Chapter 117: Torturing Hundreds of Officials (Fourth update, please subscribe)
Wu Sangui still felt deeply about the Ming Dynasty, especially Emperor Chongzhen's spared no effort to support the Guanning Defense Line.
In addition, he also deeply understood that as long as Ming Dynasty existed, both parties would benefit.
It was under this circumstance that the Manchu Qing Dynasty proposed the title of king.
Therefore, he could not wait for Emperor Chongzhen's request for help.
But now, the balanced situation has been broken.
I just don’t know what the intruder wants to do?
"Stop and repair immediately."
Wu Sangui was riding on the horse, frowned, raised his hand and said.
Immediately, 30,000 cavalry stopped and dust swept over them.
After waiting for less than half a day, the Chuang army finally sent a visitor.
"As long as Mr. Wu surrenders to me, I will not hesitate to make him a marquis."
The scholar raised his chin, faced the intimidating Wu Sangui, and said without fear: "Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself, the Ming Dynasty has run out of energy, and it is natural for the general to surrender to Dashun."
"In this way, my father's hometown in the capital can be preserved despite being small. Isn't it wonderful?"
Wu Sangui frowned. This condition was too broad, with no details and no sincerity at all.
"I hope you can give me a few more days to think about it carefully."
"Huh, General, you can take care of yourself. After passing this village, there won't be this shop."
Saying that, he rolled up his sleeves and walked away.
"Presumptuous, too presumptuous!"
"furious!"
The generals' faces were ashen and worried.
Even Wu Sangui doesn't take it seriously. Isn't this a slap in their face?
What made them particularly angry was that the leader, General Wu, was just a mere marquis, with no money or food at all.
You can't even drink the soup, what the hell?
Seeing the anger among the people, Wu Sangui remained silent.
There is no sincerity at all. This is very different from Manchu Qing. If he agrees, he will really become a fool.
After a long while, he said: "The current plan is to go back to Shanhaiguan!"
So Guan Ning's cavalry turned around and returned to the city.
…
At this time, Li Zicheng learned that Wu Sangui's conditions had not been agreed upon, and he hugged the beauty and was quite surprised: "The conditions for a certain person are extremely generous. In the whole Dashun, the best one is not the best. What else does he want?"
Li Yan said in a timely manner: "The Ming court has always been short of money and food, and Guan Ning's cavalry has also begun to cut off their pay. They must be asking for more money and food."
"Here, give as much as you want."
Li Zicheng said grandly: "The slaves outside the customs are still there, so we can't be stingy at this time."
"Your Majesty, it's not that you are unwilling, but that you are powerless."
Prime Minister Zuo Niu Jinxing said helplessly: "Only 170,000 taels of gold and 130,000 taels of silver were found in the internal funds. Even if we prepare for His Majesty's enthronement ceremony, it is still not enough."
Hearing this, Li Zicheng was surprised: "Why are there so few?"
"Your Majesty's accession to the throne is not enough. The rewards given by the sons and daughters have not fallen yet, and there is already a lot of resentment."
Liu Zongmin shouted with dissatisfaction: "The household is empty, the money is empty, and the pockets of the sons are empty. If this continues, it may lead to a mutiny."
Hearing this, Li Zicheng was silent.
Li Yan, Niu Jinxing and others on the side were even more angry.
This guy was the first to rush into the palace and plundered countless gold and silver items, yet he still had the nerve to say this.
"General Liu, when your Majesty entered the city, he issued a military order not to plunder property. Woman, why did you take the lead in disobeying it?"
Li Yan was particularly dissatisfied because he had someone issue this military order.
"Young men are here to sit in the world and enjoy wealth and honor, but you don't get rewards, so you can only do this."
Liu Zongmin was not afraid and said casually.
"That's it!"
Li Zicheng couldn't stand it anymore, waved his hand and said: "The army is now half a million, and it can't be done without money and food."
We still have to use the old method of persuading people to pay!
As he spoke, he looked at everyone.
Niu Jinxing and other civil servants stopped talking.
Liu Zongmin said carelessly: "If you don't have money, just follow the old method and ask for donations."
"These civil and military officials are all fat and oily. Although they are not blessed with the great success of the Wang family, but together they are quite a lot."
As he spoke, he looked longingly at Li Zicheng, looking brave and responsible.
The generals are also full of expectations and ready to move.
Li Zicheng fell into deep thought.
Apart from anything else, my coronation ceremony cannot be left behind.
Therefore, after moving to Beijing, Li Zicheng established his first yamen: Bixizhen Fusi.
Hosted by Liu Zongmin and Gao Yigong.
So, within half a day, all the civil and military officials, distinguished officials and relatives in Beijing were captured.
Liu Zongmin even prepared five thousand pairs of clamping sticks and distributed them to various military camps to collect wages.
