Blessed by God

Chapter 41

TIMELINE

1690 (29th Year of Kangxi.) Galdan’s first appearance (The 4th brother was 12 while the 7th brother was 10.)

1693 (32nd Year of Kangxi.) Nephew and rival of Galdan Boshugtu Khan sent an envoy with a tribute to the Qing capital. This is where Kangxi and his court get cozy with his nephew, so as to separate Galdan from the throne. The author is setting the story around these years but it should be later in the 35th year of Kangxi. Gorolo shi and Yinsi were engaged in the 31st year of Kangxi (1692) and married in the 37th year of Kangxi (1698).

—According to Yinyou’s Baidu page, the 7th brother was ordered to lead the Bordered Yellow Banner battalion to follow Kangxi to conquer Galdan in the 35th year of Kangxi (1696). Because of his meritorious service, in the 37th year of Kangxi (1698), he was titled Prince of the Third Rank (貝勒 bèilè). In 1709, Yunyou was granted the title Prince Chun of the Second Rank. In the 1st year of Yongzheng (1723), he was promoted to Prince Chun of the First Rank.

1696 (35th Year of Kangxi.) “The Kangxi Emperor returns in victory. Defender of the Frontier General-in-chief Fiyanggū defeats Galdan Boshugtu Kahn at Zuunmod.” (The 4th brother was 18 while the 7th brother was 16.)

Thanks for the kofi, Bee. —Bambi.

Chapter 41. Rewarding the Army

The originally lame foot was now missing two toes, and its appearance became even uglier. Seeing the comatose person on the couch shaking due to the strong alcohol being poured on the wound, Yinzhen felt panicked and unspeakably uncomfortable.

Yinyou’s riding boot on his left foot was already stained half red with blood. Yinzhen couldn’t imagine how the originally pampered seventh brother endured the pain and rode on horseback for several hours. Even when the pain was unbearable, Yinyou still fought the enemy until they retreated.

His younger brother who didn’t like to participate in the affairs of the palace and faction disputes turned out to be such a courageous man. In his heart, he didn’t know whether to feel pain or joy, perhaps just regret for not understanding him earlier, or admiration that the seventh brother had such a side.

“Doctor, how is the seventh brother?” Yinzhen looked at the wound. The flesh had turned cleaner after being disinfected by strong alcohol, but he still couldn’t bear to look any further, and turned his head to the other side.

“Back to the fourth prince, after the seventh prince recovers from his injury, he will walk the same way as before, and it will not have much impact in his life.” The military doctor was used to treating all kinds of wounds on the battlefield, but because the person in front of him was a prince, he moved very cautiously. “It’s just that the seventh prince may have had a fever. Still, he will be fine after taking the medicine.”

“Understand. Hurry up and make medicine,” Yinzhen took two deep breaths and sat down beside Yinyou, only to realize that his hands were shaking violently. After sitting for a stick of incense, he slowly got up and went out to see the injured soldiers.

Sun Sike met the fourth prince before reaching the tent of the seventh prince. Seeing that the fourth prince had a bad face, he greeted him and said, “I have seen the fourth prince. I wonder how the seventh prince’s injury is?”

He admired these princes very much but the one he admired the most was the seventh prince. An imperial prince, who was used to being served by eunuchs and maids, persisted for so long in the battlefield after being injured. He more or less understood why some soldiers secretly asked him about the seventh prince’s injury just now.

It was just a pity that this prince had no chance to inherit the throne, otherwise these princes might fight even more fiercely. Thinking of this, Sun Sike shuddered, and just then realized that he was speculating about the royal family, which was a serious crime.

“I made General Sun worried about the seventh brother. The doctor said there is no serious problem, but two toes are missing.” Yinzhen thought of the bloody skin and flesh again, and the bones and flesh that had been chopped off next to the toes, and frowned again. The battlefield was so chaotic, and the seventh brother’s toes might not be found at this time.

When Sun Sike heard the words, he had no choice but to say some comforting words, in fact, he didn’t know what else to say. For ordinary soldiers, not to mention losing two toes on the battlefield, even missing arms and legs was common. It’s just that for a prince, missing two toes was a big deal. Glancing at the fourth prince who had a bad complexion, Sun Sike sighed in his heart, this Lord was friends with the seventh prince, so it was no wonder his face was so gloomy.

