Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 587 Contact (Part 7)

"...After the rebel Zhang Xianzhong captured Wuchang, his power grew stronger. On June 12, the rebels broke through the provincial capital. Lieutenant General Cui Wenrong and Chief Secretary of the Chu Prefecture Xu Xueyan died for their country. Former Grand Secretary He Fengsheng and his family died for their country at Dunzi Lake. The King of Chu also perished."

"...However, the thief actually usurped the title of 'King of the West,' established false officials, and implemented the imperial examination system, becoming increasingly rampant."

"On the second day of the eighth month, the rebels advanced by land and water, capturing Xianning and Puqi in succession, and Yuezhou was lost."

"On the nineteenth day of the eighth month, Changsha fell. The censor Liu Xizuo, the governor Li Qiande, the general Kong Xigui, and the two princes Hui and Ji fled south to Hengzhou."

“The bandit cavalry pursued them closely, and on the 24th of August, Hengzhou fell again. The three vassal states hurriedly moved to Yongzhou.”

"However, the rebels spread like wildfire. On August 28th, Yongzhou fell. The imperial inspector Liu Xizu fought bravely and died for his country, his blood staining the imperial steps."

"The bandits then plundered Baoqing and Changde, and the counties of Hunan and Hubei were utterly defeated. Only the garrison commanders of Chenzhou and Daozhou held their positions firmly and did their utmost to ensure their safety."

"The rebels invaded Jiangxi from the east. On the second day of the ninth month, they broke through Ji'an, captured Yuanzhou on the fourth, and took Jianchang on the sixth. Their scouts had already spotted Nanxiong and Shaoguan."

"On the second day of the tenth month, the Emperor issued an edict to Hong Chengchou, Minister of War and concurrently Governor-General of the Expeditionary Forces. He was ordered to lead the expedition and entrusted with the responsibility of defending the frontier. However, he failed to exert his full strength on the battlefield, resulting in the fall of important cities such as Xiangfan and Wuchang to the enemy. Officials from the Censorate and the Imperial Secretariat submitted memorials impeaching him for mismanagement, which led to the loss of troops and disgrace to the country. He was immediately dismissed from all his posts and sent back to the capital for investigation by the Ministry of Justice."

"..."

On November 25, 1643, in the Xinhua Guild Hall in Jinzhou, Zhong Minghui, the Xinhua's chief representative to the Ming Dynasty and commissioner of the Liaohai Colonization Area, finished reading the official gazette and couldn't help but sigh deeply, "I'm afraid the Ming Dynasty is truly beyond saving!"

Two years ago, although the most elite garrisons of the Ming Dynasty in Liaodong suffered considerable losses, their main force was not lost, and they were still able to barely control the situation in Liaodong, holding back the Qing invaders, who were also severely weakened, at the Ningjin line.

However, as the scale and scope of the peasant uprisings within the Great Wall grew, Emperor Chongzhen had no choice but to order Hong Chengchou to dispatch tens of thousands of elite troops from Liaodong to the Great Wall to suppress the rebels and pacify the local situation.

In December of the fourteenth year of Chongzhen (1641), Hong Chengchou set out from Baoding, launched a rapid attack over several hundred miles, and suddenly crossed the Yellow River, defeating Li Zicheng's troops who were besieging Kaifeng in one fell swoop, capturing and killing more than 30,000.

Subsequently, Hong Chengchou ordered Cao Bianjiao, the general of Yutian, to lead 4,000 elite cavalry in pursuit. On the 29th, they defeated the rebel army again in Xinzheng, beheading 6,000 and accepting the surrender of more than 10,000.

Li Zicheng's remaining forces fled to Nanyang, with only a few thousand surviving.

On February 16th of the fifteenth year of the Chongzhen reign, Hong Chengchou's troops inflicted a major defeat on the militia of Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai in Tongcheng, capturing and killing more than 20,000 people and taking more than 70,000 refugees with them. Zhang and Luo escaped into the mountains with only a few hundred cavalry.

