Chapter 120

Chapter 120

On the eighth day of the twelfth month, as the smell of Laba porridge filled the Qinghai military camp, a sudden horn blast called for assembly.

The soldiers, barely having time to finish their porridge, hurriedly assembled in front of the command platform.

Yun Ti, holding an imperial edict, announced that the Emperor intended to conquer the Dzungars before the New Year. Whoever could behead Tsewang Rabtan would be promoted to nobility with a hereditary title.

The ten thousand troops erupted in chaos.

Although some were from the Manchu Eight Banners, most were from the Han Eight Banners and the Han Chinese Green Standard Army. The temptation of a noble title was too great.

Yun Ti then split off five thousand soldiers, leading them personally from Ningxia into Tibet to launch a surprise assault on Tsewang Rabtan's camp.

Before departure, he sent orders to Nian Gengyao and Zeng Shou, instructing Zeng Shou to lead ten thousand troops to garrison Hotan, while Nian Gengyao would lead another ten thousand from Hotan to attack Ili, setting an ambush at the border of Ili and the Chahar Three Banners' western flank.

It took ten days for the secret guards to relay the message to the imperial court.

"Your Majesty, if I'm not mistaken, General Fuyuan and General Dong'e, who are stationed in Hotan, along with General Nian ambushing the western flank, should have already surrounded the Dzungar army and clashed in battle."

Yinzhen instinctively stood up, "This is madness!"

Frowning, he paced back and forth in the tent several times, then glanced towards the direction of the sleeping quarters.

Geng Shuning was nearby on horseback. Was this the scheme hatched by that little fox and the fourteenth prince?

Forging an imperial edict to attack Tibet by surprise?

This was like playing dice with the lives of our Qing soldiers!

Since Galdan's time, the Dzungars had a strong grip on Tibet. The Seventh Dalai Lama was just a puppet for Gushi Khan and the Dzungars.

After Tsewang Rabtan took power, he backed Lhazang Khan, the new Gushi Khan's brother, in killing his sibling and taking control, thus commanding Tibet's military authority.

The area was not just icy and snowy but also had treacherous terrain, making it difficult for soldiers to adapt to combat there.

However, scouts reported that with Lhazang Khan's support, Tsewang Rabtan could mobilize at least forty thousand soldiers.

Zeng Shou and Nian Gengyao had twenty thousand troops, leaving ten thousand to garrison Hotan... Yun Ti had only five thousand.

In a situation unfavorable to the Qing troops, winning with fewer troops was pure fantasy!

Yinzhen knew well that if Yun Ti were to stubbornly press forward, given Tsewang Rabtan's prowess in battle... we'd be lucky if half the army made it out alive.

Returning to the imperial throne, he picked up a teacup, then slammed it down heavily, pinched the bridge of his nose, and issued a stern command—

"Su Peisheng, bring that rascal here. If Zhang Tingyu and others inquire about the edict... say it was personally drafted by me."

Both Su Peisheng and Lin Fu, who had accompanied the secret guards to report, were startled. Forging an imperial edict is a serious crime!

His Majesty had always valued the court and the state, never shielding any errant ministers, even treating his own relatives impartially. Yet now, he was protecting Geng Shuning?

Su Peisheng frowned slightly in acknowledgment, lowering his gaze as he exited, concealing his concern. Won't this just make the ancestor more reckless?

What if she goes too far one day, ruining the master's name and leaving a black mark in history?

Lin Fu, however, remained composed and softly asked, "Master, should I temporarily detain Qiao He and the others to investigate the origin of the edict?"

Geng Shuning couldn't have forged the edict without her personal attendants, Qiao He and Qiao Jing, knowing about it.

Yinzhen's expression turned grim: "No need. Post guards around the imperial tent, and keep everyone at least a mile away!"

Lin Fu, unlike Su Peisheng, didn't hesitate and promptly agreed, leading the secret guards out.

He knew the master was meticulous, calm, and suspicious, and wouldn't gamble the empire for a woman.

So, if the master wanted someone protected, he'd follow orders and treat that ancestor like another master to protect.

*

Su Peisheng rushed into the imperial tent, his face showing rare panic.

"Master, Sui Ning has disappeared!"

