My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Chapter 194 Huang Taiji: Seeking peace is only temporary, sooner or later this world will belong to our Qing Dynasty!

Inside the bedroom, the atmosphere seemed to become solemn again.

Huang Taiji narrowed his eyes slightly, looked closely at Fan Wencheng and said:
"Mr. Fan, do you think the Ming army will agree to our request for peace?"

Although Huang Taiji's voice was low due to weakness, it carried unquestionable majesty.

Fan Wencheng remained calm and composed as he said:
"I think the Ming army will agree!"

"Your Majesty, you may not be familiar with the specific situation within the Ming Dynasty."

"Although it seems that the Ming army defeated us on the battlefield, they actually know in their hearts that it is not easy to truly defeat us completely and wipe us out."

"At worst, when they really come, we can just retreat deep into Liaodong and return Shengjing to them temporarily."

"But by then, they will definitely need to send a large number of troops to garrison Shengjing, which is not good news for them."

"Because, as far as I know, the peasant uprising within the Ming Dynasty is very serious and has spread like wildfire to several provinces."

"So I can be sure that for the Ming army, their primary goal is not to deal with us, but to suppress the peasant uprising in the country and stabilize the internal situation."

"This means they won't deploy too many troops in Liaodong. In the end, half of the 100,000 troops might even be withdrawn to deal with the peasant army."

"Under such circumstances, we can definitely negotiate peace with the Ming army."

"But of course, there will definitely be some price to pay, such as ceding some land, paying a certain amount of annual tribute, and releasing some Han people."

Fan Wencheng explained everything he knew in a clear and organized manner, as if he was painting a clear blueprint of the situation to Huang Taiji.

Huang Taiji had been listening carefully to Fan Wencheng's story. His eyes sometimes showed a thoughtful look, and sometimes he nodded slightly, expressing his approval of Fan Wencheng's analysis.

After listening to the whole thing, he suddenly became enlightened and the doubts in his heart gradually dissipated.

This was because when he was doing business with the eight major merchants in Shanxi, he had heard more than once that peasant uprisings were breaking out in the Ming Dynasty and had already caused chaos in several provinces.

It is said that the peasant army that revolted numbered more than 100,000.

Moreover, this has been going on for many years, and the Ming army has no way to deal with these peasant armies.

Compared with these external conflicts, the most important thing for the Ming Dynasty at present should be to resolve internal conflicts in order to stabilize the country.

Because if this kind of thing happened to him, he would definitely do the same!
Thinking of this, Huang Taiji breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense nerves relaxed a little.

He leaned on the bed and said slowly:
"So, how do you think the territory should be divided? They're bound to ask for a huge price."

Huang Taiji was no fool. He certainly knew that the Ming army's visit this time would not be just a formality. Even if they really wanted to negotiate peace, the territory would definitely have to be redistributed. The conflicts of interest and difficulties involved were clear.

When Fan Wencheng heard this, he smiled bitterly and shook his head, his face full of helplessness.

"Regarding this matter, I cannot yet answer Your Majesty. There are simply too many variables involved. I can only slowly discuss it with the Ming army."

"However, under no circumstances can the Ming army be allowed to approach within a hundred miles of Shengjing. Otherwise, Shengjing could be in danger again at any time."

His eyes revealed worry, as if he had already seen the crisis scene of the Ming army approaching the city.

Huang Taiji nodded in agreement. Even if he really asked for peace, even if he really had to cede territory, he would never want the Ming army to appear within a hundred miles.

Because of this distance, if the Ming army wanted to launch an attack on Shengjing, it would not take long for them to reach the city, and the foundation of the Qing Dynasty would be threatened again.

Huang Taiji was silent for a moment, staring at Fan Wencheng with a firm gaze, as if he had made up his mind, and slowly said:
"Mr. Fan, now the peace talks are entirely your responsibility."

"If you need gold, silver, treasures, silks, or anything like that, you can withdraw them at will without reporting to me."

Having said this, Huang Taiji paused slightly and his tone became extremely serious.

"However, I have one condition. That is, no matter what, you cannot attend this meeting."

"Besides you, you may choose any princes, ministers, or eloquent men in the court. Be sure to select the most suitable person to go to negotiate with the Ming army."

When saying this, Huang Taiji's eyes were full of trust and dependence, as if at this moment, he entrusted the fate of the Qing Dynasty to the Han minister in front of him.

