Karahetun.

It is only more than 100 miles away from Gubeikou Town, but Wu Sangui's army is stationed here.

Wu Sangui was difficult to ride a tiger at this time, and he was in a dilemma. Over the course of several days, he received multiple reports that several scout teams had disappeared after crossing the Luan River and approaching the Great Wall within 100 miles.

It is now almost certain that these scouts did not surrender to the defenders of the Great Wall, but were annihilated by the patrols north of the Great Wall. At the same time, he also received a report that within 100 miles north of the Great Wall, it had already been completely fortified and cleared, and it was a scorched earth. The real scorched earth was not visible to a single common man, not a single cow or sheep could be found, all the villages and tribes were relocated, the remaining houses and tents were burned, and even the wells were filled in.

Now the Liao army can still half-grab and half-buy, and half-rely on the Qing army to provide grain and grass support. Once it enters this hundred-mile no-man's land, it will be too difficult for the Liao army to get supplies.

He had to prepare food and grass supplies before entering the no-man's land.

But Wu Sangui didn't know where to get grain and grass, and Haoge was impatient with Wu Sangui's request for grain and grass again and again, in fact, it was not that Haoge didn't care about the overall situation, but that Haoge was also short of grain and grass.

The Qing army was sacked by Liu Jun at the beginning, lost a large number of people and fields, and now there is a shortage of all kinds of materials in the territory, this time Haoge sent troops to the grain and grass, are not easy to get together, in order to gather these grain and grass, the Qing people squeezed the bannermen of each banner very much, and they are already complaining everywhere, and now Haoge has to get a little grain and grass that is hard to get, and save half of it from his mouth to Wu Sangui, as a result, Wu Sangui has not made any progress until now, but from time to time robbed the Mongolian brothers of the Qing Dynasty, how can Haoge be happy.

Wu Sangui was now forced to stop his advance at Karahetun, waiting for the arrival of the grain and grass for Haoge's relief, and at the same time sending people to search for grain and grass. Wu Sangui even personally organized his subordinates to hunt in the nearby mountains and forests and fish in the river.

With a tired body. Wu Sangui had just returned from hunting with a team of men and horses, but he was greeted by a soldier.

"Dashuai, Zu Shuai, please go to the big tent immediately."

Wu Sangui didn't catch any prey when he went out today, and in the spring, there were very few prey, and the little ones that he finally caught were all skin and bones.

"Zu Shuai, what's the urgency?"

"It's a messenger from the south who is coming, it seems that the new right attendant of the military department has come to negotiate."

Hearing this news, Wu Sangui's heart was excited.

He hurriedly quickened his pace. Rush to the big tent of the Chinese army.

As soon as Wu Sangui entered the tent, he saw Zu Dashou and another person sitting in the tent talking.

"You're finally back, come on, I'll introduce you to you, this is the new right attendant of the imperial court's military department, Feng Yuanbiao, Lord Feng."

Wu Sangui bowed, "Sangui greets Master Feng." ”

"You're welcome, Feng has also admired Wu Shuai's name for a long time, and today I finally saw it, and I am fortunate to have three lives."

Wu Sangui walked to his seat and sat down. looked around and saw that there were only Zu Dashou and Feng Yuanbiao in the tent, and there was no one else. It seems that this meeting is more important and confidential.

Zu Dashou glanced at Wu Sangui. "Lord Feng came here with great difficulty, he came on behalf of the emperor and the imperial court, and it was said that there was some misunderstanding."

Feng Yuanbiao got straight to the point, "I like to go straight." Today, I will open the skylight and say something bright. The emperor and the court were very unhappy about your army, especially when you joined forces to clear the captives. disappointed the emperor even more. ”

"Gong Feng, we are not rebelling against the emperor, but Liu Jiye is a traitor and villain, blinding the saints, we are the foundation of the ancestors of the Ming Dynasty, and as the loyal courtiers of the Ming Dynasty, we have to send troops to the side of the Qing monarch."

"Wu Shuai, Your Majesty and Yuan Fu also understand your intentions, but there are some things that you also have some misunderstandings. In short, the result is not what everyone wants. As the saying goes, turning back is the shore. His Majesty and Yuan Fu sent Feng to resolve this misunderstanding. ”

"As long as the two of you can get lost, the court will not blame the past and will not embarrass you."

Within a month, he led the headquarters to return to Liaoxi, and after that, Wu Shuai was still the general soldier of Guangning, and Zu Shuai was still the general soldier of Jinzhou. Ningyuan and Jinzhou Town are bounded by the Daughter River, the west of the boundary belongs to the Ningyuan Town Defense District, and the east of the boundary belongs to the Jinzhou Town Defense District. The soldiers and horses of your two towns are also retained, and you will continue to defend Liaoxi for the country. ”

Wu Sangui was a little shocked, but he didn't expect this to be the result.

