Upon hearing the Fourth Prince's rebuke, Sun Jiacheng was filled with rage. He thought of how he had dedicated his life to the Qing Dynasty, sacrificing his life without ever being scolded by the late emperor. He considered himself a loyal and righteous man, but he never imagined that today the emperor would, in front of all the ministers, call him a useless old man...
Unable to accept it for a moment, he was so angry that his face turned red with shame and his whole body trembled.
He shouted, "Since Your Majesty considers this old minister useless, a piece of rotten wood in Your Majesty's eyes, then this old minister has no face to face the late Emperor and my ancestors. Let this old minister take my death as a warning in this great hall..."
After saying that, Sun Jiacheng rushed towards the large pillar in the hall, head down...
"Lord Sun, please don't..."
"Lord Sun, please don't do anything rash..."
Sun Jiacheng was held back by several colleagues who risked their lives to prevent him from doing anything impulsive. He had already collapsed in the court, his mind hazy and tears streaming down his face.
"Your Majesty, Lord Sun is devoted to the country and utterly loyal. Even if his words were inappropriate, they are understandable. I beg Your Majesty to forgive him..."
"Yes, Your Majesty, Lord Sun is utterly loyal and devoted to the cause; he truly cannot die..."
"Your Majesty, please reconsider..."
The Fourth Prince remained unmoved, calmly observing the pleas from below, and reiterated, "You need not say any more. I have made my decision; I will definitely establish Niohuru Lanqin as the Noble Consort Xi. The investiture ceremony will be held on a chosen date, and there is no room for further discussion..."
"emperor……"
"Your Majesty, please reconsider..."
The Fourth Master completely ignored the advice behind him and turned to leave.
After the Fourth Prince left, there was still much discussion in the court. Sun Jiacheng sat on the ground and refused to get up, and no matter how the other senior officials tried to persuade him, it was to no avail.
The Thirteenth Prince couldn't bear to watch any longer and stepped forward to help him up, but Sun Jiacheng waved him away, angrily saying, "None of you should bother with me. Seeing the Emperor make a mistake, and this old minister can't help him correct it, it's this old minister's incompetence..."
The Thirteenth Prince sighed, squatted down to be shoulder-to-shoulder with Sun Jiacheng, and said, "Lord Sun, do you know why the Emperor insisted on bestowing the title of Consort Xi upon her?"
Sun Jiacheng, furious, blew his beard and said, "His Majesty has long been blinded by Consort Xi's beauty. Back when His Majesty was still a prince, he heard that this Niohuru was deeply favored by the prince at the time. Unexpectedly, she was not satisfied after entering the palace and obtaining the rank of consort, and now she even dares to dream of becoming a Noble Consort. In this way, what will become of the Empress's dignity? What will the people of the Qing Dynasty think?"
The Thirteenth Prince smiled wryly and said, "Do you know what happened at the Yuanmingyuan a few days ago?"
Sun Jiacheng glanced sideways, puzzled, and asked, "A flower appreciation banquet?"
The Thirteenth Prince said, "That day, His Majesty was nearly assassinated at the Yuanmingyuan. It was Consort Xi who disregarded her own safety and risked her life to protect the Fourth Prince, even taking a knife for him and almost losing her life. She barely managed to pull him back from the brink of death and is still unconscious. Do you still think the Fourth Prince was bewitched by Consort Xi?"
Sun Jiacheng suddenly stood up, grabbed the Thirteenth Prince, and said urgently, "What did you say? It was Consort Xi who saved the Emperor? That was a mistake on the part of this old minister..."
As he spoke, Sun Jiacheng was filled with shame, wishing he could slap himself. He cried out, "This old minister was still in court, saying that Consort Xi was Daji and Bao Si... I was truly senile..."
The Thirteenth Prince comforted him, saying, "Lord Sun, the Emperor was absolutely right when he said you are an old man..."
The following day, news that Lanqin was to be named Consort Xi spread throughout the palace.
The Empress and Lady Nian were both shocked to hear the news.
The Empress was initially furious, but seeing that Minister of Rites Sun Jiacheng had tried his best to stop the Fourth Prince's decision, she later learned that Lanqin had been assassinated in the Yuanmingyuan while trying to save the Fourth Prince, and could only feel indignant in secret.
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