Chapter 10, Your Majesty, please proceed to the Imperial Hall.
Their loyalty to Your Majesty is solely based on what Your Majesty can provide for them. If Your Majesty holds no value, or if it contradicts their interests, they will abandon Your Majesty just the same, as long as this abandonment can be done discreetly enough to avoid any tarnishing of their reputation, which is very important to them
He has indeed seen quite a bit, starting from the chaotic times of the late Ming Dynasty, and over the next three hundred years, numerous officials have continuously lowered their standards. In such circumstances, any desperate former talent of the Ming Dynasty, in order to avoid being targeted by Chongzhen upon his arrival in Jiangnan and facing retribution against his family, would not surprise Yang Qing if he were to encounter a robbery and murder along the way, as in the end, there is always Li Zicheng to take the blame.
Yang Qing said with a smile that seemed to be both genuine and insincere
Dorgon will give them everything they desire, and then exploit the common people together with them
In that case, I have nothing to say
They do not care about anything else; anyone who wants to take their land is their enemy
Therefore, it is imperative to act swiftly
After all, you have said that you want to equalize their fields
Why?
Li Zicheng suddenly said with a smile
Your Majesty, please proceed to the Imperial Hall!
Yang Qing said
Surrendering to the Jianzhou does not carry the burden of original sin
He added
Li Zicheng likely understands this point as well. If Zhu Chuncheng could betray Chongzhen, then what reason is there to believe that others could not also bring about his death? There have been more than one emperor of the Ming Dynasty who died under unclear circumstances. In the past, it at least required some effort to carry out such deeds cleanly, but now, if Chongzhen were to die on his way south, the various officials would immediately place the blame squarely on Li Zicheng's shoulders
Li Zicheng gazed deeply at him
Isn't it supposed to be the Chengtian Gate instead of the Huangjidian?
Li Zicheng gazed deeply at them, while Yang Qing looked at him with an innocent smile. Chongzhen maintained the impassive expression of an emperor, and the air in the room seemed to freeze
If you don't believe me, go back and ask your old friends
Li Zicheng said
You do not believe that I can defeat the Jurchens
It is nothing, just that I have seen many things
If Your Majesty were to return to the south, how would the esteemed officials in Beijing face the world? What about their relatives in Jiangnan? At times, one cannot overestimate their limits; they have already betrayed their master, so what harm is there in breaking the pot? After all, the final blame will still fall on you
They can bring Dorgon to rescue the emperor
Yang Qing said
Li Zicheng said
Chongzhen wore a strange smile on his face as he spoke
Indeed, only the elite troops under your command can contend with them, but they still fall short in some aspects. How many elite troops do you have? Dorgon is advancing south with 80,000 men, and even if we include Wu Sangui's Guanning Army, I can only conclude that you can rely on the fortifications at Shanhaiguan for defense. In open battle, you would still face defeat. If Wu Sangui were to side with Dorgon, then you could say there would be no hope at all
The Ming, Shun, and Qing families naturally have the deepest feelings for the Ming Dynasty. However, when the Ming had no choice left and only Shun and Qing remained as options, they would absolutely not choose you. In the absence of options, they would rather surrender to Dorgon.
