Chương 777: The sun and moon remain unchanged, the mountains and rivers endure forever. Gentlemen, p

Gentlemen, p The veteran officials bowed in unison, their voices choked with emotion.

After a lifetime of fighting and working, I can finally take a break.

I feel reluctant to part with it, and I have mixed feelings, but I am mostly relieved.

With a worthy successor, they can leave in peace.

Looking at his old comrades below, Liu Ce felt a pang of sadness.

They're all old folks who've been with him for decades.

I've followed him since the beginning of the uprising, through thick and thin, fighting and governing the world together.

Now, we're all old.

"Get up, all of you," Liu Ce said gently.

"You've all worked hard for me your whole lives."

Go back home, retire comfortably, enjoy your grandchildren, and live a life of leisure.

The imperial court will always be your support. If you need anything, come to me anytime.

The palace gates are always open to you.

"Your Majesty, we... thank you!"

The veteran officials bowed again, many with tears in their eyes.

Following this, a new batch of appointments was announced: Zhuge Liang served as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, overseeing all government affairs...

......

The new generation of leaders has officially taken over power.

Young, energetic, and capable, this is the time for them to make their mark.

The ceremony is over.

Liu Ce stood up and patted the armrest of the dragon throne.

"Alright, I've finished my work."

He smiled, turned around, and led a group of veteran officials out of the Taiji Hall.

The old ministers followed behind him, each with white hair, yet still standing tall.

Their generation's mission is complete.

The main gate of the Taiji Hall slowly opened.

The March sunlight streamed in, its golden rays falling on the threshold.

Liu Ce and his group of veteran officials stood on the threshold.

The sunlight shone brightly on them, giving each of them a golden glow.

They turned around and looked at the successors inside the hall...

The young emperor Liu Chen stood beside the dragon throne; Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, Fa Zheng, Wang Meng, Zhang Juzheng, Guo Ziyi... a new generation of civil and military officials stood below the throne.

Energetic and full of hope.

Liu Ce looked at them and smiled slightly.

The veteran officials also laughed.

A smile of contentment, a smile of composure.

Then, they turned around and walked out of the Taiji Hall step by step.

His silhouette was composed, his steps steady.

There was no turning back.

Liu Chen stood in the hall, watching Liu Ce and the group of old ministers slowly leave, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

The officials all watched, their eyes filled with reverence.

That was the silhouette of an era.

A magnificent era belonging to the Shenwu period.

Liu Ce led a group of veteran officials down the steps of the Taiji Hall.

Cars were already prepared outside the palace gates.

That's right, cars.

Thirty years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the internal combustion engine was invented, and automobiles gradually became more widespread.

Although it was still an old-fashioned car that ran on gasoline, it wasn't very fast and was quite noisy, but it was still more comfortable and faster than a horse-drawn carriage.

When the emperor leaves the palace, he no longer rides in a royal carriage but instead travels by car.

Liu Ce's car was specially made by the Royal Automobile Factory. It was spacious and comfortable, with genuine leather seats and glass windows, making it very high-end.

The veteran officials each boarded their respective carriages.

Liu Ce's car was at the front, followed by a long line of cars, heading towards Daming Palace in a grand procession.

Daming Palace covers a vast area and has all the palaces and gardens you could want, making it even more comfortable than the imperial palace.

Nestled against mountains and beside water, with beautiful scenery and a large area, it's ideal for retirement.

Liu Ce had been wanting to stay there for a long time and was just waiting for today.

In the car, Liu Ce leaned back in his seat, watching the street scenes rushing past the window, and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Ah, that feels good." He stretched.

"Finally, I don't have to sit on the dragon throne anymore."

That old, hard chair hurt my back.

The eunuch in the passenger seat suppressed a laugh and dared not speak.

The convoy drove slowly through the streets of Los Angeles.

The people on the street stood by the roadside watching the spectacle, pointing and commenting as the convoy passed by.

"That must be the Emperor Emeritus's carriage, right?"

"It must be! The Emperor Emeritus moved to the Daming Palace today!"

"Oh dear, the Emperor Emeritus has worked hard for forty years; it's time for him to enjoy his retirement!"

"Yes, without the Emperor Emeritus, we wouldn't have the good life we enjoy today!"

