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

Chapter 337 I am a subject of a superior state, and I do not bow to the ruler of a inferior state!
Seeing that things were starting to spiral out of control, one of Jirgalang's personal guards quickly looked at Jirgalang and advised him:
"Your Highness, we must not let them leave. It would be terrible if the two countries really went to war over this! Our Great Qing is not ready to go to war with the Great Ming. Once war breaks out, the consequences will be unimaginable."

As he spoke, the soldier's voice was filled with worry and fear.

Jirhalang gritted his teeth, secretly regretting his impulsive actions.

Despite his previous disdain for the Ming Dynasty in front of Huang Taiji, he knew in his heart that the Qing Dynasty at present did not have the strength to challenge the Ming Dynasty.

Thinking of this, he didn't hesitate any longer and quickly pulled on the reins to chase after them.

Before long, they blocked Li Dingguo and his group's path.

Li Dingguo and the others had no choice but to stop. Then, Li Dingguo, who was in charge, sneered:
"What? Are you planning to kill us?"

Jirhalang quickly dismounted, then forced a smile that looked more like a grimace and said:
"I was just joking with the Ming envoy. Please don't take it to heart. His Majesty is still waiting for you!"

Li Dingguo looked at Jirhalang with a cold smile, his eyes filled with disdain and provocation, and said:
"You've just humiliated us so much, and an apology is all you're going to do?"

Jirhalang's expression changed again, feeling that the person in front of him was pushing his luck.

However, he couldn't refute it for the time being, since he was in the wrong first.

But the next second he seemed to think of something, and then he drew his whip from his waist and lashed it at several of his personal guards, cursing as he did so:

"You bunch of bastards, it was all your idea to give the Ming envoy a hard time, and now the Ming envoy is about to leave. You deserve to die!"

His whip whistled as it lashed out, each lash striking the guards hard. The guards howled in pain, but dared not utter a sound.

Because they knew in their hearts that Jirhalang was using them as scapegoats!

After the beating, Jirhalang looked at Li Dingguo and said:

"Please forgive me, Your Majesty. I had no intention of making things difficult for you. It was all the idea of ​​these scoundrels. I have already taught them a lesson. If you are still not satisfied, then just kill them!"

"We'll enter the city after we've finished killing them!"

After saying this, Jirhalang handed a knife directly to Li Dingguo.

Li Dingguo looked at the knife that Jirhalang handed him and really wanted to kill a few Jurchens to satisfy his urge, but he knew he couldn't do that.

Because doing so could affect the subsequent mission, he couldn't afford to ruin everything because of a momentary impulse.

He then turned and walked into Shenyang city, leaving behind only one sentence:
"We must prevent such incidents from happening again, or you will not be able to bear the consequences."

His words were full of warnings and provocations!

Jirhalang was furious, but dared not utter a word, for he was afraid that these people would really leave.

He could only watch helplessly as Li Dingguo and the others walked into the city, his heart filled with anger and resentment.

When Li Dingguo led his people into Shenyang, they were greeted by a strange sight.

Shops lined both sides of the street, their signs trembling and creaking in the biting wind.

However, most of the people passing by wore the iconic rat-tail hairstyle, with their long braids swaying behind their heads as they walked, looking exactly like a group of comical rats, completely out of place in this seemingly prosperous yet chilly street.

Although the Jurchens did not yet have the saying "keep your head or lose your hair" at this time, Huang Taiji did implement a hair-shaving policy for surrendered Han Chinese, Mongols, and Koreans.

However, the hair-shaving order at this time was different from the "hair-shaving and clothing-changing" order after the Qing army entered the pass. It mainly targeted the Han Chinese officials, soldiers and civilians who surrendered, rather than all Han Chinese.

But don't forget, ordinary Han Chinese people couldn't live in Shenyang. So Shenyang was basically inhabited by Jurchens and Han Chinese who had surrendered to the Jurchens, and naturally all of them wore the gold-coated rat tails!
Seeing this scene, the soldiers beside Li Dingguo first whispered among themselves, then couldn't help but cover their mouths and chuckle.

One of the soldiers, a straightforward and burly man, lowered his voice and jokingly said excitedly:

"Look at these things! The hair on the back of their foreheads looks like rat tails. If we could cut off their heads and take them to where we are, one head could be exchanged for ten taels of silver!"

"How much money would you have to exchange all those heads for!"

As soon as he said this, several soldiers around him burst into laughter. The laughter was particularly jarring in the somewhat oppressive street, drawing angry glances from the surrounding Jurchens.

