The leader of the Eight Great Thieves, Li Hongji (Li Zicheng)

I am preparing to find Yan Zibin, who is stout and has a lot of oiliness

Li Hongji pulled the knife out of Ai Juren's chest, then gently pushed the terrified Ai Juren, watching him collapse to the ground, blood oozing from his chest. He sighed softly and said, "I don't know what misfortune has befallen me; in the past two years, I have actually killed two Juren. Next, I must eliminate that dog official Yan Zibin. It seems that I am inherently incompatible with this Ming Dynasty."

Yinchuan Station is not a bustling place to begin with. In recent years, with the continuous border troubles, Mongolians often come to this area to forage for grass and grain, leading to a complete cessation of trade for merchants. As for the local populace, most are soldiers from military households. During the busy farming season, who has the interest to wander idly on the roads early in the morning

Han Jiner poked at the piece of meat with chopsticks and remarked curiously, "The meat is tender today, it is already cooked to medium doneness."

Drinking early in the morning, could it be that there is some joyful occasion?

Gai saw Li Hongji and greeted him from a distance. Li Hongji walked over with a smile, patted the round heads of the two little boys, and then left Gai Hu's home

At noon, Li Hongji returned home and tossed a piece of meat to Han Jiner, saying: "Cook the meat and pour a shot of wine."

Li Hongji smiled and said, "Rest assured, the debt of Mr. Ai has already been settled"

Before long, thick smoke began to rise from his home, and flames were darting out from the windows

I have heard that the border troops at Jishishan have become disordered, making it an undesirable destination

Li Hongji laughed heartily and said: "Oh my sister-in-law, if it weren't for my good brothers rescuing me from the hands of the scholar, your brother's bones could have been used as drumsticks. There is no need for you to say more, the little jujube has its own reasoning!"

From a distance, Li Hongji saw his wife Han Jiner had already gotten up and was lighting the fire in the kitchen to prepare a meal. He smiled slightly, tightened his belt, and turned to head to the post station

Li let out a sigh, took a sip of the millet porridge that Li Guo had brought over, and then fell silent.

Do not let the sister-in-law eat voraciously; if she has been hungry for a long time, tear it into pieces and eat it with thin porridge, otherwise it will harm her stomach.

You have worked hard alongside me over the years, and it has been difficult even to secure a decent meal. This will not be the case in the future, and you will no longer have to endure hunger by my side

The reeds, standing as tall as a person, swayed for a while before returning to tranquility

After Li Hongji finished speaking, he pulled out a burning stick from the stove and threw it onto the pile of grass, then turned around and exited the door

At this moment, the sun has completely risen, yet the world does not appear bright due to the ample sunlight; rather, it seems dim and hazy because of the dust.

You and I have been married for three years, and my greatest forgiveness to you is to let you die unknowingly

His nephew Li Guo kicked the donkey that Ai Juren had ridden, and spat at the convulsing Ai Juren on the ground, saying: "Damn it, Uncle only owes him half a guan, and it's not like he won't pay him back. Is it really necessary to report to the authorities? Do you want to have you locked up and paraded through the streets?"

Unable to hear what the people inside were saying, Li Hongji paused for a moment, then decisively turned around and went to Li Guo's house

It is unclear how much time has passed, but a majestic figure swayed and approached from the direction of the rising sun

The uncle and nephew first placed the body of the deceased Ai on the back of a donkey, found a ravine to dispose of it, then pushed down a section of the yellow earth hillside to bury the body, and proceeded along the ravine to the Yin Chuan River

Han Jiner nodded repeatedly, no longer washing the meat, and placed the large pieces of peeled meat into the pot, then squatted down by the stove to start the fire

Li Hongji smiled and welcomed Gai Hu as he approached. Gai Hu was momentarily taken aback but quickly forced a big smile and exclaimed: "Brother Hongji, have you already completed your task at Hengshan? What swift feet you have; I thought you wouldn't be back until tomorrow."

As the couple conversed, the meat in the pot had already begun to steam

Li took two bites and said to Li Hongji: "Your wife hasn't eaten yet."

Gai Hu laughed heartily and said, "Whether the Ming Dynasty survives or not has nothing to do with us brothers. Our priority tomorrow is to urge Zhang Yichang to expedite the payment of the overdue money and grain, which is the right course of action."

