The news soon spread to the court.

The next day, when the old emperor went to court, he got an urgent battle report of 800 miles in southern Xinjiang.

Things were much more serious than the old emperor had imagined.

Without the slightest warning, the war broke out as soon as it broke out, and unlike in the past, this time it was not a guerrilla war with petty fights, but several fierce battles with real guns and ammunition.

In the three battles, the Shen Jiajun of Zhenyuan Hou won two, and the last one was neither lost nor won. From morning to evening, they each collected their troops and returned to their respective camps, which sounded a bit of a joke, but no one could tell what was going on the battlefield.

The person who sent the war report was the old emperor's person, and the general story of several battles was clearly written in the letter, the old emperor just wanted to find fault and couldn't find an excuse, things on the battlefield changed in an instant, who could say clearly?

The main force of this operation, the Shen family army, was the batch that the old emperor replaced a few years ago, and there were veterans and new recruits in the team.

However, looking at the degree of tension in the war in southern Xinjiang, it is estimated that there are still bigger battles ahead.

Because the Marquis of Zhenyuan asked for support!

This is the first time that the Marquis of Zhenyuan has guarded southern Xinjiang for decades!

It can be seen how severe this battle is!

However, except for the Marquis of Zhenyuan, there was really no one in the entire dynasty who could keep pace with him, nor could he find an army that could be on par with the Shen family's army.

The old emperor's eyes were scarlet because of the anxiety of the night.

Although he looked tired, the irritability in his heart made him energetic and his eyes bright.

Everyone in the court, whether it is a civil official or a military general, is burying their heads in a hurry, who knows if the old emperor will be named next himself?

It's fine if it's a side matter, but it's a thing like going to the border and going to the battlefield......

Hehe.

Not to mention civilian officials, even military generals are unwilling.

Accustomed to the peaceful and prosperous times, who wants to fight and kill on the battlefield and fight with their own lives?

It's okay to be promoted, but if you lose, your life will be gone, and no amount of glory and wealth will be in vain.

Seeing that no one answered, the old emperor was furious, "Why can't the people of the Manchu Dynasty find anyone who can go into battle to meet the enemy?" ”

Naturally, there are people who can go to the battlefield, but everyone is used to it.

Accustomed to what?

Accustomed to handing over the affairs of the border to the Marquis of Zhenyuan, and accustomed to the idle days, how can he still have the ambition of the year?

Syllable!

The old emperor slapped on the dragon chair, and everyone in the court knelt down in a trembling voice.

"Why, our dynasty can't find anyone else except the Marquis of Zhenyuan? What's the use of keeping you people? Is it that in the end, my position will also be left to the Marquis of Zhenyuan? ”

"The emperor is angry!" The ministers begged for mercy and confession, but they did not mention anything about going to the front.

Southern Xinjiang, a southern barbarian, is good at using Gu and poison.

The general fight is okay, plus these dirty methods, the Marquis of Zhenyuan is not 100% sure, let alone them?

This deliberation was in vain, and the old emperor returned to the imperial study with monstrous anger.

The third prince, Duanmu Qing, was already waiting there.

Seeing the most important son, the old emperor's face turned slightly pale, "Why are you here?" ”

"Father, son, son and son are here for the war in southern Xinjiang."

The old emperor frowned, "What, do you want to fight for me?" ”

"Father, Erchen has been in the Shen Family's Army before, and he is more familiar with the soldiers of the Shen Family's Army.

The old emperor raised his eyebrows, thoughtful.

The third prince continued: "Before Erchen was in the Shen Family Army, from a small soldier to the position of captain, the generals in the army recognized Erchen's ability. Erchen thinks that this is an opportunity for Erchen, which can not only help Erchen establish prestige in the army, but also help his father win the hearts of the people and gain more reputation among the people. ”

The old emperor did not respond, but his face was a little more moved.

The third prince made persistent efforts and said: "Father, if the son of the son wins more military and popular hearts in the army, it will also be the will of the people to bring the military talisman to his son in the future!" If the Marquis of Zhenyuan had an accident in southern Xinjiang, or lost something because of a mistake in decision-making, it was logical for his father to take back the talisman. ”

This last sentence is the focus of the three princes, and it is also the reason why the old emperor is moved.

"That's right, but this battle in southern Xinjiang is so severe, I can't rest assured that you are in such a dangerous place." The old emperor really favored the three princes, so even if he knew that this was an opportunity, he didn't want the three princes to go on a personal expedition.

After thinking about it, the old emperor suddenly asked, "What about your second brother?" ”

The third prince was surprised: "Didn't the second brother recuperate in the mansion?" ”

Recuperate?

Hehe!

"If something so big happens, what other illness can he take care of? When you go back, stop by your second brother's mansion and tell him to come over and see me! ”

"Yes, Father. What about the ministers going to southern Xinjiang? ”

The old emperor was still hesitating, "I think again." ”

The third prince got the will of the old emperor, and when he returned to the house, he went to the second prince's mansion by the way, but he didn't see anyone, and the steward in the palace couldn't tell the whereabouts of the second prince.

The third prince smiled coldly and didn't stay long.

The old emperor who stayed in the imperial study had not yet made a final decision - whether to ask the third prince to conquer southern Xinjiang in person, but as a result, an inner servant came in and said that the second prince was attacked and injured!

The old emperor was shocked.

"What's going on?" The old emperor was exhausted.

