Chapter 1078: This Money Cannot Be Taken! (Seeking Subscriptions)

In the twelfth year of Hongxing of the Great Ming, the second month, at Hetu Ala.

This former capital of the Later Jin, ringed by mountains, lay no more than three hundred li from Shenyang and less than two hundred li from Fushun — one could say it sat right against the richest plains of the northeast, yet had mountain fastnesses to rely on: advance and one could attack, withdraw and one could hold. In those days Nurhaci had made this place his great base, sallying forth to break Fushun and plunder it, then withdrawing into the mountains to wield his army with skill and win the great victory at Sarhu, laying at a stroke the splendid foundation of the Later Jin state.

But now, when Nurhaci's descendants returned to Hetu Ala, they did not feel in the least that the surrounding mountains could keep them safe, still less that the great plains east of Fushun Pass were a granary and purse they could come and go from at will, plundering as they pleased. High and low alike felt the end was near and passed their days in unrelieved dread.

Had they still possessed the boldness of Nurhaci's rising days, they would never have fled from Shenyang to Hetu Ala.

As for the lands east of Fushun Pass, they had been abandoned as soon as spring began. Before the Ming army had even moved, held back by the spring mud of the northeast, Doni had already fled with his remnant forces — how would he dare wait for the terrifying black-musket troops, the foreign-horse cavalry, and the boy soldiers to come knocking?

Once those men came, they were dead!

But retreating to Hetu Ala did not look safe either!

Once the Ming army had secured its footing in Shenyang and Fushun, it would surely attack this place — and could they then fight another Sarhu?

That was not even worth thinking about!

So in this period after withdrawing to Hetu Ala, Doni, apart from living in fear, had been busy preparing to retreat further — only by pulling back to Jianzhou and the Amur could he feel a little more at ease.

But withdrawing was no easy matter either!

Although from the latter part of Dodo's rule onward, opening up the plains around Lake Khanka had become the Manchus' top priority, how easy was it to develop virgin land? In a mere two or three years, with hardly any labor to draw on, how could it possibly have developed?

So as of the eleventh year of Hongxing, the foundation that sustained Doni's separatist regime beyond the passes was still the great Liao River plain!

There lay tens of millions of mu of fine farmland, enough to support seventy or eighty thousand households of farmer-soldiers who tilled and fought by turns, and enough to let the old Manchus above them and the noble clique around Doni live well — ginseng, eastern pearls, furs and the like were only pocket money; if one truly wanted meat and fish in plenty, one still had to rely on the lands of the Liao River basin.

Now that land was gone, and for the entire Manchu bloc that meant several million shi of grain revenue lost in a single year — so the hard days still lay ahead!

And without that income, and with no possibility of replenishing themselves by plundering the Great Ming, the Manchu bloc had lost the means to maintain a large army to resist the Ming.

Moreover, after more than ten years of brutal war and ethnic amalgamation, the old Manchu warriors still gathered under Doni numbered only a little over ten thousand — to say nothing of comparing with the Han, even against the Solon and Barhu peoples of the Amur basin they held no advantage.

So all of Hetu Ala had now sunk into a state of terror and unease!

At the south gate of Hetu Ala's outer city, for the past several days a crowd of elderly monks had stood about — these were mostly lonely old men who had lost all their sons in the long wars, old and without support, who had shaved their heads and entered the monkhood, following the great monk Tongyong for a bowl of rice. Now they all craned their necks, peering northward, when suddenly one of them cried out: "The master is back!"

At that cry, the monks around and the idle soldiers all surged forward, and indeed they saw a train of carts and horses winding toward them from outside the north gate. Tongyong's banner had already been raised, and a company of Joseon soldiers escorted him carefully front and rear.

It turned out that a few days earlier, Joseon envoys had brought word to Hetu Ala that the great monk Tongyong was about to return, and this time it had given everyone a little hope. The great monk had gone to sue for mercy, had been away for several months, and now at last he was back — surely there was good news!

The crowd at the gate grew larger and larger — not only the monks under Ajige, but also a crowd of down-at-heel Manchu nobles, all running out to hear what was to be said.

As the carts and horsemen drew near, several Manchu nobles already shouted out: "Twelfth Master, how did the talks go?"

