64 Extras

◎Co-governance and...teasing Baozi◎

The wedding of Emperor Regas Gamondon and Duke Lanhua of the Southern Cross is considered a significant turning point in the power structure of the Silver Empire.

Therefore, historical records refer to the "Kendura Palace Wedding Incident" as the beginning of the changes in the four-region structure of the Silver Empire, and this wedding, which is regarded as a marriage alliance between the Southern Region and the royal family, is called a landmark event.

From this point on, the balance of power between the four regions and the central government was completely broken.

The Subek family in the Northern Region was destroyed, the Lan family in the Southern Region formed a marriage alliance with the royal family, and the Sopedu family in the Eastern Region, as the emperor's maternal family, also announced that they would return military and financial power to the central government. The Dayton family in the Western Region followed suit after the Sopedu family returned power.

As the emperor's consort, after Duke Lanhua of the Southern Cross was customarily granted the title of Prince of the Southern Cross, His Majesty the emperor did something that shocked the entire universe, setting a precedent for the Silver Empire: he appointed Prince Lanhua as co-emperor, granting him not only the power to issue edicts but also the position of commander-in-chief of the central military.

This decision has indeed caused considerable controversy.

Although the Silver Empire has no precedent for a co-ruling emperor, there was one in the ancient Earth era.

The Roman Empire's division into the Eastern and Western Roman Empires was foreshadowed by the Tetrarchy. Similarly, the Plantagenet dynasty was established because King Stephen, under duress, appointed Henry II, a son not of his own, as co-ruler.

Therefore, this resolution was met with strong opposition from the outset by those loyal to the Gamondon royal family and the courtiers of Regas. They believed that this move would bring the hidden danger of dividing the empire and could very well create another kind of "four-region" division in the future.

Although the Lan family has always seemed indifferent to power, they have remained powerful from ancient Earth to the interstellar era, always at the pinnacle of power regardless of changing circumstances. Who knows if this so-called disregard for power is just a cover? If they truly didn't care about power, why didn't they find a remote planet to live in seclusion?

However, the opposition from the courtiers did not change Regas's decision, and Lan Hua became the first and only co-ruling emperor of the Silver Empire.

While the courtiers were deeply worried, and the powerful nobles of the four regions who had been reduced to rent-collecting landlords were filled with envy, the onlookers on the StarNet didn't think so much:

"Waaaaah, I believe in love again. Compared to empty promises, this kind of real effort shows true love!"

"Although as a fan of Ye Ye Zi, I'm still not used to her change in status. But Ye Ye Zi is just the best!!! It's such a beautiful love story, sob sob."

"I never would have guessed before that His Majesty the Emperor was such a love-struck fool..."

So what? [smile]

"So I'm already obsessed with shipping couples [doge emoji]"

...

Although Lan Hua didn't care much about having children, given their position, it wasn't just a matter between the two of them anymore. So, the issue of having children was put on the agenda.

In the interstellar age, let alone male-to-male relationships, even setting aside ethical issues, the technology for combining reproductive cells from different species is already quite advanced. Therefore, it is perfectly normal for two men to have children.

After successful cell-cell bonding, the cells are placed in a culture medium to develop into embryos. Once successfully developed into embryos, they are implanted into an artificial uterus to await maturation.

Although more than one embryo successfully developed, only one was ultimately implanted into the artificial uterus. The remaining embryos were cryopreserved.

In Lan Hua's words, he had never been a father, so he wanted to have one to get used to it... and then decide whether to have other children depending on the situation.

The Gamondon royal family and other courtiers naturally protested, but that was all they could do. After all, neither Emperor Regas nor Duke Lanxi, who might have been able to persuade him, said anything, leaving him to his own devices; no one else was likely to voice any objections openly.

As for gene screening and optimization, Lan Hua refused outright, as the Lan family had never done such things. Regas, of course, had no objections; in his view, his and Lan Hua's child was born perfect.

Compared to Lan Hua, who was constantly engaged in interstellar warfare with unpredictable return dates, Regas, who was based on the capital planet, visited the incubation room to see the child much more frequently. Regas had practically witnessed the entire process of the child developing from an embryo into an infant. Although reports on the embryo's development were displayed on Regas and Lan Hua's personal computers every day, Regas would visit the incubation room to see the child whenever he had a spare moment.

To outsiders, this appears to be a sign that His Majesty values ​​his successor. After all, this child will inherit an unprecedentedly powerful empire, possessing power and wealth far exceeding that of his predecessors.

However, the reason Regas valued this child so much was simply because it was his and Lanhua's child. This child was their first, and it held immense significance for Regas.

Even though Lan Hua was already married to him, sometimes he still felt like he couldn't hold onto her, like trying to grasp a gentle breeze—he could feel it but couldn't hold onto it. He needed something to give him a sense of reality.

The young crown prince was born amidst great anticipation. Different people held different expectations or thoughts about him.

The common people saw him as the fruit of the two emperors' love, the next heir to the empire, and a continuation of their love. The courtiers, however, viewed him as a continuation of the empire, a consolidation of the power and resources of the Gamondon and Lan families. In their eyes, the symbolic significance of the young crown prince far outweighed his personal stature.

