Chapter 605: Imperial Ama Admits His Mistake

Henan, Kaifeng Prefecture, north of Zhengzhou city.

At this moment, over a thousand Plain Blue Banner cavalry were advancing in grand formation along the official road.

These cavalrymen were all Bayara soldiers of the Plain Blue Banner, escorting their master like stars surrounding the moon — the banner lord of the Plain Blue Banner, the Prince Regent Dodo — heading toward the north gate of Zhengzhou.

Beside Dodo rode a Ming official in a red robe — none other than the Ming envoy for the marriage alliance, the man famed through history as the Fourfold Subject, Zu Kefa.

Zu Kefa had not left Beijing when open war broke out between Ming and Qing — Zhu Cilang had no intention of tearing up the marriage contract with Princess Dongguo, so he could not leave either.

As a result, he had been detained by the Qing court and was now accompanying Dodo to Henan to see Dorgon.

"My Prince, this — this Imperial Ama, he — he wouldn't want me to surrender, would he?" This time Zu Kefa was truly afraid. With the meeting with Dorgon imminent, he could not help sounding out the situation — better to be mentally prepared!

"No, no, rest assured." Dodo laughed. "My fourteenth brother would have to be stuffed full to want a Fourfold Subject like you. Surrender one more time and you'd be a Fivefold Subject. What would be the point? If you can become a Fivefold Subject, couldn't you become a Sixfold Subject later?"

"No, no, I wouldn't — how could I become a Sixfold Subject?" Zu Kefa was not reassured — if they didn't want him to surrender, then why had they dragged him to Zhengzhou?

"I'd guess," Dodo said after thinking seriously, "that old Fourteen means to kill you this time, to consecrate the banners!"

"K-kill me?" Zu Kefa's whole body began trembling, and tears came to his eyes.

"Don't be afraid!" Dodo, seeing his useless manner, felt anger rise. "It's just beheading — what's there to fear?"

"How can I not fear beheading?" Zu Kefa was crying now. "My Prince, save me—"

Dodo spread his hands. "How am I supposed to save you? Tell me, do you deserve to die or not?"

How did he deserve to die? Zu Kefa shook his head.

"You're already a Fourfold Subject!" Dodo said. "Do you still have the face to cling to life?"

"I do, I do have the face to live. In these chaotic times, being a Fourfold or Fivefold Subject is no disgrace—"

Dodo waved his hand. "Enough, enough. Better to reflect properly on yourself!"

"Wah—" Zu Kefa reflected until he wept.

Weeping all the way, he arrived at the main hall of Dorgon's field headquarters. Dorgon was bent over writing a letter. Hearing someone crying, he looked up and saw his brother Dodo arriving together with Zu Kefa, who was being supported by two white-armored soldiers. The one crying was Zu Kefa — crying so bitterly! Could it be that Zu Dashou had died?

"What's the matter?" Dorgon asked. "Has Zu Dashou passed away?"

"No," Dodo answered with a smile. "Zu Dashou is fine! It's Zu Kefa who is not fine. He's been reflecting the whole way here, feeling that having become a Fourfold Subject, he has let down his Zu family ancestors and has no face to cling to life."

"How does being a Fourfold Subject mean having no face to see people?" Dorgon was baffled. "Isn't his father Zu Dashou also a Fourfold Subject? Doesn't he see people every day?"

Dodo sighed. "Zu Kefa here is about to find he can't even remain a Fourfold Subject!"

"Can't remain one? Then what will he become?"

Dodo smiled. "Either he becomes a Fivefold Subject, or he gets beheaded to consecrate the banners."

"Nonsense!" Dorgon laughed. "Old Fifteen, you've been frightening Zu Kefa, haven't you? He's timid — you mustn't scare him. Even warring states don't execute envoys! And he's a marriage envoy besides — killing him would be terribly unlucky."

Hearing this, Zu Kefa immediately stopped crying and dropped to his knees before Dorgon with a thud. "I thank Imperial Ama for sparing my life! I thank Imperial Ama for sparing me—"

Dodo, standing to the side, performed the Manchu greeting of bending one knee. "Your younger brother greets the Prince Regent."

Nowadays nearly all the officials of the Great Qing called Dorgon "Imperial Ama" — only Dodo did not. But Dorgon did not take issue with him, and motioned for him and Zu Kefa to rise, even granting them seats.

"Fourteenth Brother, what urgent matter did you summon me for?" Dodo, not avoiding the subject in front of Zu Kefa, asked once seated.

"Simply to have you bring Zu Kefa here." Dorgon's answer startled Dodo.

"What? For Zu Kefa?" Dodo was taken aback.

