Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 236 Young Emperor
A ten-year-old child sits on the dragon throne in the Wuying Hall of the Forbidden City, Beijing
The child was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe, a red velvet crown with beads on top, and 108 jade beads hanging in front of his body. The robe was luxurious and majestic, but the dragon robe and beads were too large, and it looked as if the child was covered by the dragon robe.

This is the current emperor of the Qing Dynasty. He has been in power for three years, but he is only ten years old.

Below the young Emperor Shunzhi sat a hall full of Qing ministers dressed in black court robes.

The first person on the left is a middle-aged man wearing a black and gold five-clawed dragon robe, a red velvet crown on his head, and a string of jade court beads hanging in front of him. This man is the current uncle regent of the Qing court, Dorgon.
Under Dorgon was his uncle, Jirgalang, who also wore the five-dragon imperial robe.
Below Jirgalang was an old man with an aged appearance. He was also wearing royal royal robes. He was Daishan, the most senior prince in the Qing court.

Further back is a sturdy middle-aged man who looks a bit like Dorgon. This man is Dorgon's brother, Prince Ying Ajige.
After Ajige, there was Lekedehun, a Beile who had just returned to the capital from Jiangnan not long ago.

There is no one on the left except the four princes and one beile, but there are many court officials on the right.
The first on the right are Dorgon's confidants, the Grand Secretary of the National History Academy Ganglin, Qi Chongge and others. After Qi Chongge are the Generals of the Yellow Banner Gushan Ezhen Tan Tai, Gong Adai, Xihan and other generals of the Yellow Banner.

Below Tan Tai is the first-class Jingqinihafan Soni. The so-called Jingqinihafan, if it corresponds to the fifth-class nobility, is the viscount. After Soni, Ebilun, Zhuobutai and other generals of the two yellow flags are sitting.

Although Sony and Tan Tai were both generals of the Two Yellow Banners, Sony was different from Tan Tai in that he was a staunch supporter of the imperial faction. He only recognized Emperor Shunzhi as the leader of the Two Yellow Banners and only obeyed the orders of Emperor Shunzhi's faction.
Below Sony are Shangshan, Fulata, Ahanikan and other nobles from other flags.
At this time, the Wuying Hall was full of court officials. Everyone in the hall wore a red-topped hat and had long, thin pigtails on the back of their heads. If you look closely, you can see that the people in the hall look different from the people in the Central Plains.
At this time, there was not a single Han Chinese among the ministers in the palace. This was the Council of Ministers in the Qing court, which was superior to the three inner courts and six ministries.

The Council of Princes and Ministers, whose full name is the Council of Princes, Beile, and Ministers, is a meeting that only the princes, Beile, and ministers in the Qing court, as well as officials with the title of Council of Princes and Ministers in each banner, can participate in.

This Council of Ministers, which originated from the era of the co-rule of the Eight Princes, was the highest level of national council in the Qing court, and all major affairs of the Qing court were decided by deliberation.
Originally, only Manchus were allowed to participate in the Council of Ministers. After entering the Pass, Dorgon allowed Han officials to hold the title of Minister of the Council of Ministers and participate in the Council of Ministers in order to win over the Han people.

But today the palace is full of Manchus. Even Fan Wencheng Ning Wanwo, a long-time Han official in the Qing court, is not allowed to participate. This shows how much the Qing court values ​​this meeting.

Three days ago, the news of the defeat in Fujian Province reached the capital, and the entire capital, from top to bottom, from Manchu to Han, was shocked.
The Han officials in the capital had already been convinced by the Qing court's successive victories, but when they suddenly heard that the Ming court had won a great victory in Fujian Province, they were disturbed again.
In particular, ministers such as Chen Mingxia and Gong Dingzi who had come from the south of the Yangtze River to seek refuge there did not know whether to feel sad or happy when they heard about the great victory of Fujian Province.

There were also undercurrents among the Manchu officials. Since Dorgon decided to enter the pass, the Qing court was almost invincible. In Yipanshi, Shanxi Province, Qin Province, Henan Province, and Jiangnan, the Qing army was almost invincible wherever it went.
Under Dorgon's arrangement, the Qing court advanced rapidly and occupied a large area of ​​land in the Central Plains. Dorgon's power in the court became increasingly prosperous, and almost no one could compete with him.
But now Bolo was defeated. Dorgon personally arranged and planned Bolo's attack on Fujian and Zhejiang, but now Bolo was defeated, and the whole army was annihilated.

This was a great defeat, a wonderful defeat. Too many people in the capital were waiting for this great defeat.

