My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Chapter 259 The Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty is more difficult to deal with than the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty!
Zhu Cilang was slightly taken aback.

"Didn't they say ten people died?"

Li Ruolian explained:

"There were indeed ten last night, but three of them were too badly injured to make it this morning, so there are thirteen now!"

So that’s what happened!

Zhu Cilang stroked his chin, then suddenly seemed to remember something, and asked out of the blue:

"Which side won?"

Li Ruolian was taken aback, almost thinking he had misheard. After the translation, he said:

"In terms of casualties, it should be North Korea! Because North Korea had five dead and thirteen wounded, while the Jurchens had eight dead and more than twenty wounded."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang's lips curled into a meaningful smile.

He had thought that the Korean envoys would be no match for the Jurchens, but he never expected that they would gain the upper hand against the Jurchens on Ming territory.

Immediately afterward, Li Ruolian cautiously asked again:

"Your Highness, how should this matter be handled? Please provide a plan, otherwise your ministers and the Court of Judicial Review will not know how to proceed."

Zhu Cilang frowned slightly, then asked:
"Is there any precedent for this?"

Li Ruolian quickly shook her head:
"Never before."

He was telling the truth. In the nearly three hundred years of the Ming Dynasty's history, such a conflict between foreign envoys within the territory of the Ming Dynasty, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries, had never actually happened before.

This left them completely at a loss, utterly unsure how to respond.

After all, these people are not citizens of the Ming Dynasty, and cannot be simply treated as ordinary murder cases. The matters involved are complex and complicated. If they are not handled properly and affect the court's established plans, the consequences will be unimaginable.

This is also why the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Court of Judicial Review dared not deal with these people on their own.

Zhu Cilang nodded slightly and fell into a brief moment of contemplation.

To be honest, he was actually a little gloating. After all, the two forces of Joseon and Jurchen had never given the Ming Dynasty any peace of mind. Now that they were fighting like dogs, he just thought it was a good show.

Since it wasn't someone from the Ming Dynasty who died, what did he have to worry about?
He might even be hoping more of them die!

However, the negative impact of this incident should not be underestimated.

After all, as the suzerain state, the fact that such a thing happened on its own territory was undoubtedly a blatant challenge to the dignity of the Ming Dynasty. Clearly, neither side took the Ming Dynasty seriously.

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang's eyes sharpened, and he said:
"Go and bring that Fenglin Grand Prince and Yebushu to the East Palace. I will handle this matter myself."

Upon hearing this, Li Ruolian felt slightly relieved and quickly replied respectfully:
"I accept your order."

He then left the East Palace.

Meanwhile, in a spacious room in the South Wing of the Honglu Temple, the atmosphere was so oppressive it was suffocating.

Grand Prince Fenglin slumped in a carved chair, looking terrified. His Korean crown was askew on his head, and his magnificent brocade robe was covered in dust, making him look utterly disheveled.

His eyes were filled with fear and regret, and the ministers beside him also looked tense, their brows furrowed and their bodies trembling with anxiety.

Since the conflict, Lord Fenglin has not slept a wink all night, his eyes are bloodshot, and he has been staying up until now.

The reason is quite simple: he had no idea how the Ming Dynasty would handle the matter.

To be honest, he didn't expect things to develop to this point.

He originally just wanted to send someone to teach the Jurchen hostages a lesson and vent his anger, but who could have imagined that once the fight started, it would get out of control and eventually erupt into a fierce conflict.

Logically speaking, his side only had a few dozen people, while the Jurchens had more than three hundred. By all accounts, they should have been at a disadvantage.

But the result was unexpected. In the final count, they did not suffer many casualties, but the Jurchens suffered heavy losses.

At first, he couldn't understand it, but after being enlightened by several senior ministers, Grand Prince Fenglin finally understood what was going on.

Ultimately, it was because the Jurchens had reservations and dared not go all out.

After all, in the previous Battle of Songjin, the Ming Dynasty was the victorious nation, while the Jurchens were the defeated nation, and these people were even sent to the Ming Dynasty as hostages.

Under these circumstances, they fear that if they were to take action and actually kill the group of Korean envoys, they would also find it difficult to escape severe punishment from the Ming Dynasty!
At that point, their lives might be in danger.

This is why the Korean envoy ultimately won.

Now that he has calmed down and thought about the incident, Fenglin Dajun still feels lingering fear. If the Jurchens hadn't stopped yesterday, he might have lost his life too.

He didn't want to die far from home, becoming a victim of the power struggle between the two countries.

However, now that things have developed to this point, it seems that they are not so easy to resolve.

