Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 297 Provocation
In the early morning of Bozhou City, the horn sounded outside the city, and the soldiers of the Ming and Qing dynasties began to confront each other outside the city again.

After seven or eight days of confrontation, both sides realized that unless they were determined to fight to the death, neither side could defeat the other. Therefore, the intensity of the confrontation between the two sides decreased in the past few days.

The Ming army only sent out 5,000 people today, with 2,000 cavalry guarding and 3,000 infantry forming a chariot formation to defend.

The Qing army also sent 5,000 Eight Banners soldiers, but the Qing army had more cavalry. 3,000 cavalry were patrolling the field, and the remaining 2,000 were fully armored infantry.

In addition to the Eight Banners Manchu soldiers, the Qing army also had two to three thousand civilians and Green Camp Han soldiers in front of the battle, but these people were only used to boost their morale.

The two sides now set up their battle array at the foot of the city every one or two days, but they rarely fight.
Even if the Qing army tried to attack, they would send the Green Camp Han soldiers to try to charge, but these Han soldiers would often only rush halfway before being blown away by the artillery in the Ming army's chariot formation.

When the Green Camp Han soldiers suffered one or two hundred casualties, the Qing army would stop fighting, and when the sun went down, both sides would withdraw their troops and return to their camps. It was quite a routine.
Today, under the city of Bozhou, the two armies began to confront each other again. The two sides had strict formations, and all the soldiers were fully armored. The atmosphere in the field was also extremely solemn.
But today, after both sides had set up their battle array, they did not move at all, not even sending out cavalry to harass and investigate as usual. They just set up their battle array outside the city and did not care about anything else.

Today, the two armies were led by Jiao Lian himself on the Ming side, and by Gushan Ezhen Jue Luo Bahana of the Zhenglan Banner on the Qing side.

Today, the Qing army was composed entirely of soldiers from the Zhenglan Banner. At this moment, the commanders on both sides of the battle formation were somewhat absent-minded, and from time to time they would look towards the Phoenix Mountain on the east side, ignoring the enemy's battle formation opposite them.

At Fenghuang Mountain east of Bozhou City, hundreds of Ming and Qing soldiers in iron armor were scattered all over the mountain, surrounding the mountainside.

The soldiers on both sides used a pavilion halfway up the mountain as a boundary, each occupying an advantageous position. After confirming the approximate number of soldiers brought by the other side, they turned back to report.

The soldiers on both sides reported back, and then five or six riders from each side headed towards the octagonal pavilion halfway up the mountain.
The guards on both sides were all a hundred steps away from the pavilion. There were six people on the Ming court side walking towards the pavilion. In addition to Zhu Lang, the other five were Li Chengzhi, the commander of the Jinyiwei, Liu Qijiao, the deputy general of the Longxiang Army, Zhao Xing, Hao Shangjiu of the Tengxiang Army, and Zheng Wenxiong of the Gui Army.
The Qing court also had six people, led by Hauge, followed by the commander of the Zhenglan Banner Guard, Deerdehe, and five Zhenglan Banner generals including Jisai.
The two sides quickly arrived at the pavilion. After arriving at the pavilion, Li Chengzhi, Jue Luo Bahana and other guards from both sides stood guard outside the pavilion. Only Zhu Lang and Haoge entered the pavilion.

Tea cups were already placed in the pavilion, and there were also snacks such as dried fruit and osmanthus cake on the stone table, but the two people in the pavilion did not use them. They just sat at the table and looked at the figure opposite them.

In the pavilion, Zhu Lang was wearing a bright yellow dragon-patterned cloth armor. Except for the iron helmet and arm guards, he had all the other items, such as skirt and armor. Haoge on the opposite side was much more casual, only wearing a blue tight-sleeved arrow coat, and no other protective clothing.
Haoge narrowed his eyes and looked at Gui Jinguo in front of him. The young man opposite him was tall and handsome, which was quite consistent with Haoge's imagination of the emperor of the Central Plains.
At this time, Gui Jianguo was wearing bright yellow armor, with a yellow dragon on the brocade cloth baring its fangs and claws. Just sitting at the table, he gave people a sense of majesty without being angry.

