Kyoto was restored to its former bustle, and officials who had fled the capital returned one by one. After tidying up a bit, someone went to the palace to respectfully invite the Emperor to ascend the throne. Li Huairan came out of the He Xi Palace, changed into dragon robes, brought several scrolls with him, and sat on the dragon chair.

  "I, having received the nurturing grace of the previous emperor and being favored by Empress Dowager for many years, ascended to the throne, but unexpectedly brought about great calamity, implicating the instability of Northern Wei's mountains and rivers, and the unrest of the people under heaven. Last night, I dreamed of the previous emperor, who rebuked me for being unfit to be an emperor; I also feel ashamed myself, therefore today I want to reveal to the world the imperial edict left behind by the previous emperor."

  Those standing below the throne, in fact, are also not a few who have some reservations about this emperor. If it weren't for Prince Zi Yang, how could he still be sitting on top? Moreover, Li Huailian was previously self-willed and favored close ministers and petty people, many officials were also dissatisfied. But as soon as they heard his words, the crowd was shocked again.

  I like you so much now, so I can bear anything for you.

  The corners of his mouth slightly hooked, Jiang Xuanjin said: "At that time, I didn't like you so much."

  Jiang Xuanjin paused for a moment, recalling the Jiang Manor garden from long ago. She had sprained her ankle and begged him to carry her on his back, but he had remained expressionless with a cold face.

  Her eyes sparkled as she smiled slyly and hooked her arms around his neck, swinging her legs and saying: "Before, I asked you to carry me on your back, but you refused. Now, why are you suddenly willing to do it?"

  He was both angry and amused, Jiang Xuanjin felt unbearable, so he simply pulled her over and carried her on his back.

  "Waaah"

  "Shut up."

  Li Da coquettishly hugged him, both kissing and rubbing against him: "In front of Master, I'm just a little girl"

  She is considered a little woman, are there no more stinky rascals in the world?

  He stopped in his tracks, looked her up and down, and Jiang Xuanjin couldn't believe it: "Little girl?"

  "What's so great about you, Ziyang Jun, that you're arguing with a little girl like me?" She pouted.

  "You go on fabricating."

  "Heh heh." Hua Yu looked away with a guilty conscience and said, "It's indeed a destined calamity, but after the calamities are all gone, we'll have good fortune, so let's just call it a destined calamity!"

  Jiang Xuanjin glared at her: "You argued with me yesterday and said that running into me was a bad omen."

  Blinking her eyes again, Hua Yu hugged his arm and sighed: "I was thinking that Old Master is indeed fair, he wanted to compensate me, so he let me meet you."

  "What are you thinking about?" Jiang Xuanjin asked her.

  Li Huaiyu was bewildered, having been driven out of the house by Old Master along with Jiang Xuanjin, and she couldn't quite come back to her senses.

  "What do you young people know about these rules?" The old man grumbled, "Once a child is born with a good name, they must wear a golden lock to ensure peace and prosperity. Are you two done talking? If so, go out for a walk, don't stay in my house all the time."

  "No!" Li Huaiyu hastily waved her hand, pointing to the full house and courtyard of things. "They're still young, they don't need that many yet. It's not too late to prepare when they turn one year old."

  One got praised, the old man was even more delighted, happily hugging the two children and swaying back and forth beside the desk: "Sui Sui, Fan Chen, it's finally a decent name, wait for Chong Er to go out and bring back two golden locks"

  "Good." Huaiyu clapped her hands, "This name sounds good."

  With her smoothing things over, the old man smiled again, pointing at the name on the paper: "I had someone calculate his eight characters, and it turns out that brother's eight characters are heavy. I wanted to give him a bigger name, but was afraid it would be too much for him to bear. Now it seems that no matter how big the name is, he can handle it, so let's take this character 'chen' and add the Li family imperial generation name 'fan', making Fan Chen, what do you think?"

  "Yes, I'll take charge." Huai Yu smiled and said, "Father should think about what name to give the little scoundrel, don't bother with him."

  Old Jiang sighed: "I just say a couple of words casually, whether I live or die, isn't it up to you?"

  It's all well and good if luck is on your side, but what if it isn't? Jiang Xuanjin scowled, his jaw clenched in a stubborn expression.

  Hua Yu knew what he was thinking and quickly pulled his hand, softly coaxing him: "Don't be angry, don't be agitated, I'm still fine, aren't I?"

  "That won't work either." He furrowed his brow, his whole body subtly radiating a sense of displeasure, and even his tone carried a hint of arrogance.

  The old man was taken aback and glanced at him: "It's not like you gave birth."

  "It's no use." As soon as he heard this, Jiang Xuanjin's face turned black. "I won't give birth to it."

  "Don't worry, there's still a boy with the surname Jiang on the side of the second son of the Jiang family." Seeing her full face of confusion, the old master comforted her, "Although the concubine of the second son is petty and suspicious, refusing to let me take care of the child, that child also has the surname Jiang and will inherit the incense of the Jiang family. If you really can't accept it, in the future when fate allows it, having two more children won't be a problem."

  Jiang Xuanjin's face was calm, with an expression that said "I knew it would be like this". Although the old man liked children, he was reasonable and would compromise on anything as long as he could still hold the child.

  Hua Yu was shocked, looking at him and then at Jiang Xuanjin.

  Old Master pressed his lips: "Xuan Jin said, these two children are born with your life, our family has not taken good care of you, nor helped much. You are willing to bring the children back, which already makes me very happy. Moreover, this child is blessed, following the surname Li, in the future will be supreme, under the great situation, where can still calculate this surname? After all, they are my dear grandsons!"

