Remarried to a top-tier playboy, her reborn ex-husband is filled with regret.

Xiao Fang held the little prince, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

The night wind was cold. The little prince was wrapped in a bright yellow swaddling cloth, with only his rosy little face showing.

He cried himself to sleep.

Xiao Fang looked down and pulled his cloak up higher to cover the child's face.

Outside the palace, officials were still kneeling, their cries rising and falling.

No one dared to get up, and no one dared to raise their head.

At this moment, the late emperor's personal attendant came out.

His eyes were red and his face was streaked with tears.

He first knelt down before Xiao Fang and kowtowed properly.

"Your Highness, I have something that I must deliver to you."

Xiao Fang didn't say anything.

The eunuch rose and turned back into the inner palace.

Before long, he came running out, holding a roll of bright yellow silk in both hands.

That was the edict of succession dictated by the late emperor in the palace, which he then drafted on his behalf.

The eunuch walked up to Xiao Fang and held the imperial edict high.

"Prince Zhenbei, this is the late emperor's edict."

This servant doesn't care who will inherit the empire in the future; this servant only obeys the late emperor's orders.

The late emperor said that this edict should be delivered to you.

Xiao Fang glanced down.

He didn't answer.

"You should know what it means for me to accept it."

"This servant understands."

The eunuch was in tears.

"But this servant has served Your Majesty my whole life and only listens to Your Majesty's words."

Whoever Your Majesty commands, I will give it to.

"What His Majesty has not permitted, this servant dares not do a single thing more than necessary."

As he spoke, he held the imperial edict above his head.

Xiao Fang stood there for a moment.

Finally, he reached out and took the imperial edict.

"it is good."

His voice was very soft.

"I accepted it."

Xiao Fang rolled up the imperial edict and placed it inside the swaddling clothes of the little prince.

The eunuch knelt down again, respectfully banging his head on the ground.

Xiao Fang didn't look at anyone else, and turned to walk towards the palace gate.

Lu Zhao and Lin Hui followed behind him, neither of them saying a word.

The palace gates opened.

The night outside was dark and the long street was deserted.

Xiao Fang mounted his horse and held the crown prince protectively in his arms.

"Let's go back to the Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion first."

Several horses galloped away down the long street.

The palace gates slowly closed behind us.

Only then did some of the court officials kneeling outside the hall raise their heads.

"Xiao Fang took the edict of succession with him."

"The crown prince was also taken away by him."

"What exactly does he want to do?"

"Could it be... that I'm really going to ascend the throne?"

No one can answer that.

Several horses galloped through the night, shattering the silence of the long street.

A night watchman peeked out from the street corner, then shrank back in fright.

Xiao Fang knew that starting tomorrow, the entire capital would be talking about tonight and about him.

But he didn't care about any of that.

Zhenbei Palace.

Yun Shuyao is still awake.

She had just finished comforting her daughter and was sitting in the front hall waiting for someone.

As soon as Xiao Fang entered, Yun Shuyao came to greet him.

"This is……"

"Young Prince."

Xiao Fang carefully placed the child into Yun Shuyao's arms.

"His father died shortly after he was born, and his mother also died."

If I leave him in the palace, I don't know if he'll even live to see tomorrow morning.

Yun Shuyao looked down at the little prince in her arms.

He wrinkled his little face and snuggled closer to Yun Shuyao.

"She was just born when she suffered such a terrible ordeal."

Yun Shuyao's eyes stung.

Xiao Fang pulled her into his arms.

"We need to start making preparations in our residence first."

For the next month, I will be handling funeral arrangements and dealing with officials.

The child can only be cared for by you now.

Yun Shuyao immediately nodded in agreement.

"I'll have the Qin family send over a few reliable wet nurses right away."

Xiao Fang raised his hand and tucked a stray strand of Yun Shuyao's hair behind her ear.

"My daughter and the young prince are both young, so we can't completely trust the people we bring in from outside."

Yun Shuyao nodded.

"I understand. I'll have Zhou Heng go through everyone tomorrow."

Several old men who used to work for me in the mansion can lend a hand.

Two wet nurses take care of one child, plus one to keep watch at night.

I'll personally oversee things on the young prince's side.

Xiao Fang hummed in agreement, clearly relieved.

"Is this an imperial edict?"

Yun Shuyao saw the bright yellow scroll inside the little prince's swaddling clothes.

Xiao Fang then recounted the origins of the imperial edict.

