The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 608: Two Dragons Meet
On the eighth day of the sixth month of the first year of Guangde, the emperor's palace was once again moved eastward to Anqing Prefecture.

The Ming army in Chizhou Prefecture surrendered at the sight of the enemy. The main force of the Qi army advanced all the way to Tongling County, while another group went upstream along Zhenjiang and arrived at the city of Nanjing.

The Qi army launched a final attack on the Southern Ming from the east and west sides of the Yangtze River.

On the ninth day of the sixth lunar month, Qian Qianyi, the Grand Secretary of the State of Qi, led Zhu Youxiao, the Director of the Ministry of Works, and a group of guards, and set off from Tongling County, Chizhou Prefecture. The delegation boarded a small boat and went down the river to Shitou City to persuade the Hongguang court to surrender.

When Liu Zhaosun was still worried about the lives of Qian Qianyi and others in the Tongling County Palace, what the retired emperor did not expect was that the Southern Ming officials trapped in Nanjing had already prepared to surrender to the new dynasty.

"I hope I can persuade Zhu Changling and avoid a massacre in Nanjing."

On the morning of June 11, Qian Qianyi and his party arrived at the outskirts of Nanjing with a feeling of uneasiness and excitement.

The ship of the envoys of the Great Qi Dynasty docked at the Dashengguan Wharf in the eastern suburbs of Nanjing. After a brief and intense discussion, the envoys decided that Zhu Youxiao would be the first to step off the sampan.

Zhu Youxiao was the monarch of the previous dynasty and a relative of Emperor Hongguang (although the blood relationship was very distant), so the defenders on the shore should not be so cruel as to shoot him to death.

Just when Qian Qianyi and others were ready to die for the country, what greeted them was not an army with swords drawn, nor red-haired cannons lined up and loaded, but a large ceremonial team.

Two Ming imperial censors stood in front of the team, the Jinyiwei and the Wucheng Bingmasi soldiers formed a square formation, and Zhao Zhilong, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War (all the officials of the six ministries had fled), led more than one hundred Southern Ming civil servants who had been waiting for a long time.

There were even a dozen elephants wearing silk flowers on their heads in the welcoming team.

Zhao Zhilong stepped forward to explain to the envoy of Qi that the ministers of the Southern Ming Dynasty had long wanted to abandon darkness and join the new dynasty.

However, due to the coercion of the traitors Ruan Dacheng and Zuo Liangyu, we have been forced to drag it on until now.

Now that Ruan Dacheng was dead, Zuo Liangyu fled to the sea like a lost dog, and the cabinet ministers either fled or committed suicide out of fear of punishment. Everyone in Nanjing was hoping that the royal army (the Qi army) would enter the city as soon as possible.

The time has come to turn from darkness to light.

When Qian Qianyi heard that a minister had committed suicide out of fear of punishment, he said with regret:

"Alas, why do you have to do this? The Holy Emperor is kindhearted and extremely generous to his subjects. He was forced to suppress the rebellion of Prime Minister Hui Deng. He never kills innocent people. As long as you are sincere in your surrender, the Great Qi will forgive your past. Why would they commit suicide?"

"Also, this old man and Prince Shunyi (Zhu Youxiao) have come here to negotiate peace with our emperor. You're overstepping your bounds by arranging such a grand ceremony to welcome us!

The assistant minister of the Ministry of War stood aside, nodding his head like a chicken pecking at rice.

After Qian Qianyi finished speaking, he pointed to the ornately decorated and well-trained elephants behind him and explained carefully:

"Your Excellency, today's actions are merely a rehearsal for welcoming the Grand Emperor of Qi into Nanjing. The Grand Emperor is the highest authority in the country. If there are any mistakes in the surrender ceremony, everyone will be in a bad mood."

"Oh, I see. You all have good intentions. I will report this to the Emperor truthfully when I return. This is truly rare. Let's withdraw immediately. We cannot bear such a grand honor. Let's withdraw now!"

Zhao Zhilong ordered the guard of honor to disband. One by one, elephants from Southeast Asia twisted their buttocks and walked past Qian Qianyi. The war horses lowered their heads, as if they knew that they had failed and looked a little dejected.

