Southern Ming Rebel Army

Chapter 409: Furious Dorgon

When Dorgon received the news that all the members of the Lu family were missing, he couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart, and then he urgently summoned Luo Shi, the leader of the guards of the Sticking Rod Department.

Dorgon was filled with an unprecedented panic, shame, anger and other complicated emotions. He still had a glimmer of fantasy in his heart. Maybe Lu Fengchun was really dead, or something happened to the Lu family. Kidnapping? Murder?

Soon, Luoshu hurried to Dorgon and kowtowed to him.

"Luo Shi, you know about the Lu family, right?" Dorgon went straight to the point and spoke in a cold tone.

Roche nodded and replied, "I just received the news and was about to report it to the Regent."

"Say"

"Lord Regent, I have placed spies in the mansions of all the high-ranking officials. The intelligence from the Lu family said that there was nothing unusual about the Lu family before they disappeared yesterday. Lu Congnian was on duty as usual, and so was Lu Congyi."

After Roche finished speaking, he hesitated and asked, "Prince Regent, could it be kidnapping by bandits?"

Dorgon said coldly: "In the important area of the capital, there will be bandits causing chaos, Luoshi, do you believe it yourself?"

Luo Shi kowtowed quickly and said, "I am guilty." After that, Luo Shi said uncertainly, "But the servants of the Lu family said that the two Lu brothers stayed in the study for a long time yesterday. When they came out, Lu Congnian looked a little panicked."

“I want you to act immediately. You must find the Lu family back at all costs. I want to see them alive or dead!” Dorgon gritted his teeth, with a ruthless look in his eyes.

Luo Shi was shocked when he heard this, and then he responded: "I will mobilize all the available forces in the sticking rod department and make sure to find the Lu family as soon as possible."

Dorgon stared at Luoshi, was silent for a moment, and slowly said: "Remember, this matter is of great importance. If you mess it up, hmph!"

Feeling the chill in Dorgon's words, Luo Shi felt a chill down his spine and quickly replied, "I will do my best to live up to the Regent's high expectations."

After Luoshu left the hall, Dorgon sat alone on the chair with an uncertain face. If Lu Fengchun was really still alive, then his posthumous title and reward for his son would become a complete joke.

Dorgon was very worried. The Qing Dynasty was already in decline, with its territory shrinking again and again. If something like this happened now, his prestige would be really ruined.

Moreover, the governor of Shandong, a second-rank official, actually faked his death and surrendered. This further represented that the rift within the Qing court was gradually widening, and more and more Han officials were beginning to waver. This was undoubtedly an extremely dangerous signal for the Qing court.

As for Luo Shi, he led the Sticking Rod Department to search for the Lu family with all their might. The Qing court also issued arrest warrants to Hebei, Henan and other places, and ordered all places to investigate the Qingluan Guard spies. But unfortunately, after all the trouble, nothing was found. It was as if the Lu family had some magic that could go to heaven and earth and disappeared without a trace.

The searches on the Qingluan Guards in various places were still superficial. Quite a few people were arrested, but it turned out that only one in a hundred was a real spy. Officials from the Qing court in various places took the opportunity to extort money and made the local areas a mess.

Even in the city of Beijing, there were waves of search teams. Some shops could not bear it and had to close down. Even Lu Ping spent dozens of taels of silver to send away batch after batch of yamen officials. Lu Ping could not help but spit and curse inwardly. Then he wrote down these extortionate officials one by one in a notebook. Sooner or later, he would take revenge.

After many days of waiting and fruitless searching, Dorgon finally received a piece of news that made him extremely worried: the Lu family had indeed escaped from the rule of the Qing court and appeared in the sphere of influence of Zhou's army in Shandong.

Officials in the Qing court did not dare to discuss it at all. In the past, Emperor Chongzhen posthumously conferred a title on Hong Chengchou, and now the Regent Dorgon posthumously conferred a title on Lu Fengchun. As a result, these two surrendered one after another. It is easy to imagine how angry Dorgon must be now.

"Bang!" With a loud bang, Dorgon threw the teacup next to him towards the opposite wall. Fragments flew everywhere, and the sharp sound of porcelain breaking echoed in the empty hall.

"You're going too far! Thief, you dog thief!! Lu Fengchun, you dog thief, I swear to kill you!" Dorgon roared, his chest heaving violently, his eyes burning with rage.

The eunuchs and palace maids serving around were so frightened that they fell silent and knelt on the ground, not daring to breathe, for fear of angering the emperor's father, the regent.

"Someone come here!" Dorgon panted and called loudly.

Several eunuchs trembled and climbed up, approaching quickly, "Pass on my order, organize the troops, I will lead the army personally to attack the Meng thief!"

After Dorgon finished speaking, he became angrier and angrier, until he vomited blood and fainted on the ground. Several eunuchs were horrified and rushed forward to support Dorgon. One of them shouted in a sharp tone: "Go and report to the Queen Mother! Quick!"

When the news came out, the court and the public were shocked, and undercurrents surged in the capital. Many people privately speculated whether Dorgon could survive this disaster.

The imperial doctors rushed over, surrounded his bed and nervously discussed the treatment plan. Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang was extremely anxious upon hearing the news. She looked at the unconscious Dorgon with tears in her eyes, feeling extremely painful in her heart.

The Qing Dynasty was in turmoil. Regardless of whether Dorgon should bear the greatest responsibility for the current situation caused by the shaving order, Dorgon was still the backbone of the Eight Banners. Once anything happened to him, it would be like adding insult to injury for the Qing court.

When the news of Dorgon's serious illness came out, Hauge had just returned to Beijing. There was a lot of discussion in the court for a while. Some people argued that since the emperor was young, it was the time for the elders to assist in the country, and since the regent was seriously ill, Prince Su should act as the governor of the country.

Dorgon's faction naturally disagreed. On the one hand, they tried to delay time and wait for Dorgon to wake up. On the other hand, their worst plan was that they would rather Shunzhi rule the country than hand over the government to Hauge.

However, faced with this chaotic situation, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang demonstrated extraordinary political skills. On the one hand, she actively communicated with the two factions of ministers in the court to stabilize people's hearts. On the other hand, she vigorously publicized Meng Jun's threat, trying to use foreign enemies to reduce internal disputes.

But Xiaozhuang also knew that she could only barely hold on. At this critical juncture, the Qing Dynasty still needed a strong leader. She could only pray to God to let Dorgon recover. Once Hauge came to power, she and Fulin, mother and son, would probably not have a good ending. Moreover, the threat of foreign enemies was always there. If they were not careful, they would die and their clan would be destroyed.

As Dorgon was in a coma, the expedition was naturally temporarily stopped. Just when the Qing court was in panic, the envoy sent by Meng Jun arrived in Beijing in a high-profile manner. For a time, the already chaotic court situation became even more chaotic, like water dripping from a frying pan.