Li Hongji shook his head and said: "I won't go this time. Zhang Yicheng is thin; even if we were to extract oil from his bones, how much could we possibly obtain?"

Li Guo's home is right across from his house. Upon entering, one can see Li Guo serving his mother the donkey meat they roasted last night.

Li Hongji raised his hand to stop his nephew, saying: "Do not kill here, go to the riverside. Leave me a leg to satisfy your aunt's cravings"

There is a reason for every grievance, and every debt has its owner. Li Hongji has never considered the act of killing women and children to be a matter of personal vendetta; only those beast-like assassins from Guanzhong would commit such heinous acts that provoke the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people

Han Jiner smiled and said: "If you no longer provide food from your home to those poor brothers of yours, there will be enough food at home."

Li Hongji had heard rumors about his wife and Gai Hu in the past, but out of trust in his wife, he always brushed them off with a smile. Unexpectedly, today he encountered the truth head-on, which left him feeling both ashamed and angry. A wave of frustration built up in his chest that he could not release.

Uncle, I will go too

Li Hongji sighed and said: "I never intended to kill him, but this fellow has pushed me too far. Well, if I must kill him, then so be it. The sooner he dies, the sooner he can be reborn. My grandfather can consider it a good deed done."

Li Hongji smiled and said: "She has eaten."

At this moment, Li Hongji's home was engulfed in a great fire. Neighbors rushed out, and upon seeing that the fire was beyond control, they abandoned their thoughts of extinguishing it and began searching for Li Hongji. It was only from a distance that they saw him climbing up the distant hills, walking further and further into the vast yellow sands

Li Hongji nodded and said: "I only realized this morning... that I have caused my grandfather to suffer so much humiliation for no reason."

Li Hongji coldly stared at the pleading eyes of Gai Hu, tightened his grip around his neck, and dragged Gai Hu into the reeds by the roadside

Gai Hu was startled and wanted to rise, but a sharp pain pierced his chest as the blood-stained tip of a knife emerged from it

As he spoke, Li Hongji squatted in front of Aijuren's corpse, rummaging through his waist pouch to take out two pieces of loose silver and a dozen large coins, casually tossing them to Li Guodao: "Take this money to buy some medicine for your mother; her cough has become increasingly severe."

Han Jiner was overwhelmed with joy, picking up the meat to wash it. Li Hongji said: "Do not wash away the blood, for if you do, the flavor of the meat will be lost"

Li Hongji hurriedly approached Gai Hu and nudged him with his shoulder, saying: "Tell me, what is the big deal? Has the slave chief crossed Ningyuan? Wasn't it said that the slave chief had already been killed by General Yuan with artillery?"

Li Hongji stood up to take a look at the pieces of meat in the pot, reached in to fish out a piece, and bit into it vigorously, saying: "The taste is just right"

Wood, stones, human bodies, and the corpses of birds fell from the sky like raindrops. Tens of thousands of houses and over 20,000 people were reduced to dust, debris raining down, clothing flying far to Changping, and the deceased were all naked. The craftsmen working within the Forbidden City were shaken down from the tall scaffolding, with 2,000 people falling like "bags of meat"

After entering, Li Hongji threw the donkey leg he had been carrying on his shoulder onto the earthen platform, and with a smile, sat down on the kang. He took over from Li Guo and tore the cooked donkey meat into small pieces to feed his sister-in-law, who was more than ten years older than him.

He deserved to be eaten by wild dogs

Li Hongji said lightly: "I have my own methods!"

Han Jiner also took a bite, and the taste was not as good as she had expected. Considering that this was meat, she lowered her head and continued to eat

Li Hongji stopped in his tracks and looked at Li Guodao: "For me, that is the best place to go"

Li Guo discovered early on that a fire had broken out in his uncle's house. Seeing his uncle come out of the room, he did not approach but instead called out loudly: "Do you know everything?"

Li Hongji also squatted by the stove, and seeing a strand of hair hanging down from Han Jiner, he carefully tucked it away. Han Jiner smiled sweetly and leaned closer to Li Hongji.

Li Guo smiled as he took the silver coins, then pulled out a half-foot long dagger from his waist, intending to kill the donkey

Come, come, come, rest your feet here and tell your brother about the happenings at the post station. I have heard that Zhang Yicheng is about to be promoted

Li Hongji smiled silently and patted Han Jiner's ample back, saying: "Do not worry, do not worry, the Thunder God only seeks out the weak, not someone like me, a villain."

