Three days later, Kangxi announced the start of war against the Dzungars. Not only that, he also issued three orders. The first was to send 20,000 troops from the Bordered Yellow Banner stationed in Shengjing, commanded by Yude, the son of Tao Sai, Kangxi's cousin and the tenth brother of Emperor Shunzhi, to provide support. The second was issued to Nian Gengyao, the commander of the Shaanxi-Gansu camp, ordering him to lead 50,000 Han troops from the Wei and Fen Rivers into the grasslands to garrison the southern border, forming an encirclement and containment of Galdan. The third was issued to Tongjia Subuke, the most outstanding son of the Tong family, the commander of the Xishan camp, ordering him to gather another 30,000 troops and immediately rush to the front lines to provide support at any time.
When these three orders were issued, everyone in the capital was invigorated. Emperor Kangxi was determined to crush the Dzungars this time. He had mobilized almost a quarter of the Qing Empire's military force, pressing in from the east and west, casting a gloomy atmosphere of impending war over the entire northern desert.
Last time, Kangxi underestimated the enemy. Before the two sides even had a proper battle, the Dzungars launched a surprise attack on the Qing army's supplies, severely damaging the morale of the Qing troops. Fortunately, Bandi on the Khorchin grasslands promptly supplied the Qing army with supplies; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable. After this major setback, Kangxi carefully redeployed his forces and began redeploying troops, preparing for a protracted war.
Upon hearing the news, the Crown Prince immediately summoned his ministers to the Hall of Supreme Harmony for a meeting. With the army far away, their primary tasks were to ensure a continuous supply of provisions and to prevent any unrest within the army, which could threaten the very foundation of the nation.
“Your Highness, the suggestion to levy grain from wealthy households should be extended nationwide,” a minister stepped forward and said.
"Minister, what do you think?" The Crown Prince hesitated. He had already submitted a memorial to Emperor Kangxi regarding this matter, and Kangxi's reply was that it could be carried out appropriately, but negative consequences should be prevented. In short, since Kangxi was away, he couldn't ensure how the matter could proceed without causing trouble, and advised the Crown Prince to consult with the ministers and act as he saw fit.
At this moment, Shi Wenbing, the Crown Prince's father-in-law, glanced at Mingzhu, and Mingzhu also glanced back at Shi Wenbing.
"I believe this is not advisable. It would be better to immediately go to various places to check on the local sowing and harvesting situation, and have the people of each prefecture over the grain collection, and increase their tax revenue. In this way, the grain will be collected." Mingzhu stepped forward, raised his hand in a salute, and said this to the Crown Prince.
Upon hearing Mingzhu's words, Shi Wenbing began to have doubts. Was he worried that the Crown Prince would gain too much merit in this matter? Since Suo'etu was dealt with, Mingzhu's power had actually been diminished. Kangxi had long heard about the infighting between Mingzhu and Suo'etu, so when he dealt with Suo'etu, he also eliminated a lot of Mingzhu's influence.
Seeing that his father-in-law remained silent, the Crown Prince glanced at the Fourth Prince, who was also silently standing in the queue.
"Fourth Brother, what is your opinion on this matter?" the Crown Prince asked involuntarily. This idea was originally proposed by the Fourth Prince, but the commendation sent back by Emperor Kangxi made no mention of him; it was now entirely the Crown Prince's achievement.
"Your Highness, I do not yet have a clear opinion on this matter. I believe the Prime Minister's words are reasonable. Requisitioning grain from wealthy households does not guarantee that the grain will be collected immediately. It should only be done occasionally and not repeatedly," the Fourth Prince said slowly.
After hearing his words, the ministers looked at each other and unanimously agreed with the Fourth Prince's view. Ultimately, it was merely a stopgap measure; it could hardly serve as the primary source of military provisions.
"So, will the grain from Jiangsu, Hubei, Guangdong, Guangxi, North China, and Northeast China this year be enough to supply the army's needs?" the Crown Prince asked again.
"Your Highness," the Fourth Prince said calmly, "my brother has already sent an official document from the court to the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner, ordering him to submit a monthly report on the grain reserves of various regions. The summer grain in Suzhou, Songjiang, Jiang'an, Shandong, Henan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Hubei, and Hunan is already turning yellow, and will be ready for harvest in another month or two. Fujian, Shaanxi, Guangdong, Yunnan, and Guizhou have already harvested a batch and are currently sowing summer crops; in the Northeast, only one harvest can be made each year, and it won't be until November."
After hearing this, the Crown Prince nodded and said with great importance, "I will entrust this matter to my fourth brother."
Upon hearing this, Suo'etu hurriedly gave the Crown Prince a meaningful look, but the Crown Prince did not notice; meanwhile, the Prime Minister on the side had a faint smile on his face.
After the court session ended, the Fourth Prince had already walked out of the Hall of Preserving Harmony and was about to return to the Ministry of Revenue along the white jade railing when Mingzhu called out to him from behind: "Fourth Prince, please wait."
The Fourth Prince turned around and saw that Mingzhu had already followed, so he had no choice but to ask, "Prime Minister Ming, is there anything I can help you with?"
Mingzhu has a refined appearance and a light goatee. He must have been a handsome man when he was young, but now that he's older, his smile makes him look a bit like an old fox.
"I just feel that Fourth Prince has been wronged!" Mingzhu said with one hand behind his back and the other hand stroking his beard.
"I don't know what grievance Mingxiang is referring to, please enlighten me!" Fourth Master's heart stirred. Although he knew what Mingzhu was talking about, his current position was awkward, so he could only pretend to be confused.
"It was clearly Fourth Prince who did the work, but someone else took the credit. I just couldn't stand it and said a few words." Mingzhu stopped there, cupped his hands to Fourth Prince, and walked away from him.
Watching his retreating figure, the Fourth Prince's face did indeed appear even colder and more gloomy because of his words. When he returned to the Ministry of Revenue, he saw the Fourteenth Prince standing there, undoubtedly waiting for him.
"Fourteenth Prince, what are you doing here?" the Fourth Prince asked sternly. Ever since their unpleasant encounter at Consort De's palace, he had assumed that this immature young man wouldn't bother him for quite some time.
"Of course I'll wait for Fourth Brother. I need to go find Father Emperor. Fourth Brother, please arrange for me to join the grain transport team, and I'll go with them!" Fourteenth Brother said with a serious expression.
The Fourth Prince frowned almost imperceptibly and asked, "You think fighting is fun, is that it? Your mother won't let you go."
Upon hearing this, Fourteen exploded, hurriedly saying, "Why do you always treat me like a child? I'm almost seventeen! Mother is worrying unnecessarily. Fourth Brother, I know you don't like me either, so I don't want to keep hanging around under your nose. I want to make something of myself, and I don't want Mother to beg you to arrange any jobs for me. I want to rely on myself!"
Fourth Master stared blankly at the excited Fourteenth Prince for a moment, but he could not help but understand the Fourteenth Prince's recklessness and impetuosity.
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