Everything that followed went extremely smoothly.

Xiao Sheng was of legitimate royal blood, and his resemblance to the old emperor was undeniable.

Moreover, as the old emperor's only son, he had been the crown prince for many years. Even if he was deposed, he was the only one who could ascend to that position, both morally and logically.

A certain eunuch, who had been hiding deep within the palace for a long time, produced the old emperor's last edict.

It was clearly written above that the old emperor intended to pass the throne to Xiao Sheng.

Wei Yunting and Xiao Sheng had already subdued the civil and military officials by force, and the imperial edict provided another layer of assistance for Xiao Sheng's ascension to the throne.

In this way, Xiao Sheng's ascension to the throne was met with no opposition from anyone.

In preparation for the coronation ceremony, all the palace staff worked day and night to prepare.

On the contrary, Xiao Sheng found himself with a lot of free time.

As for Wei Yunting, Jiang Tian has already settled him in his private residence, but he hasn't had time to go back yet.

He had to hand over the troops to Xiao Sheng.

"You've been in the military camp for quite some time, so you should know these soldiers' character very well. Let them defend their country, but don't let them start a war for personal gain."

As the saying goes, "You cherish your own soldiers," Wei Yunting carefully instructed Xiao Sheng.

Xiao Sheng remained silent, holding the military tally in his hand, but he knew in his heart that Wei Yunting's face was more useful than any military tally.

When Wei Yunting was in his fiefdom, as long as he said he wanted to be emperor, the soldiers would support him without hesitation and put him on the throne.

Wei Yunting gave up his overwhelming power without hesitation, even handing it over to him... Xiao Sheng couldn't quite describe his state of mind.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Wei Yunting continued to speak to himself: "When I first met you, I knew you were not one to stay put. I even thought that if you didn't have the potential to be a monarch, I would discard you and replace you with someone else. I didn't expect that in such a short time, you have been honed to such a high level and already have the demeanor of a monarch."

"My expectation for you is to be a good emperor."

Xiao Sheng's throat was dry, and after a long while, he asked, "When do you plan to leave the capital?"

Upon hearing his question, Wei Yunting couldn't help but laugh: "I'll leave after you ascend the throne. We need to put on a show. I'll resign then, and you'll try to persuade me to stay. After this performance, I can leave with peace of mind. As for the soldiers, I've already given them instructions. If I'm not around, you'll be their master. Don't worry, they'll listen to you."

Xiao Sheng nodded and said nothing more.

After thinking about it, he really had no idea where to begin.

Wei Yunting has already retreated again and again, yielding to him time and time again, even giving him the throne. How could he dare to reveal his feelings for Jiang Tian?

Life cannot be without any regrets.

He didn't speak, but Wei Yunting spoke again: "I know your feelings for Jiang Tian."

Xiao Sheng's expression changed drastically.

Wei Yunting said with a smile, "To be honest, I didn't really care about a pretty boy like you. Since you seemed honest enough, I didn't mention it. But now that I'm giving up my official position, I still have to talk to you to prevent you from abusing your power."

"You're not right for her."

Xiao Sheng originally didn't want to say anything, but now that he'd been seen through, he had nothing left to say.

But when he heard Wei Yunting say that he was not suitable, he still looked at Wei Yunting sharply, his eyes filled with resentment and opposition.

"She needs someone who will dote on her wholeheartedly. After years of hardship, she is actually cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and very devoted. If you had met her before me, there might have been some chance. But by the time you met her, she was already mine."

"We are a match made in heaven, you can't be envious of us."

Xiao Sheng couldn't help but let out a cold laugh: "You just had the upper hand, why bother making it sound so high-sounding?"

“Her affection for me is my asset,” Wei Yunting said, showing him no respect whatsoever.

Xiao Sheng's face turned ashen.

After Wei Yunting finished showing off, he got to the point: "I have made many enemies in my life, and even though I am confident in my abilities, there are always places I cannot take care of. If I encounter an enemy in the future, or if I am injured and need your help, you must take good care of her for me."

Xiao Sheng scoffed, "Don't worry, even if you get injured, if you go to the underworld, I'll snatch her away."

Now it was Wei Yunting's turn to look grim.

But he still said, "If... something really happens to me, you have to promise me that you will take care of her for the rest of her life. I'm really worried about her. She appears dignified on the surface, but she is actually extremely rebellious and likes to do things that are not tolerated by the world. She needs someone to protect her."

This person is ridiculous; he's already planning what will happen after he dies while he's still alive.

If given the chance, he would definitely protect her; there's no need for him to say it.

Ignoring the eyesore of Wei Yunting, Xiao Sheng felt a pang of sorrow in his heart, forced a smile, and finally agreed.

"Don't worry, I'll do better than you."

At this point, Wei Yunting and Jiang Tian went on a journey across the world, and he ascended the throne, which could be considered a good ending.

Wei Yunting smiled: "Then I'll be waiting for the peaceful and prosperous era under your rule."

Xiao Sheng finally said only one sentence: "I will certainly not disappoint you."

………………

The enthronement ceremony was held with great solemnity.

The entire capital was in a state of anticipation for the new monarch.

Xiao Sheng, dressed in a dragon robe, walked step by step toward that spot.

All the civil and military officials knelt on the ground, their expressions extremely solemn.

When Xiao Sheng sat on that throne and all the officials knelt and chanted in unison, the eunuch who carried the old emperor's last edict presented the imperial seal to Xiao Sheng and whispered in his high-pitched voice, "Your Majesty, in addition to leaving you an edict, the late emperor also left you a great gift."

The eunuch's tone carried a deep chill.

Only Xiao Sheng heard these words.

His heart skipped a beat, and he abruptly looked at the eunuch, about to speak—

But for some reason, a commotion suddenly broke out below!

Xiao Sheng subconsciously looked in that direction, and then he saw Wei Yunting, who had been perfectly fine, suddenly bleeding from all seven orifices and fainting to everyone's shock!