After bidding farewell to Zhou Peigong, Kangxi braved the heavy snow and returned to the Forbidden City, it was already midnight. The sound of drums came faintly from a distance through the snow curtain, adding to the tranquility of the surroundings. Suo Etu was waiting under the Danqi, and saw Kangxi and a team of people coming in with lanterns from a distance, and hurriedly shouted into the house: "Mingzhu, the master is back, please take over the prince!" Mingzhu, who was gossiping with Zhuo Suotu, the prince of Horqin, hurriedly agreed, and came out with Zhuo Suotu on his waist, and the three of them knelt down together to take over.

Kangxi only glanced at the three of them, did not squeak, stomped under the corridor, Li Dequan took off his cloak for him, walked into the glorious Qinzheng Palace, sat on the dragon chair in the middle, and slowly drank a cup of hot milk tea before saying: "A few of you come in!" ”

The three of them rushed in, and Suo Ming and the two of them retreated silently after only a thousand children. Zhuo Suotu walked forward and knelt three times and bowed nine times, knelt on the ground, said a few words of Mongolian language, and said loudly in Chinese: "Slave Zhuo Suotu respects the son of the Holy Tomorrow!" Then there was another string of Mongolian words. Kangxi listened blankly, and then couldn't help laughing, leaned over to help Zhuo Suotu up, and said, "I don't see you, you can be so flattering!" Do you speak Chinese beautifully, get up! ”

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Zhuo Suotu stood up, and Wei Dongting, who was standing beside Kangxi, couldn't help but look at the Mongolian prince curiously. I saw that he was five short figures, his face was dark, and his neck looked thicker and shorter. Two thick eyebrows were raised upside down like brushes, wearing a golden dragon three-layer crown, eight eastern pearls and rubies, flashing light, and the four dragon robes were dazzling and bright - a fierce and brave temperament, and only two legs looked a little loopy. Wei Dongting knew that people who often rode horses had this problem.

At this time, Kangxi asked: "Zhuo Suotu, do you know why I called you here?" ”

"The minions don't know." Zhuo Suotu bowed down and replied, just now in the courtroom, he took a lot of effort to ask Mingzhu and Suo Etu about Kangxi's intention to summon him, but as soon as the two ministers mentioned this, they deliberately diverged, which made Zhuo Suotu feel uneasy all the time. But he didn't know that the two of them were also in the dark.

Kangxi stared at Zhuo Suotu tightly, and said with a smile: "I want to take Taiwan, and I lack military salaries." I heard that you have become really rich in the past few years, and you have dug a gold mine, and you want to borrow a little for the time being, how about it? This made everyone look at each other, and no one could have imagined that this was the only reason for calling Suotu into the table in the middle of the night.

Zhuo Suotu was stunned for a moment, glanced at Kangxi quickly, and said: "Entrusted to the lord Hongfu, the Horqin grassland has had enough rain in recent years, the grass is fat and the horses are strong, and the cattle and sheep have more than doubled. But there is no gold mine in the minion's territory, and the matter of digging gold mines is only afraid of false rumors. As for the emperor saying that he wants military salaries, this is also a matter for the slaves, please give the number, and the slaves should do their best to serve! ”

Kangxi didn't say a word, got up and paced a few steps, suddenly turned around and approached Zhuo Suotu, his eyes became aggressive: "I know that you can't produce gold in Korqin, but Zhun Geer does!" What's yours is yours, what's yours is Gerdan's, isn't it the same? I want to know how many times he has sent you, how many times he has sent you, and why don't you have the Ming court? Well? ”

There was tremendous pressure in his voice, and King Horqin's sturdy and powerful figure was also shaken, and he fell to his knees with a "plop" and said hurriedly: "Go back to the emperor." Since the fifteenth year of Kangxi, Geerdan has sent it every other year, a total of four times, forty-five thousand taels each time——"

"Forty-five thousand! Hmph, I'm afraid it's 50,000 taels, right? ”

