Chapter Nine, Your Majesty, why not let the two of you share a drink?
Li Zicheng sneered coldly
Have you ever considered who your greatest enemy will be in the future
Yang Qing said
You little thief are quite fast
This, all of this is a natural disaster; how can it be blamed on Your Majesty
Yang Qing said cautiously
Chongzhen inquired about the Dao
I was originally a courier. His Majesty reduced the number of courier stations across the land, and I was dismissed for losing official documents. This can be considered a consequence of my own actions, and I have no complaints; I could only return home to farm. However, with drought and locusts in the northwest, the crops I grew could not even sustain my own family, let alone provide money to pay the court's taxes. I knew I could not escape the taxes, so I had no choice but to borrow from the usurer Ai to pay the taxes. When the due date arrived, Ai pressed for repayment. At that time, the northwest was still suffering from severe drought, and people were resorting to cannibalism. There were countless children abandoned by their parents, starving to death in the ravines. How could I possibly grow food to repay my debts? As a result, I was reported to the county office by Ai, and the county magistrate publicly shackled me, intending to use me as an example to intimidate other debtors at Ai's behest, ultimately leading to my death in prison to deter others. My nephew rescued me from the prison. I knew I could not escape the taxes, so I had no choice but to borrow from the usurer Ai again to pay the taxes. When the due date arrived, Ai pressed for repayment once more. At that time, the northwest was still suffering from severe drought, and people were resorting to cannibalism. There were countless children abandoned by their parents, starving to death in the ravines. How could I possibly grow food to repay my debts? As a result, I was reported to the county office by Ai, and the county magistrate publicly shackled me, intending to use me as an example to intimidate other debtors at Ai's behest, ultimately leading to my death in prison to deter others. My nephew rescued me from the prison. In a fit of rage, I decided to kill Ai and his entire family, then fled to Gansu to join the army and eat the emperor's rations. Unfortunately, there were no rations to be had; the officials drank the blood of soldiers and embezzled military pay. We soldiers hardly ever had enough to eat. In the second year of Chongzhen, the Gansu border troops were ordered to fight the Jurchens, which meant we had to risk our lives. Yet even when we were ordered to fight, we still received no pay. We simply mutinied and killed the deputy general, and from that point on, we never looked back.
At this moment, the room was indeed set up for a banquet as he had just mentioned. This was sent by the soldiers, primarily because Yang Qing was truly hungry. After all, he had been like a wild cat in heat, not stopping for an entire afternoon and half of the night. Li Zicheng clearly felt that this was more in line with his status, so he readily sent over the banquet.
After taking their seats, Li Zicheng and Chongzhen locked eyes with each other
Jurchen
Zhongzhen sat expressionlessly in the center, with Wang Cheng'en standing beside him, while the inner attendants surrounded them.
Li Zicheng looked at Yang Qing with a smile that seemed to be both genuine and mocking
Li Zicheng said
If so, you are not a ruthless villain either
The atmosphere at this moment is somewhat awkward
I congratulate you on your ascension to the throne as emperor
Li Zicheng sneered coldly
In fact, he never did such a thing. After Prince Fu, Zhu Changxun, was killed by him, Cheng Feng, along with Cui Sheng, mourned over the corpse and ultimately received a coffin for burial. Subsequently, Cui Sheng committed suicide in front of Prince Fu's grave. As for the so-called Fulu banquet, it was merely a fabricated story to solidify his image of brutality. Li Zicheng was not a good person, but he was not of such a grotesque nature. As he himself stated, wouldn't that tarnish a deer that was originally considered a delicacy
Li Zicheng said
You can only block him at Shanhaiguan.
As for whether Wu Sangui would surrender to the invading forces, it depends not only on how you treat him but also on whether Your Majesty remains safe and sound
I feel the same way!
Descendants of the Great Ancestor, we would rather die than surrender to the enemy!
Chongzhen remained silent and did not speak
Your Majesty, would it not be better for the two of you to share a drink?
