Chapter 61 The Contest

On the seventh day of the sixth month, Emperor Kangxi's imperial procession stopped at Xibaltai.

Mongolian nobles, including Prince Chewangzabu of the Khalkha, Prince Sanjizabu of the Darhan Zhuoliketu tribe, Prince Wuerzhangalab of the Abagaiduo tribe, Taiji Echirtu of the Alukorqin, Duke Shanbalashi of the Khalkha, Taiji Qibakzabu of the Kexiketeng tribe, Taiji Ecan of the Alukorqin, and Taiji Echir of the Ongniud tribe, all came to pay homage.

This was also the purpose of Kangxi's imperial tours: to demonstrate the majesty of the court and consolidate his rule over the Mongol tribes. At this time, Kangxi's usual tactic was to showcase his sons, highlighting his outstanding next generation.

Of course, not all Mongol tribes wholeheartedly submitted to Kangxi's rule, and naturally, they were also willing to send their own warriors to spar with these princes.

So, shortly after setting up camp on the grasslands, Emperor Kangxi decreed a competition among the younger generation. Although it was supposed to be a casual exchange, the establishment of the arena and the rules of the competition became increasingly formal.

The competition consisted of three events: horse racing, archery, and martial arts duels. It was entirely devoid of literary refinement, but brimming with martial prowess. Emperor Kangxi even went so far as to select events that the Mongols excelled at, leaving one to wonder whether his magnanimity or genuine confidence was truly the case.

In any case, from the eldest prince Yinzhi to the fourteenth prince Yinzhen, everyone knew that if they didn't get good rankings in these three competitions, they would definitely not get any good results.

The first event was horse racing. This wasn't just a simple race; the track was long, with numerous obstacles and flags scattered throughout. The person who finished fastest and collected three flags won.

The Mongol tribes participating in this competition, being a nomadic tribe, were very confident in their abilities. Those tribes that wanted to save face for Emperor Kangxi naturally didn't send their strongest warriors, but they were still formidable fighters. As for the tribes with ulterior motives, they naturally put in their best efforts to humiliate Emperor Kangxi.

After the Dzungar War, the three Khalkha tribes formally submitted to Emperor Kangxi. However, not all members of the Tushetu Khanate, Chechen Khanate, and Zasagtu Khanate truly submitted; the three tribes were not of one mind, and the representatives they sent out showed very different behaviors.

Prince Chewangzab of the Zasagtu Khanate sent his son, Ochir. As the crown prince, Ochir stood by his horse waiting for the competition to begin, appearing quite humble. On the contrary, Amuguleng, from the Chechen Khanate and known as the "First Warrior of the Tribe," was extremely arrogant.

"Who is that guy? Looking down on people like that?" Yinzhen, standing on the platform, spotted Amuguleng at a glance. He was already annoyed by Amuguleng's arrogant appearance, not to mention that the Thirteenth Prince Yinxiang was standing next to him.

The eldest prince Yinzhi, the seventh prince Yinyou, and the thirteenth prince Yinxiang all participated in this competition. Yinzhen, however, was rejected despite his best efforts because he was too young.

Yinzhen believed he had no conflict with his thirteenth brother, but even with such a thin bond of brotherhood, he was still very unhappy to see him being slighted.

“That’s Amuguleng from Khalkha, said to be the greatest warrior of Khalkha,” Yinqi, sitting beside him, explained. As a prince raised by the Mongol Empress Dowager, he was quite familiar with the news about the various Mongol tribes.

"Tsk." Yinzhen curled his lip in disdain. As a prince, even if he was incompetent, he knew that the Khalkha was not peaceful, with many conflicts among the three tribes and differing attitudes towards the Qing Dynasty. "That Prince Chewangzabu is really something..."

"Silence!" Yinzhen glanced at Yintang, who dared to say anything, and warned him.

"The competition is about to begin! Be quiet." Yinqi tugged at Yintang's sleeve, giving him a warning look, afraid that the Ninth Prince might act impulsively and start arguing with the Fourth Prince in front of so many people.

"I know, I was just trying to defend Thirteen, and all you do is criticize me..."

Yinzhen knew the occasion and naturally didn't argue with him. Facing the racetrack, watching the horses gallop away, kicking up clouds of dust, Yinzhen couldn't help but mutter under his breath, his heart filled with resentment towards Yinzhen. However, he was quickly drawn to the exciting horse race.

That so-called "first warrior" was indeed quite something, taking the lead and running at the very front, with the eldest prince, Yinzhi, close behind. Those following behind were equally matched, with no weaklings among them.

Such evenly matched competitions are more exciting, and Emperor Kangxi and Taiji in the stands could remain seated. However, the ministers and guards of various tribes watching below couldn't help but shout.

The shouts of the Mongol tribes grew louder and louder, and the Qing Dynasty could no longer tolerate it. A group of second-generation princes, led by Yinzhen and Yinzhen, also began to cheer for their own princes and colleagues.

Cheers and applause filled the air, and Emperor Kangxi on the stage watched with great pleasure, without uttering a sound to stop them.

"good!"

When the eldest prince, Yinzhi, leaped up on his horse and pulled down a flag as he sped over the roadblock, the crowd erupted in cheers!

Unwilling to be outdone, Amuguleng curled his lip and performed a high-difficulty stunt. He whipped his horse, making it gallop at full speed, and under everyone's gaze, he leaped up and stood on the horse's back, took down the flag hanging from the tree branch, and then sat back down steadily.

The series of actions was breathtaking and left the audience in awe. Seeing him safely seated, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Then, even louder cheers erupted, making Amuguleng extremely proud.

However, showing off skills is not the same as risking one's life. Although it looks fast, the horse's speed actually decreases. As a result, Amuguleng, who was originally running neck and neck with Yinzhi, fell behind Yinzhi after taking down the flag.

But Amuguleng didn't take it to heart; to be precise, he didn't consider Yinzhi a rival. After all, he hadn't used his full strength yet, and besides, he didn't think he would lose to a pampered prince.

So the second half of the race almost became Amuguleng's show. He only needed to retrieve three flags, but he didn't. He used all sorts of fancy equestrian skills to retrieve flag after flag, winning countless cheers and applause.

Just as Amuguleng was basking in the praise of the crowd, he suddenly realized that the race was about to reach its end, and Yinzhi was still ahead of him, about the distance of a horse.

Seeing this, Amuguleng felt a chill run down his spine. He stopped trying to be fancy and focused all his attention on sprinting forward.

Yinzhi glanced at Amuguleng out of the corner of his eye and saw that he had realized what was happening. He felt a little regretful, then whipped the chariot and sped up again.

"drive!"

Yinzhi rode his horse like an arrow, rushing off. Amuguleng was astonished and tried desperately to urge his horse on, but there was too little time, and the horsemanship he had just performed had taken a toll on the horse, so he couldn't keep up for a while.

In the end, Yinzhi, with a half-horse length advantage, suppressed Amuguleng and became the first place in the competition.

"You flatter me." Yinzhi smiled broadly at the angry Amuguleng. Did he really think he was a brainless brute? It was a horse race, of course winning was more important. What was the point of winning for a moment?