Chapter 6 Rise and Fall and the Suffering of the Common People
Outside Desheng Gate.
Three hundred eunuchs from the palace stood at the door. The leader was Wang Dehua, the former eunuch of the Ming Dynasty. After he ordered people to open the Desheng Gate, he led the crowd to wait here early to welcome Li Zicheng. The rise of this dynasty was no longer his own.
A eunuch can control it, so it would be better to surrender more simply and save more lives.
"Civil officials have harmed the country, civil servants have harmed the country." Thinking of Emperor Chongzhen, Wang Dehua sighed.
In a moment, Li Zicheng took the lead and arrived outside Desheng Gate. General Liu Zongmin of Zuoying and other generals followed closely behind. Prime Minister Niu Jinxing and military advisor Song Xiance maintained their scholarly demeanor and led the rest of their troops to stay far away, keeping the military formation slow.
And go.
"Old Liu, I think back then, only the eighteen riders were beaten by the troublesome Hong Chengchou, Sun Chuanting, and Cao Bianjiao, and they fled into Shangluo Mountain like a bereaved dog. I still remember it fresh in my mind now."
Liu Zongmin recalled the past and nodded.
"But what's the result? Our brothers were killed and reborn. It took only six years for the Eighteen Cavalry to destroy the Ming Dynasty. What happened to the three of them now? Just like dogs that lost their homes, one of them surrendered to Jianlu Jurchen, and the other two
People were defeated and died, the tide has really turned and it has come to my house this year, hahaha."
Li Zicheng laughed while riding forward slowly. Liu Zongmin felt the same but disagreed with what he said. Everyone on the battlefield had their own masters. Except for Hong Chengchou who surrendered to the rebels, the other two were all truly capable.
, is an opponent worthy of respect. Even if he dies, he will be honored and there is no need to ridicule him.
Seeing that Li Zicheng and others were getting closer, Wang Dehua calmed down, led the palace people to bow down, and shouted:
"The Chief of Ceremonies, Wang Dehua, respectfully welcomes His Majesty into the palace."
"My father-in-law, please get up quickly. There is no need to be formal." Li Zicheng jumped off his horse and stepped forward to help Wang Dehua up. His face was kind and his attitude towards him was surprisingly good.
It has to be said that although Li Zicheng started out in a rough place, he is broad-minded and does not take any airs. This action is worthy of the four words "courteous and virtuous corporal", and people can't help but get close to him.
Seeing Li Zicheng's attitude, Wang Dehua also felt warm in his heart. He thought his life was safe, and then he said diligently: "Your Majesty, can I help you lead the way into the palace?"
"My father-in-law is the most familiar with me in this palace, so of course I listen to my father-in-law."
Wang Dehua immediately led Li Zicheng into the city, and then entered the palace through Chengtian Gate. On the way, Li Zicheng saw the four words "Chengtian Gate" written on the plaque on Chengtian Gate. He took an arrow and shot it, hitting the center of the word Tian. The soldiers in the middle of the army were greatly shocked when they saw this.
Everyone cheered, this world belongs to the King of Chuang!
What a killer...it seems like he still has to be more careful, Wang Dehua thought silently when he saw this situation, but he was still flattering.
After entering Chengtian Gate, you will reach the Meridian Gate. At this moment, there are more than a hundred civil servants kneeling on the imperial road of Meridian Gate, all wearing prison uniforms.
Li Zicheng marveled at the sight before him and thought that although he sent troops into the city before, they only controlled the situation and did not order arrests. So where did the prison uniforms of these people come from? Could they be the prison officers of Chongzhen before?
So he called Prime Minister Niu Jinxing and asked about the matter.
"No, Your Majesty, these people are officials from the six ministries of the capital, not prisoners."
"Then what does this prison uniform mean?"
"I think these officials of the Ming Dynasty were impressed by His Majesty's majesty, so they sought out prison uniforms and voluntarily begged His Majesty for forgiveness. The old minister believed that His Majesty was broad-minded and the country's foundation was not stable at present, so these people could just accept them all.
It can still be used to govern the world in the future."
"Well..." Li Zicheng stroked his beard. What the Prime Minister said was a mature and prudent thing, so he naturally agreed. But seeing these people wagging their tails tarnished his impression of the integrity of the literati.
A trace of unhappiness could not help but appear on his face, and it flashed away. Although it was a very subtle expression of emotion, it was noticed by Wang Dehua.
Li Zicheng didn't want to pay attention to these people at the moment, so he didn't stop any longer and wanted to move forward.
The Ming Dynasty ministers on the royal road panicked when they saw this. Why were they ignoring them? So they urged and encouraged one after another. One person had no choice but to say:
"I'll give you the opportunity to see your Majesty from the military affairs department."
"What's the matter?" Li Zi set up on horseback and asked coldly.
