August 18th.
Dorgon led his defeated troops and fled back to Shengjing.
Upon hearing that Dorgon had been defeated, Man Dahai was somewhat surprised but not too surprised.
Because losing battles was already a common occurrence for the Qing Dynasty.
Inside the Phoenix Tower, Fulin's face was as pale as paper.
He already knew that Dorgon had been defeated near Zhen'an Fort and that the Ming army would soon arrive at the city of Shengjing.
The Hun River south of Shengjing City seemed to be a natural barrier that could block the Ming army's attack.
but......
Winter is about to come in Liaodong.
After winter comes, the entire Hunhe River and even Liaoze will be frozen.
The so-called natural barriers will no longer exist.
At that time, the Ming army's infantry, artillery and cavalry could easily cross the river from anywhere and arrive at the city of Shengjing.
They couldn't defeat the Ming army in a field battle, let alone in a city defense battle.
In other words...the Qing Dynasty is going to perish!
As the emperor of the Qing Dynasty, he could no longer believe the scene after the country's fall.
"Mother," Fulin asked Bumbutai, "Dorgon has lost the battle, what do you plan to do with him?"
"Ah!" Bumbutai sighed and asked Fulin: "Your Majesty, do we have any choice?"
"Why don't we have a choice?" Fulin tilted his head. "Emperor Taizu Gao had already established a clear rule of rewards and punishments. Now that he has been defeated, he should be punished."
"Then how does the emperor plan to punish him?" asked Bumbutai.
“I haven’t decided yet…”
"Then the emperor can listen to the advice of other ministers."
"Eight out of ten civil and military officials in the court are Dorgon's men. How could they say anything bad about Dorgon?"
"It's good that Your Majesty understands! The most urgent task is not to punish us, but to win a battle or... find a way to stop the Ming army's offensive." Bumbutai sighed again.
"Alas," Fulin sighed and raised his head and said, "Mother, Dorgon sent someone to deliver a message saying that the capital might be moved, and asked me to prepare in advance. Man Dahai mentioned moving the capital before, but it didn't happen because the Ming army retreated."
"Now Dorgon has proposed moving the capital again. What do you think, mother?"
(Erchen is the abbreviation of Erdichen, and there are corresponding records in the memorials of the Qing Dynasty.)
"Your Majesty, please don't think too much about it," Bumbutai sighed again, "We don't have the final say on whether to move the capital, let them decide."
"They?" Fulin didn't respond and asked in a low voice, "Who are they?"
"Those who will participate in the court meeting later!" Bumbutai answered with his head down.
She knew clearly that she and her son could no longer control their own destiny.
Everything that happened in the court next.
They, mother and son, only have the right to participate and the right to know, but not the power to change.
The court meeting will begin soon.
Under the gaze of everyone including Fulin, Dorgon was the first to kneel down and said, "Your Majesty, I am guilty."
"What crime have I committed?" Fulin asked like a puppet.
Dorgon knelt down and kowtowed: "I lost the battle, not only did I lose soldiers and generals, but I also put the emperor in danger. I am guilty, and I will let the emperor punish me!"
Fulin said nothing and looked at the others.
No one in the court said a word.
say what?
Deal with Dorgon?
Dorgon did lose the battle, but he still maintained control over the court.
Anyone who dares to speak of punishing Dorgon will be punished by Dorgon.
Others dare not say it, but Hauge dares.
Although he regained control of the Zhenglan Banner and returned to the court with the help of Dorgon.
But he was not grateful to Dorgon.
On the contrary, he was always thinking about taking back power from Dorgon.
"Your Majesty," Haoge bowed his head and said, "Emperor Taizu Gao had already established a clear rule of rewards and punishments. Now that Prince Rui Dorgon has lost the battle, he should be punished according to the rules. This includes but is not limited to being stripped of his princely title, abolishing his position as flag lord, and confiscating his property, etc."
Fulin said nothing and looked at Man Dahai.
The Qing Dynasty now has three princes who hold great power.
They are Prince Rui Dorgon, Prince Su Haoge, and Prince Li Mandahai.
If Man Dahai chose to stand on Hauge's side, it would be a fatal blow to Dorgon.
Unexpectedly.
Man Dahai neither sided with Dorgon nor supported Hauge's views.
Instead, he said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, the Ming army will soon reach the south bank of the Hun River, and even the city of Shengjing. I think the most urgent task is to stop the Ming army's attack, or discuss whether to move the capital."
"Instead of discussing the crime, questioning the crime, and convicting the criminal!"
After hearing this, Fulin and Haoge were both shocked and understood what Man Dahai was thinking.
It’s not that Man Dahai didn’t want to convict Dorgon, he just felt that now was not the right time.
Now that things have come to this, there is no need for Fulin to continue talking nonsense.
He nodded and said, "Prince Li's words make sense, so let's discuss this matter quickly!"
There's actually nothing to discuss.
After fighting for several years, they had a deep understanding of the strength and tactics of the Ming army.
Seeing that no one was talking, Fulin asked Dorgon directly: "Prince Rui, you are the Dingyuan General of the Qing Dynasty, in charge of all the troops of the Qing Dynasty. Tell me the truth, is there any way to stop the Ming army's attack?"
"The Ming army has many soldiers and generals, powerful firearms, and sufficient food and grass. I have tried, but I cannot stop them." Dorgon answered honestly.
"Since we can't stop them, let's move the capital! Hetuala is the birthplace of the Qing Dynasty, so there's nothing wrong with moving there." Fulin stood up and was about to walk towards the Phoenix Tower.
Whether you leave early or late, you will have to leave sooner or later.
Instead of wasting time here, it’s better to go back and pack your luggage early.
"Your Majesty, please stay. I have something to say." Dorgon knelt on the ground and spoke to stop him.
"Go ahead, I'm listening." Fulin said without turning his head.
"I want to evacuate Shengjing within two days. What do you think, Your Majesty?"
"Two days? Isn't that too short?" Fulin was a little surprised.
He originally wanted to leave within three days, but he didn't expect Dorgon to arrive earlier than he expected.
"I am doing this for a big cause," Dorgon explained.
"What's the big deal?"
"There are so many people here that I cannot speak directly. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
"Okay, okay," Fulin said impatiently, "Everyone go back and pack your luggage, pack it up as soon as possible, and leave Shengjing as soon as possible."
After the others left, Dorgon came forward to explain: "The reason why I am in a hurry to move the capital is that I intend to give the credit for conquering Shengjing to Wu Sangui."
"Give it to Wu Sangui?"
"Yes," Dorgon nodded seriously, "He has betrayed the Ming army time and again and has become a loyal ally of the Qing Dynasty. The greater his merits and the higher his official position, the greater his role in the Qing Dynasty!"
"After moving the capital, I will set up a defense line in the Sarhu area and wait for the Ming army to attack. With Wu Sangui here, our army will surely win the Battle of Sarhu!"
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