Fei Ruhe handed a letter to Zhao Han: "Your Majesty, this is from Li Zicheng. It was sealed with mud and said to be read only by Your Majesty."
Zhao Han used a knife to cut open the sealing mud, opened the letter and read it, and couldn't help but smile.
This letter was obviously written by Li Zicheng himself, and the words and sentences were very colloquial.
"His Majesty the Emperor personally declares that I, Li Zicheng, have been fighting for half my life. In the past few years, old injuries have often recurred, and the pain has made it difficult to walk. My nephew Li Guo also died of illness, and I have only one surviving son. He will be five years old this year..."
"This land in the Hetao was originally very good. But the weather is getting colder and the food harvest is not as good as before. There are Mongolian Tatars everywhere. After defeating a few, they will rebel again in the blink of an eye. I will lead the troops and kill them hard.
After several encounters, all the Mongolian leaders within the Hetao were killed. Following the advice of the military advisor, they followed the example of the Manchu Tatars and made flags for the herdsmen under their rule, and selected the prestigious herdsmen as flag masters. Now they finally lived in peace.
A lot..."
"Nowadays, the Hetao is all my territory, and the Khalkha Tatars in Mobei don't dare to go south from Yinshan Mountain to grab things. But the Han people still don't have enough people, and they have captured Jining several times. It's easy to fight, but it's troublesome.
My territory can't get any bigger, otherwise there will be chaos..."
"I originally planned to go to Mobei and lead troops more than 20 miles out of the Yinshan Mountains, and then returned to Hetao in despair. The Gobi Desert is everywhere there, so poor that birds can't poop, and crops can't be grown. We want to attack Mobei.
Mongolian Tatars must prepare enough food and grass, otherwise they will starve to death halfway. I am trapped in the Hetao, with the Gobi to the north and the desert to the west."
"We can only fight to the east, hit once and lose once. The more we fight, the fewer soldiers we fight, and the more livestock we fight, the more livestock we fight. There are not enough Han people, so we can only use Mongolian herdsmen as soldiers. If this continues, I will almost become a Mongolian sweat. I am now
He is so rich that he has an endless supply of war horses. If the emperor does not have enough war horses, he can send people to Hetao to buy horses..."
"I don't know how many years I can live. My son is still young. After I die, I won't be able to control those old brothers. The life of orphans and widowed mothers will be very difficult. I can't kill all the old brothers. It won't be that way.
Cruel, there will be chaos in the Loop next time..."
"I really want to surrender this time. I don't want anything. I just want a word from the emperor. Allow me to return to my hometown in Shaanxi and settle down, and share some land to start a family business. Emperor, you can take the money and food I have saved. My subordinates
The emperor, you can take it as well as the troops and this land in the Hetao. Just leave some heirloom money for me, and I will be a rich man when I return to my hometown."
"My son is smart. The emperor wants to allow him to study and be an official in the imperial examination..."
After reading this letter, Zhao Han couldn't help but sigh: "Li Zicheng is really old, otherwise he would not give in easily. He should be almost unable to ride a horse. You should also read this letter."
Fei Ruhe took the letter, read it and said: "We cannot leave Li Zicheng in Shaanxi. The whole family must be kept in captivity in the capital."
"No need," Zhao Han shook his head and said, "He can hand over his territory and troops, which shows his sincerity. I don't even dare to let him go back to his hometown, and I have to keep his whole family in captivity. Doesn't the emperor look like a coward?"
Fei Ruhe scratched his head and smiled: "Hehe, that's right."
Zhao Han said: "Li Zicheng once resisted stubbornly and caused many murders. Logically speaking, he would have been like Zhang Xianzhong, and he would have been thrown to Taiwan to deal with Shengfan. But Li Zicheng conquered the entire Hetao and took the initiative to donate land and troops. This was an attempt to expand territory.
He wants to take his wife and children back to his hometown, and he can agree to these. He should also give him a title, just make him a marquis. Many generals in the Datong army are not convinced. Give Li Zicheng a count, and give him a title in the name of his hometown.
.”
Fei Ruhe said: "This old guy is lucky. He has been rebelling for so many years, and he can finally get a count."
Zhao Han called the cabinet members and showed them Li Zicheng's handwritten letter.
The cabinet ministers were all delighted and all praised the victory of the Loop without a single blow. Who wouldn't be happy about such a great event?
Zhao Han said: "You make arrangements. Let the Ministry of Rites engrave the earl's seal, and then select envoys from Honglu Temple to go to Hetao to get this matter done. Li Zicheng's generals should also be comforted. Those who are willing to return to their hometown to live in peace can
They were allowed to lift their military power and return to their hometowns. Then they ordered the Ministry of War and the Governor's Office to ask Cao Bianjiao to take over Li Zicheng's troops. Li Zicheng's troops eliminated the old and weak, leaving only 8,000 people. Cao Bianjiao brought 5,000 soldiers over, and the two were merged to form
The Fourth Cavalry Division of the Datong Army. This army will be responsible for guarding the Hetao from now on."
Li Zicheng's generals cannot be killed indiscriminately, nor can they stay in Hetao. They must be thrown back to their hometowns, so that they can truly take over and control the army.
After arranging things, the ministers bowed and left. Zhao Han took Fei Ruhe to the Imperial Garden to meet Fei Rulan and Fei Rumei.
…
Guihua City (Hohhot).
The Tumo River that meanders outside the city was also called the Chile River in ancient times.
Chilechuan, at the foot of Yinshan Mountain. The sky is like a dome of a hut, covering the surrounding fields. The sky is blue, the fields are vast, and the grass is blown by the wind, and cattle and sheep can be seen low.
