Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 298 Alliance
In the mountain pavilion, Zhu Lang saw that Haoge was still unwilling to express his opinion at this time, so his eyes turned and he spoke again

"I heard that you Manchus have another custom besides burying people alive with the dead. If someone dies, his uncles, nephews and brothers will take in the deceased's wives, concubines and children."

"If you, Haoge, are killed by Dorgon when you return to the court this time, I don't know who will eventually take over your wives and concubines."

When Hauge heard this, he could no longer bear it. He stood up and slammed his palm on the stone table beside him, making a loud bang.

Liu Qijiao, Zheng Wenxiong and others were all wearing heavy armor and guarding outside the pavilion. When they heard the sound in the pavilion, their faces became tense and they were about to rush into the pavilion.
On the other side, the generals of the Zhenglan Banner, such as Deerdehe, saw that Haoge was furious and became nervous. They also made a move to rush into the pavilion.

Although my prince is a brave general, the Ming Tinggui Regent has no martial ethics and is now fully armored. If a fight really breaks out, it is hard to say who will win or lose.

When Zhu Lang saw Zheng Wenxiong and the others were about to rush into the pavilion, he waved his hand to stop them. Zhu Lang looked at Haoge, who stood up in front of him with a ferocious look, but his face was calm. He said

"Even if Prince Su is angry, he doesn't have to come here. If that day really comes, those who marry Prince Su's wives and concubines will not be here."

Hearing this, Hauge's face turned grim, but he waved his hand to stop Deldehe and others outside the pavilion, and sat back at the table.
Haoge sat at the table, his eyes flashing with ferocity, but Zhu Lang remained calm. After a long time, Haoge finally spoke in a deep voice.

"What is your purpose in calling me here?"

Zhu Lang listened to what Haoge said, his face remained expressionless, but his heart suddenly calmed down. He knew that Haoge had already realized his situation.

Haoge stared at Gui Jianguo beside him, but Zhu Lang did not directly answer Haoge's question. Instead, he said

"If you return to the court now, you will surely die. Now only war can justify your stay. As long as you don't return to the court, Dorgon will not dare to act rashly."

"The imperial guards led by me have a strong city and heavy artillery to defend it. I don't need to pay attention to you, but these few days, whenever you come to the city to form a battle line, why do I send people out of the city to form a battle line with you every time?"

"It is precisely to give you, Hauge, a legitimate excuse to continue commanding the war and staying in Sichuan Province."

"Once the war in Sichuan Province stops, Dorgon will definitely try every means to transfer you back to the court. As long as I send troops to assist you, you can continue to lead troops outside in the name of war."

Upon hearing this, Haoge frowned slightly and said in a deep voice
“It’s not that simple”

Before Haoge finished speaking, Zhu Lang spoke up.

"Of course it's not that simple. As long as I am willing to cooperate with the troops, you can get a reason to stay in Sichuan Province in the Qing court."

"You now have a large army. As long as I make a big move in Sichuan, Dorgon will not dare to force you anymore."

"But he doesn't dare to force you to return to the court, but he can find a way to cut off your food and salary."

"As long as your army is out of food and money, you must return to the court even if you don't want to. This is also the biggest reason why Dorgon dared to release you."

"But it doesn't matter. You have no food, but I can give you food and money."

Hearing this, Haoge was surprised, but then his face lost its joy. He just frowned and looked at Gui Jianguo in front of him, and spoke in a deep voice.

"what do you want"

The two sides were enemies, and he had no friendship with Gui Jianguo. He didn't believe that Gui Jianguo had gone to such great lengths to find him just to provide him with food and money.
This Gui Regent is putting so much effort into this, he must have some big ambition!
Zhu Lang smiled and said directly

"I will provide you with 2,000 dan of rice every month, and I will also send troops to Sichuan and Shaanxi to support you, so that you have a reason to continue to have troops outside, but in return, you must lead your troops to withdraw from Sichuan Province and hand over Sichuan Province to me."

When Haoge heard this, his expression suddenly turned cold.

"You are dreaming. You want to exchange Sichuan Province for 2,000 dan of rice? That is impossible."

"I can lead my troops to retreat through Chongqing and hand over southern Sichuan to you, the Ming Dynasty. Moreover, two thousand dan is not enough, it must be increased to four thousand dan."

