Chapter 3594
Chapter 3594
Chapter 3594
Although Hai Han's excuse was very perfunctory, it was not necessarily bad news for Yue Shizong. This was because it at least confirmed one thing: Hai Han officials did not admit that the nature of this action was an open declaration of war against the Ming Dynasty. Since it was not an all-out war, there was still hope of controlling the deterioration of the situation.
Yue Shizong didn't know whether his activities had worked or whether Hai Han really had no intention of engaging in a major war, but a few days later, news came from the rear that the Hai Han army that had crossed the river had actually stopped its actions and did not launch any further offensive against the Ming Dynasty.
But the bad news is that in addition to the two counties of Jiangpu and Liuhe, Hezhou, located in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, was also lost. The Hai Han army entered Hezhou under the pretext of eliminating bandits, but in the end they did not let go of this piece of land.
Based on past experience, such areas actually occupied by Hai Han would basically never be returned to Ming Dynasty. However, due to his duty as a diplomat, Yue Shizong still had to make a strong statement to the Hai Han Executive Committee, demanding that Hai Han return the two counties and one state it occupied this time to Ming Dynasty.
However, the response of the Executive Committee was far beyond Yue Shizong's expectations. Ning Qi, who received him, made it clear that the ownership of the two counties and one state was not worth discussing, because Hai Han would next claim control over the prefectures along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
The meaning of this claim is to notify the Ming Dynasty first. If the Ming Dynasty is unwilling to transfer control of these areas, then of course the next step is to use military means.
What made Yue Shizong most angry was not Hai Han’s coveting of the coastal areas of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, but the fact that the other party actually said it so blatantly, without concealing their ambitions at all, and did not care at all whether the Ming Dynasty would prepare for war in advance after receiving the notice.
However, Yue Shizong was still able to clearly tell which of the two countries was stronger and weaker. He could only suppress his anger and patiently reiterate his point of view: "If the two countries go to war again, it will inevitably lead to the loss of lives and suffering of the people. Why not continue to maintain peace and resolve conflicts and differences through negotiations?"
Ning Qi said, “Lord Yue, why do you have to pretend to be confused? The change of dynasties and the rise and fall of dynasties are all the laws of history. Sooner or later, Hai Han will replace the Ming Dynasty to rule the world. I am willing to sit here and talk to you now, not because I am kind-hearted, but because my country does not want to consume too many resources in the process of taking over the Ming Dynasty, so as not to affect our expansion around the world!”
Ning Qi was considered a conservative in the Hai Han Executive Committee, often opposing the radical military. But when dealing with foreign officials, this relative conservatism would undoubtedly be seen as a complete hawk.
Seeing that Yue Shizong was so angry that his lips were trembling and he couldn't speak, Ning Qi continued to speak slowly: "The goal of Hai Han is to become the most powerful country in the world. The decline of Ming Dynasty cannot be reversed. Sooner or later, it will become a part of Hai Han like the coastal areas."
"The wisest thing for your country to do is not to resist desperately, but to take the initiative to speed up the process and let the Executive Committee guarantee the interests of the royal family during the transition period. In this way, the Zhu family will still be a prominent family in the new dynasty, and at least they can be rich and prosperous for several generations. Isn't it better to live a stable and peaceful life in the future than to live in fear in Beijing for a lifetime?"
In fact, Ning Qi’s suggestion is not a new theory. Whenever the two countries conducted armistice negotiations after large-scale wars, Hai Han would make similar suggestions, demanding that the Ming Dynasty voluntarily give up its governing power.
Of course, this request would definitely not be recognized by Emperor Chongzhen, but no matter how resolutely he rejected it, he could not completely eliminate the influence of this theory.
In recent years, some Zhu clan members have begun to seek cooperation with Hai Han. For example, the two brothers Zhu Zi'an and Zhu Ziwu, descendants of King De, who went to Hai Han to take the imperial examinations two years ago, have now become officials. The government office where Zhu Zi'an currently works is responsible for coordinating various affairs with the Ming Dynasty, which can be considered a professional match. The united front value of these Zhu clan members who have taken the initiative to integrate into Hai Han is self-evident, and Hai Han will also be willing to support them as an example to attract more relatives of the Ming Dynasty to join them.
Yue Shizong had been in Hangzhou for such a long time, and of course he had dealt with Zhu Zian, so he couldn't find a suitable angle to refute Ning Qi's remarks for a while.
Ning Qi continued, "If Lord Yue has to come to us for negotiations for several days every time your country loses a state or a county, then you may not be able to handle it alone in the future! My suggestion is that Lord Yue might as well put this enthusiasm into persuading the capital instead of wasting time on us."
Having said that, Yue Shizong could no longer continue the conversation and could only stand up and leave. But he was not willing to give up. Ning Qi's toughness made him think that Hai Han might make some big moves in the near future, and this was important intelligence that he had to find out.
Yue Shizong did not dare to delay and immediately went to visit Zhu Zian to see if he could get any information from him.
However, Zhu Zi'an was also confused by what Yue Shizong said. He had not received any notification about the launch of a new round of war against the Ming Dynasty. Even the small-scale war that took place in Nanjing a few days ago, he did not receive the news much earlier than ordinary people in Hangzhou.
Yue Shizong was very disappointed when he saw that Zhu Zi'an did not look like a fake. He could only ask him if he had any way to ease the tension between the two countries.
Zhu Zi'an's views on the relationship between the two countries are very consistent with Ning Qi's.
"Master Yue, it is impossible for the Ming and Hai Han to coexist for a long time in a situation of equal strength. There can only be one master of the world. If the Ming wants to preserve its national system, it can only follow the practices of Korea, Annan and other countries and become a small country seeking protection from Hai Han."
"And now the Ming Dynasty can still pose a threat to Hai Han, so Hai Han will inevitably continue to reduce the size of the Ming Dynasty through military means. When the population, territory, and military strength are reduced to a point where they can no longer cause trouble for Hai Han, peace will naturally come."
"But by that time, Hai Han may not need Ming to continue to exist. I think it is better to seize the opportunity when we can exit with dignity. If we really fight to the death, it will not benefit anyone."
From Yue Shizong's point of view, it is naturally impossible for him to agree with Zhu Zian's argument, but refuting him is meaningless and cannot change the current situation of the Ming Dynasty being completely passive.
Yue Shizong turned the topic back to the possible new round of conflict between the two countries and asked Zhu Zian if he had any other channels of information.
Zhu Zi'an knew that Yue Shizong would not give up, so he could only advise him to read more recently published newspapers. If the country had any major moves, there would definitely be some signs, and several newspapers with official backgrounds were the most likely channels to see such information in advance.