The Emperor sat high on his Dragon Rider, watching with interest as the ministers below argued until they were red in the face.
The ministers who supported Prince Dai proposed to emulate the previous dynasty's system of adding pearls to the princes who had achieved great military success and suggested that Prince Dai be awarded at least seven pearls.
The ministers who supported the Crown Prince naturally opposed this proposal. They believed it was a system from a previous dynasty that shouldn't be used in our dynasty. They emphasized that the previous dynasty's pearl-adding system for princes caused chaos and that the previous dynasty's rebellion was due to the competition between pearl-adorned princes and the Crown Prince. If the Great Zhou reused this system, it would surely repeat the mistakes of the previous dynasty.
The ministers in support of Prince Dai felt that the Crown Prince's faction was being alarmist. Furthermore, the pearl-adding system was not the cause of the previous dynasty's turmoil; the real culprit was the previous dynasty's emperor, who was indulgent, tyrannical in amassing wealth, wantonly killing the innocent, and addicted to indulgence.
The system of adding pearls to princes was not unique to the previous dynasty but was inherited by it from earlier dynasties. The downfall of earlier dynasties was not due to the existence of this system but due to the misrule of emperors. The Crown Prince's party attributing previous dynasties' falls to the pearl-adding system is genuinely ignorant.
The ministers of the Crown Prince's party immediately retorted that in the previous dynasty, the pearl-adding system led to fraternal feuds among the princes, who were preoccupied with power struggles, turning the court into a mess. Ministers also focused solely on taking sides, ignoring state affairs and the people's livelihoods.
The officials supporting Prince Dai's faction countered the arguments, accusing the Crown Prince's camp of blowing things out of proportion and claiming that Prince Dai had been fighting and risking his life for the Great Zhou. The Crown Prince's camp had the audacity to slander Prince Dai, suggesting he wanted to cause fraternal feuds.
Those supporting the Third, Fifth, and Sixth Princes fanned the flames from the sidelines, making the argument between Prince Dai's and the Crown Prince's factions increasingly fierce.
Sun Kui, standing beside the Emperor, saw the ministers quarreling like street shrews and couldn't bear to watch. He hesitated, then took a couple of steps forward and asked respectfully, "Your Majesty, should we stop the ministers?"
The Emperor rested his right hand on his face, with his elbow perched on the dragon throne's armrest, watching the ministers argue with relish.
"It's so entertaining; why stop them? Let them continue the argument."
Sun Kui dared not say more, retreated a few steps, and dutifully returned to his original position, interestedly watching the ministers quarrel.
These literati argue differently, speaking without a single vulgar word, yet what they said was extremely unpleasant. Of course, without some education, one truly couldn't understand a single sentence.
The ministers were arguing fiercely, without their usual decorum and elegance. Sun Kui even saw the ministers' saliva landing on each other's faces, with some directly flying into others' mouths.
The Crown Prince, standing at the head of the team on the left, was dumbfounded as he watched all this.
The Emperor, watching for a while and seeing that the ministers were just rehashing the same arguments, lost interest. He stood up, walked a few steps forward, crossed his arms, bent slightly, and smiled at the ministers, "You all continue to argue. I'm leaving."
The ministers, their faces red and necks thick with anger, heard this and each fell silent, like hens suddenly choked. They hurriedly knelt down, pleading with the Emperor for mercy: "Your Majesty, forgive us, we deserve to die."
"Why stop arguing? Go on," the Emperor's face still wore a warm and gentle smile, "I see you're arguing with great enthusiasm. Continue, don't mind me."
The ministers kneeling below were pale with fear, their bodies trembling slightly.
"We deserve to die."
"It's the first time I knew my beloved ministers were so skilled in arguing." The Emperor leisurely walked to the floor below with his hands clasped behind his back, smiling as he said, "You've truly broadened my horizons just now."
The more mildly the Emperor spoke, the more afraid the ministers kneeling on the ground became.
"We deserve to die! We beg Your Majesty for punishment!"
"Continue your argument from before. Report back to me once you reach a conclusion." The Emperor smiled gently, "I await your good news." With that, he turned and walked out of Chengguang Hall.
Before leaving, the Emperor instructed Sun Kui to stay behind and monitor the ministers as they argued.
Sun Kui did not announce the end of the court session and remained in Chengguang Hall.