In a short time, the large group of militias that had been causing a ruckus in the Central Plains was quickly suppressed, and the situation in Henan, Anhui, Hubei and other places gradually calmed down.

However, disasters continued to occur in various parts of the Ming Dynasty, and the local governments failed to provide adequate relief, resulting in a large number of refugees, numbering in the millions, especially in the three provinces of Shanxi, Shaanxi and Henan.

More than ten groups of displaced people, including Ma Shouying, Ge Liyan (He Yilong), Zuo Jinwang (He Jin), and Liu Xiyao, under pressure from Hong Chengchou's military actions, successively fled into Shaanxi, seized cities and prefectures, and wreaked havoc on more than ten prefectures and counties in eastern and northern Shaanxi.

As a result, Hong Chengchou, whose influence was growing, was soon appointed Minister of War and Governor-General of Five Provinces to lead troops to Shaanxi to suppress the bandits.

Unexpectedly, only three months after Hong Chengchou left Henan and entered Shaanxi, the situation in the Central Plains took a sharp turn for the worse.

Li Zicheng regrouped his forces after emerging from the mountains of Nanyang. Taking advantage of the severe drought in Henan and the widespread famine, he raised the banner of "Welcome the King of Chuang, no more taxes."

The starving people, supporting the old and carrying the young, gathered a crowd of 100,000 within ten months and successively captured Lushan, Baofeng, and Jiaxian.

Li Maochun, the garrison commander of Ruzhou, opened the city gates to surrender, thus opening the gateway to Luoyang.

Meanwhile, Zhang Xianzhong, like an unkillable cockroach, rose again in Huguang.

Although Wuchang was lost, they fought in Jingzhou and Xiangyang, and successively captured Anlu and Suizhou.

The destruction of Xianling Mausoleum in Chengtian Prefecture shocked the court and the public.

Luo Rucai was active in the border area between Henan and Hubei, forming a strategic alliance with Zhang Xianzhong, leaving the government troops unable to attend to both sides.

Even more worrying is that Yuan Shizhong, who had been recruited, rebelled again in Yongcheng, and the "Five Revolutionary Camps of the Left" were roaming around Shanxi and Shaanxi. Small groups of bandits in various places were reignited like wildfire.

On the eighth day of the fourth month, Ma Jinzhong, known as "Hun Shi Wan," captured Dengzhou.

On April 15th, the "Guotianxing" general of Huideng was captured in Zhejiang and Sichuan.

On the second day of the fifth lunar month, Sun Xueli, known as "Yidou Valley," plundered Neixiang...

The situation on the Shaanxi battlefield was equally dire. Although Hong Chengchou had inflicted a major defeat on the forces of Ma Shouying and He Jin in Weinan, Liu Xiyao and Ge Liyan seized the opportunity to penetrate deep into Guanzhong, capturing Chengcheng, Baishui, and Yijun in succession, with their forces pointing directly at Yan'an.

Lian Yangcheng launched a surprise attack on the rear of Tongguan, cutting off the government troops' supply lines.

The court was at a loss, and the cabinet ministers who advocated "pacifying the country before resisting foreign aggression" and the Ministry of War officials who insisted that "the Jurchens are a major threat" argued endlessly in the court.

Although Emperor Chongzhen summoned the emperor overnight, he found it difficult to make a decision.

To make matters worse, the government troops sent to suppress the bandits in various places were already exhausted from their repeated campaigns.

Moreover, the army was in arrears with pay for more than six months, and the number of soldiers deserting was increasing, with a considerable number even defecting to the enemy.

Zuo Liangyu's troops mutinied in Xinyang while demanding payment and looting merchants and civilians, while He Renlong's troops remained stationary in Shangluo, demanding grain and supplies.

Local government was in complete chaos, with some county and prefectural officials fleeing at the first sign of trouble, while others secretly colluded with bandits.

In his memorial to the throne, Su Jing, the Imperial Censor in Henan, lamented: "Nowadays, prefectures and counties either flee at the mere sight of the enemy or open their gates to welcome the invaders. Of those capable of defending the city, less than one in ten survives."

