The Ping Liao army needed an imperial decree to enter Korea, and also needed an imperial decree to leave Korea.
While waiting for the imperial court's order, the various units of the Ping Liao army began to compile information on surrendered soldiers, generals and prisoners.
After summarizing, the contents were sent to Huang Degong.
He had limited literacy, so Li Dingguo read to him.
"According to the surrendered generals, Geng Zhongming was ordered to be executed by Dorgon, Shang Kexi, Wu Sangui and Li Chengdong fled to Dongfan by boat. Bolhui was captured, Suksaha voluntarily surrendered and helped us capture Fan Wencheng..."
After Li Dingguo finished reading all the content, Huang Degong asked: "Where is Hong Chengchou? Is there any information about his whereabouts?"
Li Dingguo flipped through the book in his hand and explained, "According to Suksaha, Hong Chengchou left Haizhou Port with Dorgon. But when we surrounded Dorgon, we did not find any trace of Hong Chengchou."
Huang Degong slapped his thigh and asked: "Did you find Hong Chengchou's body when you were cleaning up the battlefield after the war?"
Li Dingguo shook his head: "My people didn't find it."
Huang Degong immediately found Li Xianzhong and asked the same question.
Li Xianzhong also shook his head to indicate that he had not found Hong Chengchou either.
"Where did Hong Chengchou go?" Huang Degong was very puzzled: "He couldn't have disappeared out of thin air, right?"
Li Dingguo and Li Xianzhong were also confused.
In order to find out the whereabouts of Hong Chengchou, they questioned all the soldiers, generals and prisoners who surrendered that day.
The final analysis concluded that Hong Chengchou must have taken the opportunity to slip away during Dorgon's escape.
The exact location is uncertain, but it is roughly between Kaesong and Pyeongjegwan.
Li Xianzhong asked: "What should we do?"
Huang Degong hesitated: "Let me think about it."
He originally wanted to send people to search for Hong Chengchou.
But the problem is that it would be good if we found it, and we could explain it to our superiors and subordinates.
If they can't find it, not only will it waste manpower, material resources and financial resources, but the soldiers will also complain.
It will be difficult to explain to both your superiors and subordinates at that time.
But if he didn't search for him, he would not be able to explain when the court questioned him.
After all, Hong Chengchou was once the governor of Ji and Liao in the Ming Dynasty. Later, he surrendered to the Jiannu and gave them advice.
He was a wanted criminal chosen by Chongzhen.
If the news that Hong Chengchou is missing or dead is reported.
Chongzhen might not do anything to him, but he must be very dissatisfied.
As a general from the Beijing Camp, Huang Degong did not want to disappoint Chongzhen.
Li Dingguo suggested: "Sir, while we are waiting for the imperial edict, we have nothing to do anyway. Why not send a large number of scouts to search for Hong Chengchou?"
Huang Degong worriedly said, "If we can't find Hong Chengchou, I'm afraid we will have to bear the wasted materials ourselves."
"Hehe." Li Dingguo laughed sinisterly: "No."
"Oh?" Huang Degong raised his head: "What do you mean?"
Li Dingguo explained: "We sent troops to Korea in the name of destroying the Jiannu, but Korea did not express support. As everyone knows, not supporting is opposing, so your majesty and the court will definitely ask Korea to give an explanation."
Li Xianzhong didn't understand and asked, "What do you want to confess? Admit your mistakes?"
"You must admit your mistakes, and as punishment you should also bear the military expenses of the Liao army!"
“What if the court does not let North Korea take responsibility?”
Huang Degong analyzed: "Don't worry, it won't happen. The prince's army has already reached Shandong. The court is short of money and food, and will not let go of a penny."
Mentioned the king's loyalty.
Li Dingguo and Li Xianzhong looked at each other, and then their eyes fell on Huang Degong.
Li Xianzhong was the first to ask: "Sir Huang, is the Crown Prince's loyalty to the King true or false?"
The news that the prince was coming to the king's defense had already reached their ears.
Since the extermination of the Jiannu was imminent, and there were no corresponding imperial edicts or imperial decrees.
So they continued to stay in North Korea and did not get involved in this matter.
Now that the Jiannu have been destroyed, they will return to the interior of the country soon.
At that time, you always have to choose to help one side.
They didn't know whether to help the prince or the court.
Huang Degong thought for a moment and said, "It's hard to say."
Li Xianzhong continued to ask: "Now that the Jiannu have been destroyed, the court will soon transfer us to the pass. When the time comes, should we obey the court's order and go south to quell the rebellion, or obey the prince's order and go to the capital to defend the king?"
Huang Degong asked in return: "The Beijing Camp has 40,000 to 50,000 elite troops, and the Governor Liu Wenyao is your Majesty's cousin. Do you think your Majesty needs to be supported?"
Li Xianzhong shook his head: "If that's the case, then Your Majesty really doesn't need to come to the king's defense."
"No," Huang Degong also shook his head. "Whether His Majesty needs to be supported by the king cannot be believed by anyone else. Only His Majesty can say it himself. After we return to the interior, we must go to the capital to see His Majesty according to the rules. When we see His Majesty, we will know the answer by asking him."
"Yes, yes, yes," Li Xianzhong and Li Dingguo nodded at the same time.
The three of them discussed for a while and then sent troops to look for Hong Chengchou.
Kaesong and Pyeongyang are about sixty or seventy miles apart.
This area may seem small, but Hong Chengchou has both legs and a strong horse.
If he ran fast enough, he would have run a hundred miles away by now.
In order to find Hong Chengchou as soon as possible, Huang Degong issued a reward: anyone who captures Hong Chengchou will be rewarded with one thousand taels of silver.
Countless Ming cavalrymen left the barracks and galloped away carrying Hong Chengchou's portrait.
Considering that Hong Chengchou did not carry much food, the Ming army began to focus on searching places where people had appeared, especially villages along the way.
They first found a large number of Korean locals, pointed to Hong Chengchou's portrait and told them: "This is a remnant of the Jiannu. If you catch him, you will get a reward of 500 taels of silver."
These Koreans took Hong Chengchou's portrait to a nearby village and told the local village chief: "This is a wanted criminal for whom the Ming court is offering a reward. If you catch him, you will get a reward of 100 taels of silver!"
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