Although Haoge was not wearing any armor, he did not show any sign of nervousness when he saw Gui Jianguo, who was wearing armor opposite him. After he sat down, he was the first to speak.

"It is said that you killed that useless Bolo in Fujian and Zhejiang. Before I met you, I thought you were a heroic figure, the regent of the Ming court."

"Now that I see you, you are nothing but a coward. If you are afraid of death, why did you ask me to meet you?"

Haoge's words were obviously a mockery of Zhu Lang, who was wearing full armor, while Haoge was only wearing a suit of arrows, looking quite cool and heroic.
Zhu Lang heard this, but his face was not angry, he just spoke softly

"A king meets a king, a general meets a general. If I were to meet the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty or Dorgon, I would meet him in robes and crown. But Prince Su is only a military official after all, so I come in armor."

"I am the emperor of the Ming Dynasty. The emperor's responsibility is to govern the people. Fighting in battle is the job of Prince Su. How can I use my own weaknesses to fight against the enemy's strengths?"

Zhu Lang's face was calm, without a trace of embarrassment. Although Zhu Lang took the risk to meet Hauge for his own plan, it did not mean that Zhu Lang did not care about his own safety.

Haoge and his people are warriors who have fought on the battlefield. Zhu Lang will not joke with his own life. How can he go fishing without wearing a helmet... No, without armor?

Looking at Gui Jianguo who had no shame on his face, Haoge wanted to say that Dorgon was also a military commander. If Gui Jianguo and Dorgon fought, he would also be in danger.
But Hauge thought about Dorgon's current health, and then looked at the tall young man opposite him, his expression froze again. With Dorgon's current condition, it is possible that he really cannot beat the young man in front of him. The saying "a random punch can kill a master" is true in any era.

Haoge regained his composure, and his expression turned slightly cold. It seemed that Gui Jianguo was explaining the reason why he came here wearing armor, but he was reminding Haoge that his identity was not qualified.
He is the emperor who governs the people, but he is a warrior who kills the enemy in battle. The difference in status between the two is obvious.

Zhu Lang saw Haoge snorted coldly, but he didn't care. His eyes turned and he continued to speak.

"In fact, according to reason, Prince Su should have a similar status to me. According to the etiquette of our Central Plains, Prince Su is the one who should inherit the throne in your Qing court, but now it is Emperor Shunzhi who inherits the throne."

"Your succession in the Qing court has caused great surprise in the Ming court. Prince Su, you are the eldest son and you have made great military achievements. But you did not choose the eldest son as the heir, but let Fulin, the youngest son, succeed to the throne. It is really strange."

When Haoge heard the word "throne", a trace of desire flashed in his eyes, but then his face darkened. Looking at Gui Jianguo who was looking at him with emotion, he sneered.

"The Qing dynasty was established long ago. The Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing court is wise, benevolent, and all the people in the court are now obedient and submissive. If the King of Gui wants to use this to sow discord between the emperor and his subjects, he should not waste his time."

Zhu Lang heard this, but his expression remained unchanged, and he spoke softly again

"Are all the superiors and subordinates submissive? I don't think so."

"At least as far as I know, Dorgon cannot be considered submissive."

Zhu Lang looked at Haoge, whose expression changed slightly, but did not give him a chance to speak. He continued

"Besides, I am not trying to instigate others. Since the Qing court has proclaimed itself emperor and established a system, you should abide by the rules and regulations."

"The succession to the throne is a fundamental matter in the court. If the eldest son is not the heir, how can the succession to the throne be determined?"

"If we can just randomly designate someone to take the throne, then as long as they are the legitimate heir to the throne, then everyone can legally inherit the throne."

"If this heir can inherit the throne, then that heir can also inherit the throne. If so, won't your Qing court be in chaos in the future? How can this be tolerated?"

