Everyone watched speechlessly as Luo Liyao walked out from behind the screen with the Qianqiu box in a daze, and opened the Qianqiu box in front of everyone.

"Your Majesty - Dead!"

Wang Yi was the first to react, holding back the tears in his eyes, and knelt down with a loud cry, his forehead focused on the ground.

Chu Zhaoying's body trembled, and she made a full salute to the person who had left behind the screen, and knelt on the ground.

The news of the emperor's death soon spread throughout the palace by the chanting and newspaper attendants, and no matter what the people felt in their hearts, they all had to bow down in the direction of the Yiyuan Palace, and they couldn't afford it for a long time.

Luo Liyao trembled and slowly took out the edict of succession in the same color as the Qianqiu box.

"Up." She tried her best to suppress her surging emotions and make her voice sound calmer, "The ancestors of the Tianqi Imperial Family are above, and the thirty-seventh generation princess Luo Liyao is on the order of my father, the thirty-seventh generation emperor Luo Zhuang Xi - to read the edict of succession in front of the Yiyuan Palace. ”

Everyone looked up, but they still remained on their knees, waiting for her next step with different expressions.

And only Chu Zhaoying, it seems that she is the only one who doesn't care about the belonging of the next generation of emperors, only her face is sad, and she doesn't say a word with her eyes closed.

The edict was written in cinnabar on golden mounted paper, which was originally an extremely light thing, but at this time it seemed to weigh a thousand pounds in her hand, so that she could hardly hold it.

Luo Liyao put the Qianqiu box aside, slowly unfolded the edict in her hand, and glanced at it, so calm that it was impossible to read any trace of information from her expression.

"The emperor has never ruled the world, and he has never failed to respect the heavens and the ancestors. Respect for the heavens and the ancestors of the truth of the soft and far-reaching, recuperate the common people, a total of the benefits of the four seas for the benefit, to the heart of the people, to protect the state in the future, to govern in the chaos, night and night, sleep is not to be missed, for the long-term national plan, close to it. Now I am in my fifties and have reigned for fifteen years, thanks to the silent blessing of the Heaven and Earth Sect, and it is not the place of the Liang De...... Today, there is my eldest son, Xi Zheng, although he is not a son-in-law, but his character is valuable, and he will be able to inherit the great unification - succeeding me to the throne and inheriting the throne of Emperor Tianqi, for thirty-eight generations, that is, to comply with the public opinion system, hold the service for 27 days, release the proclamation at home and abroad, and make the Xian envoy aware of it. ①”

"How is that possible!" As soon as Luo Liyao finished reading it, a questioning voice came out, and she didn't even mention a word of "obeying orders", which showed her eagerness.

"The Qianqiu box was opened by Princess Liyao in public, if Her Royal Highness wants to raise an objection, you must come up with strong evidence." Ning Zhong immediately bowed his head and saluted behind the screen, got up unhurriedly, and met Luo Liyao's still calm gaze, "Princess Liyao, can you show the edict to everyone?" ”

Luo Liyao said softly: "Okay." ”

She slowly spread out the micro-roll paper and smoothed it out, and turned it around - the words "eldest son Xi Zheng" were written clearly and clearly, and it was indeed irrefutable.

"No, it won't ......" Luo Yuanjing stood up suddenly, and was about to step forward to snatch the edict in Luo Liyao's hand to take a look, but was held by Luo Yinghua on the side, and said "no" and "impossible".

"A-Yao." Chu Zhaoying slowly got up with Jinluan's support and called out to her, "What else did Your Majesty say?" ”

Luo Liyao was stunned, and recalled the sentence "In my life, I have been defeated by Qian Yuan in the past, and I have been ashamed of Zhaoying in the future."

She paused and said, "No, my father ordered his son to read this edict after he went." ”

"Hmm." Chu Zhaoying took a deep look at the direction of the screen, as if she wanted to see through the screen the man who refused to see her last face, and sighed, "Tell the Internal Affairs Department to start preparing for the new emperor's accession to the throne...... After the 27th, the enthronement ceremony will be held as scheduled. ”

"Yes." Wang Yi hurriedly responded.

"The Queen Mother! How can you do the same? Luo Yuanjing was even more angry when he heard this, "Someone must have done something - Tianqi has always had a clear distinction between the inferior and the descendant, how could the father allow a son of a concubine to succeed to the throne!" There must be fraud in this! ”

"Third Highness, be cautious!" Although Ning Zhong also had some doubts in his heart, after all, such an ending was beneficial to his side, so naturally he couldn't miss the God-given opportunity, so he immediately opened his mouth to refute him, "If you have to say that the content of the edict has been tampered with, then it can only be Princess Liyao - His Royal Highness is doubting his own sister?" ”

"Ah Jing, calm down." Luo Yinghua stopped between him and Luo Liyao and persuaded softly.

Luo Yuanjing turned his gaze and faced Luo Liyao.

Her beautiful eyes that were as radiant as jade had no waves, calm as a pool of stagnant water, and she couldn't see the slightest emotion.

The same noble bloodline, but different hearts, different thoughts and different positions.

"Luo Liyao-" Luo Yuanjing almost gritted his teeth and spoke, "You dare to swear with your life, haven't you stolen the edict of succession?" ”

"Third brother, it's you thinking too much." Luo Liyao did not give in the slightest under his direct gaze, her face remained calm, but her hands clenched unconsciously in no one could see, trembling and pinching out deep blood marks in her palms.

"I don't believe it!"

"That's it!" Chu Zhaoying glanced at him, as if she didn't want to listen to their arguments anymore, "Go back separately, don't disturb Your Majesty's peace!" With that, she walked out, no matter how Luo Yuanjing called, she never looked back.

