Starting from March 23, the bureaucrats led by Ming surrender ministers Chen Yan and Zhu Chunchen repeatedly tried to persuade Li Zicheng to advance. Niu Jinxing, Song Xiance and others on the rebel side were busy all day long.
In order to plan the new emperor's ascension to the throne.
Under Niu Jinxing's arrangement, civil and military officials once again "persuaded entry". The person who caused the most irritation was Zhou Zhong, a famous scholar in Fushe. This person and Wei Dazhong's orphan Wei Xuexian jointly proposed to Li Zicheng to bury the late emperor, and wrote a letter in accordance with Niu Jinxing's wishes.
The article "On the Death of Scholars Seeing Danger" describes them who have changed their families as heroes who understand current affairs.
Niu Jinxing praised this article, and Zhou Zhong was very pleased with it. When he saw an acquaintance, he would praise "Teacher Niu" for his kindness. He also wrote an "Encouragement Biao", praising Li Zicheng as "more than Yao and Shun."
Chapter 14: "Wu Sangui's Choice of Martial Arts" condemned Emperor Chongzhen as a "lone husband".
The old man in Beijing thought it was a great shame and humiliation, but he didn't expect that Wei Xuelian wanted to take the "first place" and told people, "More martial arts than Yao and Shun." He came up with these words. Zhou Zhong never thought of this.
At the same time, after entering Beijing, the Dashun Army, which had always been under the banner of "welcome King Chuang, but not pay for food" and "no expedition for three years, no civilians killed", began to feel lost in the bustling city of Beijing.
Gradually reveal their true nature!
The first is the so-called "pursuit of stolen goods to support payment". Officials of the Dashun regime, headed by Liu Zongmin, indiscriminately identified all officials of the Ming Dynasty as corrupt officials, and the amount they demanded was shocking.
Officials who really couldn't come up with the money actually borrowed money from merchants, and even borrowed silk and satin to pay their bills when they had no money. As a result, the merchants ran out of money and goods, and the market was in chaos. It completely exceeded the limit of recovering stolen goods and got out of control.
Among the Dashun generals who tortured officials who could not pay, there were Liu Zongmin and others, including Li Yan, who was recognized as being "lenient and righteous in torture"
Purchasing stolen goods for pay was also extremely harmful to the Dashun Army itself. The most obvious thing was that it destroyed military discipline to a great extent. Wu Sangui's decision in Chapter 554 completely destroyed the morale of the army.
The reason for the lack of pay for the soldiers of the Dashun Army was that they were chasing stolen goods. After entering the city, they were not paid, but only paid to the enemy, which made it difficult to control. When the Dashun Army first entered the city, it was indeed very orderly.
After the people's homes, it was a different scene. Weapons and gunpowder were first searched, and then the people were asked to provide food. Women without husbands were forcibly distributed to soldiers, raped and killed, and all atrocities were used. The people who resisted a little were immediately killed.
These "rebel" soldiers were killed by the sword
As for Li Zicheng, the king of Chuang, and his trusted generals, after entering the palace, they were about to divide Emperor Chongzhen's maids as spoils of war. Li Zicheng, Liu Zongmin and Li Guo each selected thirty beautiful people, and Niu Jinxing, Song Qijiao and other generals each selected
Count people.
Before Li Zicheng ascended the throne, he had already settled in the palace and lived the life of an emperor. When Li Zicheng entered the palace, he called prostitutes and dozens of people from the opera house into the palace. On March 21, all civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty followed the requirements of the Dashun regime.
Entering the palace to see Li Zicheng, he waited for a full day from morning to night and came back disappointed. Li Zicheng was just drinking in the palace.
The people who worry Li Zicheng now are Ding Yunyi and Wu Sangui.
In order to relieve their worries, they decided to send Tang Tong, a surrender general, with a reward of 40,000 taels of silver and Wu Xiang's family letter to Shanhaiguan to recruit Wu Sangui.
After receiving the emperor's imperial edict, Wu Sangui abandoned Ningyuan and led his troops to defend the capital. When he arrived in Fengrun on March 20, he learned that the capital had fallen, so he returned to Shanhaiguan, looked at the capital in the south with his subordinates and elders, and howled loudly.
cry.
