The Empress traveled through time and space, and she fought for supremacy in the troubled times

As soon as Yun Zhi finished speaking, whispers were heard in the court.

They didn't expect that His Majesty would appoint a non-blood-related person as the crown prince.

When the ministers saw that they could not persuade Yun Zhi to marry and have children, they began to look for an adoptive son for her and train him to become the next emperor.

It was during that period that Yun Zhi frequently summoned Yun Jingxian's two children and some descendants of the Lin family.

At that time, they thought that His Majesty had the same plan, but a few years passed and there was no news that His Majesty wanted to adopt the child.

Seeing that those children had grown up, His Majesty had not yet adopted the child of that family, and they also found that His Majesty often summoned Lin Yue.

Lin Yue was indeed outstanding in all aspects, and at that time they guessed that His Majesty must have decided to let Lin Yue inherit the throne.

I didn’t expect that His Majesty would appoint Zhu Ning as the heir in the end. Oh no, it should be Yun Ning now.

She was actually appointed as the crown prince. Yun Ning was indeed capable of serving as the crown prince. Her ability was obvious to all the ministers.

If Yun Ning was His Majesty's daughter, they would definitely agree wholeheartedly.

However, not only are they not related by blood, they don't even have the slightest blood relationship. They can't get over the hurdle in their hearts.

They have always been taught that family property should be left to their own blood descendants, and if they really have no children, they should choose a child from the clan to adopt.

But they were also afraid that after they dissuaded him, His Majesty would simply give up.

After a hundred years of Your Majesty's death, who will take over Anguo?

Therefore, I could only keep comforting myself in my heart, thinking that there were emperors before who appointed people who were not related by blood as crown princes, and didn’t they govern the country well in the end?

It’s like there was an emperor who had no children, so he adopted his wife’s nephew as his adopted son and later made him the heir.

In addition, some emperors would find children from noble families to adopt them and later make them the crown prince.

Thinking of this, the ministers felt a little comforted.

In fact, the ministers were able to try to accept it because Yun Ning was good enough, so good that they could accept things that they thought were ridiculous.

While the ministers were whispering, Yun Ning walked out of the line, knelt on his knees, and bowed deeply to Yun Zhi above him.

"I, Yun Ning, thank you for your trust. I swear to do my utmost to live up to your high expectations. I will devote all my life's knowledge and energy to ensuring that Anguo will forever stand at the top of the world for generations to come. If I slack off even in the slightest, I will be punished by being cut into pieces!"

Her voice was clear and powerful, echoing in the court and instantly quieting the ministers who were still whispering.

As soon as he finished speaking, the ministers of the Lin family in the court were the first to express their opinions.

"I believe that His Highness Yun Ning will be able to shoulder this important responsibility and make Anguo even more prosperous, so that we can live up to our reputation as the world's most powerful nation!"

Immediately afterwards, Lin Yue also walked out of the line. She glanced at Yun Ning and nodded at her.

"I second the proposal."

Afterwards, more and more ministers stood up and spoke in agreement, but as for the few who spoke, they could just be ignored.

Yun Zhi looked at the scene in front of her with satisfaction, stood up, and said, "Dismiss the court."

Time goes back to the previous day.

Yun Zhi is no longer young. If the crown prince is not decided, the court will probably be in chaos.

Moreover, so many years have passed, which is enough for Yun Zhi to determine who among the three will be the crown prince.

That day, Yun Zhi summoned the three of them to the imperial study.

Yun Zhi sat at the desk, her eyes calmly scanning the three of them.

"I called you here today because of the position of crown prince."

After hearing Yun Zhi's words, the three of them felt that everything was settled for a moment.

"Who do you think can be the crown prince?"

Lin Yue was indeed very perceptive. As soon as Yun Zhi finished speaking, she immediately responded, "Your Majesty, I know that I am not as talented and knowledgeable as you, Lord Zhu, and my ability and vision are not as broad as yours. I will still be a good subject, assist the Crown Prince, and do my best to safeguard the country."