"Are you happy now?" Luo Yuanjing angrily broke free from Luo Yinghua, and glared viciously at Luo Xizheng, who was still kneeling on the ground, and Ning Zhongji and Zhao Tianyuan, who were standing beside him, "The son of the concubine, how can you inherit my position as Emperor Tianqi?" ”

The evil words were as piercing and cold as a bone, and Luo Xizheng's figure shook, still silent.

"Third Highness!" Ning Zhong immediately frowned and scolded, "The Third Highness should also leave a dignity for himself, now that the candidate for the new emperor has been decided, you and the other two Highnesses will soon be crowned the king and open the mansion - now you are still messing around here, where are you worthy of the identity of the prince of Tianqi?" ”

"I am the prince of the queen of the main palace, and I still have military merits, so it is not something that you can preach at will as a foreign minister." Luo Yuanjing smiled contemptuously, "What about the new emperor?" What about the Prime Minister? How you got your superficial beauty, and how many dirty things you did behind your backs, I am afraid only you know in your own hearts! ”

"Ah Jing, don't say it." Luo Yinghua also couldn't listen to it, and frowned to stop him, "It's a bit too much for you to say this......"

"Brother! You are the eldest son, and this throne should belong to you! Luo Yuanjing was shocked and angry, and after listening to Luo Yinghua's persuasion, he was even more anxious, "It's ...... them."

"The candidate for the new emperor is personally designated by the father, and the edict is also the imperial letter written by the father himself-" Luo Liyao interrupted Luo Yuanjing's words and stretched out his hand to Luo Xizheng, "In any case, the eldest brother is the new Tianqi Emperor." ”

Luo Xizheng looked up at her, still with a beautiful face that didn't show any emotion, but the bottom of his eyes was extremely clear, just like when he first saw her when he was young.

He took her hand and got up, bowing his head slightly to keep eye on her because of his height.

Luo Liyao was silent, smiled lightly at him, and let go of his hand.

He was shaken by her sudden but fleeting smile, and before the ripples in her heart could spread, she had already furrowed her eyebrows and knelt down upright—she bowed to the emperor and shouted: "Meet Your Majesty, may Your Majesty be extremely happy, long live—"

Touching the ground with his forehead shows respect and sincerity.

The dull sound of her forehead hitting the hard ground was like a boulder thrown into the water, causing an uproar in the hearts of the people.

Seeing this, Ning Zhong knew how to take advantage of the situation no matter how smart he was, and immediately knelt down and shouted "Long live Your Majesty".

All of a sudden, except for Luo Xizheng, who was bowed down, and Luo Yuanjing, who was still indignant, those who hesitated and were unwilling to do so, knelt down after Luo Liyao and Ning Zhongji, and shouted "Long live Your Majesty".

Luo Yuan was extremely prosperous, and dropped a sentence: "Don't think it's so easy!" And he walked away angrily, and no one paid any more attention to him.

Ordinary people will feel an unstoppable feeling from the bottom of their hearts when they see everyone surrendering to their feet-Luo Xizheng pinched himself hard, but he couldn't stop worrying in his heart.

What he once didn't dare to think about and what he had always dreamed of, now that he was in front of him, he hesitated.

Not just hesitation, even some inexplicable fear.

He didn't know how long it had been since he had felt so scared, afraid of losing and afraid of gaining, a feeling that only weak people have.

Luo Xizheng calmed down, cleared his thoughts, and leaned over to help Luo Liyao, who was kneeling on the ground in front of him.

The girl's unique fragrance gently wrapped him, brushing away the only trace of uneasiness in his heart.

"Yao'er." He called to her in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "I'm going to ...... Did you really become an emperor? ”

"Brother Huang, you are wrong." Luo Liyao reminded him softly, "You should call yourself 'I'." ”

"For you, I will still be me." Luo Xizheng looked into her eyes and stroked her somewhat pale cheeks with pity, "Yao'er, do you believe me?" ”

"What?" Luo Liyao was a little stunned by his sudden question, and only looked at him with wide eyes.

"I want to bring prosperity to the world." Luo Xizheng said word by word, and the words went deep into her heart, "You, believe me?" ”

He said "the world" instead of "Tianqi", how his heart was revealed.

In the whole world, there are not a few people with ambitions, fewer people with hearts and talents, and even fewer people with hearts and talents and opportunities to display their talents.

And when the five countries stand side by side today, and there are barbarian tribes eyeing each other, Tianqi is not one of the most powerful, but he also has the capital to dominate the world.

It's just that no one has ever succeeded.

Luo Liyao stared at the flickering light in his eyes and said softly, "I believe." ”

I believe.

I believe that the young man will eventually return to the destiny of heaven, and Tianqi will eventually be recorded in the annals of history.

No one is more convinced than I am.

Luo Liyao walked into her Canglan Hall in the moonlight, and Bang Hua and Bang Yue, who were holding the lamp, seemed to be saying something, she couldn't hear it clearly, she only felt that everything was still like a dream.

When she crossed the threshold of the temple gate, she was caught off guard and tripped up.

Fortunately, Bang Hua's eyes were quick, and he kept paying attention to her actions and helped her in time.

"Your Highness, be careful, it will hurt if you fall."

If you fall, it hurts.

Luo Liyao suddenly remembered that when she was just a toddler, her father had also said such things to herself.

It's just that he can't hear his words "Ah Yao, come to my father's place" anymore.

Luo Liyao couldn't support it anymore, her body went soft, she sat on the ground, cried bitterly, and vented all the sadness that she had endured to numbness.

……

Related Notes:

(1) Excerpt from "The Edict of Emperor Kangxi", with deletions.