Chapter 135: Qing Court Deliberations

In Shengjing city, from within the walls to the outskirts, every household wore mourning white, and wailing filled the skies.

In this campaign against Ming, the Qing had raised a full hundred thousand troops, yet only a little over forty thousand returned — a loss of nearly sixty thousand.

Among them, ten thousand Eight Banner Manchu soldiers died in Ming territory; the Bordered White Banner lost over half its strength outright, the two Yellow Banners sent few men and nearly all of them were written off, the Plain Blue Banner was completely crippled in battle, and the two Red Banners, serving as support, suffered comparatively light losses.

The remainder were mostly camp followers, booi bondservants, household slaves, Mongol Eight Banner troops and outer vassals, Eight Banner Han troops, and soldiers from the northeastern tribes who accompanied the banners.

Though the losses were grievous, the gains from this raid into the passes were also considerable — altogether over fifty thousand captives were taken, along with more than sixty thousand head of cattle, horses, sheep, and mules.

Seized were over ten thousand taels of gold, 1.7 million taels of silver, 1,650 taels of pearls, 25,200-odd bolts of silks of every color, over 4,600 satin and fur garments, plus countless ironware and grain fodder.

In the Chongzheng Hall of the Shengjing imperial palace, a great court assembly was being held.

Hong Taiji stared expressionlessly at the list of spoils in his hand, occasionally lifting his head to sweep a glance at Ajige, who knelt prostrate on the ground.

Ajige, Ashan, and the other senior generals who had gone on the campaign all knelt prostrate, begging Hong Taiji for punishment; they kept wiping the sweat dripping down their cheeks, looking deeply fearful.

Hong Taiji casually set the list down on the table, personally descended from the throne down the imperial steps, and helped Ajige up, saying: "Twelfth Brother, you've gotten tanned, and thinner too."

Hearing this, Ajige's heart instantly relaxed, and a hint of a smile appeared on his face as he said: "Thank you for your concern, Eighth Brother — your younger brother will keep it engraved in his heart!"

More than a dozen Manchu and Han ministers stood in the hall, all of them the key officials currently around Hong Taiji; they all watched Hong Taiji's actions with meaningful looks. Only Dorgon and Dodo wore very sour expressions, silently cursing Ajige for his stupidity — actually climbing the pole handed to him and treating Hong Taiji like a sworn brother.

Hong Taiji patted Ajige's shoulder and said: "This campaign against Ming brought fine gains, and the strength of our Great Qing can rise another step. Twelfth Brother, what reward do you want?"

It's over? Hong Taiji had set the tone for this campaign — he was a meritorious minister? And there was even a reward to be had? Ajige was delighted and was just considering what reward to ask for when a voice that sounded very unpleasant to the ears came from across the great hall.

Prince Zheng, Jirgalang, spoke up: "Your Majesty, Prince Wuying's campaign this time cost the Eight Banners too heavily — he absolutely must not be rewarded!"

Ajige looked at Jirgalang, who was attacking him, feeling greatly displeased inside, but he could only say reluctantly: "Your Majesty, your younger brother's losses on this campaign were indeed not small; I truly dare not claim the merit."

This time Ajige was considerably more sensible and no longer dared to treat Hong Taiji like a brother.

Hong Taiji waved his hand and said offhandedly: "In matters of war, how could there be no losses at all?"

Prince Su, Hooge, said urgently: "Imperial Father, Twelfth Uncle nearly destroyed my Plain Blue Banner — how can you still reward him?"

Being confronted head-on by his own eldest nephew, Ajige grew somewhat angry and said: "Hooge, your Plain Blue Banner was destroyed by your Seventh Uncle — what the hell does that have to do with me? If you're going to bite someone, at least get it straight!"

Hooge was just about to snap back when he saw Hong Taiji glare angrily at him; frightened, he withdrew resentfully.

Jirgalang continued: "Prince Wuying, I've heard that at Lengkou you led your troops out of the pass first on your own, leaving Beile Raoyu alone to command the Plain Blue Banner against tens of thousands of Ming troops."

Hearing this, Ajige immediately grew tense; he pointed at Jirgalang and said: "You're talking nonsense!"

