The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 387: Allied with the invaders to destroy the enemy
The old Wu Palace reopened its doors to children.

New Yangzhou first taught skinny horses,
Huaiyang drums and Kunshan strings,
Wuxikou Gusu Jiaowa.

The spring breeze blows warmly,
Fighting clear smoke, fluttering cold sleeves,
The palace maids are like hemp,

Red Mansion and Green Palace,

Beautiful scenery at the end of the world,

They all serve me, Emperor Wuyou,
Talking and laughing. (Note 1)

In the first year of Wuding in the Great Qi Dynasty, the first year of Zhenbao in the Great Tang Dynasty, and the first year of Hongguang in the Great Ming Dynasty, between February and March, the capital (Nanjing).

The palaces and pavilions blocked the swordplay in the north, and the extravagance in the capital concealed the hardships of the soldiers at the front.

Emperor Hongguang Zhu Changling, who had been on the throne for less than two months, was like most princes of that era. After experiencing decades of extreme repression, he suddenly ascended the throne one day and naturally wanted to release his physical and mental desires to the maximum extent.

So when the Northern Tartars (the name given to Liu Zhaosun and others by the Hongguang emperor and his ministers) were fighting with Zhang Chun and Li Xianzhong in Beijing, Emperor Hongguang was still concerned about the charm of his imperial garden and the exquisite costumes of the opera troupe in the palace.

Of course, the emperor did not forget to engage in passionate and fierce battles with the more than ten beauties from Jiangnan whom he had recently enthroned in the harem.

In the spring of the first year of the Hongguang reign, the Yangzhou camp of Liu Zongzhou (then serving as Grand Secretary of the Dongke, Minister of War, and Grand Commander-in-Chief of the Rebellion Suppression Camp) attracted the most fervent and loyal gentry from Jiangnan. They came from all over Jiangnan, especially from the Huai River basin, to serve as his advisors, eager to serve the court and annihilate the northern barbarians.

When Liu Zongzhou left Nanjing, he took with him the elite soldiers and generals he had recruited and trained during his fight against pirates (Zheng Zhilong), such as Zhang Yichong, Li Biao, Zhou Zixin, Shi Kefa, Meng Zhenbang and other young people.

After arriving in Yangzhou, Liu Zongzhou announced the establishment of a special institution - Lixian Hall - before reporting to Emperor Hongguang, and ordered the recruitment of scholars from all over the country, allowing these southern elites to serve as his staff and provide advice to him.

While Emperor Hongguang was still indulging in debauchery and pleasure in Nanjing, General Liu had already prepared for war. His staff in the Yangzhou camp suggested that General Liu begin to consider an alliance with the Shaanxi bandit Li Xianzhong's troops to jointly deal with the remnants of the Great Qi and other "Northern Tartars" who still controlled most of Shandong and Henan.

This "genius" political and military alliance strategy created by the Southern Ming Dynasty's rulers and ministers was later called "Uniting the Bandits to Suppress the Tartars" by historians. Of course, the more official name is "April Countercurrent."

Regardless of how this military strategy was defined by later historians, once the initiative was put forward in the spring of the first year of Hongguang, it immediately received widespread support and endorsement from both the government and the public.

The reason why the Southern Ming rulers and their ministers supported the strategy of uniting with the invaders to pacify the enemy was actually very simple.

First, both Liu Zongzhou and Emperor Hongguang believed that using the bandits to eliminate the main enemy, the Kaiyuan Army, was a prudent and patriotic move. Second, there was no doubt that the northern barbarians who had usurped the throne, murdered the previous emperor, and the previous emperor were far more dangerous and despicable than the bandits who had just entered the Pass (Tongguan). Finally, the vengeance of the emperor and his father must be avenged, and the perpetrators of their murder were none other than the traitor Liu Zhaosun.

The Donglin Party members in the south even wrote books and articles on the Tang Dynasty's suppression of Huang Chao to prove the correctness of the strategy of uniting with the invaders to destroy the enemy.

The Tang Dynasty did not rely solely on Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi to quell the Huang Chao Rebellion, but instead borrowed Li Keyong's Shatuo soldiers and recruited traitors like Zhu Wen to surrender, which ultimately gave it hope of revival.

So, can our dynasty temporarily make use of bandits like Li Xianzhong and Zhang Zicheng - Li Xianzhong has repeatedly expressed his loyalty to the emperor and his patriotism - and let them consume each other with the Kaiyuan army, and when both sides are defeated, the court can reap the benefits.

It has to be said that the Southern Ming court was extremely efficient. As soon as it received the news of the incident in the capital at the end of February, on March 2, Liu Zongzhou sent the first wave of envoys for peace talks.

He Tao, the lieutenant general of Zhenjiang, escorted two censors secretly north to contact Li Xianzhong and conferred the title of Duke of Qin on him in the name of Emperor Hongguang.

At the same time, the Nanjing court finally learned that the Tang army had completely surrounded and killed Liu Zhaosun in Beijing, and had begun to launch a fierce attack, and the city of Beijing could be captured at any time.

The Southern Ming court was shocked.

On March 12, the first year of the Hongguang reign, Fang Min in Nanjing received the "Book on Attacking Qi for the People of the World" written by Ma Jinxing himself.

