183: Above the emperor is the human heart.

The Emperor's icy gaze pierced through the steam still rising in the bathroom, still cutting into Tu Nan with painful intensity.

Without saying a word, he slammed the door and left, leaving the black cat alone in the bathroom.

Tu Nan almost thought that even such a trump card couldn't move The Emperor.

But his concern for his two subordinates had long exceeded the bond between ruler and subject, showing shadows of something akin to familial affection.

Fortunately, she hadn't guessed wrong; Your Majesty did indeed care about the Children in her womb.

In an instant, she reverted to her human form.

Not only that, but after clearing her throat, she found she could speak again.

Looking left and right, she pulled a bath towel around herself. As she stepped out of the bathroom, a maid, under someone's orders, silently brought over suitable clothes.

Those who serve by The Emperor's side are always so composed that they can handle any sudden situation.

At least on the surface.

***

Tu Nan moved through The Emperor's sleeping quarters without hindrance.

Everyone stood silently at their assigned posts, timeless and little different from the decorations.

This made the sound of The Emperor's coughing particularly prominent.

When she stepped into the inner chamber, The Emperor was coughing heart-wrenchingly.

He held onto the back of a chair, his body slightly hunched, his entire back rising and falling with every forceful heave.

The Chief Steward, Yuan Zhe, stayed close by Your Majesty's side, quickly handing over a small device resembling a breathing mask for The Emperor to cover his nose and mouth.

His Majesty, whose cheeks were flushed from coughing, finally saw his breathing level out slightly after several broken, heavy gasps.

Tu Nan felt that her appearance at the door at this moment was very ill-timed.

But backing out would seem even more deliberate.

Fortunately, as soon as The Emperor recovered, he tore off the respirator, tossed it back to Yuan Zhe, and looked toward Tu Nan at the door.

Yuan Zhe had already wrapped up the respirator. Tu Nan had the feeling that the inner wall of that thing had just been stained with a pinkish hue, and... there was a hint of a familiar scent in the room.

Tu Nan didn't get a chance to reminisce further before The Emperor spoke.

"You're not mute. Speak."

His voice was still hoarse, but it didn't hinder his usual disdainful attitude.

"Speak now? You... are you okay?"

Doesn't he need to lie down or have a drink of water? Is he an iron-willed Emperor? Tu Nan grumbled inwardly.

The Emperor was a bit surprised.

He sat down on a nearby chair and tapped out a warning to Tu Nan: "Don't think about flattering me; there's no need. I don't fall for that. Speak. What's wrong with the child? Hmph, which child?"

She did indeed have quite a few Children now.

But those two older ones were with the Empress Dowager, and he didn't think there was any problem there. So was she referring to the two in her womb?

Tu Nan organized her thoughts, finally able to bring everything back to the starting point she had set.

"Your Majesty, there is a slight problem with the Children in my womb, but I have a plan to solve it."

She set the tone first, ensuring Your Majesty would give her enough time to run through the explanation she had prepared for several days.

"You already know that I am a Foster Mother."

His Majesty on the chair didn't interrupt her, giving his silent acknowledgment.

"Then did you realize that I came to find you on purpose?"

"You were right; I am very bold. When I realized everything was beyond retrieval, in the entire Empire... I thought perhaps only you could help me resolve this predicament."

"Oh?"

The single syllable uttered by The Emperor made it impossible to gauge his attitude.

But at least he was interested.

Don't be fooled by his constant poise and cold expression.

Since the flattery of the Two Children could make him so pleased, then if other people's flattery was clever enough, it could similarly hit the right spot.

Tu Nan believed that as long as she worked hard, she could always find that perfect point.

"Because I know you place great expectations on your subordinates. I mean... Kong Jiamu and Hain." Tu Nan paused slightly. "I also know you love your people as if they were your own Children."

Her tone dropped at that moment.

"Yes, I am a Foster Mother. In everyone's eyes, I am inferior. So I lie, I steal, and I don't dare let everyone know this."

"Except for you..."

"Before you, what difference does anyone's status make? Beneath The Emperor, all are equal; everyone is Your Majesty's subject. I told myself this, and only then did I have the courage to appear before you."

His Majesty's lips twitched.

"Glib-tongued," he appraised, then demanded: "Talk about the Children."

