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

Chapter 339 I have a plan that can help all the princes vent their anger!

Before Hauge could say anything more, Dayuer went straight back to her palace.

As for everyone else, they were all kept outside.

And what stopped them was none other than Huang Taiji's guards!

This group of people stood like statues at the entrance of the palace, their eyes firmly guarding the palace and not allowing anyone to enter.

Seeing this, Hauge stomped his feet in anger, but there was nothing he could do. After all, these guards only obeyed Huang Taiji's orders, and he dared not force his way in.

If he were to be accused of treason again, not only would he lose his throne, but he himself would also face certain death!
Even so, he showed no intention of leaving, and continued to pace back and forth in the same spot.

His eyes kept glancing towards the palace, his heart filled with worry and anxiety.

He dared not leave until he was certain that Huang Taiji was truly safe or had awakened, as this involved the future succession to the throne.

The other princes, seeing this, didn't say anything, but they all stayed.

Not far away, a seemingly inconspicuous person stood quietly, his eyes like deep lake water, closely watching everything.

This person was none other than Fan Wencheng.

In fact, when Huang Taiji first met Li Dingguo, he had also wanted Fan Wencheng to participate.

However, considering his special status, Fan Wencheng did not participate directly. Instead, he remained quietly in the side hall like a fox lurking in the darkness.

However, don't misunderstand, Fan Wencheng did this not because he was afraid of encountering Han people like Li Dingguo, but for other reasons.

In fact, Fan Wencheng had already considered himself a Manchu after he completely surrendered to Huang Taiji.

He worked hard to learn Manchu, familiarize himself with Manchu customs and habits, and even tried to dress and emulate the Manchus.

Therefore, he was not afraid to see any Han Chinese.

However, if I were to actually appear at that meeting, it might cause unnecessary trouble for Huang Taiji.

Therefore, for Huang Taiji's sake, Fan Wencheng did not directly participate in that meeting.

To be honest, he hadn't expected that these Ming Dynasty envoys would travel all this way just to attend the Ming Emperor's birthday celebration.

What he didn't expect was that Huang Taiji would vomit blood again after hearing about this.

This was truly unexpected for Fan Wencheng.

Moreover, Fan Wencheng also knew that the current situation was indeed very dangerous. Although the imperial physician had just said that Huang Taiji was in good health, who could say for sure?
After all, Huang Taiji's health had been deteriorating day by day over the past few months.

Even sudden death is not impossible!

Therefore, at this time, the power structure within the Qing Dynasty had already undergone some changes.

Those power struggles that were originally hidden in the shadows are now stirring like undercurrents beneath the ice, which have been blown open by a strong wind.

Fan Wencheng knew in his heart that he also had to start planning for his future.

but
Looking at the crowd before him, Fan Wencheng was momentarily confused, because he didn't know which of these people would be the next emperor.

Although he knew that Hauge was the most suitable successor, he was not sure whether Huang Taiji actually intended to pass the throne to Hauge.

After all, none of Huang Taiji's brothers were easy to deal with, and Hauge might not be able to control them.

As for the other princes?

Fan Wencheng felt the chances were slim, after all, Huang Taiji had several sons, and even if it wasn't Hauge, it would probably be one of the other princes.

However, on the other hand, these princes all commanded large armies, and it was not impossible that they might become dissatisfied and rebel.

Therefore, even Fan Wencheng is not in a good position to take sides in the current situation.

After all, if he were to choose the wrong side at this point, he would face future retribution, and Fan Wencheng didn't want to do something so foolish.

Therefore, as things stand, all Fan Wencheng can do is remain focused on Huang Taiji and avoid offending anyone else.

Only in this way can he protect himself!
As time slowly passed, there was still no sound inside the palace, and the atmosphere outside the palace began to become somewhat heavy.

Only the sound of pacing back and forth could be heard in the silent air.

Occasionally, a cold wind would blow by, causing everyone's robes to flutter and rustle, as if providing accompaniment to the tense atmosphere.

Suddenly at that moment, Jirhalang couldn't help but speak up:

"Damn it, it's all those Han envoys' fault! If it weren't for them, His Majesty wouldn't have been so angry that he vomited blood! I really want to kill them all right now!"

