Prince Chongzhen

Chapter 252 You may not know where this resistance comes from.

Hongguang wants to move the capital.

Well. Or maybe the Qing government wanted to move the capital of Ming Dynasty.

This news was discovered by the Jinyiwei led by Wang Fuping.

It is not actually accurate to say that it is a probe.

After all, the Tartars were afraid that not enough people knew about this matter and that it was not spread widely enough, so they began to make preparations on a large scale before the civil and military officials even went south from Beijing.

Under such circumstances, there is no need to "explore" anything. As long as we have some connection with Beijing, we will be able to get a general idea.

Very fantasy, but also very realistic.

The fantasy lies in the fact that a puppet emperor captured by the enemy actually plans to move the capital of his native country.

The reality is that at this time the Qing army had already realized that it could not do anything to the Ming army in Jiangnan, and the wars in the west and the west were reaching a critical moment.

In this case, it becomes extremely necessary to use some measures against the Ming army in Jiangnan, which is at the peak of its power.

This is a way to weaken the enemy.

Even though the affairs of the Baozong clan were not a secret in either the Ming Dynasty or the Qing court, no one could deny that after the governors-general and even the officials in the court received the imperial edict from the "Hongguang Emperor", Zhu Cilang's small court would inevitably fall into a state of panic.

At the same time, this is also a kind of self-strengthening.

The former Ming officials who surrendered to the Qing court were already extremely passive morally. This move not only resolved their moral dilemma, but also allowed them to turn the tables when facing the Ming army loyal to Zhu Cilang.

I have to say, this is indeed a very disgusting trick.

Although all parties in the Qing court did not feel that this method would pose a fatal threat to Zhu Cilang's small court after careful consideration, considering that they were unable to deal with the Ming navy for the time being, this method was approved after some negotiation, and it was finally time for Duoduo to return to Beijing.

"Your Majesty, I will be leaving tomorrow."

"My Lord, what should I do now that you are gone?!"

Since the Qing court decided on this policy, Hongguang's treatment has been very different.

Duoduo not only found a rather elegant courtyard in Huai'an City as a temporary "imperial palace", but also allowed the surrendered generals of the Ming Dynasty who were in Huai'an to visit.

But who would have thought that under such generous treatment, Hongguang not only did not appreciate the Qing Dynasty's kindness, but also lost his appetite all day long. After the news came that the Qing court sent Hong Chengchou to serve as the prime minister of the "Great Ming Dynasty", he fell ill and could not get up.

Therefore, Duoduo, who had been busy with the construction of river defense fortifications, finally had to take time out to visit before leaving, hoping to use his eloquent words to dispel his worries.

"Your Majesty, don't worry. Although Huai'an is near the canal, my ministers have made a lot of arrangements these days. No matter how powerful the pseudo-court navy is, it will never be able to get close to Huai'an."

Duoduo's words were not comforting at all. During the time he retreated to Jiangbei and waited for Beijing's response, he not only built several sluices along the Grand Canal, but also ordered craftsmen to cast several large red cannons.

He saw clearly that the reason why Zhu Cilang was able to win repeatedly in the battles in the south of the Yangtze River was not because of how powerful his navy was, but because the ships gave the artillery super maneuverability.

In the densely networked Jiangnan area, the Qing army was suppressed by artillery everywhere, while the Ming army was able to directly crush the morale of its troops by relying on its firepower advantage.

Take the Battle of Suzhou and Songjiang for example. Although Nikan had tens of thousands of elite cavalry and infantry, Zhu Cilang relied on his sharp artillery to trap them on a river beach with a radius of only a few miles.

In the end, the surrendered troops, whose morale had collapsed first, rebelled again, and Nikan and thousands of elite Eight Banners troops also died here.

After this battle, even if Duoduo did not think deeply about it before, after such a long time, how could he not find out the real reason for the defeat?
Therefore, when he retreated to Jiangbei, he decided that he must try to delay the Ming army's advance northward. Otherwise, he really had no confidence that he could withstand the Ming army's navy in the Huaihe River area where the water network was also dense.

But then again, even though he had been through hundreds of battles, he didn't have the confidence. How could Hongguang, who only had experience in escape, dare to face Zhu Cilang's navy in Huai'an?
"Your Majesty, it's not that I don't have confidence in your arrangements, but how can we stop Zhu Cilang with just a few sluice gates and artillery?"

Unstoppable.

Of course Duoduo knew that he couldn't stop it.

