Strategy for the Revitalization of the Late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 195 Reactions from all parties
As Zhu Cilang gradually revitalized the situation in the entire south in his temporary palace in Yueyang Prefecture, the Qing court in the north also stepped up its deployment adjustments. Dorgon was also worried about the army's food and pay.

Not only that, he also had to deal with the political pressure from Manchu nobles such as Duoduo, Ajige, Haoge, and Jirgalang. Otherwise, for Dorgon, it would not be a matter of losing power, but of losing his life.

In the original history, after the Green Camp Army uprising in various parts of Shaanxi was put down, Dorgon sent Hauge to lead troops to the south to Sichuan. Hauge took the opportunity to kill Zhang Xianzhong and defeated the main force of the Dashi Army with minimal losses. He successfully drove the remnants of the Western Army to Yunnan and Guizhou, which can be said to be a great contribution.

However, he returned to Beijing in triumph in February, but was framed by Dorgon and stripped of his title in March. He was then imprisoned and eventually died inexplicably in prison in April of the same year, just like Amin did that year.

If Dorgon had lost power at this time, his fate would definitely not be much better than that of Hauge in history. This is beyond doubt for these princes of the Qing Dynasty.

However, Dorgon's performance in the "Battle of Shanhaiguan" had already accumulated huge political capital for him, and his land grabbing after entering the pass made him gain a large number of supporters among the middle and lower levels of the Eight Banners.

In the subsequent war to destroy Shun and attack Ming, it was thanks to his accurate judgment that Duoduo broke through Tongguan and captured Xi'an without a single soldier. Ajige won battle after battle and pursued Li Zicheng all the way. Finally, Li Zicheng died in Jiugong Mountain, and the once powerful Shun army fell apart.

However, Duoduo and Ajige suffered setbacks in Fengyang and Jiujiang respectively due to improper battlefield command. As the regent of the Qing Dynasty, Dorgon directly ascended to the pinnacle of power in the Qing court.

After all, his timely response and accurate judgment were the key to the Qing Dynasty's swallowing up North China and Northwest China, while the defeats of Duoduo and Ajige on the battlefield were more due to their military command problems on the battlefield.

In other words, when Dorgon decided to lead his troops to the south personally, his prestige reached an unprecedented height.

The prestige of both Duoduo and Ajige was damaged because they had stopped in Fengyang and Jiujiang before. Duoduo, in particular, had become a laughing stock in the Eight Banners Army because he was defeated by the southern soldiers before the Battle of Jingmen Prefecture, the Battle of Changsha, and the Battle of Jingzhou.

At that time, Dorgon was the hope of almost everyone in the Qing Dynasty, both inside and outside, and he was the absolute guarantee of the destruction of the Ming Dynasty.

However, with the failure of the Southern Expedition to Huguang, his prestige was severely damaged. This defeat not only damaged the morale of the Eight Banners Army, but also brought the power struggle within the Qing court to the surface.

Before the main force of the Qing army retreated back to Beijing, Duoduo and Ajige, two brothers who were equally prestigious in the military, began to attack him, attempting to seize the power that Dorgon had stolen and originally belonged to Shunzhi.

However, their plans ultimately failed, and some even died in the womb just as they began.

Although Ajige had never suffered a major defeat on the battlefield, and his military talent was the most outstanding among the current princes of the Qing Dynasty before entering the Pass, he was politically clueless.

With just a few flattering and provocative words, Dorgon made him willingly submit and turn his attention to Hauge, Jirgalang, and Dodo.

After all, to some extent, Duoduo was a stronger competitor of Ajige. Due to years of division by Huang Taiji, the relationship between the two was not good, which allowed Dorgon to divide and rule and consolidate his position.

However, no matter Ajige, Dodo, Hauge or Jirgalang, they were never able to gain the support of Han officials.

The large-scale flag-raising movement presided over by Dorgon since he entered the Pass, coupled with the huge losses suffered by the Eight Banners of the Manchus in the two southern expeditions, has led to the growing power of Han officials in the Qing court, which has become an important reliance for Dorgon.

Under such circumstances, the contradiction between Han officials and Manchu officials was equally irreconcilable, which became one of the bargaining chips that Dorgon could use in his all-out struggle in the court.

But at this time, after a period of observation, Hong Chengchou was still Dorgon's most trusted and most valued Han minister - this traitor who was both civil and military, had served as the commander-in-chief of the Ming court, and had some understanding of the situation and customs of the north and the south, now became Dorgon's most capable adviser.

Of course, in addition to Hong Chengchou, as the situation worsened, the old man Zu Dashou, the old boss of the Guanning Army generals who surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, was also specially valued by Dorgon because of his close relationship with Zu Zeqing, Wu Sangui and other old Guanning subordinates.

