One by one, the concubines were named and received rewards. Some were chosen because of their natural beauty and abundant life energy.

Some are because of their outstanding talent; their dance moves or singing voices create an energy surge.

Others, it was just a glance or a gesture that sparked Lin Feng's elusive "interest".

The former concubines looked grim. Their bloodline was inherently disadvantaged at the genetic level, and no matter how hard they tried, their ranking on the screen would hardly surpass that of the "chosen ones."

Qian Xiaoxiao looked at her "below-C" rating and stomped her feet in anger: "This is not fair! Why are they born better than us?"

Tang Bao also pouted. She had just performed her best cute dance, but only received a "B-level" rating.

Shen Jiaqi calmly observed everything and whispered to Su Wanqing, "Your Majesty, did you see that? His Majesty is using the most direct method to divide the harem into ranks. Genes are the new class. If we don't break this deadlock, we will never have a chance to rise in the future."

Su Wanqing gripped the handrail tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.

Looking at Su Qinghe beside her, who had remained quiet and did nothing throughout, yet whose line on the screen always radiated a soft and stable golden light and whose rating was always "Heavenly Grade - Supreme", the jealousy in her heart grew wildly like poisonous weeds.

Just then, after finishing her bath, Ayako Sakurai, who had been silent all along, suddenly knelt down in the center of the glass platform.

"Your Majesty," her voice was cold yet clearly carried throughout the hall, "I have a request."

All eyes were on her.

Lin Feng looked at her with great interest: "Speak."

"I have heard that Empress Su Wanqing is the most talented woman in the former territory of the empire, proficient in the six arts, and unparalleled throughout history. And Consort Xihuang, Su Qinghe, was bestowed the 'Immaculate Holy Body' by His Majesty, so she must also have extraordinary qualities."

Sakurai Ayako paused, then her tone shifted sharply: "The sisters of the Wanhuang Palace hold the two empresses who rule the harem in the highest esteem, yet have never had the chance to witness their splendor. I humbly request that Your Majesty the Queen and Consort Xihuang perform for us, to set the record straight in the harem and let us know what it means to be 'the mother of the nation' and 'the head of all empresses'!"

These words caused an uproar in the audience.

This is an extremely malicious and open conspiracy.

Making the Queen and her most favored concubine perform their talents in public? This in itself is a challenge to their status.

It is true that Su Wanqing is proficient in the six arts, but if she were to perform, it would be beneath her status, as she would be vying for favor with the other concubines and would lose the dignity of a queen. If she does not perform, it would be considered stage fright and an inability to control her composure.

As for Su Qinghe, a country girl, what talents could she possibly have? Making her perform would only embarrass her in public and turn her title of "Queen of All Phoenixes" into a joke.

Ayako Sakurai's move put Su Wanqing and Su Qinghe in a difficult position, forcing them to fight amongst themselves, while she herself could reap the benefits.

Shen Jiaqi's expression changed, and she cursed inwardly, "What a ruthless Japanese woman!"

Su Wanqing's face instantly darkened, her phoenix eyes flashing with murderous intent as she coldly stared at Sakurai Ayako.

Su Qinghe turned pale with fright and looked to Lin Feng for help.

The entire Liulitai area fell into an eerie silence.

Everyone looked at the man on the throne, awaiting his judgment.

"Never mind, there's no need for that."

Lin Feng's eyes were icy cold: "All your talents are meaningless; bearing me a son is the most important thing."

Upon hearing this, the women fell silent.

Following the grand "First Bath of Divine Grace" banquet, the vast harem of Nine Heavens City fell into a strange calm amidst a frenzied undercurrent of madness.

The calm was only superficial. No one dared to openly challenge Empress Su Wanqing's authority like Sakurai Ayako did.

All the concubines, regardless of their seniority or inner thoughts, became impeccable in their etiquette. Daily greetings and monthly allowances were all conducted in an orderly manner, resembling a harmonious extended family.

Madness lies hidden beneath the surface.

The words "giving birth to a prince" are like a curse, hanging over everyone's mind.

In order to improve the efficiency of "sowing seeds", Lin Feng completely broke the old system of serving the emperor in bed.

He no longer chose the cards according to the old calendar, but instead relied entirely on his own "divine blood" intuition.

Every day, the Imperial Academy of Sciences would submit a "Report on the Life Energy Tide of the Palace of Ten Thousand Phoenixes" to him.

He will descend upon the palace where the life energy of the concubine resonates most strongly with his bloodline.

This completely turned the "competition for favor" into a naked "genetic race".

In order to enhance their life energy and to achieve a higher ranking in the tide report, the concubines went to great lengths.

Those of noble birth, like Murong Yan, had their Murong family, which spared no expense in collecting all sorts of rare and precious materials, such as "Dragon Blood Grass" and "Elf Tears," and continuously sent them to the palace to enhance her power.