When Fan Wencheng heard this, his heart was shocked, as if he was hit by a warm current, and his eyes turned slightly red.

He has always worked hard for Huang Taiji, thinking that he was just fulfilling his duty as a subject, but he did not expect that Huang Taiji valued him so much.

He was deeply moved by this kindness.

He bowed slightly, leaned forward, and said with a slightly choked voice:
"Your Majesty has placed such trust in me, I will do my best to live up to your trust."

Then, the two discussed some details of the peace talks for a while, such as the criteria for selecting negotiation envoys and the general bottom line of the negotiations.

Time passed quietly, the sky outside the window gradually darkened, and the afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled on the ground through the window, forming patches of golden light, as if they were footprints left by time.

Seeing that it was getting dark, Fan Wencheng prepared to get up and leave so that he could start arranging matters related to the peace talks.

At this moment, Huang Taiji suddenly called him and said:

"Mr. Fan, please call in Dorgon, Dodo, and Hauge, and tell them I have something important to discuss with them."

When Fan Wencheng heard this, he quickly responded respectfully:
"I'll go right away."

Then he turned around and left the bedroom with steady steps.

After leaving the bedroom, Fan Wencheng came to the side hall where he had discussed things with Dorgon and others before.

And at this moment, no one left.

When he saw Fan Wencheng coming back, Duoduo stood up instantly and asked anxiously:
"Fan Wencheng, has His Majesty really woken up?"

"What did His Majesty say to you?"

"Your Majesty, why did you see only you and not us?"

For a moment, everyone was talking at once, asking questions at the same time, and the voices were so loud that it seemed as if they were going to blow the roof of the side hall off.

Then, facing these questions, Fan Wencheng did not answer immediately, but said calmly:
"My lords, instead of asking me about this matter, why not ask His Majesty in person? His Majesty is waiting for you right now."

His voice was not loud, but it instantly silenced everyone.

Then, Hauge stepped forward and asked anxiously:
"Fan Wencheng, is what you said true? Does His Majesty really want to see us?"

Fan Wencheng smiled and said:
"Your Highness, you are joking. How could I dare to joke about such a thing? Go quickly. Your Majesty has just recovered from his illness. Don't keep him waiting anxiously."

After hearing this, everyone no longer had any doubts in their hearts. They did not bother to pay attention to Fan Wencheng and hurriedly got up and left the side hall and went straight to Huang Taiji's bedroom.

Soon, Dorgon, Dodo, Haoge and others hurried along the long and slightly dim corridor, and their footsteps echoed in the silent palace.

Soon, they met Huang Taiji.

However, at this moment, Huang Taiji was not lying on the bed, but sitting upright on the bed. He looked very energetic and did not look weak at all as before.

Seeing that Huang Taiji actually woke up and was able to sit steadily on the bed, Duoduo's big eyes instantly widened, and his face was full of shock and joy.

But he quickly reacted, and then knelt down with the others, shouting:
"Your Majesty, your brother and your son, pay your respects to His Majesty!"

Their voices echoed in the chambers, filled with awe and devotion.

Although some inappropriate thoughts had emerged in their minds before, as long as Huang Taiji was alive, those inappropriate thoughts had to be suppressed in their hearts.

Looking at the brothers and sons kneeling in front of him, Huang Taiji forced a smile on his originally pale face.

He waved his hand slightly and said:

"Okay, all of you get up. We are all family, no need to be so polite."

After hearing this, everyone slowly stood up.

Huang Taiji cleared his throat and continued:
"Everyone, I have carefully considered this matter and have made up my mind to negotiate peace with the Ming army."

what?
After hearing these words, everyone present looked incredulous, as if they had heard something out of the ordinary.

They had previously considered fighting the Ming army to the death, and had also considered retreating deep into Liaodong to preserve their strength if they were truly defeated, but they had never thought of negotiating peace.

And in their perception, to put it bluntly, what is the difference between negotiating peace and surrendering?
This is simply a great shame!

But this is what Huang Taiji meant, what can they say?

Seeing that everyone looked depressed and unwilling, Huang Taiji sighed slightly.

Then he said again:

"I know you are unwilling to accept this and feel that negotiating peace with the Ming army now is a very shameful thing."

"How could I not know this? If I could, why would I be willing to bow to the Ming army?"

"But now that things have come to this, we have no other choice but to negotiate peace."

"There's an old Han Chinese saying: 'As long as the green mountains remain, there's no need to worry about running out of firewood.'"