When the news reached the capital, countless families in the most important mansions near the Forbidden City celebrated and drank all night.
After receiving the news of the defeat in Fujian Province, Dorgon tried to suppress the news secretly, but before the next day, the news of the defeat in Fujian Province had spread throughout the capital.
In the past two days, dozens of cases of Manchus killing Han bondservants have occurred in the capital, and without exception, the perpetrators are the families of soldiers from the Yellow and White Banners who died in Fujian Province.
After entering the Pass, Dorgon ordered the Manchus not to kill the Han people assigned to them at will in order to win over the Han people.

But at this time, the Manchus in the capital kept killing Han people in bondage, but no one in the government offices of the capital cared about it. The Han officials did not dare to do it, and the Manchu officials were unwilling to do it.
Now there was already some panic in the capital, and Dorgon could no longer suppress it. He had to summon all the nobles in the court and hold a meeting of ministers to discuss this unprecedented defeat since the Qing Dynasty entered the pass.
In fact, the outcome of this meeting is not important. The mere convening of this meeting has enabled those in the capital to achieve their goals.
In the Wuying Palace, Dorgon saw that everyone had arrived. He glanced at the child in the dragon robe above him and said directly:

"I have called you all here today to discuss what I want to discuss. I believe you all know that the Fujian Province is not doing well in advancing. What do you think should be done?"

After Dorgon finished speaking, he stared coldly at the court officials below, but everyone was silent at this time.
Seeing this, Gang Lin, who was on the upper right, was about to stand up and propose the previously agreed plan to deal with the defeat in Fujian Province. However, before Gang Lin could open his mouth, Shang Shan, who was below him, stood up.

When Dorgon saw Shangshan standing up, his face darkened immediately and he looked at Jirgalang below.

But at this time, Jirgalang had a calm expression, just sitting quietly on the chair, as if he was unaware of everything in front of him.

Shang Shan stood up, glanced at the people in the room, bowed to the young Emperor Shunzhi above him, and then spoke

"Since entering the Pass, the Qing court has been invincible. Wherever the army went, the Han people surrendered one after another. However, this time when Bolo led his army into Fujian, he suffered a great defeat."

"Not only did Bolo lose the two provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian, but he also caused the annihilation of the 4,000 Manchu warriors of the Qing Dynasty. Bolo is a poor leader and deserves death."

"The court made the wrong choice of personnel this time, which allowed the mediocre Bolo to be appointed as a general. He cost the lives of thousands of my Eight Banners warriors for nothing. It is truly deplorable and hateful."

The Manchu officials in the hall looked at Shangshan who was talking eloquently, their eyes flickered. When Daishan, the Prince of Li on the left, heard this, he raised his eyebrows, glanced at Shangshan below, then looked at Jirgalang above, then retracted his gaze and leaned back in his chair, looking like an old man.
Dorgon's face above him also darkened, but Shangshan below him seemed to have not noticed Dorgon's expression at all and continued to speak.

"I think Bolo is guilty of a serious crime. Bolo's crime is not only that he failed to command well, but also that he destroyed thousands of Qing cavalrymen and damaged the prestige of the Qing army."

"At this time, the world is still unsettled. Although the Han people in various places have surrendered, I don't know how many of them are ready to make trouble. This time, the Qing Dynasty was defeated in Fujian Province, which is very likely to make these Han people lose their respect and awe for the Qing Dynasty, which is really harmful."

"The reason why the Qing Dynasty was able to win every battle was because of the clear distinction between rewards and punishments. Bolo lost his army and humiliated the country. I think the court should punish Bolo severely. This will serve as a warning to the troops and make the court's laws clear."

After Shangshan finished speaking, he bowed to Emperor Shunzhi above him and sat down calmly.

Shang Shan seemed to be blaming Bolo in every sentence, but in fact, every sentence he said was not about Bolo.

When the court officials saw Shangshan sitting down, they immediately looked up at Dorgon.

But at this time, the gloomy look on Dorgon's face had disappeared, and he just sat there expressionlessly.

Dorgon knew that Jirgalang was coming for him, but it was not his turn to speak for Shangshan. Sure enough, the next moment, Ganglin on the right stood up.
Ganglin saluted the Emperor Shunzhi above him, and then saluted Dorgon, and then he said

"Shangshan is wrong. As far as I know, the main reason for the defeat of Fujian Province is not Boluo Beile."

"Bolo had already conquered Fujian and Zhejiang and returned to Jiangning. Even the documents reporting the victory had been sent to the capital in advance. The defeat of Fujian Province was due to Tong Yangjia and Li Chengdong's underestimation of the enemy and their reckless advance. This gave the Ming court an opportunity to defeat the Fujian army that entered Guangdong."