At the same time, Zhang Xianzhong captured Xiangyang, and Prince Zhu Yiming of Xiang was killed. Upon hearing the news, Yang Sichang vomited blood and died.

"Now, this great Ming dynasty is like a house on the verge of collapse; no single pillar can hold it up. Even if Hong Hengjiu possesses extraordinary talent, how can he extinguish this raging fire?"

"General, there is an envoy outside who wants to see you." Just as Zhong Minghui was sighing, Zhang Yougong, the person in charge of trade affairs in the Liaohai Colonization Special Zone, walked in with a strange expression.

"Which side's envoy?" Zhong Minghui asked without looking up as he tidied up the scattered official reports into a sandalwood box.

"Reporting to the Commander, it is...it is an envoy from the Qing barbarians," Zhang Yougong replied in a low voice.

"Hmm?" Upon hearing this, Zhong Minghui paused in his actions and turned to look at them. "Qing envoys? Ha, how did they find their way here?"

"It was brought from Gaizhou."

“Oh…” Zhong Minghui pondered for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face. “Since the Qing barbarians have come to our door, let’s meet them… and hear what they have to say.”

"Shall I bring them in now?"

“Yes, bring him in,” Zhong Minghui nodded.

The leader was about fifty years old, with a thin face and a neatly trimmed short beard. Although he was wearing a Han Chinese robe, the lining of a sable coat was faintly visible at the edge of the sleeves. A bright green Manchu-style jade pendant hung at his waist, and his shaved scalp was faintly visible under the warm hat on his head.

He was dressed in the typical attire of a Han Chinese official in the Qing Dynasty!

Behind him followed a burly military officer, also of Han Chinese appearance, with sharp eyes and a steady gait. He carried an empty scabbard at his waist and secretly sized up Zhong Minghui, who was sitting opposite him, after entering.

The envoy, who appeared to be a civil official, stepped forward, bowed slightly according to Han etiquette, and said in a voice that was neither humble nor arrogant: "Chen Jian, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy of the Great Qing Dynasty, has come to pay a special visit to Mr. Zhong, the chief representative of Xinhua, by order of the Regent."

He turned to his companion and said, "This is Sun Dingliao, the Deputy Commander of the Bordered Red Banner of the Han Army of the Eight Banners of the Qing Dynasty."

Sun Dingliao merely clasped his hands in a salute, but his gaze quickly swept over the furnishings of the study, lingering for a moment on the exquisite clock in the corner and the huge map of the world hanging on the wall.

Zhong Minghui did not stand up, but simply raised his hand to gesture "please sit down" and said indifferently, "You two have come from afar, no need for formalities. Please sit down."

He looked at the two "traitors" with a complicated expression, trying to figure out the Qing court's intentions in sending envoys.

After the maid served hot tea, there was a brief silence in the study.

Chen Jian coughed lightly, breaking the silence first: "Mr. Zhong, I have come here on the orders of the Regent of the Great Qing Dynasty, to discuss important matters with you, seeking to mend relations between our two countries, cease hostilities, and jointly pursue development." Zhong Minghui picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger: "Oh? Mend relations? It seems that Xinhua and your Great Qing have no past friendship. In recent years, on the contrary, there have been constant conflicts and frictions in Korea, Liaonan, and Dongjiang. Where is the talk of mending relations?"

Chen Jian put on a sincere smile: "Mr. Zhong is wise. The past frictions were all misunderstandings. I, the Regent, am wise and insightful, and I know that your country is a powerful overseas nation with extraordinary strength."

"Our Great Qing and Xinhua have no past grievances or recent enmity, and there is no fundamental conflict of interest. The previous armed conflict was all due to your country being misled by the Ming court and giving it its support."

"The Ming Dynasty's fate is sealed, beset by internal and external troubles, with war raging everywhere. I'm sure Mr. Zhong is more aware of this than I am. Our Great Qing is willing to set aside past grievances and forge an eternal alliance with your side to jointly conquer the Central Plains."