He asked suspiciously, "Is this really the intention of Your Majesty and Yuan Fu, and the hundred officials of the imperial court also agree to this decision?" ”

"Yes, the resolution made at the Prime Minister's meeting."

"Liu Jiye also agrees?"

"Your Majesty, Yuanfu, and Baiguan have all agreed, and the county king naturally has no objections."

He still didn't believe it, he raised the anti-flag, and he got all the way here, how could the court act as if this hadn't happened?

If it is said that he seized the Daling River and the cities of Jinzhou and Yizhou, and the imperial court gave such conditions to surrender because of this, he really couldn't believe it.

In fact, he knows very well that his current situation, Yijin and other places, but the imperial court took the initiative to give up, which is a very powerful move, which makes it difficult for him to continue although he is now more than 100 miles outside the Great Wall.

At this time, the imperial court actually offered such good conditions, it was like pie falling from the sky, which was unbelievable.

Perhaps the imperial court was afraid of the Qing army, Wu Sangui could only think like this, and felt that he could not believe such an explanation. Although the Qing army is powerful, it is not the Qing army in the early years, not to mention that the imperial court is not the imperial court in the early years of Chongzhen, but the imperial court has Liu Jiye and the Chu army in several towns.

Why should they be afraid?

"Wu Shuai, Yuanfu hopes you can think about it, there are not many opportunities like this, if you miss it, you will regret it forever."

Wu Sangui immediately heard the voice, "This matter is Yuanfu's proposition?" ”

"Yuan Fu has never doubted the loyalty of the two generals and the soldiers of the Liao army, and he believes that if one day there is really a rebellion in the court, you will definitely raise troops to enter King Qinjing again."

"We will." Wu Sangui finally felt that he was less confused.

However, when Feng Yuanbiao said Liu Jun's two additional conditions, Wu Sangui's smile disappeared.

"The imperial court does not pay food, and the Liao army solves it by itself? It is forbidden to cross the line, and once it crosses the line, it will be regarded as complicity? ”

Wu Sangui can't figure it out, what is this?

After sending Feng Yuanbiao back to the tent to rest, Wu Sangui and Zu Dashou sat in the tent and were silent for a long time.

"We can't accept such conditions." Zu Dashou looked up at Wu Sangui and spoke. "How can we survive without food? The people of Quang Ninh and Jinzhou are all combined. There will not be 200,000 people. Without the imperial court to send money and food, we may not even be able to raise 10,000 soldiers and horses. ”

Wu Sangui didn't raise his head.

"But if we continue now, we don't have the slightest chance of winning."

Zu Dashou continued, "Even if we talk about food and salary first, do you think the Manchus will agree to us negotiating peace with the imperial court?" When the time comes, they will be the first to oppose and will definitely send troops against us, do you think the imperial court will send troops to help us at that time? This is a conspiracy, a ruse, they pretend to surrender, but in fact they want to kill people with a sword. Get rid of us by the hand of men. ”

"If you think about it, how can there be such a good thing. We have all rebelled, and we don't have any advantage now, but the court will offer such good conditions? This is a complete conspiracy, and we must not take their place. ”

"So what do you think we should do? Keep fighting? We have no food and grass, and we have no military heart, how can we fight? Liu Jiye abandoned Liaoxi and retracted his soldiers and horses back to the Great Wall defense line, in our current state. It will never be possible to break through the defense line of the Great Wall, let alone enter the capital. ”

"Liu Jiye doesn't need to do anything, as long as we stick to the defense line of the Great Wall, we can't hold it ourselves. Wait for summer to come. At that time, when we had no food and grass and could not hold on and wanted to retreat, he Liu Jiye landed after a detour from the sea and intercepted us halfway back. We will die without a place to bury. ”

Wu Sangui now regrets very much that he had raised the army on impulse, and as a result, he fell into such a difficult situation as he is now.

The surrender of the imperial court made him see a glimmer of light. The slightest chance of escaping this situation.

The atmosphere was a little solemn for a while.

On the one hand, Liu Jiye's steel defense line, on the other hand, the Qing army in the rear, coupled with the lack of food and pay at this time, it was simply a desperate situation.

Even if Wu Sangui wanted to fight hard with Liu Jun, he couldn't find a chance. If you can't eat enough, what will you do to fight?