They might not have heard what was said, but just from the laughter, they knew that the group of Han people hadn't said anything nice.

However, the Jurchen army that escorted Li Dingguo and the others into the city heard everything they had just said.

At this moment, they were all gritting their teeth in anger, veins bulging on their foreheads, wishing they could rush up and tear these arrogant Han people to pieces.

However, considering that Li Dingguo and the others were special individuals whom Huang Taiji had specifically requested to see, they could only suppress their anger, no matter how intense it was within them.

After a frustrating escort, Li Dingguo and his entourage were taken to a courtyard specifically set up to receive distinguished guests.

The courtyard is located in a corner of the city. Although there are some trees around, the leaves have long since fallen, leaving only bare branches swaying in the cold wind.

The tall walls separate the courtyard from the outside world, giving it a mysterious and solemn feel.

As soon as they stepped inside, Jurchen servants came forward to greet them.

These servants, dressed neatly and with respectful expressions, said:
"Distinguished guests, you must be weary from your journey. We hope you will bathe and change here, and rest for a while before going to see His Majesty. We hope you will not refuse."

Li Dingguo and the others exchanged smiles. They naturally understood that it was indeed inappropriate for them to meet Huang Taiji looking travel-worn and sweaty.

Moreover, they had been marching at a rapid pace all the way, and everyone was already exhausted. Now that they had this opportunity, they naturally wouldn't be polite.

Fortunately, the Jurchens also knew how to enjoy themselves. The huge bath was filled with hot water, and there were braziers all around, so even if they were naked, they wouldn't feel cold.

After the bath, the servants had already prepared brand-new clothes for me.

Although these clothes are in the style of the Jurchens, they are made of high-quality materials, with fine workmanship and exquisite embroidery. They are also comfortable to wear.

But when Li Dingguo and the others saw these clothes, they felt nauseous and insisted on changing into their previous clothes!

How can a Han Chinese man wear the clothes of the Jurchens?

After bathing, the group went to a side hall. The side hall was elegantly decorated, with neatly arranged tables and chairs, and several calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls, all adding a touch of culture.

The table was already laden with a sumptuous feast, including fragrant roasted whole lamb, brightly colored game, various exquisite pastries, and fresh fruit.

Without any hesitation, everyone sat around the table and began to feast.

After all, they were really hungry!
Moreover, the more they eat, the less the Jurchens eat, which can be considered a way of 'making contributions' to the Ming Dynasty!
Everyone enjoyed the meal immensely, as if they had forgotten all the hardships they had endured along the way.

After a hearty meal, Li Dingguo stood up, straightened his clothes, and nodded to the equally spirited soldiers beside him:
"Li Dabao and Luo Xin will come with me to meet Huang Taiji. The rest of you will wait here!"

Upon hearing this, everyone quickly agreed.

The receptionist just told them that only three people can go to see Huang Taiji at most, and the others will have to stay here for the time being.

However, Li Dingguo didn't care. After all, this wasn't an assassination attempt on Huang Taiji. Three people were fine!

Then Li Dingguo led the two men out the door, guided by servants. A sedan chair was already waiting for them at the entrance.

After getting into the sedan chair, they began their journey toward Huang Taiji's palace.

It must be said that the palaces in Shenyang are far inferior to those in Beijing, occupying at most only one-tenth the area of ​​the Forbidden City.

However, Li Dingguo and the others were still somewhat surprised, after all, they had never been to the capital and had never seen what the Forbidden City looked like.

Having already given prior notice, the group entered the palace without any hindrance.

After passing through layers of palaces, they finally met Huang Taiji.

At this moment, Huang Taiji sat on the dragon throne, wearing a magnificent dragon robe and a crown, looking quite majestic.

Dorgon, Jirgalang, Hauge, and several other princes were also present. However, Jirgalang's face was so gloomy that it seemed as if water could drip from it. It was obvious that Huang Taiji also knew about what had happened earlier and had reprimanded him.

For a moment, the atmosphere inside the palace became quite tense.

But Li Dingguo remained calm, then stepped forward and simply cupped his hands in greeting to Huang Taiji, which was his way of paying respects.

Seeing that Li Dingguo did not kneel before Huang Taiji, Hauge, standing to the side, was furious. His eyes widened in anger, and the muscles in his face twitched uncontrollably. Finally, he couldn't help but shout angrily:

"How dare you not kneel before His Majesty? You have quite the audacity!"

