Fu Erkang wasn't faking it; he was genuinely shocked, his eyes wide. Neglecting his duties—this was a huge mistake.
Moreover, he neglected his duties not when he was in the palace, but when he was on an inspection tour and encountered the White Lotus Sect, which concerned the Emperor's life.
At the same time, he also felt some resentment. After all, if he were an imperial bodyguard, he would stay by the emperor's side every step of the way. But he was just a guard in the Qianqing Palace. He felt that even without him, nothing would happen.
Anke: Hehe, you're a royal bodyguard, so you'll be following Xiao Yanzi and Ziwei around everywhere. Never leaving their side? You should be the one guarding them every step of the way.
"What do you think, Uncle?" Anke stopped talking nonsense and looked straight at the master, hoping he would give her a satisfactory answer.
The master also felt that Fu Erkang, as his bodyguard, wasn't by his side in this crucial moment. So he blindly followed Xiao Yanzi, and they went out. Regardless of their initial intentions, the result was what mattered.
"Fu Erkang is stripped of his position as a guard in the Qianqing Palace and demoted to an ordinary guard. After returning to the palace, he will receive fifty strokes of the cane from the Shenxing Division." The master also felt that he should be taught a lesson so that he would know the difference between superiors and inferiors and the importance of serving the emperor before serving his subjects.
After learning of the Emperor's punishment, An Ke simply nodded to the Emperor, bowed, and then turned and left. She couldn't eat dinner anyway; she was disgusted by what she'd been given. Qing'er didn't follow, wanting to see if the officials would object. She would then tell An'an everything that had happened.
Fu Erkang froze, utterly incredulous. He had thought that after this tour, with his talent, he could return to his position as a royal bodyguard, but instead, he was back to square one.
No, he couldn't accept it. With his talent, he should have been an imperial bodyguard. When he first entered the palace, he was a bodyguard in the Qianqing Palace, and then he worked his way up step by step to become an imperial bodyguard. He endured countless hardships during that time, but he never complained.
How can we negate his entire past just because of one mistake? No, that's not fair to him. Father. Yes, there's still Father, Father can stand up for him.
The Emperor felt that since the punishments had already been imposed, the rewards should also be clearly stated here, so as not to leave them feeling confused after returning to the palace.
"This time, An'an and Fu'ertai were meritorious in protecting the Emperor, and Fuheng also made preparations in advance. They will all be rewarded." The Master said in a deep voice, "Fuheng, for his loyalty to the Emperor and the people, is rewarded with one hundred taels of gold. Princess An'an of Yong'an was meritorious in protecting the Emperor and is hereby granted the title of First-Rank Princess, and her marriage is to be decided freely. Fu'ertai also appeared in time at the critical moment and risked his life. He is hereby granted the title of Captain of the Green Standard Army. After returning to the palace, an imperial edict will be drafted to award them their rewards."
"Yes, Your Majesty is wise." Which of the ministers present disagreed? And how could they disagree? They were all protecting the Emperor. Whatever they were given was perfectly reasonable; they couldn't possibly say that the Emperor's life was less important than these rewards.
Although some officials present were quite envious of Fuheng and Fuertai, no one was jealous of Princess Yong'an. After all, it was common knowledge that the Emperor doted on her, and elevating her to the rank of princess was nothing special; she was still just a woman. Besides, she had saved the Emperor's life, so it was none of their business to interfere.
Jealousy aside, I still have to offer my congratulations. Fu Heng only lacks some material possessions, which is not enough to make people envious or jealous; it's just a matter of psychology.
But the people of Fu'ertai felt he was incredibly lucky. They had initially thought the Emperor's demotion of Fu'erkang was an indication of discontent towards the entire Fu family, but the Emperor had instead promoted Fu'ertai. They really didn't know whether to congratulate Lord Fu or offer him some comfort.
Fu Erkang, standing to the side, was dumbfounded. He knew that his younger brother had saved the emperor and would definitely be rewarded, but he never expected that his brother would climb up so quickly after he was demoted, and even climb over him.
This was hard for him to accept. His younger brother, who had always been below him, suddenly stood taller than him. When he returned to Beijing and the palace, he had to call him "Master" and pay his respects. Thinking of this, Fu Erkang felt uncomfortable all over.
