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The soldiers behind him immediately subdued the military officer.

Fan Chao said angrily: "Who the hell is this? If you want to fight, you can fight, if you want to surrender, you can surrender. A sneak attack is considered a hero!"

"Pooh!"

The military officer spat at Fan Chao: "Rebellious ministers and thieves, everyone gets to punish him!"

Zhen Shu, Shangshu of the Ministry of Civil Affairs in Nanjing, came forward to intercede: "General Haojiao knows that this man is named Lin Yuwu, and his official position is to command the affairs of Nanjing. His elder brother was originally Shangshu of the Ministry of Industry of the Ming Dynasty. He was a good official. He was dismissed for pleading for the people. .His third younger brother is now Minister of Rites of the Ming Dynasty, and is also a good official. This man is confused, general, don’t want to be as knowledgeable as him.”

Lin Yuwu was still struggling and swearing, his official hat was thrown off, revealing his gray hair.

Fan Chao sighed and said, "Forget it, since you are old, I don't care about you, so I will arrest you and lock you up."

……

It must be explained again that the nobles and generals in the south of the Yangtze River did not have servants for fighting.

After a long period of peace, it's just bullying the common people. Do you need to be fully armed?

If the generals in the south of the Yangtze River really had a servant who could fight, they would not have been driven away by dozens of pirates who traveled thousands of miles, killed three provinces, and left!

When the Qing army went south, it also swept across the south of the Yangtze River.

Indeed, there were many anti-Qing righteous men who scattered money to recruit soldiers, defended the city to the death, and the whole city was massacred.

But it must be realized that in the vast rural areas, farmers have nothing to lose.Not only did they not resist the Qing, some even acted as leading parties for the Qing soldiers, and such leading parties were everywhere.

On the same day that Yan Yingyuan raised his troops against the Qing Dynasty in Jiangyin, a large number of slaves and tenants in Jiangyin's countryside rushed into Xu Xiake's home, killed more than 20 members of Xu Xiake's clan, and set fire to Xu Xiake's house.

Isn't it weird?

Same area, even on the same day.Rich people and scholars raised their troops against the Qing Dynasty, while domestic slaves and tenants took the Qing soldiers as their backing and took the opportunity to kill their masters.

For Zhao Han to be able to sweep Jiangnan, one order to release slaves and one order to divide the land is enough.

No matter how many thugs the landlord had in his family, he would still have to flee for his life in the face of the house slaves and peasants who picked up sticks!

At the end of the Ming Dynasty, in the four provinces of Nanzhili, Zhejiang, Huguang, and Jiangxi, as long as they heard that the bandits or the Qing army were coming, there would be rebellion from house slaves or tenants.They naively believed that the bandits and the Qing army were on their side.

Later, the whole people resisted the Qing because the Manchus killed them too hard.

Even the remnants of the White-headed Army in Xudu, originally forced to rebel by the imperial court, were recruited, and dozens of leaders were killed.They had a deep hatred with the Ming government, and finally became an anti-Qing army, which was really killed by the Manchu Qing and had to fight against the Qing.

A scholar in Xu Du can occupy more than a dozen cities in central Zhejiang. What kind of resistance can Zhao Han encounter with his strong troops?

There really was a fierce battle, but it was a reverse cheat!

……

Beijing.

The Forbidden City, Qianqing Palace, was dead silent.

The news of Nanjing's fall spread quickly, and it took only ten days for the Clippers to enter Beijing.

This is thanks to the northern officers and soldiers who suppressed the Caomin uprising in Shandong, otherwise the Grand Canal would still be blocked.

With trembling hands, Chongzhen put down the Tang newspaper from Yangzhou, and said dryly, "What else do you want to say?"

Yang Sichang was not in Beijing at this time. He went to Henan and was trying his best to encircle and suppress Li Zicheng.

Xue Guoguan was terrified in his heart, so he said bravely, "We can only destroy the bandits first."

"The rogues, the rogues, how many years have passed, and the rogues haven't been wiped out yet," Chongzhen became angry without warning, "The rogues can't be extinguished, the Tartar slaves can't be extinguished, and the Zhao thieves have already stolen several provinces in the south!"

All the ministers were speechless and dared not speak.

A civil servant suddenly stood up, but it was Zhao Han's old acquaintance, Wei Zhaocheng, the governor of Jiangxi in the early years of Chongzhen.This person knelt down on the ground and shouted sharply: "Your Majesty, Yang Sichang will be executed!"

Fan Fucui, the second assistant to the cabinet, also came out, knelt down and said, "Your Majesty, please behead Yang Sichang!"

Chief Assistant Xue Guoguan hurriedly came out: "Your Majesty, it is very difficult for Yang Dongge to suppress bandits. It is a big taboo for military strategists to change commanders just before the battle."

The cabinet minister Cheng Guoxiang said: "Your Majesty, please kill Yang Sichang!"

Nanjing has fallen, and Beijing is still engaging in party struggles.

Since the upheaval last winter, Yang Sichang has lost control of the court.It's not that he is no longer trusted by the emperor, but that Emperor Chongzhen always thinks about it.