“He lost two toes?!” Yinsi looked at the person on the bed and his eyes swept over the wound that had been bandaged; his complexion changed again and again, between worried and concerned.

The military doctor didn’t dare to say anything when he saw that the eighth prince looked so upset.

“You take care of the seventh brother. If something happens, I’m afraid that Huang Ama will not be able to forgive you.” He stretched out his hand and pulled the quilt to cover Yinyu’s body. Yinsi’s voice became a little heavy as he ordered, “Use what you should use. If there is something missing, you can ask the fourth brother or this Lord.”

“Aye.” The military doctor was sweating on his forehead, but he didn’t dare to wipe it off. This eighth brother seemed to be a very gentle person, how could he be frightened with just two words?

That night, Galdan broke out and fled. After Sun Sike, the fourth brother and the eighth brother got the news, they immediately deployed troops and prepared to pursue him.

Yinyou, who was drowsy at first, also got up from the bed, because at this time he was the commander of the Bordered Yellow Banner and unless he couldn’t get up, there was no reason not to go. If he didn’t let the soldiers of the Bordered Yellow Banner go fighting because he was injured, even if they went back to the capital safely, the people of the Bordered Yellow Banner would be dissatisfied with him in their hearts.

“Seventh brother, you are injured, how can you…” Seeing Yinyou being supported by soldiers onto the horse, Yinsi couldn’t help but look at Yinyou’s left foot, secretly worried. But, thinking of Yinyou’s identity and those complicated noble relationship networks, after all, he didn’t stop him.

“Eighth brother, don’t worry, it’s just a small injury,” Yinyou smiled, his face pale.

Yinzhen on the side held the rein tighter and tighter. Looking at Yinyou’s sickly face, he finally just said, “Be careful on the road.”

He couldn’t let Yinyou stay as it would only make the Bordered Yellow Bannermen dissatisfied with Yinyou. Even if Yinyou was in unbearable pain, at this time he could only persuade the seventh brother to continue moving. This was the honor and responsibility he carried as the seventh prince.

On the way to pursuit, Yinzhen stayed by Yinyou’s side at all times, and who knows whether it was intentional or not, but Yinsi also rode a horse not far from them.

Seeing that the Qing army was closing up on him, Galdan hurriedly fled northward, but the Qing army was unstoppable, and after chasing more than ten kilometers, they caught up with Galdan and his remaining troops. Fighting fiercely all night until dawn, Galdan led dozens of cavalry to escape, while Galdan’s wife was killed, and the remaining 3,000 soldiers surrendered to the Qing Dynasty.

As the sun rose in the morning, Yinyou looked up at the East.

The red light reflected the whole land, and even the blood on the ground became more dazzling. This was the biggest battle against the Dzungar during the Kangxi years.

Sitting in the tent, Kangxi watched the battle report of the seventh brother’s injury, and kept the original order of letting the princes go to Jao Modo to reward the army. After thinking about it, he wrote another imperial order.

A few days later, under the imperial decree, the fourth brother and the seventh brother temporarily stayed in the army to reward the soldiers. Along with this imperial edict, there was also an imperial physician sent by Kangxi.

The eighth brother however, was sent to Jao Modo, and so he packed up his things and left the barracks with the messenger army. When he got on his horse, he looked at Yinyou who was seeing him off with the fourth brother, and suddenly grinned, “Fourth brother and seventh brother, after returning to the Capital, we brothers need to have a good drink.”

“No problem,” Yinyou smiled generously, reducing his original defenses against Yinsi by a lot.

Seeing this, Yinsi smiled even brighter. He clasped his fists at the two of them, pulled the reins, turned the horse’s head and left. After walking a long distance, he slowly turned his head to look at the bustling barracks.

“Go back,” Yinzhen held Yinyou up by the waist, “You’re missing a few toes, don’t run around.”

Yinyou leaned on Yinzhen and bounced back to his tent, “Fourth brother, it is disgraceful to discriminate against the disabled.”

Yinzhen tightened his hold on Yinyou’s waist, and as he slowly loosened his grip, he said in a flat tone. “If you dare to lack anything else, I will ignore you instead of discriminate against you.”

