*****
Time flies like an arrow.
On August 18, when Chongzhen was 17 years old, Yang Zhi successfully gave birth to a son in Ganzhou. The whole city of Ganzhou celebrated, and officials from Jiangxi, Huguang and other places wrote to congratulate Qin Mu.
In the capital, since the Qing army entered the pass, Dorgon issued orders to the Ministry of War and former Ming Dynasty officials and civilians respectively, ordering the Ministry of War to send people to various places to recruit and pacify the people, requiring that "officials, soldiers and civilians who surrender should shave their heads, and their clothing should comply with the system of this dynasty."
However, this policy was strongly opposed by the Han people. Few Han officials in the court shaved their heads as ordered. Many officials waited and watched, or even fled south with their hair protected. People in the capital area also often rose up in rebellion.
Dorgon saw that the Manchu rule was not stable yet and knew that he had acted too hastily, so he was forced to announce the withdrawal of his order. He issued an edict in the name of Emperor Shunzhi: "Before, I made no distinction between the people who surrendered, so I ordered them to shave their hair to distinguish between the loyal and the rebellious. Now I hear that this is against the people's wishes and is contrary to my original intention of educating the people and stabilizing their hearts. From now on, all the subjects of the world shall tie their hair as usual, and all shall follow their convenience."
But enclosure movement and apartheid policy did not stop.
Among the Manchus who entered the Pass, about half were stationed in the capital, known as the "Imperial Guards", namely the "Eight Banners of the Forbidden Army". They drove away the residents who originally lived in the inner city of the capital to accommodate the "Imperial Guards". Non-Banner Han people were only allowed to engage in commercial activities in the inner city but were not allowed to reside there permanently.
The rest of the Manchus were stationed in key locations in the occupied areas as the "Eight Garrison Banners", and the prototypes of "Manchu cities" quickly took shape in these cities.
In Nanjing, after Emperor Hongguang issued an imperial decree to summon Ruan Dacheng, he issued another decree in August to restore the East Factory and ordered Feng Kezon, the former commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, to resume his previous detective work.
Yuan Pengnian, the Left Imperial Censor-in-Chief, wrote in a letter: "It is not necessary to set up an investigation, and the order can be immediately reversed."
This time, Emperor Hongguang did not obey him. He was very angry and severely reprimanded Yuan Pengnian for being "rebellious and seeking fame". He demoted him three levels and transferred him out of the capital.
This move not only caused Gao Hongtu and other members of the Donglin Party to rise up in opposition, but even Ma Shiying and Wang Duo and others refused to cooperate, saying in court, "I would rather die than obey your edict."
However, Emperor Hongguang still insisted on setting up the Censorate and Guards. He put himself in opposition to all the ministers in the court. He had no foundation at all, and the country was facing the crisis of collapse. He still did this, which was tantamount to seeking death.
During this period, Hongguang indulged in alcohol and sex. When Liu Zongzhou, the Left Imperial Censor, advised him to quit drinking, he said that he would only drink one cup a day in the future. Then he asked the eunuch to make an extra-large golden cup, and after drinking half of it, he asked the eunuch to fill it up again and continued drinking. He would pour it again after drinking half of it, saying that he was not joking and that he only drank one cup.
After getting drunk, this man had the bad habit of sexually abusing young girls, and rumors often circulated in the palace that young girls had been sexually abused to death.
The situation in Nanjing court was heading towards a more chaotic situation.
In September, Shunzhi moved the capital from Shengjing to Beijing, and a large group of 100,000 to 200,000 Manchu men, women, old and young accompanied him southward.
On October 1, Shunzhi offered sacrifices to heaven at the Temple of Heaven and held a coronation ceremony at the Huangji Gate of the Forbidden City. He once again ascended the throne and announced that "I will establish my capital in Yanjing to pacify China."
This move did not cause much shock to the emperor and his ministers in Nanjing who were busy with internal strife. The Donglin Party, the Eunuch Party, and the non-party members were still busy with internal strife.
In mid-October, Ma Shiying overcame numerous obstacles and Ruan Dacheng was finally granted the position of Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.
