Just as it was about to snow, the Thirteenth Prince returned.
He also brought news from the Ujumqin tribe.
With so many people around, to avoid any leaks, he made a special trip to Fourth Master's estate that very night to explain the situation to him personally.
"Meng Guqing used the alias Tara and claimed to be the illegitimate son of the old prince."
She first borrowed troops from Prince Amur of the Aohan tribe to launch a surprise attack on two battalions, thereby strengthening her forces.
Then they went around confiscating the close associates of the old Ujumchin prince, and now the Ujumchin region has been largely unified.
She has won many battles in the past two years and reaped a rich harvest of cattle and sheep. It is estimated that the Qing Dynasty will soon allow her to inherit the title.
Yinzhen nodded. Meng Guqing's ability to firmly control such a large Mongolian tribe as a woman was indeed remarkable, showing that she was no less capable than any man.
Thirteen couldn't help but praise: "This Mengguqing is truly an extraordinary Mongolian woman, she's very skilled at leading troops in battle! When I visited her, they had just had a conflict with a neighboring tribe, and she was at the forefront, she truly has the courage of ten thousand men."
However, she was also injured, with a hideous scar on her face that was truly frightening. If you told her she was a concubine of the Fourth Prince of the Capital, no one would believe it.
Mengguqing has truly done what she said: to protect the entire tribe in place of her mother, Eji Abu. She is a very good princess.
Thirteen then whispered, "After I arrived, Meng Guqing asked about your recent situation and said that the vow she made that day would never be broken. If Fourth Brother needs anything, she will go through fire and water without hesitation."
After he finished speaking, he stared at Yinzhen's expression.
Yinzhen narrowed his eyes slightly but did not speak.
The room was completely silent.
After a long while, Thirteen finally moved his throat.
"Fourth brother, you are my own brother. No matter what you do, I will do my best to help you."
How could Thirteen not see through his Fourth Brother's scheme?
The Fuca family, the Mongol tribes, the Bordered White Banner, the Bordered Red Banner, the Ministry of Revenue, trade, agriculture—every single thing was part of the grand plan.
Although the Prince Zhi and the Crown Prince are currently in the public eye, once they step down, he will be the one with the most seniority.
But the most ingenious thing is that he created a persona of a carefree hermit, someone who doesn't care about power and only cares about people's livelihood.
Thirteen's heart was beating faster and faster. Never before had he understood his fourth brother's deep meaning so clearly.
Fourth Brother even told me about Qing Fujin's faked death and escape, and asked me to investigate every detail of the affairs on Ujumqin's side. He truly treated me as one of his own, as a brother.
At the same time, this is also a signal that Fourth Brother needs him.
Thirteen Qiang suppressed the surging emotions within him, his eyes shining brightly as he met Yinzhen's gaze directly.
At that moment, their hearts had never been so close.
Some things don't need to be said; the answer is already known.
A man will die for one who understands him; Thirteen thought, and he was willing to accompany his Fourth Brother on this journey.
He didn't care about the victors or the vanquished, or right or wrong, merit or demerit, as long as his fourth brother needed him.
That night, Thirteen stayed overnight at the manor.
When Yinzhen returned to Changning's courtyard, he habitually looked to the side and, sure enough, saw a candle burning at the entrance.
It was always the same. If she hadn't come back, she would light a candle to illuminate her way, worried that it would be too dark underfoot.
Yinzhen felt a surge of warmth in his heart. In order to protect the people he cherished and to give them a freer and more unrestrained life, free from the constraints of others, Yinzhen thought that he could only succeed and could not fail.
Lying in bed at night, he looked at Yao Xian, who was fast asleep, in the moonlight. She had been married to him for nearly ten years, but her face had not changed at all. Her skin was still smooth, and there was a layer of fine downy hair on her face, making her look like a little girl who had not yet grown up.
Yinzhen stretched out his arms and pulled the woman into his embrace; she was heavy and made him feel at ease.
Changning also woke up groggily, and when she sensed someone beside her, she nestled into his arms as usual, her voice muffled.
"You just got back?"
He unconsciously asked in a low voice, "Hmm, what if I fail?"
This was nonsensical, but Yinzhen knew that Yaoxian would definitely understand it.
Changning… She was exhausted and still not fully conscious when she heard something about failure…
"No, you're amazing! Just take care of your health, don't read too many official documents... or you'll die young..."
Yinzhen?
Die young?
So that's how worried she was about her health... and how much she trusted him. Yinzhen felt the pent-up frustration in his heart inexplicably dissipate, his mind and eyes filled with the woman in his arms. He kissed her soft hair, smelled her fragrance, and whispered, "I will not let you down."
I had no dreams that night.
The next morning, Changning heard Yinzhen tell her about Meng Guqing, and her eyes lit up. She clapped her hands and laughed, "Meng Guqing is truly remarkable! Just as Mulan joined the army in place of her father in ancient times, Meng Guqing has now swept away the Mongols! This is what a great female protagonist novel should be like!"
Yinzhen chuckled, "You're talking nonsense again. You want to write a storybook?"
“Why not? Isn’t this the novel ‘The Legend of Shen Feng’ that Chun Ni wrote before? See? I told you, who says women are inferior to men?” Chang Ning said with a hint of pride.
“Look at our Hutu, in both civil and military affairs, how are they inferior to other boys?”
That's true. Yinzhen felt that his daughter was the epitome of a Manchu princess.
He is skilled in horseback riding, archery, and martial arts, and is now on par with Hong Yan and Hong Chun.
She could shoot rabbits at five, foxes at six, and deer at seven. Now she practices martial arts every day on the estate without a break... Maybe we should give her some bigger prey to try tomorrow?
Perhaps he will even surpass Meng Guqing in talent?
My daughter is not good at drawing or singing, but she is very knowledgeable in poetry and literature.
Last time, when Yinzhen tested Hongzhao and Hutuli's knowledge, he asked them how they viewed petty people. Hongzhao replied, "When virtue surpasses talent, one is called a gentleman; when talent surpasses virtue, one is called a petty person."
Hutuli replied, "If you want to defeat someone, you must first help them; if you want to take something, you must first give it to them."
He was immediately struck by his daughter's exceptional vision. Given time, he was sure she would achieve great things.
He was not a person with outdated ideas. Meng Guqing's success had been a wake-up call for him. If a woman is truly talented, why not put her to use? Appoint people based on merit and ability, and there is no need to worry about gender.
If we truly possessed the talents of Ban Gu and Xie Daoyun, and the military achievements of Fu Hao and Pingyang, then our Great Qing would truly have a wealth of talent, and what worries would we have about not prospering?
However, all of this will have to wait until he successfully ascends the throne.
At that time, Yinzhen thought to himself that he would definitely protect the beautiful land of the Qing Dynasty for his father, the Emperor, so that the people could live in peace and prosperity, and the world could be rich and peaceful, thus creating his own golden age.
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