The Second Miss kept her eyes tightly shut, her long lashes trembling faintly, her body rigid. Zhong Yun rushed toward her, only to hear his voice receding, "We're almost there, prepare yourself." Then came the sound of a door opening and closing.

Silence—

A long while passed before she was truly certain Zhong Yun had left. All the strength seemed to have drained from her, leaving her slumped there. Slowly, she opened her eyes, gazing at the empty room, lost in a daze, her heart a tumultuous mix of emotions, unable to name the feeling.

The starship finally arrived at Galactic Empire Base No. 2.

The news of the Emperor’s return caused an enormous stir throughout the nation. The Royal Protocol Corps had long prepared a grand welcoming ceremony to greet the return of their Supreme Imperial Majesty.

Hundreds of thousands of citizens had gathered, eager to catch a glimpse of their Emperor.

Zhong Yun had always been low-profile, rarely showing his face even before, and in recent years, he had been almost constantly away. Only during the breathtaking grand wedding and the founding ceremony had the citizens of the Galactic Empire the chance to witness their Emperor’s majesty.

New citizens who had joined in recent years could only know their Emperor through archival footage.

Many were intensely curious about their legendary, reserved founding Emperor. Currently, the Galactic Empire could be considered an immigrant nation, with almost all its citizens having come from other states.

Given the previous contrasts with other nations, they understood even better what a miracle the Galactic Empire was. Especially the initial cohort of citizens, who had witnessed firsthand the Galactic Empire grow from a mere six million people to a formidable power with over a billion citizens and more than two thousand warships in less than a decade.

What best exemplified a nation's strength was the grade and number of its warships. With two thousand 'Quasi-Satellite Class' and five hundred 'Satellite Class' warships, the Galactic Empire's might was already comparable to the third stage of a medium-level civilization.

If they, with their initial population of just over six million, could barely be considered a medium-level civilization state, achieving a jump of two levels in less than ten years was unprecedented.

It was a miracle unmatched in history.

They yearned to see the person who had engineered this miracle—their Supreme Imperial Majesty.

That day, the entire Galactic Empire felt like a national holiday, suffused with an atmosphere of joy and celebration. At Port One, the welcoming party included not only the esteemed Empress, the First Imperial Consort, the First Prince, and Prince Yu, but also Lieutenant General Tian Hai, Vice Admirals Chen Wen and Xiao, Major General Chu Tiange, and nearly a hundred other high-ranking military officials, along with a large contingent of high-ranking government ministers.

Such a grand assembly was an eye-opener for all attendees.

Just as murmurs spread through the crowd, the port's broadcast crackled to life: "Attention, the Royal Mercury is scheduled to dock in ten minutes..."

The assembled crowd instantly erupted, every person craning their necks in anticipation.

Soon, someone spotted a small black dot rapidly approaching in the distance. The dot slowly grew larger until a massive behemoth, shimmering with silvery-white light, came into view.

At this sight, everyone grew excited—it was the most powerful warship defending their sovereignty, and within it sat the Emperor who had led their nation to prosperity and strength.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

The people spontaneously cheered, hundreds of thousands shouting in unison, the resulting roar deafening enough to drown out the port’s broadcast.

The Mercury slowly docked, and the massive hatch hissed open, revealing three figures standing at the threshold. Leading the group was their Emperor.

The atmosphere reached its zenith in an instant.

Amidst the sound wave capable of knocking people over, Zhong Yun descended the ramp with a reserved smile. The Qin siblings behind him were clearly stunned by the scene.

Miss Qin the Second was slightly better composed; as an idol cultivated by the Qin family, she had witnessed such spectacles before, managing to maintain a semblance of calm. However, the frenzy of this crowd was truly unheard of.

Qin Liuxing, the rookie, was barely holding it together, his limbs weak and numb, almost unable to move. It was only thanks to his sister’s support that he avoided a complete humiliation.

"Royal Mercury? What idiot came up with such a tacky name?" Zhong Yun, however, was preoccupied with his irritation over the Mercury’s renaming. Did everything have to be prefixed with 'Royal'?

They were originally aboard a different vessel, only switching to the Mercury upon entering the border. At his status, arriving on a mere 'Satellite Class' ship wouldn't project the aura of an absolute ruler.

Soon, Zhong Yun’s minor discontent evaporated, his gaze drawn to the few figures at the front.

"Brother..." A tiny figure rushed over like a gust of wind and burrowed into Zhong Yun's embrace. It was his younger brother, Zhong Yu.

Zhong Yun patted his bottom and laughed, "Haven't seen you in a few days, why have you gained so much weight?"

Zhong Yu made a face, his dark eyes fixed unblinkingly on the Second Miss Qin behind them, and whispered conspiratorially to Zhong Yun, "That very pretty, very pretty older sister—is she my Third Sister-in-law?"

Zhong Yun pinched his nose and chuckled, scolding lightly, "No manners!"

Though small, Zhong Yu was perceptive. He lowered his voice, "Sister-in-law Empress has been waiting for you for a long time." He then wriggled out of Zhong Yun's arms.

By this time, Liu Yunqi and the others had approached.

