Prince Chongzhen

Chapter 302 There is a Will

Shang Kexi is probably the most interesting of the Han princes in the early Qing Dynasty.

During the Three Feudatories Rebellion many years later, he insisted on being loyal to the Qing Dynasty and used the tiny territory of Guangdong to contain more than 100,000 rebels and prevent them from marching north, thus creating favorable conditions for the Qing government to suppress the rebellion.

Afterwards, his son Shang Zhixin sent troops to besiege his father's mansion, seized the supreme command of Guangdong, and responded to Wu Sangui's rebellion. Upon hearing the news of the rebellion, Shang Kexi wanted to hang himself, but was rescued by his subordinates.

It is not known whether it was because of his sorrow and anger over his son's participation in the rebellion, or for some other reason, but Shang Kexi died in Guangzhou under house arrest a few months later.

Before his death, he had been unconscious for a long time, but suddenly he opened his eyes and said, "I have received great favors from three dynasties, but now the situation has come to this. I cannot kill the enemy, and I deserve to die!"

Then he ordered his sons to take out the crown and clothes given by Huang Taiji, and after putting them on, he helped him kowtow to the north and said, "After I die, I will return to Haicheng for burial. If my soul is aware, it will still serve the emperor."

If you only look at this part, everyone would think that he is a loyal minister of the Qing Dynasty. However, if you know that his father died at the hands of the Jin soldiers, and his wives, concubines, and hundreds of family members and maids all died by jumping into the water when the Jin soldiers attacked the city, this drama would probably have some different meaning.

The reason is simple.

If he was truly a man who valued friendship and loyalty, he would have been irreconcilable with the Manchus because of the death of his father and family. However, at the last moment of his life, he showed his loyalty to the Qing Dynasty without any concealment.

There is probably no other reason except for his extremely sharp vision and control over the overall situation.

"We have been frustrated in our attacks these days. Why don't we rest for a few days and wait for Wu Zhenchaoha to arrive?"

Faced with Wang Guangen's request for help, Shang Kexi hesitated for a moment and then offered some advice.

This was something he had wanted to say two days ago, but he had never had the chance until now.

It just so happened that Wang Guangen asked for help at this time, and he could also do him a favor, so he took the risk and expressed his thoughts.

According to him, the ant-like siege in the past few days not only posed a great threat to the defenders, but also caused heavy casualties among his own soldiers. If Wu Zhenchaoha's artillery arrived, wouldn't it be as easy as taking something out of a bag to capture Ganzhou City? Why did they have to fight to the death?
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"You go and get ready first."

Ajige did not respond to Shang Kexi immediately. After all the generals had left the tent, he walked a few steps into the tent and whispered, "Wu Zhenchaoha can't come."

"what?"

When he first heard this, Shang Kexi thought he had misheard, but when he saw Ajige's face as gloomy as water, he couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart.

He knew very well that the most important thing in this step was speed.

If they could capture Ganzhou before the Ming troops could react, they would not only be able to regain the initiative strategically, but also make this place a sharp blade piercing the heart of the Ming Dynasty.

By then, no matter they take action or sit back and wait, they can make the small court of Yingtian too busy to deal with it, or even reveal their flaws.

But all this is based on taking over Ganzhou.

Without Wu Zhenchaoha, Ganzhou, which is protected in its tortoise shell, will have to sacrifice human lives. The death of a few people is not a big deal, but this time
Thinking of this, Shang Kexi immediately understood why Ajige was becoming more and more anxious day by day.

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Why can't Wu Zhenchaoha come?

Is it Kong Youde?

No, he has already taken sick leave and stayed in Huai'an city all day without even stepping out of his house. I don't know what's wrong with him.

What's more, while Ajige led his troops to attack Ganzhou, Wuzhen Chaoha had also set out from Ji'an at the same time. Even if Kong Youde really had any ideas, it was not certain that he could convey them in time.

What could be the reason?

As his thoughts turned, the doubt on Shang Kexi's face became more and more intense. When Ajige saw that he was only thinking in his heart but did not ask, his anxiety also increased.

Among the several Han generals, the one he was most impatient with was Shang Kexi. He stopped responding after speaking a few words. He didn't know whether there was something wrong with his ears or his heart.

If the Manchus were not so few in number, the conquest of the world would have required more efforts from these Han generals. Given Ajige's temper, he would have found a way to deal with this guy long ago.

"The news that came in last night said that Wuzhen Chaoha was ambushed by cavalry on the way."

"Is it Chuang Jun?"

"Of course not. According to the soldier who reported the news, the people coming are all dressed in Ming army uniforms. The rebels have only surrendered to the Ming army for a short time and they probably don't have all the uniforms."

