In fact, the ML, after ascending to become Emperor, was nearly deposed (by the Empress Dowager, former Empress) because so many officials were pissed about him wanting to crown MC as Empress and they could have very much just elected to kick him out. You have to realize, this ML doesn't have a whole army behind him to threaten everyone to listen to him. He's just a regular guy who becomes Emperor through elected means.

In fact, the MC and ML have a talk too, before they first 'officially' got together, the ML asked MC if he would be able to put up with it because for the throne, he couldn't just dismiss all his concubines. The MC told him that he could, on the grounds that the ML would only love him. And the ML does, he doesn't look at anyone else, and after the two get together he stops sleeping with all of his concubines.

Like, what the f*ck do people expect???

the ML sleeping with his concubines before the two got together, and when he was only starting to take interest of/to like the MC. However, this is a more mature novel that isn't just about a whirlwind romance, and given its setting, the ML isn't wrong. He only liked the MC. The two weren't even together. As well, he was bound to his duties as a husband and to carry on the family line. Just because he came to like the MC, doesn't mean he was going to throw years of upbringing away. However, when they got together, the ML stopped sleeping with his concubines (I already mentioned this, thought I should repeat it.

the ML told her, "Hey if you hadn't gone batshit, and tried to drug me, and try to kill the MC, maybe I still would've made you the Empress when I ascended to the throne." This serves to drive home the point that he is a man in the ancient era. It does not mean that he doesn't love the MC or anything similar, just that, following the customs of the time, the main wife of the crown prince, that is, the crown princess consort, would become the Empress. Some people could be mad at this, like "Wtf??? You weren't planning to make the MC Empress???" and to that I say, being an Empress is not an easy job, and generally speaking the Empress and the Emperor are only work colleagues. Rarely are they supposed to be in actual love. That's what concubines and such are for. In fact, being the Empress, just thinking about it--even if given the chance, I wouldn't take it. You have to get heavily involved in politics, carry just as much duties as the Emperor, manage a whole harem of concubines, etc. It ain't worth it.

• • Tertiary (3rd rank, at least I think she was tertiary?) Concubine Li was put on permanent house arrest after hurting her child to get the ML's attention (because Qi Niqun had 'adopted' Concubines Li's daughter Yan'er, but after birthing her own daughters, she started subtly bullying/pushing out Yan'er. Concubine had the right intentions but went about it all the wrong way because Concubine Wei manipulated her, and because she's dumb. The ML got really mad.) Anyways she's really dumb, and can pretty much be considered dead at the end (though not actually).

• • Concubine Wei, the most scheming and arguably the smartest (although her schemes were always seen, she was the only one most in control of her emotions) of the three secondary consorts (the rank below the main wife) continued to scheme behind the scenes, but since she birthed a son the ML turned a blind eye (the MC too). Ultimately though, her goal was to become Empress and she didn't get that. The MC told her "hey we knew what you were doing all along, but we kept quiet because we didn't want you to ruin your son's reputation". As well, behind her, her family is a really lofty literary scholar family that is well respected, so ML had to be careful. When the ML ascends, he crowns her "Consort", except it's only nominal because he pretty much doesn't let her enter the palace. Before that, the ML banned her from seeing her son as well. So even though she's a Consort, it makes a moot difference.

• • Concubine Ji, the other secondary consort, is on the same level of horrible as Qi Niqun. Anyways she keeps trying to scheme but since she's pretty much a flashing "Hey look at me! I'm tryna stir sh*t up again!" the ML just gives up on her entirely. She's incredibly arrogant and has her nose up in the sky, venomous, and horrible to her servants. To her own son, too. She only sees him as a tool (he was sickly when he was a child because she didn't care about him and only schemed), but at least the MC took her son (Jing'er) under his wing early and away from her. The ML also bans her from seeing her son, to avoid manipulative means. Ultimately she's also crowned a "Consort" but same as Concubine Wei, she's not brought into the palace.

• • Both Secondary Consorts are ultimately, nominally the Emperor's concubines and again, even if it's the only nominal, people could still feel indignance. However, you have to remember, that the ML has brought his children into the palace. The eldest son is also the future crown prince. What would people think, if the Emperor's sons weren't even considered Consorts? It would be humiliating to them, and bad for their reputation overall, to be sons of women without an imperial title.
    
    [collapse]

I love the struggle ML had to overcome to make Little Qi his empress. I got bored with 'I'm the emperor, so you can just be my empress', with no regard to tradition etc.

In Chapter 63, the ML admits that if the true wife hadn't attempted to poison him that day, he would still respect her and even hold her in higher regard than the MC, who freaking went to war and sacrificed himself multiple times for the ML and even figures out some court intrigue for the benefit of the ML. And this is right after the true wife slapped the MC so hard his face puffed up, even after the MC attempted to save the true wife from the ML's beating. Honestly, this made my opinion go down the drain for the ML.

ends up adopting the ML's kids

the ML spent the night with the MC and right the next night he was with the legal wife!!

having gotten one woman pregnant, then just getting another pregnant at the same time!
(Saying ‘oh yeah I got her pregnant to. Btw’) If he wants many sons, maybe he could just choose one woman to have many sons with. It’s not hard to go around this premise of a harem.

The consorts are like any other consorts in this type of story, always fighting to the death to get the prince attention and strive to have sons, consort Ji is arrogant and domineering, consort Wei is introvert but she's the smartest of the bunch, I always think she's a bit of hypocrite, she say she rather marry ordinary man, but gets really happy when ML visit her courtyard, I think she also has a hand regarding the eunuch incident at the first 20 chp that resulting in MC getting hurt, tertiary consort Li I think is just a simple minded person, opportunistic but not malicious.

In the end she died because of her own doing, she give birth to 2 daughters, after that, she drinks many medicine from 'doctors' that 'supposedly' can conceive a son, the ML at that point already hate her because she doesn't assign proper care for ML eldest daughter, the one he has with tertiary consirt Li, qi niqun depict immense hate to children from illegitimate line you see, so she attempt to drug ML with aphrodisiac to make ML sleep with her, ML resist and kick her away, MC also come to save him, since then ML never touch her again, some months or years (?) later the medicines effect accumulate and counteract against each other making her seriously ill, the doctor called by MC were a bit late because he was obstruct by ML enemies on the way (ML was frame by his brothers and his brothers army surround ML estate), in her death bed she never repent nor does she realize her situation was because of her own greed, she just lament to ML why she doesn't give birth to a son while consort Ji and consort Wei have a son on their first try, geez 😒