Do you think it is possible
If this is Your Majesty's intention, then their surrender would be tantamount to treason, and they would lose the legitimacy of their surrender. Moreover, if Your Majesty truly does not permit them to surrender to Dorgon, then those families within the court-controlled areas and Your Majesty's controlled areas will need to be cautious, for after Your Majesty goes to Nanjing, you will confiscate their properties, and similarly, you will also seize their assets in the north
Suddenly, Li Zicheng broke into a smile
Then the Ming Dynasty will join forces with the Jurchens to besiege you
You cannot become Dorgon
It can be said that he has done his utmost; the mere fact that the Qing army has already moved south can be considered as giving Li Zicheng a golden opportunity. Historically, he was unaware of this point. In fact, at this time, Dorgon had not truly left Shenyang; he was merely preparing to deploy troops, and his initial objective was to move south through the Rehe mountainous area from western Liaoning. It was only after receiving the news of Li Zicheng's breach of Beijing that he redirected his forces towards Shanhaiguan
Furthermore, if you truly intend to release us, it would be best to do so by tomorrow
Or I can explain it to you in simpler terms
You see, keeping His Majesty is not only useless but will also bring you trouble. Letting Him go is a different matter. First, you will no longer have to worry about the fierce resistance from the loyal ministers in the north, and you might even lure Dorgon into the pass. Song Quan will act according to the decree, Wang Yongji will act according to the decree, and Li Yutian will act according to the decree. This is the reward for your decision to release His Majesty. They are not surrendering; rather, they are expressing their gratitude for your decision not to harm Him. Wu Sangui will also act according to the decree, after all, his family is in your hands. As long as they do not surrender to Dorgon, you can smoothly take control of Shanhaiguan and the Great Wall, and then wait for Dorgon's army to arrive, using the fortified cities to defeat him.
Yang Qing said with a certain weariness
Then why should I let you go? Is it not the same to leave you here?
What we must do is to prevent them from surrendering to Dorgon by providing reasons. If Your Majesty dies here, they will claim to be loyal ministers of the Ming, avengers of the Ming Emperor, and thus justify their surrender to Dorgon. If Your Majesty remains alive here, they will say that you are imprisoning Your Majesty and humiliating the consort, and as loyal ministers of the Ming, they will have no choice but to borrow troops to suppress the bandits, and then still boldly surrender to Dorgon to restore the throne. Such occurrences are not without precedent in history. If Your Majesty remains alive here, they will say that you are imprisoning Your Majesty and humiliating the consort, and as loyal ministers of the Ming, they will have no choice but to borrow troops to suppress the bandits, and then still boldly surrender to Dorgon to restore the throne. Such occurrences are not without precedent in history.
This statement was made by Song Quan during the time of his submission to the Qing dynasty
After all, they are still subjects of the Ming Dynasty
It would be even more secure if there were another imperial decree
For instance, how would you respond if they were to besiege the city?
You must first understand one thing: they do not actually like you. At least between you and Dorgon, they prefer Dorgon a bit more. You must realize that you will always be the lord of the common people. Will you continue to allow them to exploit the common people? Will you allow them to consolidate land and turn the common people into slaves? Will you allow the gentry to evade taxes by various means in the future? You are currently not even collecting taxes. Your army still relies on robbing the wealthy to sustain itself, and you even say you want to equalize their land. So do you think they will like you?
However, Dorgon is different
Chongzhen said slowly from the side
This is under the condition that Your Majesty does not perish. If Your Majesty is forced to death by you, then Wu Sangui, Wang Yongji, and Song Quan would have no way to surrender to you. Even if they were to surrender to the Jian invaders, they would not surrender to you, for it is a matter of vengeance against the ruler and father
Uh, it's different
If you continue to regard Your Majesty with respect, then I shall continue to serve as my Imperial Guard
If one wishes to declare oneself emperor, then even if Your Majesty is confined in Beijing, Nanjing would merely establish a new ruler. There are various government offices in place, and plenty of royal family members available. The ministers of the six ministries in Nanjing, the censors of the Nanjing Duzhiyuan, and the commanders of the Nanjing Wujun Dudu Fu can gather together to select whichever royal family member they deem suitable to be the new ruler. This is not a significant matter, and you would still be in opposition to the Ming Dynasty. The commanders of the Nanjing Wujun Dudu Fu, the officials in Fengyang, and the two chief eunuchs in Nanjing can come together to choose a royal family member they favor to establish as the new ruler. This is not a significant matter, and you would still be in opposition to the Ming Dynasty.
