Xuan Yuanzhan was slightly startled and immediately asked anxiously, "How is he today? Is he unwell?"
Zong Jiu was also bewildered: "Wasn't yesterday the Emperor and Empress's wedding night? This old servant wasn't there to serve them. This morning, when I went in to serve them, I saw that the Emperor's complexion seemed better than yesterday. He looked much better than the previous few days."
The Emperor's long-held wish has been to marry the Empress. Now that his wish has been fulfilled, he must be very happy. Perhaps his health will improve as a result.
Moreover, the Emperor and Empress's wedding is considered a way to bring good luck, and it might even bring a turning point for the Emperor.
Xuan Yuanzhan breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing that Xuan Yuanpeng's condition was not serious. Although he didn't know why he had called them there so early, he still took Su Xuening to the main hall.
Upon entering the main hall, Xuan Yuanzhan saw Xuan Yuanpeng leaning against a large pillow, while Bai Shi sat by the bedside feeding him medicine. His complexion did indeed look much better than before.
"Your Majesty." The two bowed as soon as they entered the hall.
"Cough cough cough cough..." The word "Your Majesty" immediately made Xuanyuan Peng, who was perfectly fine before, cough violently.
He almost choked on his medicine. Bai quickly took a handkerchief to wipe Xuan Yuanpeng's mouth, and then glared at Xuan Yuanzhan with displeasure: "Why are you still calling him 'Your Majesty'? Are you trying to anger him to death?"
Xuanyuan Zhan slapped his forehead in frustration; he had truly forgotten and was simply not used to it.
"Father," Xuanyuan Zhan quickly corrected himself.
"Father Emperor," Su Xuening also changed her address.
The two of them called out "Father Emperor" one after the other, finally stopping Xuanyuan Peng's cough.
While comforting Xuanyuan Peng, Bai Shi couldn't help but grumble at him, "You're already in this state, yet you still have such a temper. Are you really courting death?"
Seeing that she was still blaming him, Xuanyuan Peng immediately became aggrieved: "My son doesn't call me Father Emperor, so I can't be angry?"
Then, remembering Xiao Bao's matter, she continued to complain: "And the matter of changing Xiao Bao's surname to Duanmu and including her in the Xiliang family genealogy, how can I not be angry?"
Unexpectedly, Xuan Yuanpeng already knew about Xiao Bao's change of surname, and Su Xuening immediately looked at Xuan Yuanzhan with concern.
Xuan Yuanzhan didn't expect Xuan Yuanpeng to find out about these things so quickly, and he quickly gave Su Xuening a reassuring look.
The more Xuanyuan Zhan acted this way, the angrier Xuanyuan Peng became, and he roared, "Xuanyuan Zhan, kneel down before me!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Xuan Yuanzhan immediately knelt obediently in front of Xuan Yuanpeng's bed.
Su Xuening frowned, but did not kneel down.
Xuanyuan Peng launched into a tirade against Xuanyuan Zhan, yelling, "You unfilial son! Our Eastern Chu finally has a little grandson of the Emperor, and you've left him in Western Liang! Leaving him in Western Liang is one thing, but you've also made him change his surname to Duanmu and put him in the Western Liang family genealogy! He's our Eastern Chu's eldest grandson! The eldest grandson of the Emperor! What kind of weight does that carry? You just casually hand him over to Western Liang? What are you trying to do? Are you trying to make our Eastern Chu line die out?!"
Xuanyuan Peng cursed at Xuanyuan Zhan, and Xuanyuan Zhan tried to speak several times, but couldn't get a word in edgewise.
Moreover, Xuanyuan Peng became angrier and angrier as he spoke, and Xuanyuan Zhan was afraid that if he spoke up again, he would anger the man to death.
Su Xuening, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it anymore and spoke up: "Your Majesty doesn't need to make such veiled accusations. It was my idea to leave Xiaobao in Xiliang, and it was also my idea to change his surname to Duanmu and include him in the Xiliang family genealogy. It has nothing to do with Xuanyuan Zhan."
As soon as Su Xuening spoke, Xuan Yuanpeng immediately wilted. He really couldn't scold Su Xuening, after all, she was now the Crown Princess of Xiliang, so he could only curse at Xuan Yuanzhan just now.
At this point, Xuanyuan Peng didn't want to beat around the bush anymore. He said to Su Xuening, "Daughter-in-law Zhan, you know my current health condition. I don't have many days left to live. You've seen the Eastern Chu royal family now. I only have our Xiaobao as my youngest grandson. Your mother told me this before. Yes, your Western Liang is a matriarchal society, and Xiaobao is technically the eldest grandson of your Western Liang royal family. But Xiaobao is also the eldest grandson of our Eastern Chu royal family. By making Xiaobao take the Western Liang royal family's surname and put him in the Western Liang royal family's genealogy, isn't this tantamount to ripping out my heart and taking my life?"
Xuanyuan Peng became more and more heartbroken as he spoke, and his eyes turned red.
Seeing that he still had the nerve to talk about digging out hearts, didn't he dig out Xiao Bao's heart in his past life?
However, thinking that he hadn't done such a thing in this life, Su Xuening suppressed her anger.
Seeing that Su Xuening was unmoved, Xuanyuan Peng continued to play the victim, saying, "Zhan'er's wife, Xiaobao is the eldest grandson of the emperor. Your Xiliang is a matriarchal country, so having an eldest grandson of the emperor is useless to you. Why not just return him to our Dongchu? You are still young. When you have a granddaughter in the future, you can let her take the surname Duanmu and put her in the Xiliang family genealogy. I will definitely not have any objections."
...Su Xuening looked at Xuan Yuanpeng speechlessly.
He's really good at making empty promises. By the time she and Xuanyuan Zhan have another child, he'll probably be long gone. What opinions could he possibly have then?
Even Xuan Yuanzhan couldn't stand these words anymore. He frowned and said, "What grandson and granddaughter? In other people's eyes, they are all the same. Others will not be like you and favor boys over girls, nor will they favor girls over boys. Whether it's a boy or a girl, they are my and Ning'er's children. Besides, Ning'er and I haven't decided to have another child yet. I think one child is just fine."
He couldn't bear to let Ning'er suffer so much when she gave birth to Xiao Bao.
Xuan Yuanzhan's words only fueled Xuan Yuanpeng's anger, causing him to point at him again and yell, "How dare you say that? You only have one child, and you dare to let Xiao Bao take someone else's surname! What about our family name? Who will inherit the throne of Eastern Chu? You...you unfilial son, go and bring Xiao Bao back to me right now! Cough cough..."
"Don't get agitated, don't get agitated!" Seeing him so anxious again, Madam Bai quickly tried to calm him down: "Why can't you talk things out properly instead of getting so worked up?"
Seeing them talking so casually without any real concern for the situation, Xuanyuan Peng became even angrier, gasping for breath: "Go...go and bring back my little grandson! I want him to change his surname to Xuanyuan, and I want him...I want him to be added to the genealogy of Eastern Chu..."
"Father..." Xuan Yuanzhan wanted to persuade him again.
But then Su Xuening spoke up: "Okay, I agree!"
Xuanyuan Peng was instantly stunned, staring at Su Xuening in disbelief: "What did you say?"
The question was asked without any further panting, as if the patient who was on the verge of death had suddenly recovered!
Bai Shi and Xuan Yuanzhan also looked at Su Xuening in shock.
Su Xuening said helplessly, "I promise you, I will bring Xiaobao back, change his surname to Xuanyuan, and put him in the genealogy of Dongchu!"
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