"The princes have co of age for quite so ti, and the imperial grandsons have already entered the imperial academy. In recent years, although the princes have not accomplished great feats at court or among the people, they have also not committed major faults. I have given this considerable thought, and it’s ti to promote the status of the princes. Summon soone to proclaim the decree!"
The Emperor’s words were too simplistic, rely suggesting that since they were older and hadn’t done anything wrong, it was ti to bestow princely titles upon them. It was hard not to snicker inwardly, Couldn’t His Highness spare so grandiose rhetoric to give the princes a bit of face?
"Yes!"
The eunuch who attended to the Emperor stepped forward, unrolling a golden-yellow scroll, "By the Mandate of Heaven, thus decrees the Emperor... Hereby, the eldest imperial son is nad Prince Ning, the Second Imperial Prince as Prince Le, the Third Imperial Prince as Prince Zhuang, the Fourth Imperial Prince as Prince Fu, the Fifth Imperial Prince as Prince Ping... Ye Zi’an’s eldest son, Ye Haoxuan, as Prince An, each prince is granted a prince’s mansion, nurous jeweled ornants, and a bounty of fabrics; heed this command!"
"Your son thanks You, my Emperor, long live, long live, long live!"
"Your humble servant thanks You, my lord, long live, long live, long live!"
A chorus of grown princes’ voices, accompanied by a single tender child’s voice.
Many people were still struggling to grasp the sudden announcent.
Mu Shaoling was among them, as was his father, Old Master Mu, both fixed their gazes in stunned silence on the little kid kneeling in the middle of the hall. How had he ended up kneeling there?
Why would he join in this commotion?
Wait, that’s not right! After carefully reconsidering the imperial decree, State Duke Tong finally realized the situation, but then another question arose—how had that little rascal been ennobled as a prince? What had led to him receiving such a title?
What was the Emperor thinking?
At the sa ti, every official present was in a state of shock. Of course, they had been initially focused on what noble title their own protégés would receive. However, after listening, they realized that aside from a few young ones, all the rest were referred to as one-word princes, fair and impartial, even the Second Prince was given the title Prince Le.
But the real issue erged at the very end. Ye Zi’an’s eldest son, Ye Haoxuan? Prince An? What was going on here?
Not only were the court officials perplexed, but even Yang Chuxia of the Ye Family was baffled. Ye Zi’an, who had co to an understanding with Lele, was sowhat more at ease. If anyone in the room was completely unfazed by the turn of events, it was the Emperor and the party concerned, Lele.
"Emperor, I fear this may be improper," State Duke Tong was the first to speak out. He didn’t step forward because Lele had had a quarrel with his grandchild; rather, he genuinely believed this action was inappropriate. How could the son of a lower official who possessed not a single rit be suddenly ennobled as a prince, and alongside the imperial sons at that—wasn’t this utter nonsense?
"Emperor, I concur with his view!" The Pri Minister also joined in, "Emperor, Ye Haoxuan is but a four-year-old child, unworthy of being a prince. Without any rits or contributions, I fear this act may lead to the dissatisfaction of the court."
"Indeed, I do not agree with the ennobling of Ye Haoxuan. How can a child serve as a sovereign prince?" The Minister of the Ministry of Personnel also stood up to express his opposition.
"I also oppose!"
"I concur!"
"..."
With State Duke Tong and the Pri Minister setting the precedent, a flock of ministers shared their divergent views.
The Emperor looked down at the kneeling crowd, and all were unequivocally opposed.
His countenance remained calm, and he remained silent, rendering the hall incredibly quiet. Those familiar with the Emperor knew this was a sign of his impending anger, but regardless, one couldn’t let the Emperor carry on with such an irrational display.
"Emperor, throughout history, any ennoblent as a prince outside the royal family has been due to remarkable achievents, such as protecting the nation or the sovereign. And even when bestowing such titles, they are typically two-word titles. How can they be compared to the legitimate imperial princes of the royal lineage?"
Lord Pri Minister added his thoughts, "Ye Haoxuan is less than five years old, possesses no achievents in defending the nation or supporting the sovereign, and is not a mber of the royal family. How then can he be made a prince? How will he command respect?"
User Comments
0 comments from readers