Chapter 664 Change of Dynasty and Renaming to Aolai Kingdom!
Everyone took Zhou Xinrou's words as coerced and insincere, and no one believed that Shen Lanxi was not of royal blood.
Even if people gossip about it privately, it quickly fades away.
Does anyone really care about bloodlines? Nobody does.
His Majesty has already proven this many times through his actions; it's just that some people are still too foolish to recognize it.
Time flies, and a month has passed.
Wei Dongzhu and Shen Yuanjing in the Northwest received gifts from Shen Lanxi from the capital.
One knelt on the ground and wept bitterly, while the other stared at the child in a daze.
Soon, the two of them each sent a letter back to the capital.
The capital city appears peaceful on the surface, but in reality, it is purging those left behind by Huang Yu.
This unseen struggle did not end until a year later.
That year, Shen Lanxi turned forty.
In the imperial court, the majestic empress proposed an idea that surprised all the ministers.
"I want to change the dynasty and establish a new national title!"
This move shocked all the ministers.
"Your Majesty, the name of the nation should not be changed lightly!"
"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
"The name of the Great Zhou Dynasty has been used for hundreds of years. If it is changed, it will cause turmoil and may damage the foundation of the country!"
Nobody understood why His Majesty would suddenly slam his fist on the table and demand a change of the country's name.
Could it be that I was in the wrong posture when I got up this morning?
"Your Majesty, please reconsider your actions!"
Most of the court officials advised Shen Lanxi to reconsider, while only a few remained silent.
Shen Lanxi: "I have thought about this for a long time, and I have already decided on the name of the country."
The officials were all on tenterhooks, fearing that His Majesty would issue an imperial edict directly.
"How about the name Aolai Kingdom?"
She watched with great interest the conflicted expressions on the faces of the officials.
"Is His Majesty determined to change the name of the country?"
Shen Lanxi: "Of course I'm determined. I never do anything without certainty, nor do I say anything without basis."
Since it has already been said, then it must be changed.
The ministers looked at each other in bewilderment. The world was at peace and the land was prosperous. They couldn't understand why His Majesty would take such a risky step.
"Since Your Majesty insists on making changes, then we have no choice but to obey."
After the court session ended, the news of changing the country's name spread like wildfire throughout the capital.
Soon the news was published, and the people stopped speculating. What was in the news was a done deal for the court.
"Why must Aolai Country be named Aolai Country?"
"I overheard someone from the palace purchasing department let slip that His Majesty dreamt of a monkey last night."
"What does dreaming of monkeys have to do with naming the country Aolai?"
"Whether it's called Great Zhou or Aolai Kingdom, as long as it doesn't affect us, it's fine!"
The news was quickly relayed to the border through various channels.
“Aolai Kingdom?” Wei Dongzhu read the news report aloud twice.
"The Great Zhou Dynasty is already corrupt, so let's change it. Call it Aolai Kingdom, that's fine."
Shen Yuanjing rushed over with the news report in his hand.
"General Wei, are you aware that His Majesty has changed the name of the country?"
Wei Dongzhu put the news report aside: "I know, I agree with His Majesty's decision to change the country's name."
Shen Yuanjing was somewhat anxious: "The name of the Great Zhou Dynasty has been used for a long time. How can it be changed so easily? If the change of the name causes trouble, all the blame will be placed on His Majesty. At that time, His Majesty's hard work will collapse in an instant."
Wei Dongzhu saw his anxious expression but just smiled and let it go.
"The Kingdom of Aolai is now so well-governed by His Majesty that if it were to crumble because of a few mere rumors, it would mean that there is a problem with His Majesty's governance."
Seeing that Wei Dongzhu remained unmoved, Shen Yuanjing grew anxious, and even more sweat beaded on his forehead.
"General Wei, are you going to condone His Majesty's wrong decisions?"
Wei Dongzhu gave him a cold look: "General Shen, be careful with your words. His Majesty is not someone you or I can speak of lightly."
Shen Yuanjing felt a jolt in his heart as he was being stared at, and immediately realized he had spoken out of turn.
"It was my mistake that led me astray."
Wei Dongzhu watched him leave in a hurry with a cold eye.
The same thing happened to several other sons of the Shen family stationed there.
They wrote letters to the capital expressing their concerns.
There were two identical letters, one to his family and one to the palace.
“They’re writing to us, but what can we do?” Shen Conglian sighed.
They hadn't seen His Majesty for a long time, and not only them, but even the children hadn't been summoned to the palace for a long time.
"Third brother, do you think His Majesty has some ideas?" This question left Shen Congli completely bewildered.
"Second brother, what did you say? Speak louder." Shen Congli's ears developed an ear disease a year ago, and since then, his hearing has been deteriorating day by day.
Shen Conglian shouted, "Does His Majesty not intend to choose an heir from our Shen family?"
This time, Shen Congli heard it clearly. The voice was so loud that not only he, but even the servants sweeping outside the door could hear it clearly.
Shen Conglian was furious after shouting, but luckily the Shen family's residence was on both sides, otherwise outsiders would have heard what he said.
“There are some things that you can’t say outside, but you can say at home. Now that your ears are like this, there are some things you can’t say even at home.”
They now only have two brothers left. Because of what the fourth brother did, the Shen family rarely goes out to make friends anymore.
The only one he can speak to now is his third brother, but unfortunately, his third brother is hard of hearing.
Liu has been busy arranging her grandson's wedding lately, and her health has deteriorated. She has been lying in bed for several days and has been taking medicine, but there has been no improvement.
There's no one in the family to talk to now, and Shen Conglian paced anxiously around the room.
"No, we have to call the boss back."
Now that there has been no war for a long time, it should be acceptable to withdraw one or two people back to the capital to take care of the elderly, right?
Shen Conglian thought about it more and more and felt that he could not wait any longer, so he immediately wrote letters to his sons.
There was absolutely no room for discussion about changing the country's name. Before the Shen family's sons' letter even reached the capital, Shen Lanxi had already performed the sacrificial ceremony to Heaven, announcing the change of the country's name to the world.
By the time other regions received the news, the country's name had already been changed.
The Great Zhou Dynasty was officially renamed Aolai Kingdom.
Spring passed and autumn came, and the Ministry of Works reported a matter.
"Your Majesty, canals have been built connecting the north and south. The total length of the waterways is now over 1,700 kilometers, running from north to south. Hundreds of thousands of people along the canals have benefited, and more than one million mu of land has been irrigated."
Shen Lanxi's eyes lit up: "Great!"
"The Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of Revenue should work together to prepare for my southern tour after the New Year!"
The officials were invigorated and instantly forgot most of the awkwardness of the country's name.
"Your Majesty, the southern tour is a momentous event that requires at least a year of preparation. Now, it is only a few months away from the end of the year, which may be inappropriate."
Shen Lanxi: "I think it's inappropriate. I want to see if some people are deceiving their superiors and misrepresenting their achievements."
"The opening of the waterways between the north and south is a boon to the country and its people, a feat that will last for generations. I must personally go and investigate it!"
Liu Yan replied: "Your Majesty is wise!"
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