Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

While the Ming Dynasty was making intensive preparations for a war against the Later Jin, the Later Jin was also not unprepared.

As a wise monarch, Huang Taiji had already discovered the strategic shift of the new Ming emperor.

Pretending to negotiate peace with the Ming Dynasty and attacking Korea and Mongolia has been his strategy since he ascended the throne, and it has achieved fruitful results.

After conquering Korea the year before, he led his troops to plunder the ancestral land of the Chahan tribe last year, gaining a large number of people and supplies.

This made Huang Taiji's prestige in the Later Jin Dynasty unparalleled and he completely secured his position as Khan.

Then, he tried to centralize power and concentrate the power shared by the other three beile in his own hands.

He tried to promote Ning Wanwo and sought advice from this Han bannerman who was well versed in literature and history.

Ning Wan I know what Huang Taiji is thinking, so I offer a suggestion:
"During the Former Han Dynasty, Emperor Jingdi wantonly reduced the power of the feudal lords, which led to the Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms."

"Later, Emperor Wu used the Enfeoffment Order to weaken the power of the princes, so that they could no longer cause trouble."

"The Khan can share the power of the three great beiles with other beiles, and let them compete with the three great beiles for power."

Huang Taiji agreed with this and in the first month of the third year of Tiancong, which was the beginning of this year, he ordered the change of the system of the three great beiles in charge of the month and replaced it with other beiles.

Speaking of this, we have to talk about the current system of the Later Jin Dynasty.

The name of the Later Jin Dynasty was Jin, and its system was somewhat similar to that of the early Jin Dynasty, with remnants of Jurchen tribes.

The so-called Beile is actually a different transliteration of Bojilie, which originally means "official".

Heshuo means banner, and the eight Heshuo Beile are the leaders of the eight banners, equivalent to eight tribal leaders.

The eight Heshuo Beile jointly governed the country, which was similar to the Bogile system in the early Jin Dynasty, both of which were co-governance by clan nobles.

These eight beile are divided into four large and four small ones.

The four great beiles are the first beile Daishan, the second beile Amin, the third beile Manggurtai, and the fourth beile Huang Taiji.

When Nurhaci was alive, he ordered the four great beiles to take charge of monthly duties, and all state affairs were under the charge of the beile in charge of the month.

There was no difference in status between the four of them. Even when Huang Taiji ascended the throne, he still had to sit in a row with the three great beiles in the south during court meetings and grand celebrations, just like the four khans, and accept the worship of the ministers.

Huang Taiji wanted to be the Khan, so he was dissatisfied with this situation. After ascending the Khanate, he expanded Gushan Ezhen's power and stipulated that all beiles should discuss flag affairs with Gushan Ezhen. He also set up ministers to assist in flag affairs and dispatch ministers in each flag, further weakening the power of the flag owner.

But this cannot change the strength of each flag owner. As the master, they have all the power over the people in the flag.

This time he did not target the Eighth Beile all at once, but followed Ning Wanwo's suggestion and targeted the three greatest Beile first, and then won over the four younger Beile and other Beile to share power.

In the first month of the third year of Tiancong, Huang Taiji, on the pretext of being concerned about the health of the three great beiles, said to them:
"Because of the monthly duty, I have troubled you brothers to manage all the machinery affairs, which is very inconvenient."

"Afterwards, the following beiles may be ordered to take his place. If there are any mistakes, the beiles will be held responsible."

The beiles were appointed to take charge of the monthly duties.

This strategy was very successful. Although Daishan, Amin and Manggurtai were dissatisfied, they were unable to stop the other beiles.

Especially after Huang Taiji ascended the throne, except for the setback in Ningjin, he won victories in all his campaigns to the east and west.

This made his prestige soar, and it was already higher than the three great beile.

In the Later Jin Dynasty, where the strong are respected, prestige represents power. After Huang Taiji won over the other beiles, he could naturally suppress the three beiles.

After completing this step, Huang Taiji buried his mother and Nurhaci together, which meant that he was the legitimate son and the rightful heir.

Then, he focused on the surrounding affairs and prepared to lead his troops on a southern tour.

He had already received the news that the Ming Dynasty was preparing for war and that Mao Wenlong of Korea had landed.

It was just because it was inconvenient to send troops in the cold winter and he needed merit to suppress the three great beiles, so he did not announce the news.

Now that his power was secure, he prepared to inspect the border castles, guard against harassment by the Ming army, and investigate border movements.

But at this moment, something suddenly happened, forcing Huang Taiji to stop.

"Yue Tuo Beile is seriously ill, what happened?"

