"What do you mean by changing the dress code to men's clothing? I'm a woman, why should I wear men's clothes? Just take my former empress's clothes, change the patterns and style. Since I'm the female ruler who ascended the throne, the world has to accept that I'm a woman. Wearing men's clothes, is that not accepting myself?"
"Yes, we understand."
"Good that you understand. When I become emperor, the children of the late emperor will retain their status. The abdicated emperor will become a Prince of the First Rank, above all other princes. I, his legal mother, will take his throne. He only needs to bow to me; his humiliation will be limited. You are all loyal to me, and you all rose through the ranks since the late emperor. So remember my words: no matter how many years I reign, I will only be acting as emperor for the Shu family. The reason I must remain emperor is because I will pass the throne to my daughter. But I will still tell the Seventh Princess that the next emperor will still be from the Shu family. Those born to her will always bear her surname, Shu. Therefore, if any members of the Shu family want to rebel, I will kill them. But as long as they behave well and acknowledge me as their legal mother, they will remain noble princes and princesses. No one is more noble than them."
"After I ascend the throne, the Seventh Princess will be my heir. However, I don't like the title 'Crown Princess,' it doesn't sound good. You all think of one. In the future, if any princess is designated as the heir, we'll use that name. Also, I saw someone submit a memorial asking me to posthumously honor the ancestors of the Yan family and bestow additional titles upon my father after my ascension. Nonsense! Remember, I am not the emperor as a daughter of the Yan family, but as a daughter-in-law of the Shu family. Understand?"
Everyone readily agreed, but couldn't help but admire him.
That's brilliant.
The Empress Dowager's actions effectively prevented those who felt wronged from making a scene.
Yan Nangui knew exactly what to do; after ascending the throne, he would simply bestow the title of king upon Yan Lingyun.
The title was still demoted for three generations.
Yan Lingyun doesn't have many more years left to guard the frontier; he's almost seventy.
Come back and enjoy your life.
After everything was settled, Yan Nangui rarely had a day of free time.
Yuanhua hesitated for a moment, then said, "Your Highness, the Lady of Xinyang is ill, and it is said to be quite serious."
The Duke of Xinyang was the Marquis of Xinyang in the past.
Luo Ji, the Duke of Xinyang, has been dead for three years.
Lan Xiangyi is still alive.
Yan Nangui sighed, "Don't hide it from me anymore."
"Yes, this servant will never dare to do it again." Yuanhua was also thinking that Her Highness had been too busy lately.
"Go change your clothes and go take a look."
An hour later, a group of people arrived at the Luo family's residence, and the Luo family only then found out. They hurriedly came out to greet them.
After Yan Nangui told him to skip the formalities, he went to the backyard.
Lan Xiangyi couldn't get up, so her daughter-in-law received her.
After exchanging a few casual words, Yan Nangui went into the inner room.
Lan Xiangyi was helped up and sat down: "The Empress Dowager has arrived..."
"How is Aunt? I've been so busy these past few days, and I only found out today. It's all my fault."
"Your Majesty, what are you saying? It's just that you're getting old and ill," Lan Xiangyi said with a smile.
"Really?" Yan Nangui sat down and took her hand. "I've been busy these past few years, and we haven't seen each other much. But I've always thought about my aunt."
Lan Xiangyi smiled and waved her hand, telling everyone to leave.
Only incense sticks and a cord remained in the room.
"I'm fine, I won't die. I can live for a few more years. But you, I've been hearing some unpleasant things lately. Is it because the emperor has grown up and... can't tolerate you anymore? You've done so much for him all these years. I heard the Cheng family is causing a lot of trouble. Is the Empress Dowager Cheng also turning her back on you?"
"Aunt, what's happening outside is true. Don't you know? The Emperor has abdicated." Yan Nangui smiled; the news had spread. Presumably, Lan Xiangyi was ill, and no one dared to tell her the details.
"Aunt, you must take good care of yourself. My coronation ceremony should be in May. You must attend the ceremony in person. There are still two or three months, enough time for you to recover."
"What? Ascend the throne? You...you?" Lan Xiangyi's eyes widened.
“Yes, I have ascended the throne,” Yan Nangui said with a smile.
Lan Xiangyi was stunned for a long time before suddenly saying, "I dreamed about it once before, and it seemed unbelievable. It turns out it was real?"
"Is Aunt happy?" Yan Nangui asked, amused.
She hadn't spoken so easily in a long time.
“I’m not happy. What’s so great about being an emperor… You’re a woman, it’s exhausting. But you’ve gotten this far, that’s your ability. Your aunt watched you climb up step by step. It’s good this way, you can be the emperor, and then we can make our Seventh Princess the emperor too. Then those people can stop saying that she’s a woman.”
Lan Xiangyi had heard plenty of gossip outside, even though it was mostly from the maids and such at home.
They say that even if the Empress Dowager holds power now, she will eventually leave. Once she's gone, what will happen to the Seventh Princess, a woman without the Empress Dowager's abilities? She'll likely face retribution from the Emperor.
"So when you get better, watch my coronation ceremony. It would be best if you also watched Bao'er's," Yan Nangui said.
"Good! Just because of your skill, your aunt can't die. You have to see everything. When you go to see your mother in a few years, tell her and give her a good scare. Tell your grandfather too," Lan Xiangyi said with a smile.
Yan Nangui chatted with her for a while with a smile before leaving.
After that day, Lan Xiangyi indeed recovered.
On May 28th of that year, the new emperor ascended the throne.
Envoys from various countries have arrived.
The former Empress Dowager, now the Empress of Baiye, has come in person.
They also brought along the little prince of Baiye Kingdom, saying he would be the seventh princess's male consort.
The crown princess of Mengzhu Kingdom also came, saying that since the Prince Zun was no longer the emperor, he had to have a child with her. She said she would stay here and wouldn't go back until she had a child.
The geese's choice to return south was indeed the right one.
Everyone in the world knows her promise. She will not change the dynasty, nor will she change the imperial system. The Grand General of the Yan family will simply be granted the title of First-Rank Prince.
She told the world that she was the empress, as the daughter-in-law of the Shu family.
Even if everyone knows that she was only doing it for the Seventh Princess, so what?
The Seventh Princess is a descendant of the late Emperor.
In other words, if you've already accepted the female lead, what's there to not accept in the next one?
The wild geese returned south, and the emperor's title was Jingcheng.
It means to connect the past and the future.
On the day of his ascension to the throne, he appointed an heir. That heir was none other than the late emperor's seventh princess, Shu Hengyu.
After everyone discussed it, someone suggested that since the abdicated emperor was a prince, why not name the future princess who succeeds him as the Princess of the Nation?
He received the same treatment as the Crown Prince.
After Yan Nangui looked at it, he also felt there was nothing wrong with it.
Therefore, the Seventh Princess is now Princess Anping of the Zun Kingdom, the rightful heir.
Yan Nangui wore a black dragon robe with red trim and gold thread. Inside and out of the robe were twelve imperial symbols, depicting mountains, rivers, birds, and beasts.
On her head was a woman's hair crown.
Standing before the Tai Chen Hall, she received the congratulations of the officials. After the shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" were heard, she looked down at everyone below.
When I came here, I didn't actually think that far ahead.
A person's ambition is nurtured step by step.
However, the fact that she can stand here, even though Shu Chengfeng has been dead for several years, means she has to admit that he gave her a helping hand.
Across this vast land, she is not alone.
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