Amidst the anticipation of the guests and the audience, under the nervous gaze of the director, Ruan Qiu, holding a sword, walked towards the hall, climbed the stone steps, then looked up at the plaque above the main entrance of the hall, engraved with the four characters “Encouraging Diligence and Governance”. She raised the tip of her sword and pointed at the plaque, saying, “Behind it.”

“As the saying goes, ‘three feet above the head, there are Gods.’ It also says, ‘a good man is eight feet tall’. Eight feet plus three feet equals the position of the plaque. Therefore, the decree is in the hands of the Gods.” Ruan Qiu analyzed, “Not to mention the strict guard, there are guards patrolling the hall at all times. No one dares to remove the plaque.”

Ruan Qiu continued forward, explaining, “This plaque was passed down by our ancestors. These four words, ‘Encouraging Diligence and Governance’, are the admonitions of our ancestors to the emperors of all generations, urging them to be diligent in state affairs, to govern the Great Zhou well, and not to indulge in decadence. As for the courtiers looking up, it goes without saying this is where the courtiers attend court. After they climb the stone steps, the first thing they see is this plaque.”

Everyone suddenly realized.

The director drank water with shaky hands.

The speculation was over; now it was time for verification.

Ruan Qiu took a deep breath, and as she jumped up, she threw the long blade in her hand. Although the blade wasn’t sharpened, it wasn’t a plastic product either; it was made of synthetic materials with some weight. Ruan Qiu forcefully smashed it against the plaque, causing it to emit a crisp sound.

Seeing that it was successful, Ruan Qiu retrieved the sword, landing lightly on the ground, and took a step back.

The next moment, the plaque crashed down with a loud bang, flipping in the air and smashing onto the ground, leaving several cracks on the wood.

The crowd surrounded Ruan Qiu, including the extras who had no idea about this plot twist intentionally hidden by the director. They eagerly watched as Ruan Qiu reached out and flipped the plaque, revealing the wooden box embedded behind it.

A low murmur rose from the onlookers.

The director sighed deeply.

It was over, completely over.

Ruan Qiu looked at Xue Wu and then at Jiang Yan, asking them, “Should I open it?”

“Go ahead,” Xue Wu and Jiang Yan nodded simultaneously.

[Come on, place your bets! Let’s bet on who the true heir to the throne is. I bet one yuan.]

[I’ll bet two, on Jiang Yan.]

[I’ll bet for free. I bet on Xue Wu.]

[Why isn’t anyone betting on Ruan Qiu?]

[Why would it be Ruan Qiu? What’s up with the people upstairs?]

It was already past ten o’clock at night. Many netizens had forsaken their nightlife and were now fully focused on watching the live broadcast, eager to know who would inherit the throne.

Ruan Qiu opened the sliding wooden box and took out the bright yellow decree inside. Holding onto the edge of the wood, she slowly unfolded it and read aloud to the crowd, “By the grace of heaven, the Emperor decree: After careful consideration, I have decided to issue two different decrees of succession to prevent any treacherous individuals from seizing the throne.”

The crowd listened attentively to Ruan Qiu’s words, not daring to breathe loudly. “One decree is to be given to the Crown Prince for immediate succession. The other is to be hidden within the plaque. If, unfortunately, the Crown Prince meets an untimely demise, this decree shall come into effect to stabilize the kingdom of the Great Zhou. However, I am faced with the dilemma of my nine sons, each with their own strengths and virtues, making it difficult for me to decide.”

Ruan Qiu’s expression gradually turned peculiar. “Therefore, I have decided that whoever finds this decree first shall… succeed to the throne, regardless of gender or status.”

She fell silent for a few seconds, then rolled up the decree again, placed it back into the box, and then placed the box in front of Xue Wu and Jiang Yan. She earnestly said to them, “Nothing happened just now. You both have amnesia. I didn’t open the box. Please, open it now.”

The crowd: …

[The late Emperor is quite mischievous. What if the person who finds the decree is an eunuch? Wouldn’t that mean the royal family ends here? (Contemplating)]

[Ruan Qiu is basically an eunuch, right? (facepalm)]

[Others: Forced amnesia.]

[SisterRuan: Disdainful.]

[Hahaha, Ruan Qiu’s expression just now was like: What in the world is this bad luck thing, I don’t want it, hahaha.]

[The person who said earlier that the Emperor might be Ruan Qiu, come out now, prophet, get ready to be stabbed.]

[Sister Ruan is giving up the throne like worn-out shoes. (haughty)]

[I might actually die laughing here, this is too dramatic, getting all worked up in the middle of the night, hahaha.]

“We all saw Eunuch Ruan open it,” Xue Wu said with a suppressed smile, “Doesn’t Eunuch Ruan want to be the emperor?”

“Nope,” Ruan Qiu’s gaze was sincere, “Who would want to be one?”

The ministers exclaimed, “How can matters of the throne be a joke!”

After some whispered discussion, they glanced at Jiang Yan and others, whose expressions were complicated, and then at the barely contained laughter of Xue Wu. Despite some reluctance, they unanimously agreed and decided to follow the late Emperor’s decree. They bowed to Ruan Qiu and said, “Please ascend to the throne, Your Majesty! The country cannot be without a ruler for a day!”

“Can I pass on the throne now?” Ruan Qiu asked seriously, “Can’t you find someone more reliable than me?”

The people present all said in unison, “But there’s no one more reliable than you.”

Ruan Qiu: …

[Hahaha, they’re right. There’s really no one more reliable than Ruan Qiu. Our Ruan is the most reliable person, single-handedly figured out the Fourth Prince’s conspiracy, fought against multiple opponents to delay until the Imperial Guards rescued them, and finally found the decree of succession. She is the most reliable person in the world!]

[You can always trust Sister Ruan!]

[Sister Ruan’s expression when receiving the decree looked so painful, hahaha, I really want to laugh.]

[Emperor Xue directly took off his imperial robe and gave it to Ruan Qiu to wear.]

[Ruan Qiu is the Emperor now, so let’s bring all these guests into the harem. What choice do they have? Of course, they all have to join!]

[Really? I want to see Emperor Ruan flipping the green tiles! Who’s going to serve tonight?]

Ruan Qiu draped herself in the robe given by Xue Wu. The robe was a bit oversized for her, with the sleeves fluttering in the wind and the hem trailing long on the ground. But no one would think Ruan Qiu wasn’t worthy of wearing this attire. Everyone watched as she casually lifted the edge of the robe and attentively said, “Then… I’ll just handle tonight’s rebellion as well, finishing today’s tasks today.”

Instantly, everyone tensed up.

The comments stopped the “hahaha” behavior and began to earnestly listen to Ruan Qiu handle that night’s affairs.