He paused, and seeing that Zhong Minghui was just listening quietly, he continued to put forward his conditions: "The Regent said that all the terms that the Ming court promised to your side in the past, whether they involve trade, stationing, or even land, our Great Qing can agree to them all, and on this basis, we can add a few more generous benefits!"

These words even slightly moved Zhang Yougong, who was standing to the side.

Zhong Minghui merely raised an eyebrow, signaling him to continue.

Seeing that the other party seemed interested, Chen Jian perked up and raised his voice a few decibels: "I have heard that your country has sharp firearms and excellent armor. My Great Qing is willing to purchase a large quantity of your cannons, muskets, and various military supplies and armor at a price that is 20% to 30% higher than the market price in the Ming court. Uh, this is a long-term transaction, not a one-off deal."

Then, he offered an even more tempting offer: "Furthermore, I, the Regent, am aware that your country is vast but sparsely populated and in dire need of manpower. My Great Qing can provide your country with manpower free of charge to help your country expand."

"As for the quantity, 30,000 or 50,000 is no problem, and even 100,000 is negotiable. As for the source, Mr. Zhong need not worry. Our Eight Banners troops have broken through the pass and will bring enough people to your country, men, women, and children, for you to choose from."

"The Great Qing will purchase all the grain, cloth, medicine, and even various ingenious items that your country brings at the most favorable prices, without any delays. If your country agrees, you will cease supporting the Ming court and stop all hostile actions against our Great Qing. The Regent promises that our Great Qing will grant you all the benefits that your country has not previously obtained from the Ming court!"

"Hmm." Zhong Minghui nodded slightly, neither confirming nor denying.

Seeing this, Chen Jian continued, "Mr. Zhong, our Great Qing and your esteemed nation are truly a match made in heaven. The Ming Dynasty is rigid and corrupt, incurring the wrath of both heaven and man, and is already a withered tree that cannot stand. On the other hand, our Great Qing is rising like the sun, full of ambition and determination. Why would your esteemed nation want to pull chestnuts out of the fire for the dying Ming Dynasty?"

"If your esteemed nation is willing to lend a helping hand to my Great Qing, let alone some wealth and people, even the Liaodong Peninsula, and even the future Central Plains, my Great Qing will grant you whatever you desire, ceding it to you..."

As he spoke, he looked quietly at Zhong Minghui, waiting for his response.

After listening, Zhong Minghui slowly put down his teacup, a mysterious smile appearing on his face.

He leaned forward slightly, looking at Chen Jian with a peculiar questioning tone: "Chen Jian, is that right? I wonder what position you held in the Ming Dynasty before?"

"Hmm?..." Chen Jian paused for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "I once served as the Vice Commissioner of the Shenyang Military Commission, and was in charge of patrolling the Liaohai Dongning Circuit, and concurrently managing the grain and provisions."

He paused, his voice slightly lower: "In the first year of the Tianqi reign, Shenyang fell, and I... had no choice but to abandon the darkness and embrace the light, joining the masses in surrendering to the Great Qing."

A faint smile appeared on Zhong Minghui's lips: "Oh? The Vice Commissioner of the Shenyang Military Circuit, a fifth-rank civil official, in charge of military affairs and provisions for his region, responsible for defending the territory. I wonder how Mr. Chen was 'forced' to do so back then?"

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Chen Jian's face, but he quickly regained his composure: "Mr. Zhong, you are wise. Back then, Shenyang was an isolated city, without reinforcements from the outside or supplies from within. The lives of all the people in the city were at stake. I... I was only trying to save the lives of the city..."

"Preserve lives?" Zhong Minghui shook his head slightly. "But I've heard that on the day Shenyang fell, tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians were killed or wounded, and countless others were taken captive. Mr. Chen's so-called preservation means opening the city to the enemy, and then turning around and serving the enemy?"

