Chapter 897: The Great Qing Is Back! (Seeking Subscriptions)

The Hall of Supreme Harmony in Beijing's Forbidden City was originally the Hall of Imperial Supremacy, the place where Ming emperors held court and conducted state affairs. When Li Zicheng withdrew from Beijing, he set it on fire, and after the Qing took over, it took many years to gradually restore it, so the Shunzhi Emperor also sat on the dragon throne in this palace for a period of time. But who could have expected that the towering edifice of the Great Qing would collapse in the blink of an eye, and the Shunzhi Emperor would become the Prince Gong of the Great Ming? Thus the newly restored Hall of Supreme Harmony sat idle for quite some time, until the second day of the second month of the eighth year of Hongxing of the Great Ming, when it was put back into use.

The resplendent Hall of Supreme Harmony had at last welcomed its second spring!

Before the sky had fully brightened, groups of "Qing officials" in their court hats with rank finials, court beads, and rank-badge robes had already all assembled, waiting for the court session to begin.

If one looked closely at the faces of these neatly robed officials, one could clearly see that most of them wore expressions of delight and excitement, as though they were about to be promoted and enriched at any moment. The remaining few were forcing smiles — clearly grinning with bared teeth, yet looking worse than if they were weeping.

And these two expressions fully demonstrated the excellent situation of ethnic unity and ethnic integration within the city of Beijing!

Because at this juncture, with the Great Qing about to be restored, those forcing smiles while inwardly terrified were all Manchus. And those genuinely rejoicing from the heart were all Han Chinese!

In other words, this Great Qing, reopening for business with drums beating anew, was not the Great Qing in which the Eight Banners rode on the backs of the Han laboring masses and lorded it over them — the Eight Banners men in Beijing, including the Shunzhi Emperor who had already donned the dragon robe, none of them truly wanted to restore the Great Qing. At least none had thought of restoring it immediately!

Shi Kefa and Yan Yingyuan's two hundred thousand troops were now stationed at Tianjin, watching with tiger-like intensity, waiting to earn merit! The Eight Banners men in Beijing could not even run away and play dead fast enough — who would dare restore the dynasty?

Even the Shunzhi Emperor himself only wanted to use Beijing as a bargaining chip to obtain a territory where he could settle down and make a living. He was actually quite willing to serve as Great Khan of the Mongols for Zhu Ama; the problem was that the Mongols on the steppe did not support him!

The Jirim League, Josotu League, Juu Uda League, Xilin Gol League, and Ulanqab League — these five eastern leagues — were now all following Dodo.

And the Yeke Juu League, composed of the six Ordos banners, had, with the support of the Great Ming Prince of Dai, Zhu Cijiong, advanced eastward into the Tumed plain, and had now taken control of the two Tumed banners of Guihua City. After the start of spring, they had even dispatched an armed delegation to the eight Chahar banners, demanding that they expel the officials originally sent by the Great Qing and submit to the Tumed plain!

As for the Tüsheet Khan, Sechen Khan, and Jasaghtu Khan divisions of the Khalkha Mongols, and the Khoshut Khanate of Qinghai and Tibet — there had not even been any news from them.

With things as they were, how could Fulin still become Great Khan of the Mongols?

So he had no choice but to hold out stubbornly in Beijing. But clinging on in Beijing and restoring the Great Qing were two entirely different matters!

"His Majesty arrives."

Amid the eunuch's announcement, the Shunzhi Emperor had already entered the great hall and arrived beside the imperial throne. He glanced at the familiar throne, sighed, steeled his heart, shut his eyes, gritted his teeth, and sat down. He looked for all the world as though he were sitting in an electric chair.

"Long live His Majesty, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!"

The man above was "sitting in the electric chair," while those below were shouting "ten thousand years" like a mountain roar.

Fulin sighed: "Rise, rise — all of you, rise!"

Everyone clambered to their feet. The Manchus, none of whom wanted a restoration, hung their heads, probably pondering how to flee beyond the passes. The Han Chinese, eager for restoration, craned their necks to gaze at the Shunzhi Emperor, grinning cheerfully and without much reverence — the Great Qing of today had been propped up by them; the Manchus would have to stand aside!

"Your Majesty," someone had already stepped out from the ranks to memorialize — it was Shang Kexi's son, Shang Zhixin. "The restoration of our Great Qing is a matter for rejoicing and congratulation. Envoys should be dispatched to the Ming state, the Shun, Joseon, the Mongols, España, Russia, India, and other countries to announce it."

Dispatch envoys to announce it to the Ming state? Fulin thought to himself: You mean declare war, don't you?

"What the Anda Gong says is absolutely right." Fulin now had no choice but to force a smile, and he even addressed Shang Zhixin as "Anda Gong."

The so-called "Anda" meant friend or brother. Shang Kexi was now the most powerful warlord in Beijing, and Shang Zhixin had entered the palace on his father's orders to serve as an imperial bodyguard, protecting Fulin.