"The Emperor wants to pass the throne to me, but I don't want to accept it."

But I can't leave this thing in the palace.

"Will I pass the throne to you?"

Yun Shuyao was startled.

Xiao Fang sighed and said:

"His Majesty is afraid that after he leaves, someone will harm the child. Even if he doesn't say it, I understand."

"So, what are you going to do next?"

Yun Shuyao asked.

"I will put his child on the throne for him."

Xiao Fang spoke these words with a blank expression on his face, but his tone was extremely steady.

Yun Shuyao didn't ask any more questions.

She looked down at the young prince, then at Xiao Fang.

"I understand, you can go ahead and get busy."

I'm taking care of the two children at home.

"You should take a nap first."

Xiao Fang felt a pang of heartache.

"You're still in your postpartum period, you can't stay up late."

"One more night won't make a difference."

Yun Shuyao really couldn't sleep.

"If you're not tired, sit with me for a while."

Xiao Fang didn't say anything.

He moved a chair and sat down next to Yun Shuyao.

Two children, one in a cradle and the other in Yun Shuyao's arms.

The room smelled of milk.

The next day, Yun Shuyao got up as soon as it was light.

She had Zhou Heng create a new register of the household members and sent someone to invite several trustworthy wet nurses.

"Tell the Qin family that the person should be chosen from a farming family with a clean and respectable background."

You should have just given birth, be physically strong, and have plenty of breast milk.

If you come alone, you are not allowed to bring outside food or receive outside guests.

Once inside the manor, you are under my jurisdiction.

Zhou Heng hurried to take care of it.

In the afternoon, Qin Ziming personally delivered four wet nurses.

Yun Shuyao had Doctor Mu examine everyone's pulses, and then had Chunzhi take people to settle them in the side courtyard.

"Two stayed behind to look after the young prince, and two were placed in the young princess's room."

Someone must stay awake at night, changing shifts every two hours. Food, clothing, and medicine are all provided by the household.

Anyone who doesn't do their best will be thrown out on the spot.

Chunzhi quickly agreed.

Xiao Fang was not at home during the day.

Inside and outside the palace, it was all his business.

As evening approached, news suddenly arrived from outside the city.

Two hundred thousand Zhenbei Army soldiers have arrived on the outskirts of the capital.

Overnight, a massive, dark camp was set up all over the outskirts of the city.

Swords and spears stood like a forest, and iron armor was spread out, as if a military city had appeared out of nowhere.

The soldiers guarding the city wall, looking out from afar, felt their hearts sink.

"Is this... a real rebellion?"

"It's the Zhenbei Army! It's Xiao Fang's soldiers!"

"Why are so many coming? Are they going to attack the capital?"

"Close the city gates! Close them now!"

The city's defense soldiers wandered around aimlessly like headless flies.

Before long, the city gate was tightly closed.

The people stood at the street corner, gazing towards the direction outside the city.

Someone's voice trembled.

"It looks like things are about to change."

"Don't talk nonsense! Didn't the Prince of Zhenbei just return from the northern border? Why is he besieging the city with troops?"

"You've all heard about that imperial edict, haven't you? If Xiao Fang really accepts it, the Great Liang will have to change its name!"

"Isn't the young prince also in his residence? So, are they going to help the young prince, or are they going to do it themselves?"

"Who knows! The less he says, the more scared I get."

"Nobody in the entire capital knows what Xiao Fang is planning to do right now."

"The funeral for the late emperor hasn't even been finished yet, and it's already turned into this mess."

The officials were in a state of panic and confusion.

"Is Xiao Fang trying to emulate those treacherous officials and rebels!"

"When did the 200,000 border troops outside the city return from the north?"

"Now, with just one order from him, the capital city would have no chance to fight back!"

"He's seized the imperial edict, the crown prince, and military power!"

"Don't we still have the Dragon City Guard?"

"Lin Hui is Xiao Fang's man, is there even a need to ask the Dragon City Guards?"

"Lu Zhao's imperial guards are in cahoots with Xiao Fang!"

"In this entire city, how many people aren't under Xiao Fang's command?"

"We can't just sit here and wait to die! We need to give an explanation first! The throne of Great Liang cannot be changed without a clear explanation!"

"Yes! We are former officials of the late emperor! We cannot pretend to be deaf and dumb!"

"But who dares to ask first? Who dares to ask Xiao Fang?"

The crowd looked at each other.

Finally, they all fell silent.

The mansions of several princes were never quiet all night.