Chapter 2368
Chapter 2368
Chapter 2368
"Negotiate peace?" Yue Yongshou repeated the word to make sure his ears heard correctly.
In Yue Yongshou's memory, since he came to Jinzhou, he had never heard Haihan officials openly talk about the topic of peace negotiations with the Qing Dynasty.He couldn't even understand where Haihan's firm hostility towards the Manchu Qing came from. After all, the two countries were thousands of miles apart and had never dealt with each other before. hatred.
He can only guess that this may be because the ancestors of the Haihan people were Han people from Liaodong, who were persecuted by the Manchus, so they are so persistent in attacking the Manchus.Or maybe there is some kind of astonishing treasure in the area controlled by the Manchu Qing, and the Haihan people will get it as soon as possible, so they will not hesitate to resort to military means for this.
As for the Haihan people's claim that they sent troops to Liaodong to help Daming defend against foreign enemies, Yue Yongshou didn't even believe a word.These Haihan officials are obviously extremely philistine figures, so how could they send troops thousands of miles to Liaodong, and fight the Manchus to the death for the benefit of the Ming Dynasty.
But no matter what the real reason is, Yue Yongshou can be sure that Hai Han will never take the initiative to negotiate peace with Man Qing.Chen Yixin said that the Manchu Qing sent people to negotiate, which is also in line with the current situation.
Yue Yongshou said: "Then General Chen must have rejected them without hesitation?"
Chen Yixin said noncommittally: "Master Yue is not curious, what kind of truce conditions did the Qing Dynasty offer us?"
Yue Yongshou said: "Manchu barbarians are rude by nature, and they don't have any negotiating strategy. Most of them plan to use money as a condition, and hope that the Haihan army can hold their hands high!"
Yue Yongshou guessed most of his guesses correctly, and it seems that he has a good understanding of Man Qing's temperament.Chen Yixin responded: "Master Yue is right. The Manchu Qing intends to send me a large sum of money in exchange for a chance to negotiate an armistice. Although I am not a greedy person, I have to admit that the price they offered is really not It’s hard not to be tempted by such a small amount.”
Chen Yixin deliberately did not say the specific number, leaving room for imagination to Yue Yongshou.Sure enough, after hearing this, Yue Yongshou couldn't help but feel a little anxious: "General Chen, the Manchu Qing's negotiation with your country is probably just a way to delay the army. These barbarians have no faith to speak of. The general must not be fooled by them!"
Chen Yixin said: "Lord Yue, don't worry, I'm still considering it, and I haven't agreed to their request."
Yue Yongshou became even more anxious when he heard it. Chen Yixin said that he was still considering it, so there was a possibility of agreeing. This is definitely not a good thing for Daming.If Haihan really had a truce with the Manchu Qing, then the tens of thousands of elite Qing troops stationed in the north could be transferred to the Ming border within a month, and the external military pressure facing Ming would be even more difficult to resist.
"General Chen, the Manchu Qing is the common enemy of our two countries. Their move is to deliberately sow discord. General Chen has sharp eyesight. How can such a clumsy childish trick succeed? He must have seen through their plot long ago. I was worrying too much just now, I hope the general is not to blame."
Seeing that direct persuasion had no effect, Yue Yongshou immediately changed his strategy. He tried his best to put a high hat on Chen Yixin, and first used his words to support Chen Yixin. Will agree so easily.
Of course, this was just his wishful thinking. How could a decisive senior general like Chen Yixin be easily influenced by his simple words.
Chen Yixin smiled and said: "Master Yue is really good at talking. When the Manchu envoy came earlier, he should have asked you to deal with him."
Yue Yongshou said sternly: "If this person is still in Jinzhou, I would like to meet with him for a while and argue face to face. I hope General Chen will make it right."
Chen Yixin was originally setting up a trap for him, so naturally he would not say whether the Manchu envoy had left or not, so he took the initiative to change the subject: "Actually, Mr. Yue may not know that our country maintains a garrison in Jinzhou and fights the Manchu Qing several times a year. Second, the military expenditure in this area is very large. And the benefits we can obtain from the war are very limited, so the Golden State is actually a huge gold swallowing beast for our country. It only goes out but not in. Every year A lot of money has to be poured into it.”