Chongzhen believed that the successive military defeats were due to the fact that the cabinet ministers were not familiar with the affairs of the ministry and could not integrate the functions of the six ministries well.

So Chongzhen ordered that the candidates for the current cabinet be promoted to one person from each of the six ministries.

As a result, half of the cabinet ministers have become Donglin Party, or tend to Donglin Party.However, Xue Guoguan, the chief assistant, and Yang Sichang, the most powerful person, are the mortal enemies of the Donglin Party.

The cabinet has thus become the main battlefield of party struggle!

Several cabinet ministers are in the same situation.The cabinet is already quarreling endlessly, and they come from the six ministries and have the influence of the six ministries, so the six ministries are also holding each other back.

Regardless of good or bad things, don't even think about doing anything, and the government has become unprecedentedly chaotic.

Chongzhen looked at these cabinet ministers and was already trembling with anger.

I asked you to discuss matters, but you came to quarrel and engage in political struggles. Nanjing has been lost!If Yang Sichang is beheaded, the overall situation can be saved. I can behead ten Yang Sichangs!

Chongzhen sneered and said: "Zhuqing wants to kill Yang Sichang. Well, let's pretend that Yang Sichang is dead, and start talking about business. Who can regain Jiangnan?"

Everyone was silent and did not dare to speak.

"Bang!"

Chongzhen swept away the things on the table with a wave of his arm, and the inkstone made a sound when it fell to the ground.He pointed at the ministers and angrily said: "A bunch of wine bags and rice bags, what's the use of you! Talk!"

Wei Zhaocheng bit the bullet and said: "Zhou Yanru is good at managing state affairs, and he will definitely be able to turn things around. Please recall Zhou Yanru to be the chief assistant."

"Your Majesty, please revive Zhou Yanru." Fan Fucui and Cheng Guoxiang followed suit.

Xue Guoguan hoarsed his voice at the end, and shouted: "Are you planning to form a party? Are you trying to force Your Majesty?"

Still engaged in party disputes!

Chongzhen was so angry that he lost his voice, his chest heaving and falling.

These cabinet ministers were all selected by him personally. What kind of people did they choose?

"Get out! Get out of here!"

After calming down for a long time, Chongzhen was finally able to speak again, and he almost lost his breath.

The ministers immediately resigned, not daring to face the emperor's wrath again.

After sitting for a long time, Chongzhen actually said to the eunuch: "Call Wang Tiaoding."

Chongzhen didn't know who to talk to, after much deliberation, only Wang Tiaoding sent by Zhao thief was left.

"Your Majesty tuned the tripod, and kowtowed to His Majesty!" The king tuned the tripod and fell to the ground.

Chongzhen sneered and said: "Your lord has already occupied Jiangnan, do you think about going back to assist?"

Wang Tiaoding quickly said: "The minister is the minister of Ming Dynasty, and your majesty is the master of the minister."

Chongzhen looked up at the top of the hall, and asked leisurely: "Then how does Zhao Han employ people? Why doesn't he have a group of wine bags and rice bags under his command? He forcibly divided the fields in the south and killed so many gentry, why didn't anyone rebel against him?"

Wang Diaoding replied, "It's just the people's will."

"Will the people win the hearts of the people by dividing the land and killing people?" Chongzhen asked.

Wang Tiaoding replied: "If you only lose the heart of one family in dividing the land, you can gain the hearts of thousands of families. The gentry is the people, and the head of Guizhou is also the people. The gentry exploits the people, relying on nothing more than two things. One is the support of the government, and the other is the government. Raise evil slaves. As long as the land is distributed to the common people, the common people will naturally join the army, kill the evil slaves first, and then go to the government."

Chongzhen shook his head and said: "I am the emperor, I can't kill people randomly, and I can't divide the fields randomly."

Wang Diaoding was silent.

Chongzhen lost his mind and said: "I am not a king of a subjugated country, but all my subordinates are ministers of a subjugated country."

Wang Diaoding remained silent.

Chongzhen sighed and said: "This spring, I have asked the various prefectures in the south of the Yangtze River to recruit soldiers. What kind of soldiers are they recruiting? How long has it been since Nanjing is gone? Didn't you say that the Zhao thief would not take Jiangnan?"

Wang Diaoding replied: "Your Majesty, the bandits Zhao didn't want to take Jiangnan, but the scholars in Zhejiang were forced to turn against them. They took the initiative to dedicate the city to the bandits Zhao."

"Scholars rebelled and seized the city and dedicated it to Zhao bandits?" Chongzhen asked in surprise.

"Yes," Wang Diaoding replied, "Zhejiang has suffered from catastrophe year after year, and the imperial court's taxes have become heavier. The poor scholars have no means of living, so they rebelled."

"Hahahaha," Chongzhen laughed sadly, "Scholars of the Ming Dynasty actually rebelled and joined the bandits. It's really good for me to be the emperor."

Wang Tiaoding hesitated for a moment, then suddenly said: "Zhao thief sent someone to pass the message."

