Bells ring, yet again.

This time, the people of the Capital are counting.

"Forty-five rings, funeral bells, forty-five rings."

The nanny looked at Mrs. Xia in surprise: "Madam, is Miss entering the palace to..."

"That child Panpan never does anything without purpose." Mrs. Xia sighed, "Replace what we have prepared, everything that needs to be collected has been gathered, also, instruct the buyers not to procure any alcohol or meat during the national mourning period."

"Yes, Madam."

The steward knows all these rules.

Everything red and green at the General Mansion was put away, Mrs. Xia and Xiao Chunyu donned mourning clothes and prepared to enter the palace to attend the wake.

Being a woman in the court is not an easy task.

With such honor comes such responsibility.

It is time to show their filial piety.

"Mother, should we mourn the Empress Dowager or the Emperor first?"

Xiao Chunyu was a bit confused; why were there two at once? This was really...

"Naturally, we should go to the Empress Dowager first, then to the Emperor."

"What is the situation in the palace now? Will Panpan be alright?"

"Panpan will be fine." Mrs. Xia said, "They are busy and can’t focus on Panpan, but as for the Empress and the Crown Prince, that’s hard to say."

Indeed, Mrs. Xia and Xiao Chunyu were unable to enter the palace gates.

"Without an emperor’s decree, no one is allowed into the palace."

It’s quite absurd!

But the Imperial Guards received orders that only those with the emperor’s decree could enter the palace.

Not even for mourning.

The noblewomen who arrived later all rested in their carriages outside the palace, afraid to ask anyone else or return home, they could only wait.

"Mother, the palace..."

"No hurry, there will always be a solution."

Mrs. Xia said as she twisted the Buddha beads, "At this time, whoever rushes will lose."

Xiao Chunyu felt that the lady wasn’t talking about these noblewomen, but rather the people inside the palace.

In Qianqing Palace, a group of royal relatives led by Prince Su was engaged in a heated debate.

"The country cannot be without a ruler for a day, please let the Crown Prince ascend the throne."

"Impossible, the Crown Prince is young and unfamiliar with state affairs, I suggest appointing a regent and auxiliary ministers."

"What does the Prince mean by this? Since the founding of the dynasty, there has never been a regent or auxiliary ministers."

The Crown Prince’s maternal grandfather is the backbone here, it’s not easy for the Empress to become the Empress Dowager, the Crown Prince is about to ascend the throne, and their family is about to finally rise, how could they let Prince Su succeed?

"That’s because in our dynasty, every emperor has ascended the throne at over twenty, now the Crown Prince is only seventeen." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"The Crown Prince is already married, even an ordinary person can start a family and career at sixteen, not to mention the Crown Prince personally nurtured by the emperor, he can naturally bear this responsibility without anyone regenting."

"Marquis, you aren’t aware, when the Emperor was alive he summoned me multiple times, worried about the Crown Prince’s youth, suggesting I work a bit harder..."

"Shame, shame, shame, you’re lying."

As court officials were arguing red-faced, suddenly a crisp child’s voice sounded.

"Where did this child come from, whose child is this, take them away."

"Prince Su, this is the Anping Princess personally titled by the Emperor."

It can only be said that Prince Su is a reckless man, not knowing who behind this time he turned into a blade, and he doesn’t even recognize Princess Anping.

"A suckling child should go suckle, what are you doing here, especially when women of the harem shouldn’t partake in politics, someone take Princess Anping to play."

Prince Su then remembered there seemed to be such a thing, thinking the emperor really exhausted his resources and mind to win over Xia Guangcheng.

A mere child, raising them to such status, what does it mean?

"Father told me."

Who would have thought, such a young child would speak like that with a childish yet fierce demeanor that made court officials particularly want to laugh?

But they couldn’t laugh.

Watching Panpan sternly lecture.

"Father told me: I can discuss state affairs with my brother the Crown Prince, if there are auxiliary ministers, I can too."

"Pfft."

Apologies, a court official couldn’t hold back, others struggled to stifle their laughter.

Anyway, the chubby little child saying such words was more playful than playacting, who could resist laughing?

"Nonsense."

"I am not making a fuss." Panpan snorted coldly, "Mr. Fu, go fetch the emperor’s decree."

Mr. Fu... where are you, oh my princess, this old servant can’t act with you.

If the emperor had a decree, who would let these ambitious wolves prattle here?

"Father told me the decree he left is behind the plaque in the Grand Hall on the throne, just let Mr. Fu fetch it."

Is it true?

Not only the civil and military officials, but even the Empress and Crown Prince were shocked.

If the emperor left a decree, then Prince Su and others are mere clowns.

Because he thought the emperor did not leave a decree, he stepped up to seize the chance.

"Mr. Fu, go fetch it."

"Princess?"

"Brother the Crown Prince, please all ministers move to the Grand Hall."

This can be done!

The court officials wanted to witness a miracle happening.

Prince Su’s faction was noticeably tense.

If there truly was a decree, their chance of success would be zero.

Having leapt high then, now they feared the new ruler settling scores.

One by one they secretly wiped sweat from their foreheads.

"Empress, brother the Crown Prince, let’s go."

Panpan led the Empress by the left hand, and the Crown Prince by the right, leading them towards the Grand Hall ahead.

The Empress and Crown Prince exchanged glances, still shocked.

And also felt desolation: the emperor would rather trust little Panpan than his wife of many years and biological son.

But thinking again: in the end Panpan was leaning towards them, this was a small fortune amidst misfortune.

In the Grand Hall, Mr. Fu was directed by Panpan to climb the ladder.

"Reach one foot to the left."

Mr. Fu felt a handful of dust.

"Princess, there’s nothing."

Oh, just knew she was a child, words don’t count.

"Your hand is too fat, can’t reach, stand tiptoe and you’ll get it."

Mr. Fu... tiptoe then, it’s touched, it’s touched.

Mr. Fu was excited and retrieved it.

Everyone saw the object in Mr. Fu’s hand and had various thoughts!

Turns out the emperor truly had left a decree of succession!

And evidently, the decree was unknown to both the Crown Prince and Empress, but told to the young Princess Anping.

"Ministers, receive the decree."

As Mr. Fu unfolded the decree, his eyes were red; this would be his last time reading the emperor’s decree.

Once this decree was proclaimed, his task would finish.

With a new ruler comes new officials, the emperor became the late emperor, the new emperor wouldn’t need him...

"Long live the Emperor, long live, long live."

The ministers kneeled and called three times long live, Mr. Fu opened the decree, reading word by word.

Sure enough, as Panpan stated, the throne was passed to the Crown Prince!

Therefore, from the start, Prince Su and the others were ambitious!