Yes, Hunan is still quite a distance away, and with Ji'an blocking their way, they may not be able to get here so quickly.

But where did these people come from?
How could it be such a coincidence that Wu Zhenchaoha was kidnapped?

After hearing what Ajige said, Shang Kexi's mind started to turn again, but at the same time he did not notice that Ajige's expression had become even gloomier than before. After a while, he was brought back by the angry shouts in his ears.

"This Hong Chengchou. Humph!"

Ajige's words were of course silenced because of Shang Kexi's constant chatter, but in Shang Kexi's eyes, he was angry with Hong Chengchou because the war was not going well.

He had been with Ajige since Dorgon divided his troops into three routes, so he naturally knew how Ajige reacted when he first heard Hong Chengchou's plan.

Generally speaking, this plan was indeed clever. They took advantage of the opportunity that the Ming army was about to launch a large-scale attack to set up a series of strategies, and in the end, Ganzhou, which was supposed to be heavily guarded, almost became an empty city.

But in Ajige's eyes, a good strategy cannot have so many links, otherwise if there is a mistake anywhere, it will eventually lead to a great defeat. It is better to fight a real battle with real swords and guns, and save so many bells and whistles.

Shang Kexi, who had fought for many years, naturally agreed with this, but at the same time he could also understand why Hong Chengchou would use such a risky strategy and why Dorgon, who was far away in Beijing, would agree to it.

When he surrendered to the Jin Dynasty, the life of the Jurchen nobles was much better than that of Nurhaci, but the ordinary bannermen still had to rely on the little things looted from the Ming Dynasty to survive.

Although the flag soldiers were still alive during that period, the suffering they endured was not much better than if they were dead.

Therefore, fearlessness and bravery became the label of the first and second generations of Jurchens, and Huang Taiji was able to become the strongest force outside the Great Wall step by step with his powerful soldiers.

But people always change.

Since entering the Pass, the Eight Banners soldiers not only made a lot of money, but also got enough land and property to make a living. They were no longer the "bandits" who had to hang their heads on their belts to barely survive.

It is easy to imagine that in a year or two, the once unrivaled Eight Banners of Manchuria would quickly become corrupt.

If the Manchus had not yet secured their rule over the world by that time, the best case scenario would probably be that they would be at the same level as the Jin Dynasty. If one were to be pessimistic, they might end up like the Five Barbarians.

It is easier said than done to control the world.

Although the current Ming Dynasty is located in the south of the Yangtze River, the prince does not look like Zhao Gou at all. If he does not make a last-ditch effort while the Eight Banners soldiers still have considerable combat effectiveness, who knows what the situation will be like in a few years?
Yes, in Shang Kexi's view, this plot was Hong Chengchou's last attempt after obtaining the consent of Jurchen nobles such as Dorgon and Duoduo.

Even though in the eyes of the world the Qing is still strong and the Ming is weak, in the eyes of some people with strategic vision, the balance of power between the two sides has gradually changed due to the rapid corruption of the Eight Banners soldiers.

There was no way around it. After entering the Pass, the Jurchens seized a large amount of wealth from the Han people.

Even if it was still a pyramid structure, the total number of Jurchens was only a few hundred thousand, and the little that leaked from the upper class was enough for the lower class to live a rich life. How could the bannermen, who had silver, land, and women, still not take their lives seriously as they did in the past?

"Master Hong's plan is indeed a bit risky."

Seeing Ajige suddenly angry, Shang Kexi simply made a rather objective evaluation and said no more.

In the final analysis, many things have already been seen by people who can understand, while people who cannot understand will just think you are talking nonsense even if you tell them ten times.

However, when facing a reckless man like Ajige, Shang Kexi did not think it was necessary to waste words.

"Forget it, let's not talk about this. Wu Zhenchaoha's affairs cannot be known to others."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I woke up naturally."

After saying a few more words, Shang Kexi went back to his own camp, but what he was thinking in his heart was beyond the knowledge of Ajige.

No force can be a monolithic entity. Due to various reasons, there will always be contradictions within it. This is not much different between the Ming and Qing dynasties.

If we must find some differences, we can probably only talk about the basis of rule.

After all, the Qing court was a small clan ruling over a large clan. Throughout the dynasty, problems between ethnic groups were like a sword hanging over the heads of the Manchus.

Their worries were not unnecessary. When the Qing Dynasty was about to collapse, hundreds of years of accumulated hatred broke out at once, and most of the surviving Manchus even changed their surnames to Han surnames.

But Zhu Cilang did not have such worries. He only needed to pay attention to different interest groups. He did not need to favor someone because of his race, nor did he need to deliberately suppress them.

Ultimately, interests change with time and space.