"Your Majesty," Shang Zhixin continued, "this slave suggests dispatching Commander Suksaha as envoy to the Ming and Shun states, Commander Baindu as envoy to Joseon and Japan, Scholar Sun as envoy to Russia and España, and Commander Lambai as envoy to India."

"This..."

The important ministers Fulin could now rely on were only the Manchu ministers Sonin, Suksaha, Baindu, and Lambai, and there was also Sun Zhixie, who seemed somewhat loyal. According to Shang Zhixin's proposal, all of them except Sonin would be sent away!

Fulin of course could not agree. Just as he was worrying about what excuse to use to decline, Geng Zhongming, of the "family utterly loyal and devoted," had already opened his mouth with reddened eyes. He glared and said: "Your Majesty! We slaves have staked the lives of our entire families, old and young, for the Great Qing! Does Your Majesty still harbor a distinction between Manchu and Han, and not regard us slaves as your own people?"

Sonin shouted sternly: "Geng Zhongming, you are insolent!"

"Sonin, you are the insolent one!" Shang Kexi said in a deep voice. "Geng Yuntai is a Prince. How dare you address him by his personal name?"

What? Geng Zhongming is a Prince now? Sonin was stunned. Hadn't Geng Zhongming's title of Prince Jingnan been yielded to that damned Geng Jimao?

"Prince Shang is right!" Fan Wencheng's eldest son, Fan Chengyin, also spoke up with reddened eyes. His father had died too horribly, so he was especially trusted, serving as deputy commander of the Beijing Guard Army — he too had guns in his hands!

After Shang Kexi, Geng Zhongming, Kong Tingxun, and Shen Yongxing had marched their troops into Beijing, Fan Chengyin had stood with them.

Fan Chengyin said: "The Geng family is utterly loyal and devoted. Geng Yuntai is naturally a Prince!"

Kong Tingxun also said: "What Commander Fan says is most excellent. This slave's family is also utterly loyal and devoted, and Commander Fan's family is likewise utterly loyal and devoted. Might this slave and Commander Fan both be granted princedoms?"

Fine, you're ennobling yourselves now.

"Good, good, then let there be princedoms!" Fulin dared not say no.

"We shall enfeoff Minister Geng as Prince Jingnan, Minister Kong as Prince Dingnan, and Minister Fan as Prince Zhennan. How is that?"

"Not good enough," said Shang Kexi. "The Manchu princes all have single-character princedoms. Why should we get two-character princedoms? Unfair!"

"Then what princedoms do you want?" Fulin's heart sank! He finally realized that he, the emperor, seemed to have a bit of Emperor Xian of Han about him... and it looked worse than being Prince Gong of the Great Ming!

Shang Kexi said: "This old man is a loyal subject, so I shall be Prince Zhong — the Loyal Prince!"

"Good, good, you shall be the Loyal Prince of our Great Qing!" Shunzhi thought to himself: You, a turncoat, are now coercing your sovereign, and you have the nerve to call yourself loyal.

"This old man values righteousness above all, so I shall be Prince Yi — the Righteous Prince!"

"Fine, you shall be the Righteous Prince." Shunzhi thought: You, righteous? Sun Yuanhua treated you so well, yet you had the heart to betray him and cause his death — and you still dare speak of righteousness?

"This slave is a descendant of the Sage Confucius," said Kong Tingxun. "From childhood I have been versed in letters and propriety, so I shall be Prince Li — the Prince of Rites!"

You, a descendant of the Sage Confucius? You and your father both had a hand in the grave-robbing at Qufu, didn't you? Shunzhi of course dared not speak his mind, so he could only steel himself and say: "Good, good, you are the Prince of Rites!"

Fan Chengyin said: "This slave is a descendant of Fan Zhongyan. From childhood I have understood the principle of being first to bear the world's worries and last to enjoy its pleasures. I once aspired to be an honest and people-loving official, but alas, things went contrary to my wishes — so let me be Prince Lian — the Prince of Integrity!"

"Fine, you shall be the Prince of Integrity!" Shunzhi sighed, looked at the assembled ministers below, and, for some unknown reason, actually asked: "Does anyone else want to be a prince?"

"Yes!" The one who stepped forward to demand a princedom was Shen Yongxing, Duke Xushun. He was the grandson of Shen Shikui, the last Regional Commander of Pidao. His father, Shen Zhixiang, had surrendered to the Qing in the eleventh year of Chongzhen with his troops. Because the surrender had come too late, he had only received the title of Duke Xushun, which he deeply regretted. Now there was finally a chance to make up for it, and of course it could not be missed.

"This slave seeks a princedom on behalf of his father. Your Majesty, please grant whatever you see fit!"

Shunzhi sighed: "You are a filial son, and We are also a filial son. You might as well be Prince Xiao — the Filial Prince!"

(End of Chapter)