Seeing that Haoge remained silent, Zhu Lang's eyes flashed with a gleam of brilliance, and he continued to speak.

"I heard that after Huang Taiji passed away, most people in the Qing court were ready to support you, Prince Su, to ascend the throne, but this was forcibly obstructed by Dorgon, which led to Fulin ascending the throne as a young son." "When I heard about this at the time, I was extremely puzzled. A young ruler is suspicious of the country, which is a disaster rather than a blessing. Prince Su is in his prime and is the eldest son. No matter how you look at it, it is more stable for the people in the court to ascend the throne when Prince Su is in his prime. Dorgon insisted on obstructing Prince Su from ascending the throne, which is puzzling both publicly and privately."

"I sent someone to investigate and found out that your lineage of Huang Taiji actually had such a huge personal grudge against the lineage of Dorgon. No wonder Dorgon wanted to force his youngest son to ascend the throne."

"If Prince Su had really inherited the throne, wouldn't your Huang Taiji lineage have really prospered? There would be no need for Dorgon at all."

"I originally thought that only the Ming Dynasty would have such fierce disputes. I didn't expect that you and other powerful officials in the Qing court would actually cause a palace coup in court. From this point of view, the party disputes in the Ming Dynasty are not too fierce."

Zhu Lang looked at Haoge, who had a gloomy expression, and a smile flashed through his mind, but his face remained expressionless, and he said softly
"Back then, Huang Taiji followed Nurhaci's instructions and ordered Dorgon's mother, Abahai, to be buried alive with him. Your Huang Taiji family killed Dorgon's mother with their own hands. How could he watch your Huang Taiji family truly prosper?"

"Since Dorgon cannot deal with Huang Taiji, he will naturally deal with you, Hauge, the eldest son of his enemy."

Huang Taiji's lineage had a great feud with Dorgon and his two brothers. Nurhaci died suddenly that year and did not leave a clear successor.

Huang Taiji and the other four Beiles broke into the palace overnight and forced Abahai, the concubine who was most likely holding Nurhaci's will, to be buried with Nurhaci.
After Abahai was forced to commit suicide, Huang Taiji succeeded to the Khanate with the recommendation of the other three Beile and the Eight Banners nobles.

Abahai was the biological mother of Dorgon, Dodo and Ajige.
When Abahai was forced to commit suicide, except for Ajige who was an adult, Dorgon and Dodo were only eleven or twelve years old. At that time, Dorgon and the others naturally kept their heads down, but no one knew what Dorgon and the others really thought about this matter.

This matter was originally an old story in the Qing court, and Haoge had never wanted to think about it. But at this time, Zhu Lang brought it up nakedly, and Haoge's uneasiness suddenly surged up, and he could no longer suppress it.
Haoge didn't feel much before, but now thinking about Dorgon's suppression of him and his control over Emperor Shunzhi in recent years, Haoge felt more and more that this was Dorgon's revenge on his lineage.

Dorgon was not coming for Hauge alone, but for the entire lineage of Huang Taiji.

When Haoge thought of this, he became more and more panicked. This was a real life-and-death feud.
If Dorgon really intended to take revenge on Huang Taiji, then no matter how much merit he made or how much concession he made, it would be useless. Decades of accumulated and suppressed hatred would be enough to burn everything to ashes. There was no room for compromise between the two sides.
Looking at Gui Jianguo who was still trying to persuade him, Haoge could no longer bear it and shouted coldly:

"It is a tradition of the Manchus that the Queen Consort is buried alive with the emperor. It is a matter of course for the Manchus. You, the emperor of the Central Plains, are not familiar with Manchu customs, but you are trying to use Han traditions to speculate on the internal affairs of the Qing court. This is really a joke."

"Don't think that I don't know what you are thinking. You want to use this to sow discord between me and the regent, but it is impossible. Don't waste your time on this."

