SFL Chapter 64

Mo Ziqing was like a well-fed and obedient house dog, with a hint of red remaining at the corners of his eyes. Resting his arms behind his head, he replied to Feng Yuan’s question, “How could they compare to me?”

He could lift Feng Yuan with just one hand. Could those men do that?

“I think so too,” Feng Yuan said, feeling a sudden sense of relief.

Her man was indeed different from those outside.

If the men in Princess Ning’s Courtyard had the same stamina as her man, could Feng Yuning still be jumping around as he used to?

“Then I really did find a treasure,” Feng Yuan generously praised Mo Ziqing.

Mo Ziqing glanced at her and proudly said, “Of course.”

At that moment, neither of them knew that their relationship had already become the talk of the entire palace before they even left the room.

Feng Jun was delighted upon hearing the news and quickly issued a gag order to prevent any panic from spreading to the Empress Dowager.

When Mo Ziqing’s health improved and he visited the Feng Jun’s palace again, he found that all the meals had changed to a light diet.

“You’re healthy, but you still need to be careful. You never know when you might have a child, so you can’t eat those strongly flavored foods anymore,” Feng Jun shared his experiences during his own pregnancy as advice.

Mo Ziqing felt a warm glow in his heart. Of course, if they were discussing something other than having a child, he might have felt even warmer.

Since he and Feng Yuan had progressed further, having a child was only a matter of time.

Mo Ziqing thought about how some of his colleagues had wanted to experience the pain of childbirth for themselves, comparing it to soul-wrenching agony. He thought he could write a report on the experience of pregnancy from a man’s perspective when he returned, although his single colleagues probably wouldn’t need it.

“Once you have a child, the palace will be bustling with activity,” Feng Jun said with anticipation, looking at Mo Ziqing’s stomach.

Suddenly, Feng Jun frowned, recalling the men in Feng Yuning’s Courtyard. Their progress had been much faster than Feng Yuan and Mo Ziqing, so were there still no pregnancies among them?

Mo Ziqing was taken aback. The female protagonist, having travelled through time, wouldn’t just look at the numerous handsome men in her Courtyard without acting on it. In reality, she was quite attentive to all of them, so it was only a matter of time before those men would become pregnant.

If the men could coexist peacefully now, what would happen once they were all pregnant?

Sometimes, even if they didn’t want to compete, they would be pushed into it by circumstances.

For example, their backgrounds and the issue of the children themselves.

This was why Mo Ziqing didn’t have high hopes for the female protagonist’s Courtyard. Even in a monogamous relationship, conflicts could arise; with a group of same-sex individuals living together, palace intrigue was inevitable and didn’t differentiate between genders.

The current peace was only maintained because the female protagonist seemed to treat everyone equally. Even if there were internal discomforts, they were hidden well.

Once she showed any favoritism, the fragile balance in her Courtyard would be shattered.

With Mo Ziqing’s situation as a reminder, Feng Jun sent palace servants to Princess Ning’’s Courtyard to inquire about the health of the men in Feng Yuning’s.

Upon hearing about the potential for childbirth, Feng Yuning was struck by a jolt of realization, sharply distinguishing between her life before and after travelling through time.

In a female-dominated world, it was the men who bore children.

It wasn’t something she could escape!

Feng Yuning wasn’t thrilled by this at all. With at least twenty handsome men in her backyard, if each one had a child, she would have dozens of children in this lifetime, and if more men were added, the number of children would only increase.

She had no objections to raising beautiful men who motivated her endlessly, but when it came to children, Feng Yuning was decidedly uninterested.

Before her time-travel, Feng Yuning knew that children were often called “four-legged gold-devouring beasts,” with each child representing an endless pit of expenses. The thought of potentially welcoming countless such beasts due to her fleeting pleasure in this new world was overwhelming. Her new understanding of the female-dominated society and its expectations made her faint from the realization.

With no positive news from her Courtyard, Feng Yuning fainted on her own. When the news reached the palace, Feng Jun, her concerned father, mistakenly thought her fainting was due to health issues. He sent various supplements to Feng Yuning.

Upon awakening and seeing the lavish array of tonics sent by the palace, Feng Yuning, though still young and healthy, felt overwhelmed and drained.

Shaking, she went to see her sister Feng Yuan and asked her for advice on what to do.

She was already struggling to manage the expenses of her beautiful men, and adding children would be even more burdensome.

“You brought so many men into your household. How much better would it have been with just a few?” Feng Yuan said, pouring cold water on her sister’s worries.

Feng Yuning, knowing Feng Yuan referred to her previous self, felt the weight of the increased numbers since she arrived.

“But, sister, I couldn’t help myself. They are so beautiful. If they weren’t with me, they would be married off to someone else. At least if they are with me, I can take good care of them,” Feng Yuning murmured.