Wu Sangui failed to enter the capital of the Wei Dynasty and returned to Shanhaiguan to garrison. He was anxious and depressed; the past and all the events before him came to his mind.
Since joining the army, Wu Sangui has been galloping across the land of western Liaoning, fighting against the Qing soldiers for many years. He took it upon himself to guard the frontiers and consolidate the borders, relying on the strong passes and the bravery of the Liao soldiers, so he expected that the Qing soldiers would be difficult to break through. He was worried that the situation would be difficult, but he
They never thought that the rebel army would so quickly capture Beijing, which had been its capital for more than 200 years, nor could they imagine that the huge Ming soldiers and numerous generals would be so vulnerable!
He couldn't believe what was happening in front of him. Yesterday, he was a dignified military officer, Ping Xibo, but today, the king is the king of subjugation, and he is the minister of subjugation. He thought of his home, parents and sister again
More than 30 of his relatives were still in Beijing, their life and death unknown, and their fate uncertain. Waves of suspense and worries were tearing at his heart.
Only then did he feel that he had truly become a man without a country and a home. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel confused and sad. However, it can be said with certainty that he would not think of death or sacrifice himself for his country.
You know, he is only thirty-three years old, which is the golden age of his life. Why does he want to think about death? He is also the commander-in-chief of an army, commanding a powerful armed force of 40,000 people, more than 3,000 of whom are still from his Wu family.
As a young soldier, with this capital, he was confident that he would still be able to accomplish something. What should he do in the future? He was hesitant and had no final decision in his mind.
Surrender to Qing? This way out could not help but flash in his mind, but looking back on his consistent attitude towards Qing and his basic thoughts in the past, he would not think so much at this time, or it can be said that he put this idea aside for the time being.
excluded
Surrender to the traitor army? Who knows whether Li Zicheng can establish a foothold and establish a new dynasty? Besides, he still doesn't know Li Zicheng's attitude towards him, and he can't consider it at the moment. Wu Sangui is at the crossroads of the Ming and Qing regimes, and there are many things before his eyes.
Between these two paths, he must make a choice and find a way out.
He felt that the current situation was unpredictable and he could not make a definite conclusion as to who would win. Wu Sangui assessed the forces in all aspects, weighed the pros and cons, and adopted the attitude of waiting to see how the situation changes. He wanted to wait for the situation to become clear and stable before making any further decisions.
Plan. He felt that this was a foolproof and safe plan. Therefore, he stood still at Shanhaiguan.
As Wu Sangui expected, the moment of his choice came soon. This was when Li Zicheng took the initiative to take action against Wu Sangui and sent him a message of appeasement. When Li Zicheng entered Beijing, all the towns surrendered, except for Wu Sangui and Zhu Youbin.
The army will not surrender.
Li Zicheng realized the importance of occupying Shanhaiguan and was determined to win. He sent Ming surrender generals Tang Tong and Bai Guangen to lead his troops to attack Luanzhou eastward as the first step to capture Shanhaiguan. However, the attack failed and he was defeated by Wu Sangui and returned to Beijing.
Wu Sangui did not pursue the enemy and remained stationed behind closed doors.
What Li Zicheng was most worried about was the whereabouts of Wu Sangui who was stationed at Shanhaiguan, which was crucial to the Dashun regime. He knew very well that Wu Sangui and his Liao soldiers were brave soldiers and were actually a powerful enemy of the Dashun army.
Shanhaiguan is 700 miles away from Beijing, and is separated from the Qing army by a pass. Therefore, if Wu Sangui advances, he can threaten Beijing; if he retreats, he can rely on the dangers of the mountains and seas to hold on; if he escapes, he can reach the Qing army camp within a few steps.
If the two unite, the peasant army will be put in danger. Li Zicheng thought of the existence of Wu Sangui and his Liao soldiers and felt restless.
