You want Me to issue a decree of self-blame?

For three consecutive days, the capital's city gates remained tightly shut.

To a newly established empire, such a catastrophic upheaval was no less severe than a major military defeat, with actual repercussions far outweighing the loss of one or two provinces.

More than 3,000 regular banner-men of the Plain Blue Banner were completely wiped out; half of their dependents fled, while the other half remained.

The Plain Yellow and Bordered Yellow Banners, steadfast supporters of the Shunzhi Emperor, suffered over 1,900 casualties.

Banner-men from the other banners suffered over 1,500 casualties, while the losses of the Han and Mongol Banner regiments exceeded a thousand, leaving those aside for the moment.

In this mutiny, nearly 8,000 Manchu banner-men vanished into thin air!

At that time, counting all Manchu banner people—men, women, and old alike—the total population did not exceed 350,000, among whom approximately 110,000 were active banner-men.

In a single day, 7% of their total strength was lost.

...

Unexpectedly, the Two White Banners performed remarkably well, remaining as steady as a rock throughout the entire mutiny. Aside from a few clashes with rebellious Plain Blue Banner forces, they strictly observed their duties as loyal subjects.

Upon learning this news, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The Shunzhi Emperor also felt a glimmer of relief. Yet, alongside that relief, he fell into a severe psychological internal conflict: Could he still unearth Dorgon’s coffin and mutilate his corpse?

With such a monumental crisis unfolding, a morning audience was obviously insufficient.

Noontime and evening audiences were soon instituted as well.

The Shunzhi Emperor grew dizzy from endless meetings.

Three audience sessions a day, two Deliberative Princes and Ministers' Meetings, plus numerous private sovereign-minister encounters, filled with repetitive arguments, agonizing entanglements, and mutual vitriol.

To his horror, he discovered that the Plain Blue Banner's armed coercion had acted like lifting the lid off a volcano, causing scorching magma to erupt unstoppably.

The internal contradictions long festering within the Eight Banners had blown wide open.

The Eight Banners nobility pointed fingers at one another.

Manchu and Han officials hurled accusations at each other.

Sitting upon the dragon throne, the Shunzhi Emperor suddenly recalled the day he had strolled through the imperial garden with Oboi, mocking Zhu Youlang’s regime for its ceaseless internal strife and endless infighting.

A boomerang.

Smack. Right across the face.

...

In the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the Deliberative Princes and Ministers' Meeting was underway.

Since Prince Zheng, Jierhalang, was directing military operations in the south, those attending were:

Prince Li Mandahai, Prince Jingjin Nikan, Prince Duanzhong Bolo, Prince Shuncheng Lekdehun, Prince Zhuang Shuosai, and Prince An Yuele.

The first three were cousins of the Shunzhi Emperor, collectively known as the "Three Ruling Princes" who succeeded Dorgon.

The attitude of the Shunzhi Emperor himself could be described as humble.

"Lords, the capital has suffered this calamity. How should We respond to minimize the impact to the greatest extent possible?"

Bolo spoke first:

"This subject believes we should rebuild the Plain Blue Banner and re-select loyal men to replenish its ranks."

Lekdehun pondered for a moment, cupped his hands, and said:

"This subject believes that we must prioritize matters by urgency. We should first thoroughly investigate the origins of the mutiny and the truth behind it. For a mutiny of this scale to occur without some underlying cause is something this subject cannot believe."

Prince Li Mandahai kept coughing.

He was genuinely ill, yet he approached the problem from a different angle.

"There is currently turmoil in the capital, which may threaten the front lines. Should the court summon the Han-banner princes from the front back to the capital to pacify the troops' morale?"

The Shunzhi Emperor understood he was referring to the Three Feudatory Princes and the Prince Who Pacifies the West. If these surrendered generals caught the scent of blood and harbored ulterior motives, it would spell disaster.

...

Xiaozhuang listened quietly from behind the screen, uttering not a single word.

Suddenly, she realized a terrifying problem: a severe dearth of talent. The young Manchu princes out there had glaring flaws in their capabilities.

In terms of military command:

Lekdehun and Bolo had brief, independent experiences commanding an army in battle, making them barely passable as primary commanders.

The remaining four had no experience whatsoever in holding independent command; at best, they were fit only to be deputy generals.

Nikan, in particular, was merely an outstanding vanguard officer for breaking enemy lines.

In terms of administrative capability:

These six were roughly in the same tier.

Setting aside their titles, at their absolute limit, they were only qualified to be bureau directors.

Xiaozhuang thought to herself that the combined weight of these six men could not even outweigh Hong Chengchou.

