There was an old saying in Huaxia that was especially fitting for a lord.
It even offered guidance for managing a harem.
It went: Do not fear scarcity, but fear unfair distribution; do not fear poverty, but fear instability.
This saying came from The Analects: Ji Shi, Chapter Sixteen.
It meant that one should not worry about receiving too little, but about unfair distribution; not worry about a poor life, but about an unstable living environment.
The women of the harem naturally varied in strength and had completely different personalities, but Zong Shen could not show overly obvious favoritism. At the very least, he had to maintain relative fairness on the surface.
The reason ancient emperors' harems were unstable was often quite complicated.
One particularly important reason was that those dog emperors picked their consorts entirely based on preference.
How could the concubines who received no favor not fight for power and profit?
Zong Shen would not allow such a thing to happen. At the very least, his stamina could fully keep up.
He took the initiative to reach out, grasped Mappel's little hand, pulled her to his side, and wrapped an arm around her slender waist.
He used this intimate gesture to make up for the excessive attention he had just lavished on Ashia.
"My lord..."
After calling out in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, Mappel naturally leaned against him.
Then he pulled Madeline into his arms as well, looking every bit like a decadent lord with a woman in each arm.
Tasia was still hugging Ashia, while Luna maintained her calm smile throughout.
As for Kaginia and Blood Wolf Gugat, they tactfully turned their heads to admire the scenery in the distance.
This was Zong Shen's territory. No one would point fingers at him.
"Come,