Chen Jian's expression changed slightly, but he forced himself to remain calm and said, "Mr. Zhong, you are mistaken. The Ming Dynasty's fate was sealed; the government was corrupt and the emperor incompetent, and the people suffered greatly. Although our Great Qing Dynasty rose from beyond the Great Wall, its governance is clean and the people are harmonious, showing signs of a new beginning. A good bird chooses its tree to perch on, and a wise minister chooses his lord to serve; this is an ancient principle."

"What a fine example of a wise bird choosing its tree!" Zhong Minghui suddenly chuckled. "But I wonder, Mr. Chen, what criteria do you use to choose your 'wise bird'? Is it based on the rank of your official position or the size of your salary? When Shenyang fell, you chose to save your life. If the Ming Dynasty were to rise again and sweep across the land, would Mr. Chen choose another branch and serve the Ming Dynasty?"

Chen Jian blushed deeply at these words and stammered, "Mr. Zhong, these... these are all old matters, why bring them up again? The events in Shenyang back then were complex and cannot be fully explained in a few words. I have come here today on the important mission entrusted by the Regent of the Qing Dynasty, to discuss important matters with your esteemed nation."

He took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and his voice gradually regained its composure: "The Regent is a man of great talent and ambition, well aware of your nation's extraordinary strength. If our two sides can turn hostility into friendship, not only can peace be maintained in Liaonan, but the entire area beyond the Great Wall could also be governed by a demarcated border. As for the previously promised matters such as the procurement of firearms and the transfer of people, the Qing Dynasty will certainly fulfill them one by one, without any falsehood."

"Mr. Zhong is a wise man. The Ming Dynasty is now beset by internal and external troubles, its fate sealed. Rather than supporting a crumbling edifice, why not join forces with the rising Qing Dynasty to achieve great things? I urge you to carefully consider the implications."

"Think it over?" Zhong Minghui smiled. "Speaking of which, your Regent is quite 'generous' indeed. These conditions are very tempting to me."

Upon hearing this, a hint of smugness flashed in Chen Jian's eyes, indicating that things were going to work out.

However, Zhong Minghui's next words caused his expression to change slightly: "However, I have a few questions, and I hope that the 'Grand Scholar' can enlighten me."

"Mr. Zhong, please go ahead."

"Does the population your country promised refer to your Eight Banners troops entering my Central Plains of China to plunder the people of the Ming Dynasty?" Zhong Minghui stared intently into his eyes. "You think that my Han people are like you, uncivilized barbarians who enjoy kidnapping people?"

Chen Jian hadn't expected the other party to make trouble on this matter. He frowned and retorted, "Mr. Zhong, you are mistaken. Those Han people, under the natural disasters and man-made calamities of the Ming Dynasty, might not have been able to survive. Our Great Qing's 'transfer' of them to Liaodong was perhaps their only way to survive. If we were to give them to your country, it would also be giving them a way to live. Besides, isn't your country in dire need of manpower..."

"What a fine way to survive!" Zhong Minghui sneered. "Your country has repeatedly invaded the Ming Dynasty, massacring cities and seizing land, killing countless of my Chinese compatriots. Is this a way to survive? Although Xinhua is located overseas, our roots are in China. We share the same language and culture. How can we sit idly by and watch our compatriots suffer, instead aiding and abetting evil and accepting your conditions?"

Chen Jian hurriedly retorted, "Mr. Zhong's words are perhaps too fixated on blood ties. The world, after a long period of division, will unite; after a long period of unity, will divide. The Ming Dynasty's fate has run its course. Emperor Chongzhen was incompetent, the officialdom was corrupt, and the people were suffering. This is the will of Heaven."

"Our Great Qing has risen in response to the times, and is poised to sweep across the Central Plains and reshape the world. If your esteemed nation can follow the will of Heaven and cooperate with our Great Qing, it would be a wise move. How could it be considered aiding and abetting evil? As for those insignificant commoners, if they can contribute even a little to the great cause of our Great Qing and your esteemed nation, that is their good fortune..."