After the Emperor left, the ministers knelt on the ground for a long time without getting up.
Sun Kui had to remind the ministers, "Gentlemen, His Majesty just said to continue the argument until a conclusion is reached."
The ministers looked at each other, momentarily unsure of what to do.
"Gentlemen, you can argue just like before." Sun Kui stood slightly bowed, his face showing a respectful and appropriate smile, patiently waiting for the ministers to resume their argument.
The Crown Prince, seeing the ministers' embarrassment, wished to help them out. He walked over to Sun Kui and whispered, "Mr. Sun, must they really continue arguing?"
Sun Kui first saluted the Crown Prince and then respectfully said, "Your Highness, you also heard His Majesty say to let the ministers continue the argument until a conclusion is reached."
"But, this..."
"Your Highness, it is an imperial decree." Sun Kui responded reverently, "Gentlemen, do you wish to defy the decree?"
The ministers who argued earlier certainly did not dare defy the decree, but they could only muster the courage to continue arguing. As they argued, they found their stride and became more and more intense.
The ministers who did not argue previously dared not linger, hurriedly left.
Marquis Xuanping, however, walked out of Chengguang Hall unhurriedly. Duke Zhen, passing him, did not spare him a glance, but a minister beside Duke Zhen mocked Marquis Xuanping, "Wishful thinking."
"What did you say?"
Marquis Xuanping was not angry, but the minister following him was furious and prepared to catch up to argue, yet Marquis Xuanping held him back.
"Marquis, he was disrespectful to you..."
Marquis Xuanping waved his hand and said, "Don't mind it."
"Father, what does the Emperor mean?" The eldest son of Marquis Xuanping, the Princely Heir of Marquis Xuanping's Mansion, asked, "Does the Emperor agree or not?"
Marquis Xuanping said calmly, "The Emperor will not agree so quickly; this matter needs to be ground out slowly."
"Marquis, as long as we keep proposing, the Emperor will eventually agree." The minister said earlier, "With Prince Dai's outstanding military achievements and the Emperor's favor and use of him, he will surely bestow this honor upon Prince Dai."
Hearing this, the Princely Heir of Marquis Xuanping's Mansion was reassured, "That's good."
"Adding pearls is originally what Prince Dai deserved." The minister from before lowered his voice and spoke disdainfully, "The Crown Prince has never achieved any military accomplishments for the Great Zhou; why do they oppose..."
Marquis Xuanping interrupted the minister's words, "Enough, don't talk here; this is not the place for it."
The minister and the Princely Heir didn't say anything further, and hurriedly followed Marquis Xuanping out of the palace.
Walking behind Marquis Xuanping's group were several ministers, gathered around an elderly gentleman with graying hair.
"Prime Minister He, what do you think about adding pearls to Prince Dai?"
"Prime Minister He, adding pearls should not be agreed to."
"Prime Minister He, if Prince Dai gets pearls, his arrogance will surely grow more rampant."
"Prime Minister He, the faction of Prince Dai is obviously trying to force the Crown Prince by adding pearls."
"Adding pearls is a conspiracy by Prince Dai's faction; they must not succeed."
Compared to these anxious ministers, Prime Minister He seemed quite calm.
"Prime Minister He, say something."
"The Emperor has not agreed, has he?"
"The Emperor has not agreed now, but that doesn't mean he won't agree later, especially considering he always favors Prince Dai."
"Rest assured, the Emperor knows what he's doing." Prime Minister He smiled reassuringly at the ministers and then turned to leave.
"Prime Minister He..."
"Prime Minister He..."
"Why isn't Prime Minister He worried at all?"
"Since Prime Minister He isn't worried, it means this matter won't go as Marquis Xuanping and his followers wish."
"Let's wait and see."
Inside Chengguang Hall, some ministers were still arguing, their throats dry and burning, unable to continue and asked Sun Kui to plead with the Emperor for them.
Sun Kui went to the Imperial Study and honestly reported the ministers' argument to the Emperor.
After listening, the Emperor dismissed it disdainfully, "Let them get out."
Sun Kui returned to Chengguang Hall and conveyed the Emperor's order to the ministers.
After thanking the Emperor for his grace, the ministers scrambled out of Chengguang Hall, not daring to delay for a moment, fearing they would be made to stay and argue again.
From that day on, they dared not engage in arguments in court ever again.