51. Chapter 51
"none"
Soetu had heard of Qi You's intelligence, so this time Kangxi asked him to accompany the diplomatic corps and also told him before departure that when encountering any undecided issues, they should discuss it with him first.
Soetu automatically understood Kangxi's implication that their delegation was headed by Qi You.
After hearing this, Soetu felt very unhappy. He believed that the prince should be sent to handle exchanges between countries.
Later, I changed my mind and felt relieved.
If he did his job well and satisfied Kangxi, he could also take some credit. If he failed, it would be embarrassing to tell others about it, but Kangxi could not blame him.
Qi You was very quiet along the way. No one was serving him and he never complained about being tired.
When they were in a hurry, Qi Youdu rode with them. When they were traveling slowly, he would sit in the front of the carriage and enjoy the scenery along the way.
During breaks, he looked at the surrounding terrain with Xu Risheng and Zhang Cheng, chatted with them in Latin, and drew some maps.
Suo Etu had originally admired Qi You's composure, but as soon as he finished speaking, he secretly groaned. He thought, "Children are children. How can they treat things so lightly?"
Suo Etu hurriedly advised, "Seventh Prince, you must not act rashly! Galdan's army is still hunting down the Khalkha people. How can we, with only two hundred men, be a match for them?"
Tong Guogang has always been straightforward. After receiving the order from Kangxi, he put Qi You first and never said one thing to his face and another behind his back.
Although he was a little hesitant after hearing Qi You's words, he still asked bluntly: "Seventh Prince, Lord Suo is right. The two hundred of us are definitely no match for Galdan's army. What are your plans?"
The capital is a long way from Khalkha. After leaving Zhangjiakou, it is still three or four thousand miles to Khalkha.
Along the way, the imperial court built many military stations, which were under the jurisdiction of Chahar, Uliastai, Kobdo Counselor and others.
Now Qi You and his men were blocked at the Kherlen River and retreated back to the jurisdiction of the Chahar Military Station, bordering the Khalkha Tushetu Khanate in the south.
Qi You's face was expressionless as he spoke in a deep voice, "While the Luosha Kingdom was negotiating with the Qing, they were colluding with Galdan and brazenly coming here to burn, kill, and loot. Do you understand their negotiating representative, Golovin?"
Soetu sighed, while Tong Guogang looked indignant.
Qi You's eyes were icy. He slammed the table and said in a harsh voice, "Goloven has come to the Qing Dynasty many times to burn, kill, and loot. His hands are stained with the blood of countless Qing people. Now, he supports Galdan while personally leading his troops to attack the Buryat and other Mongolian tribes. Is this an attitude of negotiation?!"
Soetu and Tong Guogang were shocked by the chill emanating from Qi You, and both of them stood there in a daze.
They all knew that if the Qing Dynasty did not respond to the Khalkha war, the Russian Empire would become even more emboldened. At the negotiation table, the Qing Dynasty would not be able to get any benefits.
Qi You sneered. These bastards in the court never did anything but bickered about court meetings. They were so worried about this and that that they were frightened by a bandit like Golovin!
A few hundred Luosha soldiers have troubled the imperial court for so many years, and they still have the nerve to demand compensation for the losses suffered in the war of aggression against the Qing Dynasty!
Qi You took a deep breath and suppressed his surging emotions.
We are angry at their lack of fighting spirit and our own weakness and incompetence, but we cannot blame the Rakshasa Kingdom for being so confident.
That idiot bastard Peng Chun won the Battle of Yalu River, but he still allowed hundreds of Russian bandits to return home with weapons!
Qi You remembered that Golovin assured their queen that the Qing Dynasty was a bunch of softies who would be scared if they were beaten.
This time he came, he only recruited 1,500 Cossacks, but he dared to show off his power and burn, kill and loot everywhere.
Qi You's eyes darkened, and this time he vowed to make Golovin break his hands and feet, crawl across Siberia, and go back to tell his queen.
The people of this land will be attacked and killed without mercy!
Qi You thought for a moment and then gave orders in a flurry, "I'll write a letter to Khan Ama later. Uncle, please select a few soldiers with good legs and feet to rush back to the capital at night to deliver the letter. Lord Suo, please come with me to find Li Rongbao."