Upon hearing this, Li Dingguo's lips curled up slightly, revealing a mocking smile.
"Does Your Excellency not know that a subject of a superior nation does not bow to the ruler of a inferior nation? My Great Ming is a superior and powerful nation, while your Great Qing is merely a small vassal state. Why should I kneel before your emperor?"

Haug was instantly furious, his face turning bright red, like a pig's liver.

Just as he was about to say something more, Huang Taiji reached out and interrupted him.

Seeing this, Hauge couldn't say anything more. As for the others present, although they were dissatisfied, they didn't dare to speak up at this time.

At the same time, Huang Taiji, sitting on the throne, revealed a gentle smile and then said:
"If you don't want to kneel, then don't kneel. It's just a formality. Our Great Qing and Great Ming should get along amicably. There's no need to fuss over such trivial matters."

Finally, Huang Taiji looked at Jirgalang and said:
"There was some misunderstanding before, I hope Your Excellency will not take it to heart. I have already punished Jirhalang."

In fact, by this time the Jurchens had already surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, so Huang Taiji could not call himself "朕" (Zhen, meaning "I" or "I"), but could only call himself "寡人" (Guaren, meaning "I, the lonely one") or "孤" (Gu, meaning "I, the solitary one").

However, Li Dingguo was originally from a peasant army and didn't understand these intricacies, so he didn't pay any attention to them.

Therefore, he simply nodded slightly and said:
"It's alright. He has already apologized, and I'm not petty. Let's just drop this matter."

These words enraged Jirhalang once again, but he dared not say anything more.

Immediately, Li Dingguo, not wanting to waste any more time, turned around, took the imperial edict from one of the people behind him, slowly unfolded it, and then read it aloud:

"The Ministry of Rites of the Ming Dynasty hereby congratulates the Emperor on his birthday:"
With the Emperor's birthday approaching, a day of universal celebration, the Great Qing, known for its respect and obedience, hereby selects over ten exquisite items, including pearls, sable furs, and ginseng, as tribute. These items must be of the highest quality. Three envoys, well-versed in etiquette and fluent in Chinese, are to be dispatched immediately, accompanied by fifty attendants, to travel day and night to reach the capital as soon as possible.

Upon arrival in Beijing, the congratulatory letter and tribute were first verified at the Ministry of Rites. The Court of State Ceremonial taught the rituals, and the attendants then performed the rites with the procession.

If the tribute is of poor quality or the envoy is improper, this ministry will report it to the authorities and impose severe punishment. We hope you will comply and not disobey, so as to demonstrate the respect and obedience of our vassal state.

The Ministry of Rites affixed its seal.

In short, the edict stated that Emperor Chongzhen was about to celebrate his birthday and requested the Jurchens to prepare a decent birthday gift and send someone to attend as soon as possible.

Furthermore, once they arrive in the capital, they must be taught etiquette to prevent them from behaving improperly before the emperor.

Of course, the tribute cannot be too bad; if it is, we will send troops to attack you!
When Huang Taiji and his entourage heard that this group had come all this way because Emperor Chongzhen wanted them to prepare gifts for his birthday, they were furious.

In fact, along the way, the Jurchens repeatedly inquired about the purpose of Li Dingguo and his group's visit, but Li Dingguo remained silent, which led everyone on the Jurchen side to believe that something big must have happened.

To their utter surprise, it turned out to be just a trivial matter like Emperor Chongzhen's birthday celebration!

For a moment, everyone present was filled with anger and dissatisfaction, secretly cursing Chongzhen's unreasonable demands.

Hauge was so angry that he trembled all over, his hands clenched into fists, wishing he could rush up and tear the edict to shreds.

Only Huang Taiji remained calm at this time, because he knew that it was not advisable to have a conflict with the Ming Dynasty.

He first closed his eyes slightly to calm himself down, then slowly opened them and said:

"As the birthday of the Ming Emperor approaches, our Great Qing, as a vassal state, should present congratulatory gifts to express our gratitude."

"Please, Your Excellency, go and rest. The congratulatory gifts will be prepared soon!"

Li Dingguo didn't say much after hearing this, but simply cupped his hands in greeting to Huang Taiji and left.

Anyway, his mission is now complete, so there's no point in staying here any longer.

After Li Dingguo and the others left, the previously oppressive palace instantly erupted in chaos, with anger spreading like a surging tide.

Clearly, Dorgon and his men could no longer contain their anger.
(End of this chapter)