The first time in history

"You're still a kid?" Rui Yulan glared at her brother and said, "Looking at the picture, he should be in his twenties."

“Ha, ha, ha…” Rui Yuhuan laughed loudly, “Twenty-something is still a child.” He lowered his head to look at the painting again, saying, “Let me see who drew this. It’s so lifelike.”

"Your nephew Ruichen respectfully painted this." Rui Yuhuan read out every word.

"When did you learn to paint?" Rui Yuhuan glanced at Qian Mingduo and asked.

Qian Mingduo hurried to the emperor, knelt down, and said, "I have never learned painting."

"Who drew this?" Rui Yuhuan asked.

"It was painted by Lu Ran, the daughter of my son's wet nurse."

"Your wet nurse's daughter?" Rui Yuhuan walked up to Qian Mingduo and asked with his head down, "Your royal aunt is so noble, you actually let your wet nurse's daughter draw a portrait for your royal aunt, how can this be considered decent?"

"Brother!" Rui Yulan stood between Rui Yuhuan and Qian Mingduo and said, "Do you think this painting looks like me?"

"Hmm..." Rui Yuhuan nodded and said, "It is very similar. It depicts your heroic spirit. The painting is very vivid."

"I think the same as my brother, the painting is very vivid." Rui Yulan looked at Rui Chen who was kneeling on the ground and said, "I have seen a girl named Lu Ran in Chen'er's house. She is a very smart child. She has never seen what I looked like nearly 20 years ago, but she can paint so well. My brother should reward her on behalf of my sister!"

"Give her whatever you want to reward her." Rui Yuhuan looked at the painting again and said, "It's a good painting. Ask her to draw one for me one day."

"My court painters painted me like this." He said as he entered the room, "Even I don't recognize myself."

After Rui Yuhuan entered the room, Rui Yulan followed in. He brought a cup of hot tea and placed it in front of Rui Yuhuan.

"Xiao Lan, it's been three years. It's time for you to come out and help your brother." Rui Yuhuan said in a gentle tone, "The situation in the court is complicated now, with internal and external troubles... I need you."

Rui Yulan lowered her eyes slightly, a complex emotion flashed in her eyes. She sighed softly and said, "Brother, it's not that I don't want to help you, but I've been tired for the past three years."

"Why don't you hang up the painting?" Rui Yuhuan pointed to the scroll on the table.

"Tell Rujiao and Yujiao to hang up later!" Rui Yulan said lightly.

Rui Yuhuan walked to Rui Yulan, patted her shoulder gently, and said, "Xiao Lan, I understand the pain in your heart."

Rui Yuhuan walked to the window and looked at the people standing in the yard. He sighed and said, "Since you locked yourself in, I have deeply experienced what it means to be alone. There is no one around me to talk to."

"I have several royal sisters-in-law. Isn't there anyone that I can talk to my eldest brother about his true feelings?"

"The harem is not allowed to interfere in government affairs. This is the rule I set." Rui Yuhuan slowly sat back in his chair. "How can you talk to a woman about state affairs?"

"Then am I not a woman too?" Rui Yulan said coquettishly.

"You and I are from the same mother and are the same flesh and blood. You are a hero who helped me build this country." Rui Yuhuan took a sip of tea and said, "You are different from them."

"What's making you uneasy right now, brother?" Rui Yulan asked softly.

"There's nothing that can make you uneasy. I came here today just to talk to you. You haven't visited me in a few years." Rui Yuhuan turned his head, and his neck made a "crackling, crackling" sound.

Rui Yulan quietly walked behind Rui Huan and massaged his neck. She knew that Rui Yuhuan's biggest concern now was the issue of establishing a crown prince.

"Don't you have a satisfactory candidate in your mind, brother?" Rui Yulan glanced out the window.

"It's hard to establish a country, and it's even harder to maintain it!" Rui Yuhuan's words revealed a hint of helplessness. "I also want to appoint a crown prince early. I am very clear about the interests involved."

"Establishing a crown prince early can stabilize the regime and reduce unnecessary internal strife!" Rui Yulan said softly.

"But look at these guys. Who can I trust? Who can I hand over the country to?"

“Once the crown prince is determined, we can select an outstanding prince tutor to teach him how to govern the country. Big brother can also teach him personally and impart to him the ways of being an emperor!” Rui Yulan picked up the red clay teapot and added some hot water for Rui Yuhuan.

"If we follow the so-called royal tradition, the heir apparent will be the heir apparent, and if there is no heir apparent, the eldest son will be the heir apparent." Rui Yulan sat opposite Rui Yuhuan and asked softly, "I wonder if big brother will follow this tradition? Or..."

Rui Yuhuan sighed softly, "You know that my eldest brother has never appointed a queen, so there is no way to appoint a legitimate heir. If there is no legitimate heir, the eldest son will be appointed... That means the second son Ruiyin."

"Yin'er can be said to be the eldest prince."

"But Ruiyin..." Rui Yuhuan looked at his sister and said, "He seems to be indifferent and non-competitive, but in fact he is scheming. Moreover, Ruiyin is too obsessed with women."

"Then Ruiyin has no merit at all?"

Rui Yuhuan thought for a moment and said, "He is the oldest and has some shrewdness. He has also been with me on the battlefield for several years. He also wants to learn to be virtuous, but his virtue is a bit artificial. Virtue... is not something that can be learned!"

"So, big brother has not considered establishing the eldest son as the heir, so which prince do you think should be the heir..."

Rui Yuhuan waved his hand and interrupted Rui Yulan. "This matter concerns the long-term interests of our country. I will discuss this with you in the future. Now, I have something to discuss with you..."

Qian Mingduo, who was standing in a corner of the courtyard, saw his second brother Ruiyin enter the courtyard, so he stepped forward and bowed and said, "Second brother! Are you doing well recently?"

"I'm fine." Rui Yin smiled. He looked inside the room and asked quietly, "Is my father here with my aunt?"

"Father's procession is here." Ruiyou said disdainfully, "Do you even need to ask?"

Ruiyin glanced at Ruiyou from the side and smiled slightly.

"Greetings to the second, third and fifth brothers!" Rui Shen said politely with a bow.

Ruishen is only two months younger than Ruichen and is the sixth among the princes.

"Have you all congratulated the Imperial Aunt on her birthday?" Rui Shen asked.

"I came here with your fifth brother and have already knelt to congratulate the Imperial Aunt." Ruiyou said.

"Sixth brother, I heard that Concubine Shu was not feeling well a few days ago. I wonder if she is well now?" Rui Yin asked.

Rui Shen walked to Rui Yin, bowed and said, "Thank you for your concern, second brother. Mother is fine now. The imperial physician said that she will be fine after a few more days of rest."

"My second brother knows some medicinal herb merchants. If Concubine Shu needs anything, you can come to me at any time. I will ask these people to do their best." Rui Yin said.