Yongli Ming Dynasty

Chapter 374 Flag Master
The Forbidden City in Beijing, the wind is howling outside, but it is warm as spring inside

Emperor Shunzhi Fulin is sitting at the top, wearing a red crown and a bright yellow dragon robe. The dragon robe used to be wide, but now it fits Shunzhi quite well.

The young emperor sat on the throne, looking down at the ministers below, with a look of majesty on his face.

In the court below, the emperor's uncle, the regent Dorgon, the assistant prince Duoduo, and Jirgalang stood in front.
The most eye-catching one among them was Dorgon, who stood alone in the front, and behind him were Dodo and Jirgalang standing on the left and right sides of the court.

The three of them went down and saw the officials in the court.
On the left are civil officials of the Qing court, led by Ganglin, a scholar of the Hongwen Academy and the Minister of Rites. Ganglin was not only a bannerman, but also Dorgon's most trusted confidant.
Hong Chengchou was also among the civil officials at this time. Hong Chengchou was previously reported by the Eight Banners Army of Jiangnan to have had an affair with the Regent of Haishang Lu, and was then recalled to the court by the Qing court in the name of mourning.

After a thorough investigation by the Qing court, although Hong Chengchou was cleared of suspicion, he was still unable to resume his post. Instead, he was retained in the court as the Left Censor-in-Chief, in charge of the Supervisory Office.
On the left are civil officials, and on the right are military officials such as Tan Taisoni, the nobles of the Eight Banners

Today is a grand court, with Manchu and Han ministers from all banners gathered, but the atmosphere in the palace is quite solemn.
Prince Daishan of Li finally failed to survive the winter of 1649 and passed away last night.

Daishan's position in the court was naturally unusual, but in fact, the officials in the court had already been prepared for this matter.

The court had actually already started preparing for Daishan's funeral arrangements after consulting the imperial physician a few days ago.
In the hall, officials from the Ministry of Rites formally informed the court of Daishan's death, and then the Minister of Rites, Ganglin, also walked out of the court and read the edict to posthumously confer the title on him.

"Prince Heshuo Li Daishan, the second son of Emperor Taizu Gao and the elder brother of Emperor Taizong Wen, is loyal and upright, upright and sincere, and has a strong will and determination."

"Prince Li served three dynasties, helped to establish the foundation, fought bravely, worked hard and made great contributions. Now he has passed away. It is truly sad. I will posthumously give him the title of Lie, make an exception and give him 10,000 taels of funeral silver, and enshrine him in the Shengjing Xianwang Temple."

After hearing the posthumous decree, no one among the ministers raised any objection. Daishan was already dead, so it would be meaningless to give him any generous title.
Daishan has been in high office since the time of Nurhaci. Over the past few decades, the Qing court has experienced many ups and downs, and people in the court have changed one after another, but Daishan has always remained standing.

But after this imperial edict, Daishan will be completely wiped out in the court.

Just as Lin finished reading the imperial edict and returned to the train, Du Lei, the Gushan Ezhen of the Zhenghong Banner, stepped out and said:

"Prince Li is the leader of our Zhenghong Banner. After the prince's death, there will be no one in charge of the banner. The position of leader of the banner must not be vacant for long."

"The prince left a will before his death, recommending his seventh son, Gushan Beizi Man Dahai, to inherit the title and take over as the leader of the banner. This is the prince's will, please let the emperor and the regent make the decision."

On the throne, Emperor Shunzhi Fulin opened the memorial and took a look at it, then sent it to Dorgon below. Fulin looked at the ministers below and said:

"Yesterday I visited Prince Li's mansion, and Prince Li recommended him to me in person."

"Prince Man Dahai is loyal, upright, benevolent and filial, and is capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility. Do you have any objections to Man Dahai inheriting the title of Lord?"

The ministers below were not surprised to hear this. Man Dahai himself had made great military achievements and was the one Daishan had long chosen to inherit the title.