Xiao Yanzi and Ziwei were also momentarily stunned, not expecting to receive so much reward for saving the Emperor.
Ziwei immediately felt some regret. She should have stood in front of the Emperor back then, so that he would remember her and it would have been easier for her to get the pardon.
The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Ziwei now secretly thought about that knife; she'd rather it had been stuck in her own heart. What a huge loss! She'd wasted such a good opportunity to request a pardon. Ziwei was filled with regret.
That's why people say the worst thing is taking the wrong path, because one wrong step leads to another.
Master Ji stepped forward at this moment, but he did not hold an opposing opinion. However, as a civil official and an advisor, he had the right to ask the emperor how he arranged the princess's title.
After all, Princess Yong'an was neither born to the Empress nor to any of the concubines in the harem. However, given her merit in saving the Emperor, it would be reasonable for her to be granted the title of princess, although the specific title still needs to be carefully discussed.
"What title will Your Majesty bestow upon Princess Yong'an?" Ji Xiaolan asked cautiously. There are differences between princesses.
In an instant, the entire dining hall fell silent; you could hear a pin drop. The ministers, too, were secretly thinking. They all wanted to know what title the Emperor would bestow upon Princess Yong'an. If she were granted the title of Princess Gulun Heshuo, then no matter what, they would return to the capital and have their sons do their utmost to win Princess Yong'an's favor.
"The title," the Emperor said thoughtfully, stroking his chin. "The title will remain the same, still Yong'an. She will be conferred the title of Princess Yong'an. Yong'an, Yong'an, may you always be safe, healthy and happy, bringing ten thousand years of peace and happiness to the Qing Dynasty."
For a moment, Ji Xiaolan was unsure whether to oppose or support the emperor's opinion. If he opposed it, he would lack a legitimate reason, since the emperor hadn't made an exception by bestowing a title upon the princess. But if he thought it was good, that didn't seem quite right either. The name Yong'an was simply too prestigious, and coupled with the emperor's recent remarks, it practically placed her on par with a princess of the first rank.
For a moment, the officials were engaged in a heated discussion, but none of them dared to speak out.
Even Ji Xiaolan hesitated, thinking it best for them not to make a scene in front of the Emperor, lest they become his punching bags, which would be utterly disastrous.
"Alright, it's settled then. Once we return to the palace, we'll have the Ministry of Rites make preparations." After saying this, the Emperor didn't give them any time to react and simply got up and left.
By the time the ministers realized what was happening, the emperor had already stepped out of the dining hall. They couldn't very well drag him back, could they? And how many dared to do so?
Fuheng understood the Emperor's intentions perfectly. Others might not, but he was fully aware of everything.
Although Fu Ertai saved the emperor, it's really unreasonable to promote him to the rank of battalion commander in the Green Standard Army when he's currently without any official position.
Fuheng had just observed the Emperor's expression and guessed it was to ensure he could be matched with the princess. The Green Standard Army's battalion commander would also be going to the battlefield, and Fuheng recalled the official document that had been rushed to his hands a few days ago. He understood why the Emperor had shown him such favor today.
Upon hearing the Emperor's words, Qing'er was almost moved to tears. Although it wasn't about her, it was about An'an, so she should still celebrate and be happy.
Of everyone present, apart from Fu Heng, Fu Lun, and Qing Gege who were genuinely happy, no one knew what the rest were planning, but their expressions were rather unpleasant.
Ji Xiaolan was worried about how to prepare after returning to the palace. It wasn't that he was unhappy; in fact, the promotions and demotions of these people didn't matter to him, as long as it didn't affect state affairs. After all, he was a civil official, and there was a clear distinction between civil and military officials.
When Fu Heng walked up to Fu Lun, he patted Fu Lun on the shoulder, nodded to him, and said casually, "Congratulations, Lord Fu."
"Congratulations, congratulations! I haven't even congratulated Lord Fu yet!" Fu Lun was an old fox, so he naturally understood what Fu Heng meant. However, some things were better left unsaid; it was best that the two of them kept quiet about them.
Fu Heng said nothing, nodded, and took the lead in stepping out of the dining hall.
Yongqi felt he should congratulate his cousin, so he left with Qing'er.
After the remaining Buddha statues left, they also left in small groups.
On the surface, everyone seemed calm and collected, but inwardly they were probably gossiping countless times. Tonight is destined to be another sleepless night.