Hong Chengchou was a military and political all-rounder—meticulous in thought, calm under pressure, and capable of long-term planning. It was only regrettable that he was a Han Chinese; and it was even more regrettable that he was now dead.

That blood-stained submission wrapped in a queue was currently inside the Forbidden City.

Never had she expected that, in the final moments of his life, Hong Chengchou would strongly recommend Jiang Qingyun, speaking with such earnestness that it felt like the sincere words of a dying man.

It was utterly unexpected.

Xiaozhuang let out a lingering sigh.

Nurhaci's lineage, Dorgon, Hong Chengchou—these were all exceptional men, all grand heroes of their era, but their entanglements and grievances were impossible to unravel.

Ah...

A thirty-eight-year-old woman found herself caught in an agonizing dilemma.

...

The tone of the discussion began to shift.

Bolo suddenly changed the subject, turning his spearhead outward:

"This subject requests the execution of Junior Censor Jiang Qingyun. This man sat idly by while various government offices were attacked, refusing to mobilize troops until the imperial edict arrived. His inaction caused over a hundred casualties among the officials of various departments. His intent is utterly heinous."

Shuosai chimed in: "This subject seconds the motion."

There was a reason these two were acting in such solidarity.

Bolo was both a member of the Plain Blue Banner and the son of Abatai. Should Jiang Qingyun lose imperial favor, he would be the first to strike.

Shuosai, on the other hand, was in charge of the Ministry of War.

Jiang Qingyun’s slapping incident at the Ministry of War was, in effect, a slap to his own face as well.

The Shunzhi Emperor remained surprisingly calm.

"We shall investigate the matter."

"Nikan, why have you remained silent?"

Nikan, who was in charge of the Ministry of Rites, either stayed quiet or dropped a bombshell when he spoke.

"Your Majesty, this subject has a bold idea."

"Speak!"

"This subject requests that Your Majesty issue an Edict of Self-Reproach to stabilize the people's hearts and demonstrate the broad-mindedness of an enlightened ruler."

Crack!

Behind the screen, Xiaozhuang snapped her long fingernail, blood seeping through.

...

The Shunzhi Emperor could scarcely believe his ears.

"Nikan, what on earth are you thinking?"

"This subject oversees the Ministry of Rites and frequently reads historical texts. I have discovered that, throughout history, as many as eighty monarchs of the Central Plains have issued Edicts of Self-Reproach. Emperor Taizong of Tang alone issued twenty-eight such edicts. This clearly shows that an Edict of Self-Reproach can pacify the populace, stabilize the realm, and showcase the magnanimity of a sovereign."

"Is that so? You certainly seem to have learned a great deal in the Ministry of Rites, Nikan."

"Thank Your Majesty for the praise."

Nikan then noticed the emperor's grim expression. Confused, just as he was about to press further, Mandahai kicked him from the side.

The Shunzhi Emperor took a deep breath, clenching his fists tightly inside his sleeves.

He muttered to himself:

"During the Plain Blue Banner mutiny, We must have made some mistakes. Owning up to mistakes! Acknowledging faults? If it could unite the Eight Banners as one, We would be willing to do anything."

"Let us end here for today. We are somewhat fatigued. Summon Wu Yong to feel Our pulse."

...

After the Deliberative Princes and Ministers' Meeting concluded, the Shunzhi Emperor went first to find Xiaozhuang, who had been listening from behind the curtain.

"Imperial Mother, you heard it all?"

"I heard it. Fulin, what do you think of Nikan's words?"

"His brain is flooded with water. The moment an Edict of Self-Reproach is issued, I will truly be guilty."

"That you can see through this layer, Fulin, is very good. Nikan's thinking is simple; he only knows how to wear armor and charge enemy lines, so it is not surprising that he would utter such nonsense. What I am curious about is whether this idea originated from him, or if someone behind the scenes taught him?"

"Mother means Fan Wencheng is instigating this from behind the scenes?"

"We should neither casually suspect someone nor blindly trust anyone. The Great Qing's empire has yet to be consolidated. Fulin, summon Jiang Qingyun to the palace immediately. Although this man is overbearing, his methods are indeed shrewd. We can hear what he has to say."

"Yes."

...

Half an hour later.

Jiang Qingyun hurried into the palace and met the Shunzhi Emperor in the side hall of the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

"Long live, long, long live the Emperor."

"No need for formalities. Take a seat," the Shunzhi Emperor waved his hand. "You may all withdraw."

A one-on-one session between sovereign and minister facilitated confidential discourse.

"Jiang Qingyun, what do you believe the court should do most urgently right now?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty: define the nature of the incident!"