"Only the first time was fifty thousand taels...... That's because Geldan celebrates his mother's birthday, and he adds it. The next three times were forty-five thousand taels. The slave was stupid and thought it was a private relationship, so he didn't go to the book in time to ask the emperor to punish the crime - the gold received, the slave was willing to pay all the gold to the treasury to help the emperor pay for the army! ”

Kangxi couldn't help laughing: "Huh? Oh! I am the Son of Heaven and rich all over the world, where can I beat you with this little bit of gold? I just asked you, but I just tried your heart. There is a saying in your steppe: Money without a reason is like a lamb without a mother, you know? ”

"Yes, yes, Geldan is lawless, does not obey the decrees of the imperial court, robs and kills people in Khalkha without authorization, and calls himself the Great Khan, these scenes are known to the minions. But after all, he still paid tribute to the emperor, and he had a good relationship with the kings of Eastern Mongolia. The minion didn't want to turn his face with him easily, so he ...... received his gold. ”

Kangxi sighed softly, turned around and opened a gold-skinned folding box, took out a few folding letters and handed them to Zhuo Suotu: "You are not smart enough!" Look, this one belongs to the Xicun Gol League, this one is to the Zhaowuda League, this one is to the Jelimu League, and there is Wendur Khan's ...... They are all secret recitals of the kings of Eastern Mongolia. Then will Geldan not only give gold to your family? They all have it! But the Mongol kings who were close to Dzungar didn't give him a single copper! Do you think about why? ”

At this time, Mingzhu and Suo Etu knew Kangxi's true intention to meet Zhuo Suotu, and they were so impressed that they threw themselves to the ground. Suo Etu said: "He is now befriending you princes of Dongmeng, because he is afraid that he will attack Mo Nan in the future, and he is afraid that you will send reinforcements to resist!" Mingzhu also said: "Yes, when you clean them up, it will be your turn!" Is it worth it to be greedy for his petty profits, but to forget the righteousness of the monarch and the ministers, and to die and die at home? ”

Zhuo Suotu muttered, "This, this is true? ……”

Kangxi laughed loudly: "It's not bad! Zhuo Suotu, because you are too far away to be whipped, he uses a woman's jade silk to surround you, and let him toss in the west. By the time he arrives in Horqin, you'll know it's too late! ”

Zhuo Suotu frowned and thought about it, and after a while, the heavy cowhide boots suddenly turned red, and roared loudly: "Gerdan, this evil wolf, he doesn't think about it!" ”

"Hmph, I won't allow him to run rampant in the grassland like this! When Prince Niebuhr rebelled, I showed my military might and put down the rebellion in only 12 days - you know that! What's more, the world is unified today, and millions of Eight Banners are waiting to attack in the Central Plains. Zhuo Suotu, don't forget the benefits, you have to make up your mind! ”

Although Kangxi's words were not clear, Zhuo Suotu still heard the meaning of one of the double blows, and he quickly knelt down and kowtowed: "The slave was confused, accepted his gift, and thought he was kind." The master dialed this, and the minion's heart was clear. ”

"Hahaha, what I want is your heart, if you understand. In the future, when Geldan gives gifts again, you will still receive them, do you know? ”

Speaking of which, a new thought suddenly surged into Kangxi's heart, since Geldan is a "long-distance friend and close attack", why not lure him to the east with a plan: isn't it better to annihilate nearby than to travel a long distance? Then he continued: "When I saw you tonight, I thought that you would do everything possible to get rid of the cover-up, but I didn't expect you to be so refreshing, so it can be seen that you didn't really hook up with Geldan. This is not only a blessing for the community, but also for your creation. Zhuo Suotu, the first king, many concubines, and the current empress dowager, are all people from your Horqin grassland. I trust you like my own siblings, and you have to contribute more to me! ”

Zhuo Suotu was surprised why Kangxi called him "take it right", and after listening to Kangxi's confidant words, he was very moved, straightened up, and said proudly: "There are 30,000 heroic warriors in slaves, as vigorous as eagles, and all of them are the emperor's most loyal servants!" From now on, the minions will never take a penny from Geldan! ”

"Hey—I told you to do it, and you will do it! There is a saying among the people, it is called eating grandchildren and wearing grandchildren without thanking grandchildren, why not do such a good thing? Find a way to convince Geldan that you have fallen for him!

