Chapter 72, Chapter 72, again says that husband and wife are of one mind and heart, Bai Xue...

Bai Xuerou only hopes that this solar energy will make people's lives better.

"What should the new country be called?" Bai Xuerou asked.

"The officials have gone to discuss it."

Bai Xuerou laughed and said, "I thought you had all thought about this a long time ago."

“I think so too, but we still have to put on a show,” Ling Xun said with a smile. “We can’t let people think we’re too eager.”

Bai Xuerou couldn't help but smile brightly.

Meanwhile, the residences of important officials in Chang'an all learned of what had happened in the palace. Upon learning that the young emperor intended to abdicate, many were furious, but many others breathed a sigh of relief.

If the abdication can be passed on smoothly, that would be the best outcome.

There were even more people who opposed it; some of them had their lives and fortunes tied to the Great Qi, while others couldn't let go of their past glory.

The Great Qi Dynasty was once glorious, and the families that depended on it also had their glory days. But if the Great Qi Dynasty were to disappear, all of that would become a thing of the past.

They couldn't accept it, but the fact was, they couldn't even get into the palace.

When the Zhenbei Army tried to stop them, they managed to hold their breath and rebuke them, but the young emperor in the palace refused to send a message, which infuriated them. They were so angry that they knelt down in front of the palace gate.

The common people were curious and soon learned the whole story, and they all laughed at them.

Few of the families in Chang'an were clean. Now that Ling Xun had ascended the throne, it was widely expected, but they opposed it. No one thought they were patriotic; they just thought they wanted to continue their old ways of tyranny.

After all, if Ling Xun were to become emperor, these people would no longer want to act as recklessly as before.

No one expected this. In the past, these peasants would have been careful even when looking at them, but now they dared to point and ridicule them.

The Zhenbei Army, which was guarding the imperial city, paid no attention to it.

The crowd was filled with shame and anger, and at the same time felt a deep sadness.

An old man staggered forward, crying out, "Great Ancestor, please open your eyes and look!" Then he rammed his head against the city wall.

They were stopped by the Zhenbei Army.

"Your Excellency is confused. Blood should not be seen on the palace walls. Take him away." With their prince's big day fast approaching, they did not want such an unlucky thing as bloodshed to happen at this crucial moment.

The old man struggled and tried to shout, but his voice was silenced and he was taken away.

The remaining people were both angry and shocked, but ultimately they no longer considered committing suicide to prove their innocence.

He knelt for an entire afternoon, but no one from the Zhenbei Army paid him any attention, and the people in the imperial city remained unmoved. Gradually, some people fainted and were then taken away by their own family members who covered their faces.

Whether you're truly dizzy or not, nobody cares.

The next day, the morning court session began.

All officials attended court.

Several people knelt outside the palace gates, persisting in their actions. Some of those attending court expressed their feelings, while others offered words of advice, but in the end, they went about their business as usual.

The trend is inevitable, and it won't change for the sake of a few people.

Lang Cheng tried to force himself to attend court despite his illness, but he fainted as soon as he got up.

During the morning court session, under the watchful eyes of everyone, the emperor rose and, in a slow, almost trembling voice, announced his intention to abdicate.

Some in the court offered advice, while others praised His Majesty for his profound understanding of righteousness.

Despite repeated attempts to persuade him, the emperor remained adamant. Ling Xun did not immediately introduce the matter but instead asked the emperor to consider it carefully before adjourning the court session.

Agreeing too readily seems a bit too eager, and it would be unseemly to be the center of attention.

Ling Xun wasn't in a hurry at all.

The world is already under his control, and there is nothing left to pursue.

The process continued on the second day.

After this was repeated three times, Ling Xun finally agreed under the insistence of the young emperor.

The two stood together on the jade steps, with all the officials bowing in worship. Amidst the grand spectacle, the young emperor restrained himself and took a step back, standing to one side. Despite his repeated attempts to suppress his emotions, he still watched this scene with a touch of melancholy.

From this day forward, he is no longer the emperor.

That same day, the deposed emperor of Qi moved out of the palace and into an empty prince's residence.

Speaking of which, this was the residence of the late emperor, his biological father, before he ascended the throne.

Ling Xun and Bai Xuerou moved into the palace.

Because the coronation ceremony required considerable preparation, he temporarily assumed the powers of emperor, but could only truly become emperor after the ceremony.

What followed was a series of events.

The national title, the reign title, the rewards for meritorious officials of the Zhenbei Army, the resettlement of former officials, and so on, all need to be prepared before the enthronement ceremony and will be prepared together with the enthronement ceremony.

And the new emperor—

She is still the Prince of Zhenbei, and the Prince of Zhenbei repeatedly instructed her on the ceremonies for the investiture of the Empress.

