Time slipped through his fingers, and a solemn atmosphere permeated the Qing army's garrison. The Fourth Prince often went to watch the soldiers train, and after returning to his tent, he would discuss with the generals how the training could be improved. He lived a very busy but fulfilling life.
Military life was tough, so Hongli specially asked the army doctor for some herbs, brewed them into a soup, and gave it to the Fourth Prince to drink, fearing that the Fourth Prince might harm his health due to overwork. The Fourth Prince was very pleased with Hongli's filial piety and, finding the soup to be good, instructed the army doctor to prepare it for the other soldiers as well.
On this day, a stranger arrived at the camp. The man rode a large horse, was tall and strong, and wore clothes that were neither in the style of the Qing Dynasty nor those of the foreigners who invaded the Qing Dynasty. A few tassels were attached to his clothes, which added a touch of tenderness to the tough man.
"Who are you?" Soldiers stationed at the entrance of the military camp surrounded him and stopped him.
"I am an envoy from Dayuan, sent by the second prince of Dayuan to deliver a letter to the Emperor of the Great Qing!" The burly man pulled a letter from his chest and shouted from his horse.
The guards looked at each other, wondering if the big man was telling the truth.
"You guys stay here and watch him, I'll go report." Regardless of what the soldiers were thinking, they had to take care of both sides. They couldn't afford to offend the burly man outside; if they did, they'd be in deep trouble.
The Fourth Prince, along with the Seventeenth Prince, General Shen, Hongli, and others, were discussing the strategy for the final decisive battle. The guards dared not act recklessly and truthfully reported the news from the scouts to the Fourth Prince.
"The second prince of Dayuan, Hasur?" To everyone's surprise, while everyone looked around in bewilderment, the Fourth Prince burst into laughter. He stood up in high spirits and placed the military chess piece in his hand on the map. "He's finally here!"
"What's finally here?"
"Yes, Father Emperor, where is Dayuan? Oh, is he my eldest sister's husband?" Hongli remembered.
Seventeenth Master and the others looked at each other, unaware of the conversation Fourth Master had with Suhar.
"You'll find out soon enough." The Fourth Prince waved his hand, signaling the guards to hurry up and bring in the envoys from Dayuan.
After the envoy entered, he performed the traditional courtly salute to the Fourth Prince and presented the letter in his hands. The Fourth Prince had someone help the envoy up before opening the letter.
After reading the letter, a dazzling light flashed in the Fourth Prince's eyes. He met the gazes of the soldiers who were staring at him solemnly, and slowly nodded to them.
"This time, I will make sure these thieves never leave alive," Fourth Master said first, his tone full of certainty.
"Your Majesty, what does this letter say?" The foreign tribes and the Qing Dynasty are currently evenly matched, and the outcome is uncertain. The Fourth Prince is a cautious man; he wouldn't have spoken so confidently without complete certainty.
Everyone's eyes involuntarily fell on the letter—they were certain that this letter had changed Fourth Master.
Seeing his subordinates' wolfish expressions, Fourth Master handed the letter to Seventeenth Master, who was closest to him, and told them to read it themselves. He then picked up his teacup, took a sip to moisten his throat, and slowly said, "The reinforcements from Dayuan are coming soon. With Dayuan's help, the enemy is no threat."
"The day of our triumphant return to the capital is not far off," the Seventeenth Prince said with a smile as he read the letter.
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