"Yun..."

Zhong Yun walked over and pulled her into a tight hug, then looked toward Weiwei, who was a step behind, and the son in her arms, nodding once.

Behind them, Qin Liuxing had regained his composure. Seeing the reunion, he tilted his head to observe for a moment before whispering to his sister, "Sister, don't be scared, they aren't as pretty as you."

Surprisingly, the Second Miss Qin didn't respond, merely appearing somewhat distracted.

Qin Liuxing, thinking his sister was feeling disheartened, dared not speak further, letting out a slight, mournful sigh.

Zhong Yun already knew about Weiwei being named the First Imperial Consort; it had been her mother's idea. Since they already had a son, he had no grounds to object, though it only deepened the guilt he felt towards Yunqi.

Releasing Yunqi, he moved to Weiwei, embracing her and planting a kiss on the cheek of her son. Little Zhong Shan squirmed away, crying out, "Daddy's bad, it stings!"

Zhong Yun rubbed his stubble and burst into hearty laughter.

Then he enveloped Tian Hai in a bear hug. Tian Hai whispered in his ear, "Good man, where did you pick up another beauty like that? Is there any justice left in the world..."

"I'll introduce you to one next time?" Zhong Yun teased mischievously.

"You better keep your word," Hai replied verbally.

Zhong Yun chuckled and released him, embracing Chen Wen beside him. The only ones permitted this level of greeting were Tian Hai, Chen Wen, Zhang Xiao, and Chu Tiange among the five top officers (the sixth was on Freedom Star).

For the rest, Zhong Yun only offered a handshake. As this was a prime opportunity to win hearts, Zhong Yun naturally capitalized on it.

With Yunqi on one arm and Weiwei on the other, followed by a retinue, Zhong Yun strode confidently toward the private imperial transport waiting nearby. Just as he was about to step in, he paused, reconsidering.

Turning back toward the crowd, held back by a cordon of security officers, he delivered a brief speech, pushing the atmosphere to its absolute climax once more.

Inside the private compartment, Zhong Yun held his son while asking Yunqi, "What was so urgent that it made me rush back like this?"

Only Zhong Yun's immediate family was in the room: Yunqi, Weiwei, Zhong Yu, and little Zhong Shan.

Yunqi and Weiwei exchanged a look, both appearing slightly embarrassed, hesitating to speak.

Seeing they were getting along well brought Zhong Yun comfort, yet he felt a strange curiosity—what matter required such secretive delivery?

He turned to his brother. "Little Yu, you tell me."

Zhong Yu immediately covered his mouth with his small hands, shaking his head vigorously, signaling that he mustn't speak.

"What is it? So mysterious?" Zhong Yun eyed them playfully, finally looking at his son in his arms. His eyes twinkled as he teased him, "Shanshan, tell Daddy, what are they hiding from Daddy?"

Zhong Yun was just over three years old this year and very bright, but ultimately too young. Zhong Yun was merely trying to amuse himself, already certain it wasn't anything bad—likely just a surprise planned for him.

Unexpectedly, little Zhong Shan truly spoke up, "Grandma, Grandma is going to have a little auntie..."

Zhong Yun's eyes nearly popped out. In sheer shock, his mouth hung wide open. He looked toward Yunqi, stammering, "Is this true?"

Yunqi's face flushed slightly, and she nodded.

Zhong Yun slapped his forehead and groaned, "Dad and Mom are too amazing!"

In truth, Zhong Pingjiang and Yun Rong were only in their fifties. Calculated against the average lifespan on Dawo of 130 years, they were still middle-aged. Though somewhat advanced in years, having children wasn't entirely extraordinary.

It was just that Zhong Yun found it bizarre that this younger brother or sister would be younger than his own son.

He had felt a strange sensation when Little Yu was born—to have another child eight years later. He truly couldn't fathom what his parents were thinking.

"How many months along?" Zhong Yun shook his head; this was truly a surprise. Regardless, a new member in the family was cause for celebration.

"The due date is in two days. You returned just in time," Yunqi said.

Upon returning home, he first visited his heavily pregnant mother, and the family spent time chatting with her. In the evening, Zhong Pingjiang returned.

The entire family gathered for dinner. Yun Rong's face beamed with joy, remarking, "This is the first time the whole family has eaten together since Shanshan was born."

Zhong Yun knew she held some resentment about him constantly traveling. "Mom, from now on, our whole family will eat together."

"Are your matters settled?" Zhong Pingjiang asked.

"Mmm, mostly settled." Zhong Yun nodded. Outside, he was the supreme Emperor, but at home, they were no different from any ordinary family. He certainly couldn't put on airs of an Emperor before his own father.

However, he thoroughly enjoyed this atmosphere. Before, even when the whole family gathered, there were only three of them. Now, not only was there his younger brother Zhong Yu, but also two wives, a son, and his sworn sister Xiaoruo. Soon there would be another sister (it had already been determined to be a daughter).

A large family eating together, bustling and lively—Zhong Yun found it deeply satisfying.

After dinner, Zhong Yun accompanied his father to the study, the area reserved for handling official business.