Jirgalang gave a cold laugh and shot a meaningful glance at Ashan, who was still kneeling on the ground.

Ashan understood the signal, kowtowed to Hong Taiji, and said: "Your Majesty, Prince Wuying indeed left the pass first on his own. Beile Raoyu led the Plain Blue Banner to cover the rear and ultimately died in battle — the Plain Blue Banner was wiped out to the last man."

"You bastard!" Ajige pointed at Ashan and roared: "When you lost that day, I truly regret not killing you! Letting you spout nonsense here to slander me!"

Prince Rui, Dorgon, and Prince Yu, Dodo, exchanged a glance, both reading dissatisfaction in the other's eyes — clearly someone was setting a trap for Ajige.

Dorgon gave a cold snort and said: "Ashan, you just said the Plain Blue Banner was wiped out to the last man. You are the gushan ejen of the Plain Blue Banner and should have been with Seventh Brother — so how did you come back?"

Hearing this, Ashan immediately panicked. Back then, when Abatai had ordered a fight to the death, Ashan had seized the chaos of battle to quietly find a chance to slip away. The Plain Blue Banner had been wiped out to the last man, yet he alone, as its gushan ejen, had survived — wasn't that plainly desertion?

He hadn't expected Prince Rui's mind to be so quick, actually turning the spearhead on himself. Ashan truly didn't know how to answer and could only stammer out fabrications there, until he himself didn't even know what he was saying.

Hong Taiji gave an angry snort and said: "Ajige, at Lengkou, did you place the supplies with the rear army and lead your troops out of the pass first?"

Ajige, terrified, hastily knelt and said: "Your Majesty, your younger brother—"

Hong Taiji cut him off, eyes blazing with fury: "You only need to answer me — yes or no!"

Ajige said nervously: "Yes."

Hong Taiji said coldly and sternly: "Ajige, when marching south you left the pass first, disregarding the greater situation, causing Seventh Brother to die in battle — sentenced to stripping of rank and house arrest. Ashan, fleeing the field of battle — sentenced to dismissal from office and forfeiture of hereditary title. Abatai, though he had faults, ultimately died in battle for the state — he is now posthumously conferred as Prince Raoyu!"

"Your Majesty! I beg Your Majesty to spare your younger brother! Your Majesty—"

No matter how Ajige shouted and screamed, Hong Taiji remained utterly unmoved; two imperial guards directly dragged him away.

Only at this moment did Dorgon understand — the man behind the scheme to destroy Ajige was Hong Taiji himself; the earlier show of concern had been nothing but posturing.

Hong Taiji glanced at Dorgon, trying to read anger or some other meaning from his eyes, but the result was disappointing — Dorgon remained very calm, showing not the slightest intention of pleading for his own full brother.

"Fourteenth Brother, barely past twenty, already shows such composure — he'll be formidable in the future!" Hong Taiji sighed inwardly, pondering how to further weaken the strength of the two White Banners.

Hong Taiji was not the successor Nurhaci had designated. Because Nurhaci had died too hastily to name an heir, several powerful Beiles had bickered for a long while before finally electing the mediocre-strength Hong Taiji.

After Hong Taiji took the throne, his days were far from easy. Daišan, Manggūltai, and Amin — these three powerful Beiles treated him with cold indifference, and at court the Four Great Beiles sat side by side.

Hong Taiji could not enjoy the pleasure of being Great Khan at all, so he racked his brains for ways to eliminate the other three Beiles and stand supreme alone.

After much deliberation, he decided to use the young Dorgon brothers to check the other three Great Beiles. Thus, in the name of Nurhaci's deathbed decree, he appointed Dorgon as lord of the Plain White Banner and Dodo as lord of the Bordered White Banner.

After Ajige, Dorgon, and Dodo grew up, all three proved skilled in war and won no small merit; with Hong Taiji deliberately fostering them as well, their strength grew ever greater.

Later, Hong Taiji executed Manggūltai and Amin, and the remaining one, Daišan, immediately turned obedient, clearly expressing submission to Hong Taiji — only then was Hong Taiji's position as Khan stabilized.

The three Beiles were dealt with, but now another situation had emerged — the three Dorgon brothers had become Hong Taiji's greatest threat!

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