"As long as we can first resolve the current difficulties and preserve our strength, then after a few years, we can recuperate and prepare for war, and our strength will be restored."

"When the time comes, we will have strong soldiers and horses, and we will seek revenge on the Ming army. Sooner or later, the world will belong to our Qing Dynasty."

Huang Taiji's voice was firm and powerful, and his eyes revealed his expectations for the future, as if he was painting a grand picture of the Qing Dynasty's rise again to everyone.

I have to say that Huang Taiji was very good at speaking. After he said this, the atmosphere on the scene finally eased a little.

A thoughtful look gradually appeared on everyone's faces, as if they were persuaded by Huang Taiji, and began to weigh the pros and cons in their minds.

Then, as Huang Taiji's son, Hauge immediately stood up to support Huang Taiji. He took a step forward and said with a firm look:
"Rest assured, Your Majesty. I understand your earnest intentions. I will certainly follow your wishes and fully support the peace talks."

When the others saw this, they looked at each other, exchanging their thoughts with their eyes.

In the end, everyone expressed their agreement.

In this way, the peace talks were finally settled.

Then, Huang Taiji waved his hand, and the movement looked a little tired.

"Alright, all of you leave, Dorgon stays!"

When everyone heard this, they immediately left, leaving only Dorgon standing in front of Huang Taiji.

After everyone had left, without waiting for Huang Taiji to speak, Dorgon knelt down in front of Huang Taiji with a plop, and said in a somewhat sad voice:
"Your Majesty, I am guilty!"

"The 20,000 Qing warriors I led were completely annihilated. This is all my fault. Your Majesty, please punish me!"

As he said this, he kowtowed again.

His forehead hit the ground with a dull sound, and it suddenly turned red.

Huang Taiji couldn't help but sigh in his heart when he saw Dorgon's appearance.

Because just now, he had actually learned about Dorgon from other people.

how to say?

This was actually within Huang Taiji's expectations. He had never thought that all the troops would be able to return intact.

But even so, he still found it difficult to accept the annihilation of Dorgon's army.

That’s 20,000 elite cavalry!

However, at this time, no matter how difficult it is to accept, we have to accept it, and we cannot blame Dorgon.

After all, it has already happened, what's the point of blaming others?
Moreover, speaking of a crushing defeat, his own defeat in this battle was even worse than Dorgon's. Dorgon only killed 20,000 Qing warriors, while he killed 70,000 Qing warriors.

It even put the Qing Dynasty into the passive situation it is in today.

Thinking of this, Huang Taiji said gently:
"Come on, stop it. It's not your fault."

"After all, even I didn't expect the Ming army to be so cunning and set up such a series of strategies that caught us off guard."

"Don't worry, I won't blame you for this. Just do your job well in the future, and I will entrust you with important tasks."

When Dorgon heard this, he burst into tears again.

He lowered his head and his shoulders trembled slightly, making it impossible to see the expression on his face.

As to whether his tears were out of true regret or just a show in front of Huang Taiji, only he himself knew.

After comforting Dorgon a few more words, Huang Taiji let Dorgon leave.

As soon as Dorgon left, Huang Taiji's body seemed to lose support and he fell powerlessly on the bed.

At this time, Huang Taiji no longer had the spirit he had before, and he looked extremely weak.

It was obvious that he was forcing himself to do that for everyone to see. He wanted to let others know that he was not dead and was still alive and well.

Otherwise, if others saw him looking weak, they would definitely have some inappropriate thoughts in their minds.

However, Huang Taiji also knew in his heart that he probably didn't have much time left.

It seems we must quickly choose the next heir.
Two days later, Liaodong.

Although it is already July, for some reason, the weather in Liaodong is still frighteningly cold.

The biting cold wind was like a ferocious beast, howling wildly with its fangs and claws bared. The sharp sound of the wind seemed like the painful whimper of the land.

Zu Dashou rode a tall and strong horse, his thick eyebrows tightly twisted into a knot, and looked helplessly at the mountain in front of him that had been wantonly blown up by the Jiannu.

His hand unconsciously rose slowly, and then he pinched his eyebrows heavily, trying to relieve the irritability and fatigue that surged in his heart like a surging tide.

Just yesterday, the Ming army soldiers went through untold hardships and finally crossed a river whose bridge had just been blown up by the Jiannu.

But who could have expected that after traveling less than thirty miles, they would encounter a new obstacle.

