Quick Transmigration: Why did you provoke him? He's love-struck!

Chapter 518 Relying on Favor (63)

Facing her threatening gaze that seemed to say, "If you dare nod, I'll twist your head off," Zhao Yuan slowly backed down: "That's not what I meant, I just..."

"Just what?"

Zhao Yuan whispered, "You won't abandon me, right?"

Yan Zhen looked completely bewildered: "Of course not, why do you ask?"

“I’m worried that with all the power you have, you’ll look down on me because I can’t have children…”

Yan Zhen was taken aback.

Remembering that Zhao Yuan had drunk the infertility drug and was now indeed unable to have children, she couldn't help but laugh. She put down her pen and patted the dragon throne to the side.

Zhao Yuan walked around the imperial desk and sat down next to her.

Yan Zhen hugged him and comforted him, "Your worries are completely unnecessary. I'm not the kind of person who forgets my roots once I gain power. But if you're really worried, I'll make you my royal consort, how about that?"

Zhao Yuan pondered seriously: "Royal Consort?"

"He is the male empress, my only empress and spouse."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yuan's face darkened. He slapped away Yan Zhen's hand that was wrapped around his waist: "If I become your imperial consort, will I have to stay in the harem and manage the trivial matters of the three palaces and six courtyards for you? If you take male concubines, will I have to compete with them for your favor and have my name engraved on a green plaque, waiting for you to choose one?"

"What are you saying?" Yan Zhen waved his hand. "As a legitimate spouse, you have special privileges. I will visit your palace on the first and fifteenth of every month."

"You..." Zhao Yuan suddenly stood up, his face so dark it was almost dripping with water. "I don't want to! I absolutely cannot share you with another man. If you dare to take concubines, even if I have to bear the name of a jealous husband, I will kill them!"

Seeing his anxious expression, Yan Zhen couldn't help but burst into laughter.

She laughed so hard she was practically lying on the table, but Zhao Yuan's expression grew increasingly grim. He couldn't help but grab Yan Zhen's neck and shake her violently: "Tell me, you're joking with me, aren't you?"

“That’s right.” Yan Zhen laughed until he was done before pulling away from Zhao Yuan’s hand. “I have no plans to take any concubines, let alone establish a male empress.”

"then what do I do?"

"You will control half of the military power," Yan Zhen said. "The other half, along with the government affairs in the palace, will be mine. That way, if anyone dares to change their mind in the future, the other side can send troops to kill them."

Zhao Yuan then calmed down a little.

But then he complained, "If you don't make me your empress, then under what pretext will you reveal my identity to the world?"

"What more do we need to make it public? We're husband and wife, isn't that common knowledge?"

Zhao Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "No, that's true, but you now hold great power, and the temptations of power are endless. There's no guarantee that some blind fool won't try to seduce you. We must get married."

"But you don't want to be a male empress." Yan Zhen spread his hands. "What should we do?"

After hesitating for a long time, Zhao Yuan reluctantly said, "Fine, a male empress it is then."

Only with this legitimate status can he exercise his exclusive right as a spouse.

At Zhao Yuan's insistence, not long after, Yan Zhen's coronation ceremony and his marriage ceremony with Zhao Yuan were held on the same day.

The wedding ceremony was mostly conducted according to custom, except that Zhao Yuan's ceremonial robe was embroidered with a phoenix, while Yan Zhen's women's ceremonial robe was embroidered with a golden dragon.

After the coronation ceremony, Yan Zhen immediately threw himself into his busy work.

After years of war, the Great Liang Dynasty has finally been unified, and everything is in need of rebuilding. She has a lot of government affairs to handle, and her desk is piled high with memorials every day.

Yan Zhen is busy from morning till night every day. The feeling of having great power makes her busy and fulfilled.

Zhao Yuan, on the other hand, had some free time.

Every morning he would go to the military camp to practice riding and archery, and in the afternoon he would return to the palace to accompany Yan Zhen.

While Yan Zhen was handling government affairs, he would play chess or read storybooks to pass the time.

After a month or so of this, Zhao Yuan noticed that things were gradually taking a strange turn—

Not long ago, a heavy snow fell in the capital, and the accumulated snow collapsed a palace that had been idle for a long time.

The Imperial Household Department consulted Yan Zhen about whether to repair the palace, how to repair it, and how much silver to allocate for the repairs.

Yan Zhen was busy at the time, so he casually handed over this small matter to Zhao Yuan to handle.

From then on, all matters concerning the inner palace were reported to Zhao Yuan by the Imperial Household Department.

For example, as the New Year approaches, according to custom, the palace will send in a batch of New Year's goods to be bestowed upon the major noble families.

For example, on the eve of the Lunar New Year, the palace would hold a banquet to invite ministers of the fourth rank and above, as well as their families, to the palace for a feast.

For example, before the New Year, a grand ceremony to worship Heaven needs to be held, and the items to be prepared for the ceremony must be decided by the head of the six palaces...

Zhao Yuan patiently handled a few matters at first, until his subordinates reported that, according to custom, the women of noble families were required to enter the palace before the New Year to pay their respects to the head of the six palaces...

Zhao Yuan sat in Jingren Palace, where the Empress resided, looking at the dozens of noble ladies and young women below him with a strange expression.

The young ladies and wives of noble families looked rather embarrassed, exchanging glances and unsure how to greet the male empress.

After all, they've never even seen a male empress before.

After a long silence, an elderly lady from the Marquis's mansion broke the suffocating silence and asked Zhao Yuan with a smile how he usually spent his time in the palace.

Zhao Yuan casually said, "Playing chess, reading books, and studying military strategy, a day passes quickly."

The old lady of the Marquis's mansion laughed and said, "There are too few people in the harem, not even a maidservant... Your Highness, you have no one to amuse you. After a while, you will inevitably be bored. If you could find a few people you can talk to to serve you and His Majesty, so that you can relieve boredom and have some fun on weekdays, that would be great."

Zhao Yuan was used to speaking directly, and for a moment he did not understand the indirect meaning in the old lady of the Marquis's mansion's words, so he replied perfunctorily, "There is no need, I do not find it boring."

"But someone has to serve His Majesty."

Zhao Yuan understood this time. He suddenly looked up at the old lady of the Marquis's mansion: "What do you mean? You want to give Tan Junzhuo a concubine?"

The old lady of the Marquis's mansion was startled by the fierce aura he suddenly released. She stammered and said, "It is the duty of the head of the six palaces to produce offspring for the royal family..."

"Screw your 'branching' nonsense!" Zhao Yuan roared, standing up and pointing at the door. "Get out! Get the hell out of here! Or I'll kill you!"

After saying that, he drew the sword hanging to the side and made a gesture as if to slash the old lady.

A group of women screamed and fled Jingren Palace in a noisy commotion.

Within half a day, Zhao Yuan's reputation for being "jealous" spread throughout the capital.

Zhao Yuan had thought that after this incident, those with ill intentions would be more cautious and quiet down.

However, the imperial examination was held in March after the New Year. After the palace examination, Yan Zhen ordered a banquet to be held in the palace for all the successful candidates.

These were the talents selected through the first imperial examination after she ascended the throne, and they needed to be sent to various prefectures to take up their posts. Yan Zhen attached great importance to them.

The banquet was held in the palace, and Zhao Yuan attended as the male empress, accompanying Yan Zhen.