Huang Taiji couldn't help but get nervous as he anxiously asked the person who came.

As the leader of the Bordered Red Banner, Yuetuo was not only one of the Eight Beile, but also his main supporter.

Yuetuo was abused by Daishan after his mother's death, so Nurhaci arranged for him to be raised by Huang Taiji's mother.

It can be said that the two had been friends since childhood. The reason why Huang Taiji was able to ascend the throne was because Yuetuo and his younger brother Sahalian urged Daishan to support him.

If Yuetuo died, he would lose a supporter among the Eight Beile. Even the support of the two red flags for him might be shaken.

Daishan, who was in charge of the two red flags, would obviously find a more obedient son to serve as the leader of the Red Banner. It was hard to say whether he would support him or establish himself in the future.

After all, Daishan was very dissatisfied with the fact that the power of the three great beiles was shared among the other beiles.

If he led the two red flags to unite with the Zhenglan Banner and the Xianglan Banner, Huang Taiji would really have a headache.

So how could he not be anxious when he heard the news that Yue Tuo was seriously ill?
Especially after learning the reason why Yue Tuo was seriously ill, he became nervous:
"Pox? Smallpox?"

"How did Yue Tuo get smallpox?"

Ning Wan next to me whispered:

"Since this spring, smallpox has been spreading quite widely, which is indeed unusual."

"The Khan must be careful not to contract smallpox."

This was exactly what made Huang Taiji nervous. He was so angry that he swung his whip and severely whipped Ning Wanwo, scolding him:

"Although Yuetuo is my nephew, we have always been like brothers. Are you, a dog slave, going to stop me from visiting him?"

Ning Wanwo was suddenly whipped and scolded by Huang Taiji, and he was very confused.

He did not stop the Khan from visiting Yuetuo at all, so why did the Khan say that?
Fortunately, he was a smart man. After seeing Huang Taiji's nervous look, he quickly realized that the Khan was also afraid of smallpox. He knelt down and cried:
"Great Khan, you must put the world first!"

"Yuetuo Beileji has a divine blessing. The Khan can lead all officials to offer sacrifices to the smallpox god and pray for Lord Beile!"

Huang Taiji was so angry that he whipped him a few more times. After everyone around him knelt down and begged, he sighed and said:

"For now, this is the only solution."

"Summon all the princes to leave the city and go to Changning Temple to pray for Yuetuo Prince."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly sent a message to the princes.

Huang Taiji soon received another report, in which he learned that Duoduo, Dorgon and others had already left the city to avoid smallpox.

This made him angry, but he also breathed a sigh of relief.

Duoduo and Dorgon were in charge of the two white flags and were also his supporters.

With the two red flags’ support for him possibly unstable, these two people cannot afford to get into trouble.

So he did not punish them, but only ordered the two to go to Changning Temple to pray for blessings.

The so-called blessing is to avoid acne, which is something everyone knows.

Soon all the beiles gathered in Changning Temple, bringing only some reliable people with them.

Even Daishan abandoned his son and ran out of the city.

He disliked Yuetuo and Shuotuo, two children born to his first wife, and their relationship was not good.

If Nurhaci had not appointed Yuetuo as the leader of the Bordered Red Banner, he would really not want his son to be in charge of the Bordered Red Banner.

Now that Yuetuo is seriously ill, Daishan is only happy in his heart, because this means that he can take back the Red Banner.

However, Huang Taiji was unwilling to give him this opportunity. He asked Daishan:

"Where's Saharan?"

"where is he?"

This is what Huang Taiji, who had supported him together with Yuetuo, hoped most, that Sahalian would inherit the position of the leader of the Bordered Red Banner.

However, Daishan was on guard against this and sent someone to guard Sahalian, saying:

"Saharan became ill because of his brother's illness."

"He is currently at a manor outside the city. He cannot come over because he is sick."

Huang Taiji didn't believe it and wanted to ask Daishan, but he heard the second prince Amin say:
"Is Sahalian sick too?"

"We should pray for him together."

Dodo, Dorgon and others also became nervous and treated Sahalian as if he had been infected with smallpox.

If Huang Taiji dared to insist on taking Sahalian over, they would leave immediately.

So Huang Taiji had no choice but to give up the idea of ​​calling Sahalian and asked again:

"Where's Shuotuo?"

"Why didn't he come?"

Daishan was embarrassed to say that he did not bring him, so he said to everyone:

"He and Yuetuo were both in the city and did not come out this time."

