Chapter 183: A Happy Occasion

At the time the Taiping Army was besieged at Xinhui in Guangdong, in the Forbidden City of Beijing, the young Shunzhi Son of Heaven was holding his beloved consort Lady Donggo, whom he had only enfeoffed the previous month, whispering tender words of love and from time to time coaxing peals of charming laughter from the beauty in his arms.

This Lady Donggo was of the Manchu Plain White Banner, daughter of the Inner Minister Oshoi and elder sister of the Great General Fiyanggu.

After entering the palace she had quickly won Shunzhi's favor, and in less than a month she was promoted to Imperial Noble Consort on the grounds that she was "shrewd, virtuous, upright, and good — none surpasses Lady Donggo."

The young man and woman were full of tender affection, and after a bout of activity above and below, Shunzhi on a sudden whim picked up a memorial from his desk and began to read it. But after only a few glances he tossed it aside in annoyance, his expression faintly clouded with gloom.

Consort Donggo read his mood, and with a slight frown asked softly, "Your Majesty, what is the matter?"

"Hmph. Those old fellows of the Deliberative Council of Princes and Ministers — who knows what is in their hearts. They are always looking to make trouble for me, never willing to leave me in peace for a while..." Thinking of those old wretches made Shunzhi all the more sullen.

"Your Majesty, what exactly has happened?"

Consort Donggo cast her eyes toward the memorial Shunzhi had carelessly tossed aside, but it was too far away for her to make out what was written on it.

"Ah, it is nothing..."

Shunzhi had not wanted to speak of the matter, but seeing his beloved consort gazing at him with such concern, he could not help telling her about this affair that so vexed him.

The memorial had been submitted by the Inner Minister Suksaha, and it concerned Hong Chengchou.

It turned out that ever since the Southern Ming's Zheng clan had been driven to the coastal islands of Fujian and the Pacifying Far General Jidu had returned to court in triumph, the Qing court's attention had been wholly concentrated on the southwestern region occupied by Zhu Youlang.

For all military affairs against the Southern Ming, Shunzhi had followed the strategy Dorgon had used while alive — using Han to control Han — and had entrusted the matter entirely to the Grand Secretary Hong Chengchou.

To show his trust in Hong, Shunzhi had specially bestowed on him the additional titles of Grand Guardian and Grand Preceptor to the Heir Apparent, appointing him Governor-General with authority over the five provinces of Huguang, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Guizhou.

At the same time he issued an edict ordering the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War not to obstruct the affairs of the Five-Province Governor-General, and the Ministry of Revenue even more strictly not to delay them.

Yet ever since Hong Chengchou had taken up the post of Five-Province Governor-General, all manner of slander and false accusation from the Manchu princes and nobles had been poured ceaselessly into Shunzhi's ears.

Especially in the last two years, with Hong Chengchou besieging Sun Kewang of the Southern Ming without attacking, long encamped in Hunan, showing no sign of advancing while consuming countless funds and provisions, impeachment memorials had flown into the palace like snow.

But though Shunzhi was young, he followed the principle of not employing those he doubted and not doubting those he employed. No matter how the court slandered and suspected Hong Chengchou, he remained unmoved and trusted Hong throughout.

Who could have known that this in turn would stir up another round of talk among the Deliberative Council of Princes and Ministers — talk that Li Dingguo and Sun Kewang of the Southern Ming were both adopted sons of Zhang Xianzhong, that these two were the Southern Ming's two tiger generals, that their Great Western Army was a strong force no weaker than the ****** troops, and that the territory held by the Southern Ming was poor mountains and weak rivers, hard to attack and too worthless to take.

Now that Hong Chengchou was endlessly draining funds and provisions in the south, the burden on the state treasury was too heavy, so it would be better simply to delimit territory and hold it.

Some even proposed giving up Yunnan and Guizhou altogether and making peace with the Southern Ming's ******.

At first Shunzhi did not take such talk to heart, nor did he interfere with Hong Chengchou because of it.

But after Li Dingguo twice toppled famous princes and the Manchu troops and officers suffered grievous losses, he too was frightened into wavering, and even entertained the idea of dividing the realm with the Southern Ming at the river.

He even secretly ordered the palace to transport the gold, silver, and treasures looted over the years beyond the passes, preparing to withdraw beyond the passes if the situation turned bad.

Only under the strenuous persuasion of the Deliberative Council of Princes and Ministers and Manchu and Han officials such as Hong Chengchou did he abandon the notion.

Not long afterward, the situation in the south improved. For some reason Li Dingguo gave up his continued northward advance and instead went to Guangdong, where he suffered two successive defeats.

On the Hunan front the Qing army also stabilized its defensive lines. This set Shunzhi's mind at ease, and never again did he feel the fear he had felt upon first hearing of Li Dingguo twice toppling famous princes.

The Southern Ming had not crossed the river, to be sure, but Hong Chengchou's side was likewise merely locked in a standoff with Sun Kewang, with the Qing army showing no momentum of advance, and the annual expenditure of funds and provisions was greater than before.