In this respect, he is the same as Huang Taiji, who uses any method to achieve his goals.

At this time, in Prince Rui's mansion, Dorgon summoned Hong Chengchou and Zu Dashou alone. The atmosphere in the room was very solemn, and even the air seemed to be filled with a hint of tension.

"Hong Chengchou, Emperor Ming is now in Xiangyang, and the harassment of Yanzhou has been stopped, but the troops at sea have been strengthened. Denglai is in great trouble. Why do you think this is?" Dorgon asked slowly, but his tone revealed his uneasiness about the future situation from beginning to end.

Upon hearing this, Hong Chengchou pondered for a moment and replied, "Your Highness, the current situations in southern Shandong, southern Henan, and northern Sichuan are all extremely complex. Especially the Ming Emperor Zhu Cilang, his actions are unpredictable, and I don't know him very well."

After listening to this, Dorgon nodded in agreement. Although he was defeated and deeply ashamed, he did not deny Zhu Cilang's strength. He then signaled Hong Chengchou to continue.

"In my opinion, Emperor Ming, Zhu Cilang, is a man of great talent and strategy. Now that he has a chance to catch his breath, he can slowly prepare for war and will certainly not sit idly by and wait for death. If my guess is correct, Emperor Ming will soon organize a large army to march north. The fact that he has suspended his offensive in Xiangyang and Yanzhou and is conducting harassment at sea is probably all preparation for the northern expedition.

If so, Your Highness should also make preparations early, lest we be caught off guard when Emperor Ming launches a three-pronged attack from the north." Hong Chengchou analyzed each word with a hint of worry in his tone.

After hearing this, Dorgon took a deep breath. He actually thought so too. Zhu Cilang's intention of the Northern Expedition was not difficult to guess, but how to deal with it was the real problem. He couldn't help but frown and asked:

"Hong Chengchou, what good strategy do you have for dealing with Emperor Ming's Northern Expedition?"

Hong Chengchou seemed to have been prepared. Upon hearing this, he immediately raised his head and chest and answered loudly:
"The Ming Emperor's Northern Expedition will surely be fierce, with an army of over 100,000 men. The battlefield has already reached southern Shandong and southern Henan. If our army is eager to fight, we may take the initiative to attack and deal a head-on blow to the Ming army.

But under the current circumstances, I believe that our dynasty will not have enough time to prepare for war. If conditions permit, we should first negotiate peace with the Ming Emperor to disrupt his fighting spirit, so that our army can recover its vitality and prepare to meet the enemy, thus buying time."

"Peace talks?" Dorgon was a little surprised and subconsciously turned his head to look at Zu Dashou next to Hong Chengchou, and found that the other party seemed to have been prepared.

Seeing this, Hong Chengchou immediately continued, "Master Zu has old friends in the south, and his son is in Nanjing. We can make good use of them and even rescue Long Yuan from the tiger's den, so that Master Zu and his son can be reunited."

"Your Highness, what Lord Hong said is absolutely right." As soon as Hong Chengchou finished speaking, Zu Dashou quickly bowed and said yes, then said:

"My son is not a cause for concern. If we can negotiate a temporary peace, the Qing Dynasty can buy time to reorganize its army and adjust its strategy. In Nanjing, I do have a few old friends, and I also have connections with several ministers in the Nanjing court. If His Majesty wishes to facilitate peace, I will certainly be able to assist and arrange it properly."

Dorgon listened, lost in thought. He knew the current situation was dire. If he didn't act promptly, the Manchu Eight Banners would suffer another severe blow, potentially endangering the very foundation of the Qing Dynasty. While Hong Chengchou and Zu Dashou's suggestions were undoubtedly feasible, he still had some concerns. After all, these two men were Han Chinese, and he wasn't entirely sure of their loyalty.

"Hong Chengchou, if the peace talks can be accomplished, it will be beneficial to our Qing Dynasty. But I am worried that Emperor Ming will not compromise easily, or even pretend to agree." After Dorgon said this, his eyes suddenly became sharp.

However, Hong Chengchou smiled slightly and said, "Your Highness, this is what you don't know. Although the Ming Emperor is a man of great talent and strategy, the Ming court is not a monolithic entity. I know many of the ministers in the six ministries and cabinet. They are all masters of vying for power, but they don't know how to fight."

"What do you mean?" Dorgon understood it immediately.

"If we can propose reasonable conditions, even if Emperor Ming doesn't consider it, those ministers in the court who can't fight but want to fight for power will definitely consider it. At that time, we can also pretend to be submissive and temporarily stabilize Emperor Ming."

Hong Chengchou paused, then continued, "Fighting can earn you merit, but so can not fighting. If given the choice, those ministers wouldn't blink an eye and would all advocate for peace. That way, they'd have the opportunity to make a name for themselves." Dorgon nodded in agreement and said with a smile, "Hong Chengchou, what you say is indeed reasonable. So, how should the specific terms of peace, especially the reason for the negotiation, be formulated?"

