Chapter 767: Election

The Deliberative Princes' Grand Council convened right here at the Mulan hunting grounds, in the great tent of the Shunzhi Khan, a spacious place that could pack in quite a crowd, so every prince, duke, and minister at the grounds was summoned to attend, whether or not they were actually members of the Deliberative Council.

Presiding over the meeting were Shunzhi and Bumbutai, mother and son both dressed all in white, in mourning for Dorgon!

The Shunzhi Emperor's eyes were swollen from weeping, as though he had not grieved this much even when Hong Taiji died!

The assembled Qing princes and ministers all saw it as clear as a mirror in their hearts — the Emperor had surely lost his own Ama, and he was a filial son!

"Emperor!" Seeing her son lost in tears and forgetting the words he was supposed to say, Bumbutai whispered a reminder, "It is time to speak!"

Speak about what? To begin the election of a new Imperial Ama? Was there such a thing in this world? Could an Ama be chosen by election?

Shunzhi sighed: "Princes and ministers, the Imperial Ama has passed away, and Our heart is in turmoil. Fortunately, the Great Qing still has all of you to rely upon. Although the Imperial Ama left no formal testamentary edict, his last words were spoken before everyone present. Today, let us deliberate upon the matter."

This is a wise sovereign! He understands the importance of the Deliberative Princes and Ministers Council!

Every one of the Deliberative Princes and Ministers nodded inwardly — except Ajige.

"Your Majesty, Empress Dowager," Ajige was the first to speak, his tone aggressive, "this subject wishes to know: in our Great Qing, do the Deliberative Princes' Council and the Emperor decide matters, or do the Imperial Ama's last words carry the day?"

The Shunzhi Emperor wiped his tears and said hoarsely: "By the ancestral institutions of the Manchu, governance is of course by the joint deliberation of the Deliberative Princes and Ministers."

"Then let there be no more talk of last words!" Ajige said. "When the Imperial Ama was alive and lucid, he never once said anything about the Fifteenth taking over as regent, nor did the Deliberative Princes and Ministers Council ever deliberate on the matter. Words spoken on his deathbed cannot count."

That was one way to put it, but Dorgon's intention to have Dodo succeed him was plain enough for even a blind man to see!

"Prince Ying," the one who spoke was Dodo's representative on the Deliberative Princes and Ministers Council, Bahana, the Plain Blue Banner commander — the very man who had brought down Hooge. Naturally, he had to back Dodo. "Who does not know that the Imperial Ama groomed Prince Yu? Prince Yu now controls the troops and territory of the old homeland beyond the passes. How many more years can our Great Qing and the Southern Ming remain at peace? The Five-Year Pact is nearly up, and everyone here should know how the Southern Ming has developed these past few years!

Once the Five-Year Pact expires, it will likely be a fight to the death! When that time comes, the court will surely have to move back to Shengjing, make Shengjing its base, and contend with the Southern Ming for the realm once more."

Making Beijing the foundation had been a plan for a Northern and Southern Dynasties arrangement, but now that no longer seemed likely, so the only fallback was to seek a Liao-Song standoff. In that case, the Great Qing could not use Beijing as its foundation, because Beijing was the front line — one careless moment and it would be surrounded by the Southern Ming's great army.

Of course, Beijing's walls were high and strong, and it would not fall easily. But if the Qing court were bottled up inside the city, it would lose the ability to command the four directions.

Therefore, once war broke out between Ming and Qing, moving the capital to Shengjing was a necessity.

After the Qing court moved away, the outer walls of Beijing could be demolished, and the materials used to build thirteen gun platforms (at the four corners and nine gates). Then the fifty or sixty li of Beijing's inner city could be held with just twenty thousand elite troops!

With the Beijing fortress tying down and wearing out the Ming's northern expedition army, the Great Qing could reenact the old story of the Great Liao relying on Yanjing to teach the Great Song lesson after lesson.

And even if that failed, was there not still the old homeland beyond the passes?

Once Bahana laid out his argument, every Deliberative Prince and Minister present nodded — Dodo now controlled everyone's line of retreat!

Ajige's face darkened, but he did not know how to persuade them, and sat there fuming!

Just then, Bumbutai spoke: "But Prince Yu is at Nurgan City, and he must still direct the campaigns against Japan and Russia. How could he possibly come to Beijing?"

Ajige cast a grateful look at his aunt — what a good aunt! So considerate! No wonder the Fourteenth was so fond of her.

"Right, right, right!" Ajige said. "Can the Fifteenth even come? Russia and Japan still need him to fight them! Our Great Qing cannot go a single day without an Imperial Ama!"

What did he mean, cannot go a single day without an Imperial Ama?

