At this moment, Hong Yingrong and Xue Yuanchu stepped onto the altar.

They faced the emperor and the empress dowager and knelt down respectfully to pay their respects.

Li Longze sat on the dragon throne, raised his hand slightly, and his voice was deep and powerful, echoing in the hall.

"Stand up!" he said, his voice revealing unquestionable authority.

At this moment, everyone felt the emperor's power and majesty, as if his words were destiny and irresistible.

The chief eunuch unfolded the imperial edict and read it in a loud and solemn voice: "Xingyuan Hou Xue Yonghuai, a loyal and brave warrior, fought on the battlefield his entire life, making great contributions to the peace of our country's borders. Now I hear that he has died heroically on the battlefield. I am deeply saddened. I mourn the loss of this pillar of our nation and share the grief of all the people. I hereby decree that he be posthumously honored and his spirit tablet be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, where it will be forever worshipped. I decree this."

The ceremonial eunuch carefully took the spirit tablet from Hong Yingrong, walked slowly into the main hall of the Taimiao, and placed the spirit tablet of Xingyuan Hou Xue Yonghuai in the Pavilion of Meritorious Officials, guarding the peace and glory of the Great Zhou forever.

After everything was done, Emperor Li Longze slowly stood up and looked deeply at Hong Yingrong and Xue Yuanchu who were standing below him.

"Marquis Xingyuan has passed away. Madam, please don't be too sad."

Upon hearing this, Hong Yingrong and Xue Yuanchu knelt down again to express their gratitude: "The Xingyuan Marquisate is loyal to the Great Zhou and Your Majesty, and will not hesitate to die."

Li Longze nodded slightly, a glimmer of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

He turned his gaze to Xue Yuanchu and said sternly, "My dear Xue, today I grant you the right to inherit the title of Marquis of Xingyuan. To show the emperor's grace, you do not need to be demoted and will remain a first-class marquis."

When Xue Yuanchu heard this, he was so excited that he could not suppress his excitement and was ecstatic, but his face remained calm and he did not show it.

He took a step forward and was about to kneel down to express his gratitude when he suddenly heard a voice as loud as a bell from the bottom of the stairs: "I have objections!"

Everyone turned their attention to the scene as Imperial Censor Fan Jie strode forward, knelt down with a solemn expression, and said in a loud voice, "Your Majesty, I have a memorial!"

Li Longze frowned slightly and said in a deep voice: "Speak!"

Fan Jie's voice was resounding and powerful: "Your Majesty, although Xue Yuanchu is the heir apparent of the Xingyuan Marquisate, the matter of inheriting the title is no small matter. According to the conventions of our dynasty, the succession of titles should be reduced by one level to show fairness. Your Majesty has made an exception today and granted Xue Yuanchu the right to inherit the first-class merit. I am afraid that this move will disrupt the court's laws and cause unnecessary disputes."

As soon as these words were spoken, all officials were in an uproar.

Xue Yuanchu's expression also changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and waited quietly for the emperor's decision.