Yinzhen shot up again, his vision blurring momentarily before clearing.

"Weren't the secret guards supposed to be watching her? Where are they?"

Lin Fu came back in, his head pounding.

"Master, the secret guards were tricked and knocked out by the ninth guard's female guards, stashed in the stables. Thirteen horses are gone, and the guards on duty said they didn't see anyone leave..."

Did this ancestor ride a horse straight to heaven?

She'd only been quiet for a few days—how could she stir up so much trouble!

This one ancestor had already given him and Su Peisheng endless headaches.

Yinzhen took a deep breath, holding back his anger, his temples pulsing as his mind raced.

He quickly moved to the sand table—

"Earlier, Yanxin had mentioned a river southwest of the stables. It should be frozen now, good for riding. Take a team and search right away!"

Lin Fu nodded and bolted out.

Tseling and his men might be hiding anywhere, and Dzungar scouts were surely nearby.

They needed to find her quickly; otherwise, if Tseling caught her, killing her on the spot would be the best outcome. If she were captured and used as a sacrifice before the battle... Lin Fu dared not imagine the disgrace to the Qing Dynasty.

The master might be so angry he could die.

*

He rushed to the tent entrance, but the tent flap was suddenly lifted.

Geng Shuning, dressed as a Mongolian noblewoman, walked in, nearly colliding with Lin Fu.

Lin Fu's back instantly broke into a sweat, and he barely managed to dodge, his forehead hitting the wooden pole supporting the tent, avoiding Geng Shuning, who was leaning back in surprise.

Fortunately, Qiao He and Qiao Jing were quick, supporting their mistress and preventing her from falling.

Geng Shuning, clutching her chest, still shaken: "What's going on? Why is Lin Main Officer in such a hurry?"

Rushing to reincarnate?

"How dare you ask!" Yinzhen roared.

"You ignore my words again, daring to leave the camp without guards, itching for a beating? Just say the word, and I'll oblige!"

Lin Fu's lips twitched. He was more skilled than Su Peisheng and didn't twist his waist like Su Peisheng did in the Yuanmingyuan, just holding his forehead as he stood up, leaving with Su Peisheng.

Qiao He and Qiao Jing hesitated for a moment, then also stepped outside the tent.

How do I say this?

Well... the master's tough exterior but lack of follow-through is something the imperial attendants have gotten used to.

*

Inside the tent, Geng Shuning stammered, moving closer to Yinzhen, giving him a pitiful look.

"I was just feeling cooped up here, so I went out for a walk, just by the river, not far away. Please don't be mad, okay?"

She grabbed the hem of Yinzhen's dragon robe and cotton armor, gently tugging at it. "I know I was wrong, next time I'll definitely tell you."

Yinzhen looked at her expressionlessly, "How many times have you admitted your mistakes, but have you ever changed?"

Geng Shuning: "..." Owning up to mistakes but never changing is the standard for a spoiled queen, right?

What's the harm in her acting up once in a while?

Noticing Yinzhen's temper rising, clearly something was off, she was completely baffled.

"With soldiers everywhere, and I had the Ninth Guard with me, that's why I didn't tell you... What's wrong with you?"

She hugged Yinzhen from the side, looking indignant, "Who dares to bother you to your face, getting you so worked up? Tell me, who dares to bully my man, I'll have the Ninth Guard secretly teach him a lesson!"

Yinzhen twitched the corner of his mouth, nodded slightly, "We just got news from Qinghai about the fourteenth."

Geng Shuning: "..." Oops, my mistake!

She let go and turned to run, this wasn't the place to stick around.

If he's upset, let him cool off on his own, that's what a good partner should do!

Goodbye... is impossible.

Even though she had trained hard at the wrestling arena for a full month, and Yinzhen had been supervising her martial arts training all the way north, but... how could she compare to this master who's been training since he was four.

Being carried by Yinzhen around the screen towards the imperial bed, Geng Shuning pleaded in a strained voice—

"I warned you about this ahead of time, you can't be angry with me because of this!"

"Don't get excited, listen to me explain slowly, I had my reasons for this, I wasn't just fooling around..."

"Are you even listening to me? Don't you want to know what I was doing just now?"

