Henan, Kaifeng Prefecture, north of Zhengzhou City.
Thousands of Zhenglan Banner cavalry were driving over along the official road in a mighty manner at this time.
These cavalrymen are all Baya La soldiers of the Zhenglan Banner. They are guarding their master like stars over the moon. The prince, the banner leader of the Zhenglan Banner, and the assistant prince Dudo of Yu, are heading towards the north gate of Zhengzhou City.
Next to Duduo, there was also a Ming Dynasty official wearing a red robe. He was none other than Ming Dynasty and his personal envoy, Zu Kefa, the four ministers who are famous in history.
Zukefa did not leave Beijing when the war between the Ming and Qing Dynasties officially started - Zhu Cixiang had no intention of breaking up his engagement with Dongguo Princess, so he could not leave.
As a result... he was detained by the Qing court and went with Duduo to Henan to meet Dorgon.
"Your Majesty, this, this Emperor Ama, he won't ask me to surrender, will he?" This time Zukefa was really scared. Seeing that he was about to meet Dorgon, he couldn't help but ask for information... ...It’s good to be mentally prepared!
"No, no, don't worry." Duduo smiled, "My fourteenth brother is full and wants you, the fourth minister... Oh, if you surrender one more time, you will be the fifth minister. What's the point? You can be the fifth minister, but you can't be the sixth minister in the future?"
"No, no, no, how could I be the sixth minister..." Zukefa was worried - if he didn't want him to surrender, why would he be captured in Zhengzhou?
"I guess," Duduo thought seriously, "Old Fourteen will kill you to sacrifice the flag this time!"
"Kill, kill... me?" Zukfa's whole body started to tremble, and tears came to his eyes.
"Don't be afraid!" Duduo looked at his hopeless look and became angry, "It's just beheading, what are you afraid of?"
"Aren't you afraid of beheading?" Zukofa cried, "Your Majesty, save me..."
Duduo spread his hands: "How to save me? Do you think you should kill me?"
Why should he be killed? Zukofa shook his head.
"You are already a minister!" Duduo said, "How dare you still live?"
"I'm sorry, I'm embarrassed to live. In troubled times, I have no shame in the four ministers..."
Duduo waved his hand, "Don't say it anymore, don't say it anymore...it's better to reflect on it!"
"Wow wow wow..." Zukofa reflected so much that he cried.
Weeping and crying, we arrived at the lobby of Dorgon's residence. Dorgon was writing a letter with his head down when he heard someone crying. He looked up and saw his brother Duduo coming with Zukfa, who was being held up by two white-armored soldiers. The person crying was Zukfa... He was crying so sadly! Could it be that Zu Dashou died?
"What's going on?" Dorgon asked, "Is Zu Dashou dead?"
"No," Duduo replied with a smile, "Zu Dashou is doing well! It's just that Zuk Kefa is not doing well. He has been reflecting on it all the way, feeling that he has become a minister, sorry for the ancestors of their ancestral family, and has no shame in living. "
"How come the Fourth Minister has no face to see people?" Dorgon was confused, "Isn't his father Zu Dashou also the Fourth Minister? Doesn't he see people every day?"
Duduo sighed: "Isn't it true that Zukefa can't even become a minister?"
"Can't you take it? Then what should you take it for?"
Duduo smiled: "Either you become the fifth minister, or you should behead your head and sacrifice it to the flag..."
"Nonsense!" Dorgon smiled, "Old Shififteen, did you scare Zu Kefa? He is timid and cannot be frightened. The two countries are at war and they haven't killed the envoy! Besides, he is also the envoy of the marriage. It would be unlucky to kill him. ?”
When Zukefa heard this, he immediately stopped crying and knelt down to Dorgon with a plop, "Thank you, Emperor Ama, for not killing. Thank you, Emperor Ama, for not killing..."
Duduo on the side made a salute: "My brother has met the regent."
Nowadays, almost all officials of the Qing Dynasty call Dorgon Huang Ama, except Duduo. However, Dorgon didn't care about him and asked him and Zukefa to stand up, and gave them a seat.
"Brother Fourteen, why did you call me here?" Duduo didn't shy away from Zu Kefa and asked after sitting down.
"I just want you to bring Zukfa." Dorgon's answer surprised Dodo.
"What? For Zukefa?" Duduo was stunned.