Therefore, you must keep Dorgon outside the pass, preventing them from having the opportunity to betray you as they did with His Majesty. Otherwise, once Dorgon enters the pass, everything you have now will be instantly shattered. The key to blocking Dorgon's entry lies in Wu Sangui's army. If he surrenders to Dorgon, then the Shanhai Pass will fall without a fight. However, if he holds the Shanhai Pass for you, and your army advances north to reinforce, then you will be the victor. The key to blocking Dorgon's entry lies in Wu Sangui's army. If he surrenders to Dorgon, then the Shanhai Pass will fall without a fight. However, if he holds the Shanhai Pass for you, and your army advances north to reinforce, then you will be the victor
Let Yang Qing take Li Zicheng hostage
Wang Cheng'en said
And you?
He then took out his dagger and placed it on the table in front of him, looking at Li Zicheng with a defiant air of a rogue. He now understood Yang Qing's intentions; although it was indeed hard to believe, it was truly the only way out. Otherwise, he would never escape from Beijing, no matter how skilled Yang Qing was, he could not protect a burden while fighting his way through tens of thousands of people.
It is not that I do not wish to be a good citizen, but who would be inclined to rebel when there is food and drink? Yet, this world does not allow me to be a good citizen
You wouldn't believe their loyalty to you, would you
Chongzhen ignored him and said to Li Zicheng
He continued to speak
Yang Qing said
Li Zicheng said
However, I must also remind you that if you wish to be the emperor of this land, you must also bear the responsibilities of an emperor
Ah, the wisdom of the King of the North is evident. The current situation in the world is quite clear: the territory north of the Huai River belongs to you, while the area south of the Huai River still belongs to the Ming Dynasty. However, beyond the passes lies the territory of the Manchus. Wu Sangui has already received the imperial edict to abandon Ningyuan and return to Shanhaiguan. Prior to this, Your Majesty had received intelligence that Dorgon is leading an army of 80,000 southward, with the intention of reaping the benefits. When you and His Majesty are both weakened, he plans to strike decisively against both sides and then seize control of the Central Plains. After Wu Sangui's return to Shanhaiguan, there will be no obstacles in his way, so it will not be long before he knocks on the gates of the Great Wall.
Li Zicheng said to Yang Qing with a smile that seemed to be both genuine and insincere
Why do you rebel
Chongzhen said slowly
Yang Qing asked in a very inconsiderate manner
Half an hour later
It is quite simple, let us make an exchange. Your Majesty, issue a handwritten edict to Wu Sangui, Wang Yongji, Song Quan, and Li Yutian. If they are willing to surrender to you, they may do so; if they are unwilling to surrender, they are absolutely forbidden from surrendering to the Jian slaves, otherwise their nine clans will be executed. Wang Yongji is from Gaoyou, Wu Sangui's entire family is in Beijing, the Song family is in Shangqiu, and Li Yutian is from the same hometown as you. If they surrender to the Jian slaves, then their nine clans will be executed, and they must hold the Shanhaiguan and the Great Wall line firmly, waiting for your army to take over. In exchange, you must let us go; the Crown Prince may remain here as a hostage, but Your Majesty, you must let us go. We will board a ship in Tianjin to Nanjing. Your Majesty can also make a gentleman's agreement with you, that in the future, the Ming and the Shun will not infringe upon each other, with the Huai River as the boundary.
"The truly heinous are those officials and gentry who extort grain and demand donations. It is at that moment that Your Majesty will understand who the real villains are"
If they can betray even a Son of Heaven for three hundred years, how much less can they do so to you
Natural disasters? Why is there no relief? Is the whole world suffering from famine? Is there not a bit of surplus grain in Jiangnan and Sichuan to aid the disaster victims? Even if there is no relief, at least exempt the people from taxes to give them a chance to survive. But why is there no tax exemption or reduction, and instead an increase in taxes? Does the court only know how to collect money and grain from the people, without caring for their lives? Even a shepherd knows not to let the flock starve! Furthermore, why do the officials and gentry not have to pay the increased taxes? Why are there no regulations against unscrupulous merchants hoarding grain and selling it for several taels of silver per stone? Does the court only know how to collect money and grain from the people, without caring for their lives? Even a shepherd knows not to let the flock starve! Furthermore, why do the officials and gentry not have to pay the increased taxes? Why are there no regulations against unscrupulous merchants hoarding grain and selling it for several taels of silver per stone? Your Majesty, as the ruler of the world, all subjects are your people and should be treated equally. So why do you turn a blind eye to some while favoring others? Since you do not provide us with a way to survive, we will not provide you with a way to survive either; if we must die, we will drag you down with us!