"Well—in order for Gerdan to truly believe in you, I'm going to give you a hand. Tomorrow, in front of the Mongol princes, I will issue an edict to reprimand you for accepting bribes from foreign vassals, and for pretending to be wrong in the previous text, and you will be stripped of the Dongzhu on your crown! ”

The Dongzhu in the crown of the prince is a symbol of authority, and taking off the Dongzhu is a not light punishment. Tomorrow the princes will meet, and the pearl on King Horqin's head will be taken off in public, where will he put his face? Kangxi saw Zhuo Suotu's face flushed, he smiled, and his eyes flashed, "What?" Reluctant? Otherwise, it is not enough to make my plan great! Don't feel that you have suffered a big loss, I still have something for you-" He walked to the side of the desk, picked up his pen and thought for a moment, and said quickly:

King Zhuo Suotu is a national Ping Domain, known for his loyalty, love for the people, and his merit is in the community. In addition to the great rebellion, he was exempted from death twice, and his children and grandchildren were exempted from death once, and the world guarded Horqin and rested with the country. Chin this!

After writing and reading it, he used the jade seal, approached Zhuo Suotu, and said, "You should know that I have never given people such a special favor. But Horqin was the first Mongol king from the dragon to enter the customs in the Qing Dynasty; When the 'Three Feudatories' were peaceful and the country was in difficulty, Horqin took the lead in sending 4,000 iron horsemen to help the country clear the wolf smoke, and it was right to give you this grace. You go back and cast it into an iron coupon according to the words of this handwritten edict, so that your descendants will always defend the northern part of the Qing Dynasty! ”

Zhuo Suotu was shocked and received special grace, his heart was churning, he didn't know what it tasted like, and he burst into tears. He kowtowed his head and said: "The emperor is so loving, and he will be gracious for all eternity, and Ze will be used for thousands of years." The minions are broken to pieces, and it is not enough to repay the grace of the saints......"

Kangxi flashed black and bright pupils and said: "Also, the land of the left, center and right three flags of Karaqin will be transferred to your department from now on." The Manchurian Han military camp banner in this place, the garrison armor men and the green battalion generals, all belong to your Horqin King at the disposal - how is it? How is this grace compared to a few eastern pearls and hundreds of thousands of taels of gold? ”

The land of the Three Banners of Karaqin is 500 miles from east to west, 450 miles from north to south, and there are more than 70,000 garrison soldiers, all of which were given to Zhuo Suotu at once, which is a reward that he never dreamed of! Zhuo Suotu's blood seemed to be pouring all over his face. Compared to this, what gold pearls, gems and jade, all become worthless. What could be more precious to the Mongols than steppes, pastures, and military horses? Zhuo Suotu shook his body as if he was drunk, and his eyes were fixed on Kangxi.

Kangxi looked at the Mongolian king kindly, the corners of his smiling mouth and his clear and immaculate eyes did not have the slightest hypocrisy and deception. Zhuo Suotu suddenly gently pulled out the dagger in his waist, looked at it in his hand, and stabbed his left index finger, and the blood flowing out immediately:

"Your Majesty, the supreme of all things in the world! Zhuo Suotu swore by the blood of my family's tribal ancestors: even if the sun and moon never rise from the grassland again, even if the storm fills the world, all the eagles in the sky over Horqin will not lose their way, and they will always be the loyal servants of the Qing Emperor......"

