Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 1225 Traces
Upon entering the side hall, Wang Jinwu and the others were slightly taken aback to see Zhang Xijun there, but they quickly nodded to him in greeting. They then bowed to Zhu Shenzhui, acknowledging the emperor.

"Why have you two come together today? What business do you have with me?" Zhu Shenzhui asked with a smile, though he was actually wondering what their purpose was.

Zhu Shenzhui judged that it must be a military matter, after all, Wang Jinwu was a high-ranking military official and the second-in-command of the cabinet. Zhou Anmin was nominally the left chief advisor of the General Staff Department, but in reality, he also controlled the Ming Dynasty's intelligence agencies, including the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

If it were about political affairs, then the people who should have come to see me would have been the Grand Secretary Hong Chengchou and Wang Jinwu. But instead of Hong Chengchou, only Wang Jinwu and Zhou Anmin came. So it must be about military matters.

Could something have changed in the war in Yunnan? Zhu Shenzhui was puzzled by this thought, and his brows furrowed slightly. Logically, this shouldn't be the case! Since Zhang Xianzhong resolved the issue in Burma, the situation in Yunnan had basically stabilized. Now, Sha Dingzhou had absolutely no chance of turning the tide; everything he was doing was merely a death throes. With the Ming army pressing forward relentlessly, Sha Dingzhou's defeat was only a matter of time. Under such circumstances, how could he possibly have any chance of turning the tide?

"Your Majesty, news has just come from the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The ministers dare not act rashly on this matter, which is why we have come together to request an audience with Your Majesty," Wang Jinwu said. This made Zhu Shenzhui even more puzzled. How did news from the Embroidered Uniform Guard reach Wang Jinwu? If that were the case, shouldn't Zhou Anmin and the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard be coming to see him together?

Seeing Zhu Shenzhui's expression shift slightly, Wang Jinwu quickly explained, "This news is related to the affairs of Liaodong outside the pass, so it first came to Lord Zhou. After Lord Zhou read it, he then came to see me. I am the Second Grand Secretary, a military general, and also hold a concurrent position in the General Staff Headquarters. Therefore, after reading it, I felt that this news should be reported to Your Majesty immediately, which is why I came to see Your Majesty with Lord Zhou."

"What news is it?" Zhu Shenzhui asked.

Zhou Anmin stepped forward and handed over a folded piece of paper. Zhu Shenzhui recognized it at a glance. It was a unique piece of paper used by the Embroidered Uniform Guard to transmit messages and intelligence. The paper was different from ordinary paper, and the way it was folded was also unique. It was also sealed with sealing wax for protection. The Embroidered Uniform Guard used this method to transmit messages over long distances.

Skillfully unfolding the folded piece of paper, Zhu Shenzhui focused on its contents. The paper was small, containing a few lines of tiny writing, totaling no more than a few dozen words. But after reading it, Zhu Shenzhui's expression immediately turned serious, and he asked Wang Jinwu and Zhou Anmin, "How true is the information here? Has it been verified?"

Zhou Anmin shook his head: "I have ordered the Embroidered Uniform Guard to continue to verify the source of the information, but I believe that the information is mostly true. It is mainly based on the intelligence collected in various parts of Liaodong after the Liaodong War, and compared with the results of the Liaodong Governor's Office's suppression of the remnants of the Jurchens in the past year. The possibility of it being true is extremely high."

Zhu Shenzhui looked at Wang Jinwu, the commander who led his troops to victory in the Liaodong campaign, and thus had more authority to speak on the matter. Wang Jinwu nodded emphatically and said to Zhu Shenzhui, "My opinion is the same as Lord Zhou's. Although this news has not been confirmed, its veracity is extremely high. Moreover, judging from various intelligence reports since the Liaodong campaign, if Dorgon were still alive, there would definitely be some clues. It's absolutely impossible for him to have simply vanished without a trace. A year has passed, and our Ming army and the Solon tribe have searched the northern part of Liaodong many times, but have failed to find his whereabouts. Now that this news has suddenly emerged, I'm afraid it's more true than false."

