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

Chapter 196 The guilty minister Dorgon pays homage to His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty!

At the same time, in Jinzhou City.

Warm sunlight shines through the window and falls on Zhu Cilang's desk.

A gentle breeze blew by, and the papers on the desk fluttered gently.

Zhu Cilang was wearing a plain robe, holding a secret letter lightly between his fingers, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

The content of the letter was exactly that the Jiannu agreed to the peace terms proposed by them.

That is to say, Dorgon would bring a hostage to Jinzhou to discuss peace.

Zhu Cilang was actually not surprised at all by this result.

After all, as the defeated party in this war, the Jiannu really wanted to make peace and there was no room for refusal.

In this age of the survival of the fittest, the winner is always the king, and the fate of the loser is often determined by the victor.

Just like now!
At the same time, Zhu Cilang couldn't help but sigh in his heart that Huang Taiji really had extraordinary courage.

You know, the conditions for peace talks he proposed this time were undoubtedly extremely humiliating for the Jiannu.

If it were someone else, they might not have the courage to agree.

But Huang Taiji still agreed.

But of course, this is just the beginning, the real highlight is yet to come.

After Dorgon arrived in Jinzhou, the subsequent complex issues such as ceding land, paying compensation and population transfer became the key to this peace process.

Fortunately, Zhu Cilang was still very confident in Hong Chengchou's ability, and Hong Chengchou would be able to properly arrange these tedious matters.

As for Zhu Cilang, he has been dealing with another crucial matter in recent days.

That is to find ways to strengthen commercial activities in the Liaodong region.

With the arrival of disaster victims from the capital, the population in Liaodong region has mushroomed. However, in sharp contrast, various daily necessities have become increasingly scarce.

Whether it is food for survival or oil, salt, sauce and vinegar that are indispensable in daily life, they will be in a tense situation of supply and demand.

And these materials cannot be completely dependent on the allocation and supply of the court.

In this case, the role of businessmen is reflected.

At this moment, in a spacious and bright hall, merchants from all over Liaodong gathered together.

Some of these merchants came from Shanhaiguan after a long journey of several days.

Some of them had hurried here from Ningyuan City, their faces still showing fatigue from the journey.

All of them are powerful local businessmen, with assets worth at least hundreds of thousands of taels of silver.

As for those small businessmen who ran small businesses, they were not in Zhu Cilang's eyes at all, so he ignored them.

There is no other way. If we really invite all the merchants here, there will probably be at least several thousand people, and so many people will not be able to fit in the room.

So in Zhu Cilang's view, he only needed to find these big merchants and explain the matter personally.

As for those small businessmen, all we have to do is issue an imperial decree and publicize it.

At this moment, these businessmen who are usually very capable and adept in the business world all look nervous.

No one could guess why Zhu Cilang summoned them this time.

You must know that since the new commercial tax was promulgated, all of these Liaodong merchants have paid full taxes, and no one dares to evade taxes.

There is no way. The emperor and the crown prince have personally led the army to Liaodong. If you evade taxes at this time, isn't that simply seeking death?

It is no exaggeration to say that, apart from the capital and Shandong, Liaodong is probably the third place to successfully implement commercial tax reforms.

It just so happened that the Ming Dynasty had just won a great victory, and the Jiannu people were forced to ask for peace from the Ming Dynasty.

In such an environment, businessmen dare not take any chances and all pay taxes honestly according to regulations.

They asked themselves that they have been doing business honestly in recent times, neither evading taxes nor selling inferior products as good ones.

But even so, they were still "invited" by Zhu Cilang.

You know, on weekdays, they would inevitably be nervous when dealing with ordinary officials, but now, they are about to face the current crown prince, and the feeling of panic in their hearts is naturally getting stronger.

Not far away, several businessmen gathered quietly together, lowering their voices and discussing something in low voices.

"Old Liu, what on earth do you think the Crown Prince wants to do by calling us today?"

A slightly portly businessman asked softly with a look of anxiety on his face.

When he asked, his hand unconsciously touched his round belly, as if this could relieve his inner tension and anxiety.

"I'm not sure, but I think it might have something to do with money."

"Think about it, if we win a battle, wouldn't it cost a lot of money to reward the army? The court must be short of money."

The businessman called Lao Liu answered thoughtfully.

"Shouldn't the money for victory be paid by the state? What does it have to do with ordinary people like us? Don't we all pay our taxes on time?"