He wanted to crown a queen on the day of his coronation, so that he and his queen could receive the congratulations of the people.

At first, the Ministry of Rites and others tried to persuade them, saying that throughout history, there had never been a case where a new emperor ascended the throne with an empress; the emperor would ascend the throne first and then bestow titles upon the empress.

If the two of them were together, it would feel like the emperor and empress were on equal footing, which would be inappropriate.

However, Ling Xun insisted, and given Bai Xue Rou's achievements, the ministers had no choice but to comply.

Such ceremonies usually require several months of preparation to make them appear more solemn, but a country cannot be without a ruler, so the ministers worked together to prepare everything in just half a month.

During this period, everyone in and around Chang'an was extremely busy.

Those with the energy were busy repairing the palace, fixing or changing what needed to be repaired or changed from the old dynasty, making everything look brand new, and preparing everything for the coronation ceremony.

Those who used their brains argued fiercely over the country's name and the era name, and in the heat of the moment, they even came to blows.

Compared to these two, the titles and rewards for meritorious officials and the title of the deposed emperor of Qi seem less important, at least Ling Xun has already decided on most of them.

The top generals will certainly be granted the title of Duke, and those below them will be settled into the ranks of Marquis and Earl.

Then, the officials under the Prince's residence also had to choose their positions.

Phoenix hadn't even figured out the Chonghua Courtyard of the Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion when she entered the palace. It was even bigger and more magnificent than the Prince's Mansion. She was extremely curious and started discussing new explorations.

Bai Xuerou had previously planned to organize the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, but now she's turned to cleaning up the harem.

The deposed emperor was still young, and there were no major changes in the palace. Most of the palace maids were selected during the reigns of the previous emperors, including the deposed emperor's father, and they were all quite old.

Bai Xuerou first had a list compiled of those who wanted to leave the palace and return to their hometowns, preparing to grant them silver and release them one by one when the time came.

But that was all later, because those things alone took quite a few days.

The New Year has arrived ahead of us.

The coronation ceremony was scheduled for the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Out with the old and in with the new, symbolizing a fresh start for everything.

People both inside and outside the government had been preparing for this day for more than half a month.

The emperor and empress's ceremonial robes were meticulously crafted by the most skilled embroiderers in Chang'an. The two of them tried them on, and there were also crowns and other elaborate garments.

The officials of the Ministry of Rites had already planned all the procedures for the day of the coronation. The two of them would go together to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth. Ling Xun would recite the sacrificial text and inform Heaven that the new country would be named "Yong" and the reign title would be "Yuanwu". He would be known as Emperor Yuanwu.

It is also said that husband and wife are of one mind and heart, and Bai Xuerou became Empress Yuanwu.

The officials kowtowed and greeted His Majesty and the Empress.

Afterwards, upon returning to the palace, the emperor and empress ascended the throne together, and officials and their families came forward to pay their respects.

Looking at the Emperor and Empress sitting side by side on the throne, everyone couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.

Throughout history, this is the first time an emperor has ascended the throne and the empress has received the homage of all the officials alongside him. The underlying meaning of the emperor and empress standing side by side remains to be seen, and it's uncertain how long this union will last.

After all, the imperial court is ruthless.

Once the emperor ascends the throne, he can freely choose any beauty in the land. Even if he is too infatuated to do so at the moment, what will happen when the White Queen's youth fades in a few years?

Although the White Empress was exceptionally beautiful, she was five years older than the Emperor, who was in his prime and whose future remained uncertain.

The court officials kowtowed to the emperor and empress, but their hearts were already beginning to stir with ambition.

Who wouldn't want their blood to flow through the veins of the next emperor, which would mean wealth and prosperity for the next three generations?

After receiving the homage, rewards were bestowed upon them.

The deposed emperor was granted the title of Duke of Enguo, and the five generals of the Zhenbei Army were also granted the title of Duke. They were also given various rewards and honors, and their subordinates performed their respective duties and took charge of the Six Ministries.

After the bestowal of honors, a palace banquet was held.

This was also the first time that Phoenix had made a public appearance in front of the court officials.

As for the emperor and empress's only child, the emperor's eldest legitimate princess, Ling Xun also bestowed upon her a title when he was first bestowing honors, making her Princess Yuanjia.

At the palace banquet, the emperor even held Princess Yuanjia in his arms and sat her on his lap, demonstrating his deep affection for her.

The commotion lasted all day, finally subsiding at night.

This was just the beginning. The Yong Kingdom had just been established, and His Majesty had ascended the throne—a joyous occasion worthy of a three-day celebration. This was a shortened version; the Ministry of Rites had initially proposed half a month. Ling Xun rejected this, citing the nation's recent establishment and the need for rebuilding.