The scope of the mountains destroyed by the Jiannu this time was huge. Looking around, the roads and mountains as far as the eye could see had been blown to pieces.

The originally flat road was now covered with layers of boulders and gravel. Some of the boulders were as big as houses, lying across the middle of the road, casting huge shadows, as if they were insurmountable obstacles.

The gravel was like sharp fangs, scattered everywhere, sparkling coldly in the sunlight.

The mountains on both sides looked like they had been gnawed by giant beasts, with holes all over them, a horrible sight.

He had just sent people to check the surrounding terrain and found that there was no way to go around it. In desperation, he could only order the army to stop advancing and start clearing these obstacles.

We can continue our journey only after the cleanup is completed.

These days, Zu Dashou was so angry that he almost cursed all of Huang Taiji's ancestors in his heart.

The reason is that Huang Taiji was too troublesome.

Wherever the army passed, explosives were used crazily as if they were free, and almost all the mountains along the way were blown up by them.

Not only that, a large number of trees have been cut down, and the once lush forests are now left with only bare stumps.

Like lonely watchmen, they stand quietly on this desolate land, witnessing the suffering of this land.

The purpose of Huang Taiji's doing this was obvious, which was to do everything possible to stop the Ming army from advancing.

And he did succeed. Zu Dashou's marching progress was seriously slowed down to an outrageous level.

Up to now, they have advanced less than 150 miles in total, which means they can only walk 20 miles a day on average.

This speed is just like a snail crawling!

With a helpless sigh, Zu Dashou turned around and returned to the makeshift tent.

But his heart was full of anxiety and he couldn't sit down at all. He could only pace around the tent.

However, this forced stay is not entirely without benefits.

Every time the army stopped to clear the blocked roads, the surrounding Han people would always hear the news and gather from all directions.

They were dressed in rags, their clothes were covered with countless patches, and they were shivering in the cold wind.

They were all pale and thin, with sunken eye sockets and protruding cheekbones, showing their long-term hunger and hardship, and their eyes were full of helplessness and despair.

Because the preparations for this expedition were relatively thorough and there was plenty of food, Zu Dashou couldn't help but feel pity when he saw the miserable appearance of the people.

In addition, before setting off, Zhu Cilang had instructed that these Han people from Liaodong should be treated well, so after discussing with several other generals, Zu Dashou took out some food from the military rations and distributed it to these poor people.

However, after getting the life-saving food, the people did not leave, but continued to follow the army.

There was no way. In order to fight, the Jiannu had robbed all their food, causing them to almost starve to death. Now they finally met the Ming army who were willing to give them food. How could they be willing to leave?

If you leave, you will starve to death, but if you follow the army, you can still have something to eat!
Seeing this, Zu Dashou did not drive them away, but immediately recruited them and let them join the team to clear the obstructions on the road.

Now, the number of these civilians has exceeded 60,000. Together with the 100,000 troops originally led by Zu Dashou, the number of troops under his command has suddenly reached 160,000.

Even Zu Dashou himself found this matter somewhat unbelievable.

If the current trend continues, his military strength is likely to exceed 200,000!

However, the increase in population also brought about problems, and food supply suddenly became a big problem.

So early in the morning, Zu Dashou specially selected several soldiers and asked them to ride at full speed to deliver a secret letter to Jinzhou.

In this letter, he described in detail the various situations that had occurred here, and at the same time requested the allocation of more food and fodder to alleviate the urgent need. According to the distance and time calculation, this secret letter should be able to arrive in Jinzhou smoothly by noon today.

If nothing unexpected happens, more food and supplies will definitely be delivered later.

At this moment, on this battlefield covered with rubble, the cold wind was still howling, and the dust raised was filled in the air, making it almost impossible to open one's eyes.

The whole world seemed to be shrouded in a gray veil.

The soldiers and the incorporated Liaodong people have begun the tense and arduous cleanup work.

They worked together, using thick ropes and various tools to pry the huge rocks bit by bit.

Because they were exerting too much force, every muscle in their bodies was tense and the veins on their necks were bulging.

Some people have blisters on their hands due to long-term labor, but they still grit their teeth and persevere.

When they encounter rocks that are too large to be moved by human power, they will use explosive packs to blast them.

It has to be said that the power of the explosive pack is really huge and it played a vital role in the cleanup work.

Zu Dashou watched the soldiers using explosive packs to blast rocks, and couldn't help but jokingly think that if there were enough explosive packs, maybe they could really blow the Jiannu back to their hometown.