Qian Qianyi looked at these huge things and couldn't help but sigh:
"When I was young, I studied in Jinling and heard that there were elephants raised in Runan Bay in Stone City, but I never saw one. Today, I saw one and it is truly a divine beast."

During the Yongle reign, during daily court meetings, all civil and military officials had to pass through the "elephant wall" made up of elephants.

The elephants stood on both sides, stretched out their trunks and crossed them, forming a barrier to prevent anyone from approaching the emperor.

Once the emperor announced that he was going to court and invited someone to come for an audience, the elephants would lower their trunks one by one in an orderly manner until the minister passed, and then raise their trunks again to cross and guard.

Qian Qianyi reached out and touched the female elephant closest to him. The female elephant shook its trunk and made a high-pitched and melodious cry. Qian Muzhai stroked his beard and laughed.

In fact, in the original history, from the Yongle to the Wanli period, the elephant guard of honor existed in the Ming court. On the one hand, they provided majesty for the court, and on the other hand, they satisfied the curiosity of the royal nobles.

"Your Excellency, please come in. All the officials are waiting respectfully in the city. We will go to Nanjing first to welcome you all!"

Several sedan chairs stopped in front of the envoys. Zhao Zhilong asked everyone to get on. Qian Qianyi decided to ride into the city on horseback. The Jinyiwei and the Wucheng Bingmasi led the way in front. Qian Qianyi and Zhao Zhilong walked side by side, and Zhu Youxiao walked behind.

"Jinling is safe, and a massacre has been avoided. I am now worried about the safety of the Ming Emperor's Mausoleum. What if some bad guys take advantage of the situation..."

Zhu Youxiao turned his head and did not continue to listen to the secret conversation between the Grand Secretary and Zhao Zhilong.

He rode on horseback, with Lin Yu and two imperial guards guarding him on his left and right. The herd of elephants that were responsible for the ceremonial mission gradually went farther and farther away.

I don’t know what the head of the Ministry of Works was thinking of, but it seemed as if sand had gotten into his eyes, and they turned slightly red.

The team quickly left the Dashengguan Wharf, and the post road leading to Nanjing City was already filled with people from Nanzhili who came to watch.

Despite the desperate efforts of thousands of Jinyiwei and Bingmasi to stop them, some people still threw flowers and silk to the Qi delegation to show their welcome.

This is probably what is meant by welcoming the royal army with food and drink.

Qian Qianyi was still discussing the details of the surrender with the Vice Minister of War, and turned a deaf ear to the cheers of the crowds on both sides. The Grand Secretary occasionally raised his arm with a professional smile on his face, and then lowered his head to chat and laugh with Zhao Zhilong.

Zhu Youxiao looked calm as he rode on his horse, looking indifferently at the crowd of people who were carrying food and drink.

Lin Yu and the imperial guards were as if they were facing a formidable enemy. They guarded the two envoys, each holding a sharp knife and looking around vigilantly. Lin Yu had undertaken similar guarding missions many times, but this time the matter was of great importance, and he was afraid that something unexpected would happen at this critical juncture.

The accident didn't happen.

It is possible that those who wanted the Southern Ming to continue to resist had already been killed in advance by the Suoyi Guards.

However, after experiencing this protracted war and the continuous burning, killing and looting by Zuo Liangyu and Zheng Sen's troops, the people all hoped that the war would end soon.

It was not until the towering and majestic city wall appeared before his eyes, the road below the wall had been cleared, there were no more people watching the excitement around, and a large number of Ming soldiers kneeling on the road with weapons in their hands did Lin Yu breathe a sigh of relief.

Several of his guards hadn't spoken a word the entire way, but they couldn't hold it in any longer and, seeing that there was no danger, began chatting.

A guard was still immersed in shock at the group of huge creatures. This guard was from Liaodong. If it weren't for the escort mission, he would never have the chance to see those mythical beasts from South Asia and Southeast Asia.

"Oh my goodness, Captain Lin, is that an elephant? It's so big! Like a wall!"