When the nobles of various banners visited the palace a few days ago, Daishan also stated this matter in front of everyone.

Fulin looked at Dorgon at the steps and was relieved to see that Dorgon had no intention of speaking.
Fulin was about to approve the succession, but before he could open his mouth, a figure suddenly stepped out from the court on the left side below.

"I, the Minister of War, Han Dai, have this report to make."

"The Ministry of War has recently verified that during the battle in Sichuan Province to capture and kill the Western bandit Zhang Xianzhong, the commander of the Zhenghuang Banner Guard, Xiergen, watched his friendly troops trapped and was afraid of the enemy and did not move forward."

"After the war, the commander of the Western Expedition, Hauge, and Prince Mandahai and others were partial to each other and bent the law to assist Xiergen in claiming the military merits of others. There is irrefutable evidence. Please make a decision, Your Majesty."

After the Qing army entered Sichuan Province, they confronted the Western Army in the Xichong area.

When the Qing army invaded Sichuan, the Western troops at various checkpoints surrendered. The Qing army also became arrogant after entering Sichuan.

Haninga, the commander of the Bordered White Banner Guard, underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly after discovering the main force of the Western Army. He was eventually trapped in Xichong County by the Western Army.
After the Qing army found that Haninga was surrounded, they ordered Xiergen, the commander of the Zhenghuang Banner Guard, and other generals from other banners to lead troops to rescue him.
During the rescue, Hilgen was repeatedly blocked by the Western Army and suffered heavy losses. In the end, he did not dare to lead his troops to fight the Western Army anymore, so he chose to retreat and watch Haninga being surrounded.

Fortunately, the Qing army sent more than just Xiergen's reinforcements. Later, Nikan and other reinforcements successfully broke through the Western Army's blockade, and finally rescued Haninga.

But when the Western Expedition Army reported its success to the court afterwards, the battle to relieve the siege of Xichong turned into a battle in which Xiergen fought against the Western bandits and rescued the friendly forces from the siege.
The insider that Dorgon had planted in Hauge's army had actually already reported the inside story to the court, but was quietly suppressed by Dorgon.

Dorgon was originally waiting to use this incident to punish Haoge, but who knew that Haoge was so bold that he dared to occupy Hanzhong without authorization, disobeyed the emperor's order, and refused to return to the court.
Among the court officials, Shang Shan, Wu Dahai and others all looked gloomy when they heard this.

Han Dai seemed to be reporting the Western Expedition Army's false credit, but everyone knew that Han Dai was targeting Man Dahai.

No, it's not Man Dahai. Dorgon is coming for the Zhenghong Banner.

Du Lei was furious when he heard this, and suddenly shouted
"Han Dai, you are a foreigner, how dare you interfere in the internal affairs of the Zhenghong Banner?"

Han Dai saw Du Lei glaring at him, but his face remained unmoved. He spoke softly

"What are you talking about, Commander Du Lei? I am reporting to the Ministry of War. How can I be interfering in the affairs of the Zhenghong Banner?"

Du Lei became even angrier when he heard this, and shouted coldly:
"Man Dahai was the person personally designated by Prince Li to inherit the title. You didn't mention it earlier or later, but chose to impeach the future leader of the Zhenghong Banner when the prince was about to inherit the title. What is your intention?"

Han Dai's face turned cold at this time, and he said in a cold voice

"It is precisely because Man Dahai is about to inherit the title that I must report this matter to the court. The Eight Banners are the foundation of our Qing Dynasty, and the position of banner master is not to be trifled with."

"I am in charge of the Ministry of War. Man Dahai deceived the court and violated military law. If I do not report this to the court in advance, it would be a real dereliction of duty."

Du Lei was about to argue again, but suddenly a clear cough came from above.

Duoduo, wearing a court robe with a five-clawed dragon, glanced at the ministers below, but his face was casual, and he said

"Han Dai is right. Our Qing dynasty was founded on military merit. Man Dahai lied about his military merits for others. If he is not severely punished, who will fight bravely in the future?"

