Chapter 766: There's an Inside Story Here!

Mulan Hunting Ground, the Great Khan's golden tent.

The Eyeer Zhasake Khan of the Great Mongol Nation was pacing restlessly inside his own khan's tent. He was waiting for news of the death of his Imperial Ama Dorgon. After Dorgon had finished giving his last words, he had fallen into a coma and developed a high fever; his temperature was extremely high and would not come down no matter what, and it looked as if he was about to breathe his last.

But as long as that breath of his had not stopped, no one dared make a move. Although Dorgon's fall from the horse was full of the flavor of conspiracy, that was a blow struck in the dark. Who would dare strike at Dorgon to his face? Not to mention that Bumbutai and Shunzhi, mother and son, did not dare — even Ajige, who had brought troops over, did not dare to make a move either.

Now all they could do was wait!

Wait for Dorgon to breathe his last, and then seize power.

But when would Dorgon die?

It was truly maddening! He must not recover. If he did not die this time and let Dodo lead troops into Beijing, then everything would be over.

His mother Bumbutai and the Empress Mengguqing were also here, both watching this restless Mongol Great Khan. Bumbutai's face was expressionless, and no matter how one looked at her, she seemed somewhat unfathomable.

Mengguqing, on the other hand, was truly a beauty in the making — regular features, large bright eyes, a straight nose, and an oval face. She was a completely different type from Bumbutai. As for her figure, there was no need to say more: a woman born of the great Mongol nobility could not possibly be anything but full-figured. Moreover, she was still young, and unlike Bumbutai, who was penned up in the palace putting on fat, she had been raised roaming freely across the grasslands, so her figure naturally went without saying.

It had to be said that Dorgon had been extremely attentive in choosing an empress for Shunzhi!

But Shunzhi did not like this empress in the least. Even though her beauty outshone all the palace ladies, Shunzhi still did not like her — because Shunzhi had the temperament of loving the house for the crow on its roof, and he had also inherited Hong Taiji's ruthlessness. If he truly gained power, the Two White Banners, the Plain Blue Banner, and the Nine Banners' gusas beyond the passes would all have to be thoroughly purged several times over!

In the original history, those among the Two White Banners and the Plain Blue Banner who belonged to Dorgon's three brothers were driven to the point of trying to rescue the Yongli Emperor and restore the Ming against the Qing — from that one can imagine how badly Shunzhi had screwed them over.

Shunzhi suddenly stopped in his tracks. First he cast a cold glance at Mengguqing, which made the Mongol beauty's hair stand on end. Then he turned his gaze to his mother Bumbutai. "Mother, strike first to gain the upper hand!"

"You—" Hearing these words, Bumbutai felt a sense of helplessness. Whom did this son take after? Hong Taiji had been a crafty old fox, always thinking things through deeply and never acting rashly. And she herself was of a steady disposition, always weighing matters over and over. How had this child come by such a reckless temper? He looked a bit like Ajige. Taking after his uncle? That couldn't be, could it?

"Your Majesty, do not forget the Brave Prince!" Mengguqing quietly reminded her husband.

Dealing with Ajige was actually not difficult. Although Ajige had brought troops over, the vanguard battalions and firearms battalions that had marched out from Beijing were not ones Ajige could control. In addition, the bayara personal guards of five banners — the Two Yellow, Two Red, Bordered Blue, and Plain Green — were also at the Mulan Hunting Ground. Even in an open fight, Ajige would have little chance of victory, let alone if they used underhanded means.

But what about Dodo, who was called the Brave Prince (Dodo had once been enfeoffed as Erke Chuhur Beile, meaning the Brave Beile)? To be called the Brave Prince among a crowd of fierce men of the Eight Banners, one could well imagine how formidable this fellow was.

Moreover, Dodo controlled the vast territory beyond the passes. The gusas beyond the passes of the Great Qing's Nine Banners were all under his control. He had under his command a host of elite soldiers and fierce generals, plus 6,000 new army troops of the vanguard and firearms battalions, plus his own bayara personal guards of the Plain Blue Banner, plus large numbers of Barhu, Solon, and Joseon people he could call upon. Dorgon had in the past two years already been planning to withdraw to Shengjing, and so he had begun stockpiling money, grain, and military supplies in Shengjing!

If it truly came to a fight, all that money, grain, and military supplies would be Dodo's capital!

Furthermore, Dodo was with the army beyond the passes, so it would be very difficult to eliminate him through schemes and plots. If Ajige were taken down by Shunzhi at this time, then Dodo would certainly rebel. Then the Great Qing would split in two and slaughter each other — would not the Ming in the south take the opportunity to launch a northern expedition?

