The Long Journey to Immortality

The matter was of great importance, and the two, who were usually quite particular about etiquette, disregarded all rules and directly woke Lan Daoren from his cultivation, so that he could meet this old acquaintance who lived in the palace.

Lan Daoren had not anticipated Wen Erya's arrival, but when he saw Wen Erya and Han Lu, he immediately guessed their purpose in coming here and what they wanted to ask him.

"Master." Although she had been at the Golden Core Realm for three full days, Wen Erya still spoke the word "Master" to the Foundation Establishment cultivator, Lan Daoren, without the slightest hesitation, and with utmost sincerity.

"Erya, did you come to find me with Fairy Zhenfeng because of your father's matter?" Lan Daoren did not know that Wen Erya had broken through to the Golden Core Realm, but he changed his address for Han Lu to Fairy Zhenfeng.

After asking this question, Master Lan bowed and greeted her, "Fairy Zhenfeng, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

"Master Lan," Han Lu addressed him by his Daoist name, indicating that she remembered him, and replied politely, "My cultivation has been going smoothly recently. If it weren't for my senior sister's matter, I would probably have already gone into seclusion to prepare for breaking through to the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm and taking another step forward."

"Congratulations, congratulations." Lan Daoren was slightly surprised, but upon reflection, he realized that he shouldn't have viewed such a genius as Han Lu with the eyes of an ordinary person.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Wen Erya seized the opportunity and asked bluntly, "Master, is there anything suspicious about my father's death?"

Lan Daoren paused, shook his head, and then asked, "Why did you have this idea? Did you find some suspicious detail?"

Lan Daoren's answer surprised both Han Lu and Wen Erya.

"So my father just died of natural causes because his lifespan had run out?"

Lan Daoren nodded and said, "That's right. I was by your father's side before he passed away, and there was nothing unusual about it."

Wen Erya found it hard to believe, "But Father is only 120 years old now. Considering his cultivation level and the longevity pills and spiritual plants he takes regularly, he should still have at least ten years of life left."

Master Lan coughed lightly, turned his head to the side, and explained, "Fate is unpredictable; there are gains and losses. It's perfectly normal for your father, who has many children and grandchildren, to suffer some loss in lifespan."

Now, Wen Erya has a total of ten younger brothers and sisters.

It's perfectly normal to shorten one's lifespan if one is obsessed with that aspect.

Wen Erya understood what Lan Daoren meant, and her expression changed slightly.

Seeing this, Han Lu pointed out several other points of doubt for Wen Erya, and Lan Daoren answered them one by one.

In particular, regarding the fact that no will was left and the Empress summoned Wen Er Ya back to the capital to handle the funeral arrangements.

Lan Daoren replied, "This should be the rule of your family. It is said that when your father succeeded to the throne, he did not follow the will."

"As for why you, who were practicing abroad, came back to help preside over the funeral and handle the aftermath, I don't know, but I heard your father make the arrangements with my own ears."

"You should ask the Empress about the specifics; I can't explain it clearly either."

Although Lan Daoren was a cultivator worshipped by the Southern Dynasty, he had no interest in politics or imperial power, and naturally knew nothing about such matters.

Hearing this, Wen Erya's doubts were finally completely resolved.

Upon hearing that Wen Erya's father had died of natural causes, Han Lu breathed a sigh of relief, no longer worrying about the troubles and conspiracies that might or might not exist.

Following Lan Daoren's advice, the two left Lan Daoren's residence and went straight to the cabinet.

When the emperor passed away, the empress temporarily took over his duties.

When the two first arrived at the palace, they had already used their divine sense to pinpoint the Empress's location, which saved them some minor trouble.

Chapter 770 The Bystander Sees the Best

Putting aside her prejudice against the Empress since childhood, Wen Erya had to admit that the Empress at this time truly deserved the title of "Mother of the Nation".

It was already late at night, yet he was still discussing important national affairs with the cabinet ministers.

If it weren't for the fact that there was no conspiracy involved and that the Empress herself didn't have many years left to live, Wen Er Ya might have even suspected that this petty Empress wanted to experience being an emperor, which was why she had resorted to such cruelty.

