Ming Dynasty: Summoning game players at the beginning

Chapter 280 Who Sent You to Me

So this group of traitors hurried to find Prince Zheng to discuss a way out, but unexpectedly, Jirgalang was also a little panicked.

He really couldn't understand how Dorgon had ruined all his advantages when the enemy was weak and we were strong?
The enemy army had rashly divided its forces and marched south, giving Dorgon the opportunity to annihilate most of them, leaving them with only 20,000 soldiers. Dorgon, having absorbed surrendered soldiers from various regions, had a fighting force of over 70,000.

Seventy thousand versus twenty thousand, it's like a father beating his son. How could he lose? How could he lose?

Jirgalang cursed Dorgon for a long time before he regained his composure with the help of his years of experience in fighting and participating in politics.

Now he only has 5,000 Qing soldiers left, so it is impossible to fight. The only thing he can do is find a way to escape.

Although he had to experience the hardships of the "Liaonan Great Migration" again, he had to fight for a way to survive.

He and the traitors of the court reached a rare high degree of consensus. After some discussion, the two sides decided to defend Hanyang on the surface, but actually choose the time to escape.

He declared martial law in Hanyang, launched a massive hunt for those who spread rumors, and executed them on the spot in front of the public.

Jirgalang claimed that although Dorgon had suffered a minor defeat, he had regrouped and was blocking the Ming army in the Pingshan area. His Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty still had the strength to fight. Those "loyal ministers" who were loyal to the Qing Dynasty should not believe in rumors.

On the one hand, he sent people out of the city to take in the defeated soldiers and to strengthen his own military strength as much as possible.

After making up their minds to follow the Qing troops to flee to Liaobei, the traitors no longer had any moral burden and began to frantically plunder money, food and supplies. Some of them were presented to the Qing princes, and some were kept for themselves. They even got more than a dozen mule carts to prepare for their escape.

However, just after dawn one morning, Jirgalang suddenly ordered the entire army to abandon Hanyang and move to the northeast of Korea, intending to detour through Liaobei and return to the Horqin grassland.

A large number of soldiers and horses rushed out of the city, but the traitors who remained in the city were panicked - Prince Zheng set out without even notifying them!

The traitors had no time to worry about the "accident" or pack up their belongings in the carts. They could only hurriedly carry a few valuables and ride on horses to catch up with the Qing troops.

You have to know that a yangban family has a large population, and dozens of traitorous families are equivalent to an army. How could Jirgalang allow countless mouths to feed on the road to escape?

Even if these people could serve as "rations", it would slow down the speed of the entire army's escape to the north.

So Jirgalang issued a strict order that all traitors were not allowed to accompany him on the journey, and anyone who dared to approach would be driven away with fists and feet.

Although killing them with one blow saves time and effort, the Korean traitors must be left alive to buy time for the Qing soldiers - after all, if the Koreans catch someone to vent their anger on, they will have no time to pursue the Qing soldiers.

Li Chengzao and dozens of nobles from the two classes rode their best horses towards the Qing army and soon saw Prince Zheng.

They all asked the prince why he left without saying goodbye, but Prince Zheng was too disdainful to talk to him. He waved his hand at the guards beside him, and immediately dozens of riders shot arrows at the two groups.

Suddenly, arrows whizzed and shot at people and horses. Countless unlucky people were thrown far away by their horses. Li Chengzao also fell off his horse and rolled for more than ten steps.

He shook his head to shake off the snow dust on his face, then struggled to get up and approached the Qing army, his feet raising cement flowers as he ran.

He requested the prince to take them with him, claiming that he had made great contributions to the Qing Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty could not just use them and then abandon them!
However, the Qing soldier thought he was just being noisy and punched him in the face with such force that he spun half a circle on the spot and fell to the ground.

Other traitors also encountered the "iron fist of the Qing soldiers". Some were even stabbed in the stomach by the Qing soldiers and fell to the ground, completely blending into the white snow.

It was all over now. Li Chengzao lay in the snow, staring in despair at the sky as it gradually turned from blue to red. The sun rose as usual on a new day, but the fate of his entire family was about to end.

The reluctance to be abandoned by scum and the strong desire to survive are intertwined. He hates the despicable and shameless Tartars, the Beiwei Army that destroyed his glory and wealth, and even more so the Crown Prince Li Hao who borrowed the Ming Army.

A thought flashed through his mind, and Li Chengzao suddenly realized a narrow but clear way to survive.

He quickly packed up and returned to Hanyang. At this time, order in the city was almost collapsed. Rogues and bullies were looting homes, and local officials and soldiers were extorting people at will, even bullying people's wives and daughters in broad daylight.

Li Chengzao had no choice but to hide with his family and wait for the situation to become clear before seeking a way to survive.

Fortunately, after the Qing troops completely withdrew, the "two classes in Beijing" who were unwilling to surrender to the Tartars quickly took action to stabilize the situation.

