Chapter 2450
After several days of negotiations, both Haihan and North Korea reached reconciliation intentions with the Manchus. Now only Yang Sichang is left who has not let go, because there are still huge differences of opinion between him and Shang Kexi.
The focus of disagreement between the two sides is mainly on the redrawing of national borders. For the Ming Dynasty, the current controlled areas of the Manchu and Qing Dynasties were all taken from their own Liaodong capital area. Recognizing the actual rule of the Manchu and Qing Dynasties in the Liaodong region was already the greatest concession. There was no possibility of ceding additional territory to the other side. What's more, the ownership of a military important place like Shanhaiguan will directly affect the security of the Ming Dynasty, and it is impossible to hand over its control to the Manchus.
However, Shang Kexi did not intend to give in on the issue of territorial division. This was probably because the Qing army's record in recent years had completely suppressed its opponents, giving him enough confidence to make such a request.
"If your country does not agree to these conditions, then we will only be able to see you on the battlefield in the future. But I want to remind Mr. Yang that if that time comes, your country will no longer have room to sit down and negotiate like this. "As a military general, Shang Kexi prefers to use force to resolve differences, rather than just talking for days. But negotiation is negotiation, and reaching an armistice agreement is the main task of his trip. Even if he is dissatisfied with Ming Dynasty, he can't kill Yang Sichang with a knife at the moment. He can only say a few harsh words to force the other party to submit.
But Yang Sichang was the Minister of War of the Ming Dynasty and a popular figure in front of Emperor Chongzhen. How could he easily give in to a rebellious general like Shang Kexi? He immediately retorted: "If your country can resolve all disputes by force, then why should you wrong yourself?" Come to Jinzhou to negotiate? Let’s fight. When have we ever been afraid of you! If you want to rob Shanhaiguan, just fill the moat with people’s heads!”
The two sides were quarreling and refusing to give in to each other, but Haihan and North Korea did not actively interfere and just watched the excitement from the sidelines. North Korea followed Haihan's arrangement and naturally kept silent. Haihan planned to wait until Ming was forced to the point of no return before extending a helping hand, in order to make some other demands to Ming.
"Human energy is always limited. If you open your eyes every day and think about how to quarrel with others, and you can't lose the momentum, the mental pressure should be not small. Let them toss for a few more days, and when the energy is not so good, It won't be too late for us to take action." Tao Donglai remained optimistic about the dispute between the two countries. After the end of the day, he also made new adjustments to Haihan's negotiation strategy.
In view of the current situation, Haihan only needed to bear witness to the follow-up negotiations. It was no longer necessary for the three of them to attend together, so they adjusted it to arrange for one person to attend the talks every day, and the three of them took turns to wait for the two parties to negotiate. Let’s talk about the results.
No one in the North Korean mission could replace Kim Sang-hyun, so he could not imitate Haihan's lazy way. He could only continue to attend the talks and witness the long negotiations between the Ming Dynasty and the Manchu Qing Dynasty.
Yang Sichang and Shang Kexi were both really tough. They continued to argue one-on-one for four or five days, but they still couldn't come up with a result that was acceptable to both parties. However, according to the observations of the participants, the mental state of these two people has declined significantly, and they probably cannot last long. After the day's talks, Tao Donglai sent someone to the camp of the Ming Dynasty mission and invited Yang Sichang for a private meeting.
Since Yang Sichang arrived in Jinzhou, he had not had much contact with Tao Donglai, and the other party had never invited him to meet in private. But when the Haihan people came to find him at this juncture, Yang Sichang could vaguely guess what the other party's intentions were.
However, Yang Sichang did not intend to refuse this invitation. He knew that the negotiations had reached a deadlock. If no external force intervened, the dispute with the Manchu representatives would probably continue for a long time. This is all secondary. What Yang Sichang is most worried about at the moment is that Haihan has been watching with a cold eye because his position has softened. Otherwise, how could he have reached an intention to reconcile with the Manchus in just two or three days. You must know that before this negotiation began, the two sides had been fighting on the battlefield for several years, and both sides suffered many casualties. Yang Sichang didn't think the two sides could resolve the conflict so quickly, but if there was a possibility of Haihan changing his stance, then everything would make sense.
According to Yang Sichang's understanding, the battle between Haihan and the Qing Dynasty in Liaodong actually had no substantial benefits for either side. Although the Haihan army was strong, it did not have the energy to push the front northward, and it has been guarding Jinzhou for several years. It's impossible to move in such a small area. The Manchu and Qing dynasties have to invest a lot of manpower, material and financial resources in the Liaodong Peninsula every year in order to maintain the current confrontation with Haihan, and naturally there is no benefit at all.
