After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Ortai knelt on the ground, his head kowtowed to the earth:

"Your Majesty, I was promoted from a low-ranking official position by Your Majesty. Although Your Majesty has repeatedly ordered me to refer to myself as a subject, like the Han officials, and not as a slave."

"But in this servant's view, this is only because this servant has lost favor with the Emperor that he refers to himself as such. Every time this servant refers to himself as this servant, the Emperor scolds him, and this servant does so willingly..."

"Alright, alright..."

The emperor, whose reign title was Yongzheng, wore a dragon robe, raised his hand, and said with a helpless expression,

"My dear minister, please get up now."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Ortai got up from the ground.

The Hall of Mental Cultivation was warm and cozy, with heated floors and a fireplace.

Emperor Yongzheng glanced at the Minister of War and said, "I summoned you here because Dachun submitted a secret memorial to me."

A secret report... Ortai's heart skipped a beat.

Yongzheng said:

"Nothing serious, it's just—" he said with a hint of helplessness and heartache, "that my beloved nephew Hongfeng was beaten and almost died. Those girls from the Southern Dynasty are quite ruthless. They're not even planning to bring that so-called Grand Prince Consort over yet."

Ertai said, "Your Majesty, this is a good thing. The Southern Dynasty emperor is protecting his own husband and disrupting the court. The people of the Southern Dynasty are bound to be restless."

He thought for a moment and then said, "Moreover, Ning Baixuan is the top scholar in this imperial examination. After Nalan Ruo returned to the capital, he told everyone he met that this person's poetry was unparalleled, he had great strategic acumen, and he was a great talent."

"Now that this incident has happened, this man will no longer be tolerated by the officials of the Southern Dynasty and can only obediently remain a prince consort. The Southern Dynasty has lost a talented man."

As Yongzheng listened, he nodded.

He wasn't interested in this so-called prince consort, nor did he consider him to be any kind of virtuous or talented person.

The Southern Dynasty Empress scoffed at the fact that she appointed Ning Baixuan as the top scholar and made him her son-in-law based solely on his poetry. What difference is there between entertaining people with petty talent in poetry and entertaining people with beauty? To neglect public duty for private gain is extremely unwise.

But Ortai was his trusted advisor and a rare talent in his eyes. He would not embarrass him over such a trivial matter.

Yongzheng glanced at Ertai and said:

"What you say makes sense, my dear minister. But Hongfeng can't suffer this blow for nothing, otherwise I won't be able to explain it to my thirteenth brother. It was already a disservice to him to have Hongfeng marry into the Southern Dynasty."

While pondering some matters, the emperor looked at Ortai.

Ortai immediately understood: "Your Majesty, why not first grant Prince Hongfeng the title of Prince of the Second Rank to appease him? And then grant one of Prince Yi's eldest sons the title of Prince of the Third Rank."

After Ortai finished speaking, silence fell over the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Yongzheng closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then opened them and said:

"Hmm, that's acceptable. The Grand Council can draft an edict and submit it later."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Ortai nodded.

"Dachun also said that the alliance with the Southern Dynasty is basically settled. They will send a delegation to the capital, and the delegation members will be selected soon," Yongzheng said, frowning slightly.

Ertai said, "Your Majesty, the information I have received is that the Southern Dynasty has already mobilized in full force. Huguang has been procuring grain, and the Southern Dynasty's grain, weapons, and armor will continue to be sent to Jiangbei."

Outside the palace, snow was falling heavily, and the snow piled up to three feet high.

Inside the hall, sandalwood incense burned in a bronze censer decorated with taotie patterns, sending up wisps of smoke.

Upon hearing Ortai's words, Yongzheng nodded.

"you say,"

After a moment, the emperor on the dragon throne sighed again and said:

"I've already ceded the area south of the Huai River. Shouldn't the Jiangpu Army and the Liuhe Army emerge from those two tortoise shells by now?"

Ertai laughed and said, "That depends on whether the emperor of the Southern Dynasty has a big or small appetite."

The man on the dragon throne could call the other woman a "little girl," but he certainly wouldn't dare.

This was not out of fear of the Southern Dynasty, but rather because the emperor and the other party were both emperors, and disrespect might offend the emperor.

Yongzheng smiled:

"I actually hope they have bigger appetites. It would be best to send the Brave Guard Battalion across the Yangtze River as well, so they can take advantage of me."