  "Wait a minute." Seeing that he was about to launch into a long speech, Huai Yu hastily stopped the old man, "You don't mind if the little rascal's surname is Li?"

  He turned to look at Li Huaiyu, hugging the little troublemaker tightly: "The girl must be surnamed Jiang, okay? I've already thought of a name, Sui Sui, 'You Hu Sui Sui, in that Qi Liang', this character is great! Especially good! You listen to me"

  "Ah, I know." The old man waved his hand. "With such a big commotion outside, and your father is not deaf, do you still need to tell me? Brother's surname is Li, no relation, but..."

  Jiang Xuanjin said: "There's something I'd like to discuss with Father."

  A piece of paper as big as half a desktop was filled with small characters written on it. Huai Yu took a glance and found that they were all names, without surnames.

  "Ah, you've arrived?" The old man put down his brush and picked up the rice paper on the table, "Come quickly and take a look, which name is good?"

  The old man had two cloth bags hanging from his neck, one of which contained a small fellow. He didn't feel any soreness in his neck, and with one hand patting the swaddling clothes and the other holding a pen, he was writing something on the table.

  However, after entering Hongyuan Pavilion, Huaiyu found that she might have thought too much.

  Hua Yu glared, was she thinking too much? Which family would allow their child to take the mother's surname? Especially a big family like the Jiangs.

  "You're thinking too much."

  "Old Master likes the little rascal so much, he's even thinking of a name for him while flipping through books. Suddenly, he goes and tells him that the child will have to take the surname Li - he'll be furious!" Huaiyu thought about it and shuddered, "He's been holding those two little guys in his arms for the past two days, not leaving their side even an inch!"

  Jiang Xuanjin turned around and looked at her: "What are you afraid of?"

  Li Huaiyu could understand their thoughts, after all, they couldn't just change the surname of the Li family's empire so easily, but how would she explain it to Old Master Jiang? She furrowed her brow and pulled at Jiang Xuanjin's sleeve, saying: "Walk slower."

  However, there is one problem - the courtiers hope this child will take the surname Li.

  In the ninth year of Daxing, in September, Emperor Xian presented a will left by the previous emperor, suggesting that he should abdicate to the son of Princess Chang of Danyang. However, opinions within the court were divided, and a new dispute arose. Meanwhile, the armies of Ziyang and Danyang were stationed outside the capital, and Princess Chang led her troops into the city to pay respects to Emperor Xian and report on their military strength. After the report was finished, the controversy subsided, and preparations began for the enthronement of Princess Chang's son as emperor.

  As he said this, his eyes unexpectedly lit up a bit, as if he had thought of something warm, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly.

  "Don't worry about me," Li Huailian said, "I have somewhere to go."

  The late emperor's edict has been issued. Although there is still controversy in the court, he voluntarily abdicated and will probably not be able to live in the Dragon Throne Palace anymore.

  He weighed the box in his hand, which was a bit heavy. Jiang Xuanjin put it away and asked, "Where are you planning to go?"

  He paused for a moment, clenched his fist: "If the imperial sister doesn't want it, just throw it away, after all, it's not something valuable."

  "I'm used to it," he said. "I thought she would die, so giving her the burn wouldn't matter, but she's lucky and can't die, so I'll just give it to her."

  Wasn't it supposed to be kill her from the start?

  Jiang Xuanjin took the box and was puzzled: "Your Majesty actually prepared this?"

  "This year and last year's birthday of our imperial sister have already passed." He pursed his lips, "You give it to her on my behalf."

  Li Huailian smiled lightly, his fingers repeatedly twisting the hem of his sleeve, hesitated for a long time before getting up and walking to the bookshelf, taking down a box.

  "No." Jiang Xuanjin shook his head, "She's very particular about it."

  Li Huailian stood before him and said with a lowered gaze: "Doesn't Your Majesty think it's unnecessary to ask this now?"

  After his morning walk, he stood in front of the imperial study and asked this question.

  "Do you feel guilty towards your elder sister?"

  Jiang Xuanjin stood at the bottom of the stairs, silently listening to every word he read, his eyes falling on the qilin incense burner in front of him, watching the faint blue smoke drifting out.

  A low voice echoed throughout the court, and all the ministers were stunned, at a loss for what to do. Li Huailian, however, showed no intention of stopping, standing straight with his body, holding an old scroll, standing on the Golden Step.

  "However, Huailian is not my own flesh and blood. The orthodox Li family has only one true heir, and that is Yuzhen. If Huailian reaches the age of 16, he should abdicate in favor of Yuzhen's son. Yuzhen is intelligent, benevolent, and filial, with a natural air of authority, but unfortunately she was born as a daughter, yet still has the ability to assist the state. With the young child on the throne, civil and military officials inside and outside the court will work together to support and protect him, and thus my wishes will be fulfilled."

  "I, with virtue and filial piety, have succeeded to the great work of my ancestors and ruled over the empire for just over a year. I have been worried and labored day and night, but unfortunately fell ill and am now on the brink of death. As for life and death, it is the constant principle of day and night, and the former sages all shared the same fate, what is there to be sorrowful about? However, the state and the people must have a ruler, and my young son has been endowed with heavenly virtues, is benevolent, wise, and intelligent. I have long expected him to become a great vessel for the state, and all officials and people will surely welcome it. It is fitting that he should ascend to the imperial throne, in order to continue the divine lineage of the gods and comfort the multitudes."

  Li Huailian's face was pale, and he was still a teenager in his early teens, but there were already white hairs on his temples, scattered and sparse, from the edge of his ear to the dragon crown. He stood up, took over the imperial edict held by the eunuch beside him, waved his hand to let him retreat, and slowly unfolded it, reading it word by word:

  The imperial edict left by the previous emperor?

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