Zhu Ci entered the pass on horseback wearing armor, while Dodo and Jirgalang knelt on the ground and surrendered with their men.
Zhu Ci looked at them for a long time before finally putting on a smile and saying, "Rise."
Dodo and Jirgalang rose, exchanging a glance as the Emperor dismounted.
Despite having fought to the death for so long, this was actually the first time they had ever seen each other.
Dodo and Jirgalang were quite different from what Zhu Ci had imagined; Dodo was tall and heroic-looking, appearing not at all like a reckless man, but rather possessing a certain air of deep calculation.
Jirgalang, on the other hand, had an air of scholarship about him; if he were to dress up, he might pass for a scholar.
However, the shaved hairstyles of these two men made Zhu Ci feel quite uncomfortable.
I'll have to make sure these Manchus grow their hair back later; I'll also have to make them learn Chinese and Chinese characters.
Although the Manchu language and script are also forms of civilization and it would be a pity if they disappeared, this is necessary if we want to integrate the Manchus.
Zhu Ci couldn't just kill all the Manchus, could he?
Even Fu wouldn't agree to such a thing; if it came to that, the memorial would bury him!
Moreover, he wouldn't be able to do it himself; if things really turned out that way, what difference would there be between him and those beasts who ordered the massacre of the city?
Zhu Ci sat in the seat of honor and lifted his chin. "Sit."
Only then did Dodo and Jirgalang sit down, before casting another glance at the Emperor.
Even though they were already intimately familiar with some information regarding the Emperor, even at this moment, they could not help but feel a sense of wonder.
Too young.
Moreover, his appearance was.. well, they dared not comment on His Majesty's looks, but looking at this face alone, they simply could not associate him with that iron-blooded tyrant.
Especially when he smiled, his eyes curved, making him look refined and amiable.
Even Dodo could not help but steal a few extra glances. He had originally thought he had seen all the beauties in the world, but now he realized his horizons were still not wide enough.
Regarding the subtle scrutiny from Dodo and Jirgalang, Zhu Ci said nothing; he simply had people prepare food and said, "I have long since ordered that no alcohol be consumed in the army, even in the event of a great victory. Therefore, I ask you two to bear with this inconvenience and eat something first."
At this moment, Dodo could already smell the aroma of mutton and lamb, he couldn't help but swallow his saliva.
Why did he and Jirgalang choose to surrender? It was, of course, because their supplies were insufficient; even if the two of them disregarded the lives of their subordinates, they could not have held out for much longer.
When even eating one's fill was a luxury, let alone meat dishes.
The two of them had not seen any meat for several days!
If there's no wine, then there's no wine; being able to have a hearty meal is good enough.
After finishing this meal, Zhu Ci let the two of them have a good sleep; next, he was going to make the most of the faces of Dodo and Jirgalang.
Setting everything else aside, they should at least be able to handle Nankou and Changping, right?
If the newly surrendered generals did not bring many troops under their command, they were always required to present a token of their loyalty.
The battle at Nankou went very smoothly, but upon reaching Changping, they encountered an obstacle: Dorgon had arrived.
Zhu Ci was not surprised.
Beijing was already in imminent danger; even if Dorgon returned and managed to hold Baoding, it would be useless. Once Zhu Ci occupied Beijing, he could easily turn around and coordinate with Li Guo and the others to strike Baoding.
At this stage, Dorgon had no choice but to abandon Baoding.
After hearing the news, Zhu Ci let out a sigh and said to Dodo, "I cannot bear to see you brothers slaughter one another. Go to Zhangjiakou."
Dodo felt a chill in his heart upon hearing this; His Majesty did not want to leave any way out for us Manchus.
But at this moment, he no longer cared; after all, he had already surrendered. What the Manchus did had nothing to do with him. Perhaps it would be better if all the Manchus surrendered; that way, he wouldn't have to suffer such inner torment.
Dodo took his orders and departed. Jirgalang watched his retreating figure with bitterness in his heart; he also desperately wanted to fight for Zhangjiakou.
He had both cooperated and been at odds with Dorgon, because they had known each other for a long time, he knew very well what kind of person Dorgon was.
No matter which aspect you consider it from, Jirgalang was almost completely defeated by Dorgon.
Sending him to fight Dorgon now.. I fear he might not survive.
Zhu Ci looked at Jirgalang's worried expression and smiled faintly. "Jirgalang, there is no need for you to worry. I will also be joining this expedition to Changping."
Hearing this, Jirgalang's heart instantly felt at ease.
Dorgon had already been defeated by the Emperor once; this time.. he likely won't fare any better.
Especially since the Great Ming has come up with firearms that are dropped from the sky; how is Dorgon supposed to defend against that?
This time, Zhu Ci did not intend to use that one.
Previously, whether attacking Badaling or Shangguan, because these places were all walled cities garrisoned by soldiers, there were no civilians.
Changping, however, was a county town, there were civilians living there.
Nowadays, hot air balloon bombs are completely uncontrollable. Even if long-range archers see a bomb flying toward a civilian area and refrain from shooting it down, the hot air balloon's fuel will eventually run out, not to mention the various other unforeseen accidents.
Of course, the most important factor was that Zhu Ci's own supplies were no longer that abundant.
The supply lines transporting goods from the south were simply too long. Even with Datong acting as a transit hub in the middle, the rugged mountains around Juyong Pass made transporting heavy baggage quite difficult.
Therefore, along this route, Zhu Ci relied more on living off the land through warfare. The current biggest problem was that even after capturing Juyong Pass, he hadn't received much in the way of supplies; in fact, because of Dodo and Jirgalang's surrender, there were many more Qing soldiers who consumed resources.