"Our country is too far away from Jinzhou, and the domestic people lack understanding and understanding of the situation here. They don't quite understand why our country sent troops to such a distant place to participate in a fruitless war. So recently There are also many voices of doubt in the country, and I hope that the executive committee can take the initiative to abandon Golden State and deploy troops to other places, so as to avoid paying military expenses and the precious lives of soldiers in vain."
Chen Yixin paused at this point, carefully observed Yue Yongshou's reaction, and then continued: "The domestic anti-war voices are very loud, and the Executive Committee is also facing great pressure. For our country, if this If there is no gain in continuing the war with no end in sight, it may be beneficial for everyone to end it sooner."
Although Yue Yongshou is not a military expert, and he doesn't know whether the domestic situation in Haihan is really what Chen Yixin said, but he also understands what Chen Yixin said. Seeing any practical benefits, Hai Han already had the intention of retreating.
As for whether this is the will of the government or the people, or whether the government just wanted to find a reason to go downhill, it is not very meaningful to go deep into it at this time.The most urgent task for Yue Yongshou now is to try his best to persuade Chen Yixin to give up the idea of a truce.
"General Chen, it is absolutely impossible!" Yue Yongshou had lost interest in the sumptuous banquet in front of him, and his anxious expression was beyond words: "If your country chooses to cease fighting, the Qing army will definitely attack Ming with all its strength. How can you just sit and watch?"
Chen Yixin said with a look of embarrassment: "Of course I don't want to stop the war, but if the executive committee decides to end the war, then I can only obey the order. After all, the interests of our country must come first. If it comes to practical benefits, it is indeed a bad deal to continue fighting.”
Yue Yongshou was secretly angry when he heard it, and thought to himself that you Haihan people also regard the alliance between the two countries and the transnational war as business, and if you put profit first, you are indeed a first-class philistine.But he also understood that Chen Yixin's words were straightforward, but they were all the truth. If there was no benefit, why would the Haihan army want to attract firepower for Daming in Liaodong?These thousands of troops are stationed in Jinzhou. Even when there is no war, it is not easy to keep so many troops.
Chen Yixin spoke so clearly, if Yue Yongshou wanted to use the name of righteousness to persuade him, it seemed that he was not strong enough.
Yue Yongshou said: "General Chen, the imperial court is actually grateful for the heroic performance of the Haihan army in Jinzhou. Why don't you wait for the general to write to the imperial court first, explaining the difficulties here, and see what kind of support measures the imperial court can give , to relieve the Haihan army from worries."
Chen Yixin deliberately declined and said: "There is no need to trouble, right? Your country will inevitably need a lot of supplies and military expenses to fight against the Qing army, so you should meet your own needs first? As for our army... After the armistice, Jinzhou There is no need to station so many troops, and a group of people can be transferred back to the south, and the local military expenditure will naturally be reduced."
"No trouble, no trouble!" Yue Yongshou quickly responded: "Since the two countries are cooperating to fight against the Qing Dynasty, of course the Haihan army cannot bear it alone, and our country should also contribute."
Yue Yongshou's words were beautiful, but Chen Yixin was only dubious about his statement, not to mention whether Da Ming was willing to provide assistance to the Haihan Army, even if he was, Da Ming would probably not be able to squeeze out money to supply Haihan.It is very likely that Yue Yongshou's promise will only stay in words and cannot be implemented at all.
Chen Yixin said slowly: "I hope Lord Yue can understand that the supplies and military expenses needed by the Jinzhou garrison are very large. If it is just a drop in the bucket, it may not be enough to change the executive committee's decision."
Chen Yixin repeatedly emphasized that the cost of the Haihan army in Jinzhou was a "big sum", naturally in order to squeeze as much as possible from Daming to get better compensation conditions.Of course, this is not something that can be determined by Yue Yongshou's authority. Chen Yixin can only use him to put pressure on the Ming court. The more anxious Yue Yongshou feels, the more weighty the information he will give back to the court will be.
Yue Yongshou really felt the pressure at this time. If Haihan chose to stop the war, the imperial court would certainly not be able to blame Haihan, so someone had to bear this responsibility. It was his duty. When Hai Han made a decision that was not good for Daming, it was of course his negligence.
