The Thirteenth Prince and the Seventeenth Prince soon entered the palace.
"Your Majesty, this humble subject pays his respects."
"No need for formalities, please rise," said the Fourth Master.
The Fourth Prince said to the eunuch beside him, "Show it to the Thirteenth Prince and the Seventeenth Prince."
The eunuch handed a stack of memorials to the Thirteenth Prince and the Seventeenth Prince.
The two exchanged a glance, both with the same question in their eyes: why did the Emperor want them to see the memorials? This was a right reserved for the Emperor.
The Thirteenth Prince asked, "Brother, what do you mean by this?"
Fourth Master said, "You'll know once you open it and take a look."
Left with no other choice, the two picked up the memorial before them, their faces showing distress.
They put down one book and then picked up another; the contents of each book were slightly different, but their purpose was the same.
The Thirteenth Prince said, "These are all memorials impeaching Nian Gengyao."
The Seventeenth Prince also said, "Your Majesty, you summoned us here to talk about Nian Gengyao, didn't you?"
Fourth Master nodded. "You've all seen it. This Nian Gengyao is now lawless. If we don't discipline him, he'll rebel."
The Seventeenth Prince asked, "What does Your Majesty intend to do with him?"
The Fourth Prince said, "I have decided to send Nian Gengyao to the capital. Send an imperial edict stating that Consort Nian is seriously ill and that he should enter the palace to visit her. What do you think?"
The Thirteenth Prince said, "Your Majesty, I believe this method is feasible."
The Seventeenth Prince also chimed in.
The Fourth Prince said, "In that case, Eunuch Li." The Fourth Prince summoned the eunuch and said, "Go and draft an imperial edict to summon Nian Gengyao to the capital. Say that Consort Nian is ill and he needs to come to the palace to visit her."
"Yes." Eunuch Li walked out.
The Fourth Prince sighed, "He assisted me in the past, and after I ascended the throne, he made great contributions to the Qing Dynasty. I really don't want to punish him."
The Thirteenth Prince said, “Brother, the Nian family has reached a point where it must be dealt with. You can’t be soft-hearted anymore. No matter what fate Nian Gengyao ends up with, it’s all his own doing.”
The Seventeenth Prince also advised, "Your Majesty, you have always been considerate of Lady Nian, turning a blind eye to Nian Gengyao's actions over the years because of her years of service to you. But now that Lady Nian is seriously ill, her family is still unrestrained and acts recklessly, which is truly a betrayal of Your Majesty's grace." The Seventeenth Prince knew that the Fourth Prince just didn't want people to say that he hadn't shown any mercy to the meritorious official, so he comforted the Fourth Prince in this way.
Fourth Master nodded, thinking that Seventeenth Master truly understood his thoughts, so that he could take action against Nian Gengyao without anyone in the world saying anything.
A short while later, Eunuch Li returned.
"Your Majesty, the imperial edict has been drafted."
Fourth Master said, "Send someone to send it out quickly."
The Thirteenth Prince and the Seventeenth Prince exchanged a glance; this time, Nian Gengyao was likely in grave danger.
If he enters the capital, the emperor will punish him for the impeachments made by the officials. If he does not enter the capital, then disobeying the imperial decree will give the emperor even more reason to punish him.
The Thirteenth Prince sighed inwardly, "Nian Gengyao! Nian Gengyao, you never imagined you'd end up like this."
Thus, an imperial edict summoning Nian Gengyao to the capital was sent out of the Forbidden City.
This is the Empress's Jingren Palace.
"You said the Emperor has summoned Nian Gengyao to the capital," the Empress said. "That's wonderful! The Emperor has finally dealt with Nian Gengyao."
Lingxiu said, "Your Majesty, the Nian family is finished now."
"Fortunately, my efforts were not in vain. It's just a pity that that wretched woman is about to die and can't witness this scene with her own eyes," the Empress said.
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