Zhu Ci did not even dare to reveal that supplies were insufficient, for he feared that Jirgalang would rebel.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Zhu Ci: He's finally here! I've been waiting for him for so long! A cat putting on armor and spinning around twice. jpg
Next update at 12:00 PM~
Chapter 258
In front of Jirgalang, Zhu Ci always appeared composed and in full control of the situation.
However, in private, he couldn't help but sigh. He had originally intended to write a letter to Fu, but then he thought that by the time the letter arrived, he would have either already conquered Changping or chosen to maneuver from another location. Even if he told Fu, it would be useless and would only cause Fu anxiety.
The Grand Secretary's health had already suffered from staying up so late; it wouldn't be good to make him anxious as well.
Zhu Ci could only set down his brush and stare at the sand table.
If only a bolt of lightning would strike from the sky and kill Dorgon.
Of course, he was only thinking out loud; such a thing was almost impossible, besides, he couldn't truly rely on luck.
Upon arriving at Changping, Zhu Ci still launched a tentative attack, only to find that the city defense tactics here in Changping were extremely sluggish.
It wasn't exactly rigid, but it was different from Dorgon's previous style.
Dorgon did not even arrange for a squad to leave the city for a flanking ambush.
Zhu Ci made a swift decision and said to Jirgalang, "Dorgon has not yet recovered from his previous severe injuries; he likely lacks the strength and focus to launch a full-scale offensive at this time!"
Jirgalang felt instantly revitalized upon hearing this; he had been worried that Dorgon might still be able to command, but if the opponent was already lacking in energy, then it would be much easier.
Jirgalang immediately led his men to charge the city walls.
At this moment, his subordinates were dressed almost identically to the Qing Army defending the city; they were both defending the city and attacking it at the same time, which left Zhu Ci feeling deeply moved.
War is never something that can make a person happy, no matter when it occurs.
However, to his surprise, just as the siege was progressing quite smoothly, the defending troops, who had been growing increasingly exhausted, suddenly erupted with tenacious resistance.
Zhu Ci took a look through his monocular, then he saw Dorgon standing atop the wall.
Because he was standing quite far away, he could not clearly see Dorgon's current state.
However, the sight of the opponent in full armor appearing on the city walls was a massive boost to morale.
Zhu Ci put down his monocular and said nonchalantly, "What use is it if he comes? Could he possibly use himself as a firearm?"
Unless Dorgon were to transform into a nuclear weapon right now, even if he appeared on the city walls, it would be nothing more than a desperate, futile resistance.
Of course, even though he said that, Zhu Ci still personally inspected the defenses, instructing those below to be cautious and careful, so as not to suffer an unexpected setback.
That night, the camp was indeed ambushed. Zhu Ci woke up as soon as he heard the sounds outside getting slightly louder.
He had barely thrown on his clothes and had no time to ask what was happening before he saw Jirgalang rushing over and saying, "Reporting to His Majesty, the invading enemy has been repelled. Please rest assured, Your Majesty."
Zhu Ci was slightly stunned. "Repelled? You made arrangements in advance?"
Jirgalang said very respectfully, "I have known Dorgon for many years, so I have a certain understanding of him."
Zhu Ci gave him a long look and said with a smile, "With you here, I am indeed much more at ease. Someone, bestow a reward!
The rewards he was giving now were nothing more than money and similar things; Zhu Ci glanced at Wang Chang.
Wang Chang whispered to Jirgalang as they went out together, "Regarding your appointment, His Majesty has already written the imperial edict and handed it to the Grand Secretariat for deliberation. Once the Grand Secretariat has finished its deliberations, it will be handed to the Censorate for inspection. Only after both the Grand Secretariat and the Censorate have stamped it can it be issued. You must wait patiently."
Jirgalang said with emotion, "His Majesty truly possesses the appearance of a great ruler."
He spoke these words with true sincerity; ever since the era of Hong Taiji, the great drama of the struggle for the throne had continued to ripple through the ages.
Although the throne has been secured, it remains to be seen whether that child can sit upon it firmly.
Dorgon was eyeing the throne covetously, Jirgalang was competing with Dorgon for the great power of the Regent, the Empress Dowager was also fighting for power.
Everyone wants to grip power tightly in their own hands. Under such circumstances, the Southern Ming Emperor actually dared to delegate power to the Grand Secretariat and the Censorate, which truly forces one to look at him with new eyes.
The rise of a nation cannot be judged by the Emperor alone, but if the Emperor is incompetent, no matter how hard the ministers strive, their ambitions will ultimately have nowhere to be realized.
Jirgalang felt as if he finally understood why the Great Ming could still rise from the ashes.
Beside him, Wang Chang raised his chin and said proudly, "Of course."
Zhu Ci felt a rare moment of guilt after hearing Jirgalang's lament.
In fact, people in both the Grand Secretariat and the Censorate had complained that the three-way standoff existed in name only, believing they could restrain the Emperor, but they failed to stop him from carrying out a single thing he was truly determined to do.
If they had been able to stop him, it would have meant that the Emperor was merely indifferent to the matter and did not insist on it so much.
If Zhu Ci truly wanted to promote Jirgalang and Dodo, he could simply issue an imperial decree, the formalities could be completed later.
As long as he did not give these two men special favor, there would be no opposition within the imperial court.
However, Zhu Ci's insistence on following the proper procedures was merely a way of stalling them; he simply did not want to grant these two higher official positions.
It would make them feel as though their consciences were aching.