Sitting in the carriage, Heshen looked at the silent Yan Ning, his eyes like crescent moons, and said, "Young lady, you have feelings for General Fukang'an. I will do my best to help you create a beautiful love story."
"You've misunderstood, sir. I just wanted to steal a few glances at him; it won't cause you any trouble," Yan Ning reassured Heshen.
"Haha... I hope it's as you say, young lady!"
Yan Ning assumed that Heshen meant that she wouldn't cause him any trouble, so she remained silent.
Heshen's carriage arrived before the emperor's, and he made all the arrangements to welcome the imperial procession. Yan Ning, dressed like Liu Quan, mingled among the servants of some officials and waited outside the guarded area.
Through layers of guards, Yan Ning recognized the blue armor among the thousands of soldiers. Riding on horseback, he was heroic and exuded an aura of dominance over heaven and earth. Only he could do that.
Yan Ning ran alongside Fukang'an on horseback on the outer perimeter. "Miss, please don't do this. It would be terrible if the Imperial Guards found out," Liu Quan said as he ran alongside Yan Ning.
Yan Ning stopped and watched as the army knelt before the emperor.
Agui, Hailancha, and Fukang'an dismounted and walked to the imperial carriage. "Your subjects Agui, Hailancha, and Fukang'an pay their respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!"
Emperor Qianlong was overjoyed. He rose and walked to them, bending down to help them up. "Haha... Excellent! My beloved generals, rise! My brave warriors of the Great Qing, I have always longed for your early return. Now, truly, the might of the Great Qing army is magnificent! Guards, bestow upon them Yuquan wine!"
The eunuch received the order and brought out four bowls of Yuquan wine. He raised them above his head and presented them to the emperor first, then walked to Agui and the others so that they could pick them up themselves.
The other ministers also raised their wine bowls, waiting for the emperor to speak.
"Come, toast to the Baturu of my Great Qing!" Upon receiving the imperial edict, all the court officials present drank the wine in their bowls.
"reward!"
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Fucha Fukang'an, acting in place of his elder brother, followed in his father's footsteps, displaying remarkable courage and dedication. A loyal subject of the Emperor, he scaled the fortress and captured the stronghold without needing to don armor. His bravery and valor are worthy of praise, and his meritorious deeds will be passed down through generations. Fukang'an is hereby granted the title of Third-Class Baron of Valorous Courage, and his portrait will be painted in the Ziguang Pavilion, placing him among the top fifty meritorious officials. Zhangjia Agui is hereby granted the title of First-Class Duke of Sincere Strategist and Heroic Courage..."
"Your subjects Fukang'an, Agui, and Hailancha thank Your Majesty for your great kindness!"
After the bestowal of rewards was completed, the emperor returned to the palace first. After the generals and soldiers had returned to their camps and settled in, a banquet was held in the palace.
Yan Ning watched as the Imperial Guards left with the Emperor, while Fukang'an and the others remained motionless. Yan Ning looked at Liu Quan with a puzzled expression, and Liu Quan shook his head blankly.
After the Imperial Guards left, Heshen approached Yan Ning with a pot of wine, handed it to her, and gestured for her to follow him. Yan Ning was unaware of Heshen's intentions, but as she got closer to Fukang'an, she nervously lowered her head.
Heshen walked up to Fukang'an and said, "Congratulations, General Fucha. I have prepared a small cup of wine for you. I hope you will not find it offensive."
Fukang'an, on horseback, looked down at Heshen with disdain in his eyes. "Lord Heshen has gone to great lengths. We are not on the same page!"
Heshen smiled, not caring about what Fukang'an said, and ordered Yan Ning beside him, "Why haven't you filled the general's cup yet!"
Yan Ning lowered her head. Although she didn't know Heshen's intentions, she could only do as he said, hurriedly spilling a lot of wine before filling a cup. "General, please have some!" Yan Ning handed the wine to Fukang'an.
Seeing Yan Ning's flustered state, Fukang'an originally intended to ride away, but then felt that Yan Ning's figure looked very familiar. As soon as Yan Ning spoke, Fukang'an could no longer hide his joy, and he picked her up and held her in his arms.
Yan Ning was holding a wine glass, waiting for Fukang'an to take it from her, when he suddenly picked her up around the waist and exclaimed in surprise, "Fukang'an, what are you doing?" The wine in the pot spilled all over Yan Ning. She turned around and looked at him angrily, but met his amused smile.
"drive!"
Heshen watched as Fukang'an and Yan Ning rode away, his smile frozen on his face.
"How did you know it was me?" Yan Ning asked Fu Kang'an behind her.
Fukang'an held Yan Ning tightly in his arms, rested his chin on her shoulder, and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "When you miss someone to the extreme, her voice and appearance will be engraved in your memory and you will never forget her."
Yan Ning turned back to look at Fukang'an's handsome face, tears streaming down her face. With his words, all the injustices she had suffered before seemed insignificant.
"Whoa!"
Fukang'an jumped off his horse, picked up Yan Ning, and wiped away her tears, asking gently, "Why do you cry as soon as you see me?"
Yan Ning lowered her head and shook it vigorously. The more she tried to control her emotions, the more uncontrollable her tears became.
Fukang'an put his arm around her and asked, "Did your mother and Aunt Lian make things difficult for you?"
"No, they're very good to me!" Yan Ning lied to him, not wanting Fukang'an to be troubled by these things as soon as he returned.
“That means I can have whatever I want!” Fukang’an raised his eyebrows and said confidently.
"No!" Yan Ning pushed him away and denied it.
Fukang'an pulled Yan Ning back, took off her hat, and gently stroked her dark hair. "How did you end up here with him?"
Yan Ning knew he was asking about Heshen, so she didn't hide anything and said, "I wanted to see you, so I asked him to bring me here!"
Fukang'an had always looked down on Heshen, but seeing that Yan Ning was willing to say this, he stopped arguing. "The Emperor will be hosting a banquet in the palace later, and I have to rush over. After you return to the city, hurry back to the Fu residence and don't associate with him anymore! I'll be back soon." After saying that, he took off his cloak and tied it on Yan Ning.
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