“Fortune?” Zhong Minghui interrupted him, a fierce glint in his eyes. “What a ‘fortune’! Scholar Chen, you are also a scholar, how can you utter such words? To speak so lightly of the abduction of my compatriots and the disregard for human life is truly an eye-opener for me.”

He stood up, walked to the window, turned his back to Chen Jian, and looked out at the gloomy sky.

“I believe you are willing to give up your population. As long as I, Xinhua, nod my head, you will surely break through the border without hesitation, burn, kill, and loot, and drive tens of thousands of people to the sea like livestock and hand them over to us. I also believe you are willing to cede land. In exchange for support, you are willing to give up not only the Liaodong Peninsula, but even more important places.”

Zhong Minghui turned around abruptly, his eyes sharp as he looked at Chen Jian: "But the question is, does Xinhua need to cooperate with you?"

"Mr. Zhong means..." A hint of disappointment appeared on Chen Jian's face.

“Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together!” Zhong Minghui shook his head and said, “You Qing barbarians treat the Han people like dirt, looting and slaughtering them. This is something that our Xinhua can never tolerate. What’s worse, you want to covet the Central Plains’ treasures and replace the Ming Dynasty. This will lead to endless wars and countless lives lost. This is going against the tide of history.”

"Even if you Qing barbarians can conquer cities and seize territories with your temporary ferocity, do you truly understand how to govern these hundreds of millions of people? Do you understand what civilization and morality are?"

Looking at Chen Jian's ashen face, Zhong Minghui sighed: "Go back and tell Dorgon that the conditions he offered were very tempting and very 'generous'."

"But some things cannot be measured by price. Xinhua will not trade with barbarians, much less act as an accomplice to evil. Today, we are helping the Ming Dynasty not because the Ming Dynasty can be saved, but because Xinhua has its own path to save hundreds of millions of Chinese people from their desperate situation."

Chen Jian's face turned pale. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, but seeing Zhong Minghui's cold and firm expression, and Zhang Yougong's "please" gesture, he swallowed his words.

He took a deep breath, barely maintaining his composure, and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect: "I will certainly report Mr. Zhong's words to the Regent without missing a single one. I hope... that your country will not regret today's decision in the future."

Having said that, he and Sun Dingliao turned and left dejectedly.

Watching their retreating figures disappear through the door, Zhang Yougong couldn't help but whisper, "General, the conditions offered by the Qing are indeed... indeed very attractive. Should we just reject them like this...?"

Zhong Minghui turned around and gave him a cold look: "Yougong, you must remember, some money is stained with blood and cannot be earned. Some paths, once taken, cannot be turned back."

"The foundation of our new nation lies in pioneering and self-strengthening, not in seeking cooperation with a tiger. The Jurchens are cruel and cunning, utterly devoid of integrity. To cooperate with them is tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst."

"Yes, I understand," Zhang Yougong replied hastily, bowing deeply.

“Go and inform Xiao Hu…” Zhong Minghui walked to the charcoal brazier, picked up the fire tongs and poked at the flames, and whispered, “Tie up those two Qing envoys and send them to the Liaonan General’s Office.”

"Huh?" Zhang Yougong looked at him in surprise. "General, in times of war, one should not harm envoys. Our actions are probably..."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Zhong Minghui's face darkened, and he coldly rebuked, "What kind of country are the Qing barbarians? Every one of them has the blood of many Ming people on their hands! Taking them is just the right way to avenge those Ming soldiers and civilians who died unjustly."

"Besides, this isn't the first time we've killed an envoy... Hurry up and get on with it!"

"Yes, Commander!" Zhang Yougong dared not say another word, bowed, and left to accept the order.

The study returned to silence.

Zhong Minghui walked to the Kunyu Map, his gaze sweeping over southern Liaoning, Shenyang, and Ningguta, finally settling on the Heilongjiang and Ussuri River basins.

Amidst the crackling of the charcoal fire, he murmured to himself, "This deadly trap has only just begun..."
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(End of this chapter)