In the eyes of the learned scholars in the Hongguang court, the writing style of the manifesto was obscure and the meaning was quite vague. The first part described the reasons why the Tang army sent troops to northern Zhili and expressed the Tang army's hope to eradicate the rebellious Qi and save the world.

Considering that northern officials and gentry had welcomed the Tang army with "loyalty and righteousness" and had now voluntarily surrendered to the Tang Dynasty and become good citizens under the new dynasty, this proved the Tang Dynasty's goodwill. In his manifesto, Li Xianzhong stated that all those who cooperated with the Tang Dynasty would be promoted and given titles, and that the Tang Dynasty would treat all Jiangnan residents who supported the Southern Ming Dynasty equally and protect them.

"Those who do not forget the Ming Dynasty, assist the virtuous vassal states, and work together to protect Jiangzuo should do so. I will not prohibit you, but you should establish friendly relations and negotiate peace, and not let down our dynasty. They should carry on the kindness of the past and cultivate good neighborly relations." (Note 2)

This part of Ma Jinxing's manifesto used "dual independence" as bait to paint a beautiful picture of peaceful coexistence and non-aggression between the North and the South for the rulers and ministers of the small Southern Ming court.

This manifesto was like a shot of adrenaline, completely dispelling Liu Zongzhou and others' last concerns about the bandits.

As a result, peace talks were officially put on the agenda. Shortly after Lieutenant General He Tao was sent on his mission, Emperor Hongguang sent a second wave of envoys.

The Tongbei envoy Xia Zhiling set out again. He was originally a censor in the Household Department and was currently the governor of Nanjing.

Xia Zhiling, a native of Shandong, wanted to return to the north to arrange his mother's funeral, so he requested to lead an embassy to Beijing.

The purpose of this mission was, firstly, to supervise the preparation of sacrifices and arrangements for the funeral of the martyred Emperor Tianqi, and secondly, to persuade Li Xianzhong, the King of Rebellion, to form an alliance with the Southern Ming.

To show its sincerity, the Southern Ming Dynasty would cede more northwestern lands controlled by the Tang army, and promised to pay King Chuang 300,000 taels of silver every year in exchange for the Tang army's withdrawal from Guanxi.

Of course, the prerequisite for this peace negotiation was to destroy the violent Qi, annihilate the Kaiyuan army, and drive the northern barbarians out of Shanhaiguan.

In other words, Liu Zhaosun must die no matter what.

This diplomatic mission in the first year of the Hongguang reign was of great fanfare. In addition to Xia Zhiling as the chief envoy, there were two deputy envoys, Ma Shao, the Junior Secretary of the Imperial Household Department, and Chen Hongfan, the Left Governor-General.

In addition, there were ten officials, twenty followers, fifty cavalrymen, two hundred grooms, three thousand guards, and a large number of gifts and gold, silver and silk.

~~~~
The Tang army camp in the western suburbs of the capital.

Emperor Zhenbao Li Xianzhong had just heard about Liu Zongmin's disastrous defeat in the Battle of Yongdingmen, and he was still feeling upset. He rubbed his painful left eye and glanced impatiently at the several "envoys of Emperor Hongguang" standing in front of him. When he heard that the other party wanted to confer the title of "Duke of Jizhou" on him, the Tang Emperor felt like he was slapped in the face in front of all his subordinates. He secretly clenched his fists and did not take action immediately.

When Xia Zhiling first arrived in Beijing, he had no idea about the surrounding situation, so he ran to meet Li Xianzhong.

He Tao, the lieutenant general of Zhenjiang who was accompanying him, had arrived a few days earlier than him. He had witnessed the old camp attacking Yongding Gate yesterday with his own eyes. He kept winking at this pedantic civil servant.

Xia Zhiling was still unaware and continued to talk about the price that Emperor Hongguang had offered to Li Xianzhong. Finally, he said to Li Xianzhong proudly:

"I wonder what Prince Chuang thinks? My emperor has heard of his unparalleled bravery and has long wanted to recruit him..."

"What? Three hundred thousand taels? Are you sending away beggars?! He is the emperor, and so am I. I don't want him to confer the title on me! I want the silver and I can take it myself!"

Seeing Xia Zhiling and the others still standing and not kneeling, Ma Jinxing became furious and said:

"How dare you! You're meeting Emperor Zhenbao and you still don't kneel! Kneel!"

Xia Zhiling and the two envoys knelt down reluctantly and kowtowed three times and bowed nine times to Emperor Zhenbao.

Li Xianzhong stepped forward and kicked Xia Zhiling to the ground, pointing at the Southern Ming envoys and cursing:
"Leave behind all the gold, silver, and jewelry, as well as the three thousand soldiers. Tomorrow, I will follow Liu Zongmin to attack the Yongding Gate. All of you, get out of here and let that so-called Emperor Guang wash his neck clean. Once I have destroyed Liu Zhaosun, I will chop off your heads!"

Note:
1. Kong Shangren: Peach Blossom Fan, p. 13

2. Tan Qian, Guoqie, p. 6118; see also Gu Cheng, On Social Contradictions in the Early Qing Dynasty, p. 141.

(End of this chapter)