"Du Lei, you are loyal to your master because you want to protect him, but don't forget that your Zhenghong Banner is the Zhenghong Banner of the Qing Dynasty. Not to mention that Man Dahai is not the leader of the Zhenghong Banner yet, even if he becomes the leader of the Zhenghong Banner, the court will still punish him if he commits a crime."

"What, you're not convinced?"

Du Lei's face suddenly changed when he heard this. In fact, when Han Dai spoke, Du Lei already felt something was wrong.

Han Dai is not only the Minister of War, but also the Gushan Ezhen of the Bordered White Banner. Han Dai's words basically represent Duoduo's opinion.

Han Dai had only impeached Man Dahai, but Duoduo was already directly opposing Man Dahai's succession to the title. How could a man with a serious crime inherit the title and take charge of the Zhenghong Banner?
Du Lei tried to refute several times, but looking at Duoduo above who was not paying attention, he finally did not dare to speak.

In the Qing court, Dorgon was majestic and ruthless, while Duoduo was moody and did things without considering the consequences. Once he held a grudge against someone, no one knew how he would retaliate.

Moreover, Du Lei was not qualified to refute Duoduo. Duoduo was not only the regent, but also the most worthy military leader of the Qing court.

After the Qing Dynasty entered the Pass, almost all the tough battles were won by Duoduo. In terms of military achievements alone, no one in the court could match him.

In the Qing Dynasty, military merit sometimes meant everything. If you could fight, then whatever you did was right.

Seeing the silent ministers below, Jirgalang knew that after Duoduo spoke, no one in the court could argue with him.

Jirgalang was silent for a moment, then finally spoke

"Prince Yu is right. The imperial court has strict laws. Even if the flag owner has committed a crime, once confirmed, he must accept the court's public deliberation and punishment."

"But the Eight Banners' leaders are so noble that they are not comparable to ordinary people."

"The Ministry of War said that the person who took credit for the crime was Haninga and Nikan, the White Guards, who were killed in the battle."

"The battle on the front line is chaotic, and even the people involved are no longer around. How can we say that the evidence is solid?"

"This king believed that Man Dahai was the person personally designated by Prince Li to inherit the title. If there is no solid evidence, you must not lightly impeach and convict him." Han Dai, who was below, looked at Jirgalang with a serious expression, but a hint of smile flashed in his eyes.

Han Dai did not hesitate at all and spoke again

"Prince Zheng's words make sense, but it is precisely because the flag owner is of noble status that I have no choice but to report the truth to the court."

"Haninga and Nikanbeile died in battle and sacrificed their lives for their country. The White Border Army died in battle for their country. Now someone wants to take away their military achievements. This is a bad fact."

"The Ministry of War has obtained relevant witnesses and evidence, and it is beyond doubt that Man Dahai shielded and claimed credit for the crime."

After Han Dai finished speaking, he looked to the right and saw a figure stepping out of the line and speaking.

"Your Majesty, I, Gadahun, pay my respects to you, the Regent. I accompanied the army to Sichuan and Shu that day, and I can prove that Xiergen's false credit is true."

"Gadahun, you bastard, what are you talking about?"

Du Lei was shocked and angry. Gadahun was the commander of the guards of Zhenghong Banner. He never thought that someone from Zhenghong Banner would come out to report Mandahai.

Seeing Du Lei glaring at him, Gadaghun subconsciously avoided his gaze and said

"General Du Lei, although I am a member of the Red Banner, I am first and foremost a general of the imperial court. The Ministry of War has already investigated this matter, and I dare not deceive the emperor and the court."

Gadahun looked at the gazes from the crowd, gritted his teeth, and said loudly:

"On that day, we, the White, Red, and Blue Banners, fought several bloody battles before we defeated the Western bandits who were besieging the city. It was only after the Western bandits had retreated that Hilgen finally arrived."

