But the Empress herself was nearly fifty. The odds of her becoming pregnant and bearing a child were practically zero, unless they used a test-tube baby and found a surrogate.
However, the laws of the constitutional monarchy specifically stipulated that Imperial Family children could not be born through surrogacy.
Once it was discovered that someone had been born through surrogacy, they would be stripped of their inheritance rights.
On top of that, the Beichen Empire strictly prohibited research into genetic technology. Therefore, even the possibility of first creating a test-tube baby and then carrying it herself did not exist.
As a result, everyone believed that this Tantai Hongjin would be the next Emperor! This was not the first time such a situation had occurred in Beichen Empire history.
After all, they were all descendants of Founding Emperor Tantai Lin. What difference did it make who became Emperor?
Everyone treated it as dinner-table gossip and watched the spectacle on Star Net.
But to members of the Imperial Family, this was no mere bit of gossip.
Because it meant that one step forward could mean ascending to heaven in one step.
One step back meant plunging off a cliff.
At one in the morning on New Year's Day, Empress Li Feng'en hurried to Emperor Tantai Hongyuan's bedchamber.
Though the two were husband and wife, they did not share a bedchamber like ordinary couples.
When she arrived, Tantai Hongyuan was about to go to bed.
Since it was New Year's Eve, everyone had to stay awake until after midnight, following Shooting Fortune.
Tantai Hongyuan had stayed up all night and was tired as well.
When he saw Empress Li Feng'en enter, he was in no mood for pleasantries. Sitting on his bed, he said coldly, "It's so late. If Zitong isn't sleeping