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Chapter 20 So You Are a Rebel

At noon, the gongs in Douzhuang rang wildly.

"The short-haired ghoul is back. The short-haired ghoul is back..."

The flag of the revolutionary army was fluttering, and two thousand soldiers and horses lined up outside the west gate.

Mrs. Huo took the book. There were only two big words on it: Pay back the money!

"Go and get two thousand silver for Shorthair." Mrs. Huo held her forehead, her head ached.

Li Zicheng was victorious and his troops returned home.

When they arrived at Duanshi Town, Jia Fugui ran out crying.

"Commander! Gou Ri's officers and soldiers stole three thousand taels of silver. Please ask the commander to make the decision for the common people!"

This is not easy to do.

Li Zicheng only gave him the two thousand silver coins that Dou Zhuang had brought to him, "borrow one thousand and pay back two thousand."

Jia Fugui wiped his tears and said, "To be honest, I have five thousand silver hidden in the cellar, and I would like to lend it all to the commander-in-chief."

"Bullshit!" Li Zicheng laughed angrily.



Qinshui Dongzhi County was heartbroken, but the short-haired man came back unscathed. What did the officers and soldiers do for food?

He originally wanted to unite with the gentry to expel hundreds of bandits from the city.

Those gangsters held grievance meetings all day long, and most of the people in the city were bewitched, leaving endless poison.

What is particularly hateful is that the gangsters are spreading wild words all over the city and outside the city, such as "Knife in hand, follow me; kill corrupt officials and eradicate evil gentry" and the like, which really makes the gentlemen nervous.

County Government Flower Hall.

Li Zicheng pushed a plate of silver over and said, "I respect you."

Master Liu smiled awkwardly and pushed back, "I don't dare. If you have errands to do, Commander-in-Chief, just give me your orders."

Li Zicheng pushed again, "I will pay the taxes this summer. You and Dong..."

Master Liu hurriedly stood up and bowed, "Commander, this will cost this old man's life, I..."

"Don't panic! Listen to me..."

Qinshui County's summer grain quota is more than 2,000 shi, and in recent years, the actual harvest has been 1,340 shi.

If the revolutionary army pays taxes and pays 500 shi of grain to the county, and another 1,000 shi plus 20% of the price in silver, a penny is a lot.

"Is that so..." Mr. Liu stroked his beard and sat down, leaning on the back of the chair, "Does the commander-in-chief really mean what he said?"

The commander-in-chief smiled and said, "We are also people with status, there is no need to fool you."

Master Liu glanced at the silver plate, picked up the tea cup and took a sip, "This matter can be discussed."

Li Zicheng pushed the money over and said, "Thank you, Master."

"It's easy to talk about." Master Liu's smile turned into squinting eyes.

Land tax is not easy to collect.

The main officers and soldiers are still suppressing thieves in the Yangcheng area next door. I don't know which day they will reach Qinshui. This matter must be dealt with as soon as possible.

We have done some research in the early stage, and now tax teams are coming out from all over, mainly from large and medium-sized households. No matter who you are, you are a civil servant, a fifth-rank official, a relative of the emperor, and a descendant of Du Fu. All of them will pay the tax.

Then the lawsuit came to Li Zicheng.

Master Liu murmured: "...I really can't shirk it..."

Li Zicheng slapped the table, "Then don't blame me for killing you! Who can dance happily? Kill the chicken to scare the monkeys!"

Master Liu was shocked: "Isn't this...this...isn't this bad?"

In fact, Li Zicheng was not willing to kill more wealthy people unless it was absolutely necessary. Sometimes he could win people's hearts by compromising and try to leave a good impression on the boss. But the so-called compromise was often just wishful thinking.

"Master, please inform them not to challenge the patience of the revolutionary army. If the taxes are not paid within three days, all the food arrears for the past years will be recovered. If they continue to resist to the end, they will be hanged in the city gate tower and their homes will be ransacked!"

Li Zicheng stretched out his hand to show a few grams, "I only give you three days!"



Four days later, no corpses were hung on the city gate tower, and the actual harvest of grain and beans was 3,100 shi. Liu Fangliang was directly dragged to Lishan in the south to camp.

It's a pity that the Qinshui King of Lao Zhu's family has not lived in the county for more than a hundred years, otherwise he would be able to make ends meet with just one vote.

This time only Douzhuang did not hand over a grain of grain.

Li Zicheng ran to shoot it twice to vent his anger, and returned angrily.

On the eighth day of June, Master Liu sneaked into Li Zicheng's room.

"The commander-in-chief and the state capital have responded to the letter and are sure to send troops here."

"Would it be helpful to give money away?"

"I'm afraid... there are quite a few of those gentry who are very knowledgeable, and it's hard to hide the fact that the revolutionary army has entered the city."

"Think of a way to delay it for a hundred taels a day!"

"middle!"



Li Zicheng took the time to train his troops for two days, practicing how to attack the city.

June 18th.

The revolutionary army urged all merchants to come and exchange their banknotes.