Guang Shixiang tidied up a little and relieved the tension in his heart.
"The former Ming Dynasty was unruly and the country was prosperous and prosperous. The guilty ministers consulted with hundreds of officials and advised your majesty to ascend the throne and be honored with great treasures."
"I urge Your Majesty to ascend the throne and be honored with great treasures." Everyone agreed.
If Li Zicheng proclaimed himself emperor in Xi'an, he could only be regarded as self-proclaimed king, but now that he has entered the capital and been recognized by the scholars, his proclaiming emperor has become justifiable.
Speaking of becoming the emperor, Li Zicheng no longer felt sleepy, and the trace of unhappiness he felt just now was also covered up.
Niu Jinxing tapped Li Zicheng's back with his finger. Li Zicheng understood and shied away with a smile: "We'll discuss this later, we'll discuss this later."
Guang Shixiang also saw that Li Zicheng was useful, so he struck while the iron was hot and said: "Your Majesty, the captives in the north are watching eagerly, and there is still a bright future in the south that can rekindle at any time. The world is not stable, and cannot be without a master for a day. I beg your Majesty, for the sake of all the people in the world,
Ascend to the throne!”
"I beg your Majesty to ascend the throne for the sake of all the people in the world!"
Seeing Niu Jinxing nodding, Li Zicheng was about to agree, when he saw Wang Dehua walking towards Guang Shixiang.
There was a "pop" sound, and a slap hit Guang Shixiang on the right side of his face. Wang Dehua was still angry, punching and kicking the others behind him, and yelling:
"A bunch of thieves who are harming the country! Where is the emperor? What are you doing here?"
The people in the Shun army were laughing and talking as they watched the prince beating the officials. The contempt in Li Zicheng's heart also disappeared.
"Prince, don't hit me again. It's not good if you break it. They still have to do things for me, haha."
Wang Dehua then gave up, spat at the officials, and followed the laughing Li Zicheng into the palace.
--
On Meishan Mountain, Li Ruolian was covered in blood. Looking at the bloody clothes written by Chongzhen before, he had a lot of thoughts.
Previously, he pretended to be Chongzhen and wanted to leave the city through Zhengyang Gate. When he announced his identity as emperor, he was intercepted and killed by the defenders.
The commander of the Beijing camp was Zhu Chunchen, Duke of Chengguo. Although he did not show up, Li Ruolian knew very well that it must be this person who had given the order to lock His Majesty in the palace.
It's a pity that His Majesty entrusted the crown prince to his care. It would be a disaster for him... Li Ruolian felt sad at this point. Why did the good Ming Dynasty perish?
"I am incompetent, and I am willing to die for your majesty. I only hope that your majesty is far away from danger, and will reorganize the country in the future, purge the world, and avenge me."
--
Just as the Shun army entered the city and surrounded the official residence, Fan Jingwen, then the Minister of Industry and a bachelor of Dongge University, rushed outside the palace gate and asked the palace guard guarding the gate:
"Where is Your Majesty? Can you see His Majesty?"
The palace man replied: "Your Majesty has gone out!"
After hearing the words, Fan Shangshu wanted to rush to the court room, but saw that the road in the distance had been blocked and guarded by bandits.
When the servants saw the thieves and their menace, they quickly persuaded their master to change into official uniforms and go home, but Fan Shangshu sternly scolded him:
"Your Majesty is out, how can I, as a minister, return home?"
When the country is destroyed, where is home?
Then he found a temple nearby and wrote a suicide note in it: "As a minister, I cannot destroy the bloody shame of thieves. I will die with lingering regrets."
Died by throwing himself into a well.
--
Outside the Xinlehou Mansion, Liu Wenbing looked at the fire shooting into the sky in his house, his heart was filled with despair.
The capital was besieged, and Chongzhen ordered Wu Xun's relatives to defend the city, and he was among them.
The city gate was breached, and the army rushed in. After killing more than a dozen thieves, he realized that there was nothing he could do to save his life. He hurried back home because he was worried about the safety of his mother, wife, and children.
But he saw that his relatives at home had set themselves on fire in order not to hinder him.
Liu Wenbing walked into the backyard of his home and met his friends Shen Zhanran and Huang Nilu.
After asking the two of them, they learned that the prince-in-law Gong Yonggu had burned down his mansion and committed suicide. He burst into tears and said, "Hongtu will go before me?"
So he took off his military uniform and threw himself into a well. No one in Liu's family, more than 40 people, survived.
Scenes of Ming ministers martyring their country were staged throughout the capital, but compared to those who surrendered and surrendered, they were only in the minority.
Therefore, it is said that death is the only choice through the ages, and when the country is in crisis and life and death is at stake, the true nature of the human heart is revealed. This chapter has been completed!