When that time came, everyone would be finished together!

Shunzhi glared fiercely at his wife and was about to flare up when Bumbutai spoke: "Emperor, we must let Ajige and Dodo fight each other.

Let them fight like dogs, and only then can we step by step seize back the great power! If we eliminate Ajige now, then the followers Dorgon left behind will gather under Dodo's banner. Whom could we send to deal with Dodo? Who could defeat him?"

Hearing his mother speak thus, Shunzhi calmed down.

Indeed, they could not take down Ajige now. Otherwise Dorgon's men would all go to Dodo, and Dodo was a capable fighter — once he attacked, everything would be over.

"Mother, what should we do?" Shunzhi asked.

Bumbutai glanced at her niece Mengguqing. "Empress, tell us what you think."

"Empress Dowager," Mengguqing said, "His Majesty should convene the Deliberative Council of Princes and Ministers after the Imperial Ama has passed away, announce the Imperial Ama's last words, and then follow the arrangements of the Deliberative Council of Princes and Ministers."

This empress cannot be kept... Shunzhi was somewhat angered. Whose side was this Mengguqing sitting on? Convene the Deliberative Council of Princes and Ministers?

Shunzhi had already undergone his grand wedding and could rule in person. His word should be law, and his sacred will should be absolute. How could he follow the Deliberative Council of Princes and Ministers?

"Good!" Bumbutai nodded. "Then it is settled!" She looked at her son and said with earnest gravity, "Joint deliberation by the Deliberative Council of Princes and Ministers is a Manchu tradition, in place since the time of the Taizu Emperor. It is also the only thing we mother and son can rely on right now. Do not keep comparing yourself to Zhu Cilang. Among the Han people, the sovereign's monopoly on power has long been deeply rooted in men's hearts. And he is one of the rare enlightened rulers of the Ming, likely no less than Zhu Di, so naturally he can dictate the court's policies alone."

Zhu Cilang was of course an autocratic ruler. Although he had restored the power of the chancellor, handling major affairs through joint deliberation between the two bureaus, and had also established a deliberative assembly to broadly hear opinions, this was only enlightened despotism — at its root, it was still autocratic monarchy.

On the Great Qing side, although the Deliberative Council of Princes and Ministers had always been controlled by Dorgon, because the Great Qing's military power was still scattered among the princes and dukes of the Nine Banners, no one could achieve true autocracy.

Just as Bumbutai was counseling Shunzhi, Wu Liangfu's voice came from outside the great tent: "Your Majesty, Empress Dowager, the Imperial Ama has passed away!"

Dorgon was finally dead!

Bumbutai and Shunzhi exchanged a glance. Bumbutai said, "Emperor, let us go see Dorgon off! Remember, cry with proper grief. After the crying is done, convene the Deliberative Council of Princes and Ministers."

"Your son understands!" Shunzhi took a deep breath and had no choice but to follow Bumbutai's wishes and go mourn Dorgon.

Of course he could cry. He had finally outlasted one Imperial Ama to death, only to have to welcome a new Ama! And he still had to convene a great council of princes to elect one — when would this ever end? If Ajige died, would they convene another council to elect a fourth Imperial Ama?

Dear Ama, dear grandfather, this joint-deliberation system of princes and ministers that you passed down truly does not work! It must be changed... The Han way is still better!

Apart from the Chongzhen Emperor, who would dare be an Ama to Zhu Cilang?

It was not that he wanted to destroy the ancestral system of Manchu princely joint deliberation, but by his time this ancestral system had become far too distorted! In the time of Taizu Nurhaci and Taizong Hong Taiji, the Deliberative Council of Princes and Ministers did not discuss the matter of finding an Ama for the Emperor!

So upon seeing the corpse of his Imperial Ama Dorgon, the Shunzhi Emperor immediately burst into loud wailing, crying with such abandon that heaven and earth went dark, crying out genuine emotion. He cried so hard that a crowd of Great Qing princes and ministers, and even Prince Aurangzeb, who had come to watch the excitement, began to have doubts — could this Dorgon actually be the little Shunzhi Emperor's real biological Ama? If he were not, how could he cry so heartbrokenly?

The crowd of Great Qing princes and ministers began to speculate: why had Dorgon not become emperor himself back then, but let Shunzhi take the throne?

And the Taizong Emperor had so many wives, and Aunt Bumbutai was not even that good-looking — why did Dorgon want her?

Now it all made sense — the late emperor had turned out to be a cuckold king!

(End of Chapter)