Dou Meiyi saw General Shuangxi come to the upper floor of Zuoshun Gate and say something to Liu Zongmin and Niu Jinxing, these two civil and military ministers suddenly got up and went downstairs with Shuangxi.

Dou Meiyi's face was cold, and she exclaimed in her heart: "Oh my God, something must have happened!"

Since becoming the concubine of the new emperor, she has completely tied the fate of herself and her family to the national fortunes of the Dashun Dynasty. Now as soon as she saw Liu Zongmin and Niu Jinxing hurriedly descending the Zuoshun gatehouse and heading east, she had no intention of watching the performance again, so she nodded to Wang Ruifen silently, and led the palace maids down the Youshun gatehouse and went back to the dormitory of the Renzhi Palace.

On the way, she secretly thought in her heart: How could the ministers be so careless about such a major event as the grand performance of the Huangji Gate, and let the eunuchs go to the court in the sound of drums.

Li Zicheng looked at Liu Zongmin and Niu Jinxing and said: "Yesterday, Liu Tichun played in front of Wu Yingdian that Wu Sangui had no intention of surrendering, and stepped up preparations for war at Shanhaiguan, and said that the Manchu Qing Dynasty mobilized troops and horses, and it was bound to take advantage of our dynasty's unstable foothold in Beijing and invade the south in a big way. I thought that the situation at this time was sinister and beyond our original expectations, so I ordered the two military advisors, Ce and Li Yan, to tell you the situation overnight. It's just that I need to hear Tang Tong and Zhang Ruoqi's recital today, so I can discuss with you how to deal with it. ”

Liu Zongmin asked, "How did Zhang Ruoqi and Tang Tong play back to the emperor just now?"

Li Zicheng said: "As with the situation found by Ti Chun, Wu Sangui was unwilling to surrender and decided to resist stubbornly. Now he did not openly mourn for Emperor Chongzhen, nor did he gallop far and near, openly indicating that he was an enemy of me, but he was worried about the lack of strength, and intended to delay the army and wait for the movement of Manchuria. At present, the two military divisions have seen this situation very thoroughly. Give me your opinion. ”

Song Xiance said to Liu Zongmin and Niu Jinken: "Zhang Tang and the others lived in Tongzhou last night, and they rushed to Beijing after dawn, and they didn't dare to go back to the mansion. Then we took them into the palace and came to the Wenhua Hall to tell the emperor about Wu Sangui's situation, just as the emperor just said. ”

"When I was in the Military Division's Mansion, I inquired more carefully, according to reason, Wu Sangui received a letter from my emperor and the money and goods of the army, and there should be a letter of thanks. He knew that Beijing would hold an enthronement ceremony on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, and even if he did not come in person, he should have sent a special envoy to congratulate Tang Tong on coming to Beijing with Tang Tong, and this was the reason. ”

However, he did not do either of these things, but only verbally instructed the envoys, saying that he was grateful for King Li's kindness and had no intention of becoming an enemy of King Li. As for whether to surrender or not, he deduced that his civil and military dignitaries had been meeting for several days, and that there were differences of opinion, so that he could not make a decisive decision at the moment. ”

He also told them that since the fall of Jinzhou, Songshan, Tashan, Xingshan and other places, he led the soldiers of Liaodong to stick to the isolated city of Ningyuan, which became the only barrier outside Shanhaiguan, all relying on the concerted efforts of tens of thousands of soldiers under his command, just like one person. Recently, he was ordered to enter the king of Guanqin, but unexpectedly Beijing has been lost, Emperor Chongzhen was martyred, and the whole army was sad. If he resolutely surrendered to King Li, he was afraid that the Liaodong soldiers would not be convinced, so he asked for a few days to allow him to continue to discuss the surrender with his civil and military personnel. ”

Liu Zongmin scolded: "He's a horse, this is a delaying tactic, deliberately delaying time!"

Niu Jinxing then said to the emperor: "Please forgive your majesty for the crime of being inconsiderate." With common sense, Wu Sangui will undoubtedly surrender, but he didn't expect that he would dare to refuse to surrender because of the lonely city of mountains and seas!"

He turned to Song Xiance and Li Yan and said: "Wu Sangui has already rebelled against the fact that he did not send a special envoy to Beijing to bring a surrender table, and it is simply rude that he was generously rewarded by our emperor and did not ask me to bring back a letter to the envoy to express my gratitude!"

Li Yan replied: "I asked the two envoys about this matter, and according to what they said, because Wu Sangui heard that Manchuria was mobilizing men and horses to prepare for the southern invasion, and he was busy deploying troops to ensure the important places in the city, so he did not have time to revise the book and thank the emperor for the army. As for the surrender, he himself was willing, but he was only a military dignitary, and his opinions were different. ”

"At the latest, if Guanning Wenwu agrees to surrender, and Guanning City is safe, he will come to Beijing in person, and he will not dare to ask for a knighthood, but ask to be bound to his guilt, hand over the military power, and wait for the fate. Of course, these words are all prevarications, and they are his delaying tactics. ”

Liu Zongmin asked, "Is Wu Sangui going to surrender to Manchuria?"

