The victory celebration on the grassland began. To signify the grand occasion, a large bonfire was lit in the center of the banquet hall, upon which a whole lamb was roasting. Ban Gu ordered the hunting grounds to be enlarged to accommodate as many people as possible for the celebration.
Emperor Kangxi entered in full imperial attire, followed by his princes and ministers, who took their seats to his left according to their rank. Ban Gu, along with nobles from the grasslands and his descendants, sat down in a row to Kangxi's right.
"Your Majesty," Ban Gu said, standing up and placing his right hand on his chest, "the various tribes of the grasslands have heard that Your Majesty has eliminated Galdan, the culprit, and they all want to come and pay their respects. Unfortunately, there are simply too many people, so I have specially selected a few representatives to express their respect for Your Majesty."
Upon hearing this, Kangxi smiled and said, "You are all my subjects. It is my duty as the Son of Heaven to rid you of this scourge of the grasslands. Ban Gu, today is a victory celebration banquet. You may all sit together, drink, and enjoy yourselves."
"Your Majesty, they have long admired the Crown Prince's demeanor and have prepared gifts to congratulate him. Please accept them!" Ban Gu said.
Kangxi smiled and nodded, signaling Ban Gu to have them come forward one by one to present their work.
Ban Gu smiled and gestured to the announcer beside him to begin calling out the names of the tribes that would come to pay homage to Emperor Kangxi.
Prince Saimotu of the Torgut tribe paid homage to the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, presenting a golden Buddha statue and a set of golden wine cups!
A young man dressed in grassland attire led two attendants to Kangxi, knelt on one knee, and performed the traditional grassland salute.
Emperor Kangxi sat behind his desk, smiling as he looked at the nomads from the grasslands, who were expressing their submission and respect to the Qing Dynasty.
The Khan of the Khalkha Mongols, Finne, presented two beautiful women and a box of jade and jewels to the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty!
Upon hearing this congratulatory remark, the Prince Zhi, seated below, felt a sudden pang in his heart. The image of Bao Yue's tragic death flashed before his eyes again. He had promised her that he would let her kill Galdan with her own hands; he had promised her that he would help her reclaim the Khanate. But now she had departed this world, her life extinguished, and the middle-aged man before him was her uncle, who had usurped her father's throne.
Prince Yida of the Oirat tribe paid homage to the Emperor of the Great Qing Dynasty, presenting him with a thousand head of cattle and one thousand head of sheep!
The Prince of Zhi could no longer hear the congratulatory chants; his gaze was fixed on Finie Khan, and a thought popped into his mind: Kill him. At least that would make Baoyue in the underworld feel better!
After all the tribes had paid their respects, Emperor Kangxi began the admonition meeting, which naturally focused on how the Qing Dynasty treated its people well and its consistent policies toward the grasslands.
After having such thoughts, Prince Zhi took the opportunity to relieve himself and went to find his confidants.
"Your Highness, you mustn't kill someone at this time, otherwise it will cause dissatisfaction among the various tribes of the grasslands towards the Qing Dynasty." Da Hui was also disappointed when he learned that Kangxi did not intend to make Prince Zhi the Crown Prince. But Kangxi hadn't made anyone else the Crown Prince either. Prince Heshuo was already the highest position, and the next one up would be the position of Crown Prince.
“No, when I see him, I think of Baoyue. I must kill him; this is the last thing I can do for Baoyue,” Prince Zhi said resolutely.
“Your Highness, we cannot afford any unforeseen events at this time. We have just defeated Galdan and quelled the chaos on the grasslands. If you were to suddenly kill the Khan of the Kunerkun tribe, it would stir up trouble again,” Dahui advised.
After a moment's thought, Prince Zhi said, "Alright, I won't kill him now, but after this period, I will use his head to offer as a sacrifice to Baoyue."
Upon hearing this, Da Hui and the others were filled with fear, because they were the ones who killed Bao Yue. Now that Prince Zhi had not yet obtained the position of Crown Prince, if he were to change his mind, he might punish them.
When Prince Zhi returned to the banquet, Emperor Kangxi had already finished his speech and was beginning to offer a toast. The scene was one of lively revelry, and the grassland people, known for their strong drinking capacity, all slurped down their drinks and ate meat with gusto.
Every now and then, someone would offer a toast to Emperor Kangxi, who would only take a small sip, while the others would drink the entire cup.
When Prince Zhi returned to his seat, people began to offer him toasts. Since no one knew that Emperor Kangxi intended to bestow upon him the title of Prince of the First Rank, those considering him a potential heir apparent naturally rushed to curry favor with him. Additionally, many people also went to offer toasts to the Eighth Prince.
After several rounds of drinks and several performances of singing and dancing, the Eighth Prince prepared to present the extraordinary gyrfalcon to Emperor Kangxi, taking advantage of his good mood. The Ninth Prince, however, frowned slightly, sensing an unease.
It turned out that yesterday he sent people to look for Mei'er, only to find that Mei'er had disappeared. However, the emperor did not make a fuss about it. After all, she was just a court lady, and her death wouldn't cause much of a stir.
But why at this particular moment? Ever since Mei'er disappeared, Ninth Master had been feeling a little worried.
"Your Majesty, I also have a gift to present to you!" The Eighth Prince stood up, clasped his hands in greeting to Emperor Kangxi.
Emperor Kangxi had already drunk quite a bit by this point. Although he only took a small sip from each person who came to toast him, it added up over time.
"What do you intend to offer me?" Kangxi asked, squinting at the Eighth Prince.
"Your Majesty, I have acquired a magnificent gyrfalcon and would like to present it to you, Father Emperor." The Eighth Prince remained oblivious to the coldness in Kangxi's eyes. The Ninth Prince, seated below, however, noticed something amiss and was greatly alarmed, but it was too late to stop the Eighth Prince.
"Oh? Very well, why not present it here so everyone can see it?" Kangxi's lips curled up.
Eighth Prince immediately turned and nodded to his trusted aides. A moment later, two servants carried a large iron cage up and placed it before Kangxi. The gyrfalcon inside had entirely greyish-white feathers, clear and bright eyes, and sharp talons. Even more remarkable was the black spots that only appeared under its wings when it spread them, making it exceptionally beautiful. It was the most prized variety of gyrfalcon—the Jade Claw. Those present were native to the grasslands, accustomed to working with falcons, and thus began to comment on the gyrfalcon.
Kangxi looked down at the gyrfalcon in the iron cage, his mind racing with thoughts of the Eighth Prince. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, but in front of so many people from the grasslands, he held back. The true way to educate a son is to do it behind closed doors!
"Has this gyrfalcon been trained?" Kangxi asked.
"Your Majesty, this gyrfalcon is very intelligent and agile. Would Your Majesty like to give it a try?" In order to please Emperor Kangxi, the Eighth Prince had already had the gyrfalcon trained.
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