Yin Minxing, a doctor in the Ministry of Personnel, reported: "How is the subterfuge of Cui and Wei different from the rebellion of Chuang spreading harm to the capital? It is no different here, but it is used there. Therefore, all those who are disloyal and unfilial can join forces to lead the evil and bring chaos to the emperor's court. It is like raising snakes in the house and feeding wolves in the spring garden..."
The newly appointed Left Imperial Envoy Liu Zongzhou reported: "Ruan Dacheng's advancement and retreat will affect the prosperity and decline of Jiangzuo."
Hongguang issued an edict to rebuke those who opposed it: "Is it true that the country has been in ruins over the years? Who is to blame? You are the one who is to blame!"
Emperor Hongguang put the blame for the destruction of the country directly on the Donglin Party, which was like a stone that caused a thousand waves, and the Donglin Party was in an uproar. But this time, it was not that simple, and it was no longer as easy as talking.
Soon, Liu Zongzhou, the Left Imperial Envoy, was dismissed;
Grand Secretary Jiang Riguang was dismissed;
The inspector Huang Shu was dismissed from his post.
Minister of Personnel Xu Shilin was dismissed.
In October, Xie Xuelong was appointed as the Minister of Justice.
Yang Weiyuan, who started the rebellion, was appointed as the Minister of Public Administration.
Zhang Jie was appointed as the Minister of Personnel.
Grand Secretary Gao Hongtu dismissed.
There is no need to say much about the series of dazzling personnel changes, and how many conspiracies and intrigues are contained underneath. The newly established small Nanjing court is like a broken ship struggling in an eight-level typhoon, which makes people feel chilled in their hearts.
But Ruan Dacheng's goal was not just that. What he wanted was to wipe out the Donglin Party. He had been suppressed for too long and suffered too much humiliation. Now that he was successful, he did not want to let go of any person who had insulted him. He wanted revenge and a thorough settlement. Moreover, ten thousand years was too long, he had to seize the day.
The first people he targeted were the young masters of the Fushe Society who signed the "Public Declaration to Prevent Riot in the Capital" and drove him out of Nanjing.
He compiled two blacklists, "The Record of Locusts and Flies" and "The Continued Record of Locusts and Flies", in which Donglin people were called "locusts" and Fushe people were called "flies", implicating 143 people.
He then compiled the "Record of Flies and Gnat", implicating 953 people in an attempt to catch all the Donglin and Fushe members in one fell swoop.
Ruan Dacheng carried out indiscriminate attacks, not even sparing those in the opposition. Even his most loyal buddy Ma Shiying was frightened by this. He thought that if this continued, the Ming Dynasty would really be finished, so he began to adopt an uncooperative attitude on many things.
As if the chaos was not enough, Emperor Hongguang also held a selection of concubines at this time. It was not known whether it was true or a rumor spread by the Donglin Party, who had suffered a lot. People said that Emperor Hongguang had a sexual quirk and that any concubine selected into the palace would be abused and live a life worse than death. This caused chaos in Jiangnan, and families with daughters married their daughters off, and even forced them to marry.
At this time, Dorgon, who occupied Yanjing, had already begun to legally publicize the justice of his entry into the Central Plains, and strongly questioned the legitimacy of the Hongguang regime in Nanjing, in order to seize the moral high ground for his next move.
In a letter to his chief minister Shi Kefa, Dorgon said: "The rebel Li Zicheng led his army to attack the country and killed the emperor and his relatives. The Chinese people have never heard of him leaving a single arrow. If the rebel is not defeated, the old emperor will not be buried, and the new emperor will not be able to ascend the throne."
These words condemned the southern officials for forgetting the great revenge for their emperor and father and supporting their own emperor in Nanjing, which was an act against human ethics, based on the righteousness of the Spring and Autumn Period.
After the condemnation, Dorgon began to publicize how benevolent and righteous the Qing Dynasty was, and how the Qing Dynasty "remembered the long-standing friendship and put aside the minor grudges of today" and marched into the pass with an army to drive out the "bandits". They also decided on posthumous titles for Emperor Chongzhen and Empress Chongzhen, and held funerals and reburied their burial sites. They were also kind and courteous to meritorious officials, civil and military officials, and to the common people, "there was no disturbance in the farming and trading, and no disturbance in the autumn."
All this is nothing more than to prove that the Qing court's actions are in line with the will of heaven and the will of the people, and that it is reasonable for the Qing court to rule the Central Plains.