Han Jiner looked at Li Hongji for a long time before slowly saying: "The current situation in the world is dire. I have heard that a thunderstorm struck in the capital, killing tens of thousands of people. You must not engage in any activities that would provoke divine retribution."

After killing the donkey, the uncle and nephew noticed that it was getting late, so they roasted the donkey meat and drank wine in the wilderness throughout the night, only returning to the Yinchuan Post at dawn, taking their time.

Han Jiner's head fell to the ground, rolling a few times with a clattering sound, and a piece of flesh dropped from her mouth

Li Hongji smiled and said: "Indeed, I couldn't help but feel a bit anxious about my family at home. Once the matter was settled, I rushed back overnight. Brother Gai Hu, have you been drinking?"

Li Hongji nodded with a smile, placing his arm around Gai Hu's shoulder, and said: "Whether the Ming Dynasty falls or not is indeed not a matter concerning us brothers, but shouldn't we have a serious discussion about the fact that you slept with my wife?"

Gai Hu relaxed his slightly furrowed brows and sat on the tree stump, exhaling a strong smell of alcohol, saying: "Zhang Yichang is likely to die of old age here at our Yinchuan Post. However, a major event has occurred in the capital; news just arrived yesterday, and it sends chills down one's spine."

Li Hongji stood up, wiping the grease from the corner of his mouth, drew the dagger from his waist, and with one stroke, severed Han Jiner's head

Jishishan

Li glanced at the house opposite the Li family and said softly: "In the future, when you don't have any messages to send, stay at home more often and don't always go looking for those so-called friends of yours."

Gai Hu shook his head and said: "The slave chief has been honestly staying in Liaodong without coming out, yet a drought thunder has erupted in the capital. The reports indicate that a gigantic fireball first rolled through the air, and then suddenly exploded. In an instant, the sky darkened and the earth trembled, dust and flames surged, the heavens collapsed and the earth sank, and countless houses were leveled.

Han Jin'er sighed and said, "Are you going to take people to find Zhang Yichang to demand the overdue money and grain again"

Where do you plan to go

How could Li Hongji not know why his sister-in-law said those words? He was originally a person of the world, and he was also someone who acted without regard for rules. He always had a method to his actions. Seeing that his sister-in-law was still concealing the matter regarding that wretched person, he chose not to expose it. After noticing that his sister-in-law had settled back down, he exchanged a greeting with Li Guo and left his sister-in-law's home

Yinchuan Post is located in a remote area, and even with the dawn breaking, not a single rooster can be heard. Li Hongji opened his family's firewood door while carrying a donkey's leg, stepping lightly as he entered. Just as he was about to call for his wife, he suddenly heard a man's voice from within the house. He immediately halted his steps, and a smile on his face was instantly replaced by a frosty expression.

Li Hongji casually waved his hand and said: "After your mother has passed away for a hundred years, come to Jishan to find me"

Li Hongji frowned and said: "It is said that in chaotic times, monsters emerge. Could it be that the Ming Dynasty is about to perish?"

With Gai Hu not at home, Li Hongji pondered for a moment and then went to the side of the post road, found a wooden stump to sit on, gazing at the dark yellow sun in the sky, not knowing what he was thinking about

Having said that, without waiting for Li Guo to respond, he took large strides towards the direction of Jishi Mountain

The elephants in the ceremonial procession prepared for the emperor's departure from the palace, startled, broke free from their stables and ran wildly through the streets, trampling the citizens, resulting in countless fatalities

Li shouted loudly

Han Jiner was taken aback for a moment, then turned to Li Hongji and said: "Where did you get so much money to return to Ai Juren?"

I also heard that the concubine of Inspector He was originally dressed well, but after the loud noise, her clothes and shoes vanished in an instant, leaving her completely bare, covering herself with her hands... How is it that we brothers have not had the fortune to witness such a beautiful sight

In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the gate of the Gai family, where they saw Gai, wearing a blue handkerchief on her head, gently watching the two fat pigs she was raising while leaning over the pigpen. Two snot-nosed little boys were imitating their mother, also leaning over the pigpen and continuously asking her when they would be able to slaughter the pigs