Thus the impeachment memorials against Hong Chengchou multiplied once more, just as before, and this time even implicated a number of high officials.

The memorial on the desk, for instance, was submitted by the Inner Minister Suksaha, and its content was nothing more than a demand that the Emperor remove Hong Chengchou and dispatch another high official to take charge of the war against the Southern Ming, so as to settle the Southern Ming as quickly as possible.

After explaining all this in detail to his beloved consort, Shunzhi said dismissively, "If I truly removed Hong Chengchou, who could guarantee that the man sent in his place would do better than he? As things stand, holding the south steady is already no small achievement.

Two years ago Li Dingguo frightened those old fellows badly enough — it was not just one or two of them clamoring to divide the realm at the river." With that, Shunzhi gave a faint snort.

He dared not replace Hong Chengchou. The present situation, though it made unifying the realm difficult, at least allowed him, the Son of Heaven, to sit comfortably in the Forbidden City without constant dread.

He had no wish to risk changing men and bringing about a repeat of the scene from two years ago. The expenditure of funds and provisions was a small matter; after all, it was all the fat and blood of the Han people.

So long as the Manchu subjects and he, the Emperor, lived at ease, that was enough.

Consort Donggo understood nothing of great affairs of state. She only knew that this Hong Chengchou the Emperor spoke of was an old man, and that this old man could set the Emperor's mind at ease.

So she said with a smile, "By rights, I dare not presume to speak on such matters. But in my humble opinion, even if the great ministers have erred, they are after all thinking of the affairs of state, not seeking profit for themselves.

Your Majesty need not be overly angry with them. Persuade them with reason and move them with feeling, and they can always be brought to sincere submission.

Otherwise, if even the great ministers are not won over, how can the hearts of all under Heaven be won? Would it not be better to let those below share some of Your Majesty's burden?"

"What my beloved consort says is true. Enough. In a couple of days I shall find some pretext to raise the matter with Sonin and the others. The affair of Hong Chengchou cannot forever leave the court pointing at me. What is theirs to share, they must share."

Shunzhi had clearly taken Consort Donggo's words to heart, and was mulling over getting Sonin and the others to step forward and relieve his cares as Emperor. So thinking, he casually picked up another memorial, and at a single glance his face filled with rage.

Consort Donggo was so startled that she hurriedly straightened up from Shunzhi's embrace and said in astonishment, "What has made Your Majesty so angry?"

"It is this year's autumn assizes memorial. I mean to have some people killed!" Shunzhi placed the memorial in front of Consort Donggo.

Consort Donggo gazed at the autumn assizes memorial for a moment. Line after line of black characters exuded the breath of death. She frowned and said, "Your Majesty, to seize and behead those who shelter fugitive slaves at once — is that not rather too..."

Consort Donggo did not finish her words, nor did she dare to continue, for she saw Shunzhi's expression suddenly turn incomparably dark.

"My beloved consort need not pity these fugitive slaves.

If I do not kill them, who will labor for the banners? Who will feed the banner people?

If those who violate the fugitive-slave law are not killed, is that not indulging fugitives? Those who shelter them deserve death too.

If they did not shelter them, how would the fugitives dare flee, and where would they have a place to flee to... Enough.

I will not speak of these things with you."

As he spoke, Shunzhi casually circled the list. With that one circle, more than a hundred Han heads would fall to the ground.

Consort Donggo, being a Manchu bannerwoman, was not truly minded to pity these fugitive slaves; it was merely a woman's natural softness. Seeing that Shunzhi had already made his circles, she said no more and quietly nestled back into his embrace.

Shunzhi gazed at her and said with feeling, "With you by my side, my heart is truly much more at ease." He looked up and saw that it was already late, then said, "Go bathe first. I shall come shortly. Remember — use a flower bath. I like the fragrance."

Consort Donggo cast him a coquettish glance, gave a charming laugh, and was about to withdraw. Before she had even turned around, someone outside shouted excitedly, "Your Majesty! Good news! Great good news!"

The one shouting was the chief eunuch Zhao Dequan. He came running into the palace gate, and everywhere he passed, palace maids and eunuchs gaped in disbelief: had Eunuch Zhao lost his mind, to be shouting and yelling like that inside the palace?!

Zhao Dequan's wantonness greatly displeased Shunzhi within the hall as well, but hearing that Zhao Dequan was crying good news, he too was puzzled, and so he suppressed his displeasure and waited quietly.

Perhaps from excessive joy, Zhao Dequan tripped on the threshold as he rushed into the hall, pitching three or four feet through the doorway and sprawling flat on the floor, which made Consort Donggo's eyes go wide.

"Aiya!"

The eunuch guard at the door, standing right beside him, was so astonished he did not even know whether to step forward and help Eunuch Zhao up.

Fortunately, Zhao Dequan had not hurt himself in the fall. Instead he sprang to his feet at once, then rushed jubilantly to the foot of the dais and held up the memorial in his hands, saying in a voice trembling with excitement, "Congratulations, Your Majesty!

Felicitations, Your Majesty! Sun Kewang and Li Dingguo of the Southern Ming have begun fighting each other!"