Upon hearing this, Hauge finally stopped, then glanced at Zirhalang with some impatience and said:
"It's best not to cause trouble right now. Killing them would be easy, but we can't afford the consequences. So let them live for now."

"But it won't be long before I make sure they die without a burial place."

When Haug said this, a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes.

Dorgon didn't speak at this moment, because his mind was full of his previous plans with Dayuer.

At the same time, he was also wondering whether Da Yu'er had gone to peek at the name on the edict of succession.
Just then, Abatai, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up:
"Everyone, please don't forget that His Majesty promised the Ming Dynasty envoy that he would send an envoy to the Ming Dynasty as soon as possible to attend the Ming Emperor's birthday celebration."

"Now that His Majesty is unconscious, shouldn't we begin preparations for this matter?"

"After all, if this matter is delayed, the Ming Dynasty might really make things difficult for us, and that would be a loss."

Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly came to their senses, because they had indeed forgotten about it.

Thinking about it carefully now, this matter is indeed urgent.

After all, Emperor Chongzhen's birthday was just around the corner, and if the gifts weren't prepared quickly, they might not make it in time.

Of course, not being able to catch up is actually the best thing for them, since they're too lazy to put up with any more trouble.

But it would be bad if the other side got upset and sent troops to make things difficult for them.

They are currently in the midst of an internal power transition and simply don't have the time to fight anymore.

Thinking of this, Hauge said helplessly to everyone:
“Abate is right. Let’s all come up with a plan on who should handle this.”

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, and no one stepped forward to take responsibility.

But don't get me wrong, the reason it's like this isn't because the matter is complicated; on the contrary, it's extremely simple. It's nothing more than choosing suitable candidates, selecting some tribute, and then you can set off. However, this matter is just too shameful.

As high-ranking princes of the Qing Dynasty, the thought of having to humbly prepare birthday gifts for the Ming Dynasty emperor filled them with immense humiliation.

Therefore, even if it's something that could be done with just a few simple instructions, no one is willing to do it!
Finally, Jirhalang couldn't help but speak up. He patted his chest and said impatiently:
"Alright, alright, since none of you want to do it, then I'll do it."

"However, I have no intention of preparing anything nice for the Ming emperor; just pick a few things at random."

As he said this, Jirhalang showed a hint of disdain on his face. He thought to himself, why should I send so many good things to the Ming emperor? I could just pick a few things as a token.
However, Dorgon frowned, because if he really followed Jirgalang's method, the Ming emperor would definitely be unhappy, and wouldn't that be asking for trouble?

Thinking of this, Dorgon quickly said:
"Jirhalang, don't act rashly. We've already made it very clear that we cannot easily anger the Ming Dynasty without being fully prepared."

"Therefore, this time we must prepare more than what the Ming Dynasty requires, but not less."

"If it's too much, the Ming Dynasty won't say anything, but if it's too little, it will definitely anger the Ming Emperor. You don't want the two sides to fight again at this time, do you?"

Upon hearing this, Jirhalang, though somewhat unconvinced, obediently shut his mouth.

Hauge glanced at the group of people in front of him, then said with a rather helpless tone:

"I know it's frustrating to do this, but what can we do? The enemy is strong and we are weak, so we can only endure it for now!"

"When we become stronger in the future, we will take back everything we have lost!"

After a pause, Haug continued, as if he had made up his mind:
"Since none of you are willing to do this, then I will take care of it myself. I can't put you elders in a difficult position, can I?"

Everyone was somewhat surprised to see that Hauge had actually taken on this seemingly shameful task.

They looked at Hauge with disbelief, seemingly unable to understand why he would take on this responsibility.

But Hauge's thinking was actually quite simple: he just wanted to take on some responsibility and show off his magnanimity.

This would also give him more leverage in his future succession to the throne.

But suddenly, at that moment, Fan Wencheng, who had been silent all along, made a move.

He strode over and said:

"Your Highnesses, I do have a plan regarding this matter. It will not offend the Ming emperor, but it will also punish these envoys, and even their heads may be chopped off."

