Chapter 3594
Although the excuse given by Haihan was very perfunctory, it was not all bad news for Yue Shizong. Because this at least confirmed one thing, Haihan officials did not admit that the nature of this operation was an open declaration of war against Ming Dynasty. Since it is not an all-out war, there is still hope of controlling the deterioration of the situation.
Yue Shizong didn't know whether his own activities had an effect, or whether Haihan really didn't intend to fight. A few days later, news came from the rear that the Haihan army crossing the river actually stopped moving and did not attack again. Ming launched further offensive.
But the bad news is that in addition to Jiangpu and Liuhe counties, Hezhou, located in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, has also been lost. The Haihan Army, which entered Hezhou under the pretext of eradicating bandits, did not let go of this territory in the end.
Based on past experience, this kind of area actually occupied by Haihan basically has no possibility of returning to the Ming Dynasty. However, out of his duties as a diplomat, Yue Shizong still had to make a strong statement to the Haihan Executive Committee, asking Haihan to return the two counties and one state he occupied this time to the Ming Dynasty.
However, the response of the Executive Committee far exceeded Yue Shizong's expectations. Ning Qi, who received him, made it clear that the issue of the ownership of these two counties and one state was of no value to discuss, because next Haihan would claim control of the state capitals along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. .
The meaning of this claim is to notify Ming first. If Ming is unwilling to hand over control of these areas, then of course the next step is to use military means.
What made Yue Shizong most angry was not that Haihan coveted the areas along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, but that the other party said it so blatantly, without covering up his ambitions at all, and not caring whether Ming Dynasty would prepare for war in advance after being notified. .
However, Yue Shizong still had a clear idea of which of the two countries was stronger and weaker. He could only suppress his anger and patiently reiterated his point of view: "If there is another war between the two countries, it will inevitably lead to loss of life and suffering for the people. Why not continue to maintain peace? Resolve conflicts and differences through negotiation? ”
Ning Qi said: "Master Yue, why do you have to pretend to be confused? The replacement of dynasties, the rise and fall of dynasties, these are the laws of history. Sooner or later, I, Haihan, will replace the Ming Dynasty in ruling the world. I am willing to sit here and talk to you now, not because I have a good heart, but It’s because our country doesn’t want to waste too many resources in the process of succeeding Ming Dynasty, so as not to affect our country’s expansion around the world!”
Ning Qi is considered a conservative in the Haihan Executive Committee who takes a conservative approach, and often goes against the radical military. But when dealing with foreign officials, this relative conservatism will undoubtedly be regarded as a complete hawk by the other party.
Seeing that Yue Shizong was so angry that his lips were trembling and speechless, Ning Qi continued to say unhurriedly: "The goal that I, Haihan, want to achieve is to become the most powerful country in the world. The decline of Ming Dynasty is irreversible. Sooner or later, It will become a part of Haihan just like the coastal areas.”
"The wisest thing for your country is not to resist desperately, but to take the initiative to speed up the process, and let the executive committee ensure the interests of the royal family during the transition period. In this way, the Zhu family will still be a famous family in the new dynasty, and can at least protect the family for several generations. Wealth. Isn’t it better to live a stable and peaceful life in the future than to live in fear in Beijing? ”
In fact, Ning Qi's suggestion is not a new theory. When the two countries held armistice negotiations after large-scale wars, Haihan would make similar suggestions, asking Ming Dynasty to voluntarily give up its power.
Of course, this request would definitely not be recognized by Emperor Chongzhen, but no matter how resolute the rejection was, the influence of this theory could not be completely eliminated.
In recent years, people from the Zhu clan have begun to seek cooperation with Haihan. For example, two brothers, Zhu Zian and Zhu Ziwu, descendants of King De who went to Haihan to take the imperial examinations on their own two years ago, have now become officials. The yamen where Zhu Zian currently works is responsible for connecting with Ming Dynasty on various matters, and it can be regarded as a professional counterpart. Needless to say, these Zhu clan members who took the initiative to integrate into Haihan had a united front value. Haihan would also intentionally support them as an example to attract more relatives of the Ming Emperor to join them.
Yue Shizong had stayed in Hangzhou for so long, and of course he had dealt with Zhu Zian, so he couldn't find a suitable angle to refute Ning Qi's remarks.
Ning Qi continued: "If every time your country loses a state or a county, Mr. Yue will come to us to negotiate for several days, then you may be too busy in the future! My suggestion is that Mr. Yue might as well This enthusiasm should be spent on convincing the capital, rather than wasting time on our end.”
At this point, Yue Shizong could not continue the conversation and could only stand up and walk away. But he was not willing to let it go. The toughness shown by Ning Qi made him feel that Haihan might make some big move in the near future. This was important information that he had to find out.
Yue Shizong did not dare to delay and immediately went to visit Zhu Zian to see if he could get some information from him.
However, Zhu Zian was confused by what Yue Shizong said. He did not receive any relevant notice about launching a new round of war against the Ming Dynasty. Even for the small-scale war that took place in Nanjing a few days ago, he received the news no later than How much in advance do ordinary people in Hangzhou.
Seeing that Zhu Zian didn't look fake, Yue Shizong couldn't help but be very disappointed. He could only ask the other party if there was any way to ease the tension between the two countries.
Zhu Zian's views on the relationship between the two countries are very consistent with Ning Qi's.
"Master Yue, it is impossible for the Ming Dynasty and Haihan to coexist in a situation of even power for a long time. There can only be one master of the world. If the Ming Dynasty wants to preserve the state, it can only follow the practices of North Korea, Annan and other countries and become a pursuit of Haihan. A small country of refuge.”
"Now the Ming Dynasty can still pose a threat to Haihan, so Haihan is bound to continue to reduce the size of the Ming Dynasty through military means. When the population, territory, and military strength are reduced to the point where it can no longer cause trouble to Haihan, peace will Come naturally.”
"But by that time, Haihan may not need Ming Dynasty to continue to exist. I think it is better to seize the opportunity when we can make an honorable exit. It will not be beneficial to anyone if we really have to fight to the death."
From Yue Shizong's point of view, it is naturally impossible to agree with Zhu Zian's argument, but it is meaningless to refute the other party, and it cannot change the current situation of Ming Dynasty being completely passive.
Yue Shizong returned the topic to the possible new round of conflict between the two countries and asked Zhu Zian if there were any other channels for news.
Zhu Zixin knew that Yue Shizong was determined not to give up, so he could only advise him to read more recently published newspapers. If the country makes any big moves, there will definitely be some signs, and several newspapers and periodicals with official backgrounds are the most likely channels to see such information in advance.