Ertai exhaled and solemnly said:

"If Borjigit and Yue Zhongqi can annihilate the Jiangpu Army and Liuhe Army north of the Yangtze River this time, and if the Rakshasa people can destroy the coastal and river defenses of Jiangnan, or if, as the Emperor wishes, the Yongwei Battalion can also cross the river and inflict heavy damage on our Southern Expeditionary Army."

The Minister of War declared emphatically, "Then the entire Southern Dynasty—Jiangnan, Fujian and Zhejiang, Sichuan, Hubei and Hunan… can all be pacified with a single proclamation!"

The Grand Councilor, also in his early fifties, made a solemn pronouncement to his master at the head of the table, his face resolute.

Yongzheng remained noncommittal, but his mind was truly unsettled. He thought he would write a few secret memorials later and send them to Borjigit and Yue Zhongqi to encourage them and let them prepare.

At this moment, a young eunuch shuffled in from outside the hall.

Ortai dared not look any longer and immediately lowered his head.

moment.

"Um?"

The emperor, who was sitting at the head of the table, was holding a secret memorial handed to him by a young eunuch when he suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

Ortai was taken aback.

Emperor Yongzheng was reading the secret memorial.

"Ha," he suddenly chuckled, "You've got some nerve."

Ortai paused, unsure who the emperor was referring to.

The Emperor waved the secret memorial in his hand and smiled, "My dear minister, the selection of the Southern Dynasty's delegation has been finalized. They will depart on the twelfth day of the first month... I imagine they have already set off..."

It was originally about the mission... Ortai felt relieved and bowed, saying, "This servant congratulates Your Majesty."

The Southern Dynasty delegation departed.

Regardless of the Southern Dynasty's intentions—whether it's to negotiate or to take advantage of our dynasty's weakness to launch a northern expedition—our troops and supplies will be concentrated in Jiangbei.

The Sichuan and Hubei regions naturally became increasingly vulnerable.

"That imperial son-in-law you just mentioned..." Emperor Yongzheng's smile deepened.

"Ning Baixuan," Ortai added, bowing his head.

"Yes, that's him."

A strange look appeared on Emperor Yongzheng's face:

"This person... ha... this person actually sent an envoy to our court..."

An envoy to...our dynasty? The man who beat Prince Hongfeng?

"He still dares to go on a diplomatic mission?" Ortai exclaimed in surprise, realizing what was happening.

……

……

The sun, gleaming white, hung low above the distant mountains.

"Bang bang bang!"

Three arrows in quick succession.

Every arrow hit the bullseye.

Whether it was Feng Xi, the young master of the Marquis of Zhongzhen's mansion, Dong Anguo, the deputy commander of Jiangpu City, or a group of personal guards, or even the few soldier friends that Sanzhuang invited.

Everyone stared in astonishment at the young man holding a strangely shaped, powerful bow on the shooting range.

Feng Xi believed he could also hit the bullseye every time he shot an arrow from a distance of forty zhang.

But to insert the arrow so deep into the target and draw the bow so quickly, Feng Xi felt that even his grandfather in his youth would have found it difficult to do.

On the training ground, Ning Nan put down the bow in his hand.

Despite his hurried pace, he still managed to catch up with San Zhuang just as he was competing in archery with others.

Upon seeing his arrival, Sanzhuang was both overjoyed and guilty. He called out "Big Brother" as he ran over.

He arrived at the venue, and fortunately, he had gotten to know Dong Anguo the night before. Dong Anguo looked embarrassed and quickly led the others over to greet him.

After some investigation, he learned that the captain who wanted to compete with San Zhuang in archery was actually the young master of the Marquis of Zhongzhen's mansion, which was quite unexpected.

To maintain secrecy, he ordered Dong Anguo to drive away all the people who had gathered to watch the play in the training ground.

Only Dong Anguo, Feng Xi, and the five personal guards with extremely awkward expressions remained.

San Zhuang stood arrogantly behind him.

Ning Nan smiled, raised the bow in his hand, handed it to Dong Anguo, and said with a smile:

"General Dong, Commander Feng, these are bows and arrows developed by Her Majesty's newly established Weaponry Bureau. Their name is..." He thought for a moment, noting that these composite bows had pulleys on both ends, and casually named one, "Hmm... it's called the Crescent Moon Bow..."

His expression was warm, and as he looked at the wealthy man opposite him, he smiled modestly and said:

"At the New Weapons Bureau, each Crescent Moon Bow costs fifty taels of silver..."

Hmm... Jiangpu City's commerce is indeed thriving... Master Ning sighed inwardly... but his wife's treasury isn't very full.