After all, so many people died on both sides, and they died on Ming territory. Ming will surely punish them severely!
Thinking of this, Grand Prince Fenglin looked at his ministers with deep concern and said:
"Everyone, what do you all think we should do next?"

Upon hearing this, the ministers exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with confusion and helplessness.

Things have come to this point, how could they possibly know what to do?

Moreover, the power to handle this matter is not in their hands, but firmly in the hands of the Ming Dynasty.

They had no choice but to do whatever the Ming Dynasty said; they had absolutely no room for resistance!
Just then, a wise-looking old man in the crowd spoke slowly, his voice carrying a hint of reproach and worry.

“Your Majesty, I told you before that we should not cause trouble for the Jurchens anymore, because it might affect our plans. But you refused to listen and insisted on causing trouble for the Jurchens, which has led to the current situation.”

"What should we do if this leads to the Ming Dynasty ceasing its troop deployments to Korea?"

The Korean envoy was already aware of the Ming Dynasty's deployment of troops to Korea.

Of course, the official explanation was that the Ming Dynasty stationed troops in Korea to defend against Japan.

After all, the Jurchens were now a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, so it was impossible to openly say that the mission was aimed at the Jurchens. The Korean envoys naturally understood this, so they all tacitly accepted this explanation.

Originally, they only needed to obediently wait for the Ming Dynasty to send troops to garrison the court, but unexpectedly, this Prince Fenglin could not contain his anger and this happened.

When Fenglin Dajun heard the old man's words, his face instantly turned bright red, and a feeling of shame welled up in his heart.

Because he knew it was his fault, he didn't know how to refute it for a moment, and could only lower his head and silently endure the torment in his heart.

But soon, another minister sighed helplessly and said:

"It's too late to say all this now. All we can do now is see how the Ming Dynasty handles this matter."

"I hope the Ming Dynasty won't back down because of this!"

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent, their worries deepening as if shrouded in a thick, dark cloud, offering no glimmer of hope.

Meanwhile, the scene shifts to the North Hall of the Honglu Temple.

The atmosphere here was equally tense and oppressive. Hundreds of Jurchens sat scattered in a huge room, their expressions varied, but none could hide their fear.

This group of Jurchens were none other than the hostages sent by the Jurchens during the Battle of Songjin, and their leader was naturally Yebushu, the son of Huang Taiji.

Compared to Lord Fenglin, Yebushu was even more terrified at this moment. His face was deathly pale, and tears were about to fall.

There was no other way; he was still young and had lived in the palace before coming to the Ming Dynasty. He had never experienced the cruelty of war and rarely even participated in fights among his peers.

Therefore, faced with such a situation, he was immediately at a loss and had no idea how to handle it.

Huang Taiji naturally took this into consideration, so he actually sent another person to serve as the backbone of this group of hostages. This person was named Aisin Gioro Ganbu.

Although Aisin Gioro Ganbu also shares the surname Aisin Gioro, he is not of the orthodox Aisin Gioro bloodline. Instead, he is the son of Nurhaci's adopted son.

Although he was not related to the Aisin Gioro family by blood, he grew up with Huang Taiji's sons from a young age, so they were very close to each other.

Ganbu is in his thirties, with a tall and straight figure, sharp eyes, and a shrewd and capable demeanor.

The reason Huang Taiji sent him was twofold: first, to protect Yebushu, and second, to ensure that this group of people would not cause any trouble in the Ming Dynasty.

But I never expected that it would eventually cause such a huge problem.

To be honest, Ganbu was also filled with helplessness regarding what happened yesterday.

Faced with the provocation from the Korean envoy, Ganbu had been trying to suppress his anger and not want the conflict to escalate further.

He also required everyone under his command to do the same.

But things are unpredictable. Unexpectedly, the conflict that occurred last night still broke out and caused such a big consequence.

This is absolutely shameful for them.

After all, they had the upper hand in the war against North Korea in the past, defeating North Korea without any chance to fight back. But now they were being beaten by North Korea and suffered heavy casualties, which made them feel very frustrated.

Just then, Yebushu, who hadn't slept all night and was on the verge of a mental breakdown, couldn't help but ask in a trembling voice:

"Brother, what should we do? Do you think the Ming emperor will kill us because of what happened yesterday?"

His voice was filled with fear and despair, as if he could already see his own end.

Upon hearing this, others also became secretly worried.

After all, who would want to die if they could live?

Moreover, although they are currently hostages, they are not lacking in food and drink in the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty has not mistreated them because of this.

They could even occasionally dress up in Han Chinese clothing and experience the prosperity of the capital. This novelty made them temporarily forget their status as hostages.

But who could have imagined it?