Li Zicheng held the magistrate's hands tightly and shook them up and down, "Mr. Dong, it's a pleasure to cooperate with you. I'll say goodbye for now. If the higher ups give you trouble, just come to my place and become the magistrate."

"..." Mr. Dong smiled uglier than crying.

As soon as Li Zicheng turned around, he quickly reached out and wiped his clothes violently a few times - I didn't expect short-haired people to have such a hobby.

The revolutionary army brigade moved west, and Li Zicheng led a sentry of cavalry to the east.

After walking ten miles along the river, we encountered an army of soldiers.

Just as the opponent was about to unload the cannon from the car, Xin Sizhong was already galloping over with his cavalry.

The gunner shouted and fled.

Guerrilla Li Ning chopped down two of them on the spot, halting the rout.

It was too late to fire, and the officers and soldiers fired their three-eyed cannons a hundred paces away.

"Dong dong dong dong dong dong dong dong..."

Okay, now you’re done!

Xin Sizhong drew his knife and raised it high: "Kill!"

Three hundred cavalrymen urged their horses forward.

The officers and soldiers were instantly in chaos, and Li Ning could not stop him, so he had to rush north into the ravine.

This time Li Zicheng showed no kindness and let Xin Sizhong go on a killing spree.

We will soon face off against the army, so hurry up and pick on the weak to see blood.

By the time I was drinking a bowl of water, the battle was over, and one or two hundred people were lying on the road.

Li Zicheng collected the spoils of war, cleaned the battlefield, and led his troops to retreat.

Qinshui County was still wondering whether to close the door to resist the thieves or lie down and pretend to be dead, but the revolutionary army had already galloped away.

At the front, Liu Fangliang led a sentry of men and horses, as well as the Women's Camp of the Children's Camp, and others to go south to Mount Li, where they set up camp and prepared to open up a base area.

The rest of the brigade followed Li Zicheng out of the Taiyue Mountains to the west.

In addition to You Shilu in the Shangdang area, soldiers from Hebei and Henan will soon come over, so go out and hide first.

Also, Zhao Sheng, the lamplighter who stayed in Shaanxi, surrendered and rebelled again. He was chased by Cao Wenzhao and was in a hurry. If he was not rescued, he would burp.

After all, Zhao Sheng was a scholar. He could write poems in literature and mount a horse to kill people in martial arts. It was rare!

Unlike other literati, he can actually make jokes like "one shot can ruin people for dozens of miles".

Li Zicheng wants to subdue Dengzi.

At noon on June 20, revolutionary soldiers surrounded Yicheng.

Li Shichun, the county magistrate, was ignorant of current affairs and sent neither food nor pigs and sheep. 1 After Li Zicheng defeated Shanhaiguan, it is said that he secretly took Prince Zhu Cixiang back to his hometown. The old man organized King Qin's army several times but failed, so he fled to Yinna Mountain to devote himself to writing.

.

This old man was good at politics. After he took office, he built city walls and heavy gates. He also built "Xiangshan Academy", which reached Chongzhen, Guiyou, and Bingzi. There were more than 20 scholars in Yicheng, and 6 of them became Jinshi.

The blackmail failed, and Li Zicheng estimated that he could not break the city, so he had no choice but to leave. Anyway, they would meet again and deal with him later.

On June 22, revolutionary troops surrounded Quwo.

The magistrate led the crowd to hold on, and the blackmail failed again.

I still have plenty of time, so I'll spend some time with you.

The revolutionary army was stationed at Gangan Temple.

It is surrounded by plains, perfect for training cavalry.

By the way, nearly a thousand acres of vigorously growing tobacco were leveled.

During his more than ten years of rule, Chongzhen often banned smoking intermittently, and in the most severe cases, smoking could even be beheaded.

Yang Shicong, who had just won the imperial examination, would later record in "Yutang Hui Ji" that "it is said that Shang (Chongzhen) regarded smoke as the Yan (capital). People say that eating smoke is a bad thing." 1 He first surrendered and then surrendered to the Qing Dynasty.

Huang Taiji also banned smoking. "Anyone who violates the ban will be beheaded first and then smelled; those who are less than one kilogram will be imprisoned in Yizhou and given a severe punishment."

Unfortunately, both of their measures were of no use.

Smoking addiction is difficult to quit; as for growing cigarettes, "One acre of harvest can equal ten acres of farmland."

The benefits are so great that it is not easy to ban smoking.

Li Zicheng lectured a group of old farmers: "This is a harmful thing. You are not allowed to plant it again! Next time I see you, I will ransack your home! There will be floods next year and drought the next year. If you want to survive, you should be honest and stock up on more grain."

"Yes, yes..."

The villagers received the subsidy money and were both happy and frightened, so they were obedient to the short-haired master.

Li Jiantai in Quwo County should still be serving as a minister of the Imperial Academy, and it will be ten years before he is promoted to the chief minister of the cabinet.

There are also brothers from the Wei family, who will have one minister and one minister in the future - from the Qing Dynasty. They are still working as scholars at home. Unfortunately, Li Zicheng cannot enter the city and cannot establish relations with them to show his goodwill.

The commander-in-chief came to Nanji Village in the county.

