You can't only love the Qing Dynasty when you're eating the fruits of others' labor.

Chapter 99 Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang Tests the Four Kings of the Han Army
Faced with the emperor's astonishing words, the Mongol princes were dumbfounded, wanting to curse but daring not to.

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang could no longer hold back.

"The court session is temporarily suspended. You are all to remain inside the hall and are not to move."

"The ministers obey the order."

……

Emperor Shunzhi and his mother left the Hall of Supreme Harmony through the back door and walked into the swirling snow.

It was just a short walk to the Hall of Central Harmony.

The Hall of Central Harmony is one of the three main halls. The emperor could rest here before attending court, and then enter the Hall of Supreme Harmony after all the officials had arrived.

"You all get out."

"Whoo."

The eunuchs and palace maids all slipped out of the Zhonghe Hall.

The mother and son looked at each other calmly.

"Fulin, I know you are angry."

"The Empress is the mother of the nation, and only a virtuous person can hold the position and command respect from the people. The daughter of Chorji, the Duke of Zhenguo of Khorchin Mongol, is gentle, kind, and virtuous, making her a rare candidate for the position of Empress."

"I do not like her appearance."

“Fulin, you are not marrying a woman, but 100,000 Mongol cavalry! It’s okay if you don’t like her after you marry her, but you must respect her.”

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's expression suddenly turned serious, and her tone became stern.

The hall was very quiet; you could even hear the echoes.

Emperor Shunzhi suddenly relented.

"Very well, for the sake of the bigger picture, I can allow her to enter the palace through the Great Qing Gate. However, the selection of other concubines in the palace is my private matter, isn't it?"

“Of course,” Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang quickly added, “but under no circumstances can you bring Han women into the palace.”

"I understand."

The mother and son each compromised and reached a consensus. Politics is the art of compromise.

……

The mother and son returned to the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Shunzhi boldly sat on the dragon throne and announced:
"The daughter of Chorji, the Duke of Zhenguo of Khorchin Mongol, is gentle, virtuous, and outstanding in character. She shall be the Empress and shall be carried in through the Great Qing Gate. All ceremonies shall be jointly organized by the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works, and the Thirteen Offices. The Imperial Astronomical Bureau shall select an auspicious day. Alright, court adjourned."

"Long live my emperor."

The Mongol princes shouted particularly loudly, their cries piercing through the wind and snow, waking the officials outside the palace.

The once dignified officials of the capital now resembled beggars, staggering and swaying, utterly lifeless.

Wu Liangfu shouted loudly, "Gentlemen, court is adjourned! Court is adjourned! Go home now!"

……

Outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang saw a group of "beggars' gang members" trudging along with difficulty, one step at a time, and asked in astonishment, "How long has it been snowing?"

"It's been more than an hour."

"Quickly, mobilize all the off-duty guards and eunuchs in the Forbidden City and escort the ministers home."

"Whoo."

"Empress Dowager, shall we return to the palace?"

"No need. Just put a cloak on me. I want to watch the snow in peace and quiet."

"Whoo."

The eunuchs and palace maids stood 10 steps away.

Empress Xiaozhuang had a hand warmer hidden in her sleeve, and she watched the snow falling all around her.

Recite in your heart:

Fulin, you've finally grown up. You handled the power struggle at court this morning very well. I wonder if you figured it out yourself, or if someone was instigating you behind the scenes.

……

After a long time~
A eunuch came to report.

"Your Majesty, the Third Prince and the Prince of Pingxi request an audience."

"Have the imperial kitchen prepare the pots; I'm inviting the four princes to stay for dinner today."

"Whoo."

Cining Palace.

"Your subjects Kong Youde, Shang Kexi, Geng Jimao, and Wu Sangui pay their respects to the Empress Dowager."

"Get up, get up quickly. The four of you have been fighting on the front lines, and the Emperor and I have been missing you all. We have heard that the situation on the front lines has stabilized, and with the New Year approaching, the court has finally found an opportunity to summon you back to the capital."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, and thank you, Your Majesty."

