When Ye Yongqing heard the words of the official, he was stunned for a moment.
There were several things he couldn't think of when he heard this: first, the prince was so considerate to Ye Xiangyang to an extent that he couldn't understand, and he directly wanted to confer the title of Marquis of Zhenhai on Ye Xiangyang's father; second, Ye Xiangyang was magnanimous. Marquis, this was a real marquis, and a title that had been passed down for seven generations, but this kid treated it like a cloud; third, the prince's trust and understanding of Ye Xiangyang was so great that he actually granted Ye Xiangyang's request and changed the person to be conferred the title.
He quietly handed the messenger a crystal card with one thousand Xuanwu silver coins on it, and walked towards the Ye family's living room, talking and laughing.
The messenger said with a smile: "Master Ye, I really envy your Ye family. Do you know Ye Xiangyang? He won fifty consecutive victories in the capital competition and won the first place in the martial arts competition. The most important thing is that he is now a favorite of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
After chatting and laughing, they arrived at Ye Xiangyang's home. Someone from the Ye family had already reported to Ye Xiangyang's parents.
Ye Wentian had just returned home from the ancestral hall and told Tang Wan'er the news that his child had won the top spot in the imperial examination.
A brilliant flower suddenly blossomed on the delicate cheek of Tang Wan'er, a beautiful woman. She couldn't imagine that her child could be so outstanding, the top scholar in the imperial examination, the real top scholar.
What is the happiest thing for a woman? Nothing is better than her own children making a name for themselves. Her own children are truly making a name for themselves, winning the first place in the imperial examination and becoming the best among the younger generation of the Kyushu Empire.
Gradually, crystal tears oozed out of Tang Wan'er's eyes: "I am proud of our Yang'er."
At this time, Xiao Cheng came into the house and reported happily: "Master, Madam, the imperial edict has come to visit you two elders in person at our door."
Ye Wentian was stunned at the time. What was the matter that the imperial messenger personally came to his courtyard? He was troubled by the old man's presence, and he couldn't figure out how high the official's rank was.
Tang Wan'er was smart and capable. She immediately tidied up her husband's clothes and said, "Since you're here, let's go outside to greet you."
As she spoke, she let her husband walk ahead and walked steadily to the door.
Ye Wentian wanted to salute the messenger, but the messenger stepped forward and supported Ye Wentian: "Oh, Master Ye, you are going to ruin our fodder."
"Before coming here, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince repeatedly reminded us that Ye Xiangyang is a pillar of the country and a blessing to the country. This is a great contribution you two have made to the country, so he specially ordered us to bring you two some things."
As he said this, more than twenty people followed him, carrying a dozen large boxes, rumbled to the door.
Tang Wan'er smiled and saluted the messenger, saying, "I dare not refuse the gift, sir. Thank you, Your Excellency. Please come to my house and sit for a while, even if it's just for a drink of water."
The grand martial arts science competition has come to an end.
Ye Xiangyang and Yun Jianhan, accompanied by Zishu Qingyun, Yue Li, Li Tianxi, Ye Xiangxiao, and Ye Xiangti, and with a hundred guards, set out from the capital and headed towards Xuanwu County.
The number one scholar's departure from the city attracted countless onlookers, young and old, men, women, and children.
In the capital city today, who doesn’t know the famous name Ye Xiangyang? With 51 consecutive victories and challenges higher than his level, many people say that Ye Xiangyang is a genius that only appears once in a thousand years in the martial arts world.
The most popular person in the eyes of the prince, I heard that the prince always calls him brother.
The crowd was like the sea. Ye Xiangyang's guards separated the crowd and headed out of Jiuding City.
It is late autumn now, and the mountains and fields are covered with red leaves like fire, yellow leaves like gold, and colorful green. It is a fascinating autumn scenery.
Ye Xiangyang didn't like vanity and was a simple person. He always passed through less densely populated areas when passing through counties. For a long time, he was enjoying the mountains and rivers of the Kyushu Empire.
They all lamented that they left Xuanwu County in early spring. At that time, they were full of passion and ambition, eager to achieve success and fame and make contributions to the country. Now that they go back, it is late autumn, and with the alternation of three seasons, they can be said to have realized their dreams.
Ye Xiangyang won the first place in the martial arts examination and was feared throughout the country; Yun Jianhan won the fifteenth place in the second stick examination; Ye Xiangxiao and Ye Xiangti were the prince's personal followers; Yue Li, Zishu Qingyun, Li Tianxi and others, under the prince's order, followed Ye Xiangyang to carry out his mission.
The elders of the Yue family, Zishu family, and Li family were riding side by side at the back of the team. The five elders looked at the long team of golden-armored guards, and each of them was filled with emotion.
It has only been a year since Ye Xiangyang started practicing martial arts, but he has managed to reach his current level within a year. This makes them look up to him. This is a level that the elders like them will never be able to reach in their entire lives. How can they not be filled with emotion
"The level of Ye Zhuangyuan's martial arts talent is shocking. Just think about it, in just one year, he went from a person who had never practiced martial arts to the current top scholar of the Jiuzhou Empire. The road he traveled was long and it was beyond human efforts."
