Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Ning Wan's contact in Shenyang was a lama, which was his disguise.

In the chaotic and mixed situation of Liaodong, lamas, who had a wide influence and were detached from all sides, served as an important medium for communication between various parties.

When Yuan Chonghuan negotiated peace with the Jurchens, he sent Lama Li to offer condolences to Nurhaci, which is known as "sending a lama monk to offer condolences to the old chieftain".

After Zhu Youjian ascended the throne, he attached great importance to Lamaism, which had a wide influence on the grasslands. He not only conferred the title of Mahayana Dharma King upon Sharba Hutuktu, but also invited the Panchen Lama to Beijing and conferred upon him the title of Great Compassionate Dharma King of this generation.

Later, when they invented the pressure cooker, they didn't forget to send it to the Panchen Lama and the Dalai Lama.

He also ordered the Tantric monasteries on Mount Wutai to study the doctrines and language of Lamaism.

After receiving training at these monasteries, the Imperial Guards infiltrated the Lamaist groups on the grasslands.

Ningwan was recruited in the monastery; his contact was a lama. He didn't know the man's real name, only that his surname was Wang, and people called him Lama Wang.

Upon learning that Huang Taiji intended to incorporate him into the Two Yellow Banners, Ning Wanwo, unwilling to remain undercover, disregarded the risk of exposure and immediately sought out Lama Wang for a solution.

But when Lama Wang heard this, his eyes lit up, and he said to him:
"The Khan has incorporated you into the two Yellow Banners; this shows he values ​​you!"

"You must serve the Great Khan well and never forget his kindness."

There was not a single flaw in their words; it sounded like a conversation between friends.

Ning Wan didn't want to hear that, and he jumped up and down in frustration, saying:

"Even at a time like this, you're still joking with me."

"Quickly think of a way for me, I don't want to become a savage."

His voice grew lower and lower as he whispered for Lama Wang to come up with a solution.

Wang Lama, however, thought differently; he saw an opportunity to make a great contribution.

If we follow the two Yellow Banners on their migration, wouldn't we have the Jurchens' escape route completely under our control?
This was a great temptation for him, and he whispered to Ning Wanwo:

"This is a great opportunity to make a name for yourself, don't miss it."

"The Emperor was very pleased with your merits this time and promoted you to the rank of Viscount."

"Think about it, if you had followed the Jurchen chieftain until the fall of the Jurchens, what a great achievement that would have been, and you could have earned the title of earl."

"Once you become a count, you can establish your own fiefdom and have a seat in the council of nobles. Then, who will dare to treat you badly or look down on your status?"

"This is a great opportunity to make a name for yourself. If you miss it, do you think you'll be able to get the title of Earl based on your abilities?"

Ning Wanwo's expression changed several times, realizing that what Lama Wang said was true.

He was merely a scholar with a rudimentary understanding of literature and history, without even an official title, and had no chance of making a name for himself in the Ming Dynasty.

If it weren't for a chance encounter that led him to become a spy, his chances of being granted a title would have been extremely slim, let alone coveting the title of earl.

He was overjoyed at his promotion to viscount and eagerly desired the title of earl, but Ning Wan thought of what had happened recently and said with concern:
"Huang Taiji seems to know that there are spies among the Han Chinese, and he executed many of them some time ago."

"Did you do something to make him wary?"

Lama Wang listened without changing his expression, but he actually knew the reason behind it.

When Huang Taiji went on a campaign some time ago, the Imperial Guards took the opportunity to place people in Huang Taiji's palace.

When Huang Taiji returned, this man planned to assassinate him with a time bomb, but the plot was exposed, and he died holding the bomb.

This was a major setback for the Embroidered Uniform Guard's work in Shenyang, and many people had to be evacuated urgently.

Zhang Daojun, the garrison commander of the Northeast, was punished because of this incident. If Ning Wanwo hadn't promptly sent out a major piece of information, it wouldn't have been so easy for him to get through this.