...

She whispered a bunch, Yinzhen remained silent, tossing her onto the imperial bed.

Before Geng Shuning could crawl away, he pulled her onto his lap.

Geng Shuning was anxious, she wasn't out playing, she went to see if the descendant of Fei Yingdong, who caused the defeat at Hetongbo, had come with Sabusu.

"If you hit me, I'll be angry! I'll run away from home... mmm!"

Before she could finish, Yinzhen's urgent and overwhelming kiss silenced her.

She was kissed until her tongue hurt, tightly clutching Yinzhen's lapel and pushing him.

"Mmm... master..."

Yinzhen held her in his arms, breathing heavily, "Just let me hold you for a bit."

Geng Shuning's eyes widened as Yinzhen held her tightly, face-to-face.

He rested his head on her shoulder, his breathing growing rapid, like a sigh from his chest that brushed against her neck.

After a long pause, Yinzhen finally spoke in a hoarse voice: "In your dream, Tsewang Rabtan made a feint to the east while actually attacking from the west, while the main Dzungar forces were actually lying in ambush in North Mongolia. Tseling deliberately feigned weakness by losing the battle, and I fell into the trap, leading to our defeat, isn't that right?"

Though Yinzhen wasn't a master of warfare, as emperor, his grasp of military strategy was as good as anyone's, far beyond Geng Shuning, who had little interest in military matters.

Yun Ti, as if possessed, led his troops into Tibet, taking only fifteen thousand men to face what was said to be a forty-thousand-strong army.

Setting aside the unlikely possibility that he was courting death, only one possibility remained—Tibet had no significant forces.

If the Tibetan soldiers, well-adapted to harsh cold, and the Dzungar troops were already in North Mongolia, yet deliberately showed weakness, it would surely lead the Qing army to underestimate their foe.

Once the battle began, the enemy would deliberately pretend to retreat in defeat, luring the Qing army into a deep pursuit... He scarcely dared to imagine how many of the fifty thousand troops meant to gather at Ulan Butong would survive.

Geng Shuning bit her lip. "I only vaguely recall that Tibet being the main force was a ruse, making the army hesitate to attack, giving Tibet time to set a trap."

"In North Mongolia, Tseling claimed to lead only ten thousand light cavalry, but in truth, there were at least thirty thousand. I don't know what followed, but in my dream, after you returned to the capital, white funeral banners hung everywhere."

Yinzhen bowed his head, showing a fragility never seen before, his entire being radiating desolation.

He wasn't afraid of defeat, nor would he panic over a dream that had proven true. With Geng Shuning's dream, those events were sure to be averted.

But the decline of the Qing Dynasty... it truly began with him, a burden hard to bear.

Though Geng Shuning said his chosen successor left the Qing Dynasty with a reputation for prosperity, it was fleeting, like a flash in the pan, quickly fading.

It was his failure in raising his children, his paranoia and overthinking, his pride...

"Yinzhen!" Geng Shuning held his face, forcing him to look up at her.

"I've told you, you're the Qing Dynasty's finest emperor. Being human, who's without fault? Why must it be me, and why is it my Zhuang Zhou's dream, have you thought about it?"

She earnestly pressed her forehead against Yinzhen's, shamelessly flattering herself.

"No matter how many emperors there are in history's long river, none are as lucky as you, to have a lucky star by your side, right?"

"Heaven has blessed you, surely because you possess exceptional qualities as an emperor!"

Yinzhen gazed deeply into her distinct apricot eyes and softly hummed in agreement.

*

That night, Yinzhen could not sleep, not wanting to toss and turn and disturb his little fox's good sleep, so he simply draped his clothes and sat on the soft daybed.

Su Peisheng tiptoed in to serve: "Your Majesty, you haven't slept well these past few days. It's cold now, would you like a bowl of hot noodle soup to warm up?"

Yinzhen did not respond to his question, only stared at the faintly visible delicate figure behind the curtain, lost in thought.

It had been basically confirmed that the Zhuang Zhou dream was true, making it impossible for him to ignore Geng Shuning's origins.

Was she the lucky star sent by heaven to me, or was she a calamity sent by heaven to punish me?