After all, the old king was a monarch who came to power through a coup. Once he took control of the capital, he quickly adjusted the personnel of the royal court, firmly grasped the imperial guards and the royal camp army, and immediately sent people to organize a "recreation" team to meet the heavenly soldiers.

Logically speaking, he should have severely punished the "pro-Tatar" officials and wiped out the previous shame of being a puppet.

The king's idea is very simple, everything is based on stability -

Since Korea was conquered by Huang Taiji several years ago, a large number of pro-Tatar officials have emerged, and this year the Tartars have directly taken control of Korea.

Although the influence exerted by the Tartars was short-lived, the pro-Tatar factions they supported were numerous and the interests involved were too complex.

If he were to start another purge during this chaotic time, there's no guarantee that the pro-Tatar faction wouldn't resort to desperate measures.

You have to know that the Imperial Guards and the Imperial Camp Army were previously controlled by the pro-Tatar faction, and there must be many potential "Tatar-related" personnel. He will not create trouble again on the eve of a great victory.

He was not in a hurry to avenge his humiliation, nor did he have any idea of ​​enforcing the law of the country. Stability was paramount, and preserving the Li family's foundation was his only demand as a king.

Anyone who violates this rule can be abandoned, even children can be thrown away like a rag.

He could have waited for the heavenly soldiers to move into Hanyang to help him stabilize the situation in the eight provinces of Korea, and then it would not be too late to deal with these pro-capital traitors.

At this moment, an official asked to see His Majesty the King.

As soon as the king heard Lee Seung-jae's name, he knew that he was a core member of the pro-Tatar faction.

Doesn't this person know that the pro-lucky faction is like a rat crossing the street that is crying out for death? Why would he dare to ask to see me instead of just running away?

The other party is not afraid of death?

As for how this person brought the request for an audience to the king, the king knew without hesitation that it must have been gold and silver.

Wang even began to wonder what supported Li Chengzao to spend a huge amount of money and ask to see him regardless of his life or death?
"allow!"

At the king's command, Li Chengzao was brought before him. He knelt respectfully and, upon seeing the king, stated bluntly, "I have the audacity to advise you. Your Highness will face great disaster!"

"You risked your life and came to me just to say this nonsense?"

"I am not talking nonsense. Disaster is coming. I cannot bear to see Your Highness suffer this disaster." "Humph. The heavenly soldiers came to the court to help me expel the Tartars, just like the heavenly soldiers expelled the Japanese pirates and rebuilt our Li Dynasty. How can there be a disaster?" The king showed displeasure and waved his hand, signaling the eunuch to drag the man away.

Seeing that his pretense of mystery had backfired, Li Chengzao, whose arm was pulled by the eunuch, quickly stated the main point - the source of the disaster came from the prince's residence.

"Crown Prince?" the king asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Crown Prince, you have summoned the heavenly soldiers to rescue Joseon from its dire straits. How can this be a disaster?"

Li Chengzao raised his head and glanced, taking in the changes in the king's expression, and immediately began his performance.

He said that the Crown Prince had promised a reward to invite the Heavenly Soldiers to help, which was a well-known fact. However, the Heavenly Soldiers were Ming soldiers after all, and Korea could send them back with a little effort.

But what about the prince?

Since the Crown Prince obtained the military authority authorized by His Highness, his power and prestige have been growing day by day. He is able to compete with His Highness in the court, and countless civil and military officials have gathered around him.

Even though the Crown Prince beat up the Yangban in Pyongyang, causing an uproar among the northern scholars, he was acting in accordance with the national law and was fair in his dealings, and thus gathered a group of volunteer soldiers who were born as civilians and slaves.

At this time, there should be no less than 30,000 Korean soldiers gathered around the prince, right?
The imperial guards, the royal camp, and the capital's regular troops under the personal command of His Majesty the King only number about 10,000 to 20,000 men in total.

What if one day the heavenly soldiers leave and the prince intends to take a step closer? What should His Majesty the King do then? Will he be imprisoned for life as a puppet supreme king?

Li Chengzao's words were like a slap in the face, making the king's eyes go dark.

Although the king was unwilling to believe such "evil words", the beast of power deep in his heart was roaring softly, and he was right.

Why is the relationship between the monarch and the heir always quite awkward? It is because they are afraid that the heir is not good enough to shoulder the responsibility of the country, and they are also afraid that the heir is too good and will marginalize and imprison themselves.

Yang Guang killed his brother and his father, Li Shimin killed his brother and imprisoned his father, and even the vassal kings of the Ming Dynasty rebelled and overthrew the monarch, deposed the monarch and restored the throne, killing people on a large scale.

The founding monarch of Joseon was overthrown by his own son. Even the current Joseon king overthrew his uncle, so how could he not know the dangers of palace coups?