Huang Taiji immediately took advantage of the topic and said:
"Shuotuo Beile and Yuetuo Beile have a deep brotherly love, and this time they really put their heart into it."

"If anything happens to Yuetuo Beile, I think Shuotuo Beile should take over as the leader of the Red Banner."

"What do you think?"

Daishan was naturally unwilling to do so. What he wanted most was to lead the Red Banner himself.

However, other beiles did not want to see him leading two banners alone, and even did not want Daishan's favorite son to be the banner leader.

They were very supportive of Shuotuo because he had a worse relationship with Daishan than Yuetuo. Daishan even asked Nurhaci to kill his son. Everyone knew the relationship between the father and son and agreed that Shuotuo should be the leader of the Red Banner.

Daishan was indignant, but he could not stop this trend. His plan to control the two red flags alone naturally failed.

Daishan left in a rage and saw Ning Wanwo on the road. Knowing that this man was making plans for Huang Taiji, he was so angry that he whipped his horse whip and severely taught him a lesson:

"You are a traitor, you are a traitor to your own people."

"Look I don't kill you!"

He whipped him dozens of times until Huang Taiji's men arrived, then he stopped and left in anger.

Ning Wanwo was beaten to pieces and cried to Huang Taiji. Huang Taiji had no choice but to say:
"Daishan is the leader of the Zhenghong Banner, and you are a bondservant of the Zhenghong Banner."

"However he punishes you is justified, and there is nothing I can do about it."

"When Sahalian recovers in a few days, I will ask him to give you back to me."

I said Ning Wansi belonged to the Zhenghong Banner, but in fact he was a bondservant of Daishan's son Sahalian, and was not yet an official member of the Eight Banners.

Huang Taiji could ask Sahalian directly for it and transfer his connections to him.

And because of this incident, he became more determined to establish the Eight Banners Han Army and wanted to absorb some Han talents into the Eight Banners.

When Ning Wanwo heard the Eight Banners Han Army's plan, he almost cried with joy. He kowtowed to Huang Taiji and said:

"The Great Khan is wise and benevolent, and will surely be able to recruit all the talents."

"I am familiar with Bao Chengxian and others in the Zhenghong Banner, and they are all willing to serve the Khan."

He recommended talents such as Bao Chengxian to Huang Taiji.

Huang Taiji was extremely happy and valued Ning Wanwo even more, knowing that this servant was completely loyal to him.

After Ning Wanwo left, he couldn't help but sigh as he went back to heal his wounds.

When Huang Taiji valued him before, he couldn't help feeling a little proud in his heart.

The two beatings today made him fully understand his position.

Huang Taiji could beat him on purpose, and Daishan could even beat him to death when he was angry.

No matter how well he did in the Later Jin Dynasty, he could not escape the status of a slave.

Thinking of this, he thought of Liu Xingzuo who abandoned his prominent status and fled back to the Ming Dynasty.

This incident caused a lot of controversy last year and was particularly widespread in Zhenghongqi.

Because Liu Xingzuo was a soldier of the Zhenghong Banner, and he married the daughter of Sahalian's wet nurse.

Among the Han officials of the Later Jin Dynasty, his status was second only to Li Yongfang and Tong Yangxing.

If a person like this is willing to take the risk to escape, why would he want to stay here?
Unfortunately, his current status is too low. Even if he surrenders to the Ming Dynasty, no one will necessarily pay attention to him, let alone help him escape and be reused like Liu Xingzuo.

Being well-informed, he also knew that Liu Xingzuo was highly valued in the Ming Dynasty. Not only could he lead an army, but he was also granted territory in Korea.

Now he is a hereditary viscount. Not only is he no longer a slave, but he has also become a feudal lord.

Ning Wan, I also want to have this treatment and don’t want to be anyone’s slave.

With this in mind, when Ning Wanyi found a note in his residence, he did not report it to anyone, but looked at it nervously.

The note was asking about what Huang Taiji and the other princes had discussed today. Although Ning Wanwo knew everything, he had no intention of responding.

Because he didn't know whether this was a test from Huang Taiji or someone else.

So he pretended not to see the note and fanned it into the corner with his sleeve.

I plan to pretend I didn't see it and erase all traces in a few days.

In the following days, Ning Wan and I pretended everything was normal and acted as if I had never seen the note.

Huang Taiji didn't ask any questions, and it didn't seem like he was testing him.

This made Ning Wanwo feel a little relieved, until he suddenly saw a monk in his room:
"You, who are you?"

"What is that in your hand?"

The monk lowered his voice and said:

"Ning Wan me, your matter has been exposed."

