If we count from 1634, when Chen Yixin set foot in Fushan County, Dengzhou, Shandong Province and began to establish the Haihan control area there, the contest between the two sides in the northern part of the Ming Dynasty has been twenty-three years. But this is the first time in history to see each other face to face like this.
The two countries signed an armistice agreement a few years ago, but Ming's situation at that time was far less passive than it is now, so Chongzhen did not come forward in person, but sent cabinet officials to Tianjin to complete the signing.
Chongzhen did not want to go out of the city to meet with Haihan's senior officials under such circumstances, but today was different from the past. If he refused Haihan's request, it would only worsen Ming's already passive situation.
Although the Ming Dynasty was the defeated country in this war, as an emperor, Chongzhen would never show any groveling gesture in front of the other party. He looked directly at Chen Yixin without any intention of avoiding it.
Chen Yixin has read countless people, and one can tell from one glance that the emperor is still holding back his dissatisfaction.
But this is understandable. After all, Chongzhen lived in the Forbidden City all year round. He neither went to the front lines to personally supervise the war, nor went to the city ports under Haihan to broaden his horizons. Most of his knowledge of the world probably came from ministers. memorial.
He only knew that Ming Dynasty was defeated, but he didn't know why it was defeated. How could he be convinced?
"I won't waste time repeating the content of the armistice agreement. I believe you have read it many times and are very clear about the terms listed in it."
Chen Yixin pointed to the two agreements already placed on the table and said: "If there are no problems, then please sit down and sign."
Chongzhen did not follow his advice, but asked a very sharp question: "What is the purpose of your country's war? If it is to replace the Ming Dynasty, what is the significance of signing this armistice agreement now?"
This question has obviously troubled Chongzhen for a long time. Even though he already knew the answer, he still wanted to take this opportunity to ask Chen Yixin face to face.
Chen Yixin said: "In the past thousand years, the Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties have changed. This is a historical trend. Do you really think that the Ming Dynasty can rule the country for thousands of years?"
"Our country, Haihan, was founded and held by Han people. Taking over the rule of the Ming Dynasty from now on can be regarded as continuing civilization. It is better than the invasion of foreigners and barbarians taking power, right? If you think about the common people in the world, you should follow our country's arrangements and start peacefully as soon as possible. way to complete the transfer of power.”
Chongzhen snorted coldly, but did not answer. In his opinion, the Haihan people who prospered in the South China Sea are also overseas barbarians. It is too far-fetched to claim to be Han orthodox just because the country's name has the character "Han" in it.
As for the idea of replacing the Ming Dynasty to rule the world, he was even more unwilling to agree. In his view, although the Ming Dynasty was in a difficult situation, the country had not yet exhausted its power, and it was far from being replaced by latecomers.
When Chen Yixin saw this, he didn't want to talk nonsense to him anymore, and said coldly: "I know that you are not convinced by the defeat, but between countries, everything must be based on strength... If you don't want to sign this agreement, you can do it right away I will never be embarrassed if you leave.”
This time, Chongzhen was really stifled. Of course, he did not want to sign an armistice agreement with Haihan that would be humiliating and humiliating the country, but the problem was that the current situation left him no choice.
This war will continue to be fought, not to mention whether it can defeat the Haihan Army. Some Ming Army troops who have begun to run out of food and pay will inevitably run the risk of mutiny.
Now that the capital is still there, people everywhere are still waiting to see the situation. The imperial court still has enough power to manage half of the country in the interior. But if the Haihan army conquers the capital in one go, I am afraid that there will be rebellions everywhere in the world. By then, the Ming Dynasty will really want to The country has perished.
After signing the armistice agreement, Ming Dynasty should be able to survive for a few years. During this period, there may be some changes, and it is unknown whether it will make a comeback. But if we don’t sign, there’s a high probability that we won’t even be able to survive this year. Of course, Chongzhen cannot just walk away. If he leaves, the situation will no longer be salvageable. The only thing he could do now was to ignore Chen Yixin's ridicule, sit down and sign the words honestly.
Chongzhen took a deep breath, slowly suppressed his anger, walked slowly to the table, sat down, and opened the book in front of him.
The text of the armistice agreement was prepared by the Haihan side. What surprised Chongzhen was that the content was actually printed. And if you look closely at the smooth, thick paper and exquisite binding, it definitely doesn't look like work that could be done in a military camp near the capital.
That can only mean one thing. Haihan sent the content of the agreement to the rear, completed the typesetting, printing and binding, and then sent it here at an extremely fast speed.
He calculated in his mind that only three days had passed since the two parties reached an agreement and agreed on the time and place to sign the agreement. Haihan's ability to complete these matters in such a short period of time shows his strong logistical support capabilities.
Of course, the contents of this book have been reviewed by the cabinet bachelor and Wang Chengen in advance, so there will be no temporary additions or changes. Chongzhen speculated that the reason why Haihan used printing was not only to show off his logistical strength, but also to eliminate the possibility of someone tampering with the content.
Chongzhen did not ask questions, but Chen Yixin took the initiative to introduce: "The last time we signed the armistice agreement with your country, it was a text copied on the spot. It didn't look solemn enough, so this time we made preparations in advance and specially moved a room from Shandong. Yinfang to Tianjin”
"After all, this is an important document that will be passed down to future generations. It must be made more delicate to be decent. What do you think?"
Chongzhen was very angry after hearing this. Haihan wanted to pass this thing down to future generations, obviously to prove his legitimacy to replace Ming Dynasty.
Chongzhen remained silent. He suppressed his anger and read the agreement, then signed the signature on the last page. Then Wang Chengen handed over the jade seal and stamped the agreement.
After both parties signed, an attendant from Haihan's side came forward to exchange texts between the two, and signed his name next to the other's signature.
The armistice agreement was made in two copies, with each country retaining one copy. After both parties signed, the ceremony was considered over.
Chen Yixin stood up and said: "Now that the words have been signed, I hope that your country can fulfill the contents of the armistice agreement as soon as possible and stop causing problems to the hard-won peace."
"Wait a minute." Chongzhen stood up and stopped Chen Yixin, who was about to turn around and leave: "Your Excellency has not answered the question I asked before."
"Are you talking about the significance of signing this armistice agreement?" Chen Yixin said with a smile: "One bite cannot make you fat. If we want to take over the world, we have to do it step by step. Once this bite is swallowed, we can take another bite."
Chen Yixin's unabashed explanation almost made Chongzhen faint.
His lips trembled as he was about to retaliate, but Chen Yixin didn't expect that Chen Yixin would come up with a last resort: "Your Excellency, take good care of your health and don't abdicate too early. You should still be able to attend the next signing ceremony."