Double Life: The Sickly Prince Eavesdrops on My Heart

Xiao Jingxuan took it out, handed it to Xiao Lanmei gently, and said softly: "Come here, Xiao Lanmei, this is a gift from your uncle!"

Xiaolan opened her big eyes and looked at the golden lock curiously, her little hands gently touching the smooth surface.

Bai Xiaoru and Gu Junheng looked at each other with gratitude on their faces. "Your Majesty, this gift is too valuable. We cannot accept it." Bai Xiaoru said quickly.

Xiao Jingxuan waved his hand, "This is a gift for Xiaolan, you must accept it."

Qin Ruhuan also smiled and said, "Xiao Ru, please accept the prince's kindness." Bai Xiaoru and Gu Junheng then nodded and thanked him.

Xiaolanmei held the golden lock and smiled happily. That innocent smile seemed to dispel all the haze.

Everyone looked at Xiaolan's cute appearance and their hearts were filled with warmth.

That night, everything was quiet and Xiao Jingxuan and Qin Ruhuan were sleeping soundly.

Suddenly, a heavy bell sound came from the distance. The sound seemed to come from a deep valley, carrying a sense of solemnity and sadness.

Xiao Jingxuan suddenly sat up from the bed, his face instantly becoming extremely solemn. "Death knell! Oh no, the emperor has passed away!" His voice was filled with shock and grief.

Qin Ruhuan also woke up immediately, her eyes also full of shock and sadness.

Without any hesitation, the two men immediately stood up and quickly put on their plain clothes. Their actions were swift and decisive, with only one thought in mind - to get to the palace as soon as possible.

Soon, they were riding on fast horses, and the sound of horse hooves was particularly loud in the silent night.

The horses galloped towards the palace like an arrow. The wind whistled in their ears and their hearts were in a knot.

Xiao Jingxuan knew that there must be chaos in the palace, and as regents, they had to arrive as soon as possible to do their part in the emperor's funeral.

They raced through the darkness, their hearts filled with worry and responsibility for Dasheng's future.

Xiao Jingxuan and Qin Ruhuan rode at full speed to the palace and went straight to the emperor's bedroom.

As soon as he entered the bedroom, he saw the second prince, the fourth prince, the fifth prince, and the sixth prince, all dressed in plain clothes with heavy expressions.

Some of the imperial concubines and imperial concubines shed tears silently, while others sobbed softly with sorrow on their faces.

The Queen Mother sat aside, looking sad, her eyes revealing deep fatigue and sadness.

A heavy atmosphere of sadness filled the bedroom, and the white curtains fluttered gently in the wind, adding a sense of desolation.

When everyone saw Xiao Jingxuan and Qin Ruhuan arriving, they nodded slightly.

Xiao Jingxuan took a few steps forward and knelt respectfully in front of the emperor's dragon bed, and Qin Ruhuan also knelt down.

They looked at the deceased emperor, their hearts filled with sorrow and emotion.

The second prince's eyes were red and he said in a hoarse voice: "My father is gone just like that, and the great country of Dasheng..." He choked up before he finished speaking.

The fourth prince and the fifth prince also had sorrow on their faces and remained silent.

The Sixth Prince looked pale, with tears in his eyes, for he knew very well that he was about to shoulder a heavy responsibility.

The Queen Mother spoke slowly, her voice weak but majestic: "The emperor has passed away, and the whole country mourns. Now the new emperor should be enthroned, and all the princes should work together to assist the new emperor and stabilize the court."

Everyone responded respectfully. Xiao Jingxuan raised his head and looked at the Queen Mother and the princes. He secretly vowed in his heart that he must assist the Sixth Prince and protect the country of Dasheng.

Xiao Jingxuan looked solemn. After properly arranging Emperor Wen's funeral, he went to the main hall with Xiao Yi.

Although it was early morning, the night was as dark as ink and everything was silent, all the ministers were present.

They were all dressed in plain clothes and stood quietly in the hall. The atmosphere was solemn and dignified.

Xiao Yi slowly stepped onto the steps leading to the dragon throne, and each step seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.

The heavy footsteps echoed in the empty hall, as if telling of the heavy responsibility that was about to be shouldered.

When the ministers saw Xiao Yi coming, they all knelt down and kowtowed, shouting in unison: "Long live the emperor!"

Xiao Yi waved his hand suddenly, his voice as steady and powerful as a bell: "All the nobles, please stand up! My father passed away suddenly, and I was ordered to take charge of this matter. I swear here that I will do my best to protect the Great Sheng Kingdom! I hope that all the nobles will stick to their respective duties and never slack off. We must avoid turmoil in the court. You and I should work together to overcome this difficulty!"

Xiao Yi sat upright on the dragon throne, his eyes slowly sweeping over His Highness and his ministers, with a myriad of thoughts in his mind.

He knew very well that now that he had taken on the heavy responsibility of managing the country, the road ahead would be full of challenges and difficulties.

But he also understood that he could not retreat and must move forward bravely.

"Do you have anything to report?" Xiao Yi asked. The ministers looked at each other, and no one spoke for a while.

After a while, an old minister stood up and said, "Your Majesty, now that the previous emperor has passed away and the new emperor has just been established, the most urgent task is to stabilize the people's hearts and consolidate the government. I think you can grant amnesty to show your majesty's benevolence."

Xiao Yi nodded slightly and said, "My dear minister, what you said is very true. This matter can be handed over to the Ministry of Rites for discussion and handling."

Then, another minister proposed to strengthen border defense to prevent foreign enemies from taking the opportunity to invade.

Xiao Yi listened carefully to the ministers' suggestions and responded one by one.

Three days later, the coronation ceremony officially began!

The ceremony was held at the observation deck. All the ministers and princes were present, except for today's protagonist, the Sixth Prince, who had not yet shown up!

The crowd below was discussing, "Why hasn't His Majesty come yet?"

"Of course. If he is late for the coronation ceremony, how can he govern the country?" Some old ministers shook their heads.

Seeing that the auspicious time was approaching, Xiao Jingxuan became anxious and shouted loudly: "Feixue, go and invite His Majesty! Quick!"

At this moment, the chief eunuch Wang came over with the imperial edict in his hand.

He stood on the stage, unfolded the imperial edict, and read aloud, "The Emperor declares: From now on, I will pass the throne to my uncle Xiao Jingxuan for a period of three years. My uncle is kind and benevolent, and is a lucky general for Dasheng. I hope that my uncle will protect Dasheng for three years. After three years, I will come back to inherit the throne!

"I have many unfinished business today, and it is difficult for me to get away! I hope my uncle and the nobles will show sympathy! Today's ceremony will proceed normally. It is not my succession ceremony, but my uncle's. Anyone who disobeys the emperor's order will be executed. I decree this!"

Suddenly, there was a lot of discussion in the audience...

“It’s so ridiculous!”

"How many emperors have escaped from the grand ceremony!"

The ministers sighed and were extremely disappointed with Xiao Yi!

At this moment, the second prince and the fourth prince stood up.

The second prince's eyes widened with anger, and he shouted, "How dare my uncle ascend the throne? This throne should be chosen from among us brothers, how can it be easily given to an outsider?"

The fourth prince also echoed, "That's right, Sixth Brother's move is really absurd. How can the throne be passed on to anyone at will? We will never allow our uncle to ascend the throne."