First annul the engagement, then sever ties with the empress; the empress reigns supreme.

He searched the hidden compartment for a long time but couldn't find anything. His dull eyes looked at Qingyanzi without any emotion.

"No."

"What do you mean by 'nothing'? Does it mean it was originally here, but now it's gone?" Qingyanzi asked nervously.

"Hmm." Emperor Sheng nodded emphatically, then resumed his expressionless and quiet demeanor.

“Someone got there first,” Wei Ming concluded immediately.

Qingyanzi said fiercely, "Then what do we do now? We've worked so hard for so long, we can't just stay stuck here."

As she spoke, she looked at Mu Lingxuan with suspicion.

Mu Lingxuan shook his head: "The disappearance of the Imperial Seal has nothing to do with me. I have never even seen the Imperial Seal."

Upon hearing Mu Lingxuan's denial, Qingyanzi stopped staring at him, but he didn't completely believe Mu Lingxuan's words either. He turned his gaze back to Wei Ming, waiting for Wei Ming to make a decision. It was clear that between the two, Qingyanzi had always favored Wei Ming.

Wei Ming declared, "First, have people secretly search for the Imperial Seal throughout the entire capital. The abdication will proceed as planned. As long as Emperor Sheng is alive, Prince Xuan can ascend the throne even without the Imperial Seal, though it won't be as legitimate. But none of that matters. Once the Imperial Seal is found, no one will dare to gossip."

"Okay, whatever you say." Qingyanzi agreed and issued the order. As the group left Fengyi Palace, Wei Ming stared intently at the direction of the secret passage for a long time, as if he were reminiscing about something.

The next day.

The Emperor Sheng, who had not attended court for a long time, came to court, which surprised the Manchu officials and made them feel that things were not simple.

Currently, some of the court officials support Mu Lingxuan, some are controlled by Qingyanzi through medication, and only a very small portion still support Mu Lingye.

Of course, among these people were the Left Chancellor, Prince Su, and Ning Hanshuang.

Wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, Emperor Sheng was helped to sit on the dragon throne by Xu Decai, and he appeared to be in perfect health. In fact, he seemed even more energetic than before he fell ill.

Upon seeing this, the ministers began to whisper among themselves. Even those ministers who supported Mu Lingxuan, who were controlled by Qingyanzi, were unaware that Emperor Sheng was going to abdicate in favor of Mu Lingxuan today.

"The Emperor seems much more energetic. Could it be that the Imperial Preceptor's elixir has really worked?"

"That might be true; after all, the Imperial Advisor does have some skills."

"I've heard that they haven't received His Highness the Crown Prince from the south. I'm afraid his trip to the south this time is fraught with danger."

"Yes, I'm afraid it won't be long before a new crown prince is appointed."

"Hey, isn't that the Crown Princess? Why is she here too?"

Finally, someone noticed that Gu Junxi had followed Qingyanzi into the hall.

Xu Decai stepped forward, holding the imperial edict. Upon seeing this display of power, the court officials fell silent and knelt down.

Xu Decai, in a high-pitched voice, read the imperial edict aloud.

According to heaven’s destiny, the emperor issued an edict:

Since I ascended the throne, I have served for decades, working tirelessly day and night to manage all affairs of state, wishing only for the eternal stability of the country and the well-being of the people.

However, time waits for no one, and recently the Emperor's health has deteriorated, and his energy is waning. I fear he may no longer be able to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the ancestral temple and the state.

Prince Xuan, Mu Lingxuan, is kind and benevolent, insightful in governance, and has served me in governing for many years. He is highly capable and widely praised by the court and the people. To ensure the longevity of the nation, I have decided to abdicate in favor of Prince Xuan, Mu Lingxuan. From this day forward, Prince Xuan, Mu Lingxuan, shall ascend the throne, inherit the imperial line, and assume full control of the government.

All officials, both civil and military, must wholeheartedly assist the new ruler and work together to bring peace and prosperity to the people.

This proclamation is hereby issued to the entire realm, so that all may know. So be it.

After the words were spoken, there was complete silence. Although, given the current situation, Mu Lingxuan's succession was practically a foregone conclusion, it was still far too sudden.

After all, Emperor Sheng looked healthier than before.