Just like the local forces in the south of the Yangtze River, which had turned a blind eye to the Tatar invasion during the Hongguang period and even vied to submit letters of surrender, had now become Zhu Cilang's basically firm supporters.

There is no need to ask each one of them one by one. This can be easily seen from the performance of the court ministers who represent their interests.

"You are unworthy of being ministers! If His Majesty were to meet with an accident, I would sacrifice my own life to make your blood spill seven steps away!"

"Yuan Jixian! Tell me! Was it you who instigated this?!"

"Lord, His Majesty is distracted. It would be fine if you didn't try to persuade him, but how can you help him hide it from the court officials?!"

"Xu Yinjue! You dare to act recklessly even though you haven't even become a relative of the emperor yet! You should know that the Ming Dynasty is not the Han Dynasty!"

At this time in the Yingtian Imperial Palace, three cabinet ministers and Xu Yinjue were blocked by a group of officials in the Wenhua Hall. Facing verbal abuse and questioning, the four mouths could not utter a single word.

They also felt aggrieved. Did they really think this gentleman was the one in front?

Although this gentleman would discuss with important officials in the court before making any decision on major issues, was there any of these decisions that was not to his liking?

Now he has left without a care in the world, leaving them with the stigma of traitors.
Alas~~~~~~!

He sighed deeply in his heart. As the Prime Minister, Qian Qianyi could no longer pretend to be dead.

"Everyone~~~~, everyone~~~~, please listen to what I have to say~~, please listen to what I have to say~~."

It was also because during the Jingwu period, His Majesty attached great importance to the local forces in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. When Qian Qianyi stood up, some people hesitated for a moment and then stopped making noise.

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"Lord Qian, we are here to listen to the cabinet's explanation, but you can't treat us like fools."

"If you don't tell me everything about what happened today, even if you die, you won't be forgiven for your crime!"

Seeing that some people were still insisting on giving in, Qian Qianyi glanced to the side inadvertently, and Ma Shiying, who had been pretending to be deaf and dumb a while ago, stood up after seeing this glance.

"Lord Qian is here to resolve your concerns. It won't be too late to speak up after I've finished listening to your thoughts."

As Ma Shiying finished speaking, the other part of the court officials who were still asking questions also quieted down. The remaining three or two officials stopped making noise when they saw that most people were listening attentively. Qian Qianyi finally had the basis to speak.

"Your Majesty, when you go on tour this time, you not only have General Xiang by your side to protect you, but you have also transferred General Fang and General Hou here. If you are talking about safety, there is naturally nothing safer than this."

"Bullshit!"

According to Qian Qianyi's original plan, after saying all this he would appease the court officials a little, but who would have thought that as soon as he said this, he heard a shout and scolding. When he looked in the direction of the voice, he saw a green-robed official really pushing forward.

"What do you mean by tour? This is clearly the emperor leading the army in person! The Tartars are currently using their troops everywhere, Your Majesty..."

"How disrespectful! Is this what the sage books you studied taught you?"

The green-robed official only said two sentences, but Qian Qianyi had already figured out his background. However, when he was somewhat annoyed that Ma Shiying had secretly tripped him up, he heard him immediately scolding him, which surprised him a little.

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"The sage books taught me to be loyal to the emperor and love my country, but they did not instigate the emperor to take risks himself!"

The situation changed one after another. Ma Shiying naturally suppressed the green-robed civil servant easily, but then another person in a green robe stood up. When Qian Qianyi discovered that the person seemed to have been to his own mansion, he immediately felt as if something had suddenly dawned on him.

Although he and Ma Shiying both had their own followers, they were ultimately very different from the powerful officials in history books.

Normally, the officials would naturally respect me, but if something big really happened, I think they would be the same as they are now.

With this in mind, Qian Qianyi glanced at Huang Daozhou and Liu Zongzhou, who looked relaxed and at ease. When he looked away, he saw that Ma Shiying seemed to have just turned his head back from a certain direction.

By this time, both Qian Qianyi and Ma Shiying had a deeper understanding of their own weight in the court.

Then Mr. Qian sighed inwardly again, and then he took out a bright yellow scroll from his sleeve.

"There is an imperial edict!"

"Your Majesty, I wish our Emperor long live! Long live! Long, long live!"

Looking at the court officials kneeling on the ground, the four people who had been stuck in the Wenhua Hall for more than an hour suddenly felt relieved.

"Fengtian Chengyun Emperor, the imperial edict said:

The Tartars are determined to destroy us, and our soldiers are fighting bloody battles.

I am supported by the people, how can I live in the palace?
I now order the three armies of the imperial guard, the center, the left, and the right, to follow me in person.

I hope everyone in the court can help the three elders and Duke Wei to sort out all the issues.
Admire this! "

"Minister! I obey your order!"

(End of this chapter)