Inside the Nine Heavens Moon-Embracing Palace, after Su Wanqing left, the anger slowly subsided from Lin Feng's body.
He looked at the star map before him again, his gaze deep, as if he could see through endless time and space and see the future of the empire.
"Empress... Wu Zetian..." he murmured to himself, a cold sneer on his lips, "Foolish woman, she can only see the surface of history, but she can't see the essence of power."
He was never truly worried about the issue of succession. To him, it was only a matter of time.
In his view, Su Wanqing's suggestion was utterly ridiculous.
The reason is simple: the king of the Star Kingdom is not a mascot, but a person who holds absolute power.
If a woman were to inherit the throne, the first problem she would face would be the issue of succession.
The empress can certainly get pregnant, but after she becomes pregnant, to whom will she take the surname?
Moreover, the Queen also faced the risk of a difficult childbirth.
In such a kingdom, any weakness can lead to terrible consequences.
"It seems these women in the harem are too idle," Lin Feng thought coldly. "They must understand who the sole ruler of this empire is."
He shut down the star map and connected with Liu An, the chief steward of internal affairs.
"Relay my orders."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Liu An's humble image appeared in the air.
"From this day forward, all expenses of Fengyi Palace will be reduced by half. Eighty percent of its servants will be dismissed. Queen Su Wanqing is not allowed to leave Fengyi Palace without an imperial edict. Her daughter, Lin Nianxue, will be confined to the Princess's Residence and strictly supervised by the Imperial Tutors. The history of the orthodox empire will be revised to ensure she understands the difference between ruler and subject, and the difference between superior and inferior."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Liu An showed no surprise, as if he had expected this outcome.
"Furthermore," Lin Feng's voice paused, becoming even colder, "Issue an edict to the Imperial Academy of Sciences and the Myriad Phoenix Palace. Raise the bloodline monitoring level of Consort Xihuang to the highest level. Utilize all resources to ensure the absolute safety and health of the fetus in her womb. I want to hear the first dragon roar of the Empire within ten months."
"Your Majesty, I obey! Congratulations!" Liu An's face instantly lit up with a wildly joyful smile as he kowtowed deeply.
Communication was cut off, and the hall fell silent once more. Lin Feng slowly walked to the giant bed carved from the spine of "Leviathan" and lay down.
He doesn't need sleep, but he needs meditation to calm the ceaseless, boiling energy in his veins.
Time flew by amidst the empire's iron-fisted rule and the undercurrents of the inner palace.
Ten months passed in the blink of an eye.
On this day, the entire capital of Chengtian was filled with a tense yet expectant atmosphere.
The sky was cloudless, and even the empire's weather control system had deliberately adjusted the weather to its most perfect state.
Because Consort Xihuang, Su Qinghe, is about to give birth.
The Tianxuan Palace, a palace built specifically for Su Qinghe, has now become the center of the entire empire.
Outside the palace, there were guards every three steps and sentries every five steps, with the most elite imperial guards surrounding the area.
In the sky, several squadrons of "Dragon Tooth" fighter jets circled at an altitude of 10,000 meters, keeping watch and preventing any aircraft from getting close.
Inside the palace, the empire's most advanced technology and manpower were gathered.
The chief scientist personally led a team of hundreds of genetics and life science experts, stationed in the side hall, to monitor Su Qinghe's vital signs and the fetus's energy fluctuations 24 hours a day.
The delivery room was transformed into a "cradle of life" that is even more sophisticated than the control center of the "Nine Heavens Moon Palace".
The walls, floors, and even the ceiling of the room are made of "moonstone," which releases gentle life energy.
The air was filled with "sacred fetus mist," a condensation of the essence of hundreds of rare plants. In the center of the room, the enormous birthing bed itself was a state-of-the-art life support and energy guiding device.
For the first time, Lin Feng did not sit on his high throne.
He changed out of his dragon robe and into simple casual clothes, then sat quietly in the main hall outside the delivery room, waiting.
His face betrayed no emotion, but a fleeting hint of tension, unnoticed even by himself, in his golden eyes betrayed his inner turmoil.
Queen Su Wanqing, along with all the former and new concubines in the palace, were "granted" permission to wait in a more outer palace.
This is their "duty," and also a silent demonstration.
The curfew at Fengyi Palace was temporarily lifted on this day.
Su Wanqing sat expressionlessly in the crowd, dressed in plain clothes and without makeup, like an outsider, coldly watching everything.
Her heart was already dead.
"Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine's life energy field is fluctuating violently, the prince is... is about to be born!" The chief scientist rushed out, his voice trembling with excitement.
Lin Feng suddenly stood up.
Are you ready?
"Everything is ready! We have initiated the 'Divine Grace Guidance' procedure, using Your Majesty's bloodline energy as a guide to ensure the flawless birth of the divine child!"
Lin Tian nodded without saying another word. He walked to the door of the delivery room. Through the door, which was carved from a single piece of crystal, he could clearly feel the domineering life energy inside, which shared the same origin as his own yet was full of new life.
This energy is aggressive and eager, like a young dragon eager to break free of its cage and let out its first roar to the world.
"ah!"
Inside the delivery room, Su Qinghe's painful screams could be heard.
Even with the most advanced technology, bearing the birth of a "child of God" is still a cruel test for her mortal body.
Lin Feng's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
He could feel that Su Qinghe's life force was being frantically devoured by the fetus in her womb.
"Increase the injection rate of the Fountain of Life!" the chief scientist shouted from outside.
Around the delivery bed, several crystal tubes lit up, and pure, pale green liquid, the Fountain of Life, was directly injected into Su Qinghe's body to replenish her rapidly depleting life force.
Time passed, second by second.
The entire Tianxuan Palace was so quiet that only the beeping of the instruments and Su Qinghe's increasingly faint, suppressed moans could be heard from inside the delivery room.
Sudden!
Buzz!
A golden, visible energy shockwave suddenly erupted from the delivery room, instantly engulfing the entire Tianxuan Palace!
Everyone felt a pressure emanating from the depths of their souls; it was an absolute crushing force on a life level!
"Wow!"
A loud cry, filled with boundless majesty and domineering power, resounded through the sky!
This cry was not as weak as that of an ordinary baby; instead, it was like a dragon's roar, piercing through the palace walls and spreading throughout the entire capital of Chengtian!
The sky above was filled with a dramatic change in color!
"It's born! It's born!"
"A divine child has descended upon the world! Auspicious omens have descended from heaven!"
Outside the palace, the waiting concubines and ministers erupted in thunderous cheers, all kneeling on the ground and frantically kowtowing towards the Tianxuan Palace.
The chief scientist stumbled out, his face a mixture of tears and ecstasy. He knelt before Lin Feng and, in a hoarse voice, shouted:
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations! It's a prince! A divine child has been born; may the empire prosper forever!"
Lin Feng's body trembled slightly the moment the cry rang out.
For the first time, a monstrous wave surged within his once calm, golden eyes.
He could feel the bloodline that shared the same origin as his own, the new power that sustained his life.
He slowly pushed open the crystal door and went inside.
Inside the delivery room, all the instruments had stopped working. A sacred yet refreshing atmosphere filled the air.
Su Qinghe lay weakly on the bed, her face as pale as paper, but she wore a relieved smile.
Beside her, a baby, enveloped in radiant energy and freshly cleaned, lay on a small jade bed.
This baby is completely different from ordinary babies.
His skin, like the finest white jade, radiated a faint glow. He didn't cry or fuss; his golden eyes were curiously observing this unfamiliar world.
Between his eyebrows was a small, natural, flame-like golden mark.
Lin Feng walked over step by step.
He reached out and, with awkward yet careful movements, picked up the small body.
The moment he held the baby, an indescribable feeling of blood connection surged through his entire body.
This wasn't the first time he had held his child, but it was the first time he had ever felt this way.
This is a...complete feeling.
His domineering and aloof life finally found another point of resonance in this world.
The baby in her arms could also feel his presence.
He reached out his tiny hand and grasped one of Lin Feng's fingers. He didn't use any force, but Lin Feng could feel that the small palm contained a terrifying power capable of crushing steel.
The little guy looked at Lin Feng and suddenly smiled.
Looking at the new life in his arms, connected to him by blood, the continuation of his future, Lin Feng's heart, which had long been as hard as iron, was quietly touched at this moment.
He looked down at the baby's golden eyes, which were exactly like his own, eyes full of infinite possibilities.
He thought of the conquests and killings he had endured, the vast empire he had built, and the stars and seas he was about to conquer.
He carried his son to the huge floor-to-ceiling crystal window, letting him look out at the vast empire that belonged to him.
"One day, my life will come to an end."
He murmured to the baby in his arms in a voice only he could hear.
"And you will be crowned king."
At this moment, he was no longer just a conqueror, a king, or a god.
He is a father.
A father who felt genuine joy at the continuation of his bloodline.
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