Another businessman looked puzzled and couldn't help but interrupt.

"Well, who knows? Anyway, in my opinion, we are going to bleed heavily this time."

The businessman who asked the question first sighed helplessly and said.

Having said this, the faces of several people turned ugly.

It was obvious to them that Zhu Cilang summoned them just to ask for money!

In the past, if someone came to ask them for money, they might have racked their brains to find a way to refuse.

But now if His Royal Highness the Crown Prince speaks personally, how would they dare to refuse?

After all, they had all heard that the current Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty was a brave and unparalleled young man.

In the previous war, he personally led an army of 200,000 and charged directly towards the Jiannu, ultimately winning the war.

Such extraordinary courage made them feel awe and they dared not disobey at all.

In their view, anyone who dares to disobey the order of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is seeking death!

Although they love money, they love life more!

So at this moment, most people are prepared for heavy bleeding!
At this moment, a rather shrill cry suddenly came from outside the house:

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"

This sudden sound, like a thunderclap, instantly broke the whispers in the room.

The businessmen seemed to have pressed the pause button in an instant and hurriedly stopped talking. Those who had been sitting down before now stood up tremblingly, ready to welcome Zhu Cilang's arrival.

Immediately afterwards, a team of Jinyiwei wearing Feiyu uniforms entered the door one after another and stood on both sides.

Then a dashing young man walked in with steady and confident steps.

He had a sturdy figure and walked with an innate dignity. It was obvious at first glance that he was no ordinary person.

If it’s not Zhu Cilang, who else could it be?
Seeing this, the merchants almost didn't hesitate at all. They all knelt down and saluted, shouting:
"The common people have seen His Highness the Crown Prince!"

"I have met the prince!"

"His Royal Highness, Holy Ann!"

Various shouts came one after another, intertwined with each other, and echoed in the hall for a long time.

There was a hint of fear and panic in the voice.

There was no way. It was the first time they saw Zhu Cilang. How could they not be nervous?
Zhu Cilang had a gentle smile on his face and said in a very calm tone:
"Everyone, please stand up."

After saying this, he walked straight to the main seat and slowly sat down.

At the same time, the merchants stood up tremblingly. They didn't dare to sit down, so they could only stand aside respectfully, not even daring to breathe.

Zhu Cilang found it funny but didn't say anything. After all, given his status, it was normal for these businessmen to be afraid of him.

Then, Zhu Cilang glanced at everyone and said calmly:

"Everyone, I have called you here today because I have an extremely important matter to discuss with you."

When the businessmen heard this, although they were mentally prepared, they still felt a little nervous.

I thought that as expected, I was really going to bleed heavily this time.

However, what Zhu Cilang said next was like a thunderclap, which made them stunned for a moment and even couldn't believe their ears.

"I have decided to implement a tax-free policy for all merchants in the Liaodong region."

"From today on, there will be tax exemption for three years. After three years, normal taxation will resume."

Zhu Cilang said slowly.

what?
When the businessmen heard this, they were stunned as if they were struck by lightning.

You know, they originally thought that Zhu Cilang summoned them in order to ask them for money to reward the army.

But what they never expected was that Zhu Cilang not only did not ask them for money, but actually gave them three years of tax exemption!

This was really beyond their imagination.

Because the implementation of this policy means they can save a lot of money every year.

You know, since the new commercial tax was promulgated, even those who pay the least tax among them have to pay 500 taels of silver every month.

By this calculation, it would be six thousand taels a year.

Those who paid the highest taxes paid as much as three thousand taels per month, which is thirty-six thousand taels per year.

But now, all these commercial taxes have been exempted. How can they not be shocked?

Then, at this moment, a thin businessman in the crowd spoke cautiously:

"Your Highness, I still don't quite understand what you mean. Could you please explain it to us in more detail?"

Zhu Cilang was speechless. Everything was said so clearly, what else was there to not understand?
But then he patiently explained:

"I have made it very clear. For the next three years, as long as you do business in Liaodong, all commercial taxes will be waived. The court will not collect a single cent."

After a pause, Zhu Cilang continued:
"However, this is subject to a condition. The prices of the items you sell must not be too outrageous."

After listening to Zhu Cilang's explanation, the merchants seemed to suddenly understand something. The confusion and worry on their faces gradually faded away, replaced by an expression of sudden enlightenment.

