Jonathan knew that he had made up his mind: "In that year, who will Dorgon start with?"
Lin Chong thought for a while: "I think it should be Wu Sangui."
Jonathan was curious: "Oh? How did you infer it?"
Lin Chong held his head: "Maybe it's intuition. A man of noble origin like Dorgon probably looks down on a mountain villager like Li Zicheng. What's more, in terms of combat power, Li Zicheng's motley army is far inferior.
Wu Sangui’s cavalry.”
Jonathan snorted: "What's more, according to your statement, Wu Sangui is on the right side. It would be understandable if the Qing army chose him."
Lin Chong nodded. In fact, he made such a guess based solely on the historical record. He was not sure whether Dorgon would make the same choice as history.
Although it was said to be a gamble, Lin Chong was not completely unsure. He felt that since Li Zicheng and Wu Sangui had persisted until now, there was no reason to rebel on the spot. No matter from which point of view, putting the Qing people in the pass now would not be a good idea.
It would be of no benefit to them. Not only would they have to bear the name of treason, but they would also gain little benefit from the Qing army.
Their current status is considered respected. Even if they cooperate with the Qing army, Dorgon may not be able to grant them higher official positions and better treatment, and they will also be squeezed out by other Manchu nobles.
If they were not forced to do so, Lin Chong felt that they would not abandon Ming Dynasty or themselves. Therefore, he still had high hopes for this battle and was not as pessimistic as others.
Soon news spread in the imperial city that Wu Sangui's concubine Chen Yuanyuan and her father Wu Xiang were imprisoned in the capital by a group of bandits who claimed to be Li Zicheng's remnant party.
Wu Sangui was furious, and the two groups almost started fighting again. This battle was also hastily. After several days, no-war signs were hung at the city gates. No matter how the Qing people cursed below, no one paid attention to this place.
.
Dorgon knew that they were already in chaos in the pass, and it was said that small-scale fights had broken out several times in a row. Isn't this a rare and good opportunity?
Dorgon once again sent a letter of persuasion to the two of them. This time, although the two people's superficial attitudes were still righteous, Dorgon could clearly feel that their attitudes were no longer as firm as before.
After understanding this, he was no longer anxious and waited patiently for two days. Sure enough, on the third day, news came that a homing pigeon was shot down while flying over the camp where the Qing army was stationed.
The first person to receive the news was Li Zicheng. He stated in the letter that he could no longer be regarded as a subject of the Ming Dynasty. It was a helpless move for him to agree to send troops to Shanhaiguan this time. He had been tricked by the Ming Emperor and was lured here.
But he didn't expect that he still didn't trust him and insisted on letting Wu Sangui go with him.
Wu Sangui was cunning, scheming and careless. He often quarreled with himself over trivial matters. His generals were even more arrogant. Li Zicheng felt that he had done his best. He was fed up with fighting alongside such people anymore, so he was very
I sincerely want to discuss cooperation with the Qing army.
Dorgon didn't say anything after reading the letter, but kept tapping the table in the tent with his fingers. Next to him stood a man who was slightly shorter than him and looked about fifty-six times similar to him.
This person is none other than his half-brother Dodo.
Dorgon has a fatal flaw. Although he is talented and resourceful, he can also seize opportunities in big matters.
But he seems to have done a poor job in appointing talents. It is widely rumored that Dorgon could not see anyone more talented than him working with him. On the contrary, he used nepotism when selecting officials. This is too much.
Duo, in particular, did not have much ability and was the most despised.
It happened that Dorgon had to take him with him wherever he went. He held his younger brother in high esteem. What he did in the name of regent was already an emperor's business. Therefore, although many people were dissatisfied with his move, they did not dare to express it.
What objections.
Duduo also saw the contents of the letter, and he clapped his hands happily: "This is a rare good opportunity. These Han people themselves started fighting first. I think Li Zicheng still has some eyes, so we might as well follow him
If you cooperate, the most important thing is to give him some benefits."
Dorgon patted his younger brother on the shoulder and smiled: "How can it be so easy? This matter needs to be discussed in the long run. I will consider what you said."
Duduo was very happy when he heard Dorgon said that he would consider his words.
After Duduo left, a man dressed like a messenger walked into the tent: "This matter is not appropriate. The regent should give it more thought."
Hearing this voice, a layer of frost appeared on Dorgon's face: "Jierharang, you are quite courageous. Who asked you to follow me?"
Jierhalang seemed not to hear the anger and murderous intent in the other party's voice, and still said to himself: "As far as I know, the Han people are so cunning. They just handed over the surrender letter two days ago. It is impossible for them to surrender so quickly."
I’ve thought about it so clearly, maybe there’s some fraud involved.”
Of course Dorgon also considered that the matter must not be that simple, but when he said it, it seemed as if he was laughing at himself for his stupidity.
What Jierhalang didn't know was that what Dorgon hated the most was that he seemed to like to show how wise and far-sighted he was by admonishing others and going against others.
Therefore, although what he said made sense, Dorgon didn't listen at all. His face was ashen and he was repeating the question he just asked: "Didn't you hear what I said? I asked you who allowed you to sneak in.
of?"
Jilharang lowered his head slightly, and his voice was as neither humble nor overbearing as ever: "You and I are both regents. Logically speaking, if you want to come with the army or if you want to come here temporarily, it seems that your consent is not required. The emperor does not know that I am coming.
Here."
Dorgon laughed angrily when he heard this: "What do you mean? After being the regent for a few days, you feel that you can be equal to me, right? Do you think you can be equal to me based on your background?"
Jilharang's face turned a little pale: "Now we are discussing the matter. The most important thing at the moment is whether the letter of surrender sent by the Han people is a fraud. It seems that there is no need to discuss the issue of my origin now."
Dorgon sneered: "I'm just afraid that some people will lose their ability to weigh their own weight if they stay in one position for a long time."
Jierhalang smiled bitterly: "Don't worry, Prince Regent. I know my status very well. However, I would like to remind you that Duduo is not very wise and thoughtful and is not suitable for taking to the battlefield."