54. Chapter 54
"none"
The Imperial Study of the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
Liang Jiugong, who was standing guard under the eaves with his hands in his sleeves, saw Li Guangdi approaching and hurried forward to greet him. He nodded and said with a smile, "Master Li is here?"
Li Guangdi smiled and nodded politely in response, "I'm here. Is Your Majesty free?"
Liang Jiugong stepped forward with a smile and personally opened the curtain: "When you have time, please come in, Lord Li. The Emperor has been waiting for you."
Li Guangdi thanked him with a smile and walked into the room. He saw Kangxi sitting quietly behind the imperial desk, his head propped up by his hands, seemingly lost in thought. He stepped forward and greeted him.
Kangxi raised his head and waved his hand, "Sit down."
Li Guangdi thanked him and sat down. Liang Jiugong served tea and quietly retreated to the door to guard it.
Kangxi picked up the letter beside him and waved it, saying, "Take this and have a look."
Li Guangdi quickly responded, stepped forward, took the letter with both hands, and scanned it. His expression was filled with surprise and disbelief, and he said blankly, "This..."
Kangxi chuckled bitterly to himself and said, "When I first saw this, I was just like you. Alas, my son is truly audacious. He had a gun pointed at Li Rongbao's head. Alas, you see, I shouldn't have given him that gun."
The urgent letter was written by Li Rongbao to sue Qi You, saying that he was threatened with a gun and asked him to summon all the soldiers in Chahar to attack Galdan immediately.
Li Guangdi thought that Li Rongbao's misfortune came from the sky, and couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for him for a while.
After changing his mind, Li Guangdi was secretly frightened again.
Qi You was so young, yet he not only commanded Suo Etu around, but he also carried him on horseback and galloped all the way to the Chahar Governor's Mansion. Just based on this tenacity and control over people, even Li Guangdi had to admire him.
Li Guangdi suppressed his shock, observed Kangxi's expression, and after a moment's deliberation, he said, "Your Majesty, I have been in mourning these years and have been unaware of what is happening in the capital. I dare not conceal from Your Majesty that I have heard some rumors about the Seventh Prince, but I was too naive and thought he was nothing special. Now I see that the Seventh Prince is truly a rare young talent. Everything he has done, I believe, is courageous and resourceful, and definitely not childish. Look at the Seventh Prince's swift reaction. If it were me, I would never dare to compare with him."
Kangxi tried to hold back his anger, but couldn't, and burst out laughing. He handed another letter to Li Guangdi, clicked his tongue, and said in a feigned annoyance, "Look, look, this guy who always causes me trouble has the nerve to apologize and ask me for food and fodder at the same time."
Li Guangdi was relieved when he saw Kangxi's reaction. He smiled and took the letter from Qi You. After reading it, he praised it sincerely: "Good calligraphy!"
Kangxi raised the corners of his mouth, coughed, and barely suppressed his smile. He pretended to be indifferent and said, "It's just so-so."
Li Guangdi laughed and said, "Don't even mention that when I was as young as the Seventh Prince, I couldn't write this beautiful calligraphy. Even now, I am ashamed of myself!"
Kangxi's smile widened as he said in annoyance, "This kid, what worries me most is that he works too hard every day. I always tell him to relax and play with others. He's obedient, but even when he's playing, he'll make up for his homework. He never puts off today's work until tomorrow. I saw that he wasn't playing, but was just causing him trouble, so I left him alone. He has a strict daily schedule anyway, and no matter how busy he is, he'll complete everything on it."
Li Guangdi didn't want to talk anymore.
Kangxi was not complaining, he was simply showing off.
However, after reading the letter, Li Guangdi was not only impressed by Qi You's calligraphy, but was even more surprised at his grasp of people's hearts, especially his deep understanding of the way court officials acted.
In the first letter he sent to Kangxi, he must have made plans long ago, but he did not mention the transfer of troops from Chahar.
Li Guangdi dared to conclude that Qi You had already mobilized troops at that time. But he did not mention it, and his plan was to execute first and report later.
If the first letter had mentioned it, instead of the question of whether to send troops or not, the court would probably be impeaching Qi You, accusing him of using troops without authorization.
At present, both the imperial court and Emperor Kangxi have basically agreed to use military force. If there is another impeachment, Qi You can hit back at these people who are irresponsible, have no response ability, are just sitting in office and doing nothing, and have missed the best opportunity to send troops.
Not only did he get the job done, but he was also able to get away with it perfectly.
Li Guangdi thought that he had returned to Beijing late, so some people impeached him for deliberately missing the funeral of the Grand Empress Dowager and accused him of being disrespectful to her. Fortunately, Kangxi did not make a fuss about it, so he was fine.
Qi You was able to remain safe and sound even after doing such earth-shattering things.
Li Guangdi was completely convinced.
