The assassination plot against the crown prince had completely failed. The Dzungar Khan immediately ordered a full-scale attack. He knew that the Qing reinforcements could arrive at any time, and that if their numerical advantage was large enough, they would surely be defeated.
If they can seize the time difference, retreat quickly, and then lay low for a few years to recuperate, they might be able to make a comeback.
Fei Yanggu clutched the wound under his armpit, where the pain had become unbearable. He knew he couldn't give up yet, and he mustered his willpower to stay on the front lines of the battle.
Seeing that the prince was unharmed and the deputy commander was bravely fighting the enemy, the soldiers were filled with hatred and were willing to risk their lives to fight the Dzungar cavalry head-on.
In the blink of an eye, the battlefield was littered with corpses. Some were unrecognizable, some had broken arms and legs, and it was impossible to tell whether the dead were Qing soldiers or Dzungar guerrillas.
Yinreng was unable to move. He was protected by a tight, unbreakable cordon of soldiers, Fei Yanggu's personal guard. They had only received one order from beginning to end: to protect His Highness the Crown Prince at all costs.
Yinreng touched his face, his hands mixed with sweat and blood; the sweat was his own, the blood was someone else's.
Although he knew the cruelty of war, he had always longed for the battlefield, partly because of his male instincts and partly for military merit.
"One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand," Yinreng had never understood the meaning of this phrase as clearly as he did now. He opened his eyes, trying to see the face of the warrior blocking his way, but found that he couldn't make it out no matter what he did.
This prolonged ordeal finally ended when the imperial reinforcements arrived. They spared half their manpower to rescue Yinreng from the center of the battlefield, and then devoted themselves wholeheartedly to fighting the enemy.
The Dzungar Khan held out for three days and two nights, but in the end, at the cost of losing both his arms, he broke through the encirclement and escaped with a few hundred or so remaining soldiers.
Based on Fei Yanggu's previous style, he would definitely have split up his forces to pursue them, but now everything is for the safety of His Highness the Crown Prince, so he can only watch helplessly as they run further and further away.
After all, if the Dzungar could bribe one assassin, he could bribe a second and a third.
Without being able to guarantee His Highness the Crown Prince's absolute safety, Fei Yanggu dared not pursue him alone. Furthermore, his gunshot wound had reached its limit; he shook his head violently, seeing double images of people before him, and the ground seemed to be shaking incessantly.
Before he collapsed, Fei Yanggu entrusted his deputy general with the task of protecting the crown prince. The deputy general was someone he had watched grow up and someone he could absolutely trust. Fei Yanggu solemnly entrusted his deputy general with the task of protecting the crown prince once again.
Before he closed his eyes, he seemed to see his little girl, his Yihua. He thought to himself, "I'm afraid I won't be able to rely on you anymore." With that thought, Fei Yanggu fell into a deep coma.
******
"Father!" Yihua suddenly woke up from her sleep, and Yinzhen got up to pour her a glass of warm water.
Yi Hua took a sip of water to calm her rapidly beating heart. Yin Zhen reached out and touched her forehead; it was covered in sweat.
He summoned a maid and had Yihua change her clothes, then lit some calming incense.
"Don't be afraid, everything is fine with Lord Feiyanggu. Father Emperor receives military intelligence every day, and the reinforcements have already set off and should have arrived by now. You're just scaring yourself." Yinzhen checked Yihua's forehead temperature again and said.
Yi Hua paused for a moment: "I don't know what's wrong, but in my dream just now, my father was covered in blood."
“Dreams are always the opposite of reality,” Yinzhen comforted. “If you’re in such a hurry, why don’t you write a letter home and I’ll have it delivered by express courier?”
"This isn't a good idea," Yi Hua hesitated, but her expression clearly showed that she was tempted.
"Of course, would you like to start writing now, Madam?"
Yihua touched her belly and suddenly wanted to share the good news with her father, so she put on her coat and went to the study.
Yinzhen conscientiously ground ink for Yihua. He watched as Yihua picked up her brush but hadn't written a single word for a long time, and laughed, "Everyone says that having a beautiful woman by your side is a great pleasure, but I never imagined that Your Majesty would one day be grinding ink for someone else."
Yi Hua looked up at him and said, "Master's ink is ground very well. I'm afraid I won't be used to it if Yu Ling comes next time."
"You naughty boy, hurry up and write, then go to sleep. The one in your belly needs rest."
Yi Hua focused intently on her writing, completing the letter in one go, and finally wrote to Fei Yanggu in the envelope.
Father, this is my daughter's third child. I hope you can choose his nickname. There are still a few months left, so please take your time to think of a good name for him!
******
Recently, the wife of Prince Cheng has changed her previous lack of contact and resumed the social interactions she had with Yi Hua a few years ago. Specifically, she shares gossip every now and then, mainly talking while Yi Hua listens and gives appropriate responses at the right time.
Yi Hua pondered that it was probably because Prince Cheng had shown a high-minded attitude of focusing solely on writing books and ignoring worldly affairs that Dong E Shi, who originally had some ideas, had now completely become indifferent.
The relationship between princes and their wives is also very delicate. Their closeness or distance is not determined by their own wishes. They simply follow the example set by their husbands.
"Have you heard? Lady Nalan from the Eighth Prince's residence is pregnant!" Lady Dong'e exclaimed excitedly.
The Eighth Prince's mansion had always been a barren place, so the sudden appearance of a single seedling astonished everyone.
Yi Hua stretched out her fingers and counted. It hadn't even been two months since the Eighth Prince took a concubine, and they were already married so quickly. It seems he's been very diligent in his cultivation.
However, Hongwang in history was not born to a concubine. It remains to be seen what changes this newly appointed Nalan clan member will bring to history.
"Third sister-in-law, how did you know it wasn't even three months?" Yi Hua asked curiously.
"Isn't this a coincidence? Nalan is pregnant, but she seems to be having a strong reaction. Her people went out to find the best ginseng and ended up at my shop. That's how they found out about her." Dong Eshi covered her mouth and laughed.
"That can't be right. Eighth Prince used to be in charge of the Imperial Household Department. Would their household be short of ginseng?" Yi Hua felt it wasn't that simple.
"Sigh, you've really been spoiled rotten by your master. It's obvious that Nalan is pregnant, but the Eighth Prince's wife hasn't found out yet. It's understandable that she wants to make sure the pregnancy is secure, after all, that woman is no ordinary person." Dong E rolled her eyes at Yi Hua.
"Really?" Yi Hua thought she might really be slow on the uptake.
"If Nalan had given birth to a boy, no, even if it were a girl, it would have made the Eighth Prince's wife never be able to hold her head up high again." Dong Eshi said with a look of anticipation.
Previously, people suspected that the Eighth Prince was infertile, but Lady Nalan was pregnant, which meant that the Eighth Prince was fine, and the problem was with his wife.
In ancient times, being childless was one of the "seven grounds for divorce."
In the royal family, divorce was rare, but death was common.
"Let's wait and see." Yi Hua felt a little sleepy and yawned. Dong E Shi tactfully left.
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