Feng Yuan was taken aback. Even as an empress, she had never experienced such strong possessiveness.

They had advised Feng Yuning before, but she hadn’t listened.

“If you ask me, I don’t know what to do either. I only know that if it were my harem, I would allocate proper treatment according to their ranks, not just give them whatever they wanted,” Feng Yuan said.

“Yuning, you are the true master of the Ning Courtyard. Don’t let others control you,” Feng Yuan warned, though she wasn’t sure if her sister would heed the advice.

After pondering for a while, Feng Yuning found another solution besides reducing the men’s treatment. She looked up and said to Feng Yuan, “Sister, could you ask brother-in-law to come over? I have some new ideas.”

Since she couldn’t cut expenses, she had to find a way to increase income.

She planned to expand her business. With enough money, she could support both the men and the children.

When Mo Ziqing heard Feng Yuning’s plan, his eyebrows twitched slightly. Although more money could indeed solve Feng Yuning’s current dilemma, it was clear that she was heading further down the wrong path.

Feng Yuning might know that her path was flawed, but she couldn’t bear to see her men suffer. If there was suffering, she would bear it herself.

To earn more money, Feng Yuning began recalling all her knowledge from her previous life, hoping to monetize it.

Mo Ziqing supported Feng Yuning’s business endeavours, as the more she earned, the greater the share of profits for him and Feng Yuan.

With Mo Ziqing’s support, Feng Yuning’s business thrived and expanded rapidly throughout much of the Feng Kingdom.

One day, as Feng Yuning’s business reached a significant scale, Feng Yuan called Mo Ziqing and Feng Yuning to her side and said, “Yesterday, the neighbouring Long Queendom sent us a message saying they will be sending a group of envoys to our Feng Empire.”

“It seems our recent activities have caught the attention of the Long Queendom,” Feng Yuan said, glancing at Feng Yuning.

Feng Yuning’s business expansion not only increased her personal wealth but also contributed more to the national treasury and boosted the local economy. As people’s livelihoods were closely tied to national power, Long Queendom’s interest was clearly piqued.

“Long Queendom?” Feng Yuning’s eyes widened slightly. She finally recalled some information about the Long Queendom. In this female-dominated world, Long Queendom was also ruled by women. It was said that hundreds of years ago, Long and Feng Empire were once a single entity but eventually split into two. Both dom had long sought to completely absorb the other.

Unfortunately, the twos’ strengths had always been comparable, resulting in a stalemate where neither could prevail over the other.

Now that Long Queendom has officially sent a diplomatic mission, Feng Empire, to maintain its grand national image, must extend a warm reception.

Of course, given the true nature of the relationship between the two Empire, the envoys from Long Queendom are unlikely to hold significant positions.

After hearing Feng Yuan’s explanation, Feng Yuning asked, “Sister, how do you plan to receive the envoys from the Long Queendom?”

“First and foremost, we need to protect our various formulas and ensure that Long Queendom doesn’t steal them,” Feng Yuan emphasized, looking at Feng Yuning.

Although many of the formulas that had contributed to Feng Empire’s economic rise were not in Feng Yuning’s hands, the knowledge she held was still significant enough for Feng Yuan, the ruler, to take seriously.

Feeling somewhat unappreciated, Feng Yuning still didn’t fully recognize the true value of her knowledge.

Mo Ziqing, observing the situation, knew that organizing the reception for the Long Queendom’s envoys was his responsibility as the consort.

“Your Majesty, do you know how much money we’ve earned together with Princess Ning?” Mo Ziqing asked.

“How much?” Feng Yuan asked with a smile, showing a warmer attitude toward her consort compared to her sister.

Feng Yuning couldn’t help but think that her imperial sister was clearly biased.

Mo Ziqing then revealed a surprisingly large sum, astonishing both Feng Yuan and Feng Yuning.

“How could it be so much?” Feng Yuning exclaimed, covering her mouth in disbelief.

“This is the wealth shared between Your Majesty and myself. I’m bringing it up because I want to start using my share now,” Mo Ziqing explained.

Feng Yuan was puzzled. “What does Ziqing intend to do?”

“To take from the people and give back to the people,” Mo Ziqing replied.

This statement left both sisters confused.

“What do you plan to do with it?” Feng Yuan wondered, thinking of various public welfare projects. However, given the substantial earnings, the national treasury did not need additional funds from Mo Ziqing.

“I plan to use the money to help orphans and the elderly without support, and also to promote their education. This idea was actually suggested by Princess Ning,” Mo Ziqing said with a smile.

“This is a noble endeavor that benefits the entire world. It’s not necessary for you to use your own money,” Feng Yuan said, moved by his words.

As an empress, she could see the vast territories and strong military but not the everyday suffering of the common people.

“Your Majesty, as a consort, this is my duty to the people. I hope Your Majesty will grant me this opportunity,” Mo Ziqing sincerely requested.