It was always after some time had passed that one could learn this piece of information from an NPC or from the notice boards on the city walls.
The Emperor had died, and the Prime Minister had seized sole control of power.
As for the person who ascended to the throne, there were three candidates across the various timelines.
One was the Crown Prince, one was the Second Prince, and one was a five-year-old child.
Not to mention the latter for now, the former two were currently the most likely princes to fight for succession within the Imperial Capital.
Initially, as a player, one wouldn’t think deeply about the gap during this period, because the presence of the second emperor was completely overshadowed by the Prime Minister.
But now, rethinking the gap during that time gives one the chills.
In his previous life, these fragmented pieces of information were of little help to Xu Yuan, but he could roughly guess the general idea.
If the Imperial Family’s presence was low, there was only one reason: the Imperial Family’s power had been cleansed by Xu Yinhè.
In other words, the current Emperor before him was most likely killed by his own father, according to the plot.
Thinking further, the Prime Minister’s Mansion’s collapse, like a scripted drama in the late stages of the Cang Yuan storyline, may have involved the contribution of the Imperial Family.
With this thought, Xu Yuan subconsciously glanced at the middle-aged man with white at his temples next to him.
However, based on the attitude currently displayed by his father, unless absolutely necessary, he would definitely not take action against the Imperial Family.
There must be a critical reason forcing him to do so.
Speculation after speculation rose to the surface of his mind, only to be dismissed one by one, until Xu Yuan eventually gave up.
Insufficient information to analyze, let’s take it one step at a time.
Xu Yuan came back to his senses, only to find the two big shots looking at him, and he awkwardly smiled, "I was just pondering some matters just now."
"The Emperor is asking you, can you cultivate now?"
Xu Yuan subconsciously looked towards the old man opposite him.
Li Yaoxuan wasn’t angry at being ignored, but instead smiled at Xu Yuan, like an elder,
"I am very curious as to why you suddenly transformed from a congenitally deficient body to an Innate Taoist Body."
Xu Yuan did not hesitate at all and directly said,
"I was bound by Ancient Abyss before, and Ran Qingmo rescued me. While escaping, by a stroke of luck, I obtained an elixir medicine. After taking it, I ended up ."
"Do you have the elixir formula?" Li Yaoxuan asked.
Xu Yuan glanced at Xu Yinhè.
Xu Yinhè spoke evenly,
"If there is one, hand it over to the Emperor; he naturally won’t let you down."
Xu Yuan was stunned for a moment, then came to realize.
This was about finding a method to extend the Emperor’s life.
Only if the Emperor continued to live could the cooperation between the Prime Minister’s Mansion and the Imperial Family continue.
But unfortunately, the Blood Essence Meteoring Art did not contain the method to produce the life-prolonging elixir.
Li Yaoxuan seemed somewhat disappointed at the response, but then smiled and said,
"It’s alright if there isn’t. Let’s talk about your marriage, Changtian."
Hearing this, Xu Yuan straightened his posture slightly,
"Your Majesty, please speak; I’m listening."
Li Yaoxuan’s aged face flashed a hint of helplessness, as he spoke bluntly,
"Mu Zhiyun was so opposed to the idea that she preferred death to marrying you."
That’s bad; he had been rejected.
Li Yaoxuan smiled faintly,
"However, I have just agreed with your father through voice transmission. We can arrange another marriage for you. Go to Yuanmianping Lake and have a look. She is waiting for you there. If you are willing, the marriage can be settled today."
Xu Yuan’s expression was peculiar as he bowed slightly,
"Your Majesty, it isn’t Li Junwu, is it?"
Li Yaoxuan was speechless, his aged yet still spirited eyes carrying a hint of an odd smile,
"You will find out once you go, Changtian."
Under the guidance of Eunuch Nie, Xu Yuan crossed a lush mountaintop forest and then saw a lake.
After bidding farewell to the other party, Xu Yuan walked in alone.
His gaze quickly locked onto a woman standing by the lake.
Dressed in plain clothes, with black hair reaching her waist, tied up at the end, her figure tall and slender as she stood quietly by the lake, admiring the beautiful scenery.
Xu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.
Even though good brothers can share a blanket, it still felt a bit odd.
Xu Yuan slowly approached, trying to search his memory for the owner of this silhouette, but unfortunately, none matched.
Standing beside her, Xu Yuan rested his hands behind his back, taking a cursory glance with his peripheral vision and noticing that she was flat-chested, feeling slightly disappointed.
The lake breeze gently stirred his tied-up hair, as Xu Yuan casually remarked,
"Today’s breeze is quite boisterous..."
"You are quite handsome," the woman beside him interrupted Xu Yuan’s rambling, her slightly coarse voice coming through, "Our children would likely not be ugly."
Are women nowadays so direct?
Taking a deep breath, Xu Yuan slowly turned his gaze, and immediately locked eyes with a pair of sharp, phoenix-like eyes.
At the glimpse of this stunningly beautiful face, Xu Yuan felt it seemed familiar.
The plain-clothed woman had already turned her gaze back to the lakeside,
"Do you recognize me?"
As she spoke, there was a hidden valor between her willowy eyebrows. Her slightly upturned nose and the strands of hair fluttering softly against her cheeks added a seductive charm.
Dressed in white, with the lake breeze caressing her, she seemed enveloped in a layer of light mist.
Almost illusionary, flawlessly beautiful, as if not belonging to the mortal world.
Taking a deep breath, Xu Yuan inquired,
"I remember you were supposed to be fighting in the Northern Frontier, weren’t you?"