I relied on a system to prolong my life in ancient times.

Chapter 402 Preparations and the Coming-of-Age Ceremony

The palace is rife with intrigue and turmoil. As the legitimate son of the Empress, if Xu'er does not ascend the throne, his fate will be unimaginable once His Majesty passes away and the next emperor takes the throne.

Which emperor could bear to have a brother of higher status and more legitimate right to live well by his side?

Thankfully, thankfully, the eldest and second princes courted disaster, which meant Xu'er had two fewer rivals.

The biggest beneficiary of this palace coup was Xu'er, who ascended to the position of Crown Prince without lifting a finger.

"Xu'er, sit down and talk." The Empress looked at Xuan Yuanxu and saw the undisguised joy in his eyes. She smiled and pulled him to sit down.

The Empress said earnestly, "Xu'er, don't think your mother is being long-winded. This time, your father has appointed you as the Crown Prince, so you must work even harder from now on. This position brings unparalleled glory, but it also requires tremendous effort. In the future, you will no longer be able to do as you please as before. As the Crown Prince of a country, your every move represents the Great Zhou and the Xuanyuan royal family. You must always pay attention to your words and actions and cannot make the slightest mistake."

"Your father trusts you, so you must repay him with corresponding achievements. In the future, follow the Grand Tutor to learn the strategies of governing the country. Do not slack off, understand? You are still young, so don't be in a hurry. The throne will be yours sooner or later. You must not lose the big picture for the sake of small things."

"Don't be arrogant just because you are the crown prince, but don't underestimate yourself either. Your father chose you, so you must have strengths that your brothers don't have. Listen to your father and learn from him how to be a ruler."

"Thank you for your guidance, Mother. I have remembered it all and will certainly not let down Father, Mother, and the people of Great Zhou." The Crown Prince's words were firm and powerful, and he not only had the vigor unique to young people, but also a maturity and determination beyond his years.

The Queen looked at her son with satisfaction; her son had grown up.

Princess Xuanyuan Xi was also surprised that her younger brother, who used to always follow behind her, had really grown up. He was already much taller than her and could take on the responsibilities of the crown prince.

"Xu'er, this is a congratulatory gift I prepared for you. Congratulations on becoming the Crown Prince." Xuan Yuanxi handed the gift he had prepared to the Crown Prince.

"Thank you, elder sister." In the palace, he addressed all the other sisters as "elder sister" and "younger sister," but he always addressed this elder sister, who was his own mother, as an ordinary person.

"Sister, your little brother has grown up. From now on, your little brother will protect you." Xuan Yuanxi got married several years ago. She married into the capital. As a legitimate princess, Xuan Yuanxi's husband was carefully selected by the emperor and empress. The couple has been getting along well for the past few years.

However, after several years of marriage, Xuan Yuanxi only gave birth to a little princess, which displeased her husband's family. But because she was a princess, they dared not say anything.

Now that Xuanyuan Xi's younger brother has become the crown prince, her husband's family dares not say anything more.

Even if she did say it, she would only do it secretly behind her back. Xuan Yuanxi was not a good-natured person. As a legitimate princess, she had supreme power. If she were not well-mannered, who knows what she might do after hearing those words.

"Yes, I understand, thank you Xu'er."

With the matter of choosing an heir concluded, the capital city returned to its usual bustling state half a month later.

The Xiao family also began preparing for Xiao Siyue's coming-of-age ceremony. As the most beloved eldest daughter of the Xiao family, they attached great importance to Xiao Siyue's coming-of-age ceremony.

The coming-of-age ceremony was extremely complicated. The Xiao family had chosen an auspicious date long ago, and it just so happened that Xiao Siyue's birthday was an auspicious day.

In the Great Zhou Dynasty, when a girl came of age, she needed to invite a respected and virtuous female elder to serve as the chief guest. The Xiao family had selected several, but they were not very satisfied with any of them. Later, somehow the eldest princess found out about this and volunteered to be Xiao Siyue's chief guest. How could the Xiao family not be willing to do so?

Apart from the Empress Dowager and Empress in the palace, no one in the entire Great Zhou Dynasty was more noble or respected than the Princess, who was His Majesty's own sister.

As for the remaining matters, they were left to Xiao Siyue's two aunts.

Xiao Siyue's status is different now. As a princess, there are many people who want to attend her coming-of-age ceremony. Apart from inviting her own friends, the rest are prepared by Lin Qin.

The Xiao family has quite a few women now, so she doesn't need to worry about the items she needs for her coming-of-age ceremony.

Lin Qin took it very seriously, and had several sets of the ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) she planned to wear that day made.

"Yue'er, look at this outfit. Isn't it better than the previous one?" Lin Qin walked in with another set of clothes.

"Mother, I think the previous ones were already very good. You've gone to so much trouble." Although Xiao Siyue didn't have to worry, she was almost sick of trying on, choosing, and looking at clothes. The coming-of-age ceremony wasn't just about wearing a ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), but also included other garments like caiyi (another type of traditional Chinese dress). Because the coming-of-age ceremony required three additions and three bows, she had to change clothes several times. In just these few days, she had already tried on several outfits.

In fact, in her opinion, every single one of them was beautiful, with luxurious fabrics and gorgeous styles, but Lin Qin was just not satisfied.

“That won’t do. There’s only one coming-of-age ceremony in a lifetime, so we can’t be careless. Besides, this coming-of-age ceremony means you’ve grown up, and who knows how long we can keep you here?” Lin Qin said as she helped Xiao Siyue change her clothes.

"Hmm, it seems a bit too glamorous, a bit too much. It looks like I need to change into something else."

"Sigh." Xiao Siyue had no choice; this was truly a sweet burden.

Xiao Siyue had no choice but to let Lin Qin do as she pleased. It was alright, as long as her mother was happy.

After seeing Lin Qin leave, Xiao Siyue got up and ran to the Xiao family's elderly couple.

"Yue'er, come quick, what's wrong? You look so listless." Old Mrs. Xiao and the old man were chatting when they saw Xiao Siyue coming over, and Old Mrs. Xiao immediately put the old man aside.

"It's alright, Grandma, it's just that my mother's love is too heavy."

"Haha, what did your mother do to make you say that?"

Xiao Siyue told her about her troubles, and Old Lady Xiao laughed heartily after listening.

"Your mother means well. You are her lifeblood. She wants to give you the best of everything. She prepared for your coming-of-age ceremony a long time ago, afraid that she wouldn't be able to do it well. Don't think your mother is being a nuisance." Old Mrs. Xiao spoke up for Lin Qin.

"Grandma, I know, I was just saying it casually. I wouldn't think my mom is annoying at all." Xiao Siyue just came over to chat and vent.

"Hmm," Old Mrs. Xiao nodded, and then chatted with Xiao Siyue about the gossip in the capital. It has to be said that Old Mrs. Xiao was quite well-informed every day. While listening to the gossip, Xiao Siyue's mind had already wandered far away.

Grandpa Xiao didn't like hearing these things, so he left while the two were talking about it.