Chapter 2: Mom and Dad, I Am Born

The empress was about to give birth, a piece of joyful news for both the emperor and his ministers.
“Blessings upon the Great Han! Congratulations, Your Majesty! Felicitations, Your Majesty!”
An elderly minister with white hair and beard was the first to react, dropping to his knees with a trembling voice.
This news came at just the right time.
The pressure from the ultimatum of the Jingwu Sect was instantly alleviated by this joyous announcement.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty! Felicitations, Your Majesty!”
Faces that had shown various expressions now brimmed with delight.
Liu Jun’s tightly furrowed brows relaxed sharply at the news.
He instinctively raised his hand, as if to touch his chest, but his fingers met the cold armrest of the dragon throne.
His gaze slowly swept over the ministers below, who were nearly beside themselves with excitement. He closed his eyes briefly, took a deep breath, and when he opened them, his voice was hoarse as he wearily waved a hand:
“I… understand.”

He paused, his eyes settling on Yin Xuan below.
“The empress must be cared for thoroughly. By my decree, all physicians of the Imperial Medical Academy are to stand by, with no mistakes allowed.”
“As you command.”

At this moment, every physician was fully focused, preparing prescriptions—this was a battle for their lives.
When Liu Jun arrived, they began to bow, but he stopped them with a raised hand.
Time ticked by, second by second, as beads of sweat dripped from the physicians’ foreheads.
Finally, a loud cry echoed from the delivery room, and the weight in Liu Jun’s heart lifted completely.
The empress was safe, having given birth to a princess, the sixth princess, named Liu Qingyan by Liu Jun.

“…”
“The delayed Favorability System has successfully bound.”
“Host, your next task is…”
“Huh? Why is my host a native?”
“Undergoing self-correction…”
“No delay detected. Favorability System successfully bound.”

[Name]: Liu Qingyan
[Status]: Sixth Princess of the Great Han Empire
[Destiny]: ?
[Foundation/Qualifications]: C+
[Cultivation Realm]: Not Initiated (Mortal Body)
[Techniques/Divine Abilities]: None
[Treasures/Items]: None
[Current State]: Newborn

“Detecting favorability of key figures…”
[Father · Emperor Liu Jun]: 80/100 (Trust)
[Mother · Empress Xiao Tingbai]: 95/100 (Devotion)

“Key figures’ favorability has reached the third and fourth stages. Rewards will be issued shortly.”
“[Foundation/Qualifications] upgraded to: B+”
“[Current State] upgraded to: Newborn, Double Comprehension (30-day limit)”

The voice played in Liu Qingyan’s mind, but as a mere infant, what could she understand?
And so…
“Wahh—”
A louder cry drew Liu Jun’s attention, and he pushed open the door, no longer caring about anything else.

Faster than him was Empress Xiao Tingbai.
“Quick, give me Yan’er!”
Xiao Tingbai, her face pale, took her daughter into her arms. Perhaps sensing her mother’s presence, the cries abruptly stopped, and the baby fell asleep peacefully in her embrace.
Seeing this, Liu Jun let out a sigh of relief, but anger soon flared in his heart. He was ready to send these careless servants to meet their ancestors.
“Guards! Take them and—”
Xiao Tingbai interrupted suddenly:
“Enough, Your Majesty. It wasn’t their intention. Perhaps Yan’er was frightened because she didn’t sense her mother’s presence. Today is a joyous day; it’s not suitable for bloodshed.”

The three palace midwives, relieved, thanked the emperor and empress profusely for their mercy and, at the empress’s subtle glance, hurriedly left.
Liu Jun stepped lightly to the bedside, his heart aching at the sight of the empress’s pale face, though his gaze kept drifting to the daughter in her arms.
After a moment of silence, he spoke carefully:
“Tingbai, once you’ve recovered, let’s take Yan’er to meet the National Teacher.”
Xiao Tingbai’s tired eyes lit up with a spark of excitement:
“Your Majesty, with the National Teacher’s discerning eye, are you thinking to see if Yan’er has the potential for cultivation?”

Liu Jun nodded gently:
“That’s part of it, but more importantly, I want the National Teacher to know that our Great Han royal family has gained a new princess.”
He paused, his tone growing heavy:
“The current situation is grim. The cultivation sects are pressing hard, aiming to rise above imperial authority. A confrontation between me and them is inevitable. If possible, I’d like to request the National Teacher to take Yan’er as a disciple, even if… only as a nominal disciple by their side.”

Xiao Tingbai’s heart clenched, worry and hope flickering in her eyes:
“The National Teacher has said they don’t take disciples. Your Majesty, you tried to have the five princes apprenticed to them, but they were all refused. Will it work with Yan’er?”
Liu Jun forced a light smile:
“Whether it works or not, we’ll know once we try, won’t we?”

“…”
In the National Teacher’s residence, Baizhu set down her teacup, her willow-like brows furrowing slightly. She hadn’t expected a visitor today.
On the street before the vermilion gates, two rows of imperial guards stood facing each other. A modestly ornate carriage rolled down the wide stone path.
Yin Xuan led the horse, the vermilion gates growing closer. An invisible pressure weighed on him, making it hard to breathe.
By the time he reached the gates, his veins bulged at his temples, his body drenched in sweat, his face drained of color, as if he’d run a marathon at full speed and miraculously survived.

Liu Jun helped Xiao Tingbai down from the carriage, her arms cradling an infant.
As they ascended the steps, the vermilion gates opened on their own, without a breeze. Liu Jun and Xiao Tingbai exchanged a glance, then mustered their courage and stepped inside.
This wasn’t Liu Jun’s first visit to the National Teacher’s residence.
Before his coronation, the late emperor had brought him here to meet the National Teacher, announcing that Crown Prince Liu Jun would ascend the throne on a chosen day.
The National Teacher had agreed, and his ascension went smoothly.
This was his second visit.

Speaking of the National Teacher, Liu Jun’s impression was simply “a mysterious master.” He had only seen their true appearance before his coronation, and it was breathtaking, leaving no room for irreverent thoughts.
The late emperor had warned him: as long as the National Teacher remained, the Great Han Empire would not fall. The National Teacher must be revered.
To be honest, Liu Jun had been shocked by those words.
If the National Teacher’s presence ensured the empire’s survival, then was this empire truly the Liu family’s, or the National Teacher’s?
When he posed this question to the late emperor, he received the harshest reprimand of his life.
“Are you stuffed with red beans? This is a topic you must never raise!”

After that, Liu Jun behaved.
But soon, he noticed that since his coronation, the National Teacher had scarcely appeared.
He reviewed the imperial archives and found that, during the reigns of past emperors, unless major crises like natural disasters or auspicious omens occurred, the National Teacher was rarely seen.
Even during the second emperor’s purge of traitors, the National Teacher had not intervened.
Over time, Liu Jun came to understand.
The National Teacher was the guardian deity of the Great Han Empire.
As a deity, for the sake of the realm and its people, the emperor naturally had to hold them in awe and reverence.

The interior of the National Teacher’s residence could be described as a pavilion in the water, shrouded in mist, obscuring the surroundings.
Without the flowers and plants lining the path, one could easily get lost.
Liu Jun and Xiao Tingbai stopped before the pavilion.
Liu Jun spoke respectfully:
“Liu Jun, the 14th Emperor of the Great Han Empire, together with Empress Xiao and the Sixth Princess Liu Qingyan, seeks an audience with the National Teacher.”

After a moment, a resonant voice echoed from deep within the pavilion:
“Come in.”