A concubine? You're more like a joke. I'd rather send you to your death.

Then, Eunuch Yuan picked up the second imperial edict.

"By the providence of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims,

The Prince of Xiling is of noble character, has distinguished himself in battle, and enjoys the support of the people. Therefore, we hereby proclaim to Heaven, the ancestral temple, and all the people that he is hereby appointed Crown Prince of Xiling and shall reside in the Crown Prince's Palace, effective immediately.

His mother, Consort Yun, was gentle and virtuous; she was posthumously honored as Empress Yunde and buried in the imperial mausoleum. This was by imperial decree.

The two imperial edicts shook the court.

"Meet His Highness the Crown Prince."

Several ministers bowed in greeting.

"No need to be polite."

Gu Yanchi was not surprised.

After all, compensation is needed, and the best way to compensate is with the position of crown prince.

First, the empress was deposed; second, Gu Yanchi was made crown prince.

The Second Prince, Gu Yanche, was filled with resentment and even hatred.

Consort Yun was merely the daughter of a merchant, yet she was posthumously honored as Empress. Wouldn't that mean Gu Yanchi was born of the legitimate wife?

Why is there such favoritism? He used to be the third son, and now he's the fifth. What does he lack in terms of literary talent and martial prowess?

"Your Majesty, it may be inappropriate to posthumously confer the title of Empress Yunde upon Consort Yun, given her low social status."

Prime Minister Liu stepped forward and spoke.

There has never been a precedent of a merchant's daughter becoming an empress; isn't that insane?

"Does Prime Minister Liu intend to defy the imperial decree?"

The emperor's eyes swept over him, a look that was cold and murderous.

After his death, he was to be buried in the imperial mausoleum with Consort Yun, so that the descendants of the Gu family would offer incense and sacrifices for thousands of generations.

Having become emperor, he had given up too much by following the rules and regulations. At this moment, he wanted to act willfully, and anyone who dared to stand in his way would die.

"The old minister dare not."

Prime Minister Liu was so frightened that his face turned slightly pale, and sweat dripped down his forehead.

"I am the Son of Heaven, and my word is law. Who dares to speak of death?"

The emperor's voice was domineering and cold, and all the ministers lowered their eyes instantly.

"Your Majesty's decree is obeyed."

Bai Hao's complexion was also not good. Ever since he found out that he had been cheated on, that his beloved wife had been poisoned to death, and that his daughter had become estranged from him, he had been having nightmares every night.

In his dream, Zhang Yuxue was covered in blood and questioned him about why he had done such a thing.

These days, he has been living a life worse than death. Sometimes he really wants to die and end it all, but he still has to protect his daughter. The position of empress is not so easy to hold.

Without a powerful family as a backing, how can one last long?

The emperor glanced at everyone, his expression softening considerably. He felt his health was failing and that he should abdicate as soon as possible to make way for a more capable person.

His beloved son became the crown prince, and the next step was the supreme throne.

He felt guilty towards his son and hoped that these actions could make up for his past mistakes.

After everything was done, he went to the underworld to apologize to his beloved.

"I am feeling very tired today, so I will adjourn the court."

The Emperor glanced at Bai Hao and saw that he also looked rather unwell.

He felt guilty towards his brother because he misjudged people and believed the empress's disguise, which led to all the tragedies.

Now, he really doesn't know how to make amends.

"Congratulations to the emperor."

All the ministers lowered their eyes; the emperor was furious, and who dared to utter another word of dissent?

Prime Minister Liu was completely deflated.

He never expected the emperor to be so furious. With the situation hopeless, he should start planning for the future.

The ministers all left, and Bai Hao, seeing that everyone had left, came alone to Gu Yanchi's side.

"Your Highness, how is Luo'er?"

Upon hearing this, Gu Yanchi's face softened.

"Father-in-law, rest assured, Luo'er is perfectly fine."

"That's good. I hope Your Highness will cherish Luo'er and not let her suffer any injustice."