Jia Hanfu has joined the army and is away. He left some money and cloth to express his condolences to his old mother. He would be promoted to deputy general of Huai'an in the Ming Dynasty, and then in the second year of Shunzhi he would be demoted to the Qing Dynasty and attached to the Zhenglan Banner of the Han Army. Later he would be the governor of Henan and Shaanxi, and his official reputation was still there.

Good.

There was a guard station in Xin Village, Beixin County, so they went directly to collect summer grain. The extra grain was distributed to military households on the spot. By the way, dozens of horses and mules from the nearby Mengcheng Station were taken away.

Early in the morning on June 30, the revolutionary army fired two cannons at Quwo City to vent the fire, broke camp and set off.

We walked to Houma at noon, collected grain, and drove away dozens of horses and mules from the post station.

Funds for the post stations were allocated locally, and Mengcheng and Houma posts were returned to the same county. The expenses were heavy and donations were heavy, and the officials were tired and the people were suffering.

Post stations that should be removed were not removed, and posts that should not be removed were cut off randomly. The court was confused.

On July 1, revolutionary troops surrounded Jiangzhou.

Lei Yuzhong, the governor of Lamb, was in a panic. He asked the gentry and Father Gao for advice, and they all said that losing money would avoid disaster.

The revolutionary army successfully extorted ten pigs, fifty chickens, two baskets of eggs, ten baskets of fried gourds, five hundred dan of grain, and some pure mud inkstones as tribute pens and ink.

It is said that last time Han Lin was punched down by Zhao Desheng, who was not a martial artist, and he cried to his grandfather afterwards.

Wang Zongyue was furious and ordered all his disciples and disciples to come from Taigu to kill him to regain his place. At this time, the old man happened to be in Jiangzhou.

The king boldly led his troops out of the city, and everyone else's jaw dropped. Why don't you want to be eaten alive by the bandits?

The Han brothers knew who Zhao Desheng was, so they were not worried and followed him out of the city together. Even Father Gao came out to join in the fun, preparing to take the opportunity to enlighten the lost thieves.

The two parties met in a harmonious atmosphere.

Wang Zongyue was already in his seventies or eighties, but Li Zicheng couldn't punch the old man unless he made two gestures.

He had no choice but to recruit some generals and said, "Go and play with him."

Liu Zongmin laughed and said, "Don't worry, brother, I'll stab him with one finger!"

"That won't work!"

Li Zicheng was given the opportunity face to face, "Only defeat but no victory! A fine of one hundred taels for winning, and a reward of ten taels of silver for losing..."

After the venue was cleared, the art team was dispatched to play "The Music of King Qin Breaking the Formation".

The title of the song is deceiving, but it is actually considered ritual music, not killing music.

It is said that in the second year of Wude, Li Shimin led his troops across the Yellow River from Longmen, stationed troops in Jiangzhou, and attacked Liu Wuzhou, winning consecutive battles. So the local people composed a song to celebrate. It was later adapted into a palace dance song.

Amidst the sound of drum music, Liu Zongmin was the first to take the lead.

A few feet away, Wang Zongyue had just made a hand gesture, and Brother Optimus Prime screamed "Ah!" and fell backwards.

"My father-in-law is very skilled in martial arts! Thank you for not killing me. Ouch, it hurts me to death!"

"Me!"

Li Zicheng was so angry that he stepped forward and kicked Liu Zongmin hard, "It's a full show, do you understand? The acting is exaggerated, which makes me angry!"

Gu Kecheng, Yuan Zongdi, and Li Zijia all stepped forward to help, "How can you be so stupid? You can accompany me for ten taels of silver!"

"Don't slap me in the face..." Liu Zongmin held his head and screamed.

Wang Zongyue was so angry that his heart and liver were trembling, and his beard was trembling, "You, you, you despise me!"

Li Zicheng hurriedly stepped forward to apologize, beating his back and loosening his bones.

"Old hero, as the saying goes, boxing is not as good as the young. How about you take a rest, and I will accompany your apprentice to do a few tricks?"

He is no longer an apprentice, and Jiang Fa is already running for five years. You cannot bully the old man.

His disciples Xing Xihuai, Zhang Chuchen and others were young and strong, and Li Zicheng had no burden to beat them.

Now I sparred with them a few times, and the back and forth was really exciting.

The onlookers applauded one after another, and even King Lingqiu who was watching the battle at the top of the city clapped his hands and praised him.

The scene was complete, and Li Zicheng knocked them down with one punch and one kick.

"Good boy!"

Wang Zongyue clapped his hands and shouted, "The old man is still dissatisfied, so let's do some push-hands."

Li Zicheng didn't know how to do this, so he insisted on being humble for six or seven rounds but was staggered.

Wang Zongyue stroked his beard and said proudly, "The young man has good qualifications. How about becoming a closed disciple of the old man?"

Li Zicheng handed over his hand, "Thanks to Mr. Wang for being considerate, but this junior thinks that rebellion is more promising."

"..." Wang Zongyue was stunned.

It turns out you are a rebel, forget this!
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