Yinyou thought sadly that he came to the Qing Dynasty and didn’t discriminate against Yinzhen’s glowing forehead, how dare Yinzhen look down on him for missing two toes?! The future Emperor Yongzheng turned out not only to be narrow-minded, but also to have a poisonous mouth!

That night, when the West Army slaughtered pigs and sheep, Yinyou limped and drank with the soldiers. Although his walking posture was really ugly, no one in the army laughed at him, and most of them looked at him with admiration.

The whole army was messing around almost all night. Yinyou originally had a sore foot and was secretly resisting pain while walking but after getting drunk, he wanted to sing and dance with other soldiers, and he didn’t stop until Yinzhen couldn’t bear it anymore and pulled him to sit down.

Seeing this, Feiyanggu and several other lieutenants who were sitting next to him seemed to have seen nothing. Then only thought the two brothers had a close relationship. After all, if the relationship was not good, how could the cold-tempered fourth brother care so much about the seventh brother?

　When Yinyou woke up the next day, he felt that his head and left foot hurt extremely. He took two deep breaths before trying to get up. Unexpectedly, there was an extra hand beside him to help him up.

“Fourth brother?” Seeing that Yinzhen’s face was not very good looking, Yinyou coughed dryly.

Yinzhen glanced at him, but didn’t speak as he helped Yinyou to put on his clothes and wash his face before he asked the soldiers outside to call the imperial physician.

Seeing this situation, Yinyou knew that he must have offended this narrow-minded fourth brother, so he obediently sat on the bed, obediently let the old doctor remove his bandages, and even when the other party poked his instep with a silver needle, he gritted his teeth and endured it.

“Seventh prince, bear with me, I will use silver needles to invigorate your blood circulation for you, so that you will not suffer in your old age in the future,” said the old doctor, poking several long and thin silver needles on Yinyou’s instep and calf.

Yinyou glanced at his deformed left foot, with two missing toes, “Isn’t this foot already gone bad, though?”

Hearing his words, the imperial doctor choked. Although his movements did not slow down, when his eyes fell on that foot, he had to admit that what the seventh brother said was true, this foot was already in a bad condition.

Yinzhen, who was sitting next to him looked at Yinyou, and saw that his expression was calm when he said this, without anger or sadness, so he slowly relaxed. He remembered that one winter a few years ago, Old Nine whipped a young eunuch, Yinyou stepped forward and said a few words, and Old Nine scolded him as a cripple.

Later, the ninth brother and the seventh brother were at odds, and their words were not respectful. It was not until the Imperial Concubine Cheng was promoted to Consort that their tense relationship got better.

Taking a sip of tasteless tea to suppress the anger in his heart, Yinzhen walked to Yinyou’s side and put his hand on Yinyou’s shoulder. “There will be no more problems.”

Yinyou didn’t care too much about these things, but he did care about Yinzhen’s comforting words. He raised his head and smiled at Yinzhen, then he stretched out his hand and patted the back of the hand on his shoulder, “I’m not afraid, fourth brother don’t worry about me.”

The warmth of the palm made Yinzhen shudder. His other hand climbed to cover Yinyou’s hand, and slowly gripped it, “You are not afraid but I am. I just hope that your legs will be free from illness and pain in the future.”

Yinyou was originally uncomfortable because Yinzhen was holding his hand, but after hearing Yinzhen’s words, the original discomfort turned into indescribable emotion. In this world, besides Consort Cheng and Yinzhen, who else really cared about him?

“Thank you, fourth brother.” Since he was a child, he had been taken care of by Yinzhen a lot. Looking back now, he felt that getting along with Yinzhen was the greatest blessing in his life, not because Yinzhen was the future Emperor Yongzheng, but because Yinzhen really held him in his heart.

Yinzhen’s originally expressionless face slowly revealed a smile.

In July of the 35th year of Kangxi, the rewards to the army were finally settled. At the end of July, Feiyanggu led the army to escort more than 3,000 captives back to the imperial court. The fourth brother and the seventh brother returned with him, and it wasn’t until October that they stepped foot in the Capital.

The author has something to say: In official history, it was the eldest prince who handed out the army rewards. I finally got over the fighting part! I’m so happy, wowowow! ↖（^ω^）↗