The great monk Ajige, riding a large white horse, came out from behind, pressing past the crowd, and cupped his hands toward them with a face full of smiles: "I have not failed in my mission. The court has issued a clear edict, enfeoffing Xuanye as Military Governor of Heilongjiang!"

"Xuanye?"

"Who is he?"

Ajige laughed: "He is the Marquis of Yan'en — the son of the Shunzhi Emperor!"

"Ah! It's him!"

"Is this true?"

"Does that mean the Great Emperor has no intention of wiping out us Manchus?"

"Thank heaven and earth."

"The imperial grace is boundless!"

The Manchu nobles were so moved that tears were about to fall!

Though Xuanye was only a child, he was the Manchu legitimate line! However many fathers the Shunzhi Emperor might have had, no one could deny that he was the legitimate line. Shunzhi had issued a decree passing the throne to Xuanye, so Xuanye was the legitimate line. Otherwise why would Doni only style himself Prince Regent?

Since Xuanye was the legitimate line, who could object to his becoming Military Governor of Heilongjiang?

"Then who gets to be Military Governor of Jianzhou?" another Manchu noble asked.

"The Fourteenth Princess is already with child," Ajige said with a smile. "Once she bears a dragon son, he will be Military Governor of Jianzhou!"

"Good, good — with a prince of the Zhu family ruling Jianzhou, we can all rest easy."

"Amitabha, the Bodhisattva protects us!"

The old Manchus all bowed in worship toward the southeast — their lives were saved at last!

Changing masters was nothing; at this point who still cared about that?

Oh, but there was still someone who cared!

That person was Doni.

The moment that would decide Doni's fate had arrived.

Within the palace at Hetu Ala, Ajige met Doni, who had grown thin by several sizes. Around Doni were Chani, Oboi, Yolo, Tuhai, Tantai, Lengsenggi, Ganglin, and a host of other Manchu nobles, all watching Ajige, who had come from afar.

"Twelfth Uncle, Heilongjiang has been given to Xuanye, and Jianzhou is to go to the Fourteenth Princess's son — what about my second brother?"

The one asking on Doni's behalf was his brother Chani. By now Doni no longer quite trusted outsiders, so he had recalled Chani from Wonsan in Joseon and made him commander of his palace guard.

"Naturally, he goes abroad to take refuge." Ajige smiled. "After so great a calamity, can there be no way down the steps? Second Prince, take one step back and the sea and sky are boundless." As he spoke, the old monk produced a thick stack of banknotes. "These are notes from the Jiale Market Bank, 250,000 taels in all, sent to you by the Fourteenth Princess through an intermediary — enough for you to live comfortably abroad."

"250,000 taels?" Oboi broke in. "Is the Fourteenth Princess that rich?"

"Of course," Ajige said. "The Fourteenth Princess is His Majesty's favored concubine — how could she lack money? His present Majesty is the richest sovereign of all time!"

"But how is it I've heard the Fourteenth Princess is out of favor and always getting beaten?" Yolo put in. Where the fellow had gotten that news was anyone's guess — all of it baseless rumor!

"Heh heh heh," Ajige laughed slyly. "Beating is affection, scolding is love. His Majesty has three thousand beauties in the rear palace, and the only one who receives such treatment is the Fourteenth Princess!"

Ajige said: "Second Prince, take this 250,000 and resist no longer. Our old Manchus are nearly fought out!"

The moment of trial for Doni had come!

Everyone looked at him, while Doni himself sank into thought — he too was an honest lad; had it been his father, Ajige would long since have been cut down with a single stroke!

Now, within the walls of Hetu Ala, everyone could surrender to the Ming — only Doni could not!

If others surrendered, they could still become lords of a mountain valley, be granted land, render military service, and fight the Russians. But Doni? The Great Ming did not even want him. Had those 250,000 taels of banknotes come from Zhu Cilang, he could still have left the country in safety — but they had been given privately by Ajige!

If Doni thought he could take the money and go, heh heh heh...

Everyone in the room, even Doni's own brother Chani, knew this money could not be taken — yet no one said a word!

One and all, they simply watched Doni.

Duoni was likewise too close to the matter to see it clearly. He sighed, actually took the silver notes, counted them, then nodded and said, "Very well, I'll go out for a walk right now."

Ajige said, "You'll also need to submit a memorial requesting resignation."

"Fine!" Duoni nodded. "I'll write it right away!"

(End of Chapter)