Zhu Lang was not angry but happy when he heard Haoge's refusal. Although he was sure that there must be a huge contradiction between Dorgon and Haoge, this was all his speculation based on information from later generations.
After hearing the conditions, Hauge did not even have the intention to refuse, but started bargaining directly. This shows that the conflict between Dorgon and Hauge has really reached a point where it is difficult to reconcile.

Only in this way could Hauge be forced to rather collude with him, the enemy regent, than obey orders to return to the court.

Zhu Lang was excited when he thought of this, but he didn't show any emotion on his face.
Zhu Lang's expression immediately turned cold, and he said

"It's impossible. Most of the areas in southern Sichuan, such as Zhongzhou and Luzhou, are still in the hands of the various departments of the Sichuan Province of the Ming Dynasty."

"You and your companions have hurriedly come here to pursue the Western Army, and you have only controlled a few cities in southern Sichuan, such as Chongqing and Qijiang. I cannot use the rice in my hands to exchange for things that originally belonged to me."

Upon hearing this, Hauge immediately spoke

"Four thousand dan of rice, this king will retreat to Chongqing, and then give Kuizhou to you. The two sides will use Chengdu, Tongchuan, Shunqing, and Baoning as the boundary. The areas north of the four prefectures belong to this king, and the areas south of the four prefectures and Kuizhou belong to you, the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Lang immediately refused upon hearing this.
"Impossible. Chengdu is the essence of Sichuan Province. If I don't have Chengdu, what's the point of having such a mountainous area in southern Sichuan?"

"Two thousand dan of grain, if you retreat past Chongqing, I don't need you to give up Kuizhou. After you retreat across the river, whether it's Chengdu or Kuizhou, you and I will each take it based on our abilities, and whoever can take it will take it."

Seeing that Gui Jianguo repeatedly refused, Haoge's face turned cold and he said in a cold voice:

"Whether you want Kuizhou or not is up to you. I only want food. Four thousand shi of food a month, not a grain less. If you can't get that, then there's no point in talking. I'll lead the troops to get it myself!"

Zhu Lang looked at Haoge, who had a cold expression on his face. Suddenly, a strange look flashed across his face. He said

"Hauge, are you threatening me with your own life?"

Haoge's face also looked grim when he heard this, but Zhu Lang ignored Haoge's expression and spoke in a cold voice

"If you don't want to talk, then go back and wait for death. As for leading the army to take it, it seems that you are still not in your right mind. Do you really think I am here to make peace with you?"

"If you want to fight, you can lead your troops to attack tomorrow and see who will die in the end."

"It's not like I haven't killed any Eight Banners Tartar soldiers before. I was able to kill 4,000 Bolo soldiers in Fujian and Zhejiang, and I can also kill all of your Zhenglan Banner soldiers in Bozhou."

Zhu Lang looked at Haoge opposite him and sneered

"I know that all you rely on is the 10,000 or 20,000 Manchu soldiers under your command. The Manchu soldiers under your command are indeed elite, but so what?"

"If one of my Ming imperial guards dies, I can recruit ten more. But if your blue flag soldiers die, I don't know where you will find more blue flag soldiers under your command."

"When the soldiers of the Zhenglan Banner under your command suffer heavy casualties, then even if you have any reasons to stay in Sichuan Province, it will be useless."

"It doesn't even need to be that the Zhenglan Banner is seriously damaged. As long as the war in Sichuan fails, Dorgon will have plenty of excuses to remove you from office and transfer you back to the court."

"Hauge, you'd better hope that Dorgon is truly a wise minister who cares about the overall situation for your Qing court. Otherwise, you know best what will happen to you."

The veins on Haoge's forehead were throbbing with rage, and he stared fiercely at Gui Jianguo opposite him, but the young man opposite him had a cold expression and refused to give in.
Haoge was furious and wanted to kill the Ming court regent who dared to threaten him on the spot, but after looking at the iron armor on the other side, he finally held back.

The two sides were originally enemies and had no trust in each other. This time, not only was the number of soldiers from both sides strictly limited, but even the type of weapons was strictly restricted.
If a fight really broke out at this time, it would be hard to say who would win just by fighting with swords. Haoge suppressed his anger, knowing that Ming Tinggui Regent was fearless at this time. At this moment, he really needed the support and cooperation of Ming Tinggui Regent.
Hauge was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice

"Two thousand dan is too little. I have not only soldiers but also war horses under my command. This amount of rice is not enough to sustain me..."

