In the front courtyard of the Marquis's residence, Cao Jie, Liu Mian, and the rest of their entourage waited quietly.
"Tap. Tap. Tap!"
A series of synchronized voices reached everyone's ears, drawing their attention.
The first thing that caught everyone's eye was Liu Hong's young figure, followed by the more than one hundred teenagers, and the orderly sound came from the feet of these teenagers.
The sheer discipline and pace of their formation astonished not only Cao Jie and Liu Mian, but also the Imperial Guards and Tiger Guards who had accompanied them. They considered themselves the elite of the land, but compared to the group of perfectly synchronized young men behind Liu Hong, they knew they couldn't match their discipline.
Perhaps spurred on, these Imperial Guards and Tiger Guards all stood tall and proud, displaying their proper bearing.
After the Empress Dowager's edict was read aloud, Liu Hong changed into his imperial robes with the help of several palace maids.
"Your Majesty, we pay our respects."
Liu Hong, dressed in the emperor's robes, reappeared before the crowd. Since the Empress Dowager's decree was clear, under the leadership of Liu Mian and Cao Jie, everyone bowed and paid homage to the new young emperor.
"Please, everyone, no need for formalities."
The childish voice revealed an irresistible majesty. Although everyone was surprised by Liu Hong's transformation, they could not understand the reason and could only attribute it to the emperor being divinely ordained. For a moment, a sense of awe arose in everyone's hearts.
"Your Majesty, now that the late Emperor has passed away, Your Majesty should first go to Luoyang to assume the duties of the Emperor and stabilize the hearts of the people."
Cao Jie stood beside Liu Hong with a fawning expression.
“What Attendant Cao says makes sense, but... the soldiers have come a long way and are tired. Why don’t they rest for a couple of days?”
Liu Hong gave Cao Jie a meaningful look, then turned to look at the Imperial Guards and the Tiger Guards, who were known as the emperor's personal guards.
"This...I will comply with Your Majesty's wishes in everything!"
Cao Jie was slightly taken aback, then quickly and respectfully agreed.
Logically speaking, a boy who is only twelve years old should be at an age where he is unruly and rebellious, and it is also the age when he is most easily manipulated and controlled.
However, Cao Jie did not detect the slightest frivolity or panic in Liu Hong's expression or eyes, which made Cao Jie feel even more uneasy. Such a mature young emperor was even better than Emperor Xiaowu of the past.
"Dou Wu, oh Dou Wu, what kind of emperor have we chosen?! Such a person is not someone that an ordinary person can control!!"
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