If he really thought that these things could stop the Ming navy, why would he ask his brother to release Hongguang?
"Your Majesty, don't panic. After all, you are the emperor of the Ming Dynasty. As long as you raise your arms in Huai'an, many loyal and brave people will pledge their allegiance. By then, the pseudo-dynasty will fall into civil strife. How can Zhu Cilang have the time to send troops north?"

When saying this, Duoduo naturally showed full confidence, but he knew his own business best. As the main male supporting role in this plot, Hongguang knew that things could never be as he said.

When he first ascended the throne, he encountered opposition from many parties. If he had not persuaded several generals under Ma Shiying through various means, how could he have become the emperor of the Ming Dynasty?
But now?

The four towns in northern Yangtze River were either dead or scattered. South of the Yangtze River, except Hu Maozhen who took Nikan's head and Li Chengdong who was forced to surrender, there was no one else who had anything to do with him.

Under such circumstances, who would support an emperor who was captured by the enemy?

"My Lord, do you believe this?"

Before Hongguang finished speaking, Duoduo became furious.

He was a captured monarch of an enemy country, and his family was magnanimous enough to give him the opportunity to become emperor again. However, he was not only ungrateful, but he even dared to interrogate him. He really didn't know what was good for him!
Thinking of this, Duoduo wanted to scold him, but he suddenly thought of something else and said in a gentle voice: "Your Majesty, you and the Qing Dynasty are already tied together, so I will not hide anything from you anymore."

"I really don't expect any officials to surrender, but as long as you set up another court in Huai'an, Zhu Cilang will be suspicious." At this point, Duoduo glanced at Hongguang's face. Seeing that he seemed to have just thought of this, he secretly said to himself that he was a waste before continuing: "You, the ministers of the Ming Dynasty, are not stupid, how can you not see this? By then, they will be suspicious of each other, so how can they have the time to go north?"

When Hongguang heard the words, he suddenly realized what had happened and couldn't help but feel relieved.

It's funny to say that.

If the Qing court had not suddenly decided to set up another court in Huai'an in his name, he would actually be quite satisfied with his current life.

Why?

In his opinion, since the Tartars have not killed him yet, they will probably keep him in captivity forever. Zhu Cilang has also said in public that if he returns, he will be treated as the Supreme Lord.

Under such circumstances, no matter which side wins, he can enjoy peace. What does Zhu Yousong have to worry about?

But things did not go as planned, and such comfortable days eventually left him at the will of Beijing.

During this period, whenever he closed his eyes, he would hear the overwhelming artillery fire, and whenever he opened his eyes, his mind would be filled with worries. Fortunately, Duoduo finally explained everything to him today. Otherwise, if he continued to live like this, he would have to wait for the Southern Army to come and Hongguang would have died in his own fear. "Oh, if the prince had a plan, why didn't you let me know earlier? It hurt me..."

With his worries gone, Hongguang immediately relaxed. However, halfway through his words, he suddenly remembered that his life and death were in the hands of the person in front of him, and he could not say the rest of the words.

Seeing Hongguang's timid and embarrassed face, Duoduo felt contempt in his heart, but couldn't help but comfort him.

After all, if this puppet could be more obedient, it would be of great benefit to the current situation.

After a while, Hongguang's uneasiness disappeared, and Duoduo was too impatient to stay here any longer. After saying goodbye, he went straight back to the military camp outside the city.

In fact, when the imperial edict arrived, he could have led his own bannermen back to the capital, but Duoduo knew very well that all the officials in the court believed that the battle in the south of the Yangtze River was lost to such an extent because of his carelessness, so he wanted to meet with his successor and use his own experience to sound a warning to them before leaving.

It just so happened that news came that Hong Chengchou would arrive today, so he packed his luggage and went to Hongguang's residence.

Duduo stared blankly at Goshaha who was packing his luggage in the tent. Although his face did not show it, he could not hide his depressed mood.

The Battle of Jiangnan was not his first failure, nor was it the first failure of the Manchus, but the significance of this defeat was incomparable to any previous one.

After this defeat, the Ming Dynasty recovered, Zhu Cilang gained a firm foothold, and even the officials and nobles in the Huai River and Yangtze River regions who had originally been loyal to him began to have other ideas.

Under such circumstances, how could he, the commander of the Eastern Army, not be depressed?
But after all, he had been on the battlefield since he was a child, and such a long time had passed since he returned to Jiangbei. If it was just a simple defeat, how could he still be like this?

Hey~~~~! I don't know if my brother can make sense of this.

He sighed in his heart again and prepared to go outside for a walk, but when he was about to stand up, he saw a man bowing in the distance outside the tent, and then he heard an old voice coming in.

