Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 305 Disgrace
In the hall, Dorgon glanced at the people in the hall, and except for Ganglin and others, the rest of the officials were silent. This silence itself was the attitude of the nobles of each banner.
Dorgon looked at Jirgalang below with a cold look in his eyes. The reason why he reinstated Jirgalang was to stabilize Jirgalang first.
But he didn't expect that when he and Duoduo and others had expressed their opinions, this old man who had always been good at protecting himself would actually dare to go against their opinions and protect Hauge. Once Hauge was eliminated, the old man Jirgalang could not be kept either.
Dorgon was about to use the support of Duoduo and others to force the matter through, but at this moment, Daishan, who seemed to be asleep since he came to the palace, coughed and suddenly spoke.

"May I ask the Regent, if Prince Su is recalled, how will the war in Sichuan be handled?"

Daishan had a long career in the Qing court, but he had not been involved in court affairs since he entered the Pass.
Daishan had also stayed out of the previous incident with Bolo. This time, Daishan suddenly spoke up, catching everyone off guard.

Dorgon looked at the old Daishan and felt a sinking feeling in his heart. He said:

"After recalling Hauge, I intend to send Prince Ying Ajige to lead the army to Zhenchuan Province."

"Prince Ying is a famous general in the court. He will definitely be able to defend Sichuan and Shaanxi. What do you think, Prince Li?"

Daishan nodded slightly and stopped talking. Dorgon felt relieved, but before he could relax, Jirgalang spoke again.

"I think this proposal is inappropriate. Prince Su is still leading his troops to fight against the Ming court, but the court wants to take the commander back to the capital to be punished because of a minor setback. Isn't it chilling for the soldiers to act like this?"

"Changing commanders in the middle of a battle is always a taboo. If this causes unrest on the front line and allows the Ming army to invade Qin Province, the Regent has thought about the consequences."

"I think it is not right to hastily recall Prince Su to the court at this time."

Dorgon was furious when he heard this. How could he not hear that Jirgalang was threatening him? Jirgalang was clearly telling him that if he insisted on recalling Hauge at this time, the front line would inevitably be in turmoil and the Ming army would inevitably invade Qin Province.
Dorgon's face was cold, and he suddenly shouted angrily
"Hauge was the commander-in-chief of the Western Expedition. He lost a province and even killed all the elite soldiers in the army. I was just recalling him according to the law. Prince Zheng, you are the regent of the court, but you are protecting this criminal everywhere at this time. What is your intention?"

"Prince Zheng, please don't forget that it is the grace of the court that has allowed you to resume your position as regent. If you still do not know right from wrong and indulge in your own selfish desires, how can you have the face to assist in government affairs again?"

Jirgalang looked at Dorgon, who had a gloomy expression, and his face turned cold. He spoke directly

"Every word I say is from the public interest, without any personal intention."

"My only concern right now is to ensure the stability of the court. If we lose just one battle, the court will immediately arrest the commander and bring him back to the capital to be punished. If that happens, who in the Qing Dynasty will dare to lead the army to fight in the future?"

"As for whether I am suitable to serve as the regent, if the regent feels that I am not qualified, then you can take away my position as regent and appoint a new regent who can satisfy the regent."

"Anyway, I have only just resumed my position as regent for a few days. If the regent is not satisfied, just send someone to take back the imperial edict from my palace. I will be happy to be free."

Jirgalang sneered in his heart. If it weren't for Hauge's disturbance in Sichuan and Shaanxi, how could he have resumed his post now?
Dorgon thought that if he was reinstated, Jirgalang would be grateful to him? What a joke. Jirgalang was originally the regent. How could Dorgon appoint, dismiss or reward him?

Do you really think that Jirgalang and Tan Tai have become bondservants under Dorgon?
Does Dorgon think that he is the only smart person in the world and that others have to listen to him and wag their tails at him if they are given a bone?

If Dorgon gets rid of Hauge at this time, the next one will be Jirgalang. At that time, Jirgalang will not be able to hold the position of regent, and even his life will be in jeopardy.
Dorgon was furious. How could he not hear that Jirgalang was accusing him of monopolizing government affairs and holding the emperor hostage?
Dorgon was about to refute, but Daishan below spoke again.

"What Prince Zheng said makes sense. Prince Su is currently in charge of the army and is fighting on the front lines. If we suddenly recall him to question him, it may cause instability in the military morale. The court must be concerned about this."

Jirgalang smiled when he heard what Daishan said, but Dorgon felt depressed when he saw Daishan's calm expression.
He knew that Daishan might have joined forces with Jirgalang.

Jirgalang suddenly became tough, contrary to his usual behavior. Daishan, who had been ignoring state affairs since entering the Pass, also suddenly changed his neutral attitude and stood on the side of Jirgalang. This change caught Dorgon off guard.

Although Duoduo and Ajige finally stood with him this time, it would be difficult for Dorgon to force this matter through even if he got their support.
Among those sitting on the left, in addition to several princes such as Dorgon, there is also the prince Shuo Sai.