The order was issued: "One hundred thousand for the central hall, 70,000 or 53,000 for the royal robes of the imperial hall, 53,000 for the Dao, Ke, and officials, 30,000, 20,000, 10,000 for the Imperial Academy, and for the subordinates, each number will be a thousand."
All of a sudden, sticks and sticks flew wildly, cannons were used to pick out tendons, eyes were gouged out and intestines were cut, and the miserable howls of Ming Dynasty officials could be heard everywhere in Beijing.
Wei Zaode, a bachelor, was imprisoned alone in a dark room, and the sound of wailing could not be heard. He could not help but beg through the crack in the door:
"If the new dynasty wants to use me as an official, please release me. Don't lock me here."
This actually reminded Liu Zongmin.
Liu Zongmin brought Wei Zaode into the hall and interrogated him personally. He first used a pinch method to torture him. While pinching him, he asked: "You are the chief minister, why are you causing trouble in the country?"
Wei Zaode was worthy of his reputation for his words. He howled and cried: "I am a scholar, not familiar with political affairs, and the late emperor was ignorant, so I am like this."
Liu Zongmin was furious: "You won the first prize as a scholar, served as an official for three years, and then became the first assistant. How could Chongzhen be so sorry to you, how dare you accuse him of being an unprincipled and ignorant king!"
So, General Liu slapped him dozens of times in the mouth. When the soldiers saw this, they clamped their sticks and pulled hard.
The great scholar of Wei had all ten of his fingers broken off, and in pain he shouted: "I have a daughter, and I would like to give her to the general as my concubine!"
Liu Zongmin asked someone to take his daughter, raped her and sent her to the military camp, where the soldiers could enjoy her.
However, Liu Zongmin looked down upon Wei Zode who offered his daughter even more, and ordered his soldiers to intensify the torture.
After a total of six days and six nights of "service", Wei Zaode's head was cracked by the torture board, and his brain matter leaked out and died.
For a time, all civil and military officials regretted it.
And as Liu Zongmin presided over it, it became more arbitrary and arbitrary, and it became even more unruly.
And some, because the punishment was too severe, even after paying the money, they died.
For example, Zhou Kui, the abbot of the state, initially persuaded Chongzhen to donate no more than 10,000 taels, and even prevented the prince from entering the palace. Now he was found to have vomited out 600,000 taels, countless pieces of satin, and treasures, but he was also dead.
Even those who surrendered, such as Dongchang Wang Zhixin and bachelor Chen Yan, were also captured.
Since the Chuang army hates corrupt officials, as long as they are caught, they will be punished and executed, and life is worse than death.
Even if you pay the money obediently, you may still die from the punishment; if you are lucky enough to survive, you will be arrested again and forced to extort money as soon as you leave.
In just three days, more than 1,000 officials and relatives were arrested, and a total of more than 7 million taels of silver, as well as a large amount of silk, satin, jewelry, etc., worth more than 10 million taels, were seized.
The huge amount of money makes everyone crazy.
Expand, greatly expand.
Wu Sangui, who was won over by Li Zicheng, and his father Wu Xiang were also arrested and their homes were ransacked. Chen Yuanyuan was robbed by Liu Zongmin; Huizhou businessman Wang Ji had millions of his family property confiscated and was forced to commit suicide; the scholar Guo Shu, who was wealthy, was reported by his servants and his home was ransacked and he was buried.
die……
For a time, three or four out of ten of those caught committed suicide.
In order to seize money, the army was reduced in reward.
Liu Zongmin even proposed that every five households must raise one soldier.
Of course, this ridiculous suggestion was rejected by Niu Jinxing and others.
However, as Liu Zongmin looted and tortured hundreds of thousands of invaders (including 200,000 surrendered troops, who were not good birds to begin with), military discipline gradually relaxed, and there were countless robberies and robberies.
Due to the plague, the entire city of Beijing fell into a situation where there were more soldiers than people.
In an instant, the city of Beijing was in panic and fear was spreading.
However, after having money, Li Zicheng asked Tang Tong to send 40,000 taels and several months of military rations to Shanhaiguan.
Boxes of silver make people dizzy; carts of grain make people swallow.
A large amount of wine and meat were laid out, full of sincerity.
Looking at all this, Guan Ning's cavalry was greatly moved, and his favorable impression of Chuang Jun doubled.
Wu Sangui, on the other hand, looked at the money and food without moving, and responded silently.
There was no smile on his face in response to the cheers from his men.
On the side, the servants stood there waiting aggrievedly.
His home was ransacked, his concubines were taken, and his father was tortured.
He can tolerate all these.
However, when it changed hands, he was given 40,000 taels of silver, which allowed him to break through his defense.
"Copy my wealth, buy my military morale, what a Li Zicheng, what a Dashun -"