Fan Wencheng's voice wasn't loud, but it resounded like a thunderclap in everyone's ears.

Upon hearing this, the people present were all stunned for a moment, and then turned their gazes to Fan Wencheng.

To be honest, they had noticed Fan Wencheng a long time ago, but no one took the initiative to talk to him.

This wasn't because they looked down on Fan Wencheng, but because it was a critical moment, and they simply didn't have the time or inclination to talk to a Han Chinese.

However, to their surprise, Fan Wencheng's words immediately attracted their attention.

Jirhalang was the most excited at this moment because he had been humiliated by Li Dingguo and hated him intensely, but he dared not do anything because of Li Dingguo's status.

When he heard that Fan Wencheng actually had a way to punish Li Dingguo and others, even to the point of losing their lives, he immediately became interested.

Then he strode over to Fan Wencheng, his face full of anticipation, and asked:

"Mr. Fan, tell me quickly what your idea is! I knew that you, a scholar, had the sharpest mind. Tell me, tell me quickly!"

Upon hearing this, everyone else perked up, and for a moment, the matter of the throne seemed less important.
Fan Wencheng first stroked his beard, then smiled and said:

"Your Highnesses may not know this, but as far as I know, the Ming Emperor's birthday is less than a month away."

"In addition, we will need to learn the relevant etiquette after arriving in the Ming Dynasty. This means that from the time we prepare the gifts to the time we arrive in the Ming Dynasty, we will only have about twenty days at most."

"But now the mountains are blocked by heavy snow. It would probably take about twenty days to walk from Shenyang to Liaodong and then from Liaodong to the capital."

"But what if we deliberately delay and miss the Ming Emperor's birthday celebration? What do you think the Ming Emperor will do then?"

Upon hearing this, Jirhalang hesitated for a moment before saying:

"He'll probably be annoyed that we were delayed on the way, right?"

Jirhalang wasn't very bright and didn't immediately understand what Fan Wencheng was trying to say.

But Dorgon, standing to the side, seemed to have thought of something, and then said thoughtfully:

"No. He might not blame us, but rather the envoy who came on this mission."

Fan Wencheng laughed upon hearing this, and then continued:
"Your Highness is right. After all, the roads are blocked by heavy snow, so it is understandable that we are delayed for a while."

"Furthermore, we can also say that because the tribute required by the Ming Dynasty was too demanding, we needed enough time to prepare, which caused some delays."

"In short, as long as we appear sincere and leave no room for criticism from the Ming Dynasty, even the Ming Emperor will not be able to blame us."

"But it's hard to say about the envoys who came to deliver the imperial edict. We can say that they wasted a lot of time on their way to deliver the edict, which is why we missed the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty's birthday!"

"At that time, the Ming emperor will definitely order these people to be punished for the sake of his reputation. At best, they will be dismissed from their posts; at worst, they will lose their heads."

"In this way, the princes and His Majesty can vent their anger!"

After Fan Wencheng revealed his plan, a surge of excitement welled up in the hearts of the people present.

For a moment, they seemed to see Li Dingguo and the others being beheaded!
Haug was somewhat tempted by these words, but he still hesitated before saying:
"The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty isn't stupid. Do you really think he'd believe we're not deliberately stalling for time?"

Fan Wencheng continued with a smile:

"Your Highness, rest assured, as long as our sincerity is not an issue, that will suffice. Therefore, I suggest doubling the tribute requested by the Ming Dynasty!"

"This way, we can more openly delay the time, and with more things to carry, the journey will be more difficult, which will make it even easier to delay the time."

"If we send twice the amount of tribute to the Ming Emperor, what reason would he have to blame us?"

"Even if he did realize something, it was his birthday at the time. How could he blame the envoy who came to offer birthday greetings and brought double the gifts?"

"But the price we're paying is a bit too high; just the doubled tribute alone is a considerable expense!"

Fan Wencheng said, pretending to hesitate.

But he knew in his heart that as long as he could help these people vent their anger, this amount of tribute was nothing.
(End of this chapter)