In the eyes of Great Yi's ministers, Yi Tianxing's harem was still too small—far too sparse. Compared to emperors of ancient times, even the most modest of dynasties had far more consorts. By rough count, he had only a dozen or so, which was simply too few.
Given that Great Yi now occupied such vast territory, it naturally required numerous imperial heirs—not for vanity, but for stability. The more offspring, the more firmly rooted the people's faith.
Moreover, the Yi bloodline was exceedingly powerful. Yi Tianxing himself possessed the Emperor Sovereign Body, infused with vast destiny and fortune. Any child born of his lineage was destined to be extraordinary. Once his divine body was fully awakened, its traits could be passed on to his descendants.
If those children matured properly, they would become some of Great Yi's greatest assets—true noble heirs of heaven.
Anyone else might betray the nation. But his children would never betray him.
As far as the ministers were concerned, the more children, the better. Each new imperial child could potentially become a future powerhouse, further solidifying the empire's foundations.
It was no secret to the ministers—none of the imperial offspring were ordinary. Not only were they talented, but they showed no fear of battle and were willing to die for their empire. Not one was a coward.
Just recently, it was reported that another imperial prince had been born—this one blessed with the rare Prison-Suppressing Divine Body. If he matured, he too would be a future powerhouse.
The strength of the imperial bloodline left the ministers practically burning with enthusiasm. They wished for Yi Tianxing to select more consorts and produce as many heirs as possible. A single action, many rewards.
And truthfully, the origin of the rumor about "auspicious marriage" didn't really matter. What mattered was how to use it to draw out the hidden hand behind it. Surface-level investigations were useless. Only by playing along could they expose the true intentions behind the scheme.
After all, in all these years, Great Yi had never held a formal consort selection.
"Your Majesty, countless young women across the land admire and yearn for you. Holding a formal selection may not be a bad thing. It would bring you closer to the people and boost morale during this era of disaster. It could also divert attention and perhaps reveal what forces lie hidden beneath."
Liu Bowen said with a smile. Clearly, he supported the idea.
"Very well. Let the selection proceed. I'll entrust this to the Empress to oversee. As for the details, they can be discussed later. The Calamity Hall and Six Doors Division shall assist."
Yi Tianxing gave his assent after a moment's thought.To him, this wasn't a matter worth overthinking.
"As for the disaster itself, Great Yi must not only address its symptoms—we must strike at its root. Ministers, do any of you have concrete proposals?"
Yi Tianxing returned to the true issue—the ongoing calamity.Regardless of how effective the lightning rods and quick fixes were, they were temporary measures. What was needed was a true solution.
"Your Majesty, in recent days, we ministers have gathered and pondered the nature of this disaster. The weather anomalies stem from wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, each a force driving atmospheric change. They're tied to the evolution of the seasons—the rhythms of time and nature. If we can harness these cycles, we might be able to break the current laws that bind us."
Zhuge Liang waved his feather fan as he spoke.
"Indeed. After many discussions and simulations, we devised a method. These forces are bound to seasonal cycles—which themselves are regulated through the Twenty-Four Solar Terms, rooted in the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. By working through these, we can potentially break the constraints of the weather-altering laws and force the four elemental gods into the open."
Jiang Ni added.
By tapping into the rhythm of nature itself—the Solar Terms, the Ten Heavenly Stems, and Twelve Earthly Branches—they might unravel the veil hiding the four innate gods.
"Your Majesty, do you recall the set of innate treasure-grade battle armors born from the Twelve Innate Spirit Veins?"
Zhuge Liang asked.
"The Twelve Zodiac Battle Armors."
Yi Tianxing nodded, smiling slightly."You plan to use them as the key to breaking the deadlock."
"Your Majesty is wise. The Zodiac Battle Armors are innate treasures, each infused with the power of one of the twelve zodiac signs. Each one holds immense power. The twelve zodiac animals are direct representations of the Twelve Earthly Branches. When united, they can impact the natural laws of the world."
Liu Bowen added.
The Ten Heavenly Stems: Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui
The Twelve Earthly Branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai
The Twelve Zodiac Animals: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig
Thus, the Earthly Branches are the zodiac themselves.
Once all twelve gather, they can use the power of the Branches to guide the Stems, combining their strength to shake the very laws of the world.
"This plan aligns with My own thoughts. If none of you had proposed it, I was planning to issue a decree to select Twelve Zodiac Guardians to inherit the battle armors. Not only would this give Great Yi twelve more top-tier warriors, it could also break our current crisis. Begin preparations at once."
Yi Tianxing nodded and made his decision.
Originally, he had planned to carry out the selection in secret, slowly. Those who passed could be kept hidden as trump cards. But now, the situation had forced his hand. The time for secrecy was over.
As for whether suitable candidates existed?
With over twenty trillion citizens, there were bound to be countless hidden talents within Great Yi. The Zodiac Battle Armors would choose their own masters, guided by destiny. The only unknown was: what kind of people would be chosen?
Because this was a matter of fate and compatibility—the armors had their own intelligence and will, and they would choose the ones they deemed worthy.
"Your Majesty is truly enlightened."
All the ministers bowed deeply.
The Zodiac Armors were unquestionably among Great Yi's greatest treasures. Giving away all twelve at once was an unprecedented act of generosity.
If Yi Tianxing were selfish, he could easily assign the armors to his own children. No one would dare protest—it was, after all, his right.
The fact that he was willing to open the selection to the entire realm… spoke volumes of his character.
"Appointing Zodiac Guardians strengthens Great Yi. And the armors will always belong to the nation—they are not personal property. They will be passed down through generations, becoming a permanent part of our empire's legacy."
Yi Tianxing said calmly.
He had always known—his power was Great Yi's power. There was no difference.
"Your Majesty, how will the selection process be carried out? Has a procedure been decided?"
Huang Chengyan asked.
This involved twelve of the realm's most powerful battle armors. Caution was warranted.
"The selection will be done by the armors themselves. Their spirits will choose their destined masters. Once the grand court assembly concludes, I will release all twelve Zodiac Battle Armors into the void. Their spirits will merge with Great Yi's collective will and search the land for fated individuals."
"What the exact criteria are, even I don't know. Nor will any participant. It will be a matter of pure fate. A commoner might be chosen—or a noble. Everyone has a chance. No rank. No bias. Total fairness."
Yi Tianxing explained plainly.
He spoke truthfully—he didn't know the criteria. Only the armors knew. It was not a deception.
"Your Majesty's fairness is divine. This is the only way to ensure true transparency. The chosen Guardians will be one in a billion—beyond reproach."
The ministers unanimously agreed.
Such a method would win over the hearts of the people and leave no room for criticism.
"Good. Since no one objects, it is decided. If there is nothing further—this court is adjourned."
Yi Tianxing nodded.
Shortly afterward, the ministers exited the grand hall one by one.