Therefore, both countries have sufficient reasons for the truce. Although Haihan actively proposed to include the Ming Dynasty in the scope of the armistice peace talks and invited the Ming Dynasty to send people to Jinzhou to participate in the peace talks, Yang Sichang was still worried that Haihan would be persuaded by the Manchus. , together with it, the combat target was transferred to Ming Dynasty. He knew that the Ming Dynasty was actually a fat sheep for both the Manchus and the Haihans. If the Manchus and the Qings gained the upper hand in this negotiation, the Haihans' position might also be shaken. At that time, the two families would join forces to attack the Ming. That's when it really ends.
Yang Sichang had always wanted to find out Haihan's true attitude, but out of caution, he couldn't take the initiative to ask for a meeting with Tao Donglai, so he could only waste his time doing so. It had been more than ten days since he arrived in Jinzhou, and he finally got the opportunity to meet Tao Donglai in private. Naturally, he would not let it go.
But Yang Sichang did not expect that the meeting place arranged by Haihan was still the familiar large conference room, and Tao Donglai was not the only one waiting for him in the room. Two Haihan generals, Qian Tiandun and Wang Tom, were also there, indicating that This meeting obviously did not have any personal nature, but was a serious official meeting.
"Originally, I shouldn't disturb Mr. Yang's rest, but we are busy during the day and it's not convenient to arrange, so we can only ask Mr. Yang to come out at this time. Please forgive me!" Tao Donglai still spoke very politely.
Yang Sichang did not dare to stand up in front of these three people, and responded in a deep voice: "It's easy to talk about. I wonder what the three adults have to discuss?"
Tao Donglai said: "Mr. Yang, let me get straight to the point. I believe you also know that the current situation of the negotiations is actually stuck here in Daming. If you are happy and still can't reach an agreement, then there will be no Peace comes.”
Yang Sichang said: "But this is not a situation caused by our side. The three of you are also clear about the conditions Shang Kexi proposed. From the perspective of Ming Dynasty, do you think it is possible to agree to such conditions? Although I am here to Jinzhou negotiates peace, but we must not betray our country because of this. Even if we keep fighting with him, I will not let go!”
"Master Yang has a firm stand, and I admire it very much." Tao Donglai responded: "Our country organized this meeting because we don't want to see the war continue. But if you can't reach an agreement, then the entire Liaodong region, including northern Daming, will There will be no peace. Ming Dynasty can still survive several national wars. I think Mr. Yang should know better than me. Mr. Yang should seize the opportunity while there is still a chance for peace!"
Yang Sichang said: "Master Tao, you and I have an alliance. At this time, shouldn't we share the same hatred and put pressure on Jiannu?" Tao Donglai said: "We have the same hatred, so your country must be willing to let it go. Only if we cooperate with our country ”
Yang Sichang asked: "How do you say this?"
Tao Donglai said: "In order to help your country share the pressure, our country has been fighting against the Qing army in Liaodong all year round. However, apart from sending officials to supervise the battle, your country has not actively provided any assistance, right? Regardless of materials or personnel, all problems are our own. Solution, does this make moral sense? ”
"This..." Yang Sichang didn't expect Tao Donglai to suddenly mention this, and he didn't know how to reply to him at the moment.
Although Haihan snatched Jinzhou from the Manchus uninvited and had no intention of returning this area to the Ming Dynasty, he did target the Manchus and objectively helped relieve the pressure on the Ming Dynasty. But Ming's attitude is actually to hope that the two countries will fight to the death, and then he will play the role of fisherman to clean up the mess. Naturally, he will not take the initiative to provide any assistance to the Haihan people in Jinzhou.
"Jinzhou is originally our territory of the Ming Dynasty. Your country should return it to our country first, and then discuss jointly sending troops to fight against the Qing Dynasty. This is only in line with common sense." Yang Sichang quickly adjusted and attributed the reason why the Ming Dynasty did not provide assistance. Yu Haihan's illegal occupation of Jinzhou.
Tao Donglai smiled and said: "If I return Jinzhou to you, can you keep it? It will be handed over to the other party again in a few days. Rather than doing that, it is better to lend this place to our country and let our country Being in charge can at least hold back the main force of tens of thousands of Qing troops for a long time.”