Dorgon ignored him and said to Zu Kefa with a smile: "Envoy Zu, you see — what a mess this has become. The marriage alliance was already arranged, and yet they had to start fighting again over the hundred thousand or so people in Datong. Once north and south go to war, the dead and wounded will number in the millions! It isn't worth it!"

"Right, right, right." Zu Kefa nodded repeatedly. "What Imperial Ama says is absolutely correct. I shall return at once and explain this to the Ming Emperor."

Return and say what? Zu Kefa spoke well enough, but inwardly he thought: Once I'm back, I'll throw in with that fellow Wu Guoyong and go lead troops to win merit again! I know the northern situation too well — know the enemy and know myself! So what if I'm a Fourfold Subject? A Fourfold Subject who wins merit can still become a noble, and what's more, I'm imperial kin — the Empress is my cousin! Later I'll land myself a marquisate or something.

Dorgon of course could not see Zu Kefa's thoughts. With a wholly sincere expression he said: "The Datong massacre was indeed Our fault. We shall issue an edict of self-reproach at once and confess Our error to all under Heaven. That should suffice, yes?"

"It won't do—" Dodo had already leapt to his feet. "Fourteenth Brother, this won't do—"

"Old Fifteen, sit down!" Dorgon waved a hand, silencing Dodo, then looked at Zu Kefa with an earnest face. "We must trouble you to make a trip and see the Hongxing Emperor. We have a personal letter — take it with you."

So they want peace? Zu Kefa was somewhat surprised. The Great Qing wasn't that weak, was it? The fighting hadn't even truly begun — why were they already yielding?

"Very well, very well," Zu Kefa answered repeatedly. "I will certainly go and speak, and certainly persuade His Majesty the Son of Heaven of our dynasty to cease hostilities."

"That would be best." Dorgon placed the finished personal letter into an envelope, had someone hand it to Zu Kefa, and then had someone escort Zu Kefa away to rest.

But Dodo did not leave. As soon as Zu Kefa was far off, he pressed: "Fourteenth Brother, what exactly are you thinking?"

Dorgon rolled his eyes and glared at Dodo. "Old Fifteen, don't you know what it means to loosen the reins in order to tighten them?"

"Loosen the reins to tighten them? Fourteenth Brother, you mean—"

Dorgon frowned. "The Ming's population is ten times ours, their troops three or four times ours, and quite elite at that. Their financial resources are several times to ten times ours. Moreover, they hold the advantage of the sea routes and can bring in Western firearms and military methods. They are no longer comparable to the days when Chongzhen ruled.

Therefore, in this campaign, I must win quickly and decisively, and stop while the advantage is ours. Under no circumstances can we protract the fight and let it become a war of attrition.

But how shrewd a ruler is Zhu Cilang? How could he not know that protraction benefits them, while speed benefits us?"

"So that's why Fourteenth Brother wants to loosen the reins to tighten them?" Dodo was beginning to understand. "Then what other orders does Fourteenth Brother have for your younger brother?"

Dorgon said: "I called you here to entrust you with a heavy responsibility. We intend for you to again take up the post of Great General Who Pacifies the Nation, and go to Shengjing to take command of its defense."

"Go to Shengjing?" Dodo frowned. "Liaodong and Liaoxi won't be easy to fight in."

"That's precisely why I'm sending you!" Dorgon said. "Old Fifteen, I have no spare troops to give you, but you must hold the situation beyond the passes. The Ming troops already ashore at Jinzhou need not be driven off, but Little Black Mountain must be held. If they come ashore elsewhere, you must find a way to hold the line there too. Do you understand?"

At present the Qing had a total of eighty niru beyond the passes, of which forty were Plain Green Banner niru, capable of fielding at most twenty thousand men. The forty old Eight Banner niru amounted to roughly ten thousand men.

Considering that the total force the Great Qing could mobilize was only some one hundred seventy to one hundred eighty thousand, and that it had to cope with pressure on several fronts, Dorgon truly could not spare troops to reinforce beyond the passes.

Dodo nodded. "Understood. Beyond the passes the land is vast and sparsely peopled, the climate harsh. These Nikans can only make trouble along the coast; they can't reach the interior. Holding the line won't be hard."

Dorgon said: "Merely holding is not enough. You must draw off a portion of the Southern Ming's forces, make them think we intend a decisive battle in Liaodong and Liaoxi — but at the same time avoid an actual decisive battle! Can you do that?"

Dodo thought for a moment. "I'll try."

Dorgon said: "Not try — you must do it! Otherwise the Great Qing's realm will be lost in our hands!"

(End of Chapter)