Before Haoge could finish his words, Zhu Lang interrupted him.
"I am only responsible for providing basic food and wages, so that you will not be cut off suddenly when you are suppressed by Dorgon. If you still want to raise horses and expand the army, you need to find a way by yourself, and it has nothing to do with me."

Zhu Lang had a cold expression on his face. His purpose was just to keep Hauge alive. In fact, keeping Hauge in a half-dead state was the most advantageous situation for Zhu Lang.

The two parties belong to enemy countries and are mortal enemies. The reason why they can be linked together at this time is just that they each have their own calculations.

Dorgon is an enemy, and so is Hauge. Zhu Lang has no interest in helping Hauge become king.
Seeing that Gui Jianguo directly refused, Haoge's face was gloomy. Both sides were silent. Haoge was silent for a long time, and Zhu Lang also sat at the table with a calm expression, without any intention of giving in.

Zhu Lang was already sitting on the Diaoyutai at this time. In fact, the moment Hauge took the initiative to ask Zhu Lang about his purpose, Zhu Lang had already determined that Hauge would surrender.

At this time, Hauge was silent and stalemated, but he was unwilling to give in. When he figured it out, Hauge would definitely agree to his conditions.

Two thousand dan of grain is not a lot, but in this southwest area, the only one that can provide two thousand dan of grain every month is the Ming court, apart from the Qing court. Hauge actually has no choice.
Hauge was silent for a long time before he finally spoke.

"At least 4,000 dan of grain per month, and 4,000 dan is not enough. If necessary, I must be able to purchase the required rice from the Ming court at any time."

Zhu Lang looked at Haoge, who had a serious expression on his face, and his expression turned cold. He was about to get up and leave.

Two thousand shi of grain was the bottom line that Zhu Lang had set long ago. If it was more, it would not only be raising a tiger for the Qing court, but also for the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Lang had not planned to reach an agreement in one go. At this time, Haoge opened his mouth so loudly, and it was obvious that he had not thought clearly about his situation.

In this case, why not let him go back and calm down? At this point, the two sides have already met face to face and confirmed their intentions. From now on, it is nothing more than bargaining. Zhu Lang does not need to meet with Haoge in person.
Moreover, Zhu Lang has a backup plan. When Yang Zhan, Qin Liangyu and others in Sichuan Province start to act, Sichuan Province will be in chaos. Hauge will recognize the situation and give in.
Haoge saw Zhu Lang was about to leave, but his expression remained unchanged. He said

"I know you came to me with bad intentions, but it doesn't matter. We are just getting what we need."

"I don't want your rice for nothing. I will exchange these four thousand stones of rice with other things."

Zhu Lang was about to stand up, but when he heard what Haoge said, he paused. Zhu Lang looked at Haoge, who looked calm, and frowned. He said,

"Exchange, what can you exchange?"

"I came here in person, not to do business with you. If you want to buy with gold or silver, don't even mention it."

Haoge glanced at Gui Jianguo beside him, but his expression remained unchanged. He said

"A great victory and the heads of four thousand Eight Banners soldiers are enough to exchange for your four thousand stones of food and wages."

A stern look flashed in Haoge's eyes. Haoge had already made up his mind not to return to Beijing.

Even if he obtained a legal excuse to stay in Sichuan and Shaanxi with the cooperation of the Ming court, as long as he had troops outside, he would inevitably fall out with Dorgon.
By then, the 4,000 white and red flag soldiers in Nikan's hands would be a big problem. As long as Dorgon gave the order, Nikan's 4,000 men would never obey his orders again.

Who knows, these people may become the vanguard of Dorgon's expedition against him. If that's the case, why not use these thousands of people to exchange for something more useful to him?

Looking at Gui Jianguo who was looking shocked beside him, Haoge did not delay and directly told him the transaction plan.

After listening to Hauge's trading plan, Zhu Lang was silent for a long time. Zhu Lang took a deep look at Hauge beside him and then spoke

"If this deal can really be done, I have no objection"

"But how can I be sure that you will really hand over these 4,000 people to me? If you ambush one side, then I will be in danger."

"If I deploy a large number of troops in advance, my whereabouts will inevitably be leaked, allowing them to detect it in advance. This matter involves a large number of soldiers, and I cannot trust you."