Dorgon ignored him, but smiled and said to Zukefa: "Zuhe's personal envoy, look at...this matter has caused such a fuss that even though they are already getting married, they are actually doing it for ten people in Datong City. Tens of thousands of people are fighting again. Once the North and the South come to war, there will be more than a million casualties! It’s not worth it!”
"Yes, yes..." Zukefa nodded repeatedly, "What Huang Ama said is absolutely true. I will go back and tell the Ming Emperor."
What else will you say when you go back? Zuk Kefa said it well, but he thought in his heart: When I go back, I will hang out with that kid Wu Guoyong, and then lead the troops and make meritorious deeds! I am very familiar with the situation in the north. I know myself and my enemy! What's wrong with Si Chen? The four ministers can also be regarded as nobles for their meritorious service, and I am still a relative of the emperor... The queen is my cousin! From now on, I will also be a marquis or something.
Of course Dorgon didn't see Zu Kefa's thoughts, and he said sincerely: "It is indeed my fault for the massacre of Datong. I will issue a self-incriminating edict when I turn around and admit my mistake to the whole world. Is that okay?" "
"No..." Duduo had already jumped up, "Brother Fourteen, this can't..."
"Old Shififteen, sit down!" Dorgon waved his hand to stop Duduo from talking, and then looked at Zukefa sincerely, "Please go and see Emperor Hongxing... ..I have a personal letter, please take it with you too.”
Is this a request for peace? Zukefa was a little surprised. The Qing Dynasty was not that weak, right? There wasn't even a big fight, so why did you give in first?
"Okay," Zukofa responded repeatedly, "I will definitely go and tell him, and I will definitely be persuaded to call on the emperor to call for a truce."
"This is best." Dorgon put the written letter into an envelope, and then asked someone to hand it to Zukefa, and then asked someone to send Zukefa to rest.
However, Duduo did not leave. As soon as Zukefa walked away, he asked, "Brother Fourteen, what are you thinking about?"
Dorgon rolled his eyelids and glared at Duduo: "Old Shififteen, don't you know what playing hard to get means?"
"Play hard to get? Brother Fourteen, what do you mean..."
Dorgon frowned: "The population of the Ming Dynasty is ten times that of mine, the soldiers and horses are three to four times that of mine, and they are quite elite, and the financial resources are several times or even ten times that of mine. Moreover, it has the convenience of sea routes, so it can be introduced Western firearms and warfare are no longer what they used to be when Chongzhen was in power.
Therefore, in this battle, I will win quickly and win the battle as soon as possible. We must not resist for a long time and end up in a situation of consumption.
But what a shrewd king Zhu Cihong was? How come you don’t know that he is good for the long term, but I am good for the fast? "
"Is that why Fourteenth Brother wants to play hard to get?" Duduo understood a little bit, "Then what else does Fourteenth Brother want to give when he calls me over?"
Dorgon said: "I asked you to entrust me with a heavy responsibility... I plan to let you lead the Dingguo general to garrison in Shengjing."
"Going to Shengjing?" Duduo frowned, "Liaodong and Liaoxi are not easy to fight."
"That's why I want you to go!" Dorgon said, "Old Fifteen, I don't have any extra troops to give you, but you have to maintain the situation outside the customs... Those who have already landed in Jinzhou The Ming army does not need to be driven away, but Xiaoheishan must be controlled. If they come ashore elsewhere, you must find a way to maintain it. Do you understand?"
Now the Qing Dynasty has a total of 80 Niu Lu outside the customs, 40 of which are Niu Lu under the Zhenglv Banner, and can dispatch up to 20,000 people. There are 40 Niu Lu from the Eight Banners, which is almost ten thousand people.
Considering that the total number of troops that the Qing Dynasty can mobilize is only 170,000 to 80,000, and it still has to deal with pressures from several aspects, Dorgon really cannot send out enough troops to reinforce outside the pass.
Duduo nodded: "I understand... The land outside Guan is rich and sparsely populated, and the climate is harsh. Nikans like them are just making noise on the beach and cannot go to the hinterland. It is not difficult to maintain the situation."
Dorgon said: "Just maintaining is not enough. We have to attract part of Nanming's troops and make them think that we are going to have a decisive battle in Liaodong and Western Liaoning... But at the same time, we have to avoid a real decisive battle! Can you do it? ?”
Duduo thought for a while, "Let's try it!"
Dorgon said: "It's not just a try, it's a must! Otherwise our country, Qing Dynasty, will be defeated by us!"