Song Xiance replied: "He has another wishful thinking. In his humble opinion, he has no intention of surrendering Manchuria at present. ”

Liu Zongmin said hatefully: "He's a horse, what kind of hell is he playing?"

Song Xiance said: "Zhang Tang and the two have already told me and Li Yan in the Military Division's Mansion. When he told the emperor about Wu Sangui's situation just now, the emperor saw that he was spitting and asked him. I was afraid that the emperor would be furious when he heard this, so I told him to step back and rest without waiting for him to explain. After he withdrew, I made it clear to His Majesty, and His Majesty was really angry. ”

"At present, Manchuria is about to take advantage of the unstable foundation of our dynasty and invade the south on a large scale, but Wu Sangui does not forget his old king, and he is neither willing to surrender to our dynasty nor surrender to Manchuria. Wu Sangui's wishful thinking was that after the Manchurian army entered the Great Wall, there was a big battle with our Dashun army in the suburbs of Beijing, and he, Wu Sangui, stood still in Shanhaiguan, recuperated his strength, and reaped the benefits of the fishermen. This is Wu Sangui's best policy. ”

He did not surrender to the Manchurians, but only asked Manchuria for help, borrowed troops to restore the country, and avenged his father. If this plan succeeds, although he will be able to repay the Qing State with land and coins in the future, he will always be held hostage by Manchuria, but he will still get the name of a hero of the restoration of the Ming Dynasty. Of course, this is the middle way. ”

"For Wu Sangui's vision, the best strategy is to surrender Manchuria, not only will he be subject to Manchuria forever, but also leave a lasting infamy. Judging by his humble opinion, Wu Sangui has tens of thousands of elite soldiers in his hands, and there is no shortage of military rations, and he will not surrender to Manchuria until there is no way out. ”

Liu Zongmin asked again: "Because Wu Sangui knew that the Manchurians were about to invade the south on a large scale, he would inevitably take the opportunity to threaten me. What can Tang Tong and the others tell you?"

Song Xiance smiled faintly: "If Wu Sangui is transferred from Tang and Zhang to threaten us, I have already played the emperor." I thought that the person I was most worried about at this time was not Wu Sangui, but the Qing soldiers who were attacking in the south, so I had already advised the emperor just now to be tolerant of Wu Sangui for the time being, and there was no need to force it too hard. Lao Tzu said: The ominous weapon of a soldier is not a gentleman's weapon, and it is used as a last resort. At present, our country is in the period of grass creation, the foundation has not been solidified, and the Manchu Qing Dynasty suddenly took the opportunity to invade the south, and its ambition is by no means small. ”

"Today's Manchuria is the descendant of the golden seed. After the late Great Khan Emperor Taiji succeeded to the throne, he inherited Nurhachi's legacy, ran Liaodong, unified the Mongolian tribes, submitted to Korea, and sent troops to invade the Ming Dynasty several times, going deep into Kifu and Shandong, bent on restoring the situation of the golden era. ”

He died suddenly last year, and Dolgon supported Huang Taiji's six-year-old son to succeed him as regent himself. In his humble opinion, Dolgon will inherit the legacy of Huang Taiji and invade the south in a big way. If his plan to invade the south succeeds, he can lay a good foundation for the restoration of the prosperity of the Jin Dynasty, can consolidate his regency, and the affairs of Manchukuo will completely fall into his control, and no one will be able to compete with him. ”

"So I thought about it repeatedly, at present, the real strong enemy of my country is Dolgon, not Wu Sangui. Although Wu Sangui will not surrender and is currently taking advantage of the opportunity to threaten me, we must deal with Wu Sangui calmly and not let him fall to the side of Manchuria. ”

Liu Zongmin, like many generals of the Great Shun Dynasty, has formed a habitual thinking track because he has always fought against the Ming army for many years and has not considered the problems of the Manchurians, and still regards Wu Sangui as the main enemy of the Great Shun Dynasty at present, and cannot understand that after the death of Chongzhen, the main opponent of the Great Shun Dynasty became the Manchurian court represented by Dolgon.

The peasant war within the Han nationality for many years suddenly turned into a national war between the Han and the Manchurians, and this historical situation turned too violently, and Song Xiance and Li Yan only recently got to know each other, and Li Zicheng did not understand it very well, and Liu Zongmin did not understand it even more.

Liu Zongmin temporarily ignored the fact that the Manchurian soldiers were about to invade the south, and asked the military advisor again: "Military advisor, how can Wu Sangui blackmail me?

Song Xiance said: "Wu Sangui asked Zhang Ruoqi and Tang Tong to convey his two demands, that the crown prince and the second king should be sent to Shanhaiwei as soon as possible, and that they should not be harmed; ”

Liu Zongmin jumped up suddenly, but sat down again: "I understand, there is no room to turn anymore!"

He turned to Li Zicheng: "Your Majesty, how do you decide?"

When Li Zicheng first heard that the military advisor had made Wu Sangui's peace conditions, he was indeed very angry, slapped the imperial case, and scolded: "How can this be reasonable!"

