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

Chapter 334 Huang Taiji's Chosen Successor: Hauge!

If they could successfully replicate the flintlock musket, their military strength would be greatly enhanced, giving them a greater advantage in their confrontation with the Ming army.

Immediately, Fan Wencheng hurriedly said:

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will expedite this matter and will not fail Your Majesty's expectations."

Upon hearing this, Huang Taiji reluctantly handed the flintlock musket to Fan Wencheng.

Fan Wencheng carefully took the flintlock pistol, gripped it tightly with both hands, and showed an excited expression on his face.

In fact, by the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Jurchens already had artisans who specialized in manufacturing firearms.

Although they had fewer weapons than the Ming Dynasty, they were still able to manufacture some simple firearms, such as arquebuses, flintlock guns, and even cannons.

Furthermore, Fan Wencheng also obtained Bi Maokang's book "Illustrated Explanation of Military Weapons," which contains a detailed description of flintlock muskets.

He had gone to great lengths to acquire these items, so Fan Wencheng believed that with these two things, he should be able to replicate the flintlock musket.

However, it is clear that Fan Wencheng underestimated the difficulty of manufacturing flintlock muskets.

Because the "Illustrated Explanation of Military Weapons" that he obtained was only Bi Maokang's initial version, and some details were not up to par.

Although the book's descriptions are detailed, they are not precise enough, and some key technical aspects are not explained in depth.

If you follow the instructions exactly, you simply cannot manufacture a flintlock musket. Moreover, Bi Maokang later made many improvements, optimizing and enhancing the performance and structure of the flintlock musket.

Furthermore, some parts require extremely precise machinery to manufacture, which the Jurchens clearly lacked.

However, now that the Jurchens have acquired a flintlock musket, they might actually be able to replicate it.

It's just that we don't know how long it will take.

Just as Fan Wencheng was about to leave with his flintlock pistol, he suddenly remembered something and looked at Huang Taiji again, saying:
"Your Majesty, according to the news we received earlier, it seems that the Ming army has sent a small team of a hundred men, saying that they want to see you and convey some imperial edict."

After hearing this, Huang Taiji frowned slightly and asked with some doubt:
"An imperial edict? What is the Ming Dynasty emperor trying to do?"

Fan Wencheng shook his head and said:

"I don't know either, but I estimate that these people will arrive in a couple of days. However, I think that given His Majesty's current health condition, it would be better not to see them. Just arrange for any prince to meet them."

"Your Majesty still needs more rest and should not overwork."

Upon hearing this, Huang Taiji shook his head and said in a rather firm tone:
"No! I must see them in person so they know I am alive and well! Otherwise they will all think I am dead."

Seeing this, Fan Wencheng could say nothing more.

But in the end he still spoke:

"Your Majesty is wise, but we still urge Your Majesty to take care of your health. Only with Your Majesty's good health can the Qing Dynasty have any hope."

Huang Taiji nodded, and then said:

"I understand. Go and get busy. Make sure to replicate this flintlock gun as soon as possible."

Fan Wencheng said nothing more, bowed respectfully, and then left with his flintlock pistol.

He walked hurriedly, his heart filled with a sense of urgency.

His next task was to completely disassemble the flintlock musket and then slowly replicate each part.

As Fan Wencheng's footsteps faded into the distance, the vast bedroom fell into a deathly silence.

The air inside the hall was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood, and the wisps of smoke rose slowly in the candlelight, but could not dispel the oppressive atmosphere.

Huang Taiji turned his body slightly, then leaned quietly against the soft pillows, the brocade quilt embroidered with golden dragons casually draped over his body, rising and falling gently with his weak breathing.

Recently, his health has been deteriorating, and he often falls into a coma, rarely being awake.

Even so, he was still fully aware of the complex situation facing the Qing Dynasty.

This is because when he is conscious, the guards will report to him in detail everything that has happened recently.

The duties of Huang Taiji's bodyguard were quite similar to those of the Ming Dynasty's Embroidered Uniform Guard. In addition to protecting Huang Taiji, they also participated in handling confidential matters, conveying the emperor's orders, and investigating the movements of officials.

This team was composed of Manchu nobles and elite soldiers, all of whom had been selected through rigorous processes and were impeccable in both martial arts and loyalty.

