Chapter 160 To Fight or Not to Fight

"Bang!"

"The Jungars have gone too far!"

"Brother, tell me to take the firearms battalion and wipe out the Dzungars!"

Upon receiving news from the Dzungar envoy, the previously quarrelsome Yunzhi and Yunzhen instantly stood on the same side, both eager to lead their troops to pacify the Dzungars. If they had had too many concerns before, now that firearms were available, nothing was a problem anymore.

Normally, envoys visiting another country should inform them in advance, especially when relations are very tense. But the Dzungar's letter was delivered along with the envoy's arrival.

This was a sign that the Qing Dynasty, whether out of moral obligation or other considerations, would not dare to make things difficult for the Dzungar envoy. To put it bluntly, it was a provocation and a sign of contempt for the Qing Dynasty. No wonder Yinzhi and Yinzhen were so angry.

Yinzhen did not show his emotions so openly. He handed the urgent memorial from the Court of Colonial Affairs and the letter from the Dzungars to Yinreng and Yinsi, who were standing to the side.

"First, settle the people in. The specific arrangements for their reception will be made by Prince Chun."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The official who received the decree withdrew, and the other brothers in the hall had no objection to the fact that the seventh brother, Yunyou, was in charge of receiving them. After all, the seventh brother may have looked weak, but in reality, his tongue and methods were by no means weak.

“Brother, the Dzungars are so arrogant, shouldn’t we fight them?” Yunzhen shouted first when he saw that there were no outsiders in the hall.

Yinzhen looked around at his brothers, but instead of answering Yunzhen's question, he asked, "What do you all think?"

"If you ask me, after all these years of entanglement with the Dzungars, it's time for a good, decisive battle." Yinzhi rubbed his hands together, eager to get Yinzhen's permission to lead the troops.

"Now our dynasty has a strong army, a full treasury, and the support of firearms. We are indeed capable of fighting the Dzungars." Yunxiang's reasoning was clear, but he also supported the war.

“The Dzungars are so disrespectful to my elder brother, they must be beaten until they are subdued.” Yunli has always been indiscriminate in his criticism of anyone who disrespects his fourth brother, and the Dzungars are no exception.

The eldest, thirteenth, fourteenth, and seventeenth brothers clearly agreed to attack the Dzungar Khanate, while the others had not yet expressed their opinions. Yunzhi was the most anxious, glaring at Yunreng and shouting, "Second brother, what are you thinking? Why are you meditating at a time like this?"

Yunreng glanced indifferently at his eldest brother, who was all height and no brains, and calmly analyzed: "A war between the Qing Dynasty and the Dzungar Khanate is inevitable, but how and when to fight is not something that can be decided casually or on a whim. The Dzungar Khanate has the military support of Tsarist Russia and is also connected with Qinghai and Tibet. One move will have far-reaching consequences. It's not that simple."

"Second Brother is right. The situation in the Northwest is complicated. In order to cleanse the court, the attitude towards the Dzungars has been relatively peaceful. This time, the Dzungars' visit to the court and their offensive behavior are hard to say if it is not a test. It is also unknown whether Tsarist Russia or other tribes are involved behind the scenes."

Yinsi continued Yinreng's analysis, saying that as the two main people in charge of handling government affairs under Yinzhen, they obviously knew more and considered more than their brothers.

"So, what do you mean? You don't agree to fight?" The hot-blooded Yunzhi calmed down after hearing their analysis. But that didn't mean he would change his mind about attacking. "Ninth Prince, Tenth Prince, what are your thoughts?"

"I know nothing about military strategy, but it would be best to return the territory that rightfully belongs to the Qing Dynasty." Yun Tang raised an eyebrow, his words carrying a hidden meaning. In the 28th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, the Treaty of Nerchinsk signed with Tsarist Russia ceded 10 million square kilometers of land, which at the time couldn't be considered wrong. But now, with the Qing Dynasty's national strength growing and its population increasing, it naturally needed more fertile land.