"You are right. The number one scholar is the Wu Qu star in the sky. It is not a dream for ordinary people to reach such a high level."
"The Ye family is so blessed to have such an enchanting figure like Ye Zhuangyuan. They are so lucky."
"Ye Xiangyang is a kind-hearted man. Look at Yun Jianhan's martial arts talent. To be honest, it used to be far behind Yue Li from our family, Li Tianxi from your Li family, and Zishu Qingyun from the Zishu family. But now, it has reached the level that we all look up to. What does this mean?"
These people are experienced and wise, having gone through countless storms. They have a good understanding of the ways of the world, the experience of dealing with the world, and the ability to judge people accurately.
"Well, Yun Jianhan was able to make such great progress following him. The people from our three families will surely be able to make something of themselves by following him."
They didn't know that the next day after they left the capital, at midnight, news of the emperor's death suddenly came from the palace.
When the crown prince heard that the emperor had passed away, he suddenly became dazed. His eyes seemed to be petrified and his eyeballs did not move at all. His face suddenly turned pale, as pale as frost and snow.
The ministers around him had never seen the prince lose his composure like this, and they hurriedly called out, "Your Highness, Your Highness, the emperor has ascended to heaven. Your Highness, please preside over the emperor's funeral ceremony. Your Highness..."
Tears rolled down the Crown Prince's eyes, like pearls, overflowing one by one quickly, and then turned into continuous tears, flowing down his cheeks.
The prince cried out heartbreakingly: "Daddy—how could you leave me and go away so soon? Daddy—"
While crying loudly, he hurriedly headed towards the place where the emperor died.
At the same time, the regent king, the prince's tutor, and several imperial masters had already issued orders to conceal the news first. Anyone who dared to leak it would be killed immediately, and all nine generations of the clan would be exterminated.
They were waiting for the Crown Prince to arrive.
In the past few years, the Crown Prince has been in charge of state affairs. He has shown amazing wisdom, and even they are impressed by his various arrangements.
The crown prince hurried to the Zhenqian Palace and saw that his father had already put on his underworld clothes. He knelt down in front of the bed with a thud, banging his head on the ground, and shouted hysterically: "Father, father, please wake up, please wake up, don't you want me anymore? Have you forgotten what you said to me: 'Guo'er, daddy will take good care of you for the rest of your life, help you become a great leader, and dominate the world.' Father, why are you abandoning me now and leaving without saying a word?"
He slapped his hands on the bed, making a thumping sound, and tears welled up in his eyes, saying, "Father, I will be so lonely when you are gone. Without your care, how can I take on the responsibility of running such a huge country?"
It's the natural bond between father and son. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is extremely affectionate and filial, and the Regent and the others were all in tears when they saw it.
In the past few years, the emperor has been seriously ill and is on the verge of death. Every day after busy government affairs, the prince would go to the Zhenqian Palace where his father is, to see him and the two of them would have a few heart-to-heart talks.
They all knew that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was deeply moved by his filial piety. Even the uncle, the Regent, always nodded in praise of the Crown Prince and often used His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's filial piety to educate his children when he returned home.
The death of the emperor and the crown prince's heart-wrenching grief moved everyone.
The regent stepped forward and held the prince in his arms: "Your Highness, Your Highness, the emperor has ascended to heaven and has ascended to the throne. You are a very filial person and we all understand your pain. However, there are so many things to deal with now. Your Highness should put the overall situation first."
The prince burst into tears, grabbed the regent's hand and said, "Uncle, my father has passed away, and I am so upset that I can't handle anything. Let's put it this way. For general matters, you can make the decision yourself. For special matters, you can discuss and resolve them with my teacher and the prime minister."
The emperor's coffin was buried, and everything else was carried out in an orderly manner under the supervision of the regent and others.
The next day, the regent and others came to see the emperor and made a memorial: "Your Highness, the country cannot be without a ruler for a day. Now that the late emperor has passed away, we will do everything we should do. Your Highness, please ascend the throne to calm the people's hearts."
Huangfu Zhiguo looked at the regent and said, "Uncle, my father's coffin is still here. How can a son take the throne? Moreover, my dynasty governs the world with filial piety. I will mourn for my father for three years."
The Prince's tutor said, "Prince, mourning for three years is good, but Your Highness is responsible for the support of hundreds of millions of people in the world. The ancients had a mourning period, where one year was transformed into one month. Your Highness only needs to mourn for three months."
The right prime minister's eyes moved. With the death of the emperor, the national situation immediately changed dramatically. The King of the Western Expedition could cause war at any time and anywhere.
More than two million troops can be deployed at any time, and there is a possibility of the country being destroyed and the family being ruined if the mourning lasts for three months.
"Your Highness, you rule the world with filial piety. You should be vigilant in mourning. The ancients said, 'Everything is in the heart.' Mourning can be divided into physical mourning and mental mourning. The Crown Prince shoulders the responsibility of the world. He needs to be vigilant for three days and mentally for three years to live up to the trust of heaven. I hope Your Highness will think twice."