Kangxi was in a good mood. He opened a drawer and took out a small box. He took out the key, unlocked it, and took out a bound and well-read volume. He handed it to Li Guangdi: "Take a look at this."
Li Guangdi was startled by Kangxi's seriousness and quickly put down the letter and took the booklet to open it. He saw that the handwriting on it was written by Qi Youru, who was as gentle as a breeze. He subconsciously looked solemn and read it carefully.
The more he read, the more excited Li Guangdi became. He had never seen such a complete and detailed plan.
Kangxi looked at Li Guangdi with a smile, raised his eyebrows, and said, "How is it?"
Li Guangdi sighed deeply, and once again said with deep conviction: "Your Majesty, I am truly ashamed of myself!"
Kangxi's smile faded a little, and he said, "It's not that you are inferior, it's that everyone in the court is inferior. There are so many smart people in the court, but they are all too busy trying to be smart, slippery, and unwilling to get involved in anything."
Li Guangdi said with shame: "Your Majesty is right. I will reflect on this myself."
Kangxi said, "It's good that you can reflect on yourself. You don't have to blame yourself. I showed you this because I wanted to hear your thoughts on how to help others do their jobs like the Seventh Brother."
Li Guangdi didn't dare to respond to this.
Perhaps officials who have just taken office still have some sharpness, but after serving in office for a few years, they no longer have the same ideas as before.
Serving the emperor is like serving a tiger. Since ancient times, only a handful of officials and ministers have had a good end.
Besides, even if Li Guangdi had one or two ideas, he would not dare to put them forward casually.
Many officials who had completed their mourning period were still waiting for official positions. The court was only short of official positions, not officials.
It takes courage and determination to be the enemy of thousands of people. When he returned to the court, he encountered the jealousy of countless people, so he had to be cautious.
Kangxi saw Li Guangdi frowning in thought, but he didn't bother him. He said, "Take your time to think about it. The most important thing right now is to quickly dispatch troops and food to send to that kid. Otherwise, Li Rongbao will really cry. We absolutely cannot miss such a good opportunity."
Whenever Kangxi thought about possibly being able to kill Galdan this time, he was filled with indescribable excitement: "Whoever dares to stop me again, don't blame me for being rude. This time, not only must we fight, but we must do it as soon as possible!"
Li Guangdi secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said solemnly, "I'm afraid Li Rongbao's troops have already reached Khalkha. Facing Galdan's troops, I'm afraid the outcome is still uncertain. The court must send troops to support them immediately, otherwise the Seventh Prince's efforts will be in vain."
Kangxi said in a deep voice, "This time, you will be in charge of the deployment. Move troops and food directly from Zhangjiakou. After this battle, the Khalkha people will realize the situation clearly. Humph, they will surely realize how powerful the situation is and will definitely come to the Qing for surrender. You will oversee and arrange their accommodations. As for peace talks, since the Luosha Kingdom is playing both sides, there is no need to retreat again and again. You should discuss these matters with the Seventh Brother and listen to his thoughts."
Li Guangdi agreed and said, "I will definitely discuss this with the Seventh Prince before making any decision. Everything will be based on the Seventh Prince's opinion."
Kangxi smiled and said, "That's not necessary. He's young, so it's inevitable that he might not be thorough enough. You should keep an eye on him for me. His legs are especially weak, and I don't think he can handle all this hard work. Take a few imperial physicians with you, along with some tonic herbs. Tell them it's my order, and tell him not to forget to take them. Also, bring the heart-clearing prescription I gave to Li Rongbao."
Giving Li Rongbao the recipe for clearing his mind was to help him calm down and to completely put aside the threat Qi You had made to him.
Li Guangdi already had an idea in mind and agreed to all the requests, saying, "I will obey your order and prepare them immediately."
Kangxi said, "Don't rush. The eldest brother is quite old now. He was jumping up and down a little earlier, wanting to go to the battlefield to fight. Why not take him with us this time and let him broaden his horizons?"
Li Guangdi was stunned for a moment, thinking of the eldest prince's temper and the open and covert struggles between him and the crown prince. He sighed inwardly and could only respectfully take his leave.
Kangxi sat for a while longer, then had Liang Jiugong summon the eldest prince. He didn't hold back, briefly describing the situation in Khalkha. Then he instructed, "Since you want to go to war, go with Li Guangdi this time. But listen carefully: you are not allowed to make decisions on your own during this journey. Li Guangdi is in charge, and you must obey his instructions. When you arrive in Khalkha, if you are unsure or have questions, consult with the Seventh Prince. You will obey him."
The eldest prince was so happy to hear that he could go to the war that he almost jumped up. But when Kangxi told him to listen to Qi You, he was not so happy and said, "Khan Ama, I am the eldest brother and I have to listen to my younger brother. It would be embarrassing to tell others about it."
Kangxi gave a forced smile, snorted, and said, "I'm afraid you won't understand what my brother is saying even if I tell you."