Although Ziwei still had a faint smile on her face, a closer look revealed that her expression had frozen. She had originally thought that after acknowledging her father and being named a princess, she would be on par with Princess Yong'an in her father's heart.
She never expected that he would transform into Princess Yong'an. This was something she could never catch up to. She felt a pang of sadness. So even knowing that Erkang was upset, she had no heart to comfort him.
Ziwei always felt that something was wrong, as if things shouldn't have turned out this way. But she couldn't quite put her finger on it. In any case, it was Anke who saved the emperor, not her, Ziwei.
Little Swallow muttered to herself, "Princess, she actually became a princess?" Little Swallow felt that this trip had already broken off all pretense of civility, after all, they had clashed time and time again.
Thinking that after returning to the palace, if she were to cause trouble for her, at least she would still be a princess, while she, though a county princess, would not be able to cause trouble for her without a reason.
Now that she's a princess, whatever she says goes. She's become the one whose word is law, and Little Swallow feels a little uneasy about it.
She was his adopted daughter, and had traveled a great distance to acknowledge him as her father. She was even shot by an arrow, only to receive the title of princess. Meanwhile, he had become the princess she could never have imagined.
At this moment, Little Swallow seemed to have forgotten that she wasn't even the Emperor's daughter. She was just a thief who had taken someone else's keepsake, yet she had the nerve to harbor resentment. She was nothing but a clown.
Anke didn't go straight back to her room. She wandered around outside for a while, preoccupied with something on her mind, unable to let it go. She kept pacing back and forth outside Fuertai's courtyard.
Should she go in? An Ke asked herself silently. But it was so late, and it wasn't good for a man and a woman to be alone in a room. Should she not go in? Was she really at ease leaving him alone? After all, he had been injured because of her, and her conscience would be tormented if she didn't go and check on him.
Anke was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to go in or not. She seemed somewhat hesitant.
What Qing'er and Yongqi saw was An Ke pacing around outside Fu Ertai's courtyard.
Qing'er understood An Ke's thoughts and knew what An Ke was thinking. Yong Qi, on the other hand, found his cousin's current situation rather amusing. Since his cousin had grown up, she had never shown such a bewildered and helpless expression.
She used to have everything under control, and had never let herself feel so lost. But then she realized that she was lost because of Fu Ertai. Yongqi immediately pulled back the tooth she had been grinning at.
Yongqi: Ughhhhh, what am I thinking? My own cabbage is about to be eaten by a pig! The more I think about it, the angrier I get. If Ertai were standing in front of me right now, I would definitely have a showdown with him.
"An'an," Qing'er called out to An Ke. That one call pulled An Ke out of the quagmire of this problem.
"Why are you two here?" An Ke asked, puzzled, looking at the two people walking together. It was understandable that Qing'er had come to see her. But why had Fifth Brother come to see her?
Seemingly understanding the question in An Ke's eyes, Yong Qi didn't waste any words and said directly, "Congratulations, An An. After we return to the palace, we won't call you Princess Yong An anymore, but Princess Yong An."
Encore: ? ? ? ? ?
Anke's mind was filled with questions. She stepped forward, touched Yongqi's forehead, and whispered, "It's not hot. What nonsense are you talking about?"
Yongqi, speechless, pulled Anke's hand away and flicked her forehead. "What are you thinking? Father just said you saved the Emperor and will be rewarded for your service when you return to the palace, being granted the title of Princess Yong'an. In the future, when Fifth Brother sees you, he'll probably have to bow to you."
"Fifth Brother's words are rather sarcastic." An Ke deliberately fanned the air in front of him.
"Oh, you're even teasing Fifth Brother now." Yongqi tugged at her little braid, but not hard. He couldn't afford to annoy her, after all, he was there to offer his congratulations.
“An’an, you were just lingering here. Did you want to go in? Why didn’t you go in?” Qing’er looked up, still determined to help An Ke see her own heart clearly.
"What's going on with a man and a woman alone in a room late at night?" Anke muttered under her breath.
“An’an, you need to think clearly about how you feel about him now. Think about how you were so disciplined in the palace. But outside the palace, you are hesitant right now. This is not your usual style. An’an, have you truly understood your own heart?” Qing’er asked carefully, her delicate brows furrowed.
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