Although Shuose also wanted to support Jirgalang and others, in fact, Shuose had no right to speak on such an important matter.
Although Shuo Sai was also the son of Huang Taiji, his experience was too shallow. At this time, the only ones who were qualified to fight against Dorgon were Jirgalang and Daishan.
The three men on Dorgon's side were determined to deal with Hauge, while Jirgalang and Daishan obviously wanted to make a big deal out of a small matter and save Hauge. At this time, it seemed to be three against two, but in fact, it was three against three on both sides.
At this time, in addition to Jirgalang and Daishan, there was actually another person who was trying to protect Hauge. Moreover, Hauge was the one that Dorgon feared the most among the three.

Why did Daishan specifically mention that Hauge was in charge of the army at the front? Because Hauge really had a large army. If Dorgon and others wanted to forcibly recall him to question him, no one knew what Hauge would do at this time.

Haoge has been in charge of the Zhenglan Banner for more than ten years. Unless the court directly issues an order to label Haoge a traitor, the Zhenglan Banner generals will only obey Haoge's orders. Even if the court labels Haoge a traitor, most of the Zhenglan Banner generals will still only obey Haoge's orders.

The Eight Banners are the real soldiers who serve their generals. The Eight Banners were actually eight tribes at first. The banner master was the leader of the tribe, and the banner soldiers were the people of the tribe. If the people of the tribe did not listen to the words of their own leader, would they have to listen to the orders of the leaders of other tribes?

In the hall, after Daishan expressed his attitude, the hall suddenly fell silent.
The kings on the left were all silent, and the nobles on the right were also watching their surroundings. The hall suddenly fell into a strange silence.

Dorgon's face flashed with ferocity several times, but he suppressed it all. Dorgon was silent for a long time before he spoke.

"Since Prince Li thinks that Haoge should not be transferred back to Beijing at this time, let him continue to lead the troops at the front for the time being."

"But Hauge's crime of conquering Sichuan Province cannot be escaped. This time, he should be deprived of fifteen Niulu as punishment."

Dorgon's face was cold. Hauge had killed the elite troops of the Plain White and Red Banners, so he had to make up for it from Hauge. Fifteen Niulu was exactly 4,500 people, which was his biggest concession.

Dorgon finished speaking, and before Jirgalang could say anything, Sony, who was sitting opposite him, had already stood up from his seat.
Although Sony was only an Angbang Zhangjing, a viscount among the five ranks of nobility, he was a banner of the imperial party in the two yellow flags and was highly trusted by Emperor Shunzhi and his harem.
Dorgon tried to get rid of this man several times but failed. It was precisely because of Sony's existence that Dorgon was unable to completely control the two yellow flags.
If Sony falls one day, it means that the two yellow flags have completely fallen into the hands of Dorgon.
Sony bowed to the Emperor Shunzhi above him, then bowed to Dor, and then spoke.

"I think the Regent's proposal is inappropriate."

"According to the intelligence sent back by Sichuan Province, the Ming court has dispatched a total of 60,000 troops, including the imperial guards. The court is not able to send reinforcements yet, so how can we recruit Prince Su's men?"

"Prince Su captured and killed Zhang Xianzhong, the leader of the Western Bandits, last time. The court did not recognize his merits at that time. For the sake of stability on the front line, I think that Prince Su's merits can be offset now." "If it is not enough, then we can strip him of his title and fine him silver, and then let Prince Su lead the army to resist the Ming army, so that he can make meritorious contributions while serving his sentence."

Dorgon was furious when he saw that even Sony dared to come forward and point fingers at him. He shouted angrily:
"Offsetting merits and demerits? Back then, when Zhang Cunren of Bolo conquered Zhejiang and Fujian, he had made great contributions. Why didn't you remember to offset merits and demerits? Now that Haoge has lost a province and lost his entire army, you are remembering to offset merits and demerits."

After the defeat of Fujian Province, Bolo died on the spot and naturally could not be held accountable. However, under the pressure of Jirgalang and others, Dorgon had to kill Zhang Cunren, the former Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang.

This incident has always bothered Dorgon, and it was because of this incident that Dorgon really made up his mind to abolish Jirgalang's regent position.

Dorgon's face was cold, and he continued to shout
"Haoge has lost his army and humiliated the country, and has harmed the country and the emperor. At this time, let alone punishing him with a few Niulu, he should be beheaded on the spot, which is more than enough to put him to death."

Dorgon stood up and looked down at the ministers below. The hall was silent except for Dorgon's cold shout.

All the officials in the court were silent as they watched the furious Dorgon. However, at this moment, a cry suddenly came from above the hall, and everyone's eyes instantly focused on the throne above.
On the throne, the little emperor, who had been ignored by everyone, now had red eyes and tears on his face.

"Prince Su is my half-brother. I ascended the throne at a young age. As the elder brother, Prince Su took pity on me and was determined to support him. He was loyal and diligent and served me well. We are brothers, how can I bear to kill him at this moment?"

"My uncles and kings, please don't kill my brother, please don't kill him."

On the throne, the child covered in a large dragon robe finished speaking and then sat on the dragon chair and burst into tears. For a moment, the whole palace was filled with the cries of children.