Furthermore, they were directly under the command of Huang Taiji, like a sharp blade in his hand, ready to remove any obstacles for him at any time.

Some might secretly speculate that now that Huang Taiji is nearing the end of his life, these people might betray him for their own future and curry favor with the next master.
However, it is clear that such concerns are completely unnecessary.

Because Huang Taiji has not yet designated an heir, they are thinking of betraying Huang Taiji, but they can't find anyone to curry favor with the next master!

These guards knew very well that if they chose the wrong side at this crucial moment, they would face cruel reckoning once their true master came to power.

On the contrary, as long as they remain loyal to Huang Taiji, even if a new ruler ascends the throne, they will not be made to suffer too much because they have always been loyal only to the one sitting on the throne.

After all, the new master also needs a group of people who are only loyal to the imperial power to maintain his rule.

Therefore, during this sensitive period of power transition, loyalty is their best protection.

As for the successor, Huang Taiji had already decided in his heart that the person would be his eldest son, Hauge.

As the eldest son of the emperor, Hauge fully meets the requirements for successor in terms of both status and ability.

He followed Huang Taiji in his campaigns from a young age, enduring countless trials of blood and fire, and made great contributions to the expansion of the Qing Dynasty's territory, thus achieving remarkable military exploits.

Although he is still a bit rough around the edges, given time, he will eventually become a qualified emperor!

As for the future Shunzhi Emperor, who is now known as Fulin, Huang Taiji did not even consider him as a successor.

In his view, the Qing Dynasty was now beset by internal and external troubles, and the situation was extremely complex.

At such a critical moment, allowing a young, ignorant son to succeed to the throne would undoubtedly put the Qing dynasty's empire in danger.

Therefore, Hauge is the best candidate!

Thinking of this, Huang Taiji suddenly seemed to remember something important, and a hint of urgency flashed in his eyes.

Then he suddenly sat up, grabbed the pillow and threw it aside, and also lifted the mattress underneath.

Immediately afterwards, a hidden compartment appeared in front of Huang Taiji.

Huang Taiji reached into the hidden compartment and carefully took out an exquisite box. The box was made of the finest wood and was carved with beautiful patterns, including dragons and phoenixes, and auspicious clouds, each pattern lifelike.

Huang Taiji gently opened the box and then carefully took out the contents.

And what was inside was none other than two identical edicts of succession.

The edict, written in Mongolian, Chinese, and Manchu languages, contained Huang Taiji's decree to appoint Hauge as Crown Prince.

Once Huang Taiji breathed his last, Hauge could smoothly inherit the throne and become the second emperor of the Qing Dynasty.

After verifying that the contents were exactly the same as before, Huang Taiji breathed a sigh of relief. Then, looking at the two edicts, a complex emotion appeared in his eyes.

These two edicts were written by Huang Taiji himself after his defeat in the Battle of Songjin and his return to Shenyang.

His original plan was to give one of the edicts to Hauge so that he would be aware of it and prepare to succeed to the throne, while keeping the other one with him until his death, when people would naturally discover it.

At that time, Hauge will be able to present the imperial edict and smoothly inherit the throne, rightfully ruling the Qing Dynasty.

However, in the end, Huang Taiji still did not deliver one of these edicts to Hauge.

This was not because he wanted to appoint someone else as his successor, but because he had to do so because he had other considerations.

Huang Taiji knew very well that the internal situation of the Qing Dynasty was extremely complicated.

Not to mention his sons, even his brothers had long coveted the throne.

They were like a pack of hungry wolves, always eyeing the throne, a piece of fat meat, and would swarm to fight for it as soon as he breathed his last.

After all, the Qing dynasty was not like the Ming dynasty; it never had the tradition of the eldest son inheriting the throne.

Even Huang Taiji's grandfather, father, and himself were not the eldest sons, yet they still stood out among their many brothers through their wisdom and courage, and eventually ascended the throne.

Under such circumstances, there are simply too many difficulties in getting Hauge to succeed him smoothly!
In addition, these brothers each hold great power and have a high reputation in the military, with a group of loyal followers. If Hauge is directly announced as the successor, they will probably immediately jump out and make trouble, and it may even trigger a bloody internal strife.

