At these words, Zhen Yi was utterly dumbfounded.
Everyone in the hall, including Jia Xu, Guo Jia, Zhuge Liang, and Sima Yi, turned to look at Lü Bu.
Lü Bu asked in puzzlement, "Why are you all looking at me? Was there something wrong with what I said?"
Everyone remained silent.
Fu Wan was the first to recover from his astonishment. Suppressing the wild joy in his heart, he said to Lü Bu with utmost admiration, "Duke Wen understands the greater good. This old man admires you immensely!"
Then he said to Liu Xie, "Your Majesty, even Duke Wen agrees. Clearly, this is what everyone's hearts desire!"
"I implore Your Majesty to take more consorts and fill the Imperial Harem!"
The officials echoed in unison, "We implore Your Majesty to take more consorts and fill the Imperial Harem-"
Their petitions thundered through the great hall like a mountain-shaking roar.
The sight gave Liu Xie something of a headache.
Although a harem of three thousand beauties was most men's dream, only after actually becoming emperor had he understood that it was no good thing.
If he wanted to be a foolish or mediocre ruler, then it certainly would not matter. The more women in the harem, the better; it was all just amusement.
But if he wanted to be an accomplished ruler, having too many consorts was a headache, because most of them represented an aristocratic clan and a faction behind them.
The Imperial Harem was a miniature of Imperial Court politics.
He had only just managed to bring the Imperial Harem into balance through Empress Fu. Once he took more consorts, that balance would inevitably be broken.
Unfortunately, the officials had found such an excellent justification that he had neither grounds nor standing to refuse.
"I will have someone attend