Finally, Dorgon claimed that the Qing Dynasty occupied the capital "from the rebels, not from the Ming Dynasty", and that the Qing army came to "avenge the humiliation", but the Southern Ming monarchs and ministers not only did not show gratitude, but "took advantage of the fact that the rebels were being punished and the royal army was temporarily resting, and then wanted to dominate the south of the Yangtze River and enjoy the benefits", and tried their best to deny the justice and rationality of the existence of Hongguang's regime. Finally, he asked Hongguang to quickly surrender to the Qing Dynasty.
Through these words, the evil ambitions of the Qing Dynasty were fully revealed. At this time, the rulers and ministers of Nanjing still held on to naive fantasies, hoping to unite with the enemy and destroy the bandits.
The chief minister Shi Kefa also wrote a letter to Dorgon in a friendly and polite manner. The letter mainly elaborated on several points: First, to find a legal basis for the Southern Ming Hongguang regime.
Second, it expressed gratitude to the Qing Dynasty for sending troops to suppress the bandits.
3. To defend Dorgon’s condemnation of Hongguang’s ministers for their complacent behavior.
Fourth, Shi Hefa expressed his solemn position on Dorgon’s inducement to surrender and intimidation.
5. Express the good wish to join forces with the Qing Dynasty to attack the thief Li.
In other words, at this time, even the Prime Minister Shi Kefa still held naive fantasies about the Qing Dynasty, which is not just comparable to Mr. Dongguo.
They believed that summoning Nguyen Da Cheng to the court was like raising snakes in the house and feeding wolves in the spring enclosure. However, the 100,000 Qing cavalrymen who entered the pass were friendly people who came to avenge their emperor and father.
In a nutshell, they felt that compared with the Qing soldiers, Ruan Dacheng was much more terrifying.
Ruan Dacheng did not disappoint them. He worked hard and made full preparations to overturn the "rebellion case".
In December, a monk named Dabei came to Nanjing. He first said that he was the brother of the current emperor, and then said that Emperor Chongzhen was not dead, but escaped from Beijing to become a monk, and that he was Emperor Chongzhen. This caused a lot of discussion in the city.
Military official Zhang Guowei believed that "such reckless men should be killed quickly. Once they are thoroughly investigated, the national system will suffer a little."
However, as soon as Zhang Guowei's proposal spread to the streets, it immediately caused an uproar. The subjects of Nanjing believed Dabei's crazy words in the "street discussions" and expressed strong indignation at Zhang Guowei's proposal, believing that he wanted to kill the "Emperor Lie".
It is true that when a country is about to perish, evil will appear.
The people believed it to be true, causing chaos in Nanjing. Even Hongguang did not dare to be negligent and immediately ordered a thorough investigation.
Although what Dabei Monk said was irrelevant, he mentioned two ministers, Qian Qianyi and Shen Shaofang, during the interrogation, but he could not explain why.
Emperor Hongguang issued an edict: "All nine ministers and officials are to be tried in the City God Temple. It is clear that this is a fraud. If the report is made, he will be beheaded in the West Market."
However, Ruan Dacheng saw an opportunity in it. He wanted to make a big fuss about this incident and wanted to stir up another huge political storm.
He secretly sent people to post anonymous posters on the streets of Nanjing, saying that there were officials in the court who intended to overthrow the Hongguang regime and support Prince Lu to ascend the throne. He instigated Monk Dabei to spread rumors to confuse the people. He also listed the so-called "Eighteen Arhats" and "Seventy-two Bodhisattvas" conspiracy groups, and included Shi Kefa, Jiang Yueguang, Qian Qianyi and other Donglin and Fushe figures on the list.
This incident lasted for two months, causing unrest among the people. Fortunately, Hongguang did not want the incident to continue, so he ordered the execution of Monk Dabei.
But just as this case was over, the case of the real and fake prince and the case of the child concubine came up, as if they would not stop until the small Nanjing court was torn apart.
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ps: Phew! It's almost done, there's only half a chapter left before we can throw Hongguang Dynasty aside and let the protagonist take over. The clouds of war are gathering, so I beg everyone to support me. A hundred battles in the yellow sand require passion, and monthly tickets are given as rewards, ah!
.(To be continued..)
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