"I don't understand these things, I'll just listen to His Majesty." Yun didn't have any particular thoughts. Whether he was to be beaten now or postponed was fine with him. Knowing that he didn't understand these things, he didn't want to cause any trouble.

Fortunately, everyone knew his character and didn't say much. However, they were still confused by what the Ninth Brother had said. The Fourteenth Brother was the most straightforward and asked directly, "What does Ninth Brother mean?"

"What could I possibly mean? It's entirely up to Your Majesty to decide." Yun Tang smiled faintly, looking up at Yin Zhen. *Keep pretending, keep pretending. I wonder who told him to use his trade trip as an excuse to gather information about Russia and the Dzungars.*

"A single move can have far-reaching consequences, so Your Majesty should certainly consider this carefully."

"I believe it is best to find out the purpose of the Dzungars first."

Watching Yinreng and Yinsi offer their carefully considered and conservative advice, Yintang shook his head speechlessly. Sure enough, those who handle political affairs with the Fourth Prince are all cunning; it was as if the information he handed over hadn't been processed by them.

Success is achieved through secrecy, while failure is ruined by leaks. Yinreng and Yinsi didn't see anything wrong with them putting on an act in front of their brothers. After all, according to the Emperor and their intentions, it wouldn't end with just defeating one Dzungar.

Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut? They invested so much in firearms research, keeping it so tightly under wraps, how could they possibly be targeting only the Dzungar Khanate?

Yinzhen, who was sitting above, had always been very good at acting. He nodded in agreement, as if he had really listened to everyone's opinions. After carefully considering for a long time, he said, "Since the Dzungars have come to pay homage, the Qing Dynasty should also show the grandeur of a celestial empire. Why don't we hold a military exercise to broaden the horizons of the Dzungars?"

Upon hearing this suggestion, everyone understood Yinzhen's meaning. Since a decision on whether to fight or not couldn't be made immediately, it would be good to first flex our muscles to intimidate the Dzungars, and also take this opportunity to gather more information.

"Your Majesty is right. Why not invite all the Mongol tribes to come and watch as well, so that they can feel at ease?"

Yinreng suggested with a smile, and Yinsi, who was standing next to him, agreed and added, "Since the Jungar have come uninvited, they would be willing to stay a little longer."

“Yes, Second Brother will be in charge of inviting the Mongolian tribes, and Eighth Brother will be in charge of matters related to the military exercises.”

Yinzhen readily agreed and, with a wave of his hand, began assigning tasks.

"fourteen."

"Your younger brother is here."

"It was originally agreed that I would inspect the training results of the artillery battalion. Now that the Jungars have arrived, let me see the prowess of the artillery battalion during the military exercise."

"Rest assured, Your Majesty, the Firearms Battalion will not let you down!" Yunzhen was in high spirits. With such an opportunity to demonstrate his abilities in public, he would naturally do his best and would never disgrace the Qing Dynasty.

Yinzhi looked very anxious, and Yinzhen certainly did not disappoint him: "Eldest brother, tenth brother, thirteenth brother, the three of you together with the fourteenth brother, I hope to see the Qing Dynasty's battle-hardened army on the day of the military exercise!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The three brothers stood up and said in unison. Even the usually lazy tenth brother accepted the task without hesitation.

"Your Majesty, I also wish to help." Yunli stepped forward eagerly, naturally wanting to contribute his share in this matter.

"Then you will work with Eighth Brother to be in charge of arranging matters related to the military exercise."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey the decree."

Yunli happily agreed. Now only the Ninth Prince, Yuntang, had not been assigned any tasks. He was not in a hurry at all and slowly stepped forward: "Then I will be responsible for finding out about the Dzungars. I am familiar with this."

No one objected. After all, who could compare to the ninth prince, who was a merchant all over the world, when it came to being well-informed? But apart from Yinzhen, Yinreng, and Yinsi, the others did not know that what Yintang meant by "investigating" was not in the future, but in the present.

"Then I await good news from my brothers." Yinzhen's trusting gaze swept over the resolute faces in the hall, a sense of satisfaction filling him. Excellent, the tasks have been assigned; another day of reaping the rewards.