The court officials and the Harem had joined forces for the first time to push a woman on Pei Yan, but he had fended them off with the excuse of being in a mourning period.
This was their second attempt.
The woman who had offended Pei Yan was punished with twenty strokes of the heavy plank, which nearly killed her.
Her family was also punished for the transgression.
As for the Empress Dowager, she was like a clay bodhisattva crossing a river—unable to even save herself.
The matter of forcing women into his Harem had barely been brought into the open before Pei Yan suppressed it with ruthless efficiency.
The noble ladies of the Capital City had long heard that Pei Yan was capricious and ruthlessly decisive. And yet, he was also so devastatingly handsome that he was unforgettable at first sight.
He also held immense power as the ruler of the realm. How many men in the world could compare to him?
Countless young women from noble families dreamed of marrying Pei Yan.
