A thousand-year-old family begins with one fighting against ten thousand.

"I will immediately order the execution of that Imperial Censor and his entire family, including nine generations of his relatives."

"However, the Wei family is powerful and deeply entrenched. Although it is possible to do so, it would cause turmoil in the court, and we need to plan for the long term."

"Your Majesty, you are the Emperor. Why don't you just issue a decree?"

"Does the Wei family dare to rebel?!"

Zhao Feiyan was somewhat dissatisfied with Emperor Huang's behavior, wondering if he had fallen in love with someone else and was therefore being so perfunctory with her and her sister.

"This matter is of great importance; we must consider it carefully."

Emperor Huang of Han was coaxing the Zhao sisters with a humble attitude, completely unlike an emperor with three thousand concubines in his harem.

It was suspected that the emperor might have fallen in love with someone else, so the Zhao sisters tried every means to keep the Han emperor infatuated with them.

After Emperor Huang of Han left, Zhao Feiyan and Zhao Hede discussed which concubine in the harem had won the emperor's favor.

"Could it be because of that little bitch Xu? She's pregnant with the Emperor's child."

"His Majesty has no heir yet. If a prince were to be born, it would pose a great threat to us!"

Zhao Hede looked anxiously at her sister, Zhao Feiyan, who always made the decisions for the two sisters.

A ruthless glint flashed in Zhao Feiyan's eyes. She hoped it wasn't a prince, otherwise...

For the next few days, Emperor Huang of Han did not attend court, in order to let the matter from the previous incident fade away.

In an attempt to appease the Zhao sisters in the harem, Emperor Huang of Han issued an edict to execute the Grand Secretary's entire clan, but this was stopped by Chancellor Zhai Fangjin, who then ordered the edict to be returned.

Emperor Huang of Han was furious. He had a eunuch draft the edict, then stamped it with the Imperial Seal of the State and forcibly issued it.

However, the imperial edict was refused to be carried out by the Court of Justice.

The reason given was that the imperial edict concerning the handling of the Three Dukes had not been discussed and confirmed with the Chancellor, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, and the Grand Marshal, nor had it been drafted by the Secretariat or reviewed and distributed by the Chancellor's Office, which did not comply with the procedures for issuing imperial edicts.

Such an imperial edict is invalid, and they cannot obey it.

These words infuriated Emperor Huang of Han, but he also sadly realized that he was helpless when the Chancellor, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Agriculture, and the Northern Army all disobeyed his orders.

The emperor's authority was completely ineffective; no one would acknowledge him or obey his decrees.

Therefore, Emperor Huang of Han refused to attend court.

In the thirteenth year of Emperor Huang of Han's reign, a beautiful woman surnamed Xu in the harem gave birth to a prince for Emperor Huang.

This is Emperor Huang of Han's only child; his previous children all died young for various reasons.

Zhao Hede and Zhao Feiyan made a scene in front of Emperor Huang of Han, crying and refusing to allow him to sleep in their bed.

In desperation, Emperor Huang of Han thought that he had failed to execute even the Imperial Censor, and felt ashamed before his two beauties.

So he treated the two of them with utmost tenderness, at which point Zhao Hede made a condition.

"I want Your Majesty to strangle that bastard with your own hands."

"what!"

Emperor Huang of Han had not expected Zhao Hede to make such a condition; after all, this was his only son.

"Could we change it? I can grant your father an additional fief, making him a marquis with ten thousand households. How about that?"

"If that's not enough, your younger brother can also be promoted to a fief of ten thousand households."

The Zhao Feiyan and Zhao Hede sisters exchanged a glance, a great sense of crisis rising in their hearts.

To their great surprise, Emperor Huang of Han did not grant their request.

They felt that Emperor Huang of Han was slipping out of their control, and this was something they absolutely could not allow.

What they needed was an emperor who would obey their every word.

Now the emperor has rejected them first in dealing with the Wei family, then dealt with them perfunctorily in dealing with the Censor-in-Chief, and now he is rejecting them again because of a lowly maid.

Despite Emperor Huang's deliberate attempts to conceal his true intentions, the Zhao sisters still believe that he remains the all-powerful emperor he once was.

The two felt a great sense of crisis.

"Your Majesty, do you still remember the vow we made? How can you do this to us sisters?"

The two sisters wept and sobbed, accusing the Han emperor of being tyrannical.

"Since His Majesty no longer loves us, we might as well be dead!"

As Zhao Hede was speaking, he was about to bang his head against a pillar when Emperor Huang of Han grabbed him and pulled him back into his arms.

"How could I not love you? But they are, after all, my own flesh and blood."

"Yes, that's His Majesty's and that lowly servant's biological child. In that case, His Majesty should go find that lowly servant. Why come here to us sisters?"

"When that lowly servant's child inherits His Majesty's throne, the only thing waiting for us sisters is death."

"It's better to die now than to suffer humiliation before dying."

"From today onwards, my sister and I will begin a hunger strike. Your Majesty, please return."

Emperor Huang of Han was in a real predicament. Two days later, he discovered that the Zhao sisters had actually gone on a hunger strike.

He had no choice but to agree to let them execute his son.

Emperor Huang of Han personally brought food to the Jiaofang Palace and persuaded the two to eat something.

"No, Your Majesty must strangle him yourself!"

"This is to prove your love for us sisters!"

In order to manipulate Emperor Huang of Han, the Zhao sisters insisted that he take action himself.

Emperor Huang of Han gritted his teeth. Since he was going to be executed anyway, he figured that if his son died at his hands, it would be a small contribution to his father's sexual well-being.

Emperor Huang of Han came to Jiaofang Palace under the pretext of visiting his son.

Consort Xu was overjoyed to see Emperor Huang of Han arrive and immediately had the prince brought to him.

"Your Majesty, look! This child looks just like you."

Xu Meiren pointed to the chubby little boy sleeping sweetly in her arms and said happily.

"yes."

Emperor Huang of Han couldn't bear to look at the tiny baby and felt a deep sense of kinship.

He couldn't help but reach out and point to the baby's cheek.

The baby was chubby and fair-skinned, with plump cheeks and restless legs kicking back and forth. His dark eyes were fixed on the man in front of him, his father.

"This is my son."

Emperor Huang of Han said.

Consort Xu noticed that Emperor Huang's tone was a bit off, but she assumed it was because he was too happy.

"Your Majesty, have you chosen a name for him?"

"I asked expectantly."

"name?"

Emperor Huang of Han hesitated for a moment, then turned away so that no one would notice the reluctance in his eyes.

"I will take my son to see the Empress Dowager, and we will discuss his name together."

Emperor Huang of Han picked up his child, and Consort Xu struggled to her feet to follow him.

"You just gave birth, so rest well and wait for me to come back."

Emperor Huang of Han spoke gently to Consort Xu.

Consort Xu had never been treated so gently by Emperor Huang of Han before, and she happily hummed in agreement.