"It was not just me who came to rescue Xichong that day. Aljin from the Zhenglan Banner was also one of the reinforcements. However, he is a general under Prince Su, so I am afraid he will not easily testify."

"But many people in the army knew about the rescue that day, and it is easy to find witnesses in the army. Everything I said is true, without any falsehood."

Jierhalang's heart sank immediately after hearing this. Daishan had just passed away yesterday, but the Ministry of War immediately impeached Man Dahai today. It was obviously a long-planned move.

Although Jirgalang had not known about Man Dahai's claim of credit for others before, since Dorgon and others dared to make this matter public in the court, it was most likely true.

Du Lei looked at Jirgalang pleadingly. Jirgalang was silent for a moment, but finally looked away.

He could no longer be involved in this matter. If he had only assisted Xiergen in claiming credit, it would not be a serious crime. According to court practice, he could be demoted one or two levels and fined a little.

But the problem now is that Xiergen is claiming the military merits of the White Banner soldiers who died in the battle, and the nature of this matter has changed suddenly.
It is taboo for a general to die in battle, but even his military achievements during his lifetime are taken away by others.

If Jirgalang continues to defend Mandahai, he himself might be implicated.
There was silence in the hall. After an unknown amount of time, Dorgon finally spoke softly.

"Beizi Man Dahai assisted the criminal general and took away the military merits of the dead soldiers. The officials are ordered to arrest and interrogate him."

"Man Dahai has committed a serious crime and should not be a successor to the title of the Red Banner."

"Prince Li's fourth son, Prince Duolo Wakda, has made outstanding military achievements and is a man of benevolent and filial character. He is capable of great responsibility. I think Wakda should inherit the title of Prince Li and take charge of the Zhenghong Banner. Do you have any objections?"

Even Jirgalang did not dare to intervene in the matter, and the ministers did not dare to say anything.
Dorgon glanced at the people below, then spoke to Fulin above.

"Beizi Mandahai is rebellious and lawless, and is indeed guilty of a serious crime. He is not suitable to lead the Zhenghong Banner. The ministers in the court all think that Prince Li's fourth son Wakda is wise and suitable. Please make a decision, Your Majesty."

"Then let's follow the advice of the Emperor's uncle, the Regent."

Although Fulin's voice was still trying to remain calm, his eyes were already burning with anger.
However, the anger in Fulin's eyes quickly subsided, and he sat on the fish seat like a clay sculpture or wooden carving, saying nothing more.

Dorgon glanced at the young emperor above him, but his face was calm, as if he didn't notice the anger in Fulin's eyes at all, or even if he did, Dorgon didn't care.
After Dorgon decided on the leader of the Zhenghong Banner, he did not stop and spoke again.

"The court has recently received reports from the front lines that the Qing Dynasty and the Ming court have dispatched cavalry to Zhejiang Province, Jiangxi Province, Henan Province and many other places to collect grain."

"Hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland were destroyed in the front-line provinces of our Great Qing Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty suffered similar losses."

"A large number of farmlands on the front lines have been destroyed, and the army in the south of the Yangtze River has also consumed a lot of grain. The grain transported to the capital last year is already insufficient."

"After the Ming court's Gui Wang took control of the government, he raised troops and governed the country, and his strength gradually recovered. Now he has established a firm foothold in the south. The court can no longer completely destroy the Ming court in a short period of time. This king believes that it is time to negotiate peace with the Ming court."

When Dorgon said this, all the officials in the room were shocked. The court had suffered a series of defeats in Fujian, Zhejiang, Sichuan and other places before, and the officials knew that the Qing court might not be able to destroy the Ming court in a short time.

But when Dorgon really heard about the peace talks, all the officials, both Manchu and Han, had mixed feelings.
The ministers below had not yet had time to think about the pros and cons of this matter, but at this moment Shang Shan suddenly stepped out and said in a deep voice:

"Since our Great Qing entered the Central Plains, we have occupied most of the Central Plains in a few years. This is what the people want and what the destiny has chosen. Now that the Ming Dynasty has lost its power, the world should belong to our Great Qing Dynasty."

