fine, but somehow none of them feel quite right.
"The best choice is still Yan Ruxue of the Yan Clan.
"I imagine Your Majesty has heard of her."
"Of course." Xiao Mo nodded. "Yan Ruxue is the most talented woman in all of Great Zhou. She's read widely and knows both ancient and modern history. Ministers and commoners alike speak highly of her."
As he spoke, Xiao Mo suddenly realized that he had named the little white snake "Ruxue"—unwittingly giving her the same name as the Yan Clan's gifted young woman.
Hearing Xiao Mo praise Yan Ruxue, Empress Dowager Yan's mood lifted, and the corners of her mouth curled slightly.
"According to the rites, we would normally select ten young women from distinguished families to enter the palace as consorts. A year later, His Majesty would choose the one of outstanding virtue and talent to become Empress.
"But after thinking it over, I realized that since His Majesty is cultivating the Dao, you don't have much energy to spare.
"Taking in so many consorts at once might also harm your health.
"And the realm cannot go even one day without an Empress.
"Rituals are made by people.
"So I propose that Ruxue enter the palace first to serve His Majesty.
"With her background and reputation, she would surely be accepted as Empress of Great Zhou.
"After that, Ruxue can help His Majesty manage the harem and bring in more consorts to fill it.
"What does Your Majesty think?"
"..."
How could Xiao Mo not understand what Empress Dowager Yan meant?
She had probably planned from the start to select consorts for him, slip Yan Ruxue of the Yan Clan into the palace, and then, a year later, maneuver her into becoming Empress.
But now she thought that would take too long and carried too much risk.
What if another woman won his favor?
What if another consort got pregnant first?
Besides, the other consorts would have powerful backers of their own.
What if he joined forces with another Aristocratic Clan?
After weighing it all, Empress Dowager Yan had decided to send Yan Ruxue into the palace alone and secure her position as Empress first, before anything could go wrong.
As for her plan to "bring in more women to fill the harem," that would have to wait until Yan Ruxue had given birth to a prince.
It wasn't that Xiao Mo was impatient to have "three thousand beauties in the harem."
It was just that being under their control and reduced entirely to their tool felt awful.
He was like a marionette on strings.
"I have no objections. If Ruxue enters the palace, she'll surely make things easier for me, and she'll be able to catch up with Mother Queen as well," Xiao Mo said respectfully.
"Good, good."
The more Empress Dowager Yan saw how obedient Xiao Mo was, the more she liked him.
"The elders of the Myriad Sword Sect have already arrived within our Zhou Kingdom's borders. The Myriad Sword Sect is the greatest sword sect under heaven, so we must not be remiss in welcoming them. We must treat them well.
"When the elders of the Myriad Sword Sect arrive, Ruxue can enter the palace, and we'll hold the enthronement ceremony. That way, the elders can join in the celebration and see how graciously Great Zhou receives its guests."
Xiao Mo lowered his head.
"I'll do as Mother Queen says."
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