Therefore, he attached great importance to Ning Wanwo's line and instructed Wang Lama to go into hiding.

Lama Wang remained completely silent on the matter, saying:

"The fact that they sent spies to each other was known to both sides."

“Last year, the Ming Dynasty arrested Zhang Cunren, so naturally they have to be on guard here.”

"You can rest assured about your line of work. Apart from me, no one in Shenyang knows your true identity."

"As for whether I will expose you, you have to trust the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who has been a hereditary official for two hundred years."

"Two hundred years!" Such a number left Ning Wanwo mesmerized.

He didn't even know who his ancestors were from two hundred years ago, let alone enjoy wealth and status all this time.

Comparing himself to the son of a high-ranking official before him, he deeply realized the gap between them.

Thinking that he already possessed a noble title and could share the fate of the Ming Dynasty like this man's family, he suddenly uttered a fierce vow:

"Done!"

"I'll go undercover with you."

"But this time we need to agree on a three-year timeframe. You must rescue me within three years."

"Otherwise, I don't know how long I can hold out or whether I can evade Huang Taiji's suspicion."

The pressure of being a spy is immense. Ning Wan is a heavy drinker and gambler, and he might leak secrets if he gets drunk.

To avoid inadvertently giving himself away, he abstained from alcohol with great willpower and dared not get drunk at all.

These days made him feel suffocated. If it weren't for the threat of death and the lure of a title, he simply wouldn't have been able to endure it.

Lama Wang was aware of the dangers of lurking, and even thought Ning Wanwo was not a qualified spy. But now, he was the only one Huang Taiji could use, so he had no choice but to continue using him.

He said to Ning Wanwo:

"Don't worry, I will definitely bring you back in three years."

"During this time, continue to be careful and try to persuade Huang Taiji to migrate to the northern desert." "This is a map drawn in the 'History of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty' compiled by the Ming Dynasty. You can tell Huang Taiji about it."

He took out a map and clearly drew the routes of the Mongol conquests on it, also noting the years of the Yellow Emperor's era.

Looking at this well-structured and detailed map, Ning Wanwo felt even more acutely the gap between himself and the scholars of the Ming Dynasty.

He was well-versed in literature and history on the side of the Jurchens, but compared to the historians of the Ming Dynasty, he was insignificant.

However, such a detailed map also made him uneasy, and he asked Lama Wang:

"Won't the map being too detailed arouse suspicion?"

"Such a map is a national treasure. Huang Taiji asked me where I got it. How should I respond?"

Lama Wang calmly said:
“Just tell Huang Taiji that you have this map. My teacher, Lama Li, also has a copy.”

"Actually, this was deliberately released by the Ming Dynasty in order to encourage Ligdan Khan to launch a westward expedition and spread Lamaism to the west."

After Ligdan Khan's campaign against the Khorchin failed, he went to cause trouble for the northern tribes. Some tribes sought help from the Rus' Kingdom, which made Ligdan Khan aware of this power.

The Chahan tribe had many nobles and lamas who submitted to the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty naturally learned of this as well.

Knowing that the Rus' Kingdom was a major future enemy, Zhu Youjian immediately decided to support the Mongols in fighting the Rus' people.

To avoid having to deal with the Rus' people after the Ming Dynasty recovered Liaodong.

Sending Huang Taiji westward is also a strategy. If we can't stop him from escaping, we'll let him follow in the footsteps of Ligdan Khan and head westward—

Let them fight their way through first, then the Ming army will follow them.
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Huang Taiji was indeed quite interested when he learned about the Mongol Yuan map.

He knew that Lama Li came from Mount Wutai and had connections within the Ming Dynasty. He wasn't surprised by this and immediately sent someone to get the map.