"The Ming court only won a few small victories before, taking advantage of the Qing Dynasty's unpreparedness. As long as the Qing Dynasty regroups its forces, it will be easy to destroy the remnant Ming Dynasty and unify the Central Plains."

"Why is the Regent bowing to the Ming people at this moment? If we negotiate peace with the Ming court, we will destroy the court's cause in vain. Your Majesty, we must not negotiate peace at this moment!"

Shang Shan saw the cold gaze from above, and although he was slightly flustered, his face remained firm.

Dorgon and Duoduo already controlled the two white flags. By winning over Tan Tai, Gong Adai and others, they also controlled most of the two yellow flags. At this time, the two red flags were also controlled by people supported by Dorgon.
Dorgon, despite the pressure of fighting wars with the Ming court, was able to seize the Zhenghong Banner and Xianghong Banner.

If the Qing court negotiated peace with the Ming at this time, without the pressure of the Ming army, then Dorgon's next target would be the remaining two blue flags.

Dorgon's eyes were cold, but his face was calm. He said

"Good ambition"

"Since you, Shangshan, feel that peace cannot be negotiated, then you will lead the soldiers of the Bordered Blue Banner and immediately set out to Zhejiang Province to attack and destroy the Ming court."

"As long as you can capture Fujian Province, I will immediately ask for you to be crowned a prince. Prince Zheng, what do you think of my proposal?"

Shangshan's expression changed slightly when he heard this. Bolo was killed, Tulai was killed, Nikan was killed. These famous generals in the court were all defeated and killed by the Ming court in the past few years.
Although Shangshan is arrogant, he also knows his own weight. Even these veteran generals in the court were defeated by the Ming army, so how can he be any better?

If he were to lead his army to attack and destroy the Ming court, he would simply be sending himself to death.
Jirgalang was silent for a moment, and then said in a deep voice

"Shangshan is young and full of vigor. Why should the Regent argue with him? War and peace are important matters in the court and should be decided by the Regent."

Seeing that Jirgalang had surrendered, Dorgon glanced at Shangshan below and said in a cold voice:

"Many generals in the court have fought against the Ming court for decades, but they still dare not say that they will destroy the Ming court."

"A young man who was hidden by his ancestors comes here and speaks shamelessly, saying that he will easily destroy the Ming Dynasty. He is simply ignorant of the meaning of the word."

"This time, for the sake of Prince Zheng, I will not bother with you, but next time, think clearly about your identity before speaking, and don't embarrass yourself here again."

"I have spoken out of turn, please forgive me, Lord Regent."

Shang Shan's face turned blue and red. After a moment of silence, he finally bowed his hands and apologized, then quietly returned to the train.

Today, although Jirgalang and his men tried their best to resist, in the end, Dorgon and his men won a great victory.
With the change of the leader of the Zhenghong Banner, the balance that had been maintained for two years was broken again. After the loss of Daishan, no one in the court could stop the decision of Dorgon's faction.

Daishan passed away only one day, but the arrangements he left behind had been swept away
Wakda inherited the title of Prince Li and became the leader of the Zhenghong Banner. Du Lei, Gushan Ezhen of Zhenghong Banner, was deposed, and Lekedehun, who was far away in Nanjing, was promoted to Gushan Ezhen of Zhenghong Banner.

Man Dahai received the news from the capital and was about to rush back to the capital overnight. However, when he arrived at Zhending Prefecture, he suddenly received a message from a secret envoy sent by Jirgalang, informing him of the changes in the capital.
After receiving the secret letter, Man Dahai gave up going to Beijing and led his troops to withdraw to Xi'an overnight. The troops sent by Dorgon to Zhending Prefecture came up empty-handed and failed to capture Man Dahai.
When Man Dahai led his troops back to Xi'an, the Qing court's peace delegation had already been quickly formed and headed towards Fujian Province.
(End of this chapter)