Xuanyuan Chengyin bowed to the ministers and said, "Thank you all for your consideration for this Highness. However, filial piety is the most important virtue. This Highness cannot abandon my father. If I am unfilial, my parents will be worried and the world will despise me. How can I stand before the world?"

What a stubborn guy! Everyone was getting anxious.

The Grand Tutor said, "Why don't you learn from the sage Shun? When Shun served his father, he would wait for a small blow, but would run away if hit hard, in order to escape his father's wrath."

"Your Highness, you cannot think this way. I am willing to die admonishing you to change your mind."

"I am willing too."

"My Lords, please don't worry." Xuanyuan Chengyin said, "This Highness believes in my father. He will not take my life. I am still young and only have one or two years to live. My father is in critical condition, so this Highness is willing to give him life."

"Good! You are worthy of being the prince I chose." The emperor strode over.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." All the officials lowered their heads, but in their hearts they were shocked by the emperor's spirit and energy that they had just seen. This state... Could it be that he had come to borrow the emperor's life without telling the officials?

"Get up, has Xiao Aiqing arrived?"

Xiao Changan came out from the crowd. He had been there for a while and deliberately concealed his presence, not wanting to confront those who opposed him.

He glanced obscurely at where Jiuli and Yunyuan were hiding, and said respectfully to the emperor, "Your Majesty, I am ready. The longevity ceremony may begin."

The emperor nodded and said, "Before we proceed with the ceremony, I have something to announce."

Everyone's heart tightened, fearing that he might do something outrageous.

Eunuch Cao came out with the imperial edict and read it aloud: "... Second Prince Cheng Yun and Fourth Prince Cheng Xi disobeyed the imperial edict. They are unfilial and unbrotherly, unworthy of being princes. They are now demoted to commoners... This is my decree!"

All the officials were as quiet as a chicken, wondering if the emperor had gone crazy or his mind was not clear.

You should know that there are only four princes in the entire Xuanyuan Dynasty, among whom the third prince has disappeared. Now the second prince and the fourth prince have been demoted to commoners by the emperor, and have completely lost the qualification to inherit the throne.

There is only one prince left, and the emperor wants to borrow his life!

Did the emperor think that borrowing his life span would allow him to give birth to another prince? This was truly absurd!

All the officials felt dizzy and thought that the Xuanyuan Dynasty was about to end.