Hearing this, Haoge chuckled and said

"This is easy"

After Hauge finished speaking, he explained the arrangements for this matter one by one. After listening to Hauge's arrangements, Zhu Lang thought for a long time before finally nodding and agreeing.

The plan proposed by Hauge was so sincere that Zhu Lang could almost confirm that Hauge was really prepared to give up these 4,000 Manchu soldiers and was very likely to lead his troops to retreat through Chongqing.

After some discussion between the two parties, the deal was officially finalized.
The Ming court provided Hauge with 4,000 shi of grain and fodder every month for two years. At the same time, if Hauge needed it, he could purchase an additional 2,000 shi of grain and fodder from the Ming court at market price every month.

Hauge's side provided the Ming court with a great victory and retreated to Chongqing. The remaining prefectures and counties in Sichuan Province were fought over by the two sides.
In addition to confirming the content of the transaction, the two parties also confirmed the specific plan for the implementation of the transaction. After Hauge delivered the 4,000 people to the Ming court, the Ming court must immediately deliver 10,000 shi of grain and fodder at the agreed location.
After the two sides finished their discussion, they were about to leave, but Zhu Lang looked at Haoge who was about to get up, thought for a moment, and then said

"Prince Su is so sincere, I can't be too stingy. I will provide Prince Su with an additional piece of information."

"There should be a man named Subai in Prince Su's army at this time."

Hauge was shocked when he heard this. Although Su Bai accompanied him to the southwest, he had been arranged to stay in Hanzhong.

It was only last month that Subai sneaked into Nikan's camp. If he hadn't sent people to keep an eye on Nikan, he wouldn't even know that Subai had arrived at the army. How did Gui Jian know that Subai was now in his army?

Although Hauge was shocked, he remained calm and said softly:

"There is indeed such a person in the army. How did Gui Jianguo know his name?"

Zhu Lang had a strange smile on his face, but he did not answer Haoge's question. Instead, he said

"Keep an eye on this person, and keep an eye on his dealings with the Qing court. Who knows, Prince Su may gain something unexpected."

After Zhu Lang finished speaking, he stood up and walked out of the pavilion without waiting for Haoge to ask any more questions.
Hauge thought Zhu Lang knew where Subai was, but in fact Zhu Lang had no idea about Subai's current situation.

Zhu Lang knew this man's name because he vaguely remembered that in his previous life, it was this man who first reported that Hauge's subordinates had falsely claimed military merits, which led to Hauge being arrested and imprisoned.

Zhu Lang didn't even know that this person was a general of the Zhengbai Banner. Zhu Lang's determination that this person was in Hauge's army was entirely based on speculation.
Since Su Bai knew that Hauge had claimed military merit for his subordinates, he must have been one of the soldiers who joined the expedition, so he must have been in Hauge's army at this time.
After all, the situation at this time is different from that in the previous life. In the previous life, Su Bai came out to denounce Haoge after Haoge returned to the court, but this time it may not be the case.
But since it was this Subai who first reported Haoge in the previous life, it would be right to let Haoge keep an eye on this person.

At this time, Haoge was already a partner of the Ming court. Zhu Lang did not want Haoge to be defeated by Dorgon too quickly.

And if Hauge can really find something from Subai, it will make Hauge more determined to cooperate with Zhu Lang.
And if Hauge fails to find the suspicious points in the end, it doesn't matter. If he fails to find them, then he fails to find them. What does it have to do with Zhu Lang?

Haoge looked at Gui Jianguo, who was being escorted away by a group of soldiers outside the pavilion. His face was uncertain. He wanted to call Gui Jianguo and ask him what the problem was with Subai. But after a moment of silence, Haoge did not speak.

This Gui Jianguo was able to grasp Subai's whereabouts so clearly, obviously he had a very secret source of information. Such a secret scout is a very important person no matter which side he is on. Gui Jianguo would definitely not easily disclose the source of this information.

Haoge looked at Gui Jianguo's receding back, and stood in the pavilion for a while before turning around and leaving with his men.
The two sides returned to their respective camps. When Zhu Lang and Haoge returned to their camp, the two armies facing each other under the city suddenly received military orders and the soldiers of both sides withdrew. In less than half an hour, there was no one left under the city of Bozhou.

(End of this chapter)