I, Ming Chen, am capable of avenging the Ming Lord; thus, I am his master
You see, Your Majesty has made it very clear
As for your numerical advantage, it is utterly meaningless; in the face of you, they would flee in panic, and they would crumble even faster against the Jurchens. In fact, if Wu Sangui and others were to surrender to the Jurchens, I can assure you that the vast majority of the imperial army's generals would immediately turn against you and stab you in the back.
Additionally, you need to understand one more thing
Only when Your Majesty is ceremoniously sent out of the country will they be unable to find any reason to surrender to Dorgon
Li Zicheng sat there in silence, not speaking a word
Yang Qing said
Li Zicheng said
It was so quick that these fellows had no time to react
Yang Qing said
Of course, you can do it this way as well
As you wish
Yang Qing said
He stood up and spoke
Li Zicheng said with a smile that seemed to be both genuine and insincere
They will step aside and claim that they cannot allow Your Majesty to be in danger, look at how loyal they are, and then they will let Dorgon’s army attack. Dorgon is not under their command, so naturally, they cannot control him. They do not truly care about Your Majesty's life. At this moment, if you were to kill Your Majesty in a fit of rage, they would be pleased, for they could then seek revenge for Your Majesty. If you command them to attack Dorgon, they will say that it is a chaotic order forced upon Your Majesty under your threat, and they have no obligation to obey. Even under normal circumstances, the cabinet often seals and returns imperial edicts, let alone during times of war. They do not truly care about Your Majesty's life. At this moment, if you were to kill Your Majesty in a fit of rage, they would be pleased, for they could then seek revenge for Your Majesty. If you command them to attack Dorgon, they will say that it is a chaotic order forced upon Your Majesty under your threat, and they have no obligation to obey. Even under normal circumstances, the cabinet often seals and returns imperial edicts, let alone during times of war.
To threaten them with Your Majesty
Yang Qing candidly stated
Yang Qing then continued to speak
I believe that perhaps, nowadays, Your Majesty has no utility for you. Even if Your Majesty does not perish, what can you utilize Your Majesty for? Are you suggesting that you would abandon your claim to the throne and restore Your Majesty to power, akin to Cao Cao?
The Great Ancestor expelled the Tartars and restored China, thus establishing the Ming Dynasty for three hundred years. Although I am unworthy, I cannot allow China to fall back into the hands of the Tartars; otherwise, I would have no face to confront the Great Ancestor
Whoever can guarantee their interests is their master, regardless of whether the other party belongs to a different ethnicity
They are also unlikely to like you; they will do everything possible to find reasons to surrender. This is determined by the nature of both parties. Therefore, if you keep His Majesty here, they will say that you are threatening His Majesty, and then deceive them with a forged edict. If Dorgon can provide them with sufficient promises, they will immediately turn to Dorgon, opening the gates under the pretext of borrowing troops to quell the bandits and rescue the emperor, marching alongside Dorgon towards Beijing.
Li Zicheng also spoke with a strange smile
However, you cannot do this, because your subordinates are all under the banner of equal land distribution and tax exemption. The common people support you because you have given them hope, as the rebel leader does not collect taxes. If you collude with the gentry, they will unhesitatingly abandon you just as you rebelled against His Majesty in the past.
Surrendering to the Manchus and inviting Dorgon into the borders, they may claim to borrow foreign troops to seek revenge for Your Majesty, and as ministers of the Ming, they would not be lacking in loyalty. However, surrendering to you is a different matter. It is not just them; in the future, all Ming officials who surrender to you will bear the original sin. Do you understand what original sin is? It is the inherent evil, the evil that flows through the bloodline for generations. As long as they possess even the slightest sense of integrity, they will not surrender to you. They might do so before this point, but not after. Then they can readily surrender to the Manchus. The inherent evil, the evil that flows through the bloodline for generations; as long as they possess even the slightest sense of integrity, they will not surrender to you. They might do so before this point, but not after. Then they can readily surrender to the Manchus.
You have quite a few cunning thoughts