There is no doubt that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince saw the shortage of supplies in Liaodong, so he wanted to stimulate these merchants by exempting commercial taxes and let them increase the supply of supplies.

After figuring this out, the businessmen felt relieved, as if a heavy burden had finally been lifted from their hearts.

Then, an irrepressible excitement surged in their hearts.

Because if this policy is really implemented, they can save at least more than 6,000 taels of silver every year, and even up to tens of thousands of taels!

This is not a small amount of money!
For a moment, everyone hurriedly bowed their hands with extremely respectful gestures.

"Thank you, Your Highness, the Crown Prince!"

"Don't worry, Your Highness. I will never let you down!"

Zhu Cilang smiled casually and continued:

"Everyone, I'll be honest with you. The imperial court has decided to relocate 400,000 people from Ming to Liaodong, and more people will be relocated here in due course."

"And each of these people will be given two taels of silver."

"In addition, the imperial court also plans to open a trade fair in Jinzhou. You all know what this means, don't I need to tell you?"

"I don't care how much money you make at that time. As long as it's within a reasonable range, it's your own doing, and you won't have to pay taxes for three years."

Zhu Cilang said this, with anticipation in his eyes.

"I only hope that you can do everything you can to invigorate Liaodong's commerce and bring more abundant and diverse goods and supplies to the people here. Do you understand?"

At this point, how could these businessmen still not understand Zhu Cilang’s meaning?

The next second, they hurriedly bowed in response again.

"Don't worry, Your Highness. We know what to do. We will definitely not let Your Highness down!"

At this moment, the mood of these businessmen can no longer be described as excitement, but ecstasy!

Because they all knew very well that once the trade was opened, Mongolia's special products such as cattle, sheep, horses, furs and so on would gather here.

The Mongolian people would also come to buy salt, food and other daily necessities.

All the transactions back and forth involve real money!
What’s more important is that these silvers do not need to be taxed, which is a godsend for them!

Thinking of this, many businessmen's eyes sparkled with excitement, and they began to think about how to do business in the future.

Zhu Cilang looked at the excited smiles on the merchants' faces and felt secretly relieved in his heart, as if he had already seen the prosperous future of the Liaodong region.

Although exempting Liaodong from commercial taxes for three years would result in a slight loss of revenue for the court, he did not care about it.

After all, the commercial taxes collected in Liaodong region in the past were not much.

Take last month for example, the commercial tax collected in Liaodong region was less than 100,000 taels of silver, which is only about 1 million taels a year.

But if the commercial tax of one million taels of silver is exempted, it will give a shot in the arm to the merchants in Liaodong and greatly stimulate their enthusiasm.

At that time, they will transport all kinds of materials to Liaodong even more frantically, so as to enrich the lives of the people and promote the prosperity and development of the Liaodong region.

After all, in the next few years, in addition to focusing on suppressing the peasant army, the most important thing is to stabilize the Liaodong region.

In order to stabilize the Liaodong region, in addition to a large number of immigrants, sufficient supplies must also be provided.

Otherwise, if there is not enough food and supplies, how can we stabilize Liaodong?

Of course, in order to prevent individual profit-seeking businessmen from taking the opportunity to raise prices, the Ming Dynasty state-owned stores must also be opened here.

Zhu Cilang had already issued an edict for this purpose. It would not be long before Xia Dewu would send people to Liaodong to open a Ming Dynasty state-owned store.

Unlike other merchants who transported supplies by land, the supplies of the Ming Dynasty state-owned stores could be shipped directly by sea.

Therefore, the transportation costs of the Ming Dynasty state-owned stores will be greatly reduced, and will be able to better benefit the local people.

There is no way. The people in Liaodong region have suffered from war for a long time and their lives are really too difficult.

Therefore, Zhu Cilang will provide them with better living conditions within his ability.

This move also received strong support from Chongzhen.

You must know that Chongzhen has always felt guilty towards the people of Liaodong because of the order to bombard the civilians.

Therefore, as long as it is beneficial to the people of Liaodong, Chongzhen will agree without hesitation and support it with all his strength.

Two days later, in Liaodong, where Zu Dashou's army was stationed.

Military flags fluttered in the breeze, soldiers patrolled around, and the scene was full of order.

Ever since Zu Dashou learned that Huang Taiji agreed to send the prince and Dorgon to negotiate peace, he immediately stopped the offensive in accordance with Zhu Cilang's instructions.