When Wu Sangui received the letter that Tang Tong brought to him, his father Wu Xiang said in the letter: "The Ming Dynasty is over, and destiny cannot be violated. The emperor has passed away, and his father is also in danger. People who understand current affairs can also adapt to changes. If you surrender early, not only can you
You will be rewarded and your reputation as a filial son will be fulfilled. If you act on your own initiative and insist on having your own way, after the defeat, your father's life will be in danger, and your reputation will be ruined."
Wu Xiang was in the hands of the peasant army and played a direct role in persuading Wu Sangui to surrender. Before and after instructing Tang Tong and Wu Xiang to persuade Wu Sangui to surrender, Li Zicheng also sent the former Ming Miyun governor, Wang Zayao, who was the Minister of the Military Government after surrendering Li, to continuously carry out persuasion activities.
.And told Wu Sangui that as long as he came to surrender, he would not lose his position as marquis!
After Wu Sangui settled the envoys, he secretly summoned the generals to discuss whether to surrender to Li Zicheng. Originally, he was very tempted by Li Zicheng's surrender, but his change of position and desire to shake hands with the thieves, his former mortal enemy, was due to the huge changes in the situation.
With the changes, the destruction of the Ming Dynasty to which he was loyal was a foregone conclusion, and Li Zicheng's Dashun Dynasty would replace the Zhu Dynasty and become the new master.
And only by relying on this new regime can we have our own way out
Moreover, the conditions offered by Li Zicheng could not be more generous and the courtesy was more generous. For Wu Sangui, this was exactly what he had been pursuing for many years. Once he got it, he felt satisfied.
At the same time, he was also concerned that the lives and property of his parents, relatives, and property were in the hands of the peasant army. Surrendering would not only save the life of his family, but also preserve his glory and wealth. At this time, Wu Sangui's troops were seriously short of pay and needed to be replenished, otherwise the soldiers would be
It will waver and even collapse.
Originally, he could still rely on Zhu Youbin, but the fall of the capital and the subsequent news of Zhu Youbin's serious illness caused his confidence to be fundamentally shaken.
Wu Sangui's soldiers had been without pay for fourteen months when they were in Ningyuan and were in a very difficult situation. Now that Li Zicheng has sent pay to his door, it is like giving help in the snow. Why not take it! Considering the current situation, surrendering to the peasant army is of great benefit. Otherwise, everything will be ruined.
Turn into nothing.
After careful consideration, Wu Sangui had decided to surrender, but he did not say it clearly because he was worried about whether his subordinates would agree with him, especially at a time when the current political situation was intensely turbulent, when people were in confusion and could not figure out their true plans.
, he wanted to test the ideological trends of his subordinates first. He deliberately asked the generals: "The capital has been lost, the late Emperor Bintian, and Wu Sangui have received great favor from the country, so they should die to serve the country. However, the enemy cannot be defeated without the strength of the generals. What do you think?
What do you think of Gui?"
The generals were silent, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.
Wu Sangui asked three times in a row, but no one dared to express his opinion. Wu Sangui glanced at the faces of each general with a compelling look, and said in a heavy tone: "The king of Chuang is in great power. Tang Tong and Jiang Yu have surrendered, and I am alone."
Unable to stand on one's own feet."
When he reached this point, Wu Sangui raised his voice and asked categorically: "Now that King Chuang's envoy has arrived, should you kill him or welcome him?"
Wu Sangui asked aggressively, and the generals couldn't help but be shocked. They seemed to be waking up from a dream, and they all said in unison: "Today's life and death are determined by the general's orders!"
All the generals had expressed their opinion that Wu Sangui would obey Wu Sangui's orders, so he announced his decision to formally receive the envoy and surrender to the rebels.
Later, Li Zicheng was very happy to receive the report of Wu Sangui's surrender. He took advantage of the situation and wrote letters to the Ming generals Zuo Liangyu, Gao Jie, and Liu Zeqing to persuade them to surrender: At the end of March, Wu Sangui held a funeral for the martyred Emperor Chongzhen and his concubine, and the entire army mourned.
Although he decided to surrender to the rebels, he still wanted to take this action to show that he did not forget Mingshi's kindness to their family.