"The Ming court was lucky enough to defeat the Fujian army that entered Guangdong, and then dispatched a large army to attack Fujian Province. Fujian Province was in danger. Bolo had led his troops back to Jiangning at that time and could have stayed out of it. However, after Bolo and Tulai and other officials learned the news about Fujian Province, they resolutely led their troops back to Fujian Province regardless of their own safety and honor, which shows their loyalty."

"It was just that the defeat in Guangdong Province had killed all the elite troops in Fujian Province. Bolo and others were short of troops, so they were besieged by the Ming army and finally collapsed."

"The defeat in this battle was caused by Tong Yangjia and his men who underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly. It had nothing to do with Bolo Tulai and other generals of the southern expedition. Bolo and other generals of the southern expedition fought to the end, and no one surrendered. They all died for the country, which proves that the court did not make a mistake in employing people." The ministers in the hall looked at Gang Lin above, and their eyes flickered. Bolo Tulai Baiyintu and others were the candidates for the southern expedition selected by Dorgon. Gang Lin certainly couldn't let them make any mistakes at this time.

As soon as Ganglin finished speaking, Shangshan stood up without hesitation and said

"What Master Ganglin said is absurd. Bolo is the commander-in-chief of the southern expedition. Now that Fujian Province has been defeated, who else should be blamed if not the commander-in-chief?"

"My Jurchen people are already few in number. How can we cover up the fact that an entire half-mast of warriors were annihilated this time?"

"Now, nearly half of the Manchus in the capital are hanging white flags. Scholar Ganglin wants to exonerate Bolo, but have you ever thought about how these warriors' families feel?"

Ganglin's expression changed slightly when he heard this. The 4,000 Jurchen soldiers led by Bolo this time were all beheaded by the Ming court and cast into a Jingguan.
When the news reached the capital, there was crying in the capital. In the places where the Yellow and White Banners gathered in the capital, almost every family hung up white flags and cried continuously. The people of the whole capital looked at them with awe.
If Ganglin wanted to forcibly exonerate Bolo at this time, he would probably be surrounded by the angry families of the two banners as soon as he left the Forbidden City. Given the Jurchens' way of doing things, it would not be surprising if he was killed in the street.
It was precisely because the turmoil caused by this incident was so great that Dorgon had to convene a meeting of ministers to try to quell the turmoil.

Shang Shan looked at Gang Lin whose expression changed slightly, but he still couldn't give up, and continued
"It would be better if we didn't talk about this. Now that we have come to this point, I am about to impeach you again."

"Although Boloturai and his men were defeated, they fought to the death and did not lose face for our Jurchen warriors. What happened to the Governor of Fujian Province, Zhang Cunren? The Beile and Duke of the Qing Dynasty all died on the battlefield, but he, a Han official, escaped unscathed and fled back to Zhejiang Province. He is still talking nonsense and asking the court to send troops to defend Zhejiang Province immediately. How dare he still live!"

"Please ask the court to immediately sentence this man to death. He is a Han Chinese who was rewarded by the Qing court and was appointed as the governor of a province, but he dared to abandon his land and flee."

"If we don't kill this man now to intimidate the Han officials in the court, what will happen if these Han slaves all follow Zhang Cunren's example in the future?"

"Not only Zhang Cunren, but Hong Chengchou, the governor of five provinces in Jiangning City, should also be imprisoned and punished. He was ordered to be the governor of the military affairs of the five provinces in Jiangnan, but in the end he caused a great defeat. What's the use of such a Han minister?"

All the Manchu officials in the hall nodded slightly when they heard this. Regardless of what happened to Bolo, Zhang Cunren really deserved to die. Fujian Province was lost, and thousands of Jurchen warriors died. How could a Han Chinese like Zhang Cunren still have the nerve to live?
Dorgon's expression darkened when he heard this. Zhang Cunren, like Fan Wencheng and others, was Dorgon's confidant. Without his nod, how could Zhang Cunren become the governor of Fujian Province?
At this time, Shangshanji Erhalang and others forced Dorgon to deal with Zhang Cunren, which was actually a slap in Dorgon's face. At this time, Dorgon couldn't even protect his own people. Who would listen to Dorgon in the future?

However, it was difficult for Dorgon to forcefully protect Zhang Cunren at this time. As Shangshan said, even the Manchus such as Boloturai died in the battle. How could Zhang Cunren, a Han Chinese, dare to abandon his land and live? In the Qing court, the Manchus were always noble and the Han were humble. This was a consensus that Dorgon did not dare to challenge.

At this time, Shang Shan used the righteousness of the Jurchens to pressure others. Ganglin and other Manchu officials did not dare to speak. Dorgon finally spoke in a deep voice.