Although the cabinet officials had long known about the emperor's death, and most of the state affairs they discussed with the empress were related to the emperor's death, Han Lu and Wen Erya still chose to wait for half an hour until the empress left the cabinet and returned to her palace before they appeared to meet her.

This sudden appearance startled the Empress. If she hadn't recognized Wen Erya, she would have cried out "Save the Emperor!"

Calming down, the Empress put on a smiling face, dressed herself, and invited Han Lu and Wen Erya to sit down. She then called over a maid and brewed hot tea for them, fulfilling her duties as a hostess.

The Empress is three years shy of turning one hundred, but thanks to her age-preserving techniques and the help of elixirs and spiritual plants, she has reached the Daoist Child Realm, so she looks almost the same as a forty-year-old woman.

"Guan Ling," Wen Er Ya always addressed the Empress by her given name, even though she was not his biological mother and with whom he had no close relationship, "tell me about your father's affairs."

Guan Ling, the Empress, was already used to this.

When Guan Ling was first addressed in this way, she was not yet the Empress and disliked the title, feeling that the little girl Wen Er Ya was disrespectful.

However, as Wen Erya's cultivation improved, she accepted the thirteenth princess calling her by her given name, and even hoped that Wen Erya would do so, making the two, who were not related by blood, seem to have a close relationship.

Since it was the Empress who wrote the letter, summoning Wen Erya home, she naturally prepared in advance to answer a series of questions from Wen Erya.

Recalling the last scene three days ago, and taking a few more breaths to organize her thoughts, Empress Guan Ling then recounted the scenes before Wen Er Ya's father died.

The story is similar to what Rando said, which confirms that Wen Er Ya's father's death was simply due to the exhaustion of his lifespan.

The stories are similar, but Guan Ling's story is more subjective in its description, with more psychological dynamics.

When talking about the scene of Wen Erya's father's death, she even shed a few tears in front of Han Lu and Wen Erya.

Han Lu and Wen Er Ya couldn't read minds and couldn't tell if the tears were real or fake, but in any case, the Empress's answer completely proved that the whole conspiracy was just a bunch of wild thoughts that Wen Er Ya and Han Lu had overreacted to.

With a soft sigh, Wen Erya took a sip of tea before asking about the "tradition" that Lan Daoren had mentioned.

"Guan Ling, why did Father call me back to handle his funeral arrangements?"

The Empress replied, "This is a tradition of the Wen family; they use the saying 'the bystander sees most of the game.'"

Wen Erya pursed her lips, pondering the meaning of those words in this context.

The Empress's gaze lingered on Wen Erya's face for a moment before she continued, "The gist of it is that each emperor of the Wen Dynasty, before his death, did not directly designate an heir, but instead appointed a trusted family member to make the decision on his behalf."

"This way, bystanders can have a clear view, preventing the monarch from being misled by treacherous people during his lifetime, and ensuring that the truly suitable successor can smoothly ascend the throne."

"If someone dies in an accident or from illness and is unable to speak, then let the most powerful cultivator in the family make the decision."

Feudal monarchs employed a variety of methods in designating their successors.

There are generally several interpretations, including establishing the eldest son, the legitimate heir, the virtuous, and the beloved.

Because this world has the path of cultivation, most monarchs will die peacefully in their old age, only passing away when their sons are over eighty years old.

Therefore, the principle of primogeniture and the establishment of the legitimate heir are not applicable.

Establishing a love interest is not conducive to the continuation of rule.

Naturally, establishing virtue became the only viable path.

But which of his offspring was wise? Those involved are often blinded by their own circumstances.

Therefore, a wise member of the family or a cultivator from outside the family is needed to act as an observer, relying on the power granted by the former monarch to help the old monarch make a decision.

Back then, Wen Erya's father, Wen Ang, used this method to be chosen by his uncle, who was a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator practicing in the Zhengyi Sect, and eventually sat on the dragon throne.

And as it turns out, this was indeed a good choice.

Now, it is Wen Er Ya's turn to play the role of the observer under her father's guidance, choosing a wise person from among her brothers and sisters or younger nephews and nieces to ascend the throne, continue to rule the Southern Dynasty, and move towards the next victory.