Zhang Xijun, who was sitting to the side, was completely confused. From their conversation, he guessed that Wang Jinwu and Zhou Anmin must have obtained information about the whereabouts of Dorgon of the Jurchens. However, he did not know the details of this information, but judging from their reactions, it seemed to be quite bizarre.

However, Zhang Xijun did not ask any questions, after all, he was only the Prime Minister of the Zongli Yamen (Foreign Ministry), neither a member of the cabinet nor a military leader, and was in charge of foreign affairs.

Zhu Shenzhui pondered for a moment and felt that Wang Jinwu and Zhou Anmin's words made sense; this news was probably more reliable. Moreover, if this news was true, it meant that Dorgon, who had been troubling the Ming Dynasty for a long time and whose whereabouts had been unknown since the end of the Liaodong War, was dead. With his death, the Ming Dynasty would also eliminate a huge hidden danger.

But how exactly did Dorgon die? Why did he die in Khorchin instead of Liaodong? How did he get from Liaodong to Khorchin? And how did he die in Khorchin?

Zhu Shenzhui was unaware of these questions because the intelligence he received was very simple. It only stated that, according to rumors, Dorgon died in Khorchin a year ago, but the specific location of his death and the manner of his death were unknown. Even the news of Dorgon's death was merely a rumor, and since Dorgon's body had not been seen, the veracity of the information could not be guaranteed.

Although, psychologically speaking, including Zhou Anmin and Wang Jinwu's judgment, this unconfirmed news was highly likely to be true. This wasn't because Zhou Anmin and Wang Jinwu felt that Dorgon's death had solved a problem for the Ming Dynasty, but rather because they believed that if Dorgon were still alive, given his personality, he would never have remained hidden for so long, much less quietly conceal himself.

Who is Dorgon? He was the first Manchu ruler after Huang Taiji, the regent of the Qing Dynasty. Having lost Liaodong and even Shengjing (Shenyang), the regime established by Nurhaci was destroyed. Given Dorgon's character, he would never give up. If he escaped, he would certainly try to rebuild his power.

But after so long, not only has he not made a comeback, but he has also disappeared without a trace. Given Dorgon's status and personality, this is definitely not the case. Unless he is dead, and only if Dorgon is dead could the Ming Dynasty have searched for so long without finding him or knowing his whereabouts.

"Is this guy really dead?" Zhu Shenzhui wondered to himself. Although Zhou Anmin and Wang Jinwu both thought so, he wasn't so optimistic and still had doubts. As he was pondering this, his gaze swept over Zhang Xijun, who was standing to the side. Zhu Shenzhui's heart stirred slightly. Zhang Xijun was always intelligent and resourceful. Why not ask him what he thought about this?

"Minister Zhang!" "Your subject is here!"

"Take a look at this," Zhu Shenzhui said, handing over the intelligence report he was holding.

Zhang Xijun quickly got up and took the paper, then sat back down and began to read it intently. The information on the slip of paper was just a few words, which Zhang Xijun could understand with a glance. But after reading it, he didn't put the paper down. Instead, he continued to read it intently, as if he were reading every word. After a while, he finally looked up.

"Your Majesty! Your Excellencies!" Zhang Xijun first bowed to the Emperor, Zhou Anmin, and Wang Jinwu, and then said, "In my opinion, Lord Zhou and Lord Wang are right. Dorgon should be dead..."

Seeing Zhu Shenzhui frown slightly, Zhang Xijun continued before the other party could ask, "But after careful consideration, I feel there are some problems with this matter. Once we understand these problems, perhaps we can confirm it."

"Tell me carefully!"

"Yes!" Zhang Xijun cupped his hands and said, "According to what you two gentlemen said, this intelligence comes from the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Although I am now in charge of the Zongli Yamen and do not know much about the Liaodong situation, I do know that since the Liaodong War, our Great Ming has been searching for the whereabouts of the remnants of the Jurchens in Liaodong, including the Jurchen chieftain Dorgon."

"Based on my understanding of Dorgon, he is no ordinary man. Once he escapes, he will certainly not be willing to accept defeat. With his abilities, he will definitely find a way to regroup, recruit his old troops, and launch a counterattack against Liaodong."