"No need for formalities. There's no one else here today, so you can eat and drink as you please. Come on, let's toast to the unification of our Great Qing Dynasty!"

"Dry!"

The wine was warm. The hall was even warmer, like springtime.

……

"You were originally from the north, but you've been fighting in the south for the past few years. Have you gotten used to the climate there?"

"Your Majesty, the weather in Guangdong and Guangxi is humid and hot. People get sick as soon as they are bitten by mosquitoes. The number of soldiers who died from illness in my Tianzhu Army exceeds the number of soldiers who died in battle."

Shang Kexi was the first to speak.

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang nodded and then asked, "How long do you estimate it will take to completely eliminate Zhu Youlang and the Great Western bandits?"

Shang Kexi hesitated for a moment: "I dare not say."

"It's alright, I just want to hear what you frontline generals have to say. Speak freely, Cining Palace is not the Ministry of War, it won't be recorded, and it doesn't count as a military order."

Everyone laughed.

"Who comes first?"

Wu Sangui was the first to speak:
"I estimate it will take at least 10 years and at most 20 years."

Shang Kexi considered it for a while.

"I estimate it will take about 10 years."

Kong Youde's eyebrows were furrowed.

"I estimate it will take at most 10 years."

Geng Jimao looked around, then cupped his hands and said:

"I am a junior, having just inherited the title of prince, and I lack understanding of the war situation on the front lines. I believe that all of you uncles are right."

……

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang didn't mind. Just then, a palace maid brought over some venison, and she immediately changed the subject.

A warm greeting:
"Come, try this venison. This is my favorite dish, I can never get enough of it."

Everyone quickly picked up their chopsticks.

Eat a lot, then praise it a lot.

The atmosphere was lively and joyful.

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang suddenly asked, "Prince Dingnan, I heard that your daughter accompanied you to the capital?"

"Yes. My daughter is Kong Sizhen."

"I'll bring her into the palace another day so I can take a look at her."

“My daughter is always unruly. She lost her mother when she was young and lacked discipline. I am afraid that she does not understand the rules of the palace and will make a fool of herself and be disrespectful in front of the Emperor.”

"There are no rules here in my household."

"Thank you, Queen Mother."

……

This meal took a full hour and a half to finish.

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang's friendly attitude gradually lowered the guard of the four princes, especially Kong Youde, who got completely drunk and even considered venison to be the finest delicacy in the world.

After the four princes left, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang summoned Prince Zheng, Jirhalang, to the palace despite the snow.

"Your humble servant Jirhalang pays respects to the Empress Dowager."

"Sit down. It must have been cold on the way to the palace."

“It’s cold. But compared to the heat of the South, I would rather it be cold.”

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang smiled.

"Yes, people like the environment where they grew up, and they are prone to getting sick when they move to a different place."

Jirhalang listened to the implications of the words.

asked:

"Does the Empress Dowager have something to say about summoning me to the palace?"

"I would like to ask you, you have been in charge of the army in the south for a year, how long do you think it will take to destroy the Ming? My meaning is to annihilate their army and capture their emperor and ministers."

"If all goes well, three years will be enough. If not, six years will be enough."

"You keep talking."

……

Among the Eight Banners commanders in the early Qing Dynasty, Jirgalang was only considered mediocre. But now, with no great generals in Sichuan, Liao Hua has become the vanguard.

Jirgalang, on the contrary, was a competent and composed commander.

He recounted the story in detail:
"Zhang Xianzhong's dying words instructed his four adopted sons to unite with Zhu Youlang's remaining forces to resist our Great Qing. This traitor's plan was extremely vicious. If Yongli and the Great Western Army relied on the terrain of Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan to fight to the death, our army would not be able to win quickly and could only advance steadily and slowly."

"If the Yongli Emperor and the Great Western Army are only superficially united, five years will be enough."

"If they fight each other, it might not even take three years for my Great Qing to achieve the goal of unifying the country."

Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang nodded repeatedly.

Comparing Jirgalang's answer with those of the Three Princes and the Prince of Pingxi, the differences are quite intriguing.
(End of this chapter)