Shocking! Five men are in love with the same woman!

Lingyan stood to the side, feeling as if a thousand-pound boulder was pressing down on her heart, making her feel so suffocated.

My eyes gradually reddened, and a sore feeling kept rising in my nose.

She instinctively tried to hold back, but eventually a tear broke through her defenses and slowly slid down her cheek.

She thought she wouldn't cry, but the sorrow was unexpectedly overwhelming.

Then her gaze slowly shifted to Xiao Muyao.

His posture remained as upright as a pine tree, his face stern and calm.

But his slightly trembling hands and his tightly pursed, pale lips betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

She knew that his grief at this moment must be as vast and unfathomable as an ocean.

A thousand times, ten thousand times more than her.

From childhood to adulthood, Emperor Jingzhao poured endless fatherly love and care into him.

They taught him with care and guidance, shielded him from the wind and rain, and accompanied him on his journey of growth.

It was a deep-rooted bond of kinship, and now that it has been severed, the pain is unimaginable.

However, he has always been reserved and self-controlled, and dislikes showing his emotions on the surface.

Moreover, his status has now changed. As an emperor, he bears the dignity and responsibility of the entire dynasty and cannot afford to lose his composure in front of others.

Therefore, he could only desperately suppress the overwhelming sadness and grief deep within his heart.

With a strong exterior, they created a seemingly calm sky for this precarious moment.

Lingyan looked at him, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her.

I feel both sorry for him and admiration for his forbearance.

At this moment, the cries of sorrow inside the hall burst through the palace walls like a surging tide, reaching the outside.

The civil and military officials, members of the imperial family, and the concubines were all taken aback at first.

Then, as if an invisible hand had pressed their heads down, they all knelt on the ground.

Some officials were in tears, covered their faces with their hands, and their shoulders were trembling violently.

The cries were heart-wrenching, as if the most precious support in the world had been lost.

He murmured and wept, pleading for His Majesty's grace and his unwavering loyalty, truly overcome with grief.

Some of the concubines also cried their hearts out, looking extremely heartbroken.

However, amidst this sorrow, there are also those with ulterior motives.

Some members of the imperial clan also knelt down, but they could only let out a few empty howls and couldn't squeeze out a few tears.

His eyes would occasionally dart around, observing the movements of those around him.

Some officials and concubines lowered their heads slightly, seemingly crying, but in reality, they covered their faces with their sleeves to hide their true, hypocritical, and perfunctory nature.

Inside the palace.

Xiao Muyao slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried his best to suppress the overwhelming sadness surging in his heart.

His hands clenched silently in his sleeves, his knuckles turning white, as if he were making a silent struggle against the grief that was about to devour him.

A moment later, he opened his eyes. The deep eyes no longer held much sorrow, but were replaced by calmness and determination.

Then he stepped out of the hall steadily, his posture upright and his steps firm, each step seemingly carrying immense power.

The sunlight fell on him, but it couldn't dispel the solemn aura emanating from him.

He raised his eyes to look at the kneeling, weeping civil and military officials, his gaze filled with undeniable authority, and said, "My lords..."

Xiao Muyao's voice was deep and powerful, slightly hoarse but clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"The passing of the late Emperor is a great loss to our Great Zhao Dynasty. However, a country cannot be without a ruler for even a day. From this moment on, the most urgent task is to handle the affairs after the passing of the late Emperor to comfort his spirit in heaven."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room. Seeing that everyone had stopped crying and was listening attentively, he continued, "Issue the Ministry of Rites to immediately begin preparations for the national funeral ceremony. All regulations must follow ancestral rules without the slightest deviation. From the arrangement of the mourning hall to the funeral procession, from the mourning period to the arrangements for sacrifices, everything must be planned in detail and submitted to me for review."

After speaking, he looked at the Minister of Rites.

The Minister of Rites immediately knelt down and respectfully replied, "Your subject obeys the decree and will do his utmost to live up to Your Majesty's trust."

He then instructed the other officials one by one: "The Imperial Household Department shall prepare all the necessary items for the funeral, from the coffin to the burial clothes, from the incense and candles to the sacrificial offerings, all of which shall be of the highest quality. The Court of State Ceremonies shall be responsible for receiving the envoys from various countries who come to pay their respects, and shall properly arrange their itinerary and mourning ceremony to demonstrate the prestige of our Great Zhao Kingdom and the style of a nation of etiquette."

The officials accepted the order with solemn and dignified expressions.

Xiao Muyao looked around again and said firmly, "I and all my beloved ministers should be selfless and dedicated to our duties, and work together to overcome this difficult time of national mourning. During this period, all affairs of the court must continue to operate in an orderly manner. No department should slack off and each should perform its duties. Anyone who neglects their duties will be severely punished."

The arrangements were well-organized, concise, and effective.

He displayed the demeanor of an emperor and the composure to remain calm in the face of danger.

This also earned the secret admiration of all the civil and military officials.

This injected a sense of calm and reassurance into the Great Zhao during this turbulent time.

...............

The national mourning bells tolled somberly over the capital.

The long, drawn-out sound waves were like an invisible, sorrowful curse, instantly enveloping the entire capital city.

Inside the palace, eunuchs and palace maids hurried about, all dressed in plain white clothes.

The usual laughter and cheerful conversation were replaced by suppressed sobs and low whimpers.

They walked hurriedly, their expressions solemn.

Carrying various items needed for the funeral, they moved through the palace corridors and courtyards.

Every movement was made with utmost care, for fear of disturbing the spirit of the late emperor.

Mourning halls were set up in each palace and hall, with black and white curtains swaying gently in the wind.

Wisps of smoke rose from the incense burner, filling the air with a deep sense of sorrow.

In the streets and alleys of the capital, people stopped what they were doing when they heard the bell tolling.

The once bustling market fell into a deathly silence. The stall owners hurriedly packed up their goods, their faces filled with grief and awe.

Every household kept their doors tightly shut, hung white lanterns, and lit incense and candles in front of their doors.

The elderly people knelt on the ground, trembling, and chanted prayers for the late emperor.

The women embraced each other and wept, tears streaming down their faces.

The children were also affected by the oppressive atmosphere; their eyes widened, and they dared not utter a sound.

The sound of soft sobbing filled the streets and alleys, as if the entire capital was immersed in a vast ocean of grief.

The mansions of the high-ranking officials and nobles were equally solemn.

Dressed in plain clothes, they gathered in their own halls and performed a sacrificial ceremony facing the direction of the palace.

Some families even invited monks and Taoist priests to chant sutras in the courtyard to pray for the deceased.

The humming of mantras and the pervasive smoke added to the sorrowful and mysterious atmosphere.

Inside various temples and Taoist monasteries, the sounds of bells and chanting mingled together.

The monks, dressed in kasayas and holding wooden fish, chanted the Rebirth Mantra with focused and devout eyes.

The Taoist priests brandished peach wood swords and performed rituals for the deceased emperor's soul, following the steps of the Big Dipper.

Believers flocked to temples and Taoist monasteries, offering incense, candles, and sacrifices.

We pray that the gods will bless the late emperor and grant him peace, and also pray for the future of the Great Zhao Dynasty.

At the city gates of the capital, the guards had also changed into white mourning clothes. Their postures remained upright, but their eyes revealed sorrow.

They increased security to ensure safety and order in the capital during the national mourning period.