Of course, he was just thinking about this.

He knew very well that he still had to act according to the plan he had made previously.

"woo"

Suddenly at this moment, a loud horn sounded without warning from not far behind Zu Dashou.

When Zu Dashou heard the horn, his originally relaxed expression changed instantly.

Because he knew too well the meaning of the horn sound, it was clearly a signal that the enemy was attacking.

Obviously, the soldier in charge of lookout on the hot air balloon not far behind him had discovered the traces of the Jiannu attack, so he hurriedly blew the horn.

But then, Zu Dashou suddenly found it funny again.

Because he didn't expect that at this time, the Jiannu would actually dare to come and provoke him. Did they really think that his 160,000 people were just decorations?

Putting aside the 60,000 civilians, with just the 100,000 well-trained regular troops under his command, he has enough confidence to repel any invading Jiannu!
Thinking of this, Zu Dashou did not dare to delay even a little and quickly gave the order loudly:
"Everyone stop what you are doing and prepare to face the attack of the Jiannu!"

In fact, everyone had stopped what they were doing when the horn sounded. Now, after being reminded by Zu Dashou, everyone was immediately on high alert.

The soldiers quickly picked up their weapons, formed up into battle formations, and were ready to attack at any time.

Even the common people picked up various tools nearby and prepared to fight to the death with the Jiannu!
The swordsmen and axemen were still lined up neatly in the front, and behind them were the soldiers of the Beijing camp equipped with flintlock rifles.

All in all, everyone is ready!

Not long after, a group of Jiannu soldiers appeared on a pile of messy rubble not far away.

But what is surprising is that the actions of this group of Jian slaves seem quite strange.

I saw that the leader was holding a white flag high in his hand. The flag fluttered in the cold wind, as if conveying some message to the Ming army.

The moment Zu Dashou saw the white flag, he was stunned and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face, as if he had seen something incredible.

Because he recognized it as the white flag of surrender at a glance!

This made Zu Dashou full of doubts, and he had no idea what the Jiannu were up to.

But then he gave the order:
"Everyone listen up, don't do anything yet, let's see what they want to do!"

Soon, the Jiannu army on the opposite side stopped a few hundred meters away from the Ming army.

Afterwards, only two Jiannu soldiers raised their hands high, walked over cautiously, and kept shouting something.

At first, because the distance was too far, the sound was drowned out by the whistling wind, so it was not very clear.

But as they slowly approached, the Ming army finally understood what they were shouting:
"Don't do it, don't do it. We are here on orders from His Majesty the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty to seek peace!"

When the sentry on guard not far away heard this, he was stunned at first, then hurriedly stepped forward to the two Jiannu soldiers. After confirming again and again that what they said was true, he quickly returned to Zu Dashou to report.

There was a hint of surprise in his voice that was hard to conceal:

"Sir, these two Jiannu said they came to seek peace on the orders of Huang Taiji."

"What? A request for peace?"

When Zu Dashou heard this, he was speechless.

His first reaction was that this might be another trick played by the Jiannu.

However, he thought about it carefully and felt that it seemed unlikely.

Things have come to this point now. What tricks does the Jiannu have left to use?

Are they really here to seek peace?
But this change is too sudden, isn't it?

At this moment, a deputy general next to him suddenly came over and said:

"Sir, why don't you meet them and see what they have to say."

After hearing this, Zu Dashou finally nodded.

Soon, the two Jiannu were brought before Zu Dashou.

Zu Dashou looked at the two Jiannu with a stern expression and asked coldly:
"Are you here to seek peace?"

When the two Jiannu heard this, their faces were filled with flattering smiles. That smile was like a mask, covering up their inner tension and anxiety.

But he still nodded and bowed quickly:

"That's right, sir. We are here under orders from His Majesty the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty to seek peace with the Ming army."

Upon hearing this, Zu Dashou sneered with disdain and said sarcastically:

"What kind of emperor is Huang Taiji? Even his father Nurhaci was just a minister of the Ming Dynasty. He is at most a criminal of the Ming Dynasty!"

The two Jian slaves heard such merciless insults, but they still smiled and did not dare to refute at all. They could only continue to nod and bow, saying repeatedly:

"Your Excellency is right, Your Excellency is right."

When they arrived, they had received strict orders that no matter how the Ming army insulted them, they must not show any anger and could only blindly cater to them.

