"Fourth Prince, you absolutely must not!"
"Since ancient times, only those of imperial blood have been granted the title of prince!"
"Qin Qi is not of imperial blood. At most, he can be granted a dukedom!"
Countless ministers fell to their knees and began pleading with Xue Beng to calm down in mournful voices.
"These people are so annoying."
Ye Lingling frowned, disgust showing on her delicate little face.
She already knew what Qin Qi had done. She felt that his merits fully warranted granting him the title of prince.
"It's fine. Xue Beng will handle it."
Qin Qi smiled and patted Ye Lingling on the head.
"The matter of the Eldest Prince being impersonated was discovered by Qin Qi, and Mister Dugu came to detoxify Father at Qin Qi's request."
"The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon were both invited by Qin Qi."
"Every one of these matters has been of tremendous help to the empire. Such merit is enough to grant him a princely title."
Xue Beng's expression remained calm. He was not at all surprised by their reactions.
"Fourth Prince, we truly have nothing to say regarding Mister Qin Qi's immense merits."
"However, those outside the imperial family cannot be granted princely titles. This is the rule. If you truly wish to reward him, you may grant him a dukedom!"
The people below fell silent for a moment before speaking loudly.
Qin Qi's merits were undeniable. There was no way they could simply brush them aside.
Now, they could only settle for the next best thing. No princely title, but a dukedom.
"He saved our Heaven Dou Empire and brought two of the Upper Three Sects into a friendly alliance with our empire."
"Granting only a dukedom for such merit is too