Bai Hao's face was slightly pale, and his eyes were full of exhaustion.

"Don't worry, father-in-law."

"Thank you."

After Bai Hao finished speaking, he turned and left. Watching his retreating figure, Gu Yanchi sighed slightly.

Everyone wants to make amends, but some things can't be forgiven just by making amends.

The news that Gu Yanchi had been named Crown Prince spread quickly throughout Xiling.

The people all felt that he truly deserved his title, being both literate and martial, and deeply compassionate towards the suffering of the people; they believed he would surely become a wise and benevolent ruler for all time.

Some people say that he was exceptionally made crown prince because the third prince fell from power.

"Your Highness is overjoyed."

At this moment, Butler Wang trotted into the main courtyard, his voice full of joy.

"Report your business slowly, what's the good news?"

Bai Luoluo put down the book in her hand and looked at the butler who came running over breathlessly, and couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

"The news of the prince being named crown prince has spread throughout the streets and alleys. This old servant was so happy that he lost his composure."

Butler Wang's lips curled up in a smile, his joy evident.

"It's only natural, it was bound to happen sooner or later, and it's something to be happy about."

Consort Yun's name was cleared, and the Emperor felt deeply guilty. He wanted to make up for the years he had neglected his son, so the position of Crown Prince was undoubtedly meant for Gu Yanchi.

She hadn't expected it to happen so quickly; in that case, she should head out to find the Dragon Soul Wood.

"Do you think the Prince's residence should make some preparations to celebrate His Highness's ascension to the position of Crown Prince?"

"Now that the Empress has just been deposed, it's best to keep a low profile on this matter to avoid giving anyone any ammunition against us."

The Queen has many followers; it would be inappropriate to celebrate so ostentatiously.

"Your Highness... no, it should be the Crown Princess. It's just that this old servant is old and inconsiderate, and doesn't handle things properly. You're absolutely right."

"Send someone to keep an eye on Jiang Wanning, and report back immediately if anything happens."

Bai Luoluo's brows and eyes held a hint of seriousness.

A woman who loves but cannot be loved will not give up easily; she may be harboring some ill intentions, and some people should be wary of her.

Now that Gu Yanchi has become the crown prince, he's become a target of envy and jealousy. It's likely that Jiang Wanning will be even more determined to take over, probably dreaming of killing her and seizing the throne.

"This old servant will take care of it immediately, Your Highness, please rest assured."

Butler Wang just felt that Bai Luoluo was a bit jealous, so she kept targeting her.

"Well, let's go down."

Bai Luoluo said calmly, picked up the book and continued reading.

Butler Wang left, and Xiao Tao came in with tea and snacks.

"Now that you are the Crown Princess, Miss, I will have to change how I address you from now on."

Xiao Tao actually prefers to call Bai Luoluo "Miss" rather than "Princess," because in her heart Bai Luoluo is her irreplaceable "Miss."

"It's just an empty title, I don't care about it."

It doesn't matter what you call me, it's just a name.

"This servant has something I would like to discuss with Miss."

Xiao Tao lowered her eyes, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"Oh? Xiao Tao, what's the matter? Tell me."

Bai Luoluo became interested; this little girl seemed to have something on her mind.

"Um... I have secretly fallen in love with Brother Ye. I hope you won't be angry, Miss."

Xiao Tao immediately knelt on the ground.

She was of lowly status, a lowly servant. It was a serious crime for her to secretly fall in love with a man. If it were an ordinary master, she might have been beaten to death.

That day, she only wanted to ask Leng Ye what he thought, but unexpectedly, their mutual confessions led to an unstoppable romance, and they pledged their lives to each other.

Bai Luoluo stepped forward and helped Xiao Tao up. "This is a good thing. Guard Leng Ye is an upright and good man."

"Miss, you don't blame me?"

Xiao Tao's eyes were slightly red.

"This is your right. We gave you the contract of servitude before, so what's wrong with you finding someone you like now?"

Bai Luoluo looked gentle, wondering when this girl would finally be able to live her own life.