Tao Donglai's words were not very harmful, but they were extremely insulting and did not save Yang Sichang any face. Although Yang Sichang was upset after hearing this, he also knew that what Tao Donglai said was indeed true. If the Ming Dynasty had the ability to defend Jinzhou, it would not have lost this place in the first place. But when the Haihan people borrowed Jinzhou, they really borrowed money without repaying it. They had no intention of letting this place return to the territory of the Ming Dynasty. How could the Ming Dynasty be willing to humbly provide assistance to the Haihan army stationed here.
"Having said that, I will definitely not agree to the peace talks conditions proposed by Shang Kexi. If Mr. Tao wants to persuade me to accept his conditions, then there is no need to bother." Yang Sichang knew that the dispute over the ownership of Jinzhou It's no use to me, so just skip the topic and get back to business.
Tao Donglai said: "Master Yang has misunderstood. We are not asking you to agree to the peace negotiation conditions proposed by the Manchu and Qing Dynasties, but we intend to help you put pressure on the Manchu and Qing Dynasties and force them to compromise."
Yang Sichang asked suspiciously: "Let the other party compromise? How to do this?"
Tao Donglai said confidently: "It's very simple. I just need to tell Shang Kexi clearly that if the Manchu and Qing Dynasties do not reach a reconciliation with the Ming Dynasty, then a multinational coalition including Haihan will attack Liaodong. By then, the Manchu and Qing Dynasties will If we want to have peace talks again, the conditions are not like this.”
"Multinational coalition? Attack Liaodong?" Yang Sichang couldn't help but be a little surprised after hearing Tao Donglai's words. He didn't expect that while the Haihan people were negotiating the terms of reconciliation, they were secretly preparing for war and were ready to quarrel.
"With all due respect, even if your country wants to launch an attack, it will be difficult to directly shake the rule of Jiannu in Liaodong, right?" After Yang Sichang came to his senses, he still questioned Tao Donglai's statement. Haihan has been guarding Jinzhou for so many years. Even if he changes his strategy and takes the initiative, how can he pose a real threat to the Qing Dynasty in a short period of time?
Tao Donglai seemed to know what Yang Sichang was thinking, and immediately explained: "Our country only won Jinzhou, not because we didn't have the ability to create more trouble for the Manchus, but just because we didn't think it was necessary. Tom, please give Mr. Yang a simple Let’s talk about our battle plan.”
Wang Tom stood up, walked to the wall and pulled a string. A cloth scroll hanging on the wall immediately opened from top to bottom. It turned out to be a huge map of Liaodong.
Wang Tom raised his hand and pointed to the place where the west side of the Liaodong Peninsula connects to the mainland and said: "Master Yang, please look, this is Gaizhou. If our army lands from here, it will only be three hundred miles away from Shenyang City, and the area in between is flat. , there are no obstacles, and at the speed of the cavalry's advance, the troops can reach the city in three or four days. Moreover, this is the mouth of the Daliao River, and the upstream tributary Hun River can reach directly to the vicinity of Shenyang City. With our army's water transportation capabilities, we can completely reach Shenyang through the inland river. Once our country is determined to attack, it will be difficult for the Qing Dynasty to stop them.”
Although Yang Sichang was not good at leading troops in battle, as the Minister of War, he was certainly not a loser. He had studied the map of Liaodong thousands of times. As soon as Wang Tom mentioned the battle plan, he knew that the other party was indeed not joking. Similar combat plans have been studied by the Ministry of War of the Ming Dynasty. After all, this is the closest route to attack Shenyang, the capital of the Qing Dynasty. If there is a way to deploy a large number of troops near Gaizhou, there will be a chance to attack Huanglong. But in the end, the Ministry of War did not put it into practice. The reason was that the capabilities of the Ming Dynasty Navy were not enough to support such a cross-sea combat plan. Even if they knew that Gaizhou was an excellent landing site, they would not be able to land in Gaizhou. In a short period of time, troops were deployed across Liaodong Bay to the area.
But if the executor of this combat plan is replaced by Haihan, it may be possible. Haihan was already known for its shipping capabilities, and its naval fleet was known as the invincible navy. In the past few years, it had wiped out all the Manchu and Qing naval forces, and almost no sails could sail out of the Liaodong coast. With such strength, it is indeed not difficult to carry out a landing campaign in the Gaizhou area. As for whether the follow-up can successfully open up a three-hundred-mile marching channel and approach Shenyang City as Wang Tom said, that is still open to question. After all, everyone knows that the Haihan Army's activity range has always been only near the coast, and has almost no combat experience hundreds of miles inland.
But who dares to say that they can't do what the Haihan people want to do? Yang Sichang seemed to see a glimmer of hope in the darkness.
(End of chapter)