These hundred selected maidens were without exception one-in-a-million, peerless beauties. Each possessed an extraordinary temperament. To release them back to the mundane world would be a waste. Within the Imperial Palace, countless palaces stood vacant, yet there were few true mistresses to fill them.
In ancient mortal dynasties, the royal palace would house three thousand beauties—Three Palaces, Six Courts, and Seventy-Two Concubines. A fantasy that had stirred the envy and longing of countless men.
Given that Great Yi now controlled the entire Vast Sea Domain, boasting a population of nearly thirty trillion, the Imperial Palace having only a dozen or so concubines seemed… odd, to say the least. Now, with this selection of a hundred, it was just the right time to enrich the Imperial Harem.
On one hand, they were all known entities—well-documented and screened. On the other, if this selection had been influenced by some hidden scheme, bringing them into the palace would allow one to uncover the truth in time. If trouble arose, it would be easier to deal with swiftly and thoroughly.
The Imperial Palace of Great Yi had more than enough capacity to accommodate them.
And with Cai Yan's breadth of mind, she could naturally accept them all.
In Great Yi, there was no concept of imperial heirs fighting for the throne.
As long as Yi Tianxing lived, he would remain the sole and eternal ruler of Great Yi. This was the path of the Fate Dynasty. Endless fortune gathered into one person, until they soared to the heavens.
Thus, there was no opportunity for internal strife. The women of the harem had no reason to envy or fight one another. Instead, they coexisted harmoniously, even desiring more sisters to join—if only to expand the Imperial bloodline and bear more children for the Empire.
"Since you've already made the decision, Zhaoji, then I'll leave everything to you. I have no objections," Yi Tianxing said with a smile.
After all, it wasn't as though he stood to lose anything. Beautiful women were always welcomed by a normal man—who would object?
In Great Yi, the highest position within the harem was naturally the Empress, Cai Yan.
Next were the imperial consorts (noble consorts), then concubines, followed by the rank of "Beauties." Cai Yan held a King-tier official position—just beneath Yi Tianxing himself. The imperial consorts were all First Rank officials, followed by Second Rank concubines, and Third Rank beauties.
The imperial children, such as Yi Xianhuang and the others, held Marquess-tier titles, transcending the First Rank, but still beneath King-tier. This showed their noble yet subordinate position.
Such was the structure of the imperial family.
Hence, in matters such as the selection, Cai Yan held absolute authority. She said to keep them all, and Yi Tianxing would never contradict her publicly. It would undermine her prestige, which was ill-advised. Especially when he was quite pleased with her decision.
The higher one's status, the broader their tolerance.
"Since that's the case, here—these are the Star Rings. Each of you may take one. This ring is the symbol of your identity within the Imperial Palace."
"Once worn, it can aid in cultivation by drawing star power. From this moment, it will symbolize your place within the imperial family. I hold the master ring, and each of you shall have a subordinate one. Every ring holds the potential to be elevated to the level of an innate spiritual treasure. Cultivate them well. Once worn, you are officially part of the Yi family."
As he spoke, Yi Tianxing tapped his finger on the Star Ring on his hand. With a crisp chime, a hundred subordinate rings materialized out of thin air and flew toward Mu Guiying and the other women.
These Star Rings indeed had the potential to evolve into innate spiritual treasures.
The hundred peerless beauties looked upon the rings with visible excitement. Naturally, they extended their fingers, allowing the rings to shrink and fit perfectly upon contact—like slipping a ring not just onto the finger, but also around the heart.
In that moment, a mysterious connection seemed to form between them and Yi Tianxing, as though they had truly become part of the same family.
"Now that you've worn the rings, you are one of us. The Star Rings total 365 in number. Once all are gathered, they can form the Minor Zhou Heavenly Star Formation. In the future, you must all refine and empower your rings. Your monthly stipends will be issued in the form of Star Essence, to aid in the strengthening of the rings."
Cai Yan smiled warmly as she spoke, a gentle tone that made those listening feel as though they were basking in spring sunshine.
Her majestic yet graceful demeanor truly embodied the elegance of the Empress.
Because of the Star Rings, Star Essence would now be prioritized for the harem and the imperial offspring. Though Great Yi still lacked a stable method of producing Star Essence, they had acquired a considerable reserve from the Divine-Demon Battlefield, sufficient to support ongoing use and refinement.
With the selection now complete, Yi Tianxing didn't linger.
He turned and left, leaving everything in Cai Yan's capable hands.
"She's handling it beautifully."
After all, he had more important matters to consider.