Another guard, a well-informed man from Southern Zhili, said dismissively, "These are all things left behind by Emperor Chengzu. What's an elephant? There was a small country called Timur that even sent lions to the Ming Dynasty."

"Lion, what is a lion?"

"They are similar to tigers, but their fur is curly and they don't have tiger stripes. The emperor rewarded them with 30 large boxes of artifacts, including silk, cloth, armor, ironware, porcelain..."

The Liaodong guard opened his mouth wide, never expecting that this mythical beast called a lion could be exchanged for so many things.

"This mythical beast is very rare!"

The Nanzhili guard, on his horse, said nonchalantly, "What's so strange about that? They're everywhere in the Western Regions. They're not rare at all! Those foreign envoys send one every now and then, and they're not satisfied with the rewards. Their appetites keep growing. They claim they bought the lion from Khwarezm at a high price, "worth 20,000 taels of silver," and that it took seven years to travel, costing "5,000 taels of silver" in shipping costs. They're asking the emperor to reimburse them for 30,000 taels of silver..."

The guards laughed. "By the time of Emperor Hongzhi, they stopped sending gifts. They didn't want any mythical beasts, and even returned two Qilins—oh, a kind of long-necked deer."

"What?"

"The Ming Dynasty has no money!"

Lin Yu looked up at Zhu Youxiao's lonely back and shouted:
"You're still rambling on, aren't you? If you like stories about the past, stay in Nanjing and don't go back!"

