Southern Ming Rebel Army

Chapter 543 Controversy

The war to conquer Burma is about to break out. For Mangbai and Wu Sangui, the impending war is the most important event for both sides at the moment. However, for the Qian Dynasty, which is now a huge and vast empire, the war to conquer Burma is important but not the top priority at the moment.

Right now in the court, the thing that concerns the ministers the most, and gives them a headache, is Fulin, Bumbutai, Zhu Youlang and their families who are about to arrive in Beijing.

The ministers were unanimous in their opinion on how to deal with Zhu Youlang, which was to confer a leisurely title on him and then protect him strictly. However, they argued endlessly about whether to confer the title of duke or marquis on him. Meng Jun was unwilling to confer the title of duke on Zhu Youlang, as he would rather flee to Burma than trust himself, and decided to make Zhu Youlang a marquis.

For Zhu Youlang, there was not much difference between duke and marquis. He was destined to be under the close surveillance of the Qingluan Guards throughout his life, and this was already the best treatment for a abdicated king.

The only issue that caused an uproar in the court was the handling of Fulin. Not only in the court, but also local officials wrote letters to the emperor to protest.

There was a surge of public opinion in the government and the country, with clear differences of opinion. One faction advocated eradicating all evil to serve as a warning to others.

Among them, Liu Xunchun, a bachelor of the Imperial Academy, wrote a memorial saying, "I think Fulin is the leader of the Eastern Tartars. He entered the country with the Eight Banners and slaughtered too many people, causing great suffering to the people of the country. His crimes are too numerous to list. Although the country has been destroyed, the remnants of evil are not yet exterminated. It is in line with the will of heaven and the people to bring the fake chieftain to justice. He should be executed to shock the four barbarians."

Zhang Jinie, the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, also wrote in a letter: “Since the Liao incident began, more than half a century has passed. Year after year, wars have been fought and taxes have been levied. The people are living in misery and grief. The country’s treasury has been wasted in Liaodong, leading to chaos in the country, with bones exposed in the fields and no one living for thousands of miles.

The scene was so tragic that it was rarely seen in the world. In my hometown, the young seedlings were soaked with tears, the soil was stained with blood, and the corpses were piled up. All of them were accusing the evil of the Eastern Tartars. Your Majesty was wise and powerful, and he put an end to the Liao incident in one fell swoop. Now that the leader of the Tartars has been captured, he should be executed to appease the people's anger!"

These memorials flew into the palace like snowflakes. Most of these ministers had hatred towards the Qing court, so even if they did not agree with the death penalty, most of them supported imprisoning Fulin and not allowing him to leave for the rest of his life.

The other faction insisted on forgiveness, believing that the past cannot be changed, but the future can still be pursued, and that it is better to look to the future. The most important supporter among them was Zhao Yongping, the hero who overthrew the Qing Dynasty.

Zhao Yongping was stationed in Liaodong. He knew that Fulin still had some appeal to many Jurchen tribes. Zhao Yongping was worried that if Fulin died in the capital, the Jurchen tribes outside the Great Wall would inevitably do something detrimental to the Qian Dynasty under the planning of someone with ulterior motives. Moreover, the Qian army was now fighting with the Russians and needed the support of the Jurchen tribes.

It was Bumbutai who surrendered voluntarily and captured the diehard Bolo. Although the Qian army would be able to defeat the remnants of the army sooner or later with great effort, at least the casualties of the Qian army would be reduced. Moreover, Zhao Yongping also agreed to protect Fulin and his mother. In terms of both public and private interests, Zhao Yongping believed that Fulin was no longer a threat, and killing him would not be of much benefit to state affairs except venting his anger.

Zhao Yongping's memorial was undoubtedly a breaking news to the court. Among the nobles today, Zhao Yongping and Lin Shiqi were the leaders. However, Zhao Yongping had made great contributions in the Northern Expedition and the pacification of Liaodong, and he was already showing signs of surpassing Lin Shiqi. Naturally, his memorial could not be taken lightly in the court.

(Vote, please write and give your opinions in this comment! The emperor will adopt the one with the highest number of likes, and the vote will end tomorrow evening! ! ! !)

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At this time, in the imperial palace, in the imperial garden.

Meng Jun was sitting and playing chess with Taoist Li. Li Wendao sank the rook to the bottom and said with a slight smile: "Your Majesty, you are the checkmate again!"

Seeing this, Meng Jun threw the pawn he had just captured onto the chessboard and said, "Oh, no more, Taoist priest. I am already the emperor, and you are still holding back. This is so boring."

While Li Wendao was cleaning up the chessboard, he said, "If I let Your Majesty win, Your Majesty would be even more bored."

Meng Jun laughed, stood up, and became more interested. He said to Li Wendao, "Master, playing chess is like fighting on the battlefield. I am tired. Let's go fishing and see who has better fishing skills."

After a long time.

Meng Jun looked at the dozen or so small fish in his basket, and then looked at Li Wendao who caught a big fish with one cast of the rod. The number was almost the same for both, but the quality was very different.

This made Meng Jun doubt his life. During this period, Meng Jun thought that he was an excellent fisherman. Even if he was no longer an emperor, he could support his family by being a fisherman. But with this comparison, Meng Jun's interest in fishing was almost ruined by Li Wendao.

Meng Jun turned to look at Li Wendao who was still concentrating on fishing, and suddenly asked: "Master, I am now the emperor, and my words are law. If you have any request, I will do my best to help you!"

When Li Wendao heard this, his hands did not tremble at all. He smiled and said, "Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven and has great wealth. If I ask for something and Your Majesty cannot do it, then no one in the world can do it."

"Does the Taoist have any wish?"

"I have no wish. I entered the world only to temper my body and mind. Man is enlightenment, Buddha is light, and emptiness is the Tao. Everything in the heaven and earth, inside and outside, is one with my heart. I recognize change but am completely ignorant of it. By doing so, I can return to my origin and finally achieve enlightenment." Li Wendao suddenly said this, and Meng Jun was stunned by what he heard.

Li Wendao also felt that what he said was a bit profound, so he laughed and said, "Your Majesty, if you really want to give me something, then give me a small Taoist temple."

This request was just a small matter for Meng Jun at the moment, so he nodded immediately and said, "Okay, I will choose a place outside the capital to build a temple for you, the Taoist priest."

Li Wendao nodded and said, "I used to think that one day, when Your Majesty succeeds, I can retire to the mountains. But these days, I feel that it is not necessary to retire to the mountains to be a hermit in the city."

Meng Jun said, "Very good. The Taoist priest is in the capital. You can come to see me if you have nothing to do. Drink tea, go fishing, play chess, whatever. It's just right for you to talk to me."

"Yes, Your Majesty"

At this time, Meng Jun changed the subject and asked Li Wendao for his opinion on the current controversial issue in the court.

Li Wendao then pulled up another big fish and put it into the basket, then he spoke: "Your Majesty, although we are arguing endlessly now, it will be nothing more than a small matter a hundred years from now. Whether to kill or keep it, there are pros and cons. As the saying goes, you can't have your cake and eat it too."

At this point, Li Wendao added: "Of course, I just said it casually, Your Majesty, please don't take it seriously."