He is still loyal to Your Majesty
Once he enters Shanhaiguan, those local officials and gentry will welcome Dorgon as the poor welcome you. You should know that they all wish for your death, as you have robbed them of their money, their land, and even killed their people
There are rumors that Your Majesty has cooked Prince Fu and also boiled deer together, referred to as the Fulu Feast. I wonder if this is true
Yang Qing nodded and said
Ha, ha, today I shall cook this fish of yours
Li Laiheng sneered coldly
Yang Qing bit into the chicken leg and said
Li Zicheng said with a smile
How will you treat me
After speaking, he followed Li Zicheng inside, and Li Laiheng similarly followed in.
Li Zicheng took a sip of wine and said
Doesn't that mean a deer has been soiled
Yang Qing said with sorrow
Yang Qing said cautiously
No matter how much one can run, it is ultimately in vain; one is merely a fish in the net. When the net is not yet drawn, one can still struggle, but when the net is drawn, one can only wait to be cooked.
Your Majesty, you are indeed not a tyrant, but unfortunately, you are unable to provide the people with basic sustenance. The officials in the court, both civil and military, are all corrupt and unjust, while local tyrants and gentry exploit and plunder. The common people are starving, with corpses scattered across the land. In the Shaanxi and Gansu regions, even the grass and trees have been stripped bare, and the starving have resorted to eating flies. Fathers and sons, husbands and wives are resorting to cannibalism. Since dying of starvation is inevitable, and rebellion would only lead to death at most, why should we not rebel? Is it truly as the officials say, to live in peace while the dead lie around us?
Say
Well, Your Majesty, although I may be of little significance, there are still some words I would like to express
Then they are equivalent to committing suicide
What do you want?
Yang Qing asked Li Laiheng
The two were meeting for the first time, and at this moment, they both looked at each other with curiosity. For Chongzhen, this was the rebel who had caused his family to be destroyed, and for Li Zicheng, Chongzhen was the ultimate BOSS he had encountered on his path of conquest. Now, sitting at the same table, just a short distance apart, neither of them could think of anything to say. At this point, Li Zicheng had already entered the imperial palace, and after rummaging through the treasury, he found only a few taels of silver. Instead, he discovered a pile of patched clothing in Chongzhen's sleeping quarters. The image of the debauched and incompetent monarch had completely collapsed, as it turned out that the clothes in an emperor's chest were even less than those of the local tyrants and evil gentry he had plundered. This was truly a shocking revelation.
Next, you must be prepared to engage in a decisive battle with the Eight Banners cavalry at Shanhaiguan; otherwise, your claim to the throne will at most be a fleeting moment, and soon you will be driven out of Beijing by Dorgon. He will pursue you relentlessly, and even if you retreat to Guanzhong, it will be of no use. The Shanxi merchants have been colluding with the Manchus for years, and they will not hesitate to offer up Shanxi. Surely, you do not believe that a broken Guanzhong can withstand Dorgon
Chongzhen said slowly
Chen Yan and Zhu Chuncheng have just presented me with a letter of recommendation. Since that is the case, I cannot let them down. However, rest assured, once I ascend the throne, you will certainly be granted a title of nobility. I will not make things difficult for your family just because of your patched clothes. You and your son should live honestly in this capital!
Li Zicheng did not even glance around, directly walking to sit opposite Chongzhen. Li Laiheng stood behind him, while Yang Qing stood to the side acting as a servant. There was no one else present. What surprised him was that Li Zicheng did not bring along figures like Niu Jinxing; it was just him and Li Laiheng. In any case, they were not worried about Chongzhen playing any tricks, as they were already surrounded outside, with hundreds of thousands of his subordinates in the city. What qualifications did they have to play tricks here?
including those in Beijing city
But Your Majesty will not surrender to you
Li Zicheng sneered coldly
"My whole family has starved to death, and only one remains. What do you think is the reason for my rebellion?"
Li Zicheng said