The guards quickly shut up, held their scabbards, straightened their backs, and looked around vigilantly again.

~~~~
With the creaking sound of the gate hinge sliding, the heavy and solid Xuanwu Gate was opened.

Zhao Zhilong, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War of the Southern Ming Dynasty, was wearing a red silk robe and riding a horse in the front, leading the Great Qi delegation slowly into the city of Nanjing.

Long before Qian Qianyi and his party entered the city, Zhao Zhilong and his colleagues had already made preparations.

The Bingmasi and Jinyiwei went door to door ordering the people of Nanjing to prepare incense burners and write words such as "Obedient Citizens", "Long Live the Emperor and the Supreme Emperor of Great Qi", "Great Qi is the Mandate of Heaven", and "Welcome the Royal Army" on yellow banners or papers and post them neatly on their doorsteps.

It is said that this can avoid harassment from the Qi army.

A dozen or so guards from the Great Qi Imperial Guards all laughed as they passed by these banners.

The people of Nanjing obviously regarded the Qi army as a bandit army like Zuo Liangyu and Zheng Sen.

At the beginning of the afternoon, Qian Qianyi and his entourage arrived at the Forbidden City.

The Grand Secretary met with the surrendered officials of the Southern Ming at the Meridian Gate and worked together with this group of officials who were eager to serve the new dynasty.

The protagonist of the surrender, Emperor Hongguang himself, was left aside by this group of loyal ministers and generals.

Zhu Youxiao could not hold back any longer, so he went to the Qianqing Palace under the protection of Lin Yu and an old eunuch to visit his relative, the Hongguang Emperor Zhu Changling, who was now alone.

Lin Yu, holding a long sword and covered in armor, walked in the Forbidden City like a steel giant.

The roads inside the palace were in a mess, with a lot of gold, silver and utensils scattered on the ground. Palace maids and eunuchs were running around. The Qi army had not yet entered the city, but the palace was in complete chaos.

In the main hall of the Qianqing Palace, Zhu Youxiao saw Zhu Changling with disheveled hair and holding a sword.

If we rank them by seniority, Zhu Changling is still Zhu Youxiao's uncle.

Emperor Hongguang looked up at the tall Lin Yu without showing a trace of panic.

"So, have the Qi invaders entered the city? Are you guys here to capture me, or to kill me? No, Liu Zhaosun, you should start a fire and burn me to death, and then say that I was harmed by a traitor. He is best at using this trick!..."

"Kill! All civil officials can be killed! Kill Zuo Liangyu! Kill Zheng Chenggong! Kill Ruan Dacheng! Kill Shi Kefa, kill... kill Liu Zhaosun!"

Zhu Changling walked back and forth in the hall barefoot, talking to himself while waving his sword and slashing at the air.

Zhu Youxiao whispered, "Could they have already killed the Queen and the Crown Prince?"

Lin Yu walked into the inner hall and took a look, and saw Queen Zheng and the prince snuggling together.

Lin Yu snatched the sword and together with Zhu Youxiao controlled the crazy Zhu Changling.

Zhu Youxiao asked Lin Yu to step back first, then looked up and said to his distant uncle:
"Uncle, open your eyes and look. I am Zhu Youxiao. The State of Qi has sent me to persuade you to surrender..."

"Emperor Chongzhen!"

Zhu Changling suddenly came to his senses and grabbed his nephew as if he had found a life-saving straw.

"Let's go! Follow me and kill them all! Go to Yunnan, go to Guangxi, and find..."

Zhu Youxiao looked back at Lin Yu standing in the distance and shook his head.
"Uncle, the Emperor is half man, half god. He now has 100,000 elite soldiers. Huang Taiji is no match for him, Li Xianzhong is no match for him, and even if the Emperor Taizu were reborn, he still wouldn't be his match! Wake up!"

"In Qi, I've seen soldiers shielding themselves from artillery fire, craftsmen drilling gun barrels to death, and students studying late into the night, regardless of the cold, not for fame... Great Qi is not the tyrannical Qin, nor the Tang Dynasty. The Emperor Emeritus desires the stars and the sea. What he's doing is unprecedented and will never be repeated."

Zhu Changling looked at the former emperor who had disappeared for a long time with horror. Unexpectedly, when he saw Zhu Youxiao again, Zhu Youxiao had become Liu Zhaosun's lackey.

"Go away! Weren't you burned to death by the fire? Are you a human or a ghost?"

Zhu Youxiao tightly grasped his uncle's wrist.

"I'm not dead. Just surrender to Da Qi. You can go to Ganghwa Island like Zhu Cilang and me. The Zhu family is there."

Zhu Changling pushed Chongzhen away and shouted:

"Nonsense, you liar! How did the late emperor die?"

Zhu Youxiao released the emperor's uncle who was controlled by fear and sighed:

"It's a long story. Back then, my brother couldn't bear to see power fall into someone else's hands, so he spent a fortune to bribe a servant close to the retired emperor to poison the porridge. Unexpectedly, he failed to kill the retired emperor, but ended up poisoning Empress Zhang instead... Zhu Youjian was determined to die, and no one could save him.

"Nonsense! Liu Bang was a cunning man, how could he be deceived by the late emperor? How could he kill Liu Zhaosun simply by poisoning him? Who would believe that? Even the opera doesn't make it so careless!"

Zhu Youxiao shook his head and sighed:
"Yes, the play talks about reason, but your late emperor didn't. I didn't expect him to be so scheming, hiding himself so deeply, being respectful to Liu Zhaosun and obeying his orders, and finally suddenly attacking, just to die together with his opponent..."

Zhu Changying roared:

"Your own brother was killed by the traitor Liu, and now you are still speaking for Liu Zhaosun, Zhu Youxiao, in front of our ancestors, tell me, are you still a human being?!"

Zhu Youxiao grabbed his uncle.

"That's enough! Do you want to die too?"

"I won't die, he will be the one to die!"

"My brother, Ganglie, knew that if he poisoned Liu Zhaosun, he would die too, but he did it anyway. So, he died. And he also caused the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians in the capital to be killed by the rebellious army! Do you want to be like Zhu Youjian? Do you want Stone City to be buried with you?"

Zhu Youxiao looked at Zhu Changying seriously.

"Go to Ganghwa Island and do what you want. I like carpentry. The retired emperor asked me to help build Tianxin City and appointed me to the Ministry of Works... Liu Zhaosun is more merciful than any emperor in history. As long as you don't commit suicide like Zhu Youjian, he will never kill you. On the contrary, you can become a wealthy man."

Zhu Changling squinted his eyes and recalled what Zhu Youxiao said. After an unknown amount of time, Emperor Hongguang's anxious expression finally began to relax.

(End of this chapter)