My Sun Moon Empire's Royal Family Was Harmonious, with Brothers Loving and Respecting One Another!

"Your Majesty, Prince Ming requests an audience."

Xu Tianran stopped writing and smiled.

"Let him in."

Soon, Xu Tianyao pushed open the door and entered.

When the brothers were alone together nowadays, they no longer needed so many formalities.

"Greetings, Imperial Brother."

"Sit."

Xu Tianran set down the memorial in his hands and looked up.

"Has the banquet ended?"

"It has."

Xu Tianyao nodded, then recounted everything that had happened that evening in detail, from beginning to end.

This included Xu Jiujiu's question about the Mingdou Mountain Range.

It included the trade cooperation proposed by Wei Na and Xue Lingyue.

It also included Qian Duoduo's request to visit the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy and Mingde Hall.

Xu Tianran listened quietly throughout. Only after Xu Tianyao had finished did he slowly lean back in his chair.

"You handled the matter of trade very well."

"The Empire's future development, whether in improving people's livelihoods or expanding its military, will require vast resources."

"It's actually a good thing that the former Douluo Three Kingdoms have taken the initiative to open trade with us."

"Exchanging our Soul Tool industrial products for the Three Kingdoms' mineral resources and raw materials not only serves our strategy, but will also make us a handsome profit."

"You can continue to follow up on this matter."

Xu Tianyao nodded slightly. He wasn't surprised by this decision.

But in the next moment, Xu Tianran's gaze sharpened.

"As for Shrek..."

When it came to Shrek's so-called exchange program and its plan to visit Mingde Hall, he couldn't help feeling conflicted.

"Tianyao, what do you think about this?"

He didn't rush to make a decision. Instead, he wanted to hear Tianyao's thoughts first.

Xu Tianyao furrowed his brow and narrowed his eyes. After a moment's thought, he said,

"The exchange student program can go ahead. We only need to open the ordinary teaching areas to them."

"To be honest, your younger brother would also like to visit their so-called number one academy on the continent and see what their gods are like."

Xu Tianyao certainly wanted to go and take a look. He was quite interested in recruiting some of the talented people on the other side.

He didn't believe that every person at an academy gathering the continent's most outstanding geniuses was utterly devoted to it.

No matter how many they could bring over, it would be a huge gain for the Sun Moon Empire.

After all, not a single student there had a weak Martial Soul. Bringing them into the Empire and passing their Martial Souls down through future generations could only benefit the Empire.

The academy also included many children from prominent families and sects. They could even use them to contact the forces behind them and pull a few strings.

After hearing Xu Tianyao's answer, Xu Tianran nodded and made his decision.

"There's no problem with the exchange students. How about this: have each academy send a representative to discuss the details carefully."

"If they can reach an agreement, there's no harm in visiting his side."

"As for Mingde Hall..."

At the mention of Mingde Hall, Xu Tianran inevitably fell silent.

"Mingde Hall is of great importance. We absolutely can't let outsiders see it casually. Turn them down."

Having settled these matters from abroad, Xu Tianran smiled and took a crown from a nearby drawer.

Xu Tianran placed it beside Xu Tianyao.

Xu Tianyao looked toward the crown. Engraved on it was an emblem of the sun and moon joined together, with the character "Ming" carved inside.

"Tomorrow is Imperial Brother's enthronement ceremony. I had Mingde Hall's artisans custom-make this Soul Tool. It can activate absolute defense five times."

"Tomorrow, at the enthronement ceremony, wear it and follow behind Imperial Brother."

"Imperial Brother wants the world to see that the Sun Moon Empire's royal family is harmonious, that brothers love and respect one another. With a royal house like this, and an age of prosperity like this, the Empire will flourish for a thousand generations!"

Watching his Imperial Brother's expression and hearing those words, Xu Tianyao couldn't help feeling deeply moved.

The royal brothers had been slaughtered until only the two of us remained, and the imperial clansmen had nearly been wiped out in a bloodbath.

Who would've thought that, in the end, we'd earn a timeless reputation for a harmonious royal family and brothers who loved and respected one another?

History really was written by the victors.

The following morning, Ming Capital.

Within the imperial city, ceremonial music rang out.

As the first rays of dawn rose in the east, ninety-nine ceremonial cannons thundered in unison.

Boom!

The deafening roars shook heaven and earth. The entire Ming Capital seemed to awaken in that instant.

Outside the imperial palace, hundreds of thousands of people had gathered along both sides of the streets. Countless faces tilted upward toward the towering, solemn imperial city.

The plaza before Imperial Zenith Hall was a sea of banners.

The civil officials stood to the east, and the military officers to the west.

The feudal officials from every corner of the Empire, legion commanders, imperial princes, and Soul Engineer legion leaders had all arrived.

A vast, dark mass of people stretched for miles.

Everyone wore their finest ceremonial robes, their expressions solemn.

Today was the day the new emperor would ascend the throne.

It was also the day the Sun Moon Empire turned a new page.

At the same time,

the delegations from the Xingluo Empire, Heaven Dou Empire, Dou Ling Empire, and the continent's great powers had all taken their places in the viewing area.

Xu Jiujiu, Wei Na, Xue Lingyue, Qian Duoduo, and the others were among them.

Everyone's gaze converged on the White Jade Heavenly Stairs leading to the highest level of Imperial Zenith Hall.

That was where the supreme power of the entire continent was symbolized.

Suddenly, a long, sonorous bell rang out.

Dong... Dong... Dong...

Nine tolls in all.

In that moment, it was as though heaven and earth had fallen silent.

The doors of Imperial Zenith Hall slowly swung open, and golden sunlight spilled down.

A figure clad in the Nine Dragon Sun Moon Imperial Robe emerged from behind the doors and walked out at an unhurried pace.

Xu Tianran!

He wore the imperial crown and the Twelve Pattern Dragon Robe, his expression majestic and composed.

Every gesture radiated the might of an emperor.

The instant he appeared, the gazes of hundreds of thousands on the plaza converged upon him.

But what shocked everyone was this:

Half a step behind Xu Tianran stood another figure, also dressed in a prince's ceremonial robes.

Xu Tianyao!

The young man wore the Sun Moon Crown and the Prince Ming Golden Seal at his waist. The crown shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight.

The emblem at its center, where the sun and moon shone together, was especially dazzling.

One walked ahead, the other behind: one emperor, one prince. Together, they emerged from Imperial Zenith Hall.

At the sight of this, countless officials' pupils contracted.

Many were shaken to their cores. This was no joke.

This was the new emperor's enthronement ceremony! The new emperor was making a declaration to the whole world:

Prince Ming Xu Tianyao's status

surpassed that of every other prince! He had even attained a position from which he could rule the Empire alongside the emperor!

At the foot of the White Jade Heavenly Stairs, an elderly Minister of Rites called out, "All officials, bow!"

"Bow!"

At his command, thousands of civil and military officials dropped to their knees.

"Long live our emperor! Long live our emperor! Long, long live!"

Their cries surged like a stormy sea, rushing into the clouds.

Then, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and commoners knelt as one.

"Long live our emperor! Long live our emperor! Long, long live!"

The cries grew louder with every wave, shaking the entire imperial city until it seemed to echo in reply.

Facing it all, Xu Tianran maintained his solemn expression as he climbed the stairs one step at a time.

Xu Tianyao followed close behind him throughout.

In the end, the two of them reached the highest platform of Imperial Zenith Hall.

Two thrones stood there.

One stood at the center, forged entirely from gold and mithril, and carved with nine golden dragons and sun-and-moon totems.

It was the Empire's supreme throne.