"But over the past year, Dorgon's whereabouts have been uncertain, and there has been no news of him. Now, news has come that he has actually died in Khorchin. If we assume that he has indeed died, then everything makes sense..."

"I am aware of that, but what I am wondering is how he died and where his body is. Moreover, the information from the Embroidered Uniform Guard is just a rumor and has not been confirmed," Zhu Shenzhui said calmly.

Zhang Xijun nodded and said, "Your Majesty's concerns are understood. However, I can assume that Dorgon is indeed dead, and that he did die in Khorchin. Then I think the key question is why Dorgon went to Khorchin after escaping. You must know that although Khorchin was previously a vassal state of the Jurchens, it is now the territory of the Chahar. The ruler of the Chahar is Prince Shun Ning. It will not be easy for Dorgon to find help there to rebuild his strength."

Seeing Zhu Shenzhui frown, Zhang Xijun knew that Zhu Shenzhui was thinking of Agudamu, and quickly explained, "Prince Shunning's loyalty to the court and His Majesty is beyond question. In my opinion, Prince Shunning would never help him, and Dorgon would never have any dealings with Prince Shunning. It is absolutely impossible that Prince Shunning dealt with Dorgon privately. If Prince Shunning knew Dorgon's whereabouts, he would definitely report to the court and personally send troops to arrest Dorgon, instead of the current situation."

Zhu Shenzhui nodded slightly. Agudamu was his son, and Zhu Shenzhui knew his son very well. Not to mention that Agudamu would not do such a thing, he also had no need to do so.

Zhang Xijun continued, "This matter reminds me of two other things, which Your Majesty may be able to connect."

All eyes turned to Zhang Xijun, who said solemnly, “Although the Khorchin were destroyed, the Khorchin leader, who was also the Khorchin Prince Qitate appointed by the pseudo-Qing, is missing. It is said that he has fled to the northern desert and is hiding in a certain tribe there, but this matter has never been confirmed, so I believe it cannot be taken as evidence.”

"Furthermore, before the fall of Shenyang, the puppet Qing emperor Fulin and the so-called Empress Dowager Bumbutai had already fled. Moreover, according to the subsequent interrogation of captured Jurchens, their escape was arranged in advance by Dorgon. Doesn't this mean that Dorgon had already made follow-up plans before stationing himself in Shenyang, sending the young emperor and empress dowager out of Shenyang? And when Shenyang fell into our hands, Dorgon led his troops north and fled, and his whereabouts became unknown afterward? Could we speculate that Dorgon later somehow contacted the young emperor and empress dowager who had escaped from Shenyang first, and the two sides joined forces?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up, and they subconsciously exchanged glances. Zhang Xijun continued, "As far as I know, this Empress Dowager Bumbutai of the pseudo-Qing dynasty is from the Khorchin, and is also the aunt of Qitate. They are family. After Qitate's defeat, his whereabouts became unknown, and the pseudo-Qing emperor, empress dowager, and even Dorgon also disappeared without a trace. Therefore, I cannot help but suspect that the three parties may have joined forces and infiltrated the Khorchin. You must know that although Prince Shun Ning has conquered the Khorchin, the Khorchin is still a large territory with many subordinate tribes. If these people are disguised as Mongols and hiding among the tribes, it will be extremely difficult to discover them..."

With a snap, Zhu Shenzhui slapped the armrest and stood up. It was truly a wake-up call. Zhang Xijun's words suddenly reminded him that no one in the Ming Dynasty knew the situation in Mongolia better than Zhu Shenzhui. There were many tribes of all sizes on the Mongolian grasslands, ranging from tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people to only a few thousand or a few hundred people. There were also many tiny tribes with only a few dozen or a hundred people.

If this is true, it's indeed possible that these people disguised themselves as Mongols and local tribes to hide. Furthermore, for over a year, the Ming Dynasty has been searching Liaodong and the Nurgan region further north for the remnants of the Jurchens, but without success. If these individuals secretly circled around Liaodong and hid in Khorchin, the possibility is extremely high. This would also explain the rumors that Dorgon died in Khorchin.

(End of this chapter)