Whether to celebrate or not is a minor matter; he doesn't care much about it.

But half a month would be too much trouble, and my sister would definitely find it annoying.

As expected, Bai Xuerou breathed a sigh of relief after finding out.

But after the first day's palace banquet ended, and after washing up and finally being able to lie in bed, I couldn't help but sigh.

Ling Xun laughed upon hearing this and went over to kiss her.

Soon, Bai Xuerou stopped worrying.

After a few years of marriage, this guy became more and more skilled at these things, and he always had some new tricks up his sleeve, leaving her increasingly unable to resist.

But the youth's physical strength and enthusiasm are undoubtedly satisfying.

Although they weren't an old married couple, they had been in love for several years and had long lost the shyness and reserve they had at the beginning. Bai Xuerou responded generously and enjoyed the affair to the fullest.

Ling Xun was unusually excited tonight and made a fuss several times.

Bai Xuerou understood him. Although he had acted as emperor before, the actual coronation ceremony was a different story.

Today, Ling Xun is indeed the founding emperor of the Great Yong Kingdom, Emperor Yuanwu.

Thinking of this, not to mention Ling Xun, even Bai Xue Rou couldn't help but feel a surge of passion in her heart, and she indulged in her carefree antics with him.

The consequence was that I almost couldn't get up the next day.

Bai Xuerou thus experienced firsthand the inconveniences of becoming empress.

When she was a princess, she could sleep in late, but the empress can't, at least not now.

She mustered her strength to get ready, and after her meal, she first met with the female relatives who came to pay their respects to the Empress, and then made an appearance at the palace banquet. It wasn't until after lunch that she finally managed to take a short, triumphant rest.

Fortunately, she was still young and could hold on, but she wouldn't let Ling Xun cause any more trouble that night.

She was busy today and lacked energy, so she even neglected Phoenix.

Ling Xun put his arm around her, listening to her mutter apologies to the child, and gently comforted her, saying that Fenghuang'er didn't mind, and that with Yingui and the guards he had arranged, she was having a great time.

Bai Xuerou was relieved and said, "It will be fine after tomorrow."

Ling Xun did nothing obediently, simply holding Bai Xuerou and gently comforting her.

Bai Xuerou was already sleepy, so she muttered that he should sleep too. The two snuggled together and fell asleep without realizing it.

Soon, the three-day palace banquet came to an end.

Then Bai Xuerou realized that her troubles had just begun.

After the registration ceremony, the first thing Ling Xun did was to meet with the envoys from Tibet and the Turks.

The prisoners had all been brought back to Chang'an. These people came to negotiate peace and ransom their princes. They arrived in Chang'an around the same time as Ling Xun and had been waiting for more than half a month.

Regarding peace talks, both Tibet and the Turks attempted to retaliate, but were stopped by the Zhenbei Army and had no choice but to negotiate.

By the time the issues between the two countries were resolved, it was already summer.

But Ling Xun was unable to relax. He had been very busy since becoming emperor. Although this newly established country had the foundation left by the Qi Kingdom, it was not as good as it had been. He disliked and looked down on it.

In the later period of the Qi state, everything was in chaos and decadence. There were many mediocre officials in the court, and there were also scandals and other misdeeds. In short, it was a complete mess.

Ling Xun had no intention of compromising or making changes; he simply erased everything and established new laws and order for the Great Yong Dynasty.

He was an emperor who conquered the world with his army, and was not controlled by noble families. He could do whatever he wanted.

Coincidentally, because of the collusion between Qi and the Tibetans and Turks, Lang Cheng and other veteran ministers of Qi—

In the same court, it's rare to find people who are completely unrelated. In addition, Ling Xun had made preparations in advance and intentionally cleaned things up, and now most of them have been removed.

Even if they manage to escape responsibility, being implicated is enough for Ling Xun to send them back to their hometown to retire.

Of course, he wasn't one to kill everyone. He left a sliver of hope for the younger generations of his old ministers' families. This hope was enough for those people to abandon their determination to fight to the death and willingly lie low.

The entire court was cleaned up, and the officials of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, as well as those that Ling Xun had intended to promote, were all promoted to fill the vacancies.

As for other gaps, he ordered a special examination to select talented individuals.

While Ling Xun was busy with affairs of the court, Bai Xuerou was busy reorganizing the harem.

Previously, a list of palace servants who were to leave the palace and return home had been compiled, but when Bai Xuerou finally had time to arrange the matter, she discovered that in the end, less than half of them actually left.

Upon inquiry, it was learned that due to the wars of recent years, family members had either been lost or disappeared.