Deep in the dense forest, many hidden Mongol guards were getting anxious. They obeyed their leaders' orders and prepared to cause trouble for the Fourth Prince if necessary.
No!
They all understood that if the leaders were not careful in dealing with the princes of the Aisin Gioro family, they would become cannon fodder.
Erlu's men had already spotted the people hiding in the grass. His men began counting the number of people hiding, and since the Fourth Prince hadn't given any orders, they could only pretend they couldn't see them.
"Fourth, none of Erlu's men have returned!" Qingyan stood in front of the tent, coldly watching the busy guards. She noticed that Erlu's most steadfast helpers had not come.
He looked at the burning campfire ahead, a slight smile playing on his lips, and none of the Mongol leaders noticed Yin's weakness.
"The Mongol leaders haven't returned either!" Seeing the exhaustion on her face, Yin immediately ordered them to set up camp and begin hunting the next morning. Xiao Guai was using a fire-breathing device, and even Saito and Eshuo had come along. With everyone working together, they were sure they could defeat the Mongol leaders.
"Heh, they're afraid of losing face!" The Mongol leaders all love hunting, and it's only during the autumn hunt that they can truly enjoy it. On the grasslands, wild prey is nowhere near as plentiful as the carefully maintained royal hunting grounds. In addition, Emperor Kangxi visits the area every year, and his policy of allowing the land to recuperate and thrive has led to a continuous increase in the number of prey.
Yin could guess some of the leaders' thoughts; controlling him and Qingyan was the key to getting the crown prince to surrender.
Before leaving, they entrusted the twins to Consort Tong. If a mutiny broke out in the camp and someone took control of the twins, they would have no way out. They would compromise; Prime Minister Suo's side had certainly devised a worst-case scenario plan.
Before leaving the camp, Kangxi called Yin back and secretly made some arrangements, instructing him and Qingyan to keep the Mongol leaders at bay for the next two days. They were absolutely not to be allowed to communicate with the camp, and two days would be enough to completely wipe them out.
According to Xiao Guai, this is the darkness before dawn; those people will become desperate and do something rash, so they should be careful.
"Little darling, we can't let our guard down for now. No one in the camp is allowed to leave!" Yin pursed his lips, looking at the setting sun. He had seen the sunset deep in the forest countless times, but this was the first time he felt it was so desolate.
She stared at him in surprise, this...
“They could all become a threat to us!” Yin said softly.
She was afraid that the twins would be in danger. Emperor Kangxi was a man who would consider the big picture. As long as it involved the safety of the Qing Dynasty, he would not worry about the safety of the twins. The two of them were different. Whoever could control the two children would undoubtedly control them.
"Don't worry, we'll follow Father's orders, and we definitely won't make a mistake!" Yin understood her concerns. "Don't worry too much about the children's safety."
The two whispered to each other. Some of the Mongolian guards who stayed behind to set up the tents were also busy, often approaching their tents. The two spoke so softly that outsiders could not hear them.
"Fourth, their wishful thinking is quite impressive." Qingyan sneered.
The Mongol leaders, however, were not at peace. As previously agreed, they went together to the designated meeting place.
"Colin, what should we do next?" The Fifth Brother, who had come over, was basically prepared to follow the Crown Prince to the end. They all had legitimate daughters, and the Crown Prince had promised that they would all enter the Eastern Palace when the legitimate daughters were selected for the imperial concubine selection.
For the benefit of the tribe, they were prepared to sacrifice a legitimate daughter. Now, the next emperor has personally extended an olive branch, and in order to seize this opportunity, they have no choice but to take the risk.
“No need to do anything for now!” Colin shook his head, feeling somewhat worried. Could the Crown Prince really succeed?
News from Prime Minister Suo's side is becoming increasingly scarce. They've basically stopped contacting the servants they sent to the capital, and even news of the Movie Emperor isn't coming as quickly. Could something have gone wrong?
"Should we send someone back to camp first?" Uen asked quickly.
He was extremely anxious. Prime Minister Suo refused to see anyone, and the servants who returned yesterday didn't even catch a glimpse of him.
However, the chief steward, in place of the prime minister, collected all the goods brought in by the Mongols, but then disappeared without a trace, not even a single word of news.
"No, that person must have been on guard. Sending the princes to lead us out shows he was prepared. Anyone who dares to go back would be giving themselves away." Colin was uncertain; he had no confidence whatsoever in confronting Kangxi.
The leaders fell silent. Since Kangxi's arrival, many problems had arisen in the camp. The Mongol leaders had purged a number of them, and the newly promoted leaders were more loyal to Kangxi and refused to associate with them, thus their strength had been greatly reduced.
Previously, he had several staunch supporters, but Kangxi's recent major reshuffle resulted in the imprisonment of two-thirds of them.
"Shall we act ahead of schedule?" Yin's defenses were the weakest among the princes, and he had the fewest guards of any of them.
"No, our hidden people are for the worst-case scenario, we can't expose them now!" Colin felt uneasy and wanted to leave himself an escape route.
On the other side, Qingyan sat inside the tent, enjoying tea with Yin.
Su Peisheng received more and more information, even the movements of Tu Lichen were sent over by gyrfalcons.
The search of the camp not only uncovered informants, but also revealed a list of silver and goods that had been given to Su Xiang.
"Fourth, Erlu said there are as many as ten thousand guards hidden in the dense forest." Qingyan felt a chill run down her spine.
Fortunately, they didn't enter the dense forest. If an emergency had occurred and they had been controlled by those people, even with firearms, they wouldn't have been able to resist with such a small force.
"My brother-in-law will probably send his men back to report!" Yin was unsure whether Kangxi would order them to eliminate those people.
Outside the tent, Saito and Oshuo were even more vigilant, forbidding any Mongol guards from approaching.
She sipped her tea with a pout, knowing she would be confined to the tent for half a day again, and wouldn't be able to go hunting until tomorrow morning.
As evening approached, the Mongolian leaders returned to the campsite with their female relatives. Qingyan changed into a Mongolian robe and went out with Yin to attend the bonfire banquet. His cold gaze swept over the leaders; some dared to meet his eyes, while others lowered their heads in embarrassment.
She made a point of observation and found that those who bowed their heads were mostly people Colin had promoted, and there were no newly promoted leaders.
"Fourth, these people are quite strange. None of their female relatives are wearing red." Qingyan noticed that the female relatives of the leaders who were bowing their heads were mostly not wearing red riding clothes.
In Mongolia, the most popular garment among girls is the red riding outfit, which is worn in public by the principal wife.
The women participating in the hunt all followed this rule, even at the risk of offending Consort Tong. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read at m.qidian.com.)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