Zhu Lang looked at Hauge who was standing opposite him. Although Hauge had a cold expression on his face and seemed unmoved, his expression was extremely unnatural when he mentioned the regent.

Zhu Lang smiled, thought for a moment, but did not expand on the matter.

After all, the hatred between Huang Taiji and Dorgon is an old story. Judging from Haoge's appearance, he has already noticed this.
This alone is far from enough to persuade Hauge, but it doesn't matter, he has more things that are enough to make Hauge realize his current situation.

Zhu Lang thought of this and spoke softly again

"Well, let's assume that this is the custom among the Manchus. Dorgon can really let go of the hatred between your two clans and forget the past because of the so-called custom mentioned by Prince Su."

Hauge originally thought that the Ming court's Gui Jianguo would continue to use this matter to sow discord between the two, but at this time, Gui Jianguo easily exposed the matter.

After hearing what Gui Jianguo said, Haoge's face suddenly darkened. Even if Gui Jianguo believed that Dorgon would let bygones be bygones, Haoge himself would not believe it.

Zhu Lang stared at Haoge, his face suddenly became serious, and he said in a cold voice
"But even if you, Haoge, have no grudge against Dorgon, Dorgon will definitely want to get rid of you as soon as possible."

"I entered the palace with my sword and shoes, and I did not mention anything when I was praising or bowing. Even the enemy countries like me have seen the clues. Is it true that Prince Su, who is in the Qing court, is unaware of this?"

"Dorgon is now the regent, with great power in the court, but can a regent really satisfy Dorgon? What will Dorgon do next? I'm afraid the next step is to declare himself emperor."

Upon hearing this, Haoge's expression suddenly changed. He was about to speak, but Zhu Lang waved his hand to stop him.

"Prince Su does not need to rush to refute it. Prince Su has his own judgment on the facts."

"You may as well tell Prince Su that I have discussed this matter privately with the ministers in the court, such as Qu Shisi and Lu Daqi. If the Ming and Qing sides begin to confront each other with the Yangtze River as the boundary, as long as the two sides stop fighting and ease the tension, Dorgon will definitely usurp the throne and become emperor within ten years!"

"Half a month ago, the news that Jirgalang was dismissed from the Qing court came to me, which made me more certain of this matter. Dorgon is so anxious, I am afraid that this matter will not even take ten years to be resolved. The result will be known within four or five years. Prince Su, do you believe it or not?"

Zhu Lang looked at the silent Haoge and continued to speak.

"The only ones in the Qing court who are capable of stopping Dorgon from becoming emperor are Jirgalang and you, Hauge. We can still resolve our personal grudges, but you are now standing in the way of Dorgon becoming emperor. You will surely die!"

Zhu Lang's expression was cold, and Hauge's expression darkened when he heard this. Zhu Lang saw that Hauge still refused to speak, but he didn't care and continued.
"Your only way to survive now is to lead troops outside. Jirgalang has been deprived of his power as regent just because his residence violated the rules. Jirgalang may seem pitiful, but your fate is worse than Jirgalang's!"

"If you had been defeated repeatedly in this expedition to Sichuan and Shaanxi, you might have been demoted to a commoner but had a chance to survive. However, you have repeatedly made great contributions. Now you have become a serious threat to Dorgon."

"If you lead your troops back to the court at this time, even if you survive, you will be imprisoned for life."

"Of course, the premise of all this is that Dorgon has the ambition to monopolize government affairs and even usurp the throne to become emperor."

"If Dorgon is truly a loyal and patriotic minister, Prince Su should be fine when he returns to the court this time."

"After all, Prince Su is also a famous general. The more power Prince Su has in the Qing court, the more he can serve the Qing court. If Dorgon is truly a loyal and patriotic person, he should be happy to see this happen."

When Hauge heard this, his expression became more gloomy. Dorgon, a loyal minister, what a joke! Instead of believing that Dorgon is a loyal minister, it is better to believe that Hauge is the emperor of the Qing Dynasty.
(End of this chapter)