Wen Erya and Han Lu were not stupid. After being reminded by the Empress, they understood why the succession was decided in this way.

Wen Erya understood even more clearly how heavy the burden on her shoulders was at this moment.

The burden was heavy, but Wen Erya didn't ask why it was such a foolish question of hers.

In the eyes of the old emperor Wen Ang, Wen Er Ya was definitely the right outsider to pursue.

With her intelligence and concern for the family's imperial power, she would certainly do her best to choose the most suitable successor to ascend the throne.

After a moment of silence, clearing her mind and figuring out how to proceed with the selection process, Wen Erya communicated with Han Lu telepathically, explaining her thoughts. Receiving Han Lu's affirmative and supportive response, Wen Erya then turned to the Empress and asked her questions.

"Guan Ling, I only go home once a year, and I'm not very familiar with my brothers and sisters. Do you have a few good candidates to recommend?"

The Queen looked slightly surprised. "This isn't quite right."

Wen Erya said, "Guan Ling, you are the Empress, and you know your family members better than I do. I'm just asking you to recommend a few outstanding ones; in the end, I will make the decision."

"This does not go against my father's dying wish."

After hearing Wen Er Ya's words, the Empress dispelled her concerns.

After discussing the matter with the cabinet for several days, the Empress naturally thought about the issue frequently and came up with several answers that she considered appropriate.

"The eldest prince is good. He has a good reputation and has been working in the government for a long time. He is capable and no one should think he is unworthy of the throne because of his age." The eldest prince is only ten years younger than the empress, which is also an age when he is about to die.

"The eldest son of the First Prince inherited his father's outstanding talent, excelling in both literature and martial arts... Perhaps some people will object because of his appearance, but I support him."

"The Third Princess is exceptionally talented. I recall that she had a good relationship with you. In her youth, she was a renowned talented woman in the palace. Later, she was assigned to serve outside the palace and accomplished a great deal. Although her husband was of questionable character and caused her some trouble, there is a huge difference between managing a country and managing a household. Even if some civil officials raised objections on this pretext, it would be a minor matter and wouldn't cause any significant disturbance."

……

After counting several princes and princesses, all of whom were descendants of the previous empress, I could not help but offer a few words of praise and compliments, followed by a seemingly negligible shortcoming.

While such a recommendation might seem selfless, even Han Lu could tell that the Empress clearly had some ulterior motives.

When the empress recommended her own children or grandchildren, her words were somewhat dry and rigid.

On the surface, it appears to be about selecting the virtuous without regard to kinship, but in reality, it's a game of cat and mouse, hoping to achieve extraordinary results through this method of recommendation.

Finally, the empresses and children of the concubines whom the old emperors married when they were over eighty or ninety years old were also mentioned.

But they only mentioned a name, without any introduction.

As the saying goes, many children bring many blessings. Even after the Empress's selection process, nearly twenty candidates were presented to Wen Er Ya.

After finishing the recommendation, the Empress added one last sentence: "A country cannot be without a ruler for a day. Although the world is now at peace, I hope Erya will make a decision soon."

"It could be as short as three days, or as long as five days. We must not let the throne remain vacant and cause widespread panic."

While this statement may be somewhat exaggerated, it does make a lot of sense.

Wen Erya sighed and replied, "I will definitely give you an answer within five days."

[Author's Note] I have a sore throat and swollen gums, which makes me feel like one of my teeth is about to fall out. It hurts terribly.

Chapter 771 Four Suggestions

It's easier said than done, but Wen Erya still had no idea whether she could choose a suitable successor from among her brothers, sisters, nephews, and nieces within five days.

Although she had a rough plan and shared it with Han Lu, which Han Lu approved, a plan is still just a plan, nothing more than empty talk.

Even though she had just advanced to the Golden Core Realm, she couldn't guarantee that she could complete her father's last instructions within just five days.

However, with power in hand and no one to supervise them, neither outsiders nor insiders can give a correct answer as to who is most suitable to be the monarch.

As long as Wen Erya's chosen successor isn't too outrageous and is considered an excellent ruler who can maintain the status quo, then the mission can be considered accomplished.