Ortai anticipated that Nian Gengyao would intervene. He glanced at the Emperor, who remained expressionless, and stepped forward, first bowing loudly before slowly saying, "Your Majesty, I find General Nian's words reasonable but not entirely logical. Your Majesty is the foundation of the Qing Dynasty and the pillar of the nation. Military power should be held by the court and personally managed by Your Majesty. How can it be entrusted to one person because of a temporary war? Holding such power is inherently unreasonable and illegal..."

Nian Gengyao angrily rushed up to Ortai, grabbed Ortai by the collar, and roared, "What did you say? I've fought in many battles over the years, and I've fought more battles than you've eaten salt. When did it become your place to criticize me?"

After saying that, Nian Gengyao flung his hand away, and Ortai almost fell down, staggering backward before barely managing to stand up.

An uproar erupted in the court, and everyone began to show displeasure, pointing and whispering. Nian Gengyao suddenly realized what was happening, felt a little flustered, and looked up at the emperor sitting above.

The emperor remained unresponsive and expressionless. A moment of uncertainty crossed my mind, when suddenly the emperor stood up…

Everyone stopped and waited quietly for the Emperor to speak. A long time passed…

The Emperor suddenly laughed, waved his hand, and calmly said, "What my ministers have said is all reasonable. I see that General Nian is also tired. We'll discuss this again next time..."

Nian Gengyao breathed a sigh of relief and glared fiercely at Ortai.

"Gengyao, Shilan misses you very much. Go to Yikun Palace after court!" the Fourth Prince said.

Foreign officials were not allowed to enter the inner palace, especially men. The fact that the Fourth Prince allowed Nian Gengyao into the inner palace shows how much he favored him.

Seeing this, the ministers all fell silent.

“Your Majesty, General Nian has been away from home for many years and has not seen the Consort and her brother for a long time. Your Majesty is considerate and wise.” Longkodo quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

Fourth Master gave Longkodo a satisfied look.

After the court session, the Fourth Prince went straight back to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. He summoned Ertai.

"Your Majesty, this General Nian is far too arrogant. Your Majesty, I am absolutely furious with him. You even made me his deputy, I simply cannot stand it." Ertai was summoned back by the eunuch and grumbled as soon as he entered the room.

"With your quick temper, he just got back, I'm just giving him some face!" the Fourth Prince said with a smile.

“Your Majesty, is this just a little bit of face? It’s said that he spoke rudely when he entered the city from outside,” Ortai said. He had a good relationship with the Fourth Prince since childhood. Although they were not blood brothers, he was one of the few people who could speak freely in front of the Fourth Prince, just like the Thirteenth Prince.

“Nian Gengyao has made outstanding military achievements, so it’s understandable that he might be a bit arrogant,” the Fourth Master continued calmly.

"Your Majesty!" Ortai looked at the Fourth Prince in disbelief.

"But if I were to strip him of his military power and punish him now, how would the people of the world view me? Would they think I'm a traitor who has crossed the river and then discarded the bridge?" The Fourth Prince said, his faint smile fading.

Ortai went from surprise and doubt to deep thought, and said, "Is Your Majesty afraid that you have chilled the hearts of the people? But he is so spoiled and arrogant, I am afraid that he will become more and more unruly in the future!"

"I'll let him run wild for a while, so what?" the Fourth Prince continued. "I'll restore the title of Imperial Concubine to his sister and the title of Prince to his nephew. Let him feel that the Nian family is secure and unshakeable."

Ortai suddenly understood the meaning behind the Fourth Prince's words, and revealed a sly smile, saying, "Your Majesty, I understand."