Hong Chengchou thought for a moment and immediately replied:

“Your Highness, given the current situation, I’m afraid we need to be more proactive and release some of the captured Ming army generals back south as a sign of sincerity;
Then, they could send envoys to promise to temporarily suspend military operations against the South in the future and to define the boundaries of the armistice.
Finally, we can reiterate that avenging Emperor Chongzhen was the purpose of our army's entry into the Great Wall. Now that Shunxi has been completely annihilated and our great vengeance has been avenged, our army can withdraw from the Great Wall. However, Emperor Ming must pay us the military expenses we have incurred since entering the Great Wall."

After hearing this, Dorgon couldn't help but sigh in his heart. He didn't expect Hong Chengchou to be such a shameless person. He was completely following the Emperor Ming's military strategy and taking advantage of the situation. The last item made it possible for peace talks between the Qing Dynasty and the Ming court.

"Okay, let's formulate the peace terms according to what you said, Hong Chengchou. Zu Dashou, you will be responsible for the contact with Nanjing. If Zu Zepu can make efforts in Nanjing to ensure the smooth progress of the peace talks, I will definitely not treat him unfairly." Dorgon said excitedly.

Zu Dashou was very capable and without any hesitation, he immediately bowed and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will definitely live up to your trust. I will sacrifice my life for the Qing Dynasty."

Although Hong Chengchou and Zu Dashou were already close confidants of Dorgon, they were still cautious and careful in their words in front of him. They knew Dorgon's character very well, and when offering advice, they had to make reasonable suggestions while not offending his authority.

Zu Dashou did have ulterior motives. While he was showing his loyalty, he was actually making other preparations in secret.

The current situation has already changed drastically. Naturally, he will not be like in the original history, sitting firmly in the backstage and commanding the Guanning generals of his ancestral family to serve the Qing Dynasty. He now has to make good plans for the future of his ancestral family.

After listening to what the two said, Dorgon immediately had an idea of ​​the future situation, his hope for peace with the Ming court, and the military deployment in southern Shandong, southern Henan and other places.

He strongly agreed with the suggestions of Hong Chengchou and Zu Dashou, and at the same time he was secretly thinking in his heart how to turn the tide in the next battle. In the decisive battle on the Central Plains, the Qing Dynasty had a complete advantage.

Of course, in addition to this, Dorgon also planned to use this peace talk and the battle to block the Ming army's Northern Expedition to plot against Hauge, Jirgalang, and even Ajige and Duoduo, so that he could be invincible in this complex power struggle within the Qing court.

Thinking of this, he immediately looked at Hong Chengchou and asked, "Hong Chengchou, do you have any specific foresight about Zhu Cilang's deployment for the Northern Expedition?"

Hong Chengchou had indeed guessed it long ago and immediately replied:

"Your Highness, judging by the Emperor Ming's current deployments, he is well aware that the Qing Dynasty will struggle to gain a foothold in the north and is now facing a shortage of money and food. Therefore, while stabilizing the south, the Emperor will surely launch a rapid northern expedition in an attempt to quickly defeat the Qing Dynasty. This servant predicts that the Emperor Ming will launch the northern expedition around the time of next year's spring plowing season."

Dorgon frowned and said angrily, "Emperor Ming has calculated the time precisely and wants to kill me!"

Hong Chengchou was about to turn and immediately said, "Your Highness, don't worry. Negotiating peace can buy enough time for our army. As long as the Ming court is in chaos, the Ming Emperor will naturally be unable to quickly expand his army. We should seize the time to reorganize the army and adjust our strategy. At the same time, we must not let our guard down. While negotiating peace, we must strengthen our border defenses and make all preparations."

Zu Dashou listened and added: "Your Highness, if you need Han generals to help you, I will immediately send a letter to Zu Zeqing, Wu Sangui and others. They are all my descendants. As long as I give the order, they will definitely fight to the death for the Qing Dynasty."

Dorgon nodded in agreement and said with satisfaction, "Very well, I see your loyalty. I will follow your advice and try to negotiate peace with the Ming Emperor first to buy time. Hong Chengchou, Zu Dashou, the matters of the peace talks will be fully handled by you."

Upon hearing this, Hong Chengchou and Zu Dashou said in unison, "Don't worry, Prince Regent. We will definitely live up to your trust."
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Meanwhile, in Hezhou County, Chongqing Prefecture, the night was as dark as ink and silent. Inside the Western Army's camp, a few oil lamps flickered in the night breeze, illuminating four solemn faces.