"Your Highness! Hong Chengchou, the Grand Secretary of the Secretariat! I want to see the prince!"

"Oh! Why is the Grand Secretary so desperate? Why is he so desperate?"

Seeing this situation, Duoduo, who was always proud, immediately went out of the tent to greet them.

At this time, Hong Chengchou had already risen to the position of Grand Secretary of the Secretariat, which, if understood according to the past official positions, was roughly equivalent to the prime minister.

Despite this, when he faced Duoduo, who had committed many evil deeds in his early years, he still behaved with utmost courtesy. Even though Duoduo, who had hurriedly run out of the military tent, had already used some strength, he still failed to stop him in the end.

After a while, Hong Chengchou entered the tent under the guidance of Duoduo. After seeing Duoduo sitting in the commander's seat, he sat down carefully.

"Thank you for your hard work, Grand Secretary. If I hadn't been defeated, you wouldn't have to clean up this mess."

"Serving the court is the duty of a minister. I don't deserve your praise, Your Majesty."

Although Hong Chengchou was humble, Duoduo never showed any hostility towards him.

Although Duoduo's words were mixed with some intimacy, Hong Chengchou was respectful and polite, as if keeping him at a distance. This behavior inevitably left Duoduo, who had a lot to say, with no room to start a conversation.

This is not surprising. Although Duoduo got along well with Han surrendered generals such as Kong Youde, he seemed to have never regarded Han civil officials as human beings.

Of course, there may be some elements of causing trouble for Huang Taiji, but his reputation spread anyway.

Under such circumstances, how could Hong Chengchou dare not be polite and how could he dare not be careful in his words and actions?

After talking back and forth for a long time, Duoduo lost his patience when he saw that Hong Chengchou was just like that. After a little thought, he went straight to the point.

"What does the Grand Secretary think of the battle in Jiangnan?"

"The court has reached a conclusion. When the prince returns to the capital, an imperial decree will be issued. At this time, it is inconvenient for this old minister to say more."

According to common sense, Hong Chengchou had already acted in an impartial manner, so Duoduo should not have continued to dwell on it.

But he had thought about it many times during this period and had gained a lot of insights. Not only did he want to tell his brother all of this, he also wanted to discuss it in detail with his successor.

Under such circumstances, Duoduo, who never took civil servants seriously, continued talking to himself as if he did not hear the meaning of Hong Chengchou's words.

"The conclusion of the court is nothing more than the result of political disputes among several parties, and it cannot be taken as a sure thing. I have pondered over it carefully these days and have some ideas. I wonder if the Grand Secretary is interested in listening?"

"Since Your Majesty has something to say, then this old minister is all ears."

Facing Hong Chengchou's cold response, Duoduo still maintained a warm smile. Even though there seemed to be a flash of surprise on his face, he did not pursue it and just continued speaking.

"The Southern Army has a large number of artillery on boats, and it is difficult to find an opponent in a place with dense water networks. If our dynasty does the same, I think they will not be as passive as I am when they go south again."

After he finished speaking, Duoduo couldn't help but glance at Hong Chengchou's face. Seeing that he was still unmoved, he secretly praised him, but changed his tone directly.

"But our dynasty was founded on cavalry and archery, and if we do this suddenly, we will inevitably face resistance from many sides. So I want the Grand Secretary to prepare for it in secret first, and then I will put it on the table after I have convinced the Regent."

After hearing this, Hong Chengchou, who had already planned to deal with Duoduo in a fair and impartial manner, could no longer hide his surprise.

Although he stayed in Beijing, he was not completely ignorant of what was happening in the south of the Yangtze River.

When he learned the entire process of the battle in Jiangnan from the war report of the Ministry of War, this veteran minister, who could be regarded as a capable general and a capable minister, felt mixed emotions. How could he not see the role played by the navy and artillery in it?

But he also knew that the reason why Dongjiang Town was able to cause unrest outside the Great Wall with its weak army was that the Manchus did not allow such technology to flow in for various reasons.

Otherwise, with so many captured craftsmen, it would only take a few months to build a dozen large ships.

As long as they had the ability to fight on the water, how could the Dongjiang River, which was short of food and clothing, create such huge waves?

Therefore, after hearing the first half of Duoduo's story, he just listened to it in one ear and out the other. He never thought that Duoduo could see the essence of the problem, nor did he think that this matter could really be accomplished.

But when Duoduo said the last sentence, he had to change his original opinion.

This young and powerful Manchu not only saw the power of the navy, but also saw the resistance in building a navy.

just
Did he really see the resistance?
(End of this chapter)