Frankly speaking, it was not wrong for the Ming army to focus on Zhang Xianzhong.
After all, the vigorous peasant uprising has been going on for thirteen years.
After wandering about life and death for a long time, the mentality of those famous leaders had already changed.
Some people are determined and fight to the end. They always have a deep hatred for the Ming Dynasty and will not give up until the Ming Dynasty is overthrown.
Some people were shaken in their thinking and despaired. They felt that the Ming Dynasty was consolidated and could not be overthrown no matter how hard they tried.
Some people have gone from being penniless to becoming the overlord of a party. After tasting the power, they are never willing to let it go.
Some people surrendered to the government and became their pawns. Under the influence of fame and fortune, they were willing to do so and they were completely on the reactionary side.
Under such circumstances, it is obviously the right choice to avoid the most important and attack the stubborn leaders of the uprising.
Adhering to Chongzhen's wishes, the Ming army just bit Zhang Xianzhong and stalked him. Even if Luo Rucai was close at hand, the officers and soldiers adopted a strategy of appeasement.
Zhang Xianzhong's situation was of course extremely difficult, but this made Li Zicheng successful.
Upon learning that the leaders of various ministries were rebelling again, Ming Dynasty had mobilized all its troops to suppress it, leaving the nearby areas empty.
Li Zicheng knew that the opportunity he had been waiting for finally came.
He quickly gathered his troops, rushed out of Shangluo Mountain, and galloped across the land of Henan again.
Although he currently only has more than a thousand troops, Li Zicheng has no fear and no longer wants to sit in a ravine and wait helplessly to die.
Li Zicheng's original plan was to go to Huguang to meet up with Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai to concentrate on fighting.
But halfway through, Li Zicheng heard that Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai had gone to Sichuan, and officers and soldiers gathered around him, so Li Zicheng had to give up his plan.
At this time, the scholar made suggestions to Li Zicheng.
"King Chuang, there is a lot of potential for him now, only in the Central Plains. Countless people are crying for food. They regard the court as a bandit, so they naturally regard King Chuang as a kind of rain. As long as Chuang Wang Yi's banner passes by, thousands of troops and horses will just wait and see."
This scholar came to Li Zicheng when he was living in Shangluo Mountain.
This man's name is Li Yan, he is from Huanglonggang, Qi County, Kaifeng Prefecture, and he has a reputation as a civil servant.
Although he is a scholar, Li Yan has a good reputation in his hometown. He often donates money to charity and speaks out for the poor, so he is deeply loved.
In the year of great disaster, the local government still exploited the people and even more demanding payment.
If the people couldn't pay, the government would arrest people and torture them, forcing the people to have their families destroyed.
Li Yan couldn't stand it and spoke uprightly, but he angered the local magistrate, framed him for collaborating with the enemy and bandits, and put him in prison.
A chivalrous matchmaker, after learning of Li Yan's real name, broke into the prison and rescued him.
The two fought and walked, avoiding the government's pursuit along the way. When they heard that Li Zicheng was in Shangluo Mountain, they came to seek refuge.
Li Zicheng was as meticulous as his hair. On the surface, he was ecstatic about the scholar's surrender, but secretly he asked Li Jin to investigate secretly.
Li Jin disguised himself and rushed to Li Yan's hometown.
However, due to natural disasters, there are not many living people left here.
Li Zicheng felt relieved when he learned from several families that it was indeed true.
From then on, he worshiped Li Yan as his military advisor.
The peasant army, which had been fighting on the move and had no fixed residence, finally began to absorb intellectuals this time and had a clear strategic goal.
Li Zicheng attached great importance to Li Yan's suggestions and decisively gave up the idea of joining forces with Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai, and turned around and headed into Henan.
This move immediately swept the wind and clouds, making it even better than before.
Li Zicheng's success in Henan was first attributed to the unprecedented disaster.
Of course, the Ming Dynasty's reversal of Taoism was the biggest boost.
The disaster in the thirteenth year of Chongzhen was unprecedented, and its impact spread to all parts of the world.
From the beginning of winter until summer, not a drop of rain fell, and all rivers and lakes, large and small, dried up.
Under such circumstances, no matter how good the land is, no food can be grown.
After a severe drought, there will inevitably be a locust plague.
Starting in June, overwhelming swarms of locusts began to sweep across the Central Plains.
Wherever the locust swarm passes, not only the vegetation is wiped out, but also all living creatures are in danger.
In some places, there were even good living people standing in the open space. When the locust swarms passed, only a set of bones were left.
Under such a catastrophic disaster, the tragedies everywhere are unbearable to witness.
Not only did the people have no food in the fields, but even if they wanted to use tree bark and grass roots to satisfy their hunger, they could only eat Guanyin soil, and they would die of abdominal distension soon after eating it.
And these dead people will become temporary food for the living to survive.
Human cannibalism is common in this troubled world.
Terrifying natural disasters not only ravaged the areas ruled by the Ming Dynasty, but also devastated the Xia Kingdom.
"Your Highness, you are finally back. Nowadays, people everywhere are in panic and are helpless. If this continues, there will probably be chaos."
At the dock in Qingdao, Dang Huanchun personally greeted Zuo Menggeng and his party.
The monarch had been away for more than a year, and although officials at all levels expressed their dissatisfaction, they did not delay their official duties.
The Xia Kingdom's system determined that the presence or absence of the monarch would not affect the administrative system.
But that was during normal times.
Once something unexpected happens, without the king in charge, everyone will still be in a hurry and make mistakes frequently.
The biggest impact on Xia Kingdom now is natural disasters.
"Ruxi, urgent reports from Lianghuai River are pouring in. All the locusts there have turned into sperm. Wherever they go, they have eaten up all the crops in the fields. I don't know how many people will go hungry this year."
When he came back, there was bad news, which made Zuo Mengeng frown.
“Didn’t local governments and officials take measures?”
The party is still drunk and spreads its hands, feeling extremely powerless.
"That's a locust plague! How can it be cured by human power?"
Zuo Mengeng's face was extremely serious.
"That's nonsense. How can a mere locust turn the world upside down? As long as you have the will and use your heart to control it, you will definitely be able to eliminate it."
The party was still dumbfounded.
"Since ancient times, no one has been able to control the locust plague. What's more, this is a god and demon descending from heaven to punish the world..."
Zuo Mengeng didn't like this statement the most.
In front of all civil and military officials, his attitude was like a divine sword that created the world.
"Have we, the Chinese nation, suffered too few disasters over the past tens of millions of years? If we all just hunkered down and let things go, how could we, the Chinese nation, thrive? Not to mention mere locusts. Even if the sky fell, we would mend the sky; mountains
If the locusts are in the way, then move the mountains. Send my order to all local officials, people, and garrisons to go out to hunt and kill the locusts. If the locusts are all over the sky, then make the sky clear; if the locusts are all over the ground, then wash the earth clean. I, the Chinese nation, do not believe in heaven.
, If you don’t believe in God, if everyone unites as one, man will definitely defeat heaven!”
This is the role of a leader.
The words of regarding the world as insignificant instantly gave everyone a feeling of invincibility.
Since the founding of the Xia Kingdom, this leader has led all the soldiers and civilians to win every battle and move forward step by step. He has repeatedly climbed to the top without ever losing.
Just listen to him!
Zuo Mengeng's order was like having wings, spreading throughout the Xia Kingdom in an instant.
Those who were still in panic immediately strengthened their faith.
They picked up various tools one after another and rushed towards the locust swarm that blocked the sky and the sun without fear.
Since God will not let us live, then we should fight to the death and ask God for an explanation!