Xiao Wenhan Presents an Immortal Elixir

The Yangxin Hall was very quiet.

It was also very depressing.

Only the Dragon's Saliva Incense burner drifted in, and faint sobs and choked voices drifted from some unknown corner.

Whether it's genuine emotion or feigned affection

At this moment, no one cares anymore.

They were all waiting for the His Majesty on the dragon throne to speak and issue the edict of succession.

Liang Emperor lay on his dragon bed.

He was covered with a soft, thin, bright yellow dragon-patterned quilt.

Even the Dragon's Saliva Incense in the incense burner couldn't mask the stench of old age emanating from him, along with the decaying smell of impending death.

Liang Emperor was barely breathing, his chest rising and falling weakly, as if each breath brought immense pain to his frail and decaying body.

His eyes were half-closed.

I wonder if it's a final burst of energy before death, a sign that my time is almost up.

A glint of light suddenly flashed in Liang Emperor's cloudy, dim eyes.

He slowly turned his head and looked at Xiao Chengchen, the Imperial Eldest Grandson, who was sitting right next to the dragon bed.

With great difficulty, he raised his withered hand and grasped the Imperial Eldest Grandson's wrist. His throat made hoarse sounds, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a weak, hoarse voice, each word requiring all his strength.

"Draft... the purpose..."

The Censor of the Imperial Presence had been waiting for a long time, immediately picked up his pen and drafted an imperial edict.

"My mandate of heaven has come to an end. I entrust the empire to my Imperial Eldest Grandson, Xiao Chengchen. He should reduce taxes and corvée labor to appease the people, check the power of the various Princes, appoint loyal and virtuous officials, and keep away from treacherous ones. If any unrest arises that is difficult to quell, you can trust the Eldest Princess, Xiao Zhaohuang, who holds military power, to jointly ensure the stability of the Great Liang."

After Liang Emperor finished speaking, it was as if a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders, and he felt much lighter throughout his body.

However, the hearts of the princes and ministers present were filled with turbulent waves, and they could not calm down for a long time.

The Imperial Eldest Grandson's faction was overjoyed and delighted.

Meanwhile, the Eldest Princess and her entourage were disheartened and filled with sorrow.

Of course, these were just thoughts in my mind; I dared not express them outwardly.

Otherwise, the crime of disrespecting the emperor and father and behaving improperly in front of the emperor would be enough to lead to the confiscation of his property and the extermination of his clan.

Grandfather's hands were dry and rough, but to the Imperial Eldest Grandson, Xiao Chengchen, they were the warmest and softest hands in the world.

The most beautiful woman in the world is no match for a piece of skin on this palm.

This is not just a hand; it is the Great Liang Dynasty, the emperor's throne, all entrusted to him.

"Grandpa..."

The Imperial Eldest Grandson, Xiao Chengchen, was filled with sorrow, tears streaming down his face, but his heart was pounding with excitement and joy.

"Good grandson... don't cry... don't cry."

Liang Emperor gently wiped away the tears from the corner of his Imperial Eldest Grandson Xiao Chengchen's eyes with his withered, dry hand.

This heartwarming scene of grandfatherly love and grandsonly filial piety moved all the princes and ministers to tears.

Only the Eldest Princess, Xiao Zhaohuang, remained different from the others.

Watching calmly, remaining serenely silent.

He remained completely unmoved.

After the Censor of the Imperial Presence swiftly and meticulously recorded the Emperor's decree, he immediately and respectfully presented the bright yellow imperial edict, kneeling before the Emperor's throne.

Liang Emperor glanced at it and then spoke:

"Print."

The personal attendant immediately stepped forward, holding the Jade Seal Casket with both hands and bowing his head. Then, before everyone's eyes, he slowly opened the Jade Seal Casket Imperial Jade Seal inside, a symbol of imperial power.

The Imperial Jade Seal is made of pure white jade, without a single flaw.

It faintly glows with a bluish light, exuding an air of imperial nobility.

The small seal script on the bottom is dignified and square.

The inscription reads, "Mandate of Heaven; Long and Prosperous."

The moment the Imperial Jade Seal was brought out, it instantly attracted the attention of everyone in the hall, and even breathing seemed to stop.