The eldest prince thought of the Latin bird language that Qi You said, and his shoulders immediately slumped. He said unhappily, "Okay. But Khan, I only listen to my seventh brother in private. In front of outsiders, I must be his eldest brother."
Kangxi was almost laughing with anger and scolded, "Seventh Brother is not as shameless as you. Besides, how could he not respect you as his eldest brother? But you, don't bother Seventh Brother all the time. He is very busy and has no time to deal with you. And don't you dare take advantage of your height and strength to grab him by the neck and use force. If I find out, I will punish you."
The eldest brother chuckled and said, "I was just playing with my seventh brother. We usually have a very good relationship. The third brother is the one who really bullied him. If you don't believe me, Khan Ama will ask the seventh brother when the time comes."
Kangxi saw the foolish look of the eldest prince and could not bear to watch it. He waved his hand in disgust and said, "Go, go, go back and pack up. Leave quickly. Don't delay the trip."
The eldest prince answered yes loudly and bowed and left quickly.
Kangxi stared at the eldest prince, who was almost jumping for joy, and couldn't help laughing. As he laughed, he sighed.
As the eldest son, he was tall and strong, but he was too extroverted and lacked composure.
It wasn't exactly frank; the Third Brother hadn't spent any time with the Seventh Brother in a long time. Luckily, he still remembered what happened in the study room, and he was always trying to find a way to complain about the Third Brother who had been at odds with him.
The eldest prince came out of the Qianqing Gate and happened to meet the crown prince. He immediately stopped and stepped forward to greet him with a smile: "Prince, have you gone to pay your respects to Khan Ama?"
The prince said yes, and looked at the eldest prince with suspicion. The joy on his face was so strong that the prince felt uncomfortable. He reluctantly asked, "Look at your joy, eldest brother. Did you get the Khan's praise?"
The eldest prince smiled brightly, raised his chin, and although he wanted to show off, he tried to pretend that nothing had happened and said, "Khan Ama just gave me an errand, asking me to follow Li Guangdi and Lord Li to fight in Khalkha."
The prince's expression froze involuntarily, but he forced a smile and said, "Thank you for your hard work, brother. Since Khan Ama has entrusted you with such an important task, you must do your job well."
The eldest prince's original pride faded greatly when he heard the Crown Prince and Kangxi exhort him. He said indifferently, "I know," clasped his fists, and turned to stride away.
The prince's eyes turned cold as he stared at the eldest prince with hatred. His hands, hidden under his sleeves, clenched into fists. He felt the rage in his chest surging like a sea, unable to subside for a long time.
The sun was setting, casting a red glow on the red walls and yellow tiles, making the weather even more unbearably hot and humid. The prince was drenched in sweat.
Liang Jiugong stood at a distance and watched silently for a while, his face full of smiles, and stepped forward and said: "It's just right that the prince has arrived. The emperor just sent me to find you."
The prince came back to his senses, hummed perfunctorily, calmed himself down quietly, and turned to walk towards the Palace of Heavenly Purity.
*
In his previous life, Qi You had seen a multiple-choice question about human nature.
Imagine a train moving forward with two tracks in front of it. There is one person on the left track and five people on the right track.
The conductor will choose which track to drive the train to, sacrificing one person or sacrificing five others.
In the end, the vast majority of people chose the seemingly correct answer and drove the train towards the track with only one person.
Some people questioned why that one person should be sacrificed to fulfill the other five people.
Who gave us the right to decide this person's life or death?
Qi You is now like the train conductor, having to make what may be the most difficult decision in his two lifetimes.
Regardless of the lives of the Khalkha people, they continued to fire and strangle Galdan's army.
It would be better to stop firing and let Galdan escape, otherwise the Qing Dynasty would face the threat of a long war.
No matter which one, Qi You will probably suffer a devastating disaster.
The lives of hundreds of Khalkha people cannot be sacrificed in vain. Even if Galdan is killed, the mastermind cannot escape.
Letting Galdan go would result in impeachment. Even if Kangxi showed mercy and didn't pursue the matter, it would be an unforgivable and foolish decision for him and all those in power.
Kangxi needed someone to take charge and shoulder the blame. He would be secretly delighted and shed tears at the same time.
Then, without mercy, the person who made the decision was pushed out to calm the public anger.
Li Rongbao, Soetu, and Tong Guogang are all the smartest of the smart. They will not and dare not make this decision.
The people, dressed in rags, beaten and tortured, and tied together like animals, cried out in despair, their cries as mournful as tears of blood.
Red clouds moved across the sky, coldly watching this tragedy unfold in the world.
Qi You's expression was as calm as ever. He slowly raised his right hand and gave an order.
The author has something to say:
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided nutrient solution between 2022-10-24 21:00:01 and 2022-10-25 20:59:33~
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