Southern Ming Rebel Army

Chapter 412: Palace Coup (Part )

Capital city, Prince Su’s Palace.

Hauge's mansion was extremely bustling with people, and there were so many carriages and sedan chairs that it blocked the traffic.

Since Dorgon vomited blood and fell into a coma, Hauge became more and more flamboyant, trying to win over court officials. His mansion was filled with guests every day, and he became the focus of the Qing court.

Haoge said to Leng Sengji proudly: "I have said it long ago that Dorgon is not a blessed man. The Qing Dynasty is getting worse day by day under his rule. As soon as I make a move, you see, all the court officials flock to me. Hahahaha."

Leng Sengji was not as confident as Haoge. He said to Haoge hesitantly, "Dorgon is not dead yet, and he has been in control of the government for so many years. He has many trusted ministers. Your Majesty, you must not take it lightly!"

Haoge waved his hands and said, "What are you afraid of? With Meng the thief by my side, does Dorgon dare to attack me at this time? If Dorgon can be more sensible and give up the throne obediently, I can spare his life."

Leng Sengji asked, "Your Highness, if Dorgon died like this, what about the one above?"

Leng Sengji pointed upwards as he spoke.

Hearing this, Haoge hesitated for a while before he slowly said, "After all, he is my brother. We'll talk about it when the time comes."

Then Hauge's tone changed, and he said coldly: "However, this bitch Bulbutai must be killed by me!"

At this time, a secret letter was urgently delivered by the guards.

When Haoge opened it, his face changed. Leng Sengji asked quickly, "My Lord, what happened?"

Haoge frowned and said, "Dorgon has woken up."

Leng Sengji said with some concern: "What the prince said in the court will definitely reach Dorgon's ears. Your Majesty, you must be more careful."

Haoge pondered for a moment, nodded, and then said: "Leng Sengji, go to the military camp quickly and mobilize 800 elite soldiers of the Zhenglan Banner to guard the palace strictly."

Leng Sengji nodded and immediately took the order and left.

As the saying goes, if a minister is not discreet, he will lose his chastity, and if a monarch is not discreet, he will lose his country. Dorgon naturally knew this truth, so when he was preparing to capture and kill Haoge in the palace, he did not reveal a single detail except to his confidant Luoshu.

At the same time, Dorgon pretended to be bedridden in the palace and ordered Roshi to spread the word that the regent was seriously ill and in danger of death. This move was intended to paralyze Haoge and make him relax his vigilance.

But this was not without purpose. The imperial physician had advised Dorgon several times, saying: "The regent is weak and sickly, and has heart and lung diseases. He should not overwork himself, and his energy will be damaged. He should rest and not get involved in the affairs of the boudoir."

For a time, the city of Beijing was in a state of panic and uncertainty. Many sensitive people felt that something unspeakable might have happened. This kind of royal struggle, especially when both sides had military power in their hands, might lead to war if they were not careful.

The Hauge mansion was also heavily guarded, and Leng Sengji was ordered to dispatch soldiers to guard the surroundings to prevent any accidents. Dorgon stayed at home and made secret plans, hoping to take advantage of Hauge's carelessness to give him a fatal blow.

The fourth year of the Yongli reign, the seventh year of the Shunzhi reign, the third day of the fifth month.

Dorgon summoned Luoshi to come in and gave him instructions: "Tonight, I will summon Haoge and tell him that he will die soon. I want to entrust the state affairs to Haoge. I invite him to come and discuss state affairs. You must make arrangements in advance and ambush a hundred elite soldiers. Wait for my order and capture him in one fell swoop."

Afterwards, Luo Shi had a determined look on his face and immediately took the order and left. No outsiders knew about this matter except his most trusted confidants. Even Luo Yangxing, the deputy commander of the Sticking Rod Department, was unaware of it.

In order to prevent Haoge from not believing it, Dorgon issued an order in the name of the court to confer the title of Prince Su on Haoge, and at the same time, in the name of the empress dowager, he invited Haoge to the palace to discuss state affairs.

At that time, the Cining Palace seemed calm, but undercurrents were surging. Following Dorgon's order, Luo Shi carefully selected 100 elite soldiers to hide in the palace gates, with bows and crossbows strung and swords unsheathed, ready to go. Eunuchs and palace maids were not allowed to enter or leave without permission.

When Hauge received the invitation from Dorgon and Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, he was surprised and couldn't help but wonder if there was some conspiracy behind it.

Because the content of the letter was exactly what he had been thinking about for a long time but could not get, the letter read: "The Qing Dynasty is in a difficult situation. This king is worried day and night, but God is not on my side. My condition has worsened recently. I am exhausted and I know that I don't have much time left, so I want to entrust the state affairs to the hands of Prince Su.

The state has reached a critical moment, and we should work together to protect the Qing Dynasty. Now that the king is seriously ill, I am unable to take on the heavy responsibility. I sincerely hope that the king can come to the Cining Palace at 3 p.m. today to discuss state affairs in detail. "

It was less than an hour away from the afternoon. Haoge was hesitant about whether to enter the palace or not, because he had not set foot in the palace once since Dorgon woke up. However, judging from the situation in recent days and the reports from the spies in the palace, it seemed that Dorgon was really terminally ill.

Then Hauge urgently summoned Leng Sengji.

Leng Sengji came in a hurry. He quickly read Dorgon's letter and then said to Haoge, "Your Majesty, is there something wrong?"

Upon hearing this, Haoge's expression changed slightly and he asked, "What's wrong?"

Leng Sengji thought hard for a long time, sweating profusely, and then he said, as if he had received a blessing, "Your Majesty, have you not heard of the old stories of the Three Kingdoms?"

"Speak clearly"

Leng Sengji immediately said, "Your Highness, in the past, He Jin of the Han Dynasty was a general with a high position and great power. However, once he entered the deep palace, he was killed by a group of eunuchs. Your Highness, we must be on guard against this lesson!"

Haoge was shocked and murmured unconsciously: "It shouldn't be like this. I am the eldest son of Emperor Taizong. How dare Dorgon be so bold and presumptuous?"

When Leng Sengji heard this, his hands and feet turned cold. It turned out that his prince was so naive about political affairs. If it really came to the point of fighting, let alone uncle and nephew, even if they were brothers, his father would kill them all.

Leng Sengji urged: "Your Majesty, you must not enter the palace. If you enter the palace, there may be a big change!"

Haoge shook his head and said, "Dorgon said he was dying, and the doctor I bribed also said that Dorgon would not live long. Besides, the Queen Mother summoned me, so why would I refuse to see her?"

Leng Sengji was so anxious that he almost cried. He kept persuading him, "There are many excuses. Your Majesty can just say that he had a sudden illness. Why take this risk?"

At this time, Aobai said, "What are you afraid of? When the time comes, I will wear secret armor and send more than ten elite soldiers to protect me. Even if something happens, I can protect the prince and fight his way out of the palace."

Seeing Leng Sengji looking at him like a fool, Aobai continued, "Even if Dorgon has an ambush, it cannot be an ambush by a large army, because it would be impossible to keep it secret. Moreover, if the prince does not go to the palace when the queen mother summons him, wouldn't it make people suspect that the prince is ambitious?"

(Ding ding ding, King Zhou sent a telegram, requesting support for love╭(╯e╰)╮)