Those without a background have no choice but to find another way.

An arms race revolving around "unorthodox remedies" and "secret techniques" quietly unfolds within the Palace of Ten Thousand Phoenixes.

The expenses for the harem, which Qian Xiaoxiao was in charge of, have skyrocketed at an exaggerated rate in the past few months.

She knew something was amiss, but she was powerless to stop it. Because, at Tang Bao's urging, she herself spent a lot of money to buy a "divine crystal" that was said to be a fragment of a fallen god's divine essence, and wore it every day in the hope of improving her "lower grade" bloodline rating.

The former concubine's life became increasingly difficult.

Apart from Shen Jiaqi, who occasionally managed to gain favor by analyzing Lin Feng's psychology and creating some "chance encounters" thanks to her exceptional wisdom, the other former concubines, such as Meng Yao and Liu Yanxi, were almost forgotten by Lin Feng.

Liu Yanxi was once known for her beauty and jealousy, but now she has to lower herself to curry favor with the newcomers who have gained power.

One day, she prepared lavish gifts and went to visit Murong Yan at her "Ziwei Yuan".

“Sister Murong is so lucky,” Liu Yanxi said sourly, looking at the exotic flowers and plants shimmering with spiritual light in the courtyard. “His Majesty is so kind to you, sister. These treasures are probably not even seen in the Empress’s Phoenix Palace.”

Murong Yan was pruning a "Dragon Blood Grass" with a pair of jade scissors, and without looking up, she snorted coldly: "Sister Liu is joking. His Majesty favors the 'Holy Mother' who can give birth to divine offspring for him. Unlike some people, who occupy positions but can only give birth to mortal, money-losing children, wasting the empire's resources."

These words undoubtedly included Empress Su Wanqing and all the former concubines who had given birth to daughters.

Liu Yanxi's face turned pale and then red, but she still forced a smile and said, "What you say is true, sister. I am old and my beauty has faded, and my bloodline is mixed, so I dare not ask for divine favor anymore. I just... I just want to ask you to help me out. If you give birth to a prince in the future and become a Noble Consort or Imperial Noble Consort, I hope you can say a few good words for me in His Majesty's ear, so that I can have a peaceful end in this deep palace."

Murong Yan then raised her eyes, sized her up, her eyes filled with disdain: "Help you? What's in it for you? Sister Liu, these days in the palace, it's all about equal exchange. What do you have that's worth Murong Yan's help?"

Liu Yanxi gritted her teeth, took out a jade slip from her sleeve, and whispered, "This is... some secrets of the harem that I have accumulated over the years since I entered the palace. Including some people's weaknesses and taboos. Perhaps it can be of some help to you, sister."

A hint of interest flashed in Murong Yan's eyes as she accepted the jade slip.

Such scenes played out repeatedly in every corner of the imperial harem.

In order to survive, the former concubines had no choice but to lower themselves, rely on, or even betray their companions, in order to gain a place among the new nobles.

Driven by the ultimate goal of "the prince," the entire order of the harem became increasingly distorted and cruel.

Lin Feng, the instigator of all this, watched it all with indifference.

In this increasingly fierce race to have children, the most tormented and desperate person was none other than Queen Su Wanqing.

She watched helplessly as her power was gradually undermined.

Although Consort Xihuang, Su Qinghe, is detached from worldly affairs, her status as the "Head of All Phoenixes" and Lin Feng's unreserved affection make her the de facto deputy ruler of the harem.

The "Holy Mother" candidates, such as Murong Yan and Sakurai Ayako, relied on the number of times they served the emperor and the power of their families to erode her authority as queen.

She didn't even dare to punish the newcomers who made mistakes. Because if she did, those newcomers would run to Lin Feng crying and sobbing, and Lin Feng would most likely use the excuse that "she is pregnant with a divine child and is delicate and precious, so she shouldn't get angry" to lightly dismiss the matter, making her, the queen, seem like she was making a mountain out of a molehill and being mean and ungrateful.

She became a complete symbol, a living memorial tablet that was worshipped.

The final straw that broke her came from a secret report from the Imperial Academy of Sciences.

That day, Shen Jiaqi quietly came to Fengyi Palace and handed her a document with a solemn expression.

"Your Majesty, this is what I managed to obtain... the latest vital sign monitoring report from the Academy of Sciences regarding Consort Xihuang."

Su Wanqing opened the report with trembling hands. At the conclusion, a line of text in bold read:

"Consort Xihuang, Su Qinghe, has been confirmed to have successfully inherited the bloodline of the gods. In the early stage of life embryo formation, the energy fluctuations are extremely stable and powerful, with a 99.9% probability that she is male."