Throughout the Tumochuan Plain, there are few cattle and sheep, but many farmland. The alluvial plain of more than 10,000 square kilometers has extremely fertile soil. As early as the Anda Khan period, Han people were recruited to cultivate countless rice fields.
"Drive, drive!"
Li Zicheng rode a horse on the grassland south of the Dahei River, bent his bow and arrow, and accurately hit a wild deer.
"Your Majesty's perfect shot!"
The accompanying civil and military officials cheered in unison, and they still followed Li Zi and became the Emperor of Dashun.
Li Zicheng is only 46 years old this year. He looks like he is in the prime of life, but in fact he has old injuries. Some were injuries he suffered when he was a bandit, and some were injured while fighting on the grassland. He suffered a lot every winter.
In recent years, I have suffered from rheumatism again, and my joints are so painful that I can't walk.
Every time he stayed in bed for several days, he would go out hunting to show that his health was fine. But the more he did this, the more guilty he felt, fearing that his old brothers would have different aspirations.
He has no relatives now. His nephew Li Guo has died of illness, so he only has his wife, children and a brother-in-law. He also has a few concubines, but there is no family relationship at all.
If I die, can my wife be able to control him?
Even if it can be suppressed in normal times, the Datong Army will come to attack the Hetao sooner or later. How many people will surrender secretly? Or even switch sides at a critical moment!
A few years ago, Li Zicheng had some ambitions and wanted to carve out a large territory in the grassland.
But the reality is always cruel. A grain-producing area in the Hetao area is not enough to support the logistics of his northward attack on the desert. Although he can always easily win the eastward attack on Jining, it is lost again in the blink of an eye. He does not dare to divide his troops to permanently station in Jining.
, he once tried, but was soon besieged by surrounding tribes.
Li Zicheng took away too few Han people, and his rule in Hetao was already at its limit.
Unable to continue to expand, he could only stay in the Loop, with his days passing by and his ambition waning bit by bit. As his son grew older and would be five years old this year, Li Zicheng began to think about his posthumous affairs.
Returning to Guihua City with the prey, the palace here is relatively shabby and was left behind by An Da Khan.
When Niu Jinxing heard that Li Zicheng had returned to the city, he immediately came to see him.
Li Zicheng smiled and said: "The Prime Minister came just in time and hunted some animals. You can take two back and cook them for meat."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Niu Jinxing whispered: "The caravan that went to Jining is back, and we have heard some important news."
Li Zicheng said disdainfully: "What's the news? The Mongolian Tatars over there are going to unite to make quotas again?"
"No," Niu Jinxing said, "The Nanjing imperial court is sending people to connect various ministries, saying that they are asking each ministry to send troops to go to the grasslands of Bahrain to fight with the Khalkha Mongols. This Khalkha Mongolia is blocked by us.
The mountain pass could not go south, and it actually expanded thousands of miles to the southeast, almost reaching the Yanshan area."
Li Zicheng pondered: "This is indeed a big event."
Niu Jinxing said: "Your Majesty can take the initiative to ask for help, cooperate with the Datong Army in the battle, and take the opportunity to gain greater military exploits."
Li Zicheng waved his hand and said, "Don't say this again. Is it because of my wife and children that I am willing to hand over my territory and troops to Emperor Zhao of Nanjing to fight? I am not his general, and I will not surrender to him even if I die."
He bowed his head."
It was difficult to persuade Niu Jinxing. In fact, he wanted to make meritorious deeds and become an official in the imperial court in Nanjing.
Niu Jinxing also has a son. The eldest son is nine years old and was born in Shanxi. He knows that Emperor Zhao has a grand plan and is 100% sure to come to capture the Loop. If he doesn't surrender as soon as possible, he will definitely be a prisoner by then.
Therefore, Niu Jinxing constantly encouraged Li Zicheng to donate soil to leave a way out for himself and his children.
Now that he heard about the expansion of Khalkha Mongolia, Niu Jinxing had another idea and wanted to use Li Zicheng's troops to cooperate with the imperial army to fight and achieve meritorious service.
Prime Minister Niu Jinxing, who was loyal to Li Zicheng, had so many small thoughts, not to mention the generals of the Dashun Army. They could not fight out and were trapped in the Hetao as big landowners. They had long lost their ambitions.
Li Zicheng suddenly asked: "What do you think is going on in our hometown?"
Niu Jinxing was stunned, shook his head and said: "I don't know."
Li Zicheng said: "I asked the merchants from Shaanxi. After we left, there was only one severe drought in Shaanxi, and the weather was good in the other years. The people have all been allocated land, and their lives are very good. Every family can eat during the holidays.
Shang Baimian. Although Emperor Zhao of Nanjing stole his country, he was indeed better at running the country than him. It is not unfair for him to lose to him."
Niu Jinxing said: "Your Majesty also governs the country wisely, not inferior to Emperor Zhao."
Li Zicheng waved his hand: "E is definitely better at governing the country than Chongzhen, and is still incomparable to Emperor Zhao. E understands his own abilities and doesn't talk about those big words. In the past, he underestimated the Mongols and always thought that he could conquer them if he brought troops here.
The country was founded on a large piece of land. But in the past few years, there have been only Hetao fights. The gentleman once told the story of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and it was not Huo Qubing. Even Huo Qubing could not open the grassland. Huo Qubing took away the food and grass of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and there was no
With the cooperation of other troops, he alone cannot seal Lang Juxu."
"Your Majesty sees clearly." Niu Jinxing could only agree.
Li Zicheng rubbed his painful kneecaps and said, "I don't have any other ideas now. I just want to go back to my hometown and get some fertile land to grow wheat. It would be best if the government doesn't bully me, and I can become a rich man in the countryside. What's the matter?
Let Emperor Zhao slowly attack the Mongolian Tatars in Mobei."
