Her call of “Father” was more like the greatest mockery.

Wen Xun collapsed to the ground, his throat burning with a dry, intense thirst. As the world spun, all he could think of was the past.

When Wen Yuesheng lost her mother, everything in the mansion had to follow her father’s will.

While he indulged and spoiled Wen Yurou, he never imagined that their identities would one day be so reversed.

He gritted through the pain in his throat, struggling against the hunger and thirst, on the verge of losing consciousness.

In this intense pain, he even wanted to disregard everything and beg the person before him.

But before he could speak, he saw an official hastily enter.

The official’s expression was solemn. Upon entering the prison, he didn’t even glance at the near-death Wen Xun. Instead, he bowed to Wen Yue Sheng, saying, “Your Highness.”

“A message from the palace. After noon, His Majesty fell into unconsciousness. The imperial physician diagnosed him as critically ill.”

The official spoke in a low voice: “The nation is on the brink of mourning, please, Your Highness, proceed to the palace.”

The words “The nation is on the brink of mourning” struck Wen Xun like a thunderbolt.

He had already been in unbearable pain, but after hearing this, his eyes widened in shock.

The eldest daughter, whom he had never valued, was really about to ascend the throne?

His eyes stayed wide open, staring at Wen Yuesheng in confusion.

He couldn’t understand how the emperor, with his personality, would truly want to pass the throne to Wen Yuesheng.

Even if Xiao Jin was not a direct heir, the emperor should have been more inclined to pass the throne to someone from the royal family. But Wen Yuesheng… she was a woman!

Before Wen Xun could respond, Wen Yuesheng gave the official a few quiet instructions. The official quickly left. As Wen Xun raised his head, his gaze met Wen Yue Sheng’s cold, emotionless eyes.

She stood there, while Wen Xun lay on the ground.

He had to straighten his neck just to see her expression clearly.

His forehead throbbed, and the physical exhaustion accumulated over many days allowed him just enough strength to croak out, “Why… why would His Majesty pass the throne to you?”

By now, logically, he should have been more concerned about Wen Yurou and Chen Shi, but an ominous feeling had started to rise in his heart.

He couldn’t care about anything else at this moment—he just wanted an answer from Wen Yuesheng.

He stared at her, his eyes dark and restless, his heart pounding wildly as if it were about to leap out of his chest.

Wen Yue Sheng looked at him without any expression, then coldly spoke: “Because, starting today, I will change my surname to Xiao.”

Change her surname to Xiao!

To adopt her mother’s surname!

The impact of those last few words on Wen Xun was greater than anything else she had ever said.

In an instant, his body collapsed to the ground with a loud thud, his bones feeling like they were shattering.

The pain in his throat was unbearable, and he couldn’t say a single coherent word.

His mind was consumed with the thought of Wen Yue Sheng changing her surname to Xiao.

The shock was so intense that Wen Xun’s body trembled, and he spat out blood. In his agony and disbelief, he ultimately lost his voice.

To someone like Wen Xun, the thought of his daughter taking the throne was already a humiliation, but the idea that she would not bear his surname was too much for him to bear.

The great empire, the grand name in history, would have no connection to him or his Wen family.

Knowing this shattered what little pride he had left, and so, when Wen Yuesheng spoke, he passed away.

Inside the Dali Temple, everyone suddenly became frantic.

Wen Yuesheng emerged from the temple without delay and got into a carriage. Yan Ling accompanied her, and together they headed toward the palace.

By the time they arrived at the Taihe Hall, the emperor was barely alive, and after issuing the abdication edict, he passed away.

The entire hall fell into silence. Yan Ling stood behind Wen Yue Sheng, his eyes cold as he glanced at the figure lying on the dragon bed.

The Yan family and the emperor were deeply connected, as the emperor had repeatedly tried to train Yan Ling as a key minister to protect the Xiao family’s reign.

Now, Yan Ling had fulfilled the emperor’s wishes.

In the midst of the mourning sounds, Yan Ling turned to look at the person beside him.

Lü Ge Lao, holding the emperor’s last edict, stepped forward and announced, “The emperor has passed. The throne will be passed to the crown princess.”

“Your Highness, please choose an auspicious day to ascend the throne as per the emperor’s last wishes.”

As his words echoed, the sound of a long mourning bell rang throughout the palace.

At the sound of the bell, everyone in the capital looked toward the palace.

As the old day ended, a new day began to rise.

In mid-July, Emperor Rui Cheng passed away, and the throne was passed to the crown princess.

On the 25th of July, everything was favorable for the succession.

The morning sun shone brightly, and the sky was clear without a cloud.

Outside Taihe Hall, under the warm sunlight, the court officials, all dressed in scarlet robes, stood solemnly in the grand hall.

At the appointed time, the sky erupted with a series of loud bangs.

Everyone looked up and saw celebratory fireworks shooting into the sky.

Outside the palace gates, the solemn palace doors were wide open.

Soldiers in red armor stood before the gates, holding silver spears and loudly announcing:

“The auspicious time has come—”

Their voices echoed down the long palace avenue, spreading through the entire imperial city for the common people to hear.

The sight was grand and overwhelming, different from any previous coronation.

This time, the new emperor would be crowned as a woman, the first female emperor in the history of the Da Hui dynasty.

Far off, the gathered citizens heard the long sound of a horn.

Looking up, they saw a massive army approaching.

The new emperor, who had risen to power through military means, was now welcomed by a great army.

The army was dressed in Da Hui’s iconic black armor, and the leading general rode a massive horse, as strong as a mountain.

The troops marched in formation, headed straight for the princess mansion.

Unlike past coronations, this time, the new emperor would begin her ascent from the princess mansion.

The ceremonial procession filled the long street, and the area around the princess mansion was crowded with people.

Under the midday sun, the new emperor was dressed in a black dragon robe.

While Da Hui emperors usually wore bright yellow robes, Wen Yuesheng chose black, and her robe was in a skirt style.

The golden dragon embroidered on the black robe shone brilliantly, as if a golden dragon was soaring in the air.

Such a majestic sight was rare, and only the new emperor could control it.

In the heat of the sun, she walked with confidence, surrounded by court officials, toward the center of the imperial palace.

At every step, officials bowed to her.

The long procession snaked from the princess mansion to Taihe Hall.

When the dark figure of the new emperor reached the front, all the high-ranking officials in Da Hui bowed before her.

They called out: “Long live the Empress!”

Their voices were loud, echoing through the halls of the palace.

The new emperor climbed the steps of Taihe Hall, moving up to the highest point of the entire imperial city.

Wen Yuesheng looked up, seeing the majestic Da Hui palace and all those below her.

Under the azure sky, the court officials knelt in reverence.

The procession continued until the crimson palace gates.

“Ritual complete!” The voice of the palace steward rang throughout the hall.

From that moment on, Da Hui would have its first-ever female emperor.

The historical records would call her Xiao Yuesheng, but she still kept the name Wen Yuesheng in private.

The girl who once lived in the princess mansion, spoiled and careless, now ascended the throne under her own name.

Wen Yuesheng turned and walked into the hall.

Behind her, the officials followed closely, watching as Da Hui’s first female emperor took her place on the golden throne.

In her hand, she held a string of white jade Buddhist beads, which caught the light as she ascended to the highest position in the empire.

These beads, once given to her by Yan Ling, had lost their power long ago but were now a symbol of her power.

From now on, she would no longer be bound by any limitations.

She was Wen Yuesheng, and she had truly become the ruler of her fate.

She turned, facing everyone, and slowly sat down on the throne.

The jade beads tapped gently on the dragon seat, as officials continued to stand in respect.

From now on, this was her world.