Before the affairs of southern Xinjiang were settled, his son was injured again, and a series of bad things made him uneasy.

The chamberlain said: "Back to the emperor, His Royal Highness was recuperating in Zhuangzi in the suburbs, and when he learned that something was wrong in southern Xinjiang, he hurried back to the capital, but he didn't expect to be attacked on the road. ”

"Who is so bold?"

The old emperor didn't dare to say that under his own rule, the dynasty was peaceful and prosperous, but in the capital, at the feet of the Son of Heaven, no one dared to be so rampant, not to mention that it was the prince who was attacked!

"Check! Check it out to the bottom of me! ”

Sitting on the chair decadently, the old emperor rubbed his tired eyebrows, "Wei Ping, do you say it's too coincidental?" ”

"Your Majesty, what do you mean?"

"The war on the front foot of southern Xinjiang is tight, and the second foot is attacked on the back foot, it's too coincidental, isn't it?"

Wei Ping pondered for a few seconds, "Your Majesty, the servant thinks that these two things are not necessarily related. ”

"Oh, let's hear it." In the end, he was the superior and was used to being suspicious, and the old emperor thought a lot unconsciously.

Wei Ping said respectfully: "Your Majesty, the war in southern Xinjiang is not the final say of the Marquis of Zhenyuan alone. When and how the Nanban will go to war, even the Marquis of Zhenyuan cannot predict. This time, the Marquis of Zhenyuan really encountered a hard stubble, otherwise with his pride, he would not have asked for reinforcements. After more than half a year of rest, the barbarians in southern Xinjiang have long been ready to go, but these head-to-head confrontations are beyond the expectations of Zhenyuanhou. The Second Highness heard that the war in southern Xinjiang was tight, so he hurried back to the capital from Zhuangzi, and no one knew that His Highness was in Zhuangzi before, so the slave did not think that the two were related. Moreover, when the second prince was attacked, who benefited? Zhenyuan Marquis or Southern Barbarian? ”

The old emperor was thoughtful.

The second prince is not a general, no matter how tight the war in southern Xinjiang is, to put it mildly, it has nothing to do with the second prince, and the old emperor will not send him to southern Xinjiang, he will not be injured, and there is really no substantive connection with the war.

"Spread my will: let the second child recuperate in the mansion, and the rest, wait until he recovers." In the end, it was his own son, although he had doubts in his heart, the old emperor still asked Wei Ping to go to the prince's mansion for him, gave him a lot of medicinal materials, and sent the best imperial doctor.

More aggrieved than the old emperor is naturally the injured second prince.

With a happy heart, he took the strategist to Jincheng, and found the base of the Marquis of Zhenyuan and the entrance to the horse farm for the first time.

Entering is going in, but there is nothing inside, let alone Shen Jiajun, the horse doesn't know where to go.

The second prince, who realized it later, was furious, thinking that he had been tricked by the Marquis of Zhenyuan. On the way back to the capital, he learned that the war in southern Xinjiang was tight, and after thinking about it, perhaps because he was affected by the war in southern Xinjiang, the Marquis of Zhenyuan mobilized the Shen family's army, so when they arrived, they didn't see a single horsehair.

Realizing that he was unlucky, the second prince rushed back to the capital non-stop, for fear that his whereabouts would be detected by several brothers and his father.

His luck should be so bad, he met robbers on the way!

Lying on the bed, the more the second prince thought about it, the more angry he became, the pain on his body tortured him tossing and turning, and the anger in his heart scratched him for a moment.

Therefore, when Wei Ping came to the prince's mansion with the old emperor's reward, the second prince was lying on the bed and was furious.

Several aunts knelt on the ground, they all heard the news of the second prince's injury, and hurried to show their concern, but they happened to bump into the muzzle of the gun, so they had to be abused by the second prince, and everyone was relieved to hear that Wei Ping was coming.

Wei Ping is the old emperor's confidant eunuch, and the second prince also has to give a little face, so he gratefully asked Qiao Ningdai to help receive the reward, and the second prince lay on the bed and stood up.

The Three Princes' Mansion.

"The second child is back, and he is still injured?" Duanmu Qing also knew about this matter for the first time, "Father's side, who will investigate this matter?" ”

"Back to His Royal Highness, the emperor asked the people in the guard to check."

Duanmu Qing nodded slightly, did not go to the criminal department, and directly asked the Wei Institute to investigate, firstly, he did not want to make a big deal about this matter, and secondly, he was suspicious of the second child.

"Qiao Yixi mobilized a large amount of funds before, and said that the Marquis of Zhenyuan intends to assist the second child, and now, the war in southern Xinjiang is menacing, and the second child was suddenly injured, you say, is this the maintenance of the second child by the Marquis of Zhenyuan?"

"Your Highness, my subordinates don't think so," said one of Duanmu Qing's strategists, "Marquis Zhenyuan asked for reinforcements, and he himself knew in his heart that no matter who the Holy Lord sent, he would not send several His Highnesses, so there was no need to protect His Royal Highness." ”

"Not necessarily," one person retorted, "The Marquis of Zhenyuan has been guarding southern Xinjiang for decades and has never asked for reinforcements, but now, when the seizure of the heir is at its most intense, he suddenly asks for reinforcements, which is to calculate that in order to increase his own weight, several His Highnesses will definitely start with their military exploits." The sword has no eyes, and who knows whether to kill or be killed in the end on the battlefield? Maybe, he can help His Royal Highness get rid of an opponent! ”