261: Duan Zhengchun: My son has been born.

Today, the Prince's Mansion welcomed an important moment; the Princess Consort, Dao Baifeng, was about to give birth, and everyone in the residence was busy.

Suppressed cries of pain from Dao Baifeng drifted out of the room.

This was Duan Zhengchun's first time becoming a father. Although he appeared calm on the surface, his clenched fists revealed the deep nervousness in his heart.

The Emperor also arrived. Having heard that his sister-in-law was about to give birth, he came to the Prince's Mansion after finishing his duties.

"Imperial Younger Brother, don't be nervous. Both mother and child will surely be safe," the Emperor comforted with a smile.

"Phew... I'm not nervous. What is there to be nervous about in such a matter?"

"The descendants of I, Duan Zhengchun, are Dragons and Phoenixes among men; they will naturally be safe and sound," Duan Zhengchun said, feigning composure.

"Haha... Exactly. Since the scions of our Duan Family are Dragons and Phoenixes among men..."

"...both mother and child will definitely be safe," the Emperor laughed and nodded in agreement.

As they spoke, following a high-pitched cry, the wailing of a baby rang out.

"He's born, he's born! My Prince, Your Majesty, the Princess Consort has given birth. It's a Young Master, it's a Young Master!" Little Red was the first to run out and announce the happy news.

Hearing the birth, Duan Zhengchun stood up abruptly, the excitement on his face no longer able to be concealed.

The Emperor also stood up with a smile.

"Congratulations, Imperial Younger Brother, for continuing the Duan Family lineage. You are a great contributor to our Duan Family. When the time comes, I will grant you a privilege: a separate page will be opened for you in the Duan Family genealogy," the Emperor said with a great laugh.

"Imperial Brother, I'll go see how Phoenix is doing first." Duan Zhengchun nodded to the Emperor and strode into the room.

At this moment, on the bed in the room lay a beautiful woman. Though her face was pale and she was drenched in cold sweat, her peerless beauty was still impossible to hide.

It was the Princess of Zhennan, Dao Baifeng. Although her breath was weak, a smile graced her face as she looked at the infant lying beside her, her countenance radiating maternal glow.

"Phoenix, how are you? Are you alright?" Duan Zhengchun quickly approached the bed and caringly took Dao Baifeng's small hand.

"My Prince, I am fine..." A happy smile appeared on Dao Baifeng's face.

She was deeply moved by Duan Zhengchun's behavior; he had not neglected her because of their son's birth.

From the fact that he cared for her first upon entering, she could see that he truly cared about her.

Her efforts over these days were not in vain. She couldn't control Duan Zhengchun having other women; she only hoped he would treat her as he always had.

Seeing things now, Duan Zhengchun had indeed kept his promise; he was sincere toward her and had not neglected her because of their son's birth or other women.

Her feelings had not been misplaced after all.

"Don't move, just rest well. Don't worry about anything else," Duan Zhengchun comforted her.

"Thank you for your concern, my Prince." A happy smile curved the corners of Dao Baifeng's mouth.

At this time, the Emperor entered, accompanied by the Empress.

"Haha... Congratulations, sister-in-law. You've worked hard. You are a great contributor to our Duan Family. Tell me, what reward do you want? I will grant you anything," the Emperor said to Dao Baifeng with a face full of smiles.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. As a daughter-in-law of the Duan Family, this is only my duty." Dao Baifeng shook her head.

"In that case, as your Imperial Brother, I cannot be stingy. I bestow upon you a Death Exemption Gold Plaque, the title of First-Rank Mandated Lady, and ten thousand taels of gold."

"I enfeoff my Imperial Younger Brother as King Kaoshan. I know these mean little to you both, but this is a token of my regard. Please do not refuse."

"In the future, our Duan Family will still need the Imperial Younger Brother to bring us glory. These rewards are truly insignificant." The Emperor's tone was sincere, and his eyes were filled with even more gratification when he looked at Duan Zhengchun.

"Imperial Brother, there is really no need for such formalities between us brothers."

"Revitalizing the Duan Clan is my duty as a member of the clan."

"Imperial Brother, you can rest assured. With me here, the Duan Family will become the first in the Nine Provinces, whether among Imperial Dynasties or in the Jianghu," Duan Zhengchun said confidently.

"Good... With those words from you, I can rest easy."

"Affairs in the court are busy, so I won't stay. When it's time for the One-month celebration, I will have people organize a grand feast," the Emperor said, nodding with a smile.

"Thank you, Imperial Brother. I'll see you out..." Duan Zhengchun nodded in thanks.

"No need. You should spend more time with your wife; she is the great hero today," the Emperor raised his hand to stop him.

"It's no matter. I've already had the servants prepare nourishing food. Now that she has depleted her Origin Qi, she needs rest."

By the time Duan Zhengchun finished speaking, he and the Emperor had already walked out of the room.

After seeing the Emperor off, Duan Zhengchun returned to the room, only to find that Dao Baifeng had already fallen asleep.

After consuming a Medicinal Pill previously, Dao Baifeng had reached the Innate Realm. Although she hadn't intentionally practiced during these months of pregnancy, she had already made a Breakthrough to the Grandmaster Realm.

After all, the medicinal power of the dà huán dān remained; it was just that she couldn't fully absorb it the first time.

Over the past few months, the medicinal power had continued to take effect.

However, even though she was now a Grandmaster, childbirth was too taxing on the mother's body—not just physically, but also in the depletion of Origin Qi.

Every mother in the world deserves respect.

Seeing that Dao Baifeng was asleep, Duan Zhengchun did not disturb her and turned to leave the room.

"Little Red, thank you for keeping watch here. Ensure nothing happens to the Princess Consort. Also, tell the kitchen to have stewed crucian carp soup ready at all times, and have the physician write some nourishing prescriptions."

"Furthermore, it is now summer and the temperature in the room is a bit high. Have someone prepare ice blocks to place in the room. The goal is to keep it from being hot, but it shouldn't be too cold either, understand?" Duan Zhengchun instructed.

"Yes, my Prince. However, I'm afraid there might not be enough ice. Since it's summer, storing ice is not that easy," Little Red said hesitantly.

"That's simple. Have someone buy saltpeter. This Prince will teach you a method for making ice," Duan Zhengchun said with a smile.

Curiosity appeared on Little Red's face, but since Duan Zhengchun had said so, she naturally believed him.

She hurried off to handle the tasks Duan Zhengchun had assigned.

She was also very curious: what method could possibly be used to make ice?

Wasn't ice only available in winter? How could it be made in summer? And he was going to teach her how to make it?

The efficiency of the Prince's Mansion was very high. Soon, Little Red returned with several servants carrying saltpeter.

"My Prince, here is the saltpeter you requested." Little Red bowed respectfully.

"Mhm. Prepare a water vat and fill it with water," Duan Zhengchun nodded and instructed.

Soon, a large vat of water was ready. Duan Zhengchun took the saltpeter, and with a gentle shake of his palm, the saltpeter instantly turned into powder and was sprinkled into the vat.

As Duan Zhengchun rotated his palm, the water in the vat was drawn by a force and began to swirl.

Soon, a miraculous scene appeared.

The water in the vat froze at a speed visible to the naked eye. Before long, a solid block of ice appeared in the vat.

This miraculous sight instantly left Little Red and the servants dumbfounded.

"Heavens! My Prince, is this an immortal art? I didn't expect that saltpeter could actually make ice!" Little Red's mouth hung open in shock as she looked at Duan Zhengchun with an expression of pure adoration.

At this time, Zhao Min and the others heard the commotion and walked over.