Chapter 192 Eliminate the Weeds at the Root

When the news reached the court, the war situation was very favorable.

Before Yinzhen could decide on the rewards for the three generals and Amur, a heated debate broke out in the court over another matter.

"Your Majesty, I believe that since we have already captured the Dzungar royal court, it is not advisable to carry out massacres. We should try to win them over with virtue and make them truly submit to the Great Qing."

Hongzhao turned around following the sound and saw an old acquaintance standing there—Guarjia Emin, the father of Consort Qi and the "great contributor" to the suppression of Prince Dun and Nian Gengyao.

But before the emperor could even speak, dissenting voices immediately arose from the surrounding crowd.

"I think this is inappropriate. The Dzungars have always been the most untrustworthy and cunning. If we leave even a tiny spark, there's no guarantee it won't reignite in the future. We must nip it in the bud!"

Despite being refuted in public, Emin was not discouraged and turned to argue with the person.

"Don't you understand the principle of 'don't pursue a defeated enemy'? We've already won this battle, and we should know when to stop. If we only indulge in the immediate pleasure, we might face even greater dangers."

...

Neither faction was willing to back down, and for a time the court was filled with a cacophony of voices arguing loudly.

Yinzhen rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. The good news that had finally arrived after several months was supposed to be wonderful, but today, the noise had ruined his mood.

He furrowed his brow, and Hongzhao's heart tightened. He thought to himself, "They're here."

Sure enough, a moment later, a familiar voice was heard—"Your Highness, what do you think?"

Hongzhao subtly raised an eyebrow. What did he think? He felt he didn't even need to look. While these people were arguing, Zhaohui had already flattened the wheels and killed countless people. By the time he actually figured out the truth, he could only burn the emperor's decree for the Dzungars to see.

But even though I think about it, I still have to say it.

When his name was called, he stood up and said, “Your Majesty, I think Lord Emin probably hasn’t carefully read the battle reports of these days. The entire Dzungar people are soldiers, including women and children. They all have the blood of our Qing soldiers on their hands.”

“Our soldiers are simple and honest, and at first they all thought the same as Lord Emin: war should not harm the old, young, women and children. But they took advantage of our kindness to do evil. The battle reports all say that our soldiers were not on guard at first, and many of them fell into the trap and lost their lives.”

His face was serious, and his eyes, as black as ink, revealed a firm determination. "Since everyone is a soldier, then we should treat them all as soldiers. In a war between two armies, there is no reason to let the enemy's soldiers off lightly. This is my opinion, and I hope Father will make a decision accordingly."

After Hongzhao finished speaking, no one in the hall spoke for a long while.

Yinzhen's eyes were filled with undisguised satisfaction and pride. Ever since Hongzhao was a child and first began to listen to lectures in the Imperial Study, he had loved to call on him to give his opinions. He really loved listening to Hongzhao speak. He spoke slowly and deliberately, and every sentence was reasonable. He quoted classics and his reasoning was clear. Every time he heard Hongzhao speak, it was another recognition of his education.

Looking down at his handsome son, and then at the group of ministers behind him who only knew how to nag and annoy him, Yinzhen's heart had long since tipped to the side of the scales.

"Yes, Your Highness is right. If we are going to discuss the war at the front, how can we discuss it clearly if we haven't carefully read the reports? Emin, since you haven't memorized them, go and copy all the reports from the past six months several times and read them carefully."

Upon hearing this, the ministers couldn't help but feel relieved that they hadn't been the ones to stick their necks out.

The reason the hall fell silent for a few moments after the Crown Prince finished speaking was to demonstrate his self-awareness, something that anyone with discerning eyes could see over the years. The Emperor never found anything the Crown Prince said distasteful; he always praised it, except, of course, when it came to going on campaign.

They naturally admitted that the Crown Prince always spoke meaningfully, able to resolve matters clearly in a few words and also speak to the Emperor's heart. It was as if there was a place in the Emperor's heart that was tailor-made for the Crown Prince, and no matter what the Crown Prince did, he could fit right in.

In any case, the matter was settled in the minds of everyone, including the emperor.

Hongzhao's actions can be seen as a precaution, to prevent the news of "flattening the wheels" from causing too much of a stir in the capital.

As July approached, Yinzhen, who couldn't stand the summer heat, thought he should go to the Yuanmingyuan to escape the heat this year. Everyone in the harem was looking forward to it every day. But to everyone's surprise, the emperor not only had no intention of going to the Yuanmingyuan, but instead mentioned another place.

—Mulan Hunting Ground.

"With the pacification of the Dzungar Khanate imminent, there shouldn't be any further changes. The most urgent task now is to properly appease the other Mongol tribes. It's July now, so it's a good time to go on another autumn hunt at Mulan."

Yinzhen was reluctant to go to the Mulan Hunting Grounds. Time really flies. The last time he went there, Hongzhao was still a carefree child riding a horse in his arms. Now he has grown into a handsome young man, completely unrecognizable as the little dumpling he used to be. Thinking about it, he felt a little nostalgic.

“This trip is different from the last one. Last time I left in a hurry and didn’t take many people with me. Anyway, there aren’t many people in my harem now, so I’ll take them all with me to Mulan Hunting Grounds.” After saying that, he turned to look at Hongzhao and Hongshi who were standing to the side.

“Hongzhao will naturally have to go. Hongshi, take your wife with you. Hongzhou and Hongyan are also grown up now, so they can go along as well.”

Those two alchemists might actually have some skill. The elixirs they offered had different effects than those advertised in the original drama. They didn't have any longevity-enhancing effects; they were just formulas for warming the yang and replenishing qi. Over the past six months, they had indeed helped Yinzhen's body recover considerably.

Furthermore, since Ye Lanyi was sent to guard the Empress Dowager's tomb, his body was no longer exposed to those filthy things, so he naturally got better day by day. In fact, he was no longer afraid of riding horses and shooting arrows as before. Of course, he became more and more convinced that as long as Ye Lanyi left the palace, he would gradually get better. What else could it be but her bringing him bad luck?

The two of them naturally agreed. Opportunities to leave the palace were rare, and who wouldn't want to get out and get some fresh air?

Hongzhao was thinking more deeply. He would be away at the Mulan Hunting Grounds for quite some time, and when he returned, he would probably be welcoming the army back to the capital. At that time, bestowing titles and rewards upon those who had rendered meritorious service would be another major event.

Regarding the Fourteenth Prince, he even felt that his father had regretted his rashness back then. The fact that Prince Xun was able to control the military was one of the reasons why Yinzhen hadn't been sleeping well these past few months. The only consolation was that Yue Zhongqi could keep the military power in check. Now that he had returned victorious, how should he be rewarded?