During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Crown Prince performed very well. The two chefs he brought prepared a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast for Emperor Kangxi and his princes and trusted ministers. Although it was not as comprehensive as the one in the palace, it was still a very sumptuous meal for the group who had been on the grasslands for more than half a year.
The Crown Prince, Prince Zhi, and the other princes toasted each other, displaying brotherly affection and respect, which comforted Emperor Kangxi. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Kangxi and his ministers began to discuss how to proceed with this battle; currently, it seemed that the Qing Dynasty held a slight advantage.
Inside Kangxi's imperial tent hung a large map of the Qing Dynasty. Kangxi, dressed in a simple black robe with gold-embroidered bat and longevity patterns, stood with his hands behind his back, carefully examining the map. The princes sat in rows to his left, while his trusted ministers sat in rows to his right.
“Now Galdan has allied with several Mongol tribes that have always opposed the Qing Dynasty, waging war on both sides and stretching the Qing Dynasty’s battle lines. With such a prolonged stalemate, our bannermen are probably not as adaptable to the climate and terrain as these people who have lived on the grasslands for a long time,” Zhang Tingyu said, standing beside Kangxi and looking at the map with him.
“You are absolutely right, my dear minister. The longer this flogging drags on, the more disadvantageous it will be for us. We must find a way to break through,” Kangxi said with a furrowed brow.
"Your Highness, what are your thoughts?" Kangxi walked back into the thick-backed sandalwood chair with railings carved with auspicious symbols of fortune, longevity, and prosperity, and asked the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince was taken aback. He hadn't been listening to Kangxi and the others' discussion about the war; his mind had been preoccupied with why he hadn't been allowed to return yet.
"Your Majesty," the Crown Prince said, "I believe that to defeat Galdan in one fell swoop, we must start from within. Galdan's tribe has had several Khans on the northern steppes for generations, with deep roots. In my humble opinion, Galdan's acquisition of the Khanate was due to a power struggle with his uncle, and it's said he even killed several nephews. If we can sow discord within their ranks, it will be extremely beneficial to us." These words were spoken by the Fourth Prince during a drinking session. Because they remained in the capital, they sometimes discussed matters at the front.
Emperor Kangxi was pleased to see that the Crown Prince had offered such a different perspective, and nodded, saying, "I find the Crown Prince's view excellent. What do you all think?"
Prince Zhi bowed dismissively to Emperor Kangxi and said, “Your Majesty, it is not an easy task to sow discord between the uncle and nephew. The Crown Prince makes it sound easy, but I don’t think it’s very feasible.”
Upon hearing Prince Zhi's words, everyone wore the same expression. A strategy of sowing discord is certainly effective, but one must have a proper method to achieve it.
Then, the Eighth Prince suddenly said, "Your Majesty, I think what the Crown Prince said is not without merit. Because of my own actions, Galdan's uncle, Jelier, has been entrenched in the northwest. His relationship with Galdan has always been strained, and I'm afraid the hatred for killing his son will not be so easily forgiven. Therefore, we can send someone to see Jelier directly, explain the advantages and disadvantages to him, and perhaps we can persuade him."
Upon hearing this, Prince Zhi sneered, "Eighth brother, what do you think we should do to Chen Qing? Make him hand over their grasslands, and then have Father Emperor bestow upon him the title of prince?"
When Kangxi saw that Prince Zhi spoke sharply, he was slightly displeased and said, "Baoqing, what your brothers said is not entirely unreasonable. Let the Eighth Prince explain it clearly."
Prince Zhi quickly suppressed his disdain and fell silent.
"Crown Prince, Eighth Prince, each of you think about how to negotiate with this Jelier?" Kangxi turned to the two of them and said.
The Crown Prince was merely relaying the Fourth Prince's words; he had no complete plan in mind. Now, given the chance to reveal the whole story, he truly couldn't.
After pondering for a moment, the Eighth Prince said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to go to the Jelier tribe to explain the intentions of our Great Qing. If he is willing to assist me in pacifying the Galdan tribe, Your Majesty may allow him to inherit the Khanate, but he must submit to our Great Qing, pay tribute to the court every year, and pay taxes as a subject every year."
Upon hearing this, Kangxi exchanged glances with Zhang Tingyu and several other senior officials, their meanings clear to each other. He then turned to the Eighth Prince and said, "Eighth Prince, what if Jelier doesn't let you return? Or what if he uses you to negotiate with me? What then?"
The Eighth Prince frowned almost imperceptibly, cupped his hands and said, "Your subject is confident that I can return safely from Jelier's place, so Father Emperor need not worry about me. If, by some chance, I cannot return safely, please do not concern yourself with me. I will act as I see fit."
When Ninth Master heard what Eighth Master said, his hand tightened involuntarily. He glanced at Eighth Master a few times, but ultimately said nothing.
Fourteenth Prince couldn't help but say, "Father, I will go with Eighth Prince. If that Jelier dares to be disrespectful to us, I will fight him directly."
Kangxi glanced at the Eighth Prince a few times, then looked at the Fourteenth Prince with a hint of punishment and said, "Don't be reckless. Do you think Jelier is a docile lamb, letting you run wild? But you can try to restrain him, so that your Eighth Brother can withdraw safely."
When Prince Zhi heard Kangxi say this, he looked at him in surprise and said, "Father, you have already agreed to let my eighth brother go to the Jelier tribe?"
Kangxi picked up a cup of tea in front of him, took a sip, and said, "At this time, we might as well let the Eighth Prince go and give it a try. However, we can't go rashly. Baoqing, you and the Fourteenth Prince will each lead ten thousand men. If Jelier dares to harm the Eighth Prince, you can use your large army to press him and force him to release the prisoners."
After some discussion, Kangxi finally decided that the Eighth Prince would lead the expedition to persuade Jelier, while the Prince of Zhi, the Ninth Prince, and the Fourteenth Prince would each lead 10,000 troops to intimidate him. Everyone returned to their tents to prepare, leaving only the Crown Prince in the imperial tent.
"Baocheng, why did you propose a scheme to sow discord today, but without a complete plan?" Kangxi asked the Crown Prince with piercing eyes.
"Your Majesty, I only thought of this plan on a whim, and I don't have a complete plan yet. However, my eighth brother seems to have the same idea as me," the Crown Prince said, feeling a surge of panic.
"It's no wonder your eighth brother is known as the 'Wise Prince' for saying those words. Now, no one remembers what you said," Kangxi said. He naturally wouldn't send the Crown Prince, but if the Crown Prince had volunteered at that time, it would have demonstrated his resolve as the heir apparent. Then, he could have used the excuse that the Crown Prince, as the heir apparent, couldn't take such a risk to prevent the Crown Prince from going. However, the crucial point was that the Crown Prince remained silent at that moment, and the credit was stolen by the eighth prince.
The crown prince was startled, fearful of Kangxi's scheme, but also touched by Kangxi's protection of him, and was speechless for a moment.
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