"What do you think, Prince Zheng?"

"Although Shangshan's words are a bit biased, they are generally reasonable. Our Qing Dynasty has never been defeated since entering the Pass. This time we suffered such a great defeat, and someone must be held responsible."

The Manchu officials in the hall were not surprised at all when they heard this. Shangshan was Jirgalang's nephew, and Shangshan's meaning was Jirgalang's.

Today, it seems that Shangshan and Ganglin are arguing about whether Bolo is guilty, but in fact, it is Jirgalang who is launching a counterattack against Dorgon.

Dorgon looked at Jirgalang with a calm expression, and a hint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes, but he ignored Jirgalang and looked at Prince Daishan below.
"What does Prince Li think?"

At this time, everyone in the hall looked at Daishan, even Dorgon and Jirgalang were staring at this place.
Daishan saw that everyone was looking at him, but his face was calm. He was silent for a long while, and then he seemed to wake up and slowly spoke.

"Bolo is the grandson of Taizu after all, and he died fighting for the Qing court. We should not be too harsh on him. We still have to maintain the dignity of the Qing royal family."

"It's just that this defeat should be explained. The Regent is brave and decisive, so I'm sure he will make a decision. I will just listen to the Regent's decision without any objection."

Jirgalang smiled when he heard this, but Dorgon's face darkened. Daishan obviously still did not want to help either side. He just asked not to punish Bolo severely, to save the face of the royal family, and to ask someone to be held responsible for this defeat.
As for who was responsible, Daishan left it to Dorgon to decide and would not interfere.

It was just that Daishan's demand that someone be held responsible for the war was already disadvantageous to Dorgon, because no matter who Dorgon dealt with at this time, he would be dealing with Dorgon's own people.
Daishan was the most important neutral faction in the court. After his defeat in the battle for the throne with Huang Taiji, he had been acting cautiously and obediently in the court.
After Huang Taiji's death, Dorgon and Hauge were fighting each other. Someone suggested that Daishan should succeed him, but Daishan refused.

Daishan didn't want to fight, but he knew that he couldn't win. Although Daishan was the nominal leader of the two red flags, his two red flags were weak. When added together, they were probably not as strong as the other flags.
Daishan is now old and has been a neutral party for decades. It is naturally impossible for him to get involved in the struggle between Dorgon and Jirgalang.
Although the two red flags he controlled could not compete for power in the court, they were enough for him to protect himself in the court. No one could force Daishan to do anything.

Dorgon looked at Ajige behind him, and Ajige spoke directly

"Bo Luo led a large army with half a flag, but was defeated by a group of Ming soldiers. He was really a waste. But Bo Luo died in the battlefield after all, which means he did not lose face for the Jurchen warriors. As for Zhang Cunren and Hong Chengchou..."

When Ajige said this, Dorgon looked at him coldly. A hint of dissatisfaction flashed across Ajige's face. He waved his hand impatiently and said:

"Forget it, the Regent and Prime Minister have their say, I'll just listen to what he says."

Although Ajige was Dorgon's brother, he had always been arrogant and reckless. Not long ago, he lied about his military exploits and sat arrogantly in front of the palace gate, and was reprimanded by Dorgon. At this time, Ajige was able to not destroy Dorgon's stage, which was already a consideration for his feelings.

Although Dorgon looked unhappy, he had to hold it in. The ministers below also gave their opinions.

Ganglin Tantai and others naturally followed Dorgon's wishes and insisted that Bolo and others were trying to save the situation and should not bear the responsibility for the defeat of Fujian Province.
Sony and other royalists believed that Bolo was the leader and insisted on holding Bolo, Zhang Cunren, Hong Chengchou and other people in Jiangnan accountable.

After Dorgon entered the Pass, his subordinates, including Dodo, Ajige, and Bolo, won victory after victory and conquered a large area of ​​territory. Dorgon's power in the court became increasingly prominent, and he seized all the power in the court.
Whether it was Jirgalang, Daishan, Sony and other yellow flag royalists, or other factions in the court, they all depended on Dorgon for survival.
When Dorgon's faction was doing well, everyone could only swallow their anger. But now that Dorgon's faction has been defeated, everyone is naturally pushing the wall down. Everyone takes advantage of this opportunity to attack Dorgon.

At this time, it was not that any party in the court wanted to deal with Dorgon, but except for a few neutral factions, the entire court was targeting Dorgon.

If it weren't for the fact that Hauge's clan was leading troops to war and not in the capital, the situation in the hall would have been even more intense. This is the price of monopolizing power.
(End of this chapter)