Li Rongbao, currently serving as the governor of Chahar, was a descendant of the Fucha clan, the eldest son of the former Minister of Revenue, Mi Sihan, and the elder brother of the Left Censor-in-Chief, Ma Qi. Ma Qi had also participated in the peace talks with the Rakshasa Kingdom.
A few years ago, the Chahar tribe rebelled. After the rebellion was put down, the people of the Chahar tribe were relocated to Zhangjiakou and other places.
The imperial court learned its lesson and, unlike other places, set up a general manager in Chahar, who was the highest local official with military and political autonomy and was in charge of all the banners in Chahar.
In other words, in an emergency, the Chahar tribe could directly send troops abroad without obtaining permission from the Kangxi court.
Seeing that Qi You was determined and wanted to write another letter to Kangxi, Soetu put his hands in his sleeves and said nothing.
When Tong Guogang heard that Qi You had made an arrangement, he agreed without saying a word, stood up and said, "I will go and select the people and have them go to Beijing immediately."
Qi You hurriedly said, "Don't worry, uncle, I have something else to trouble you with."
Tong Guogang stopped and said proudly: "Just tell me, as long as I can do it, I will die for it!"
Qi You smiled and said, "Great job, uncle! I'm going to ask you to bring other officials with me to take in the elderly, children, women, and children who are fleeing. And you're going to organize all the men who can fight to hold back Galdan and the Luosha soldiers. We can't let them just rob and run away. This great vengeance must be avenged here and now!"
Galdan led his troops and baggage across the icy and snowy Hangai Mountains, and the losses to the troops and baggage must have been considerable.
The Rakshasa Kingdom did not provide them with funding for free, and they had to share the spoils with him after the war.
Galdan was very smart. After burning, killing and looting, he would consider retreating. Otherwise, by the time the Qing Dynasty reacted, he would have lost more than he gained.
Transportation was not convenient at the time, so there was a saying that speed was of the essence in war. Even if Kangxi had dispatched troops from Zhangjiakou, it would have been too late. Moreover, the soldiers who had traveled a long distance would have suffered too much damage if they had gone directly to the battlefield.
Qi You couldn't let Galdan and the Rakshasa soldiers escape, he had to hold them back.
He planned to directly mobilize soldiers from Chahar and other military bases in the surrounding areas. Later, when Kangxi got the news, he would send reinforcements to join the soldiers from the military base.
Qi You was unwilling to sacrifice the lives of his soldiers. He wanted to crush the enemy with several times the number of troops.
It would be best if Galdan could be killed, but Qi You still wants to make sure that all the Rakshasa soldiers have no chance of survival this time!
Tong Guogang recalled the plight of the Khalkha people and immediately heated up his words. He rubbed his hands and said, "There are no cowards in the Khalkha, except for that Zasaktu Khan! Bah, bastard! They are all my own people, and he managed to collude with Galdan and the Rakshasa Kingdom!"
Qi You sneered and said, "I'd like to meet the Jasaktu Khan. Galdan attacked under the pretext of seeking revenge on Tushetu Khan, bringing with him foreign Rakshasas. Not only did he bring bad luck with him, but he also brought disaster to Chechen Khan. His Jasaktu Khan also suffered a bad fate. Galdan's ambitions are not limited to any one tribe. If they don't unite, they will be the next to suffer."
Going to contain Galdan's troops was extremely dangerous. Qi You's expression froze as he stood up and bowed deeply to Tong Guogang: "Uncle, this trip is fraught with danger. Remember, only disrupt them, don't engage in direct combat with them. You must prioritize your own safety!"
Tong Guogang quickly stepped forward and lifted Qi You up. He patted his chest and said, "If we fight, I can't guarantee victory. We can just launch a surprise attack and run away. Don't worry about such trivial matters!"
Qi You breathed a sigh of relief and waited until Tong Guogang went out to select someone to deliver the letter, then he began to grind ink and write the letter.
Suo Etu remained in the tent and hesitated for a while before saying, "Seventh Prince, if Li Rongbao doesn't obey your order, Master Tong and the others will be in danger."
