Chapter 193 The Trump Card

This trip to Mulan Hunting Grounds was different from the last one. Last time, no matter how much preparation they made, the father and son still had to leave in a hurry. This time, however, a huge group of people left the capital in a grand procession, which was naturally incomparable.

Not to mention others, even including the four princes and two princesses, there were cartloads of things being loaded onto the palace. Lü Jiaying was working like a spinning top throughout the palace. Fortunately, Hongzhao's luggage wasn't under her jurisdiction, otherwise, with the departure imminent, she would have been completely overwhelmed.

Thinking back, it's hard to pinpoint exactly when it started, but it probably began around the time Hongzhou was born. Subtly, Hongzhao's daily life gradually fell out of Lü Jiayingfeng's care. The Emperor took him under his wing and looked after him meticulously, so it seemed like anything she prepared was superfluous.

This trip was no exception, leaving Su Peisheng with a huge headache. On one hand, he was carefully managing all the matters concerning the Emperor, and on the other hand, he had to keep an eye on Xiao Dezi preparing for the Crown Prince's journey, as the Emperor often asked about the progress and he needed to be able to answer.

Amidst these fervent preparations, the day finally arrived for the "army" to set off.

Uncle Thirteen was unable to go along this time.

The Dzungar Khanate has now been almost completely conquered. Although some scattered remnants are still putting up a stubborn resistance, there is no need for so many people to be stationed there to suppress them.

The last imperial edict issued by Yinzhen before his departure ordered Prince Yi to go and escort the meritorious officials back to the capital.

Although it was said to be a rendezvous, Hongzhao clearly saw that his thirteenth uncle left the capital with a military tally, obviously going under the guise of "appealing to his emotions and reasoning with him."

Compared to Yinzhen's worries, Hongzhao hadn't paid much attention to the matter. On one hand, the mind-reading device clearly showed that his fourteenth uncle had no intention of rebelling. On the other hand, even if one wanted to rebel, one had to consider the right time, place, and people.

Thanks to Hongzhao's persistent efforts, the Emperor's reputation outside the capital is now many times better than before, and his reputation among the people is also evident. Apart from him, the Crown Prince, there are no particularly close people around him, so it would be inappropriate to use any pretext, and his actions would lack legitimacy.

Then there are the troops they took with them. Not to mention the half under Yue Zhongqi's command, half of the Eight Banner soldiers leading the troops had undergone "red education" during Hongzhao's military review. They had nothing but loyalty to the emperor in their minds. This battle against the Dzungars was for the Qing Dynasty and for the emperor, so they would do their best to achieve something. But turning them to defect was as difficult as climbing to heaven.

Given the current situation, the former General Wang was no fool. He could have figured it out with a little thought. There was no need for him to needlessly throw away his life and leave behind the name of a traitor.

The scene was the same as before: on the boundless green grassland, the leaders of various tribes stood in rows, bowing to welcome the emperor. The prince of the Khorchin tribe stood in front of everyone, head held high, staring intently at the distant horizon.

If there's any difference between this time and last time, it's that last time, when welcoming the Crown Prince, there were still a few arrogant and disdainful voices. Now, everyone is bowing their heads like ducks with their beaks tied, not uttering a sound. For two hours, not a single person complained about the scorching sun; they just waited quietly.

After all, everyone has witnessed how the Dzungar Khanate fell to its current state in just six months. Since the last time the Crown Prince visited the Mulan Hunting Grounds, he hadn't come again for several years, but this year he suddenly conquered the Dzungar Khanate, and the Emperor's entourage arrived at the Mulan Hunting Grounds. What else could it be for?

They just wanted to kill that wild rooster that kept crossing the line, to warn these wild monkeys who were of the same lineage.

It's like your boss is having a bloody and messy fight near your house, and suddenly he turns around, covered in blood, and knocks on your door, saying he's checking if you've slept well. Who could close their eyes then? Even if you're really trying to sleep, you'd want to be like an owl standing guard.

As the group of familiar yet unfamiliar princes remained silent, they finally heard the sound of wheels rolling forward in the distance, just as expected.

"Your Majesty, we respectfully welcome Your Majesty's arrival and wish Your Majesty a long life."

"Greetings, Your Highness. May Your Highness enjoy a thousand years of health and well-being."

Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, a group of people knelt down in a flurry, their loud voices overlapping each other.

Yinzhen watched this scene with satisfaction. He did not intend to make things difficult for him. Instead, he took two steps forward and walked to the Khorchin Prince. He bent down slightly as if to help him up. "Quickly, get up."

The Prince of Khorchin could not possibly let the Emperor exert himself to help him up, so he quickly stood up on his own and stood beside the Emperor, bowing slightly to show his respect.

Yinzhen patted his shoulder vigorously and laughed heartily, saying, "No need for formalities. We've always gotten along well. Now that we haven't seen each other for many years, we should catch up properly today."

The Khorchin prince's smile was stiff. He nodded repeatedly, saying things that made the guests and hosts feel happy, but his mind was already wandering off somewhere else.

Always so compatible? How come he never noticed? Last time, when the Crown Prince almost got into trouble, the Emperor not only implicated the entire Bairin tribe, but also implicated them to varying degrees. The commotion they caused nearly turned the entire grassland upside down.

But whatever the emperor said was law, and no one dared to contradict him. Fortunately, he had enough money to get some inside information from the capital.

Thinking of the draft he had already prepared, he turned his gaze to the Crown Prince, who was always by the Emperor's side, and his eyes revealed obvious admiration.

"The Crown Prince has grown so tall. He truly deserves the Emperor's careful upbringing. He is a man of great talent and noble bearing." The prince said, shaking his head with shame. "I also have a few good-for-nothing sons in my family. They seem lively and energetic on ordinary days, but when they stand next to the Crown Prince, I can't stand any of them."

The informant said that as long as you sincerely praise the Crown Prince in front of the Emperor, your good mood can turn from seven points to nine.

The prince thought to himself that he was familiar with this business. When the late emperor was still alive, he had seen his father praising the then crown prince in the same way. He could only say that they were indeed father and son, as their methods of flattering each other were exactly the same.

This experience proved that we were indeed not deceived.

The Emperor's smile was many times more genuine than when he got out of the carriage. He turned around and looked his son up and down, the one he had brought out to make him proud. His chest even straightened out more unconsciously.

He never used any repressive teaching methods towards Hongzhao, nor did he show any humility; he simply nodded in agreement as a matter of course.

"Naturally, the Crown Prince is the son who resembles me the most. His extraordinary qualities have been evident since childhood, making him different from others."