Hearing this, Shunzhi wished he could go up and slap Ajige twice.

Bahana was not about to back down either. "Is there not still the Deliberative Princes and Ministers Council?"

Ajige snorted: "There still has to be someone acting as regent. Otherwise, when everyone has his own opinion, whose do we follow?"

Shunzhi's face turned livid. The Great Qing clearly had a wise sovereign right here!

Bumbutai said: "Oh, that is easily settled. Let Prince Ying, Prince Yu, and Prince Zheng all serve as regents together!"

So that would make three Imperial Amas?

Shunzhi panicked and hastily interjected: "They would be regents, not Imperial Amas!"

An Imperial Ama and a regent were not the same. There was only one Imperial Ama — no, two — but in any case there could not be a third!

Bumbutai glanced at her son, then looked at Ajige and Jirgalang: "I think that settles it. Prince Ying, Prince Zheng, what do the two of you think?"

The moment Ajige heard he would have to stand on equal footing with Jirgalang, he was somewhat displeased.

Jirgalang was no fool either. Why would he willingly jump back into the fire?

"Empress Dowager, this old subject is advanced in years and lacking in vigor, truly unfit for such a heavy responsibility." He paused. "This old subject believes that with Prince Ying and Prince Yu jointly serving as regents, and with Your Highness the Empress Dowager and the Emperor keeping watch, the affairs of the Great Qing will surely be handled well."

Old fox!

Ajige cursed inwardly, because Jirgalang had declined the regency himself but dragged the Empress Dowager Bumbutai into it.

This was setting up rule from behind the curtain!

Though displeased in his heart, he could not very well rebuff Jirgalang to his face, so he could only nod in agreement: "Empress Dowager, this subject also asks that you come forth to hear governance."

Bumbutai waved her hand: "We are but a woman. Our Great Qing does not imitate those Han people, resorting to rule from behind the curtain at every turn — that is not good. Moreover, the Emperor is already fourteen this year and has completed his grand wedding, so by rights he may take personal rule. It is only because the times are difficult and the Emperor is still young that Prince Ying and Prince Yu are needed to serve as regents together. Better to let the Emperor hear governance, with Prince Ying and Prince Yu as regents, and with the princes and ministers deliberating as well — everyone consulting together in handling affairs."

Jirgalang immediately picked up Bumbutai's thread and declared loudly: "The Empress Dowager is sagacious!"

All the other Deliberative Princes and Ministers present, except Bahana, who represented Dodo, and Ajige, joined in the shout: "The Empress Dowager is sagacious!"

After the shouting died down, Ajige glanced at Bahana and said with a smile: "This is the joint decision of the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and all present. Surely the Fifteenth will not object?"

How could Dodo object? Raise troops in rebellion? He would have no just cause! And although Ajige was not the sharpest, he was a fine hand at war. With the court behind him, Dodo might not be able to beat him.

Bahana sighed: "Prince Yu will naturally not object."

"Then it is settled!" Ajige bowed to Shunzhi and Bumbutai. "This subject Ajige requests that His Majesty issue an edict investing the new regents and proclaiming the hearing of governance."

At least it was not a new Ama. And he had even gained the power to hear governance!

Shunzhi also breathed a great sigh of relief and nodded: "Prince Ying's proposal accords well with Our intent. We add one more item: We confer upon Prince Ying and Prince Yu the honorific of Imperial Uncle Father. We hope that the two Uncle Princes will sincerely assist in governance and together bring peace to the realm."

The words were well spoken and the favor handsomely bestowed, but he had deliberately emphasized "assist in governance" — it was "assisting," not "regency."

Ajige knew Shunzhi had misspoken, but he was too embarrassed to point it out, so he simply received the edict along with everyone else.

Shunzhi then asked Ajige: "Uncle Prince, how should the Imperial Ama's funeral be arranged? Should he be posthumously honored as Emperor? Should the imperial tomb be built to the standard of an emperor's mausoleum? Should Prince Yu the Regent be summoned back to court to jointly discuss the Imperial Ama's funeral rites?"

There was hidden meaning in that question!

All the preceding items were empty formalities — the man was dead, and even making him the Jade Emperor would be meaningless; no matter how fine the tomb, he would not be comfortable living in it. So the one crucial question was: should Dodo be summoned back?

Ajige said: "The Imperial Ama should of course be posthumously honored as Emperor, and the tomb should be an imperial mausoleum. As for Prince Yu, there is no need for him to return. If the fighting on Sakhalin is finished, there is still Yaksa to be taken, and still the Russians along the Zeya River to be cleared out. He has plenty to keep him busy."

(End of Chapter)