When Dorgon saw the crying little emperor above him, his face immediately turned angry. But before he could react, Jirgalang below had already stood up and suddenly knelt on the ground.
"Your Majesty, please calm down."

"Your Majesty, please calm down."

After Jirgalang finished speaking, Daishan, Shuo Sai, Shangshan, Tunqi and other nobles from various banners suddenly came out and bowed. For a moment, the hall was filled with shouts of apology for the inappropriate behavior.

At this time, nearly half of the nobles in the hall were kneeling on the ground. Ganglin, Tan Tai and others also stood up. However, they looked at Dorgon who was silent and did not express anything. They were embarrassed. Ganglin and others did not know whether to bow or not.
Dorgon looked at the nobles of various banners kneeling on the ground in the hall, his eyes full of murderous light, but after a while, Dorgon finally had to bow and apologize.

Although Dorgon also admitted his guilt, he did not kneel down, but only bowed slightly.
When Ganglin and others saw Dorgon saluting, their faces relaxed, but they knelt on the ground without any hesitation.
At this point, all the ministers in the hall knelt on the ground. Only Dorgon, who was slightly bent over, and the little emperor who was still crying on the throne were left.

Dorgon bowed his head, but his face was gloomy. Sony and the young Emperor Shunzhi's actions showed that in order to save Hauge, not only Jirgalang and Daishan, but also the two yellow flags and Shunzhi's harem were officially gone.

Dorgon dismissed Jirgalang from his post as regent a few months ago. This once again demonstrated Dorgon's power to the court, but it also frightened everyone in the Qing court.
Dorgon could find a reason to dismiss Jirgalang, a regent who held military power. What would Dorgon do in the future? Who else in the court could stop Dorgon?
After the incident with Jirgalang, the harem of Shunzhi and other parties in the court all realized that Dorgon had completely lost control.

Just when everyone in the court was in a panic, news suddenly came from Sichuan Province that Hauge had occupied Hanzhong without authorization and asked the court to send him to Sichuan and Shaanxi.
In fact, everyone in the court also knew what Hauge was thinking. Hauge and Dorgon had always had a grudge. This time, after the fall of Sichuan Province, Dorgon's 4,000 elite troops were annihilated. Hauge must have been afraid that Dorgon would settle accounts with him, so he took the risk to occupy Hanzhong and resolutely refused to return to the court.
Hauge gathered his troops and refused to return to the court. This was beyond the expectations of not only the court but also Dorgon. No one expected that Hauge would be so bold.
Although everyone knew that Haoge was going to raise his own army, all parties in the court immediately united, even the Shunzhi Emperor's faction joined in and supported Haoge.

Dorgon's power was too great. At this time, not only did Haoge have to lead troops outside, but the court also needed someone to lead troops outside. Only in this way could the people in the court check and balance Dorgon a little and prevent him from acting rashly.

Although Hauge used Jirgalang and others to seek external posts to protect himself at this time, Jirgalang and other people in the court also used Hauge to check and balance Dorgon. Only when the two sides check and balance each other can neutral officials such as Jirgalang in the court get a chance to breathe and greater voice in the court.

This is also the reason why Daishan, who has not been involved in state affairs for more than ten years, still stood up to support Hauge this time. If this continues, when Dorgon gets rid of Hauge and Jirgalang, even Daishan himself will be in trouble.

The meeting of ministers ended in silence. Dorgon failed to recall Hauge, and Hauge also failed to get the governor-general of Sichuan and Shaanxi that he wanted.
Hauge was appointed as the governor of Sichuan and the admiral of Hanzhong. He continued to lead troops to guard Baoning and wait for an opportunity to defeat the Ming army and recover Sichuan.

Although Dorgon lost the meeting of the kings, it actually showed his strength in the court.

Jirgalang's Bordered Blue Banner, Daishan's Plain Red Banner, Sony's Two Yellow Banners, Bumbutai's Khorchin Mongols in the harem, and Hauge's self-sacrifice, even the young Emperor Shunzhi personally came out and cried and begged for mercy in the court, which barely stopped Dorgon.

Haoge's identity was extremely special, and he also controlled nearly 10,000 troops of the Zhenglan Banner. Even to protect such a person, all the power of the court had to be gathered. If it were other matters in the court, who could stop Dorgon?

Outside the Qianqing Palace, Shangshan looked at Dorgon who left with a wave of his sleeves, with a look of satisfaction on his face, and said

"I didn't expect that Dorgon would end up like this."

Jierhalang heard this, but his face was calm, and he said

"Hauge has already occupied Hanzhong and raised his own army. Unless Dorgon is prepared to go to war with Hauge, he will have no choice but to compromise."

"At this time, the court would never agree to him gathering troops to attack and kill Hauge, so he was helpless."

Jirgalang looked at Dorgon who was being escorted away by a group of ministers, and suddenly he sighed.

"Hauge's brazen decision to raise an army this time is truly remarkable. If he had made such a decision when he was in Shengjing, there would be no Dorgon today."

Jierhalang left immediately after he finished speaking. Shangshan, who was standing beside him, looked thoughtful after hearing what he said. Then he took a step and chased after Jierhalang in front of him.

(End of this chapter)