Lan Hua and Lei Jia Si disagreed on the matter of naming the young prince.

Lan Hua thought the child looked like a red-skinned monkey, and the Lan family didn't have such an ugly child, so the surname should be Gaimonton. Later, when she was in a better mood, she'd raise a few more and choose the good-looking ones to have the surname Lan.

Regas: "..."

The future most handsome man and crown prince of the Silver Glow Empire, who was once disliked: "..."

Thanks to Regas's efforts, the poor little crown prince was finally reluctantly allowed to be given the surname Lan.

Vinoren Palace

The Empire's treasure—the young Crown Prince Lan Yi Gaimonton—was lying on the bed, his limbs sliding around like a little turtle.

Lan Hua was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at her son, and nodded reluctantly: "At least he's not ugly anymore."

Everyone: "..." It's really...irresponsible of Emperor Lanhua to say that. The little prince's appearance is a perfect combination of the best features of both his fathers; you couldn't find another child as handsome as him anywhere in the universe. And yet, Emperor Lanhua still dislikes him! The little prince is truly wronged.

"Why isn't he blowing bubbles anymore?" Lan Hua poked Lan Yi's cheek, a little disappointed. "He doesn't seem as cute anymore."

Everyone: "..." That was so long ago, Your Majesty.

Lan Hua mentioned that the bubble-blowing incident happened shortly after Lan Yi's birth. Shortly after, Lan Hua led her fleet in a battle against the Zerg, destroying their homeworld and returning victorious. By the time Lan Hua returned, Lan Yi had long since stopped blowing bubbles.

Lan Yi is currently in the stage of learning to walk, so he stood up unsteadily, trying to adjust from a little turtle paddling in the water to walking on two legs.

Lan Hua looked at his son, who was struggling to stand up, and a fatherly smile of satisfaction appeared on his face.

Everyone: The bond between father and son is, after all, human nature.

Then, Lan Hua watched as Lan Yi struggled to take his first steps forward, and gently poked Lan Yi's forehead with her finger. Lan Yi, who was already barely able to stand and struggling to maintain his balance, was naturally knocked over by this external force and fell backward onto the soft bed. His limbs struggled and slid as he tried to stand up again, like a little turtle that had been flipped over and was nervously flailing its limbs.

Everyone: "..." It seems perfectly reasonable for His Majesty Lan Hua to do this. His Majesty's public image remains unshaken...

Lan Yi struggled to turn over, adjusted his posture, and tried to stand up again. Instinctively, this time he turned his back to Lan Hua, as if he thought this would prevent the tragedy from happening again.

Lan Hua smiled slightly and poked him on the back again. As expected, Lan Yi lost his balance and fell forward.

Everyone wanted to cover their eyes, not wanting to see the adorable Crown Prince being "ravaged" like this by his unscrupulous father.

This time, however, the young prince did not fall. Instead, he was caught by another pair of hands, preventing the tragedy of him falling onto the bed again.

"You came so quickly, it seems you really care about this little guy." Lan Hua could tell whose hands they were without even turning around, and laughed.

"I just came to see you," Regas said gently, kissing Lan Hua's earlobe.

Then he said to the people serving him, "You may all step down."

After the servants withdrew, only the couple and the young prince remained in the large room.

Upon seeing his father arrive, the young prince immediately turned around, stretching out his arms, his meaning clear: he wanted a hug from his father. Compared to Lan Hua, who always teased him, the calm and gentle Regas was the one who made the young prince feel safe.

Looking at Lan Yi's aggrieved face, Regas smiled and picked him up. The little prince felt incredibly safe leaning against his father's arm.

Lan Hua leaned back lazily in her chair, looking at the father and son, and said, "The little guy is quite good at changing his tune. He looks all wronged when he sees you, but he had a poker face just now."

It's unclear whether the young prince understood, but after Lan Hua finished speaking, the young prince buried his head in Regas's arms, leaving only the back of his head for Lan Hua to see.

Lan Hua: "..." This little guy is small in stature, but he has quite a temper. These days, this little guy is the only one who dares to turn his back on him!

Lan Hua looked at the round head and smiled slightly. The little prince instinctively sensed danger, his round body trembled, and he hugged Regas even tighter.

Lan Hua stood up and walked towards Regas. Then, seeing Lan Yi in Regas's arms, he smiled "lovingly." He stroked Lan Yi's fluffy head and said, "It would be a shame not to flick this round head."

Regas: "..."

The young prince: "..."

Perhaps, it will be a long and arduous journey before Lan Hua becomes a less outrageous father...

A note from the author:

The bonus chapter has been updated. Enjoy!

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The next story is a beautiful love story between a lucky koi and a phoenix demon king.

The relationships and grudges between the characters are derived from the myths and legends in the Classic of Mountains and Seas and other ancient books.

Yes, it combines the author's quirky imagination to connect some unrelated or loosely connected events [doge emoji]

There are complicated love triangles, murder cases with melodramatic reasons, and some bizarre and grotesque stories.

I'll start writing in a few days!

Add it to your favorites if you're interested~ Mwah!