"Nephew, well done! You have the style of a true son of the Tong family." Tong Guogang patted Tong Ruita on the shoulder and said with a smile after annihilating the enemy troops.
Tong Ruita, with a simple and honest expression, held a musket in one hand and a long knife in the other: "Uncle, I am your eighth nephew, not your eldest nephew."
Tong Guogang said nonchalantly, "If I say you're my nephew, then you're my nephew! Don't argue with your elders!"
Tong Guogang is really good to Tong Qinian and Tong Ruita. Tong Ruita is grateful, so naturally she does whatever Tong Guogang says. It's no big deal!
Inside the imperial palace, Yinzhi was being pulled by Kangxi to recite his lessons. He looked listless, lacking the high spirits one would expect from someone who enjoys the emperor's favor.
For no particular reason, anyone who gets constantly scolded by their own father will be in a bad mood.
"Your Majesty, good news!"
The battlefield and the imperial palace were quite far apart, and news of the defeat of Galdan took three days to reach Kangxi. This was only because the messenger, in his excitement, ran at full speed.
When Emperor Kangxi saw the report of victory, he first saw the great victory of the Qing army and laughed heartily.
Then, seeing that Tong Ruita had won the first merit by personally killing Galdan, he laughed and then cried.
Yinzhi held the book, watching his father weep uncontrollably, not knowing what to do.
We clearly won the battle, didn't we?
Emperor Kangxi had a deep bond with his maternal clan; otherwise, given his aversion to relatives of the empress, he would not have allowed the absurd rumors of "Tong Banchao" to circulate in the court.
Unfortunately, the brothers Tong Guogang and Tong Guowei were loyal to him, but the lack of offspring was not a solution.
Now that the Tong brothers have risen to prominence, one a scholar and the other a warrior, and have even formed a marriage alliance with the royal family, the Tong family has a worthy successor.
The eldest grandson of the Qing emperor, who also carries the blood of the Tong family, will continue to protect and safeguard the Tong family.
He lived up to his mother's expectations.
"Father Emperor?" Yinzhi asked hesitantly.
Kangxi turned his back and said, "You go back first."
Yin Zhi responded and tiptoed out.
After he left, Kangxi turned around, tears streaming down his face.
The Tong family lived up to Emperor Kangxi's favoritism. The clan was large with many branches, and while not every member was exceptionally talented, they were all utterly loyal. For the emperor, that was enough.
There are many intelligent people in the world, but those who remain loyal are extremely rare.
Galdan died, and the Qing army dominated the battle, finishing off the enemy forces with great success.
Emperor Kangxi waited at the imperial palace for half a day. Upon seeing Tong Ruita and Tong Qinian, he was overjoyed and patted Tong Qinian on the shoulder. As for Tong Ruita, he was too tall for him to reach.
"My personal campaign this time was to quell the rebellion and pacify the border. Although I am seriously ill, I have the assistance of capable generals and ministers to eliminate this traitor. It is truly a blessing from Heaven for the Great Qing!" For Emperor Kangxi, as the ruler of the country, to say these words was the lifelong honor of almost all his ministers.
It can be said that as long as the Tong brothers did not rebel, they were destined for a meteoric rise in their careers.
With his greatest threat eliminated, Kangxi led his troops back to Beijing in high spirits.
All the officers and soldiers who fought bravely against the enemy were greatly rewarded and honored by Emperor Kangxi.
When Princess Jiarong and Princess Shuo received the news in advance from Prince Su, they hugged him and laughed with joy.
"Brother, when Qinian comes back, can I get married?" Jia Rong and Princess Shuo's bright eyes smiled like crescent moons.
Prince Su looked at his younger sister with disdain: "Qinian needs to see how eager you are to get married. In a few days, Lord Tong and his wife will return from Shengjing, and your marriage will not be far off."
Jia Rong and Princess Shuo said with a smile, "It would be best if Qinian saw it, so that he wouldn't be unaware that I've given him my whole heart. This is called strategy. Brother, you're too old to understand the games between young lovers."
Prince Su chuckled coldly: "If you're not good at Chinese, don't embarrass yourself by saying such things. Qinian is a cultured man. You're right, our family really did make a profit."
Jia Rong and Princess Shuo glanced at him sideways: "Brother, you didn't say that before."
"There's a saying among the Han people: 'Never underestimate a young man's potential.' Now that Qinian is no longer a pearl hidden in the dust, it's natural that my brother would admit his mistakes and correct them," said Prince Su.
A shameless person is invincible. Even Princess Jiarong, who ran rampant in the capital, could only be defeated by Prince Su.
After all, experience matters.
Tong Wanyan knew more than Prince Su. Ever since she learned that her two brothers were not missing any limbs, she smiled like a flower every day.
Seeing their mother happy, Tana and Hongzhao also became very playful.
Especially Tana, that little devil; in the entire Forbidden City, apart from Tong Wanyan, only Yinzhen could control her.
But Yinzhen couldn't bear to see his eldest niece unhappy, so he didn't aid and abet the evildoer, which was already a great act of restraint.
Yinreng secretly complained to Tong Wanyan about this many times, but in the end, he always failed.
"She's already so domineering even before she can walk. What will she be like when she can run? Won't she become the tyrant of the capital?" Yinreng said with a sigh.
The day Emperor Kangxi returned to the capital in triumph was the day of a general amnesty.
His joy this time was no less than the happiness he felt when he ascended the throne at a young age.
He even felt that his achievements were comparable to those of Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han, making him the greatest emperor of all dynasties.
This is such a joyful thing that I could laugh in my sleep!
The brothers Tong Guogang and Tong Guowei already hold titles beyond the highest rank, and there's nothing more they can be granted. Tong Qinian and Tong Ruita, however, are rising stars with immense potential for advancement.
With a wave of his hand, Emperor Kangxi bestowed the title of viscount upon both brothers in front of the entire court.
The two young men, both under twenty years old and unmarried, had received the highest rank of nobility, which was truly remarkable.
A peerage is an honor, not a real official position.
Tong Qinian and Tong Ruita were originally officials of the fourth rank, one a senior official and the other a junior official, respectively. In the capital, where powerful and influential people were numerous, they were not considered high-ranking officials. This was also the reason why Prince Su strongly opposed Princess Jiarong choosing Tong Qinian as her husband. Although he was commendable for his youthful achievements, his humble family background was a major drawback.
Tong Qinian was promoted to the rank of Minister of the Second Rank, second only to the Grand Minister of the Interior, and assisted the Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard, in charge of leading the Imperial Guard.
Tong Ruita received the greatest credit and was promoted to commander of the left wing vanguard, a second-rank official position, surpassing his elder brother Tong Qinian.
But the two brothers were deeply devoted to each other and stuck together tightly, so no one could sow discord between them. Besides, their achievements were solid, and even if one went against their conscience, they couldn't accuse the emperor of favoritism.
Yinti, carrying the dejected Yinzhi, stood in front of the main hall, watching the Tong family members looking on with high spirits.
Others only saw the rise of the Tongjia clan, but did not think of Yinreng.
Those who inquired knew that Tong Qinian's brothers doted on Tong Wanyan the most. Even when choosing a wife, they considered whether it would benefit Tong Wanyan and whether they could help her in the future.
This might seem like favoritism to their wives, but it's a real benefit for Tong Wanyan.
A wife's status rises with her husband's, and a husband's status rises with his wife's.
Tong Wanyan was the Crown Prince's first secondary consort, which, in the early days of the Qing Dynasty, was no different from the primary consort. Even if there were three or four wives and concubines, they were still considered wives.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com