With the arrival of the Korean envoys in the Ming Dynasty, everything suddenly changed. Now, all that remained in their hearts was endless fear and a desperate desire to survive. Upon hearing this, Ganbu quickly offered words of comfort:

"Don't worry, it won't come to that. After all, it was the North Koreans who provoked us first!"

Upon hearing this, another person in the crowd couldn't help but speak up:
"But we started it."

This statement plunged the atmosphere into a freezing mood once again, but Ganbu immediately followed up with:

"It's true that we struck first, but we didn't go all out yesterday, which resulted in us suffering far more casualties than North Korea."

"In this way, even if the Ming Dynasty wants to investigate this matter, the main responsibility will not lie with us. At most, we will just be punished."

"They can't possibly kill us and the Korean envoys all of us, can they?"

"Although Korea has become our vassal state, the friendship between them and the Ming Dynasty has lasted for hundreds of years. We absolutely cannot kill them all over such a small matter."

"Moreover, one of them is the son of the King of Joseon. If the Ming Dynasty really dares to do this, Joseon will completely side with us."

"So I dare say that the final outcome of this matter should be that a major issue is reduced to a minor one, and a minor issue is resolved altogether."

It must be said that this Aisin-Gioro Ganbu was quite intelligent, able to carefully analyze the key points of the matter and make reasonable inferences.

After hearing this, everyone felt that it made a lot of sense, and their tense nerves relaxed a little.

Suddenly, at that moment, someone else couldn't help but speak up:
"Speaking of which, Korea is really shameless. They have already become our vassal state, yet they still travel thousands of miles to the Ming Dynasty to ask for help."

"Moreover, I heard that the Ming Dynasty has agreed to allow them to station troops in Korea, ostensibly to deal with Japan, but in the end, they actually want to deal with us."

As soon as he said that, the room fell silent again.

Although the Ming Dynasty claimed that it stationed troops in Korea to help Korea resist Japan, how could the Jurchens not understand the true intentions behind it?
Ostensibly, the purpose was to resist Japan, but in reality, it was to tie down their forces, keep them on guard of their rear, and prevent them from launching large-scale attacks on the Ming border.

But then again, even if they knew about this, what could they possibly do?

After all, they are hostages now.

Although the Ming Dynasty did not restrict their daily activities, their activities were limited to the capital city at most, and leaving the city was absolutely forbidden.

Moreover, their every move was closely monitored by the Embroidered Uniform Guards at all times and in all places.

It's no exaggeration to say that even if they went to the toilet, the Imperial Guards could tell what color their excrement was.

Under these circumstances, they had no way of getting the intelligence to Huang Taiji.

But then again, even if this kind of intelligence is delivered, what can you do?

We still can't do anything.

After all, the Ming Dynasty's stated purpose was to help Korea fight against Japan, so even if Huang Taiji knew about this, there was nothing he could do.

In addition, their navy was completely annihilated in the previous Battle of Songjin, which left them powerless to fight against the Ming navy. They could only watch helplessly as the Ming army stationed troops in Korea and threatened their rear.

Thinking of this, everyone felt even more desolate.

The atmosphere inside the room suddenly became extremely heavy.

dong dong dong.
Suddenly, at that moment, a knock sounded at the door, followed by a voice coming in:
"Gentlemen, His Highness the Crown Prince has ordered that Yebushu be invited to the Eastern Palace for a discussion."

Upon hearing this, many people in the room stood up abruptly, their faces filled with tension.

Because they knew that this matter was finally coming to an end.

Unexpectedly, it was not the Ming Emperor who handled this matter, but the Ming Crown Prince.

In fact, in the eyes of many, this Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty was more difficult to deal with than the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

After all, they already knew that in the previous Battle of Songjin, it was this Ming Crown Prince who led an army of over 100,000 to charge and break through Huang Taiji's army, ultimately leading to their great defeat.

Yebushu clearly understood this as well, and became even more nervous. He then looked at Ganbu beside him and asked:

"Big brother, what should we do?"

Hearing this, Ganbu, though also nervous, still comforted him, saying:
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Things shouldn't deviate from my expectations. So after you meet the Crown Prince of Ming, remember not to offend him or say anything you shouldn't. Just keep apologizing."

"As long as you have a good attitude, the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty will not blame you too much. After all, the Ming Dynasty is a land of etiquette, and they would never do something like killing hostages."

Upon hearing this, Yebushu's tense nerves eased slightly.

Immediately afterwards, Ganbu gestured to one of the Jiannu people next to him to open the door.

Immediately, a group of Imperial Guards, who were on high alert, appeared at the door.

They all had solemn expressions, their faces completely expressionless.

Upon seeing the Imperial Guards at the door, Ye Bushu's expression became tense again.