Ning Hanshuang bowed first and said, "Your Majesty, I think this is inappropriate. How can the throne be passed to a prince while the crown prince is still in power? Whether according to seniority or whether the throne is inherited by the legitimate or illegitimate son, the crown prince should inherit the throne."

Emperor Sheng sat on the dragon throne, his face stern and solemn. He said in a measured tone, "I have been bedridden for several days, and the Crown Prince has not even shown up, not even a simple word of greeting. Such filial impiety is unworthy of being a ruler. Prince Xuan, during my illness, has been by my side day and night, his filial piety is truly moving. He is worthy of being a ruler. Alright, this matter is settled, and no one may raise any objections."

Mu Lingye has been demoted from the capital and gone to the south. How can I send my regards when he's not around?

That's biased.

Even with his bias, no one could do anything to Emperor Sheng.

As soon as Emperor Sheng finished speaking these dictatorial words, a group of Jingwei guards entered from outside.

It was clear that they intended to use force to suppress the rebellion and force everyone to agree with Emperor Sheng's decision.

Seeing this, Ning Hanshuang fell silent, seemingly lost in thought.

Having been waiting outside the hall for some time, Mu Lingxuan, dressed in a new dragon robe, stepped into the hall and walked step by step toward his seat, the seat that everyone longed for.

Emperor Sheng also stood up from his throne and stepped aside, waiting for Mu Lingxuan to come forward to complete the sacred handover ceremony.

“Father.” Mu Lingxuan stopped and looked at Emperor Sheng, only to find that although Emperor Sheng was looking at him, he did not meet his eyes.

The person before him was his father, yet he was no longer his father.

Mu Lingxuan was filled with mixed emotions.

"Mu Lingxuan, are you ready to complete your mission? From now on, the Great Sheng will be under your protection."

A smile appeared on Emperor Sheng's face, but it didn't reach his eyes.

Mu Lingxuan knew that this was not what Emperor Sheng truly intended.

Mu Lingxuan dared not look at Emperor Sheng any longer, and sadly looked away. He was afraid that if he continued to look at Emperor Sheng, he would lose his composure and could no longer hold back his emotions.

To the people of Da Sheng, Emperor Sheng was not a good emperor. To Mu Lingxuan, he was not a good father. But to Mu Lingxuan himself, he was definitely a good father.

"Father, rest assured, I will protect the Great Sheng in my hands." Mu Lingxuan replied through gritted teeth, his words carrying another deeper meaning: while protecting the Great Sheng, he would also do his utmost to ensure the safety of the Emperor.

But his words were also empty promises. Qingyanzi had dared to cast a curse on Emperor Sheng right in front of him before, so how could he guarantee that Qingyanzi wouldn't dare to kill Emperor Sheng in front of him in the future?

Having successfully used Emperor Sheng to elevate Mu Lingxuan to the throne, the Emperor Sheng could now die naturally to avoid further trouble.

Whether in the past or present, Mu Lingxuan keeps making the same mistake: he always oversimplifies things and always puts himself in the position of an innocent victim.

"Alright." The Emperor, who had no thoughts of his own, naturally accepted Mu Lingxuan's words. He took off the crown on Mu Lingxuan's head, picked up the golden crown symbolizing the emperor's status from the tray held by Xu Decai, and was about to put it on Mu Lingxuan.

Just then, a series of orderly footsteps sounded outside the hall, and a group of guards in black armor surrounded the entire hall. A person walked out from the group.

The man was also dressed in black armor and held a long sword in his hand.

This person should clearly be Mu Lingye, the Crown Prince of Dasheng, the rightful heir to the throne, who is nowhere to be found among the court officials in the south and whose fate is unknown.

Mu Lingye's sudden appearance took many people by surprise.

The one who found it hardest to believe was Qingyanzi.

Mu Lingye was poisoned by the Gu he had carefully crafted, and he didn't believe Mu Lingye could break free of it.

"Mu Lingye, why are you here instead of in the south? And why have you brought so many black-armored guards? Are you trying to force me to abdicate and rebel?"

Wei Ming stood beside Emperor Sheng, his manner aggressive.

Mu Lingye looked back coldly, then pulled out a small knife from his waist and threw it directly at Wei Ming: "How dare you, a eunuch, who gave you the right to call me by my name?"