If the court blames him, even if he boasted about his achievements and personal friendship with General Haihan in the memorials in the past, it will be difficult to save his future official career.
But Yue Yongshou also understands very well that he is not a big shot, and his influence in the court is even more negligible. The memorial of meritorious service may make the big shot feel happy after reading it, but submitting a report complaining about applying for assistance is not a big deal. You won't be welcomed.
It is very likely that Yue Yongshou, who was regarded as a meritorious minister by the court in the past two months, will have to lose his official post due to the crime of "serious dereliction of duty".
Moreover, Chen Yixin's current attitude obviously did not intend to leave him much room for mediation, but just wanted to force him to come up with specific conditions immediately, which made Yue Yongshou feel even more pressured.
"If I knew this earlier, I should find a way to reject this banquet today!" Yue Yongshou couldn't help regretting his decision.But in fact, he also understands that escaping can't solve the problem, and he can't push it off for a while, and he still has to face this situation after all.He could only remind himself in his heart not to panic, to sort out the current situation first, without any omissions.
"General Chen, what kind of conditions did the envoy of the Qing Dynasty list in detail? Can you tell me in detail? Also, did he leave any documents, tokens and other things that I can see next time, so that I can tell the court When reporting on the situation in Golden State, it is better to describe the details more completely, so as to obtain better aid conditions for your country."
After Yue Yongshou calmed down, his thinking became much clearer.He must first confirm that there is indeed an envoy from the Manchu Qing Dynasty who came to visit Chen Yixin to discuss the truce. Otherwise, if Chen Yixin said nothing, he, as the special envoy of the Ming Dynasty in Jinzhou, failed to find out the truth and applied for assistance from the imperial court. Wouldn't it be a big deal? joke.
Of course, he generally knew that Chen Yixin was unlikely to make fun of such a thing. Manqing probably sent someone here, but whether the conditions offered were as Chen Yixin claimed, perhaps remains to be seen.
Chen Yixin responded: "Master Yue is suspicious of what I just said, let me repeat it to check the details?"
Seeing Chen Yixin's ugly face, Yue Yongshou hesitated, and quickly explained: "How dare you doubt what the general said! I just want to know more details... For example, who sent the envoy?"
Chen Yixin said: "The envoy's boss, Mr. Yue must be familiar with him. He was Shang Kexi, the general of Dongjiang Town. He has become a prince in the Manchu Qing Dynasty and is very popular with Huang Taiji, so this job is entrusted to him. superior."
"Ah... so it's this traitor!" Yue Yongshou had naturally heard of Shang Kexi's name. At that time, the whole court heard that Shang Kexi took tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians, took away a large number of ordnance ships and defected to Houjin, and they couldn't help scolding him. If the number of people forgets their ancestors, it is necessary to kill the nine clans.However, most of Shang Kexi's relatives died in the Liaodong War, and the few remaining people were all taken away by him when he defected. Even if he wanted to kill his family, he couldn't do it.
"The Han officials under Huang Taiji are most familiar with the environment of Liaodong than this person. Perhaps this is why he is in charge of negotiating peace with your army!" Yue Yongshou heard Chen Yixin mention Shang Kexi, and he believed it in his heart Most of it.If the Qing Dynasty wanted people to negotiate an armistice with Jinzhou, who else could be more suitable than Shang Kexi?
Chen Yixin said: "The envoy should be his confidant. Although I have rejected him face-to-face, it seems that he has no intention of giving up. It is estimated that he will come to Jinzhou again after asking for instructions. Ask for an armistice and peace talks. Of course, the conditions they offer will definitely change at that time, but I don’t know if they can make me tempted.”
"The general is determined, how can he be disturbed by these external forces, can't move, definitely can't move!" Yue Yongshou quickly seized the opportunity to say a few good words.
Chen Yixin said: "Master Yue also knows our country's style of doing things. As long as the conditions are right, there is actually nothing that cannot be discussed. For example, before our country sent troops to North Korea to help the country repel the Qing army's invasion, it was because North Korea issued an order to the executive committee Will be satisfied with the conditions. The reason why I refused Shang Kexi is that the conditions he offered are not of any practical benefit to our country. If he can come up with more sincere conditions next time, I will report it truthfully, please The executive committee decides."
