Cultivation of immortality begins with an eighty-year-old eunuch.

This year's Lantern Festival is different from previous years.

After saying a few words, the Hongwu Emperor invited his ministers to eat and drink.

He looked sleepy and kept dozing off, appearing very tired.

It wasn't until halfway through the banquet that the old emperor regained some of his energy.

With his temples streaked with gray, he suddenly squinted at the assembled officials, lost in thought.

The concubines nearby were also on tenterhooks and dared not touch their chopsticks.

Even Chen Fan, upon witnessing this scene, pricked up his ears to listen.

The banquet quickly quieted down, and the civil and military officials all looked at the old emperor, as if waiting for something.

"I... am indeed getting old..."

After a long silence, the old emperor spoke!

With a cold expression, he spoke in a calm yet authoritative tone:

"You are right... the Great Abyss cannot be handed over to an old man. Now tell me... which prince is suitable to succeed to the throne!"

After the old emperor finished speaking, the banquet was completely silent.

Faced with the emperor's question, no one dared to utter a sound.

This surprised Chen Fan.

He has been in the palace for over sixty years, ever since Emperor Taiyuan established the Great Yuan!

Through countless trials and tribulations, he witnessed firsthand how the Great Abyss gradually transformed from a weak dynasty into a powerful one supported by the immortal sects.

All of this is thanks to the great talent and strategic vision of Emperors Taiyuan and Hongwu!

But human strength has its limits, and the current emperor is now almost sixty years old without realizing it.

In his old age and senility, he seems to be facing the choice of who will succeed him to the throne.

Chen Fan remembered that Emperor Taiyuan only had one son, Emperor Hongwu.

There was not much trouble in the matter of inheriting the throne.

But Emperor Hongwu was different; he had over a hundred princes and princesses combined!

If these people manage to seize the throne, then the Great Yuan Dynasty will have quite a show to watch.

"What? You talk about me behind my back... but you don't dare to do it to my face!"

Just as Chen Fan was lost in thought, the old emperor spoke again.

His gaze, imbued with supreme authority, sent chills down the spines of the civil and military officials.

"Wei Zhong...tell me everything you've heard!"

Upon hearing the emperor mention it.

Standing beside the dragon throne, Eunuch Wei nodded.

With a cold gaze, he took out a piece of paper from his pocket and said:

"Last night, when the scholar-official Liu of the Wenyuan Pavilion was enjoying himself in his boudoir with his concubine... he mentioned that the Second Prince was suitable to be the new crown prince of Dayuan... Secondly, Liu's concubine complained that Liu was too fast..."

Wei Zhong is the same person as Eunuch Wei.

As he read the text aloud to the civil and military officials, his voice was loud yet steady.

Upon hearing this, His Highness's Lord Liu's face turned bright red.

He was almost fifty years old, and he scrambled and crawled from his seat to kneel in the center of the hall!

"Your Majesty... I know I'm guilty! This was all... I was just talking nonsense... Please punish me, Your Majesty!"

The old emperor smiled, his eyes narrowed.

He glanced at the assembled officials and said softly:

"Dayuan truly needs a crown prince... You're innocent... If your health isn't good, get treatment. Let the Imperial Hospital give you a dose of the Royal Six-Flavor Pill, lest a woman mock my scholar-official skills, that would be too much!"

"Thank you... Your Majesty..." Lord Liu's face showed a mixture of crying and laughing, and then he accepted the imperial decree and expressed his gratitude!

The other civil and military officials felt their scalps tingle upon seeing this and dared not utter a sound.

Even Chen Fan, who was sitting in the corner, was stunned for a moment, and then felt a chill run down his spine.

It's likely that Eunuch Wei knew about Lord Liu's family affairs because his subordinates from the Eastern Depot overheard it.

Now that the emperor has brought this matter up in front of all the civil and military officials, it is undoubtedly a warning to everyone!

Anyone who dares to discuss the matter of choosing an heir in private will likely be rewarded with something far more substantial than the royal six-flavor pills!

Moreover, the matter of establishing an heir has already been brought to the forefront by the emperor, and the civil and military officials are aware of the emperor's thoughts.

Chen Fan estimated that the court of Dayuan was going to be quite lively for a while.

As for which prince will inherit the throne and become the new Emperor of Dayuan, he doesn't know!

After thinking it over, Chen Fan decided to stop chatting with Xiao Dengzi.

If those spy agents from the Eastern Depot overheard something, he'd be in big trouble!

After the eavesdropping incident was over, the old emperor smiled again.

He ate and drank, chatting and laughing with the concubines beside him.

The courtiers vied to step forward to offer toasts and flatter him, restoring the previous liveliness.

After several rounds of drinks, the old emperor coughed and spoke:

"The Great Yuan Dynasty has achieved its current prosperity thanks to the support of the Changchun Immortal Sect. The fact that there are eunuchs living to the age of eighty in my imperial city is an auspicious sign of the Great Yuan's growing national strength..."

"Eunuch Chen... come here... let me see you... what reward do you want? Tell me..."

It was Chen Fan's turn to take the stage.

The old man, with a hunched back, was helped step by step by two eunuchs to the front of the hall.

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty... This servant has nothing to ask for..." Chen Fan paused before speaking.

"Nothing you want?" the old emperor said with a smile.

"Don't be so formal, Eunuch Chen. You can tell me whatever you're thinking. I'll grant you anything you can do, provided you're allowed to leave the palace!"

The old emperor has already offered very good terms!

If it were Chen Fan ten years ago, he would definitely kneel down to thank the emperor for his grace, and then ask for a pile of gold to leave the palace and enjoy a life of luxury!

But times have changed.

He's almost eighty years old!

Gold and silver are mundane things that are of no use to Chen Fan.

Especially now that he can practice martial arts and cultivate immortality!

Staying in the palace was the best option for him.

Whether it was the flaws in Changchun Gong or the reluctance in his heart, both told Chen Fan that he should stay in the palace.

Now that the emperor says he can ask for any conditions, he sees this as a good opportunity to stay.

Thinking of this, Chen Fan nodded slightly and said:

"Thank you, Your Majesty... for your great kindness... If possible, this servant wishes to remain in the Imperial Stables... to take care of Black Wind and the other imperial horses for Your Majesty..."

Black Wind?

A glint of light flashed in the old emperor's cloudy eyes.

"In the Battle of Shaoguan... Black Wind took an arrow for me... Is it still alive?"

"Your Majesty... Black Wind's days are numbered!" Chen Fan answered truthfully upon hearing the question.

"Granted... Since you want to stay in the Imperial Stables... then stay!" The old emperor was taken aback, then readily agreed.

"By my decree... Eunuch Chen shall be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold and a hundred bolts of silk and satin! After his death, he shall be buried in the imperial mausoleum, accompanied by Black Wind!"

"Thank you... Your Majesty!" Chen Fan appeared calm on the surface, but was inwardly thrilled!

He was overjoyed to be able to stay at the Imperial Stables!

Amidst the complex gazes of his ministers, he returned to his seat.

Then, perhaps thinking of his days of fighting in his youth, the old emperor drank a few more cups.

His body could no longer bear the strain, and he was eventually sent back to the palace by several eunuchs.

The grand banquet came to an end, and the officials departed one after another!

Chen Fan, who remained behind, squinted as he walked towards the Imperial Horse Stables under the escort of Eunuch Lin from the Directorate of Ceremonial.

"Eunuch Chen... I'm very puzzled... The Emperor clearly granted you permission to leave the palace... Why are you unwilling to leave and continue to stay in the Imperial Stables!"