“Flies will flock towards anything that smells even remotely sweet.” - Old Al-Shan Proverb.

“Another scumbag, I take it?” asked Layla when she watched Ying Xiao return to the room with an annoyed look on her features. Ever since the announcement that she would become the second Empress was publicized, there had been several people who attempted to claim that they were Ying Xiao’s father and kept pestering her because of that, most likely blinded by greed or potential benefits.

Filial piety was considered one of the most important morales in the Empire, and while for the majority of people it was just fine, a small subset of people abused it instead. Those people often used their own children as tools by playing the filial piety card to manipulate them, and Layla guessed that just about everyone who came to pester Ying Xiao were of that sort.

Xain also had people like those in his sight, as he planned to enact laws that rendered their actions punishable, but those plans were on the reserves for the moment. He had already made many sweeping changes to the traditions and rules that the Empire’s people had lived with all their lives, and refrained from making too many changes for the time being.

Some of those changes were easy to enact, especially laws that dispelled the old traditions that viewed women as lessers - a view many held unless that woman in question happened to be a powerful mage - as Cal’s feats during the Civil War alone had made most unable to even view them that way ever again. Others were more difficult, and would take time to do properly, and this was one of such cases.

The people who claimed to be Ying Xiao’s father likely thought that if they could be the Emperor’s Father-in-law they would be set for life. What they had miscalculated was that Ying Xiao was by then as far from the parent-abiding women who listens to their husband’s every command - her loyalty to Xain was something else entirely that would not have changed even if they were not set to marry - and had very little qualms about saying exactly what she thought about such people.

She had some feelings and filial piety for her late mother, sure. The woman had tried her best to raise Ying Xiao even in the poor conditions of the brothel, and the effort counted, at least. On the other hand, she never knew her father, and in fact, had no idea whatsoever about who her father might be. Her mother’s life as a prostitute naturally made that difficult, and Ying Xiao doubted her late mother knew who sired her either.

“Many of them were cursing you all the way out. All ‘O Heavens, please let this unfilial child be struck by lightning’ and all,” said Xain with obvious annoyance as well. His distaste was evident from the way he spat the words out, and both Ying Xiao and Layla knew he wasn’t the type to remain quiet over such things. “So I had the guards round them up for attempted fraud and insults to the Imperial Family.”

“As they well deserved,” said Layla with a chuckle from the divan she lounged in. The young Empress was pale, and still spent most of her days confined to bed - or the divan when she insisted on helping Xain at his work - since she was still recovering from childbirth. Even despite Aideen’s help and good medicine, it took time for her to regain her strength after such an ordeal, and it was projected to be at least another week or two before she recovered. “So are you tossing them in jail?”

“Why would I waste the taxes our good people paid just to house and feed some miscreants like these? Hell no,” said Xain with a shake of his head. He had long been unsatisfied with the punishments of the judicial system, which were generally either execution, or stuffing people in jail cells for long periods of time, and had strived to make changes to it. “They got a couple decades in the salt mines. That ought to let them learn their lesson while keeping them productive.”

“I’ll also tell the guards just to grab the next ones who try this and send them straight to the mines,” he added to Ying Xiao. The girl had always been a bit on the naive side, and still gave the scammers and imposters some of her time just in case they were telling the truth. After over half a dozen cases, though, Xain lost his patience first. “So they won’t be troubling you anymore. Don’t worry about the things they said. From what you’ve told us, you owed nothing to whoever sired you, and they clearly had not cared about you either, so there is no reason for you to do so.”

“Thank you… Xain,” replied Ying Xiao after a short pause. It had taken Xain and Layla a long time to finally get her to call them by name, rather than by their formal titles. The girl’s old timidity unexpectedly resurfaced in matters like those. “That said… most of those who came were already middle-aged. I don’t think they’d survive a couple decades in the salt mines.”

“I missed the part where that’s my problem,” replied Xain nonchalantly, to which Layla gave an understanding, if somewhat melancholic smile. The Xain from before he became Emperor, the sweet, naive boy he used to be, would have never thought that way at all, as he was often too kind for his own good. He quickly did away with his naivety soon after he became Emperor, however, and had learned how to be ruthless when he needed to. “Good riddance, anyway. We have no shortage of frauds and scum, so getting rid of a few is nothing bad.”

“As you say, dear,” said Layla as she nodded sympathetically. “Oh, it's almost the time already. Would you mind fetching the kids, Xiao’er?”

“Of course. I shall return with them soon,” said Ying Xiao as she headed to the adjacent room where some chosen nursemaids were taking care of the three Imperial Children so the Emperor and Empress, along with her, could have a moment to themselves.

“Time certainly flew by,” commented Xain as he watched Ying Xiao depart. “So how many said they would be coming in person, again?”

“We’ve received affirmative responses from the Knallzog Royal Family that the King will attend, and the same from Elmaiya. At least a dozen from the City-States and around that much as well from the Union. The tribes of the northern plains even sent their regards and well wishes along with a delegation to arrive in a few weeks,” said Layla as she listed off the guest list from memory. While she was banned from any strenuous physical activity during her recovery, she helped deal with the invitations intended for other royals and leaders since she was bored with nothing to do. “We also received a reply from the Lichdom… which stated that the Bone Lord would attend in person.”

“Now that’s someone nobody can offend,” said Xain as he gave an impressed whistle upon hearing the name of the legendary immortal lich of the southern continent. “You have arranged for all the guests to receive the finest in hospitality, I assume?”

“But of course, dear. Fortunately, most of them would not be staying for too long, since they would travel by gate. Only a couple delegations expressed a desire to remain longer to discuss potential trade deals and other business, but that would just be some officials staying behind,” answered Layla with a nod. “It is good to see that more of them have acknowledged you by now, though.”

“We simply do what we can,” replied Xain with a humble nod. Then he heard the noise made by his children and saw Ying Xiao arrive from the adjacent room, with Farah in her hands. Their little daughter had happily glomped only Ying Xiao and did not seem like she wanted to let go, to some exasperation of the nursemaid taking care of her. Kareem and Miruka were fast asleep in the hands of their nursemaids, who rocked them gently while they walked.

“Everyone’s here, dear. I’m sure the others have gathered as well,” said Layla as she slowly rose from the divan. She was still a bit weak, but walking around would not cause her any problems, and besides, for longer trips she’d be using the Imperial carriage anyway. “Now let us be off? We have honored guests to entertain.”

“Let us, then,” said Xain as he took his Empress’ hand and helped her to her feet. “Lady Aideen said she would bring some old friends to introduce to us, so I’m curious who she’d bring with her.”