Upon learning that the Ming emperor wanted Ligdan Khan to emulate his ancestors' westward expeditions and to encourage the westward spread of Lamaism, Huang Taiji sneered and said:
"What abilities does Ligdan Khan have that the Ming Dynasty would want him to emulate his ancestors?"

"They probably knew he was ambitious but incompetent, so they sent him the map."

Looking at the westward expedition route of Temujin and Ögedei on the map, he was filled with longing and pointed to Karakorum, saying:

"We must conquer the northern deserts, like Genghis Khan conquered the grasslands, and then conquer China."

"Lama Li, you have rendered meritorious service by presenting the map. I will lead you on a western expedition and build a temple for you."

Li Lama was overjoyed and repeatedly called Huang Taiji "Hutuktu," meaning "Living Buddha in the world."

Huang Taiji hadn't paid much attention to this before, but now that he heard it, he found it extremely pleasant to hear.

He knew that the main reason why Ligdan Khan was at odds with the Mongol tribes was his conversion from the Yellow Sect to the Red Sect.

He certainly wouldn't make that mistake, so he decided to embrace the Yellow Sect and win over the Mongol tribes.

As a result, Li Lama's status naturally became more important. Furthermore, since he came from the Ming Dynasty, there was a possibility of future communication with the Ming through him. Huang Taiji treated him with even greater courtesy, placing him in the first batch of migrants.

As a disciple of Lama Li, Lama Wang naturally also received the opportunity to relocate.

He happily followed Lama Li north, relaying messages along the way.
-
After seeing off Li Lama, Huang Taiji carefully examined the map, pondering the Ming Dynasty's intentions.

He knew that the news of the Jin dynasty's migration could not be kept secret, and that the Ming dynasty also had spies lurking in Shenyang.

The fact that this map was transmitted suggests that the Ming Dynasty had ulterior motives.

Then, upon closer inspection of the map, he discovered a note that infuriated him:

"Tungusic people, the Ming Dynasty actually said we came from Tungusic, and our clothing is similar to that of the Buryat people."

"This is their slander!"

Having always claimed to have originated from the Black Water and prospered in the White Mountains, Huang Taiji was naturally unwilling to accept the Ming Dynasty's designation of them as Tungusic.

That would sever their relationship with the Jurchens, turning them into an invading tribe.

Those who rebuilt the Jin dynasty under the banner of the Jin dynasty could not possibly accept that they were not Jurchens.

Ning Wan only saw this annotation at this moment. Seeing Huang Taiji's anger, he hurriedly chimed in:
"This is a slander by the Ming Dynasty, intended to sow discord between us and the Jurchen people in the surrounding area."

"Your Majesty must not get angry because of this; taking care of your health is the most important thing."

Huang Taiji kicked over a few stools and gradually calmed down.

Although he wished he could tear the map to shreds, he knew that the westward expedition would depend on it for guidance.

Genghis Khan's journey from the northern deserts to conquer the Mongol Empire allowed him to unite the people of the Eight Banners through this story.

He said to Ning Wanwo:

"Ignore the slander from the Ming Dynasty. We rose to prominence in Manchuria, and the Eight Banners Manchus can be called Manchus."

"Someday in the future, we will come back here."

The fact that Manchu was chosen as the tribal name, and that the pronunciation is actually Manzhu, indicates a connection with the ancient Sushen people.

Ning Wanwo quickly echoed, citing classical texts to say that the Jurchens were Sushen, and the Manchus were also Jurchens.

Furthermore, the text mentions the Jin dynasty's glorious conquest of the Liao dynasty, and then refers to the present-day Jin dynasty.

Then he looked at the map again, pretending it was the first time he'd seen it, and exclaimed in surprise:

"Great Khan, look, it's the Western Liao!"

"This is a country conquered by the Mongols, a remnant of the Liao Dynasty."

"We are descendants of the Jin Dynasty, and the West happens to belong to the Jin. It is Heaven's will that we go to the Western Regions to establish the Western Jin."

"We should be West Gold!" (End of Chapter)