After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

A pale, bleak white tinged the horizon.

The capital city was still shrouded in gloom at dawn.

Before the towering Fucheng Gate, bonfires blazed, swords and spears stood in a forest, and white curtains fluttered in the wind.

The atmosphere was somber and mournful, making one feel a chill even when wearing three layers of clothing.

As the Minister of Works and the elder brother of Consort Dunsu, Nian Xiyao stared solemnly at the Grand Councilor opposite him, speaking very bluntly.

The emperor's brother-in-law had half-gray hair hanging down his back, his braid was not tied neatly, and his thin cheeks were sunken, making him look emaciated.

Ortai, who was sitting opposite him, had a full beard and hair. He had caught Yongzheng's eye when he was young because of his good looks. Now that he was middle-aged, he was even more dignified and imposing.

Especially tonight, he had been guarding the emperor's side the whole time. Although he hadn't personally taken up a sword, the smell of blood on his body was enough to make people tremble with fear, just like a butcher.

But in front of the foolish young master, who was the emperor's brother-in-law, the Grand Councilor's imposing manner was completely ineffective.

Nian Xiyao stared at him with wide eyes.

Ortai bowed slightly and forced a smile: "Lord Nian, please wait a moment. What I did was to capture a wanted criminal of the court in order to escort the coffin of the Imperial Noble Consort Dunsu out of the city."

The term "梓宫" (Zigong) was actually only used for the coffin of the empress.

Although the Emperor ordered that Consort Nian be buried with the rites due to an Empress, the term "Zigong" (梓宫, coffin) was still somewhat presumptuous; it should have been called a "Golden Coffin" (金棺, golden coffin).

This was the Grand Councilor taking responsibility to show goodwill, indicating that he had no ill intentions and no intention to disrespect the Imperial Noble Consort Dunsu.

Nian Xiyao ignored everything and only muttered angrily:

"Today is the day of my younger sister's funeral. The princes and nobles, by order of the Emperor, are walking to escort my sister to Dinghui Temple. Do you not know what an immense favor this is? Your obstruction, making these princes and nobles suffer in this cold wind, is it to deliberately make things difficult for my Nian family?"

"Shut up! Cough...cough...cough..."

At that moment, an aged voice came from another sedan chair.

The emaciated old man, dressed in mourning clothes, who was sending off his son today, lifted the curtain and stepped out of the sedan chair.

Burbuza and several young men rushed forward to support the old man's arm.

The old man glanced at his granddaughter, who was a princess, patted her hand, and indicated that she didn't need to worry.

When Nian Xiyao turned around, he saw his father, Nian Xialing, getting out of the sedan chair. He opened his mouth, about to scold again, but after being looked at by his father, he fell silent and took a few steps back.

Ortai sighed inwardly and quickly bowed and stepped forward to pay his respects:

"This junior, Ortai, greets the venerable elder."

With a hoarse voice, Nian Xialing bowed and said, "My son has been unruly and has offended you, sir. You have worked hard today for the public good."

Ortai smiled wryly, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "You flatter me, sir. I am deeply apprehensive and can only thank you for your understanding. I will apologize later."

Nian Xialing shook his head: "I heard the commotion at the Forbidden City tonight. I was at Changchun Garden."

The old man glanced at the golden coffin of Consort Dunsu:

"Together with my son, we pray for the Emperor's well-being. Fortunately, the Emperor is protected by Heaven and Earth, and has eradicated all the villains. Of course,"

He then looked at Ortai:

"The protection of adults played a crucial role in this as well."

Ortai hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty's strategies are masterful; how could Ortai have contributed even a fraction of the merit?"

The old man opposite him had served as a principal officer in the Ministry of War, a senior official in the Ministry of Justice, an imperial censor, a scholar in the Grand Secretariat, and a vice minister in the Ministry of Works in his early years. In terms of his experience in officialdom, he was naturally no less experienced than the Grand Councilor.

In addition to his relationship with Nian Gengyao, the current Duke Nian has been granted the titles of Minister and Grand Tutor, and has been awarded the title of First-Class Duke and bestowed with a double-eyed peacock feather.

Ortai naturally treated the old man with utmost respect and dared not be disrespectful.

However, the Emperor would not give a clear order to allow him to search Consort Nian's funeral procession. This would be a great disrespect to Consort Nian and would also be a loss of face for the Emperor. Even if it was for the purpose of capturing Ning Baixuan, the Emperor would not want Consort Nian to be disturbed in this way after her death.

Even if he dared to do it, the Emperor wouldn't blame him now, but he would inevitably settle scores later. Ortai could only be anxious and handle the matter according to the circumstances.

His face, aged and deeply wrinkled like ravines, stared blankly at Ortai, and in a pleading tone, his voice hoarse, said:

"My lord, I have no other request. I only wish that His Majesty would bestow many funerary objects upon my poor son, so that they may be taken to Dinghui Temple along with his golden coffin."

"Search me if you want, sir. Take as long as you want. It's just a matter of me walking faster later."

With a slow bow, he looked up from his aging body.

"I only implore you, sir, not to damage those funerary objects that have been blessed and consecrated by the eminent monks."

Upon hearing this, Ortai's eyes relaxed. In fact, what he was most worried about was that the thief was hiding in the funerary objects.

The funerary items prepared by the Emperor for Consort Nian far exceeded the prescribed amount: 180,000 coins, 9,000 bolts of brocade, 1,000 pieces of painted satin, 21 sheep, 100 jars of wine, and many other unauthorized bright yellow items, covered with black curtains and dragged in small carts.

These cars lined up all the way down the street, and there were still some parked in Changchun Garden.

These will all be burned for Consort Nian later.

However, he naturally dared not search for these bright yellow objects, so he asked Su Peisheng to send a dozen or so eunuchs from the inner court to search them. This was also to act as a final check for the emperor, in order to prevent anyone from missing these precious funerary objects.

Ortai immediately turned around, kowtowed several times to the golden coffin, and then solemnly addressed Nian Xialing:

"Lord Nian, please rest assured. Even if you gave Ortai a hundred lives, he would never dare to damage the funerary objects of Consort Dunsu."

"well."

Nian Xialing sighed deeply, clasped his hands in a fist salute, thanked the officials from the Ministry of Rites who had come to speak, and also thanked the Imperial Clan Court Director and several stewards from the Imperial Household Department.

Rather than letting Lord Ortai persuade us one by one with kind words, which would only waste time, we might as well let him act freely and quickly capture the criminal.

If he is not in our funeral procession, Lord Ortai can rest assured once Fucheng Gate is closed.

Seeing that Nian Xialing was no longer obstructing them, the crowd greeted him, snorted coldly at Ortai, and then flung their sleeves and left the city.

Nian Xiyao stepped forward, and Nian Xialing glared at him, saying:

"Out of the city! Let's go!"

Nian Xiyao looked displeased, but didn't say anything more. He didn't even sit in the sedan chair and stormed out of the city.

Nian Xialing ordered his family to leave the city first, while he stayed behind to watch Lord Ortai search for Consort Nian's funerary objects.

Ortai looked embarrassed, but the situation was extremely urgent, and he dared not be careless.

The golden coffin was carried out of the city.

Then, the four sedan chairs of the Nian family also left the city one after another.

The guards from the Sticky Pole Office shouted "Excuse me" as their eagle-like eyes swept across the faces of the sedan chair carriers.

He then exclaimed "Excuse me!" and lifted the curtain of the sedan chair to take a look. Inside, there was a soft couch, white curtains hanging from the top of the sedan chair, and some books placed in the empty sedan chair.

The guards lifted the soft couch.