The people were talking about it, their voices filled with gratitude and respect.

Liu Ce listened in the car, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Worth it.

These forty years have not been in vain.

Liu Chen, accompanied by his officials, escorted them out of the Taiji Hall.

They escorted me from Taiji Hall to Danfeng Gate, walking and seeing me off the entire way.

The new emperor, accompanied by his court officials, saw off the retired emperor.

This is both a matter of courtesy and a gesture of goodwill.

The convoy stopped in front of Danfeng Gate.

Liu Ce got out of the car.

Liu Chen, accompanied by his officials, came forward to greet them.

"Father." Liu Chen walked up to Liu Ce, bowed, and his eyes were a little red.

"You... you've arrived at Daming Palace. Take a good rest and don't overexert yourself."

Your son... your son will visit you often.

Liu Ce looked at his son, smiled, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Silly boy, why are you crying? It's not like we'll never see each other again."

"I'm just moving house, not going on a long trip."

He paused, glanced at the officials behind him, then at the distant capital city of Luo, and slowly spoke, his voice not loud, but each word clear:

"The sun and moon remain unchanged, and the mountains and rivers endure forever."

Gentlemen, please proceed with caution.

These thirteen words, however, seem to carry a thousand pounds of weight.

All the officials bowed in unison, offering the most solemn cupped-hand salute to Liu Ce and the group of veteran ministers.

"Your Majesty, we respectfully bid farewell to the Emperor Emeritus!"

May the Emperor Emeritus live a long and healthy life!

Their voices were clear and resonant, choked with emotion, and echoed throughout the entire Danfeng Sect.

Liu Ce nodded, turned around, and got into the car.

The veteran officials also boarded the carriage one after another.

The convoy slowly started moving, entered Danfeng Gate, and headed deeper into the Daming Palace.

Liu Chen and his officials stood there, watching the convoy gradually disappear into the distance, and remained there for a long time without getting up.

The gates of Danfeng Gate slowly closed.

"Boom—" A muffled thud.

An era has officially come to an end.

The fortieth year of the Divine Martial Era has come to an end.

..................

A few days later, a court assembly was held in the Liangyi Hall.

This was Liu Chen's first formal court assembly after ascending the throne.

He was dressed in a dragon robe, sitting on the dragon throne, his posture upright and his expression calm.

The officials below stood in neat rows, completely silent.

No one dared to be careless at the new emperor's first court assembly.

Liu Chen glanced at the assembled officials below, cleared his throat, and began to speak:

"I have just ascended the throne, and many things are yet to be done."

The top priority is to rectify the country's foundation and reassure people's hearts.

My mind is made up...

The Crown Princess Xu was made Empress, serving as the mother of the nation.

Liu Chengqian was appointed Crown Prince, the heir apparent to the throne.

What do you all think?

The officials exchanged glances and stepped forward one after another:

"Your Majesty is wise! We second that proposal!"

"Her Majesty the Empress is virtuous, and His Highness the Crown Prince is intelligent; this is a great blessing for the nation!"

Nobody objected.

Xu Jingxian has been the Crown Princess for so many years, and she is virtuous and kind with an excellent reputation. It is the popular choice for her to become Empress.

The eldest son, Liu Chengqian, was intelligent and precocious. Everyone watched him grow up, so it was only natural that he became the crown prince.

With the foundation of the nation secured, the people's hearts are at ease.

Liu Chen nodded: "Okay."

It's settled then.

The Ministry of Rites selected an auspicious day to hold the investiture ceremony.

Keep everything simple; avoid extravagance.

"Your Majesty, we obey!" The Minister of Rites quickly stepped forward and acknowledged the order.

After the court session ended, Liu Chen returned to the inner palace.

Xu Jingxian was playing with her youngest son in the palace. He was a chubby-faced and very clever boy.

Seeing Liu Chen enter, Xu Jingxian greeted him with a smile:

"His Majesty is back? Did the court assembly go smoothly today?"

"Successfully." Liu Chen smiled and nodded, reaching out to pat his youngest son's head.

"I have good news for you."

"I hereby issue this decree, bestowing upon you the title of Empress and upon Chengqian the title of Crown Prince."