It wasn't until Ziwei that Zhuo Suotu kowtowed and knelt down. Gao Shiqi had already returned from Zhou Peigong, listened to Kangxi and Zhuo Suotu on the side, and drafted several wills. There is the edict issued by Ming to seize the East Pearl on the crown of the King of Horqin, as well as the iron coupon book and the secret decree of rewarding the three banners of Karaqin. Kangxi took it and looked at it very carefully. After reading it, I breathed a sigh of relief and asked everyone: "Tell me a few of you, how about doing Horqin's affairs like this?" ”

Mingzhu is from the beginning to the end, seeing that Kangxi is calm and caressing, beating and sealing, and even rubbing and rubbing Zhuo Suotu to treat Zhuo Suotu like a child, I admire it to the extreme. He was about to speak, but Suo Etu spoke first: "The slave was dazzled just now, and he didn't have time to think about it. Now that I think about it, the emperor is going to lure the enemy deeper! However, the slave thought that after all, Taiwan's affairs were gone, and it seemed a bit too hasty. ”

Mingzhu hurriedly said: "No, no, the emperor's grace and power are used together, and he subdued the king of Horqin, this effect is really wonderful, not only is he not afraid of Geerdan's eastward advance, but he also has no worries about the invasion of the Rakshasa in Heilongjiang." Killing two birds with one stone, wonderful. Judging from the minions, it is not too hasty, Taiwan can be taken this year, and it will take a few years of preparation, if Geldan really invades the east, he will really be able to complete his work in one battle! ”

Gao Shiqi continued: "Long live is extremely appropriate. However, according to the minions, it is enough to give iron coupons, so why bother to give such a heavy reward to the Karaqin Three Banners? The eagle can't be overfed, and there is a training in ancient times. This is a little bit of a minion's thought. ”

Kangxi smiled and listened to their discussion, turned his face and asked Wei Dongting: "Huchen, what do you say?" ”

"What insight does the minion have? But I think what Gao Shiqi said seems to be reasonable. Horqin is known as wealthy, with a territory of thousands of miles and tens of thousands of military horses. Coupled with the people of the three banners of Karaqin, there are more than 100,000 cavalry alone. If there is any change, I'm afraid it will be difficult to fall, and it will be so close to Beijing......"

Kangxi laughed but didn't answer, got up and yawned, and said, "Kneel down." Xiao Weizi has to hurry tomorrow! Passing by the Karaqin Left Banner, he sent a decree to the wolf, from now on, like Wei Dongting, he also has the right to perform secretly! Gao Shiqi and the others lit up when they heard this. Ah, it turns out that Kangxi installed such a nail by Zhuo Suotu's side.

After staying in Fengtian for a total of four days, Kangxi ordered him to drive back to Beijing. This trip was not in vain, and the goals to be achieved were all achieved. The Mongol princes in the south and north of the desert drank blood wine in the Fengtian Forbidden City and swore an oath to share the enemy's allegiance to the imperial court, and join hands to deal with Geldan and the Rakshasa Kingdom. Everyone discussed that a palace should be built in Rehe and Chengde, as a place for the emperor to summon the Mongolian kings and princes to Beijing to meet the court; Horqin was beaten and pulled by Kangxi, and he was obedient and close. With this line, it will be possible to lure Geldan to the east. As long as he can catch this big fish, Kangxi will personally unify the three armies, unite the forces of the Manchurian, Mongolian, and Han banners, block his retreat first, and then advance with a drum, gather and annihilate it. He Geldan is not an immortal, and he is afraid that he will not be able to go to heaven and earth.

What made Kangxi even happier was that he got the concubine Axiu. Ah Xiu is beautiful and talented, the fragrance is striking, with her company, she is like a flower blooming with a worry-free grass. Moreover, Ah Xiu has a deep hatred for Geerdan, and a feeling of longing for his homeland. Since she came to Kangxi's side, she has always asked the emperor that when the emperor is on his westward expedition, she is willing to go with the army and kill Geldan with her own hands to avenge her father's destruction of the country. Kangxi knew that Ah Xiu fled from Western Mongolia alone, traveled thousands of miles, experienced hardships, had insight into the people's conditions in various places, and the mountains and rivers were dangerous, with her, there was a living map and a good guide to enter Western Mongolia, how could Kangxi not be happy?