(End of this chapter)
"Negotiate peace?" Yue Yongshou repeated the word to make sure his ears heard correctly.
In Yue Yongshou's memory, since he came to Jinzhou, he had never heard Haihan officials openly talk about the topic of peace negotiations with the Qing Dynasty.He couldn't even understand where Haihan's firm hostility towards the Manchu Qing came from. After all, the two countries were thousands of miles apart and had never dealt with each other before. hatred.
He can only guess that this may be because the ancestors of the Haihan people were Han people from Liaodong, who were persecuted by the Manchus, so they are so persistent in attacking the Manchus.Or maybe there is some kind of astonishing treasure in the area controlled by the Manchu Qing, and the Haihan people will get it as soon as possible, so they will not hesitate to resort to military means for this.
As for the Haihan people's claim that they sent troops to Liaodong to help Daming defend against foreign enemies, Yue Yongshou didn't even believe a word.These Haihan officials are obviously extremely philistine figures, so how could they send troops thousands of miles to Liaodong, and fight the Manchus to the death for the benefit of the Ming Dynasty.
But no matter what the real reason is, Yue Yongshou can be sure that Hai Han will never take the initiative to negotiate peace with Man Qing.Chen Yixin said that the Manchu Qing sent people to negotiate, which is also in line with the current situation.
Yue Yongshou said: "Then General Chen must have rejected them without hesitation?"
Chen Yixin said noncommittally: "Master Yue is not curious, what kind of truce conditions did the Qing Dynasty offer us?"
Yue Yongshou said: "Manchu barbarians are rude by nature, and they don't have any negotiating strategy. Most of them plan to use money as a condition, and hope that the Haihan army can hold their hands high!"
Yue Yongshou guessed most of his guesses correctly, and it seems that he has a good understanding of Man Qing's temperament.Chen Yixin responded: "Master Yue is right. The Manchu Qing intends to send me a large sum of money in exchange for a chance to negotiate an armistice. Although I am not a greedy person, I have to admit that the price they offered is really not It’s hard not to be tempted by such a small amount.”
Chen Yixin deliberately did not say the specific number, leaving room for imagination to Yue Yongshou.Sure enough, after hearing this, Yue Yongshou couldn't help but feel a little anxious: "General Chen, the Manchu Qing's negotiation with your country is probably just a way to delay the army. These barbarians have no faith to speak of. The general must not be fooled by them!"
Chen Yixin said: "Lord Yue, don't worry, I'm still considering it, and I haven't agreed to their request."
Yue Yongshou became even more anxious when he heard it. Chen Yixin said that he was still considering it, so there was a possibility of agreeing. This is definitely not a good thing for Daming.If Haihan really had a truce with the Manchu Qing, then the tens of thousands of elite Qing troops stationed in the north could be transferred to the Ming border within a month, and the external military pressure facing Ming would be even more difficult to resist.
"General Chen, the Manchu Qing is the common enemy of our two countries. Their move is to deliberately sow discord. General Chen has sharp eyesight. How can such a clumsy childish trick succeed? He must have seen through their plot long ago. I was worrying too much just now, I hope the general is not to blame."
Seeing that direct persuasion had no effect, Yue Yongshou immediately changed his strategy. He tried his best to put a high hat on Chen Yixin, and first used his words to support Chen Yixin. Will agree so easily.
Of course, this was just his wishful thinking. How could a decisive senior general like Chen Yixin be easily influenced by his simple words.
Chen Yixin smiled and said: "Master Yue is really good at talking. When the Manchu envoy came earlier, he should have asked you to deal with him."
Yue Yongshou said sternly: "If this person is still in Jinzhou, I would like to meet with him for a while and argue face to face. I hope General Chen will make it right."
Chen Yixin was originally setting up a trap for him, so naturally he would not say whether the Manchu envoy had left or not, so he took the initiative to change the subject: "Actually, Mr. Yue may not know that our country maintains a garrison in Jinzhou and fights the Manchu Qing several times a year. Second, the military expenditure in this area is very large. And the benefits we can obtain from the war are very limited, so the Golden State is actually a huge gold swallowing beast for our country. It only goes out but not in. Every year A lot of money has to be poured into it.”
