Chapter 175 Quota for Leaving the Frontier
Even without Galdan, Russia's provocative intentions remained. With Russia's intervention, the conflicts among the various Khalkha Mongol tribes became even more complex. Unable to resort to force, they could only negotiate and mediate.
Thus, Emperor Kangxi personally went beyond the Great Wall to preside over the alliance meeting.
Thanks to the efforts of the princes, the number of those who could leave the border was greatly increased.
With the "Divine Bird General" being so famous, it was a certainty that Xiao Wu would accompany him. As for Xiao Liu, what's wrong with having another peacock? It doesn't take up much space. It can fly with Xiao Wu.
Xiao Liu dared not bother Yinreng, and felt it was too shameful to hide in the trunk, so he went to find Kangxi and kept calling out to him.
At this moment, Kangxi and his former confidant Fuquan regretted that their eyesight was too sharp, and that they had immediately understood what Xiao Liu meant.
Is that reasonable? Do you even know what reasonable is?
Normally, green peacocks fly from the ground to the treetops at most, making short, low-altitude flights; but Xiao Liu flew all the way from Beijing to Mongolia with Xiao Wu?
Is this reasonable?
Before, if he was caught, he would at least try to hide it. Now, not only does he stop trying to hide it, but he's even threatening him instead, right?
Emperor Kangxi was furious, but he had to admit that he had been manipulated. Bao Cheng was already outstanding enough; he didn't need any other miraculous feats to embellish his reputation.
Furthermore, Kangxi harbored some concerns. With mythical creatures like Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu around, there was no guarantee that other extraordinary people and events wouldn't occur. What if things got too out of hand and attracted the attention of certain people who thought Bao Cheng was "connected to Buddhism" and forcibly took him away?
Therefore, Kangxi had no choice but to agree to bring Xiao Liu along as well. Of course, this wasn't without the intention of giving Bao Cheng an extra layer of protection.
After all, this alliance meeting was complicated and involved Russia. The Dzungar Khanate had sent people to sow discord between father and son. Who knew if Russia or other restless Mongol tribes would have other ideas after Bao Cheng's outstanding performance?
Thus, Xiao Liu successfully secured his spot to go beyond the Great Wall and proudly strutted around in front of the various young princes.
As for the young princes, Kangxi originally did not intend to bring any of them this time. As he said before, the situation was complicated, and he would not feel at ease bringing them along. Therefore, he still planned to leave Yinreng to oversee the country.
However, Yinreng insisted on going, citing concerns about the complex situation. He swore to the Emperor Ziwei once again that he was genuinely worried about his father and not just wanted to go out for fun.
Unable to resist his beloved son's concern, Kangxi, who was already reluctant to be separated from his son after falling ill, did not insist for long before agreeing.
Then, like a bolt from the blue, Yinzhi, who was happily preparing to leave for the border, received the task of overseeing the country.
I'd packed everything up, and they wanted me to stay?
Yinzhi was dissatisfied, but was forcefully suppressed by Kangxi. It's laughable. Baocheng was his beloved son and could freely offer his opinions. Who was Yinzhi to oppose the opinion of an emperor?
Moreover, as an older unmarried man, Yinzhi should settle down and prepare for his own important life event.
That's right, the 19-year-old eldest prince, Yinzhi, was finally going to marry his wife.
In fact, Yinzhi's wife had already been chosen; she was the daughter of Minister Khorkun, from the Irgen Gioro clan. However, because Yinreng had previously investigated and found that early marriage was detrimental to his health and offspring, both Emperor Kangxi and Yinzhi, who trusted him greatly, agreed to postpone the wedding. Yinzhi's courtyard was left without anyone to serve him.
Last year, Yinzhi was away on a military campaign, and the wedding was postponed again. But it wouldn't be proper to postpone it any longer, so this year, once Emperor Kangxi returns to the capital, Yinzhi will officially get married.
As for Yinreng, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang and Emperor Kangxi were already selecting a crown princess for him when Xiaozhuang was still alive, but unfortunately, neither of them liked either of them. Now, they still haven't chosen one, and even if they were to bestow a concubine upon him, Yinreng wouldn't accept it.
Because marriage signifies true adulthood, Emperor Kangxi felt it inappropriate to keep Yinreng living in the Qianqing Palace. He felt that the father and son were getting along well, but the sudden arrival of an "outsider" displeased the "wicked mother-in-law" Emperor Kangxi. Therefore, he followed Yinreng's wishes and has not yet added anyone to the Yuqing Palace.
Therefore, this also means that Yinzhi had to juggle two major tasks: overseeing the country and preparing for his own wedding, oh, and taking care of his child.
After all, no matter how difficult the young princes were, Emperor Kangxi couldn't possibly take them all with him; it wasn't like they were going on a vacation!
Ultimately, the Third Prince Yinzhi was left behind to assist in overseeing the country, while the Fourth Prince Yinzhen and the Eighth Prince Yinsi successfully joined the expedition to the border.
The most mischievous young princes, however, became a headache for Yinzhi and Yinzhi.
...
The large entourage moved slowly along the official road leading out of the pass. The sky was clear and blue, and the clouds floated gently like cotton wool casually torn apart by the wind. On both sides of the road, green grass covered the fields, and wildflowers dotted the landscape. A gentle breeze rippled through the grass, creating waves of green and carrying the rich fragrance of spring.
After finally finishing reviewing the memorials, Kangxi lifted the carriage curtain and looked out at the scenery. He felt refreshed and suddenly felt interested in taking Baocheng out for a stroll.
"Such scenery would be delightful to ride a horse around in." Liang Jiugong, Bao Cheng?
Having understood the Emperor's meaning, Liang Jiugong, who was accompanying him, felt embarrassed and wanted to say that the Emperor was a step too late. But he certainly couldn't say that, so he could only pretend to be nonchalant and reply, "Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince has been summoned by several of the younger princes."
"Second brother, wait for me!"
Yinqi's loud voice rang out, and Kangxi looked in the direction of the sound and saw that not far away, Yinreng had already led several young princes and galloped away on horseback.
Yinreng took the lead, with the youngest Yinsi in his arms, talking to the others as he ran; Yinzhen and Yinqi rode on their own, pulling on the reins and urging their horses to speed up, trying to catch up with Yinreng; Yinzuo and Yinyou, being younger, were carried in front of the guards while riding, their little faces flushed with excitement, calling out "Second Brother" to the guards to follow.
Several horses kicked up a cloud of dust, creating a lively scene that seemed to enliven the landscape beyond the Great Wall.
Beside Yinreng, Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu fluttered their wings and followed. Xiao Liu would remember to pretend and find a branch to perch on; if he forgot, he would fly excitedly for a long time before realizing what was happening and sliding down as if he had lost all his strength, bobbing up and down like a drunkard.
Fortunately, with the "Divine Bird General" as a backup, the entourage had a certain understanding of the Crown Prince's special pet and did not feel flustered.
Seeing this, Kangxi couldn't help but complain sourly: "They're having so much fun, do they really think they're here to play? These little brats, they usually seem so clever, how come they're so clueless today?"
He feigned anger, lifted the curtain of the carriage and stepped out. He had a guard bring his horse, smoothed the whip, and watched the group of figures gradually disappear into the distance. He was both annoyed and amused. "I was in the mood to ride with Bao Cheng alone, but they all hijacked it. They're trying to steal my time! Really!"
Liang Jiugong lowered his head, suppressing a laugh, pretending he hadn't heard anything.
Kangxi didn't need his reply. He snorted and couldn't help but urge his horse to follow, muttering, "What's the point of riding with children..."
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