"Say!" Chongzhen shouted.

Wang Tiaoding knelt on the ground and said: "Zhao thief spread the word that if the bandits or slaves come to Beijing one day, they can send troops to escort the royal family to the south. He...he will definitely not treat him badly. He said that he respects Taizu very much." , willing to protect and take in the descendants of Taizu.”

Chongzhen sneered: "He is thinking of setting up a new emperor, and then give way."

Wang Tiaoding shook his head and said: "He said he would not establish a new emperor, he doesn't believe in abdication. His Majesty can decide for himself whether he wants to let the royal family go south."

Chongzhen was silent.

Chapter 311 [Li Zicheng]

"Today, the world is full of exile, and the road is full of bones. The wind is miserable and the ghosts are green, and the forest is green. And there are people who close the door and throw it... There are people who eat thorns and thorns, and there are people who eat earth and rocks. There are those who groan, those who are stuck in the way and unable to speak... There are those who gather thousands of hundreds of people around the corner of the city and expose the pole."

This is a retired Henan official's description of his hometown.

Due to Zhao Han's growth in the south, the financial situation of the Ming court became increasingly difficult, and the exploitation of Henan became more serious.In addition to years of famine, there are a lot of vassal princes in Henan, and many counties have been reduced to ghosts on earth.

First, there was a mutiny in Henan, and the officers and soldiers took refuge in Li Zicheng.

When Li Zicheng led his troops to Henan, people from all over the country joined him.Yidougu and Crockpot, the leader of the local rebel army, were the first to bring their soldiers to vote, adding tens of thousands of people in an instant.Then, there were Yilong, Zhang Panzi, Song Jiang, Yuan Laoshan and other leaders, each of whom had at least [-] troops under his command!

Yongning County.

Zhu Caiqing, king of Wan'an (next to the gold letter), and one hundred landlords and evil gentry were brought to Xiguan, the county seat, for a public trial.

Li Zicheng was sitting at the presiding judge's desk, and Niu Jinxing was standing beside him, holding a copy of "The Collection of Great Harmony" in his hand.

"Bring the guilty king Zhu Caiqing to the court!" Niu Jinxing shouted.

A soldier then shouted: "Bring the guilty king Zhu Caiqing to the court!"

King Wan'an was pressed to the ground, hissing and wailing just crying, while the surrounding people were excited.

"Ah!"

Li Zicheng shouted and asked, "Zhu Caiqing, are you convicted?"

Zhu Caiqing wept and replied: "My lord, please forgive me. I am willing to give all my treasures. There is still silver in my cellar."

"Let's talk about where the money is first." Li Zicheng said.

Zhu Cai wiped away his tears and said, "Your Majesty first promised to spare me."

"You still dare to bargain, let's beat you first!" Li Zicheng said angrily.

The soldiers knocked Zhu Cai down lightly, and beat him to death with sticks.After a while, Zhu Caiqing cried, "I said, I said, I said where is the money hidden!"

A prince and hundreds of landlords were interrogated within a day, and all of them were beheaded and punished on the spot.

The people cheered.

Li Zicheng said to the people in the audience: "I don't kill civilians, I only kill officials. I am going to fight Luoyang. When the officers and soldiers come, don't pay them. I will come back soon and make decisions for you!"

"Long live King Chuang, long live King Chuang!"

Li Zicheng not only killed the prince and the landlord, but also opened a warehouse to release grain two days ago, which has already won the hearts of the common people.

Today, Li Zicheng's troops are divided into two groups, leading cavalry, surrendered officers and soldiers, Yidougu and Waguanzi troops, and headed straight for Luoyang along Luoshui.The rest of the Henan uprising army is now bypassing Ruzhou and heading towards Luoyang along the official road.

A few days ago, the officers and soldiers were defeated. Chang Daoli, governor of Henan Province, was convicted and sent to prison. The new governor of Henan Province, Li Xianfeng, feared the enemy and dared not fight.

Yang Sichang is sitting in Luoyang at this time!

The strategy of encircling and suppressing bandits from all sides has completely failed.Because there are too many insurgents, it is impossible to encircle and suppress.

Moreover, the imperial court could not provide food and payment, so the generals could only rely on the generals to rob them.

The little people have nothing to snatch, and the landlord suffers again.Some landlords whose families were ruined by the officers and soldiers simply took refuge with Li Zicheng with their families, which led to Li Zicheng now having dozens of scholars in his hands.

Of course, what Li Zicheng trusted the most was Niu Jinxing who was the first to turn to him.

Although the timeline is messed up, Niu Jinxing's obedience has not changed.Because as early as two years ago, Niu Jinxing was framed by a wealthy gentry, and he was sent to serve in the army in Lushi County.

Niu Jinxing's family was wealthy, but he was still a juren, and his family was ruined by the wealthy gentry.Li Zicheng led troops to kill, how could he not take the opportunity to seek refuge?

After Niu Jinxing joined the army, he immediately suggested "fewer punishments and killings, relief for the hungry, and winning people's hearts."