"Our country is too far away from Jinzhou, and the domestic people lack understanding and understanding of the situation here. They don't quite understand why our country sent troops to such a distant place to participate in a fruitless war. So recently There are also many voices of doubt in the country, and I hope that the executive committee can take the initiative to abandon Golden State and deploy troops to other places, so as to avoid paying military expenses and the precious lives of soldiers in vain."
Chen Yixin paused at this point, carefully observed Yue Yongshou's reaction, and then continued: "The domestic anti-war voices are very loud, and the Executive Committee is also facing great pressure. For our country, if this If there is no gain in continuing the war with no end in sight, it may be beneficial for everyone to end it sooner."
Although Yue Yongshou is not a military expert, and he doesn't know whether the domestic situation in Haihan is really what Chen Yixin said, but he also understands what Chen Yixin said. Seeing any practical benefits, Hai Han already had the intention of retreating.
As for whether this is the will of the government or the people, or whether the government just wanted to find a reason to go downhill, it is not very meaningful to go deep into it at this time.The most urgent task for Yue Yongshou now is to try his best to persuade Chen Yixin to give up the idea of a truce.
"General Chen, it is absolutely impossible!" Yue Yongshou had lost interest in the sumptuous banquet in front of him, and his anxious expression was beyond words: "If your country chooses to cease fighting, the Qing army will definitely attack Ming with all its strength. How can you just sit and watch?"
Chen Yixin said with a look of embarrassment: "Of course I don't want to stop the war, but if the executive committee decides to end the war, then I can only obey the order. After all, the interests of our country must come first. If it comes to practical benefits, it is indeed a bad deal to continue fighting.”
Yue Yongshou was secretly angry when he heard it, and thought to himself that you Haihan people also regard the alliance between the two countries and the transnational war as business, and if you put profit first, you are indeed a first-class philistine.But he also understood that Chen Yixin's words were straightforward, but they were all the truth. If there was no benefit, why would the Haihan army want to attract firepower for Daming in Liaodong?These thousands of troops are stationed in Jinzhou. Even when there is no war, it is not easy to keep so many troops.
Chen Yixin spoke so clearly, if Yue Yongshou wanted to use the name of righteousness to persuade him, it seemed that he was not strong enough.
Yue Yongshou said: "General Chen, the imperial court is actually grateful for the heroic performance of the Haihan army in Jinzhou. Why don't you wait for the general to write to the imperial court first, explaining the difficulties here, and see what kind of support measures the imperial court can give , to relieve the Haihan army from worries."
Chen Yixin deliberately declined and said: "There is no need to trouble, right? Your country will inevitably need a lot of supplies and military expenses to fight against the Qing army, so you should meet your own needs first? As for our army... After the armistice, Jinzhou There is no need to station so many troops, and a group of people can be transferred back to the south, and the local military expenditure will naturally be reduced."
"No trouble, no trouble!" Yue Yongshou quickly responded: "Since the two countries are cooperating to fight against the Qing Dynasty, of course the Haihan army cannot bear it alone, and our country should also contribute."
Yue Yongshou's words were beautiful, but Chen Yixin was only dubious about his statement, not to mention whether Da Ming was willing to provide assistance to the Haihan Army, even if he was, Da Ming would probably not be able to squeeze out money to supply Haihan.It is very likely that Yue Yongshou's promise will only stay in words and cannot be implemented at all.
Chen Yixin said slowly: "I hope Lord Yue can understand that the supplies and military expenses needed by the Jinzhou garrison are very large. If it is just a drop in the bucket, it may not be enough to change the executive committee's decision."
Chen Yixin repeatedly emphasized that the cost of the Haihan army in Jinzhou was a "big sum", naturally in order to squeeze as much as possible from Daming to get better compensation conditions.Of course, this is not something that can be determined by Yue Yongshou's authority. Chen Yixin can only use him to put pressure on the Ming court. The more anxious Yue Yongshou feels, the more weighty the information he will give back to the court will be.
Yue Yongshou really felt the pressure at this time. If Haihan chose to stop the war, the imperial court would certainly not be able to blame Haihan, so someone had to bear this responsibility. It was his duty. When Hai Han made a decision that was not good for Daming, it was of course his negligence.
