Within Prince Huan's Estate, Grand Supervisor of the Inner Palace Yu Chaoen, who had come to deliver an oral decree, entered the quiet room with Prince Huan Ji Ao. Not long afterward, they emerged, and Yu Chaoen silently departed with his attendants.
As the people of Prince Huan's Estate bowed to see him off, they watched this scene with both bewilderment and intense curiosity.
At this hour, His Majesty had specially sent Grand Supervisor of the Inner Palace Yu Chaoen to deliver an oral decree—and a secret oral decree at that. It was most likely something out of the ordinary.
Recently, as news of Benevolent Sovereign Ji Long's grave illness gradually spread, calls from both court and common folk to appoint a Crown Prince had grown ever louder.
Although Benevolent Sovereign Ji Long had not yet appointed a Crown Prince, everyone knew that the matter of succession would likely be decided within this period.
Thus, at such a moment, a secret oral decree from the Emperor was anything but ordinary to the people of Prince Huan's Estate.
One by one, they stared expectantly at the quiet room after Grand Supervisor of the Inner Palace Yu Chaoen had left, wanting to see Prince Huan Ji Ao's expression and reaction when he emerged, so they could judge what had happened.
Could it be that His Majesty intended to appoint His Highness Prince Huan as Crown Prince, and had ordered him to make preparations in advance?
If that were true, then they old retainers of Prince Huan's Estate would all become Loyalist Ministers, with boundless prospects ahead of them!
Yet the people of Prince Huan's Estate waited and waited, watched and watched, but Prince Huan Ji Ao never emerged from the quiet room.
They waited for nearly half a day.
The steward and