The army has been stationed here for more than eight days now!
In the past few days, Han people from Liaodong have come here like a tide, and now the total number of people here has exceeded 200,000!
Correct!
You heard it right, a full 200,000 people!

Among them, 100,000 were troops led by Zu Dashou himself, and the other 100,000 were the local people of Liaodong who had suffered greatly.

In addition, the food and silver sent by Zhu Cilang had already arrived on time.

In accordance with Zhu Cilang's instructions, Zu Dashou not only distributed food to the people every day, but also gave each of them one or two taels of silver as their resettlement allowance.

But don't underestimate this mere one or two taels of silver. In the prosperous and wealthy capital, this one or two taels of silver may not be a big deal.

But for the people of Liaodong who have lived in poverty for a long time, this one or two taels of silver is wealth that they may not be able to save even if they work hard for two or three years.

When the people of Liaodong took the food and silver with trembling hands, their faces were filled with shock and disbelief.

They never imagined that they came here just to seek a way to survive, but they got food and silver without doing anything.

In the past, this was something they couldn't even imagine.

Because those Jian slaves would only exploit them without any bottom line, plunder their food and wealth, and would never treat them well.

At this moment, the Han people of Liaodong felt a deep sense of national identity. Their eyes were no longer filled with the confusion and fear of the past, but were instead filled with determination and hope.

Zu Dashou looked at these people and felt a lot of emotions in his heart.

He even felt that even if he were to lead them to attack Shengjing at this moment, these people would not hesitate to take up arms and fight the Jiannu to the death.

After all, in order to win the Battle of Songjin, Huang Taiji ordered the seizure of all their food, causing many families of Liaodong people to starve to death tragically.

For these people, this is absolutely a deep hatred!

Of course, Zu Dashou was just thinking about this kind of thing. He didn't dare to disobey Zhu Cilang's orders.

However, he also knew that with the Ming army's great victory, such a human tragedy would never happen again.

The people in Liaodong region are about to usher in a new dawn.

That afternoon, the sky was gloomy and the heavy clouds made it difficult to breathe, as if a storm was about to come.

At this moment, the soldier responsible for transmitting military information through hot air balloons suddenly ran to Zu Dashou in a hurry.

His forehead was covered in sweat, and he reported breathlessly:
"Sir, the Jiannu people have appeared ahead, about 500 of them."

what?
When Zu Dashou heard this, his eyes, which had seemed a little tired, instantly brightened up and he became more energetic.

Because he knew that it was most likely Dorgon who came with a team seeking peace!
Immediately afterwards, without any hesitation, Zu Dashou hurried to the front of the army, waiting for the arrival of Dorgon.

Sure enough, not long after, a group of Jiannu troops appeared in his sight.

Who else could be walking in the front if not Dorgon?
At this moment, Dorgon was riding a tall horse and was at the front of the peace negotiation team. He was originally a little nervous, but the moment he saw the scene not far away, he froze.

Before setting off, he had heard that the Ming army had 150,000 troops. At that time, he secretly criticized it in his heart, thinking that the Ming army was just bluffing and exaggerating.

But when he saw everything with his own eyes, the doubt in his heart was instantly replaced by panic.

Looking around, the number of people in front of him was definitely over 150,000, maybe even over 200,000!

Two hundred thousand people filled the entire area like a tide, and the scene was extremely spectacular!
The densely packed tents are like mushrooms after rain, scattered all over the mountains, layer upon layer with no end in sight.

Countless Ming soldiers dressed in bright armor, holding spears, lined up in neat rows. Each phalanx was like a fortress made of steel, exuding a terrifying aura.

The fluttering military flags danced wildly in the wind, with the name of the Ming Dynasty on it standing out clearly, as if declaring the majesty of the victor to the losers.

Such a grand scene was like an invisible force that hit Dorgon's heart hard, making him shiver.

Looking at the vast Ming army camp, Dorgon felt a strong sense of relief.

He thought to himself that it was a good thing that Huang Taiji made the wise decision to seek peace with the Ming army.

If they really faced such a huge army, with their limited military strength, they would be like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

As the team slowly moved forward, Dorgon's mood became heavier and his expression became uglier.

It turned out that a lot of Han people from Liaodong had gathered around them at some point in time.

These people were dressed in rags and had haggard faces, but their eyes were burning with the fire of revenge as they stared at them intently.