Looking at Lin Yue who chose to give up, Cao Jingshu took a deep breath.

Naturally, he was a little unwilling. How could he be willing? That was the throne.

But she also knew that she was indeed no match for Zhu Ning.

They accepted their defeat with conviction.

"Your Majesty, I wish you all the best in your devotion to the country and your extraordinary strategic planning. Under your leadership, Anguo will surely prosper. I am willing to assist you wholeheartedly without hesitation."

"Okay, then the position of crown prince will be held by Zhu Ning."

At this moment, Zhu Ning, who had been silent the whole time, raised his head and looked at Yun Zhi, "Your Majesty, can I have a word with you alone?"

Lin Yue and Cao Jingshu looked at each other, then tactfully excused themselves and left.

For a moment, Yun Zhi and Zhu Ning were the only ones in the imperial study.

After hearing the door close, Zhu Ning knelt heavily. "I am deeply humbled to have your Majesty's trust, but I am also delighted. Your Majesty, may I change my surname to 'Yun'? From now on, I will serve you and dedicate myself to the safety of the country."

Yun Zhi was slightly stunned. She didn't expect her to bring it up on her own initiative.

"This is the surname you carefully chose. Do you want to change it?"

"Before, I was just a beggar. All I hoped for was blessings from others. But with the surname 'Yun', I can get all these. It is an honor for me to have the surname Yun."

Yun Zhi was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, "Since that's the case, I agree. From now on, your surname will be Yun, and your name will be Ning."

Back to the present, Yun Zhi's announcement of the choice of crown prince only shocked the court. As for the people, the emperor is far away and they only care about whether the next emperor can bring them a good life. The rest is none of their business.

After learning about this, Lin Huixin in the palace immediately summoned Yun Jingxian.

"Mom, what's the matter with you calling me here?"

"What do you think about Mimi appointing Yun Ning as the crown prince?"

After saying that, Lin Huixin stared at Yun Jingxian closely.

She was afraid that the two siblings would become enemies.

As for Yun Ning's child, perhaps because she loves him so much, or perhaps because of her true love for him, Lin Huixin likes him very much.

Every time she came to the palace, she would come to visit her. She was extremely respectful to her and Yun Youde, and she knew when to act and when to retreat so as not to offend anyone.

Listening to his mother's words, Yun Jingxian scratched his head in confusion. "Why are you asking this, mother? I think Yun Ning is truly capable. To be chosen as the crown prince by Mimi, he must be able to lead Anguo towards a better future."

Lin Huixin breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm relieved that you think this way. You have to know that Meimei built this empire bit by bit. This kingdom is hers. It's Meimei's business to choose the crown prince. You can't become estranged from Meimei just because she didn't choose your children."

At this moment, Yun Jingxian finally understood what his mother meant and quickly said, "Mother, what do you think of your son? I absolutely support my sister's decision and have absolutely no complaints. Besides, Yun Ning is indeed very talented. To be valued so highly by my sister, he must have some extraordinary qualities. Besides, I know what my two children are like. They are definitely not as good as Yun Ning. Besides, being an emperor is so tiring, they don't want to be one at all."

As soon as Yun Jingxian finished speaking, Lin Huixin finally showed a relieved smile on her face: "Jingxian, I am relieved that you think so. However, the affairs of the palace have always been complicated. There will inevitably be troubles in the future. You must be careful with your words and actions and don't cause trouble for your sister."

Yun Jingxian responded, "Son, I understand."

In the following years, Yun Ning further demonstrated her abilities, and the discussion about her in the court became less and less.

In the 35th year of Yongding, Yun Zhi chose to abdicate and give way to Yun Ning.

With her watching from behind, Yun Ning will be able to gain a foothold in this position, and it won't matter if she dies then.

On July 23rd, the weather was clear and cloudless.

That day, the sun was shining brightly. Yun Zhi stood there, watching the heir she was satisfied with walk towards her step by step.

Anguo welcomed its second emperor.

(End of text)