Many children, many blessings; a stunningly beautiful wife is given to you right from the start.

Lin Mo turned his head to look at the inside of the bed.

Xia Ruoling had long since fallen into a deep sleep, a trace of drool hanging from the corner of her mouth, her hands tightly gripping the corner of the blanket.

Xia Qinghan had her back to Lin Mo, curled up in a ball, her shoulders twitching slightly.

Lin Mo reached out and poked her smooth back.

"Still pretending to be asleep?"

Xia Qinghan froze, without turning around.

"You bastard...you beast..."

His voice was hoarse and had a strong nasal tone.

"You actually... in front of Seventh Sister..."

Lin Mo leaned closer and pulled her into his arms from behind.

"Who's shouting outside the door? Come at me if you dare!"

Xia Qinghan struggled a couple of times but couldn't break free, so she let Lin Mo hold her.

"Well, I didn't ask you... I didn't ask you to..."

Xia Qinghan bit her lip, her face turning bright red.

That's where the value of a loyalty score of 100 lies.

Even though she cursed fiercely, her body had already completely gotten used to Lin Mo's touch.

Even when Lin Mo hugged her, she felt a strange sense of peace.

"Alright, stop being stubborn."

Lin Mo pinched her cheek.

"Yesterday at Fengyi Palace, today at Shuanghua Palace, it's time for you to put down your airs as the Ninth Princess."

Xia Qinghan turned around, her eyes red-rimmed, and glared at Lin Mo.

"Don't get too cocky!"

She reached out and punched Lin Mo in the chest; it was soft and harmless.

"You destroyed the Great Xia Dynasty and ruined my home. I will never forgive you in this lifetime!"

Lin Mo laughed.

"You won't forgive me? Why didn't you say that when you were clinging to my neck and refusing to let go?"

"That's...that's an instinctive reaction!"

Xia Qinghan's defenses crumbled instantly.

"You! You're shameless!"

She grabbed the blanket and covered her head.

Wrap yourself up like a silkworm cocoon.

Lin Mo patted her through the blanket.

"Get up quickly, I still have to go to the morning court."

A muffled sound came from under the covers.

"I can't get up! My legs are too weak!"

Lin Mo laughed loudly.

Get out of bed.

Dressed neatly.

This tyrannical ruler's life is getting worse and worse.

"Marrow Cleansing Pill".

Lin Mo had a thought.

Two fragrant pills appeared in his hand.

It was placed on the low table beside the bed.

"This medicine can cleanse the marrow and transform the body. Once you both awaken, you can each take one."

There was no movement from under the covers.

Lin Mo walked to the door and just touched the door frame.

"Lin Mo..."

A voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz came from behind.

Lin Mo stopped in his tracks.

Look back.

Xia Qinghan poked half her head out from under the covers.

Her cheeks were flushed.

His gaze darted away.

"Are you... coming again tonight?"

Lin Mo stood at the doorway, his hand resting on the door frame.

He paused when he heard Xia Qinghan's barely audible question, "Are you coming again tonight?"

The domestication of this wild horse is progressing much faster than I imagined.

A loyalty rating of 100 is truly impressive.

Last night he was calling me a beast, but today he's begging to be chosen by the emperor.

Lin Mo turned around.

Xia Qinghan hid half her face under the covers, her exposed earlobes were so red they looked like they were about to bleed.

"We'll see how you perform." Lin Mo's lips curled into a mischievous smile.

The person under the covers suddenly shrank back.

The bright yellow brocade quilt was instantly wrapped into a tightly closed cylinder.

Lin Mo burst out laughing and pushed the door open to leave.

Only when the footsteps outside the door gradually faded away did Xia Qinghan dare to peek her head out from under the covers.

My cheeks were burning hot, hot enough to fry an egg.

She covered her face tightly with both hands.

crazy.

I must be crazy!

How could I have asked such a shameless question!

That's the enemy who destroyed the Great Xia Dynasty! A ruthless tyrant who kills without blinking an eye! I should hate him to the core!

but……

What was that unprecedented sense of security I felt when he hugged me last night?

Why was his gesture of wiping away his tears so gentle?

Could it be that I've really fallen for him?

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Xia Qinghan shook her head frantically under the covers, making a mess of her hair.

He's a complete scoundrel!

He's a beast who only knows how to cause trouble for people!

Correct!

It must be because I was bullied so badly that I lost my mind.

There is absolutely no way I could ever like that bastard!

Xia Qinghan pulled a pillow over her face, trying to banish Lin Mo's face from her mind.

Beside her, Xia Ruoling rolled over, and her fair arm slung over Xia Qinghan's waist with a thud, while she mumbled something.

"Ninth Sister... don't steal my Emperor..."

Summer's chill is palpable.

She abruptly pushed Xia Ruoling's arm away.

This silly older sister is beyond saving!

……

Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Lin Mo, dressed in a black dragon robe, sat imposingly on the dragon throne.

Below, civil and military officials knelt in a dense mass on the ground.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

The shouts were deafening, echoing throughout the empty hall.

Lin Mo rested his chin on one hand, his gaze sweeping downwards.

"Rise."

The officials stood up tremblingly, each with their heads bowed.

"If you have something to report, do so now; if not, leave the court!"

Li Dequan stood on the steps, waving his whisk and shouting.

The Vice Minister of Revenue stepped forward, steeling himself.

"Your Majesty, the national treasury is empty, and the salaries of officials in various regions have been three months in arrears... This..."

Lin Mo interrupted him.

"Didn't your Ministry of Revenue receive the tens of millions of taels of silver that Lu Zhi moved back from the imperial tombs yesterday?"

The Vice Minister of Revenue's legs trembled, and he knelt down with a thud.

"We received...we received it. But His Majesty decreed that the money be used to build schools, clinics, and repair water conservancy projects, so we dare not use it without authorization..."

Lin Mo tapped on the armrest of the dragon throne.

"The officials' salaries will be drawn from the assets of those corrupt officials that were confiscated from the Xia family. If that's not enough, we'll 'borrow' some from those powerful families in the capital. We'll say it's from me and ask them if they'll give it to us."

The Vice Minister of Revenue was sweating profusely.

Borrow money from a wealthy family?

What's the difference between this and outright robbery?

Which of those powerful and influential families isn't a miser?

But he dared not refute it.

"I... obey your order!"

The Minister of Justice then stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, the imperial prison holds over three thousand family members of remnants of the previous dynasty, consuming a tremendous amount of food daily. What should be done with them?"

Lin Mo lifted his eyelids slightly.

"You need to ask me about something like this? Are you all just sitting around doing nothing?"

The Minister of Justice was so frightened that he kowtowed repeatedly.

"Your Majesty, I am foolish and ignorant! Please enlighten me!"

"The men are exiled to the frontier to build city walls, and the women are sent to the laundry department to wash clothes. Freeloading? The Great Qian doesn't support idlers."

Lin Mo waved his hand.

"If you bother me with this kind of nonsense again, you, the Minister of Justice, will go to the imperial prison and eat their meals."

The Minister of Justice, as if granted a general amnesty, scrambled back to the ranks.

Several officials submitted reports, all concerning trivial matters.

Lin Mo kept yawning as he listened.

Being an emperor is physically demanding, and these ministers are practically a bunch of repeating machines.

"Alright, court is adjourned."