Qi You wrote quickly, without even looking up, "As for Li Rongbao, he has no choice but to agree. If he doesn't agree, we'll lure Galdan to the Chahar military station!"
Suo Etu was stunned. Hearing Qi You's boldness, cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
He wiped his hands carelessly and advised earnestly: "Seventh Prince, even if Li Rongbao agrees, the entire Chahar only has a little over ten thousand soldiers. Even if Li Rongbao agrees, the entire Chahar only has a little over ten thousand soldiers. They are no match for Galdan and the Luosha soldiers!"
"All the other Khalkha tribes must join me. They can't just stand by and watch the fun."
Qi You dipped his hand in ink and continued writing his letter, saying, "Could Galdan really be a god who could turn beans into soldiers? He is made of flesh and blood, and so are his horses and his soldiers. How much ammunition and weapons do they have left? Why did he only attack the Outer Khalkha tribes and not dare to advance further?
Suo Etu paused and said worriedly, "What if the emperor disagrees with your direct action? I advise you to think twice. Why don't we delay them first and wait for the imperial court to send troops? It won't be too late to fight then!"
The other officials had no say, so Qi You planned to send them to resettle the Khalkha people who had fled.
Now they cannot have internal disagreements, as there are only a few of them. He still needs to use Soetu, so Qi You is willing to explain a few more words.
"Don't worry, you have received the order from Khan Ama, and everything comes first with my opinion. Therefore, I will make the final decision on these matters. If you are punished by Khan Ama, I will bear all the consequences and will not implicate you."
Qi You raised his eyelids, glanced at Soetu, whose face was turning pale and red, and said calmly, "By the time the imperial court issued an order, Galdan had already led his spoils across the Hangai Mountains and swaggered back. Golovin, likewise, was waiting in Selengsk with his spoils, smugly waiting to see how we would cross the Kherlen River."
Soetu was stunned. After thinking about it for a while, he simply shut up and stopped talking.
Qi You could understand Suo Etu's thoughts. He had experienced many ups and downs, from Grand Secretary to Minister of the Imperial Guard. This time, Kangxi would inevitably be cautious when re-employing him.
It is because of this caution that we are put in a passive position everywhere.
When Galdan and the Rakshasa Kingdom attacked Khalkha, people in Chahar and other places just watched and no one stood up.
Officials in the court are all the same, just like puppets, with no subjective initiative.
For example, Qi You had seen comments about the princes before, all of which said that they did their jobs well and received praise from the emperor.
Doing a job well means that they are told to do something and they act accordingly, which is no different from Qi Yourang being noble and doing things.
Whether they can do something is one thing, but no one takes the initiative to do it because the more they do, the more mistakes they make.
Qi You didn't know what others would do. Since he came here and saw the situation, he would definitely not miss such a good opportunity.
After writing the letter, Tong Guogang had already arranged for someone to deliver it. Qi You personally delivered the wax-sealed urgent letter to several soldiers, gave them some instructions, and then sent Tong Guogang and the soldiers away.
He and Soetu rode on horseback and galloped to find Li Rongbao.
When Li Rongbao heard that Qi You and Suo Etu had arrived, he was surprised and went out to greet them, and then he went forward to pay his respects.
He subconsciously looked Qi You up and down, and seeing that he was sweating and dusty, he quickly said, "Seventh Prince, Lord Suo, please come in, sit down, have a cup of tea and rest for a while."
After entering the house, Qi You washed up quickly, drank a bowl of warm tea, and said bluntly: "Li, I want you to mobilize troops immediately to fight against Galdan and the Luosha soldiers."
Li Rongbao's face changed drastically. He stood up and refused without a second thought: "Seventh Prince, Lord Suo, this matter is of great importance. Without the emperor's order, I cannot obey your order!"
Soetu looked at Qi You with a bitter face.
He had said long ago that even if the prince came, he would not be able to mobilize Li Rongbao's troops, let alone him, a little boy.
They came all the way here in this hot weather and were exhausted. Alas!
Qi You's expression remained unchanged. He slowly took out a pistol from his bag, squinted his eyes, and pointed it at Li Rongbao.
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