"The Chu army is well-equipped and well-trained, especially with sharp firearms. What they are best at is fighting defensive battles, and they also have the advantage of maneuvering at sea, which can quickly maneuver and transport troops. Now that he has abandoned Liaoxi, we will not have to travel thousands of miles to fight them, and no matter how we fight, we have no chance of winning. ”

Zu Dashou sighed, "Then we can't trust the imperial court, even if they don't want to borrow a knife to kill people, but as long as they refuse to pay food, we can't survive in Liaoxi." ”

"Uncle's intentions, where should we go?"

"I think we might as well simply lower the liquidation, since the Ming Dynasty does not give us food and salary, does not let us live, and we can't solve this problem ourselves, then we will lower the liquidation, we will receive the salary of the Qing country, and eat the grain of the Qing country."

Wu Sangui looked up at his uncle.

"Did you promise anything to your uncle over there?"

At this time, Zu Dashou didn't hide anything, he never believed in the imperial court. Chongzhen killed Yuan Chonghuan back then, and since then he has not believed in the imperial court. Although he has insisted on not clearing it for many years, it is just the last bit of loyalty and filial piety in his heart.

Now that he is desperate, he can't care about that.

"Prince Rui sent someone to see me, and he promised me that as long as we are willing to surrender to the Qing, then the Qing will be crowned king for us. Liaoxi is still handed over to us to be stationed, and the military and civilians belong to us. They will even let us set up two flags separately, you are the green flag, I am the green flag, and the treatment will be above the Han Eight Banners. ”

Wu Sangui sneered, "Prince Rui is so generous. ”

"Don't you think about it?"

Wu Sangui sighed, "Uncle, once the Qing Dynasty is lowered, we will be nailed to this pillar of shame in history forever, and we will become thieves and spurned by the world." ”

Zu Dashou said disdainfully, "You are too bound by the name of loyalty and filial piety, I have lived for half my life to understand it, the name of loyalty and filial piety is good, but compared with life and family, it is nothing." You have read more books than me, and you can tell me yourself, since the Qin and Han dynasties, how many serious Han dynasties have there been? So many Hu people have entered the Central Plains, do those people all hold the name of loyalty and filial piety and refuse to obey? ”

"Don't be burdened by fame, today's Ming Dynasty, who knows who will dominate him tomorrow. Maybe he will seek to usurp the throne in the future, or maybe he will enter the Central Plains in the Manchu Dynasty, which is an unpredictable thing. But whether it is the continuation of his Ming Dynasty, or his Liu Jiye to create a new dynasty, or the Manchu Qing Dynasty's entry into the Central Plains, these are still too far away for us. We are just small people and we can't change these trends, but we can change our own destiny. ”

Zu Dashou's tone became more and more firm, "Even if we are enlightened now, but with Liu Jiye, we will never want to come out again, and I will never believe in Liu Jiye, this person has a lot of plans, even if he lets us go today, it is because he is confident that he can easily get rid of us in the future." ”

"In comparison, although the Qing Kingdom is now in a slight decline, it has become stronger and stronger over the years, and a temporary setback does not mean that it will not be able to compete for the Ming Dynasty in the future. In other words, if the Ming is strong and the Qing is weak, then the more attention we will pay to the Qing Dynasty. ”

"Look at the time when Kong Youde and others descended to the Qing Dynasty, they all had to be crowned kings, if they hadn't been captured by Liu Jiye, they would have lived a lot of comfort in the Qing Kingdom. With our strength, if we are cleared, is the treatment not as good as Kong Youde's miners? ”

Wu Sangui was caught in a difficult choice.

He never thought of surrendering to the Qing Dynasty, even if he started the army, he insisted on playing the banner of the Qing monarch's side, and still insisted on the identity of the Ming courtier.

It's too difficult to be a courtier of the Ming Dynasty.

Wu Sangui opened his eyes, and there was a hint of determination in his gaze.

"Uncle, please contact Prince Rui's people, and I will talk to him personally." After a pause, he said again, "You can find a way to spread this news to Feng Yuanbiao's ears." ”

"What are you hesitating about, what are you talking about with the surname Feng at this time?"

"Uncle, even if we want to descend, we have to shop around, we have to negotiate good conditions to go down with peace of mind."

"If the imperial court really gives any favorable conditions, do we want to descend to the imperial court again?"

Wu Sangui smiled, "Why not?" ”

"Let's talk with both sides, and by the way, we will reveal the news to both sides, and then we just need to wait for the price and sell, and whoever gives the high price and good conditions, we will lower whom."

"I believe that no matter which side of the Ming and Qing dynasties are, we are still very valuable."

As Zu Dashou said, once the last bottom line in his heart is abandoned, Wu Sangui is shameless and he is afraid. is like a female branch girl who comes out to sell, it doesn't matter who pays the highest price, and whether he is handsome or not. Anyway, now it can only be lowered to one side, so it depends on who has higher conditions. (To be continued.) )