That gaze was like a sharp blade, ready to devour them alive.

Seeing this scene, even though Dorgon was a veteran, his legs couldn't help but tremble slightly.

He knew better than anyone what crimes they had committed against the people of Liaodong. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they had committed all kinds of evil, including burning, killing, looting and all kinds of evil.

Now facing such hateful eyes, how could he not feel afraid?
If Dorgon was like this, Yebusu who followed behind him was even worse.

Ye Bushu, who was only thirteen years old, had been pampered in the Shengjing Palace since childhood. He had everything he wanted, so how could he have ever seen the cruelty of the outside world?
At this moment, looking at the pairs of eyes around him that seemed to want to tear them apart, his little face instantly turned as pale as paper, without a trace of blood.

Her lips were trembling uncontrollably, and she was about to cry out loud.

Looking at the other members of the Jiannu delegation, they were also frightened and lost their composure.

Some had pale faces, with beads of sweat rolling down their foreheads; some had panicked eyes that wandered around, not daring to meet the gazes of the people around them.

Others were shaking uncontrollably and almost falling off their horses.

Although they knew that they were there to negotiate peace, the Ming army would not kill them.

But this overwhelming and suffocating feeling of oppression follows me everywhere.

They felt as if an invisible hand was tightly strangling their throats, and every breath was extremely difficult, which was really unbearable.

But in the end, they still gritted their teeth and arrived at the Ming army camp.

After all, it’s already this time, and I can’t leave even if I want to.

Zu Dashou had fought against the Jiannu for many years and had dealt with Dorgon before, so the two could barely be considered old acquaintances.

Seeing Dorgon coming, Zu Dashou raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a meaningful smile, and jokingly said:

"Hey, isn't this Prince Heshuo Rui? It's been a long time since we last met!"

After hearing this, Dorgon's face turned slightly red and he smiled awkwardly with a hint of bitterness in his smile.

Then he clasped his hands and said:

"Your Excellency is joking. Now that I, the Emperor of the Great Qing, am willing to lower my country's title and become a vassal state of the Great Ming, I am naturally no longer a prince."

Zu Dashou couldn't help feeling surprised when he heard this.

He looked Dorgon up and down, and he didn't expect that the once arrogant and domineering Dorgon had become so humble now.

What was even more unexpected was that Huang Taiji would voluntarily lower his country's name and be willing to become a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty.

His intuition told him that there must be something fishy going on, but that was not something he should worry about. He just had to complete his task.

Then, Zu Dashou turned his head and looked at Ye Bushu beside him. He saw that he was a child about thirteen years old, with a thin build, and seemed to be a few years younger than the prince.

There was a hint of timidity and fear in his eyes.

As expected, the Jiannu are the Jiannu, how can they be compared with the prince?

Zu Dashou couldn't help but sneer in his heart.

Then, he was too lazy to say anything else and just waved behind him.

The next second, a team of soldiers immediately stepped forward and carefully checked whether Dorgon and others were carrying any weapons.

Their eyes are sharp and they don't miss any details.

After all, these people are going to meet the emperor. If they are carrying weapons and attack during the meeting, it will be a big trouble.

Fortunately, after a round of inspection, nothing was found, and Zu Dashou's tense nerves finally relaxed.

Afterwards, Zu Dashou briefly explained the military affairs, then mounted his horse and led 5,000 troops, along with Dorgon and his peace negotiation team, and marched towards Jinzhou in a mighty manner.

This matter is of great importance, and he must go back and report in person.

Of course, he was not worried about whether any accidents would happen here after he left. After all, there were 200,000 people here.

As long as the Jiannu people are not crazy, they will never dare to play any tricks!
Moreover, he brought two chariots equipped with hot air balloons with him this time. As long as the Jiannu appeared within a ten-kilometer range, they would be able to detect them immediately and prepare in advance.

After a night of travel, they finally arrived outside Jinzhou city the next morning.

Looking at this familiar land, Dorgon felt a surge of emotion in his heart.

He recalled the ambitions he once had here and couldn't help feeling sad.

If they had won that war, perhaps everything here would have belonged to them long ago!

It’s a pity that everything has become a thing of the past.

When approaching Jinzhou City, Dorgon was suddenly shocked by the scene before him and was speechless.

Because not far away, a Jingguan made of piled up human heads suddenly appeared before his eyes.