After all, this peace negotiation concerns the life and death of the Qing Dynasty, so being scolded a few times is no big deal.

The most important thing is to be able to negotiate peace with the Ming Dynasty smoothly!

Zu Dashou saw that he cursed Huang Taiji in front of them, but the two of them did not react at all, and he was speechless for a moment.

But then, he asked again with a serious look:
"So, Huang Taiji really intends to seek peace?"

One of the Jiannu quickly said:
"Sir, we come here with full sincerity this time."

"As long as the Ming army agrees to our request for peace, we are willing to cede some of our territory to the Ming, give them some gold and silver treasures, and even return some of the people we have captured."

"All of this can be discussed, as long as you can agree to peace."

Zu Dashou didn't say anything this time, but instead asked several deputy generals around him to move aside.

After everyone gathered and formed a tight circle, Zu Dashou slowly spoke:

"Everyone, tell me, what should we do about this matter?"

Ma Xianglin was the first to break the silence, with a hint of vigilance in his tone.

"Sir, in my opinion, this might be a conspiracy of the Jiannu. They might just want us to stop advancing so that they can have a chance to catch their breath."

After hearing this, a deputy general next to him shook his head slightly and said:
"It shouldn't be that serious. With our current strength, even if they want to hold us back, how long can they hold us back?"

"This amount of time won't make any difference to the Jiannu. They can't possibly conjure up an army of 100,000 in such a short time."

"That's right. I also think that the Jiannu seem to be sincerely seeking peace."

Another deputy general also echoed.

Zu Dashou listened quietly to everyone's discussion and couldn't help but think about it in his heart.

You have to know that the Jiannu had lost a total of 130,000 people before. Such huge casualties were undoubtedly a serious blow to them, and they could not recover in a short period of time.

More importantly, except for himself and a few important lieutenants, no one in the army knew the real purpose of this operation.

Everyone might still think that this time they were going to attack Shengjing directly.

By the same token, Huang Taiji must have believed that he was heading for Shengjing this time, so he became afraid and began to think about seeking peace.

Thinking of this, Zu Dashou's brows gradually relaxed, and a hint of understanding flashed in his eyes.

Then, Zu Dashou said:

"Everyone, this matter is of great importance. We cannot make the decision."

"How about this? I'll write a letter immediately and relay the situation here as quickly as possible to Your Majesty and the Crown Prince for their decision. What do you all think?"

Several deputy generals nodded in agreement and responded in unison:
"Your Excellency is absolutely right. It should be so."

Then, Zu Dashou came before the two Jiannu envoys again and said with an unquestionable dignity:

"I can't make the decision on such an important matter. I must inform His Majesty and the Crown Prince."

"How about this? You all stay here for now. I'll pass on the news. After His Majesty and the Crown Prince respond, we'll make a decision. How about that?"

As he spoke, Zu Dashou's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He pointed at the Jiannu cavalry not far away and said in a slightly higher voice:

"Including those people, they must stay. Otherwise, how can I trust your sincerity?"

After hearing this, the two Jiannu envoys nodded hurriedly and said:
"This is nature, this is nature."

Then one of them turned around and gestured vigorously towards the cavalry in the distance.

Immediately afterwards, more than 300 cavalrymen from a distance rode their horses slowly towards them.

However, what was surprising was that they did not carry any weapons or bows and arrows, they were simply riding horses.

Even so, Zu Dashou still did not let down his guard.

While he methodically directed his soldiers to continue clearing the obstacles on the road ahead, he hurriedly wrote a letter and had it sent back to Jinzhou.

At the same time, a group of soldiers were arranged to closely monitor the every move of these Jiannu.

If they dare to reveal any flaws, they will be killed immediately!

At the same time, in Jinzhou City.

At noon, sunlight shone through the window into Zhu Cilang's room, forming patches of golden light.

Zhu Cilang had just received a letter from Zu Dashou sent by express horse.

After a quick glance, Zhu Cilang did not hesitate at all and immediately ordered the dispatch of troops to continue transporting food and fodder for Zu Dashou.

In his opinion, since those who came to Zu Dashou were all Han people, they were his own family.

After we successfully recover the lost territory, we will still have to rely on them to garrison there, so we naturally cannot be stingy.

Therefore, in addition to preparing sufficient food, Zhu Cilang also specially asked people to prepare 100,000 taels of silver to be sent together.