"If I report this to the Khan, what reward will I get?"

Ning Wan was so anxious that I was sweating all over and racking my brain to think about how to deal with this crisis.

He knew that even though he had been prepared, he had never seen the note. But whether Huang Taiji would believe it or not depended entirely on the other party's intention.

This made him feel a little desperate for a moment, and he regretted that he did not hand it in as soon as he found the note a few days ago.

However, the monk on the opposite side, after seeing that Ning Wanwei did not shout or let anyone arrest him, nodded secretly, thinking that this person could be used.

He had been testing Ning Wanwo for several days, and after finding out that he had not reported the note, he felt that this person was not that loyal to the Later Jin. So today he took the risk and met Ning Wanwo directly.

Now that he saw that Ning Wanwo had not sent anyone to arrest him, he immediately stopped probing and whispered:
"What happened a few days ago? Tell me quickly."

"His Majesty knows your name and has opened a hereditary barony."

"As long as you are willing to communicate with the Ming Dynasty, you will at least be granted the title of baron after Liaodong is pacified, and you can choose your own fiefdom outside the Great Wall or overseas."

I quickly told Ning Wanwo my purpose and the conditions I offered.

Ning Wan's mood was so bad that the world was spinning around me and I almost collapsed to the ground.

He almost couldn't help shouting just now, but he knew that Huang Taiji was suspicious and he might lose his life, so he didn't make any sound in despair.

Now that he knew the other party was from the Ming Dynasty, he really felt like he had found a way out of the desperate situation, and his heart was pounding like it was about to jump out of his chest.

However, he still did not believe it, fearing that Huang Taiji had sent someone to test him. He also did not dare to believe that the Ming Emperor knew his name and offered a hereditary title.

So he just shook his head and waited for the other party to take out the token.

This monk was a secret agent of the Imperial Guards. He took the risk to sneak in, so naturally he did not have any token on him.

However, the Jinyiwei had set up a method for this. He lowered his voice and said:
"Boar skin, pig tail."

Wild boar skin is a literal translation of the name Nurhaci. During the tribal period, they worshipped wild boars very much.

For example, the literal translation of Dorgon is actually badger pig.

But now that people are gradually accepting the culture of the Central Plains, this is a real derogatory term, not to mention saying wild boar skin and pig tail together and making fun of their hairstyle.

If Huang Taiji and others heard this, they would probably be furious and execute him immediately, without a doubt.

So after I heard these two words, I immediately confirmed the identity of this person -

Even if Huang Taiji asked someone to test him, the person who tested him would not dare to deliberately scold Nurhaci.

This made him feel relieved. He looked around and whispered:
"The matter we discussed a few days ago was about the leader of the Bordered Red Banner."

"Yuetuo Beile is seriously ill, and the Khan and other Beile have discussed letting Shuotuo Beile take over."

When the monk heard the news that Ning Wanwo told him, he was so happy that he couldn't help grinning.

This is similar to the information he found out. Ning Wan, I am a trustworthy person.

So he whispered again:

"Do you have any relatives in the interior?"

"We can let them manage the fiefdom first."

My heart started pounding when I heard Ning Wan say this. I didn’t expect that the title this person just mentioned was true.

In other words, from now on, he is the hereditary baron of the Ming Dynasty, but it cannot be made public.

This made him feel mixed emotions, and he wished he could find a way to return to Ming Dynasty right now.

But he also knew that the Ming Dynasty gave him the title so that he could be a spy, and if he went back, it would be worthless.

So he quickly reported a name and asked this relative to take charge of the fief. He then hardened his heart and said:

"Can you think of a way to bring one of my sons back to Ming?"

"They said he had smallpox and had unfortunately passed away."

This time the smallpox was fierce and many people died from it. With his son, it could be covered up.

The monk opposite frowned, but finally agreed.

With this child around, I have something to hold over him.

Even if he wanted to defect in the future, he would have to consider whether the Jianlu would still trust him.

If anything happens to Ning Wanwo, I can let my son pass on his title.

As a member of the Imperial Guards, he was willing to help with this matter.

So he quickly arranged for someone to send Ning Wanwo's "dead of illness" son away.

Along with this, there is also detailed information within the Later Jin Dynasty.

In particular, Ning Wanwo’s introduction to the relationship between Huang Taiji and the three great beiles is very valuable.

Upon hearing the news, Zhu Youjian happily promoted him from a third-class baron to a second-class baron, and granted him a fief of one hundred li, the highest rank for a baron.

Encourage him to continue to make contributions and pass on more information. (End of this chapter)