Sun Kewang, Li Dingguo, Liu Wenxiu and Ai Nengqi sat in a tent with an unfolded handwritten map in front of them. There were a few simple circles drawn on it, indicating the locations of Yunnan, Guangxi and Guangdong provinces.

Among them, the eldest of the four, Sun Kewang, was about thirty years old, with a sturdy and robust build, his eyes piercing, his brows revealing an indomitable ruthlessness and imperceptible cunning, worthy of being called a "wall." However, at this moment, his face wore a somewhat complicated expression, and his eyes occasionally swept across the map in front of him.

Li Dingguo, the second-ranked of the four, was slightly younger than Sun Kewang. He was tall and slender, with a stern face and deep, abyssal eyes, and was remarkably handsome. He had always been known for his bravery and skill in battle, leading an entire army at the age of twenty and achieving numerous feats. But at this moment, his brows furrowed as he gazed at the map and letter of offer before him, seemingly lost in thought.

As for Liu Wenxiu and Ai Nengqi, who ranked third and fourth among the four, one has a kind face, eyes as warm as water, a gentle temperament, and is usually very humble. The other is straightforward and dares to do and take responsibility, and only listens to his eldest brother Sun Kewang.

The two men now also had frowns on their faces, just as they had done every time they discussed the Ming court's recruitment efforts over the past month.

In fact, as early as more than a month ago, the documents of surrender sent by Gao Yigong were already placed in front of them, but the four of them had their own thoughts in mind, and the remaining troops of the Western Army were also in turmoil. A whole month passed, and the four brothers even took the army around for another circle, but no one was willing to be the first to speak.

As the four brothers looked at each other, silence continued to spread throughout the tent, like an invisible net, tightly entangling them. After Zhang Xianzhong's unexpected death in battle, and the four brothers taking control of the remaining Dashi Army, the strife behind the scenes seemed to emerge clearly at this moment, along this invisible web.

Finally, Sun Kewang couldn't hold back any longer. As the eldest brother, he should have set an example first. But when he opened his mouth, he said coldly:
"Can we really trust the Ming court's offer of appeasement? We were fooled once before, and in the end, we have to become bandits again!"

As soon as these words came out, Liu Wenxiu was the first to respond before Li Dingguo:

"Brother, given the current situation, if we don't accept the imperial court's offer of amnesty, I'm afraid these tens of thousands of brothers and tens of thousands of families will find it difficult to survive. Gao Yigong, Li Guo, Tian Jianxiu, and the others have already surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, and nothing has happened to them. Moreover, according to Gao Yigong, all three of them have been highly valued by the imperial court, and now each of them is guarding their own region."

However, after hearing this, Ai Nengqi immediately frowned and said:

"Third brother, that's wrong. Gao Yigong is now a member of the Ming court. I'm afraid only he knows which of his words are true and which are false. Who can guarantee that the Ming court's offer of appeasement is a good one? How can we trust it so easily?"

Li Dingguo sneered after hearing this. Like Liu Wenxiu, he was inclined to accept the offer and was not completely convinced by Sun Kewang, his elder brother. He then said:
"While what Fourth Brother said makes sense, Wenxiu is also right. Our current situation is indeed not optimistic. The King has passed away, and we are outnumbered. We only have two weeks' worth of food and fodder left. If we force our way across the Fu River and continue south, I'm afraid we won't have a chance of success!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Kewang's eyes darkened. He slammed his hand on the table and said, "Dingguo, you and I both know that if we surrender, there's no guarantee that we won't be feared by the Ming court. Wouldn't we then become lambs to be slaughtered? How could that be any better than it is now?"

As soon as these words were spoken, silence fell in the tent, with only the faint light of the oil lamp swaying slightly. The differences and contradictions between the four brothers over the past month suddenly became apparent at this moment.

Seeing this, Liu Wenxiu felt nervous. This was the first time that Sun Kewang and Li Dingguo had spoken so directly. He immediately said slowly:
"Big Brother, Second Brother, Fourth Brother, the purpose of our discussion is to seek common ground while reserving differences. Since Gao Yigong has offered to pacify us, instead of arguing, we should test the sincerity of the Ming court before making a decision."

Sun Kewang listened and then exchanged glances with Li Dingguo. He knew that it was pointless to continue arguing, and then he said in a deep voice:

"Okay, then we'll test the Ming court's bottom line. But if there's even a hint of inappropriateness, I won't risk the lives of tens of thousands of my brothers."

When Ai Nengqi heard Sun Kewang's decision, he still hesitated, but he finally nodded: "Third brother is right, but we must be extremely cautious and must not take it lightly."

Li Dingguo was originally inclined to accept the offer of amnesty, so he naturally nodded and said, "Then let's do as Wenxiu suggests. Since we've gone around in circles and got no results, let's go and test the Ming court's bottom line this time."

(End of this chapter)