But he was not the kind of impetuous person, and he was able to control himself in anger, quickly regained his composure, and pondered the question of the Crusade. At this moment, his mind was almost decided, and he asked the chief and deputy military divisions, "What are your opinions?"

Song Xiance knew that the emperor's idea was to send troops to fight, so he stood up and said: "Wu Sangui knew that the Manchu Qing Dynasty would invade the south in a big way, so he not only dared to resist and not surrender, but also forced me to send the crown prince and the second king to withdraw from Beijing. Such disobedience should be extinguished, leaving no elbows and armpits. However, Weichen hopes that His Majesty will be cautious about Wu Sangui's use of troops, and can only tolerate it, and use a restrained policy to prevent him from surrendering to Manchuria, which is the benefit of our court. As long as we defeat the invading Manchurian army, Wu Sangui will definitely come and surrender. ”

"What is Li Yan's opinion?" Li Zicheng asked Li Yan again.

Li Yan replied: "The minister also hopes that His Majesty will be cautious. ”

Li Zicheng asked Liu Zongmin again: "What do you think about Ruhou?"

Liu Zongmin looked at Song Xiance and asked, "According to you, is there any collusion between Wu Sangui and the Manchurians at present?"

Song Xiance said: "According to the current report, Wu Sangui and the Manchurians have not colluded. ”

"In this case," Liu Zongmin said, "I think that the Manchurians are still in Shenyang, far away from me, and are still mobilizing troops and horses, but Wu Sangui has tens of thousands of elite soldiers in his hands, occupying Shanhaiguan, only a few hundred miles away from me, so it can be said that he is close to me, and it is really a problem for my henchmen of the Dashun Dynasty." According to my judgment, in a few days, Wu Sangui will be ready at Shanhaiguan and will be spread all over the country, claiming revenge for Emperor Chongzhen and restoring the Ming Dynasty as a call. ”

"At that time, Kifuzhou County responded, and troops rose everywhere to make enemies of me, and the southern provinces would also respond. Once Wu Sangui took the lead in the north, set an example in the north, and became a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty, who would be willing to surrender among the many generals and feudal officials of the Ming Dynasty in the south? Who would not be my enemy?"

"My opinion is that the Manchurian soldiers have not yet invaded the south, and they will defeat Wu Sangui in the first battle. The elimination of Wu Sangui and the capture of Shanhaiguan can make the Manchurians dare not invade the south, and the southern generals of the Ming Dynasty were frightened, and the prefectures and counties of Jifu did not dare to act rashly. Do not delay this matter, beware of long nights and dreams. It is necessary to be quick in the affairs of Wu Sangui's use of troops, and to defeat him before the Manchurians attack. ”

Li Zicheng nodded frequently, and asked Niu Jinxing again: "What does Mr. Niu claim?"

Niu Jinxing hurriedly stood up and said, "Your Majesty, today's matter is not light, and it is difficult to make a hasty decision. Please discuss it repeatedly with the two military advisors, so as to make sure that it is appropriate, and then listen to it. The Marquis of Ru has experienced a hundred battles, has a rich and strategic mind, and has a high prestige in the army, which is unsurpassed. What he just said can be called macro and insightful, and it is beyond the reach of ministers. ”

"It's just that if it is necessary to use troops, I also ask Hou Ye to go back and discuss with a few henchmen and generals in secret, and be familiar with the strategy, so as to ensure that one blow must be hit, and only a quick victory can be achieved, and troops cannot be stationed under the fortified city, delaying the battle situation, so that the Manchu Qing can reap the benefits of the fishermen. After the civil and military ministers discussed separately this afternoon, they will enter the palace tonight or tomorrow morning to hold a pre-imperial meeting. Your Majesty is wise and wise, far beyond the reach of the ministers, and such a plan for safety must always be cut off from the holy heart. ”

Li Zicheng thought that Niu Jinxing's words were very reasonable, glanced at Liu Zongmin, and saw that Liu Zongmin had no other opinions, so he immediately said: "That's it, this afternoon, Zong Min and Bu Zhi will summon Li You and other generals to discuss whether to use troops against Wu Sangui immediately, and tonight Zong Min and Bu Zhi will come to Wuying Hall to play." In the afternoon, the prime minister and the two military advisors, plus Yu Shangxian and Gu Junen, discussed in detail, and in the evening, the five of you came to the west of the Wuying Hall to play. After listening to the opinions of the civil and military personnel, I will consider it again. After breakfast tomorrow, a pre-imperial meeting will be held in the Wuying Palace, and all the generals and above will come to attend and listen to me announce the contingency plan. ”

Niu Jinxing asked: "Your Majesty, the servants of the six governments and above are all ministers of the imperial court, do you want to participate in the imperial meeting?"

Li Zicheng didn't make a sound. Niu Jinxing did not dare to ask again because the emperor did not ask the newly surrendered ministers of the court and the central government in the past year to participate in major military secret discussions.

Liu Zongmin asked: "Your Majesty, it was originally arranged to hold an enthronement ceremony on the sixth day of the first lunar month, but now we should quickly deploy the military and prepare for the army. With so many things going on, how can I have time to prepare for the enthronement?"

Li Zicheng hesitated in his heart and turned to look at the military division.