Seeing this, Ganbu quickly stepped forward and said to the Imperial Guards:
"My lord, may I accompany you to the Eastern Palace to meet His Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Ming Dynasty?"

The head of the Imperial Guards shook his head and said:

"No, His Highness the Crown Prince only summoned Yebushu."

Upon hearing this, Ganbu could say nothing more and could only retreat helplessly.

Immediately afterwards, Yebushu was taken out of the Huitong North Hall by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and headed straight for the East Palace.

At the same time, Grand Prince Bongrim Yi Ho, who was staying in the south wing of the Huitongguan, was also brought to the East Palace by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

And so, the two sides met at the gate of the East Palace.

It is worth mentioning, however, that even though they fought so fiercely and made such a fuss before, Yebushu and Fenglin Dajun had never actually met.

After all, a conflict of this level doesn't require their two masters to personally intervene.

However, this did not prevent them from recognizing each other at a glance when they made eye contact.

After all, their clothing and demeanor were so distinctive that they could be easily identified.

For a moment, the atmosphere became somewhat awkward, and neither of them knew what to say.

Just then, Ma Bao suddenly walked out of the East Palace and said to Ye Bushu and Grand Prince Fenglin outside the door:
"Gentlemen, I'm so sorry, His Highness the Crown Prince is taking a nap. I don't want to disturb him. Please kneel here for now, and I'll come and inform you when His Highness wakes up."

Hearing this, the two were somewhat unwilling, but the situation was beyond their control, so how could they possibly disobey?
He then obediently knelt on the ground and waited for Zhu Cilang to wake up.

The two men, kneeling on either side of the East Palace gate, looked rather comical.

Meanwhile, inside the Eastern Palace, Zhu Cilang was reclining on a chair, enjoying the grapes that Zheng Xiaomei was offering to his lips with a contented expression.

He never had the habit of taking a nap. The reason he let Ma Bao say that was just to humiliate Fenglin Dajun and Yebushu.

As for how to resolve this matter, Zhu Cilang should think about it as soon as possible.

That means handling things gently and giving each person a severe beating!

It must be said that Aisin-Gioro Ganbu was quite clever, because what he thought was actually similar to what Zhu Cilang thought, which was to resolve the matter at the lowest possible cost.

After all, it's not exactly a glorious thing for envoys to fight each other. If it escalates, it won't be good for anyone. It's best to resolve it peacefully.

More than half an hour later, after Zhu Cilang had leisurely eaten half a plate of grapes and flirted with his beloved concubine for a while, he slowly stood up and then ordered Ma Bao to call Yebushu and Fenglin Dajun in.

At the same time, Zhu Cilang also slowly walked towards the study.

Not long after they arrived at the study, Yebushu and Grand Prince Fenglin were brought in by the Imperial Guards.

At this moment, the two men were already trembling with fear, because they had no idea how Zhu Cilang would deal with them.

Although some people had analyzed for them beforehand that the Ming Dynasty would definitely not handle this matter seriously and would most likely downplay it, they were still terrified.

Upon seeing Zhu Cilang, the two hurriedly knelt down, shouting:
"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince of the Great Ming Dynasty!"

Zhu Cilang looked coldly at the two people in front of him, and did not speak for a moment.

The quiet atmosphere made the two kneeling on the ground even more frightened. They buried their heads in the ground, not daring to lift them, their fear evident.

After a moment, Zhu Cilang spoke in a cold voice:

"You two are really something, daring to cause such a commotion on Ming territory! Yesterday, thirteen people died and more than thirty were injured."

"You should know that this has never happened before in the history of the Ming Dynasty."

"Do you really have any respect for the Ming Dynasty by doing this?"

When he said this, Zhu Cilang's tone was extremely cold, as if it contained endless anger.

Upon hearing this, Lord Fenglin quickly said:
"Your Highness, I was confused for a moment. I will never dare to do it again. I hope Your Highness will forgive me."

Yebushu also quickly said:
"This is because I failed to properly discipline my subordinates, which led them to commit such a grave mistake. I beg Your Highness's forgiveness."

It's clear that both of them are now advocating for leniency based on honesty.

Zhu Cilang coldly stared at the two people before him, then his tone suddenly softened, and he said calmly:
“Such an incident should have been dealt with seriously.”

"But considering that you two have sincerely admitted your mistakes, go down and each receive thirty strokes of the cane, and that will be the end of this matter."

"You can deal with the dead and injured yourselves, but this kind of thing must never happen again. If it happens again, anyone who lays a hand on the victim will be executed!"

Upon hearing this, the two men immediately felt a pang of misery. To be given thirty strokes of the cane for no reason was something that these pampered people could not possibly endure.

(End of this chapter)