Countless power-hungry people compete for the title of "emperor", and human relationships such as father-son, brother-wife, and husband-wife are not worth mentioning.

Suspicion was like the seed of a demon flower planted in the king's heart. The more the king wanted to forget this topic, the more the monster of power made him think deeply about it.

He came to power through a coup with the support of the yangban, exiled his uncle Gwanghaegun to Ganghwa Island, and then moved him to Jeju Island, moving the other party around like a dog.

Did he also want to be marginalized and imprisoned by his son, living like a pig or dog, eating and drinking until he died?
King Lee Jong looked around. The palace and throne here belonged to him alone. But if the throne was seized by the crown prince, would he still be able to enjoy power freely?
Seeing that the king was in a state of hesitation, with a gloomy and silent expression on his face, Li Chengzao knew that it was time to seize the opportunity and pursue the enemy.

He said that as long as the king required the "pro-Tatar" officials to pay a certain fine, he could pardon the crime of defecting to the Tartars, and these people would definitely be grateful to the king.

The fines collected could also serve as a reward to thank the heavenly soldiers and urge them to return to Liaodong as soon as possible.

By then, the Crown Prince would have a criminal record of "beating up the yangban", and His Majesty the King, with the help of the yangban nobles, would surely be able to successfully deprive the Crown Prince of his military power.

Your Highness will still have the final say in this country, and the Li Dynasty will be able to transition smoothly.

Li Zong thought for a moment and had to admit that Li Chengzao's plan was very good. Things like someone being more powerful than his master are always tricky.

Li Zong felt emotional. In order to ensure a smooth transition of power in the future of the Li Dynasty, he could only temporarily put the Crown Prince in a difficult position and eliminate all the evil and despicable people who might mislead the Crown Prince.

A hundred years later, the prince will definitely understand his good intentions.

However, before giving sweet treats to the pro-capital officials, they had to be warned so that they would know who was the king of this country.

So he ordered the execution of Lee Seung-jao, who proposed the proposal, and all his family members were beheaded as well, in order to intimidate the pro-capital officials.

Later, when people were in turmoil, he sent people to spread rumors that as long as the officials of the pro-capital faction donated a large amount of property, their momentary mistakes could be forgiven, in order to test the thoughts of the scholars.

Seeing that the way to survive appeared, the pro-Tatar faction "voluntarily" took out gold, silver, and grain, saying that the country was under invasion by the Tartars, and they, as ministers, must of course donate generously to share the country's worries.

As a result, the originally empty treasury was quickly filled, and there was money for both entertaining the troops and repairing Seoul.

The pro-Ming faction naturally had complaints about this. How could they defect to the Tartars without being severely punished?

The king quickly promoted these "pro-Ming" people to positions in the name of "merits in saving the country", and then distributed a small amount of money, grain and land donated by the pro-Luo faction as rewards, instantly shutting these people up.

In this way, a balance between the two factions was achieved, and he remained the king of North Korea.

The heavenly soldiers will be rewarded, the pro-Ming faction will get high-ranking positions, the pro-Lu faction will not have to worry, and the Li Dynasty will continue to be passed on smoothly.

Everyone had a bright future, except for Lee Seung-jae, who offered suggestions, and some middle and lower-level officials with shallow connections who were arrested.

They were used to appease the discontent of the "clean stream".

Li Chengzao had his tongue cut off and was taken to the execution ground along with the other criminals and beheaded.

He never dreamed that after he risked his life to meet the king and spoke from the heart, and after seeing the king accept his advice, he would become a stepping stone to stabilize the situation.
Li Chengzao secretly sighed that he had a short-sighted vision and had bet everything on the wrong person. If he had gone to the prince's residence and seized the old king's position, would he have been able to survive?
Or, while the Tartars were fleeing, they could rush to the coastal ports, buy ships and go out to sea. Whether they went to Ming Dynasty or Japan, there would always be a way to survive.

It’s a pity that one misstep led to eternal regret and his entire family was ruined.

As the executioner's sword fell, Li Chengzao and others were beheaded in an instant, and the splattering blood indicated that the Li Dynasty was safe and stable.

Soon after, the victorious heavenly soldiers entered Hanyang.

In the queue, the prince was wearing a scarlet robe and raised his right hand to wave to the people and merchants along the way.

The people who escaped from the Tartars regarded the prince and the heavenly soldiers as their saviors, and shouted "Long live the prince" from the bottom of their hearts. Some people were even so excited that they shouted "Long live the prince" and violated the etiquette. At that moment, many people echoed and shouted "Long live the prince".

This is a treatment that even the King of Korea could not enjoy, but the Crown Prince enjoyed it.

The king standing on the tower looked at the army approaching, and the loud shouts of "Long live the army" sounded particularly harsh to him.

Who is the king of this country?

(End of this chapter)