At first glance, the Jingguan looks like a strange and twisted hill, but in fact it is made up of densely packed human heads stacked up layer by layer.

And judging by the unique rat tail on the human head, it is undoubtedly made of the heads of their dead soldiers!
Come to think of it, the Ming army couldn't possibly use the heads of their own soldiers who died in battle to build the Jingguan, right?
The heads in front of me were of different sizes, some were complete, and some were only half left.

The facial features were blurred by decay.

Some of the rat tails on the scalp have fallen off, revealing the mottled skull, while others are still stuck to the scalp, hanging down in strands and swaying gently in the breeze.

The skin on his face had long since festered, turning a disgusting blue-black color and emitting a pungent stench of decay. The smell, a mixture of blood and stench, went straight into his nasal cavity, making his stomach churn instantly.

At this time, Dorgon's face was as pale as paper and his body was shaking slightly. He never imagined that these people who died in the battle would be treated like this.

And he had never heard of anything like it before.

Fear and anger instantly filled his heart, and at the same time he felt a little sad.

At the same time, everyone behind Dorgon was also frightened by this scene.

Some people covered their mouths and noses to try to block out the suffocating stench.

Some people opened their eyes wide in horror, their eyes full of fear, fearing that they would suffer the same fate.

At this moment, a cry of surprise suddenly came from behind:
"Lord Beile, what's wrong with you?"

Dorgon looked back and saw that Yebusu's eyes were closed and his body fell down limply, as if he had fainted from fright.

Fortunately, the servant next to him supported him and prevented him from falling off the horse.

Seeing this scene, Dorgon did not feel much in his heart, because if he saw such a scene at his age, he might have been scared to faint.

Zu Dashou looked at the reactions of the people in front of him, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a hint of a sneer.

Because he knew that the existence of this Jingguan was to warn the Jiannu and let them know the consequences of provoking the Ming Dynasty.

And now, this goal has obviously been achieved!

Immediately afterwards, the group finally entered Jinzhou City.

The people in Jinzhou City had already received the news and sent someone special to welcome Dorgon.

Although the Jiannu were a defeated nation, since they came to seek peace, the Ming army, as the Celestial Empire, naturally had to give them a corresponding reception.

However, the official in charge of the reception did not give Dorgon a good look. He frowned and looked disgusted, and started scolding Dorgon and others.

It doesn't mean that they are not well-groomed and cannot meet the emperor.

That is to say, they lack manners and are like barbarians.

In short, they are belittled in various ways.

As a prince of the Jiannu clan, when had Dorgon ever suffered such humiliation?
At this moment, the anger in his heart was already burning fiercely, as if it was about to explode at the next moment.

Fortunately, Dorgon still had some sense. No matter how harshly the officials who received them spoke, he just pretended not to hear or not to understand.

After all, in such a situation, if he dared to take action, all the people he brought with him would be killed without a burial place.

What's more, he didn't want to die at all. He was thinking of returning to Shengjing and reviving his Zhengbai Banner!
Immediately afterwards, Dorgon and others underwent a more detailed inspection. This time they were even asked to take off their clothes to ensure that they did not carry any suspicious items!
Although Dorgon was extremely angry, he could only accept it silently, with an expression of forbearance and unwillingness on his face.

He couldn't help but swear in his heart that one day he would avenge his previous humiliation.

Finally, after a series of tedious procedures, Dorgon straightened his slightly wrinkled clothes, with a hint of nervousness and unwillingness in his eyes, and walked towards the hall with Yebusu and two Jiannu envoys.

The main hall was built to temporarily accommodate Dorgon's request for peace. Although it is not as magnificent as the palaces in the capital, it also looks quite grand and majestic.

As you step into the hall, you will find it solemn and dignified, with an atmosphere so heavy that it makes you feel breathless.

At this time, Chongzhen was wearing a gorgeous dragon robe and sitting upright on the dragon throne.

The whole person looked energetic because of this matter, like a majestic golden dragon, waiting for the audience with Dorgon with sharp eyes.

And beside him stood Zhu Cilang.

On both sides below stood many civil and military generals, such as Qin Liangyu, Hong Chengchou, Zu Dashou, Wu Sangui, Yang Guozhu and others.

Dorgon lowered his head, his steps were slightly heavy, his eyes quickly swept over the people around him, and his mood became more complicated.