Especially the Imperial Eldest Grandson, Xiao Chengchen, felt his heart race and his blood boil.

"Mine, mine, this is mine."

There seemed to be a voice inside me, growling and screaming hysterically.

His eyes were now fixed only on that small Imperial Jade Seal, and he could no longer see his dying grandfather lying on the dragon bed.

The eunuch carefully presented the Imperial Jade Seal to Liang Emperor with both hands.

Liang Emperor accepted the Imperial Jade Seal, which he knew all too well. He had previously thought the Imperial Jade Seal was very light, but now it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

His eyes held a complex expression.

It conveyed a sense of longing and reluctance, tinged with a sigh and a feeling of loneliness.

With the seal affixed, imperial power changed hands.

He was no longer the supreme emperor.

Instead, he became the former emperor lying in the imperial mausoleum.

In the first half of his life, he inherited the legacy of Emperor Taizong, working tirelessly day and night to improve the laws and expand the territory. He brought the barbarians to submission, and his civil and military achievements were no less than those of Emperor Taizong and Emperor Taizu Emperor Taizong. He created Shun'an Rule, and the territory he controlled was the largest in the history of the Liang Dynasty.

In the latter half of his life, he listened to slander, indulged in pleasure, neglected the foundation of the state, and wasted his time on state affairs. In the end, he incurred the wrath of Heaven and the displeasure of the Immortals and Gods, losing three sons in succession and suffering unbearable grief.

As a result, this vast dynasty ultimately lacked even a satisfactory successor.

His life was full of ups and downs, half of which was glorious and half of which was regrettable.

Could he be considered a good emperor?

After he went down, did Emperor Taizu or Emperor Taizong praise him or reprimand him?

After his death, how should history record his story?

Well--

Life is so short, and with such a beautiful land, how can one not feel nostalgic?

Liang Emperor turned his head and took a deep look outside the palace, as if he wanted to take one last look at his vast land and beautiful rivers and mountains through that door.

But in the end, I couldn't see anything at all.

Liang Emperor sighed softly to himself, but when his gaze fell upon that stunningly beautiful face, a face that combined both heroic spirit and captivating charm,

The cold-hearted and ungrateful emperor's pupils contracted slightly, and he dared not look at him again.

"Zhao Huang, I hope you won't blame your father. Your father was... forced into this situation."

After calming down,

Liang Emperor finally turned his attention back to the bright yellow imperial edict.

His dry, withered hands struggled to grasp the Imperial Jade Seal, the symbol of imperial power, and slowly pressed it against the words of the edict of succession.

The Imperial Eldest Grandson, Xiao Chengchen, was in his throat, his palms were sweaty, and his whole body was trembling uncontrollably.

Just as the imperial Imperial Jade Seal was about to be affixed, just as the Imperial Eldest Grandson, Xiao Chengchen, was about to jump out of his throat with excitement.

Outside the hall,

Suddenly, a eunuch's loud shout rang out.

"Xiao Wenhan, the great-grandson of the Prince of Yue and the Assistant Prefect of Dingzhou, requested an audience with the emperor, saying that Immortal had descended to earth in Heyang County Heyang County Dingzhou Prefecture, to quell bandits who were harming the people, and to refine an unparalleled Immortal Elixir with the power to bring the dead back to life and prolong life."

"Your humble servant was fortunate enough to receive a divine favor and Immortal Elixir from an Immortal. I have traveled a great distance on horseback to present it to His Majesty, wishing His Majesty good health and longevity."

The eunuch outside the door had barely finished speaking when

The entire hall fell silent.

The heart that was about to leap out of Xiao Chengchen's throat suddenly caught in Imperial Eldest Grandson throat, and he almost choked to death with anger.

Eldest Princess Xiao Zhaohuang was taken aback by these words. Her usually calm and beautiful face, which was as still as a pool of water, was suddenly disturbed. Then, as if a pebble had been thrown into it, ripples appeared on her face.

The Liang Emperor reacted the most strongly.

The dry, withered hand froze on the spot, the seal less than a centimeter from the words of the imperial edict.

His cloudy, dim eyes seemed to have been reborn, radiating a bright light.