By then, the Qing Dynasty would be weakened by internal strife and its vitality would be severely depleted. The Ming Dynasty would inevitably take advantage of this weakness and the Qing Dynasty's rule would be in grave danger.

For a moment, Huang Taiji seemed to see that bloody scene.

Brothers killed each other, soldiers fell on the battlefield, and people were displaced. The Qing Dynasty was teetering on the brink of collapse amidst the flames of war.

Huang Taiji had actually considered taking these ambitious brothers with him when he died, in order to eliminate any future troubles!

But he quickly gave up on the idea.

He knew that these brothers had great influence in the army. If he killed them all, Hauge would not be able to control the situation in a short time. This would only make the situation more chaotic and plunge the Qing Dynasty into endless turmoil.

This is why Huang Taiji allowed Dorgon to rebuild his army even though Dorgon had previously wiped out his entire force on the battlefield.

He hoped that this method would allow the brothers to continue fighting and checking each other, thus maintaining a delicate balance.

Only in this way could the Qing Dynasty maintain stability and gradually grow stronger amidst a complex and ever-changing situation.

Even so, it seems that there is still no guarantee that Hauge will be able to succeed to the throne smoothly. After Huang Taiji dies, the struggle for the throne seems to be inevitable!
Thinking of this, Huang Taiji suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest, as if a sharp knife was twisting it violently.

The pain came on like waves, one after another, making it almost unbearable for him.

Huang Taiji instinctively reached out to cover his mouth, but felt a surge of heat rise from his throat. Then, a mouthful of blood gushed out, staining his hands and the bed red.

That's right!

Huang Taiji vomited blood again!
Seeing the blood on his hands, Huang Taiji was startled. He was truly afraid that he was about to die, and he hurriedly shouted:
"Someone! Someone!"

The sound echoed in the silent palace, sounding particularly mournful.

The next second, the door not far away was suddenly pushed open, and a group of people rushed in.

The one leading the group was none other than Da Yu'er, who was dressed in a magnificent palace gown embroidered with exquisite patterns.

Her hair was piled high, adorned with various precious jewelry, making her appear noble and elegant.

Behind her were several imperial physicians and palace maids.

The imperial physicians, dressed in long robes and carrying medicine chests, had anxious expressions on their faces. They had clearly been waiting outside, ready to prolong Huang Taiji's life at any moment.

Seeing so many people walk in all at once, Huang Taiji suddenly realized something and hurriedly pulled over the quilt next to him to cover up the edict and the hidden compartment that he hadn't had time to hide.

However, the sharp-eyed Dayuer had already seen all of this, but she pretended that nothing had happened and walked anxiously toward Huang Taiji.

"Your Majesty, why are you vomiting blood again?"

As she spoke, Da Yu'er used her silk handkerchief to wipe the blood from Huang Taiji's mouth, her face full of worry.

Huang Taiji, enduring the pain, said:

"Don't worry, I'm not going to die anytime soon!"

Upon seeing this, the imperial physicians hurriedly brought over the medicine they had prepared earlier. The medicine emitted a pungent odor that made people want to vomit, but it was Huang Taiji's life-saving elixir.

Da Yu'er took the medicine bowl, carefully scooped up a spoonful of medicine, blew on it gently, and then brought it to Huang Taiji's lips, saying:

"Your Majesty, please drink your medicine; it will make you feel better."

Huang Taiji obediently opened his mouth and drank the medicine.

Although the medicine was bitter and had an unpleasant smell, he couldn't care less about that at the moment.

After all, drinking it means you'll live, not drinking it means you'll die, so there's absolutely no reason to hesitate.

After drinking the medicine, Huang Taiji indeed felt a little better, and then waved to everyone and said:

"You may all leave. Consort Zhuang will take care of things here."

Upon hearing this, everyone bowed and withdrew, leaving only Dayuer sitting beside Huang Taiji.

At this moment, Dayuer sat quietly in front of Huang Taiji's bed, her gaze fixed on Huang Taiji's pale face.

In an instant, Da Yu'er felt a wave of heart-wrenching sadness wash over her, and tears welled up uncontrollably in her eyes.

She was also afraid that Huang Taiji might suddenly die!

(End of this chapter)