Once upon a time, most of these people were his defeated enemies, but now they have become one of the people who can dominate his destiny. How ironic is that?
Thinking of this, Dorgon couldn't help but feel bitter in his heart.

But things soon returned to normal, because at this moment, he had already walked in front of Chongzhen.

Dorgon took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling violently, and then he knelt respectfully on the ground under the gaze of everyone, shouting:
"I, the guilty minister Dorgon, kowtow to His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Long live the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty!"

As soon as these words came out, everyone around couldn't help but laugh softly.

After all, who could have imagined that the once arrogant and awe-inspiring prince of the Jiannu clan would one day kneel before the Ming emperor and shout "Long live the Ming emperor"?

Chongzhen naturally enjoyed this moment very much. He raised his head slightly, his eyes full of pride.

After all, accepting the submission of a foreign race is always an honorable thing.

But soon, Chongzhen came to his senses.

The next second, Chongzhen cleared his throat and shouted:
"Dorgon, you bastard, how dare you come to see me? Weren't you arrogant and conceited before, insisting on going to war with the Ming Dynasty?"

"What else do you have to say now?"

Upon hearing this, Dorgon trembled slightly and quickly fell to the ground again, his forehead almost touching the ground. He then said loudly:
"Your Majesty, it was all our fault before, but now we have realized our mistake."

"I, the Emperor of the Great Jin, am willing to abandon my country's name and become a vassal state of the Great Ming. From now on, I will be subject to the Great Ming forever. I hope that His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming will grant me this."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present showed a look of surprise, because this was the first time they heard of this.

Even Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang were quite surprised.

You have to know that the original plan was just to agree to the Jiannu's request for peace, the two sides would draw a line between them, and then live in peace.

Unexpectedly, Dorgon brought such a pleasant surprise and took the initiative to ask to be demoted to a vassal state.

However, Chongzhen did not immediately agree to Dorgon's request because he suddenly thought of something.

Wasn’t Dorgon’s father Nurhaci also a minor official in the Ming Dynasty before, but he ended up rebelling against the Ming Dynasty?

Thinking of this, Chongzhen's anger burned again, but due to his subsequent plans, he suppressed his anger and said slowly:
"Well, in that case, I will accept your peace request for now, but this is conditional. You must cede a certain amount of territory and return the property and people previously looted from the Ming Dynasty."

"Specific matters will be discussed with you by a dedicated person. Remember, this is the last chance I will give you."

"If you dare to play any tricks again, the hundreds of thousands of Ming troops will immediately crush Shengjing and annihilate you completely!"

When Dorgon heard this, he hurriedly bowed his head again, and his forehead hit the ground heavily with a dull sound, looking submissive.

"Your Majesty, rest assured. The Qing Dynasty will undoubtedly submit to the Ming Dynasty and will never dare to harbor any dissenting thoughts."

After hearing this, Chongzhen knew that the other party was acting, but he didn't say anything more. After all, there was nothing wrong with the other party's attitude.

Then he waved his hand and said:
"Okay, you go back first."

When Dorgon heard this, he immediately prepared to stand up.

But at the moment he stood up, he suddenly pretended to look up at Chongzhen unintentionally, and at the same time he saw Zhu Cilang standing next to Chongzhen.

After a moment, Dorgon withdrew his gaze again and stood up.

At the same time, Dorgon was in turmoil.

Because he already knew that the reason why the Battle of Songjin was such a complete defeat was because Zhu Cilang led an army of 200,000 to charge directly, which eventually led to the defeat of the army.

It is no exaggeration to say that they were actually defeated by the young Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty.

For a moment, Dorgon's heart was filled with emotion.

As for Ye Bushu behind him, he was already frightened out of his wits. He didn't even say a word from beginning to end. He just buried his head deep in the ground and kowtowed continuously.

But no one present blamed him.

After all, being frightened by one's own emperor and not daring to speak is also an effective deterrent.

Finally, with Dorgon's help, Yebusu stood up with weak legs and walked out with staggering steps.

From beginning to end, Zhu Cilang, who was standing next to Chongzhen, never said a word.

He just stood there quietly and watched it all.

Although he accepted the Jiannu's request for peace, Zhu Cilang's plan for the Jiannu never changed, which was to wipe out the Jiannu clan!
He wanted to physically exterminate all the Jurchens who called themselves Jianzhou Jurchens until the "Jianzhou Jurchen" race completely disappeared from this world.

And this day will come soon!

(End of this chapter)