Any common people who are willing to surrender will be given one or two taels of silver as a settlement fee, and there will be additional rewards after the situation stabilizes.

But what Zhu Cilang didn't expect was that before the team transporting food and silver had time to set off, another letter was presented to him in the afternoon.

Moreover, this letter seemed even more urgent, and the soldier who delivered it was almost exhausted.

When Zhu Cilang opened the letter, he was immediately shocked and looked incredulous, wondering if he had read it wrong.

Then he took another closer look, and was finally sure that he was not seeing things.

For a moment he just felt it was a little funny. He didn't expect that the Jiannu actually wanted to ask for peace?

That’s right, the letter in Zhu Cilang’s hand at this moment was sent by Zu Dashou after he met the Jiannu’s envoy seeking peace.

After thinking about it, Zhu Cilang finally decided to go to Chongzhen to discuss it.

When he left, he asked someone to find Hong Chengchou.

When Chongzhen saw Zhu Cilang hurriedly walking in with a letter, he couldn't help but feel curious and asked:
"Whose letter is this?"

Zhu Cilang did not answer directly, but handed the letter in his hand to Chongzhen.

"Father, you should come and see for yourself!"

Chongzhen took the letter nonchalantly and didn't take it seriously at first, but the next second, his eyes suddenly widened with disbelief.

Obviously, he never expected that the Jiannu would ask for peace at this time.

"Is this true? Could this be another conspiracy by the Jiannu?"

After reading the contents of the letter, Chongzhen's voice was filled with hesitation and uncertainty.

Zhu Cilang shook his head slightly.

"It's not clear yet, but I think it doesn't seem like a conspiracy. The Jiannu are most likely genuinely seeking peace."

"After all, they suffered heavy losses in the previous war and it's impossible for them to recover in such a short period of time."

"Furthermore, very few people know about our next plan, and it is even more impossible for the Jiannu to know."

"So, I guess they probably thought Zu Dashou was going to attack Shengjing. They were afraid that Shengjing would fall, so they came up with the idea of asking for peace."

After hearing this, Chongzhen nodded thoughtfully.

Immediately at this moment, Hong Chengchou hurried over.

"Your Majesty, your Majesty, and your Highness the Crown Prince."

As soon as Hong Chengchou entered the door, he hurriedly bowed.

Chongzhen waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to be polite, then handed him the letter and said:

"Look at this first."

Hong Chengchou took the letter with both hands and read it carefully. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his usual composure.

Then he said:

"I think the Jiannu people really want to seek peace. As far as I know, the previous war dealt a heavy blow to the Jiannu people. They won't be able to recover in three to five years."

"Plus, they didn't know Zu Dashou's true intentions and mistakenly believed he was going to attack Shengjing, so they wanted to buy a breathing space by seeking peace."

When Zhu Cilang heard this, he nodded in agreement, because Hong Chengchou's idea coincided with his.

But then, Hong Chengchou suddenly changed the subject, his expression became somewhat serious, and he said in a respectful and cautious tone:
"I have something I would like to ask Your Highness the Crown Prince. Only when I know the answer can I continue."

Zhu Cilang nodded slightly.

"But it doesn't matter!"

Hong Chengchou then continued:

"May I ask, Your Highness, are you truly not planning on conquering Shengjing this time?"

Zhu Cilang smiled lightly and said calmly:

"I've said before that what I want are not those territories that are only controlled in vain, but territories that I can truly control."

"Capturing Shengjing is certainly easy, but what practical significance does that have?"

"Huang Taiji could have simply abandoned Shengjing and fled deep into Liaodong, then come back and seize Shengjing when we were least prepared."

"Therefore, simply capturing Shengjing is completely meaningless and will only result in unnecessary casualties."

"For the current Ming Dynasty, the fact that the situation in Liaodong has developed to this point is already a very good result."

"The most important thing right now is actually to deal with the internal problems of the Ming Dynasty, that is, the peasant uprising."

"Once we have dealt with the peasant uprising, we will mobilize all our forces to deal with the Jiannu. This is my next plan."

As Hong Chengchou listened to Zhu Cilang's clear and organized explanation of the plan, he couldn't help but agree with it and looked at Zhu Cilang with admiration in his eyes.

He also fully agreed with Zhu Cilang's plan.

As the saying goes, "To resist foreign aggression, one must first stabilize the country." If the internal situation of the Ming Dynasty is unstable, how can it concentrate on dealing with the Jiannu?

(End of this chapter)