Since Emperor Qianqing ascended the throne, this was the first time he left the ministers in the grand hall, enraged.
Fortunately, Zhang Cunhai uttered "retire" before leaving, or else everyone in the hall wouldn't know whether to dismiss the court or remain, waiting for the emperor's grace to permit their departure.
As Han Yanhui and the other three ministers retreated, they each took out their previously written recommendations, envisioning the future of the machine age. Reflecting on the emperor's scolding, comparing them unfavorably to youngsters, they felt trapped in a difficult position.
Their proposals, neither in depth nor breadth, could compare to what His Highness Prince Yu and Jiang Yifan spoke about. Yet, adding new content seemed truly challenging.
It's not that they were unwilling or disagreed with the emperor's stance, showing indolence. It's just that these subjects were indeed not their expertise.
