The army set off very quickly. From the time Emperor Qianlong issued the order to the selection of personnel and the departure of the army, it only took five days.
After Yonghuang and Yonglian left, Yunyi and the Empress were very worried. They would get together every day to pray for their sons, hoping for their safe return.
After Yonghuang left, besides worrying about her husband, Lady Irgen Gioro also had to advise her stepmother and Yunyi to relax and not worry too much, which shows how filial she was.
The commander leading the troops this time is General Bujiang, who is 48 years old this year and has participated in several major battles in his life. He is very experienced.
For the safety of his two sons, Emperor Qianlong specially selected General Bujiang, who was experienced and had excellent military skills, which was a great effort.
The forces in the Jinchuan region were relatively weak, and the Qing army could have easily overwhelmed them.
However, the forces here are scattered and the terrain is rather peculiar, making it somewhat difficult for a large army to defeat them with overwhelming force.
Upon learning that the imperial court had dispatched troops against them, these scattered forces put aside their past grievances and united to fight against the Qing army.
They were locals, familiar with the terrain, and well aware of their own strengths and weaknesses. By employing guerrilla tactics and avoiding direct confrontation with the enemy, the Qing army found itself in a stalemate and was unable to break through the enemy's defenses.
The battle lasted for three months without a result, but fortunately General Bujiang was indeed capable and did not lose to the Jinchuan natives.
Although the Battle of Jinchuan did not result in significant losses for the time being, the situation remained unchanged. Such a large army consumed a considerable amount of food and fodder every day.
Emperor Qianlong was somewhat displeased. He had initially thought it was just a small war, but it had unexpectedly dragged on for so long. The court was spending too much money, and the officials were already complaining.
Under such circumstances, Emperor Qianlong had no choice but to issue an edict ordering General Bujiang to fight a swift and decisive battle, as the court could not afford such heavy losses.
General Bujiang, far away in Jinchuan, was also very troubled. He thought it would be a simple task, but he didn't expect it to take so much time without any progress.
If things continue like this, his reputation will be in jeopardy, and the emperor has already expressed his dissatisfaction with him. If the war situation doesn't improve, he'll face dire consequences when he returns.
Just when he was troubled, Yonghuang offered his own plan.
Yonghuang really didn't have much talent in literature. When he was studying in the palace, the teachers only said that the eldest prince was hardworking and diligent, but they never praised how good his scholarship was.
The smartest person in the Imperial Study was always the Second Prince, Yonglian.
While his civil administration was lacking, Yonghuang was exceptionally skilled in martial arts. Having studied martial arts since childhood, he was unmatched in the palace. During this military campaign, he repeatedly distinguished himself in battle and performed admirably.
In the past few months, Yonghuang has kept a low profile and remained inconspicuous. Although he is a prince, he has been able to listen to General Bujiang's words and has not disobeyed orders because of his status.
So when he heard the eldest prince say he had a plan to offer, General Bujiang didn't seem indifferent. On the contrary, because of the eldest prince's previous performance, he listened patiently.
This surprised him. Yonghuang's plan was a method he had come up with over the past few months by observing the major forces in the Jinchuan region.
The strategy, adapted to local conditions, was very suitable for the local context and was a plan specifically devised for this major battle; it was extremely useful.
However, Yonghuang had little experience on the battlefield, so while the plan was good, it still had some flaws.
General Bujiang didn't keep it a secret. Upon receiving the plan, he immediately summoned everyone to discuss it, pooling their strengths to refine the plan.
Time was of the essence, and everyone knew that the Emperor's decree was pressing them down. They all wanted to finish the war as soon as possible and return home, otherwise, if the war was lost, they would be punished by the Emperor.
Yonghuang's method was to divide and conquer, defeating them one by one. These forces all had their own conflicts, and they were only united against a common enemy.
If they can reignite the conflict between the two sides and prevent them from uniting, then victory in the war is possible.
As the one who proposed the plan, Yonghuang volunteered to be the implementer of it.
General Bujiang would definitely not agree; it was too dangerous. He not only had the task of leading troops, but also had to protect the two princes in the army and prevent anything from happening to them.
Yonghuang volunteered to do this job, but it was too dangerous, and General Bujiang was afraid that something might happen to him and cause an accident. He firmly refused.
Yonghuang, unlike his previous submissive and low-key demeanor, was equally determined and expressed his intention to go.
Finally, after Yonglian's persuasion and Yonghuang's firm attitude, General Bujiang reluctantly agreed to the eldest prince's idea.
Yonghuang's plan is indeed very suitable for the current situation. He completed it very well in the early stages when the locals did not notice it.
However, when the Jinchuan forces realized they had suffered heavy losses, they engaged in a fierce battle with the Qing army.
A major battle broke out, marking the first time in months that the Qing army had clashed head-on with the Jinchuan forces.
They were already no match for the Qing army before, and now that they have lost some of their forces, facing the Qing army is like throwing an egg against a rock.
Just when it seemed that the Battle of Jinchuan was about to end after seven days of fighting, the enemy, determined to burn their bridges and inflict heavy losses on the enemy even if they couldn't win, launched another attack.
On the battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes, but Yonghuang, with his superb martial arts skills, managed to kill many enemies, creating an open space around himself.
Although Yonglian was not as skilled as his brother, he had also practiced riding and archery since childhood. At this moment, he changed his usual gentle and refined demeanor and killed countless enemies with each swift stroke of his sword.
As the fight went on, it seemed that the enemy had learned of Yonglian's identity, and more and more enemies surrounded him.
While Yonghuang was making his move, he was also observing the situation on his younger brother's side. He always kept his mother's words in mind and would never forget them.
The battlefield was dangerous, and fearing for his younger brother's safety, Yonghuang was always multitasking, fighting the enemy while keeping an eye on his brother. If anything happened to him, he would rush over immediately.
Therefore, Yonghuang also secretly controlled the distance between the two, so that it would be convenient for him to kill enemies, and he would be not far from Yonglian so that he could easily rush to his side.
Yonghuang noticed that Yonglian was surrounded by more and more enemies, but he wasn't worried. His younger brother also needed to train, and he could handle things now, so there was no need for him to be so nervous.
But despite saying that, Yonghuang secretly closed the distance between himself and his younger brother, fearing that something unexpected might happen and he wouldn't be able to react in time.
It must be said that his idea was correct, because Yonglian's circle of people was indeed growing larger and larger, and he was gradually becoming unable to cope with it, and began to show signs of decline.
Seeing this, Yonghuang immediately moved over, preparing to go to his younger brother's side to help him.
But the unexpected happened so quickly. An arrow, whistling through the air, flew towards Yonglian's back, but he was held back by the enemy and couldn't see the arrow behind him at all.
A flicker of worry and fear flashed in Yonghuang's eyes, and he couldn't help but shout a warning: "Second brother, watch out for the arrows behind you."
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