Tu Nan certainly couldn't just talk about the Children directly; how rare was an opportunity to communicate face-to-face with The Emperor.

The Children's situation was the hook. As long as His Majesty hadn't bitten the hook... he would maintain a bit of patience to listen to her finish what she had to say.

But she couldn't say nothing at all.

"Your Majesty, I come from the Central Breeding Farm. But for some reason, I have lost all my memories, yet fragments of memories repeatedly appear in my mind."

It was hard to hide the fact that she had no prior memories, so it was better to say it herself.

"In my mind, people are always arguing. They say Foster Mothers will eventually cause the Empire's downfall."

"No... please don't be angry."

She boldly interrupted what His Majesty was about to say, appearing as if she were immersed in her own uncontrollable fear.

"They say only Children with sufficient parental intimacy can increase their Rank. Foster Mothers are only fit to give birth to cannon fodder and consumables; they don't deserve to be called human."

The Emperor's thumb stroked the power ring on his index finger.

He seemed to like that ring very much; he would unconsciously rub it when he was thinking.

"Why are Foster Mothers not considered human?" Tu Nan asked with indignation.

"We look exactly like other Female Beasts. I've been thinking, since Foster Mothers have nurtured so many lives, why does everyone say we aren't human? Just because after we give birth to Children, we are eventually scrapped?"

"Then soldiers go to the front lines and they also sacrifice themselves—why are they heroes? Aren't we paying a price just the same?"

The Emperor slightly shifted his posture.

He had no need to explain the nation's operations to everyone, but this Foster Mother had caused so much trouble just to seek an answer from him.

He wasn't stingy enough to withhold a single sentence.

"You are indignant for yourself, for the fate of Foster Mothers. Hmm..."

He thought for a moment. "If we look at it from the perspective of the state, everyone has their own responsibilities to bear. Ministers are important, nobles are important, soldiers are important; no part can be missing."

"Similarly, those people were wrong. Population is the foundation of the Empire; Foster Mothers are indeed very important."

The Emperor looked at her with tolerance.

"Some sacrifices are inevitable. Only by each fulfilling their duties can the race continue and the nation develop."

"The race continues... but Your Majesty, the Foster Mother system will not let the race continue," Tu Nan disagreed with him.

"If the Foster Mother system only causes the Rank of the Children born to gradually decrease, what will happen in the end? S-Rank, and even A-Rank, are appearing less and less. Can we still hold our defensive lines against the Star Worms?"

The Emperor's expression turned cold. He suspected that Hain or Kong Jiamu had revealed the situation of the front-line defenses.

Tu Nan saw his suspicion and shook her head.

"No, no one told me. I deduced it myself."

"Your Majesty, now the appearance of an A-Rank can already cause a stir on a planet. Is that right? I can find out just by asking anyone that fifty years ago, a hundred years ago, it wasn't like this at all..."

"They say it's because high-ranking individuals sacrificed themselves on the battlefield. Is that really the case?"

Tu Nan sighed.

"I had someone do some data research, specifically checking the changes in the Rank of the newborn population. Your Majesty, the data has been decreasing... don't we have a department for eugenics research?"

"It's the battlefield; it's like a meat grinder that prevents everyone from noticing this."

She stroked her lower abdomen.

"Because of those noises in my head, they said that a child's Rank is related to the intimacy of the parents. I experimented on myself."

"The first time, I succeeded. You know..."

She looked in the direction of the Empress Dowager's palace.

"I let an A-Rank Chaotic Beast have Two Children with S-Rank Talent."

Her eyes shone with startling brightness.

"Now I am fortunate enough to continue understanding the truth of this matter once more. And I found that I have verified this point again."

"Your Majesty... look, because of Kong Jiamu's departure, the development of his Children has already fallen far behind."

"If the Children with He Li were just a fluke, then what about this time?"

"If you still don't believe me, let the doctors observe me. Let Kong Jiamu's proximity prove everything... If his Children improve after that, then what I've said might all be true."

The Emperor had sat up completely straight.

In his mind, the part of him that was an Emperor and the tender part of him that was an 'elder brother' to his two subordinates began to conflict.

The Emperor slowly stood up, his spine still ramrod straight.

He had already made his decision.