If the court blames him, even if he boasted about his achievements and personal friendship with General Haihan in the memorials in the past, it will be difficult to save his future official career.
But Yue Yongshou also understands very well that he is not a big shot, and his influence in the court is even more negligible. The memorial of meritorious service may make the big shot feel happy after reading it, but submitting a report complaining about applying for assistance is not a big deal. You won't be welcomed.
It is very likely that Yue Yongshou, who was regarded as a meritorious minister by the court in the past two months, will have to lose his official post due to the crime of "serious dereliction of duty".
Moreover, Chen Yixin's current attitude obviously did not intend to leave him much room for mediation, but just wanted to force him to come up with specific conditions immediately, which made Yue Yongshou feel even more pressured.
"If I knew this earlier, I should find a way to reject this banquet today!" Yue Yongshou couldn't help regretting his decision.But in fact, he also understands that escaping can't solve the problem, and he can't push it off for a while, and he still has to face this situation after all.He could only remind himself in his heart not to panic, to sort out the current situation first, without any omissions.
"General Chen, what kind of conditions did the envoy of the Qing Dynasty list in detail? Can you tell me in detail? Also, did he leave any documents, tokens and other things that I can see next time, so that I can tell the court When reporting on the situation in Golden State, it is better to describe the details more completely, so as to obtain better aid conditions for your country."
After Yue Yongshou calmed down, his thinking became much clearer.He must first confirm that there is indeed an envoy from the Manchu Qing Dynasty who came to visit Chen Yixin to discuss the truce. Otherwise, if Chen Yixin said nothing, he, as the special envoy of the Ming Dynasty in Jinzhou, failed to find out the truth and applied for assistance from the imperial court. Wouldn't it be a big deal? joke.
Of course, he generally knew that Chen Yixin was unlikely to make fun of such a thing. Manqing probably sent someone here, but whether the conditions offered were as Chen Yixin claimed, perhaps remains to be seen.
Chen Yixin responded: "Master Yue is suspicious of what I just said, let me repeat it to check the details?"
Seeing Chen Yixin's ugly face, Yue Yongshou hesitated, and quickly explained: "How dare you doubt what the general said! I just want to know more details... For example, who sent the envoy?"
Chen Yixin said: "The envoy's boss, Mr. Yue must be familiar with him. He was Shang Kexi, the general of Dongjiang Town. He has become a prince in the Manchu Qing Dynasty and is very popular with Huang Taiji, so this job is entrusted to him. superior."
"Ah... so it's this traitor!" Yue Yongshou had naturally heard of Shang Kexi's name. At that time, the whole court heard that Shang Kexi took tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians, took away a large number of ordnance ships and defected to Houjin, and they couldn't help scolding him. If the number of people forgets their ancestors, it is necessary to kill the nine clans.However, most of Shang Kexi's relatives died in the Liaodong War, and the few remaining people were all taken away by him when he defected. Even if he wanted to kill his family, he couldn't do it.
"The Han officials under Huang Taiji are most familiar with the environment of Liaodong than this person. Perhaps this is why he is in charge of negotiating peace with your army!" Yue Yongshou heard Chen Yixin mention Shang Kexi, and he believed it in his heart Most of it.If the Qing Dynasty wanted people to negotiate an armistice with Jinzhou, who else could be more suitable than Shang Kexi?
Chen Yixin said: "The envoy should be his confidant. Although I have rejected him face-to-face, it seems that he has no intention of giving up. It is estimated that he will come to Jinzhou again after asking for instructions. Ask for an armistice and peace talks. Of course, the conditions they offer will definitely change at that time, but I don’t know if they can make me tempted.”
"The general is determined, how can he be disturbed by these external forces, can't move, definitely can't move!" Yue Yongshou quickly seized the opportunity to say a few good words.
Chen Yixin said: "Master Yue also knows our country's style of doing things. As long as the conditions are right, there is actually nothing that cannot be discussed. For example, before our country sent troops to North Korea to help the country repel the Qing army's invasion, it was because North Korea issued an order to the executive committee Will be satisfied with the conditions. The reason why I refused Shang Kexi is that the conditions he offered are not of any practical benefit to our country. If he can come up with more sincere conditions next time, I will report it truthfully, please The executive committee decides."
(End of this chapter)