Originally everything was going smoothly, Wu Sangui was about to surrender to Dashun, and Shanhaiguan was about to fall into Li Zicheng's hands. But at this moment, the arrival of a messenger completely changed Wu Sangui's decision!
He is the envoy sent by Prince Rui Dorgon!
The envoy who saw Wu Sangui brought nothing. He just held a booklet in his hands and said respectfully: "General Wu, our Prince Rui asked me to bring this. Please take a look."
Wu Sangui took it, and after turning two pages, his expression changed slightly. It turned out that what was recorded in this booklet was none other than all the property he left behind in the city when he evacuated Ningyuan. Wu Sangui felt bright in his heart, but he pretended to
Not knowing anything about it, he asked in surprise: "What is this?"
"This is what General Wu left in Ningyuan and forgot to take away." The envoy lowered his hands and said: "Prince Rui asked me to tell you that whether you are willing to go back and get it yourself, or let us bring it to you, just ask, Rui
The prince will always comply immediately. Also, when our soldiers entered your house, they accidentally damaged some things. According to the discounted value, this is the silver compensation to you."
Wu Sangui took the banknote. It was not much, just two thousand taels. He thought it was a huge sum of money, but he did not expect that it was only such a small amount. He was surprised. He glanced at the messenger, but heard the messenger say in a neither humble nor overbearing voice: "
That's all. The villain is not greedy for ink. Prince Rui said that General Wu is a rare hero in the world. If I bribe you with money, it will undoubtedly be an insult to you. Therefore, how much damage have we done?
, we will compensate you according to the price, one tael is a lot, but one tael will not be too much.”
A smile finally appeared on Wu Sangui's face, and then he heard the messenger continue: "Also, before entering Ningyuan City, Prince Rui repeatedly warned not to damage any plant or tree in the Wu family, but we have no way of discipline.
, two soldiers still did some damage. Prince Rui was furious and arrested the two soldiers on the spot. He originally wanted to execute him on the spot, but after thinking about it more carefully, it was better to hand it over to General Wu."
He turned around and clapped his hands, and then two people walked in. As soon as they came in, he knelt on the ground.
"These are the two soldiers who committed the crime." The messenger said calmly: "Now we will leave it to General Wu to deal with."
This move made Wu Sangui stunned. He waved his hands repeatedly and said: "I can't do it, I can't do it. I accept Prince Rui's wishes. But I think these two people made unintentional mistakes. I think I will exempt them from punishment."
"This is not possible." Who would have thought that the envoy said in a rare and tough tone: "Military regulations are military regulations and cannot be changed. I guess General Wu's Guan Ning cavalry dominates the world because of the strict military regulations, right?"
As he said that, he turned his head to the two people and said, "You know what to do, right?"
The two men loudly said: "After we entered the general's mansion, we smashed some things. Here is the list!"
Before Wu Sangui could react, he saw that the two men had each pulled out a sharp dagger from their arms. Holding the knife in their left hands, they slashed hard at their right hands. Amid the exclamations around them, the two severed hands fell to the ground.
.
The two men were sweating from the pain, but they knelt straight and said: "Please check General Wu's hand!"
Wu Sangui hurriedly helped the two men up and ordered them to be sent down for treatment. He sighed and said to the messenger: "Wu Sangui has remembered Prince Rui's kindness, but I am a minister of the Ming Dynasty after all."
"Prince Rui did not want the general to come to our Qing Dynasty." The envoy said with a smile: "Before coming, Prince Rui told me that you saved his life back then, and I am a man who knows how to repay his kindness.
Man, we must treat whoever is good to us. Whether the general comes to our Qing Dynasty or continues to be loyal to the Ming Dynasty, we will never interfere. In the eugenic years of Prince Zhongrui, he will never attack the border guarded by the general.
One soldier at a time!"
Wu Sangui was really stunned this time. He never expected that Dorgon would do this. He stayed there in a daze for a long time before saying: "Then, doesn't the Qing army not want to enter the pass?"
"Think!" the envoy said simply: "We think about it every day, but now Shanhaiguan is guarded by the general, Prince Rui will never come. We would rather take a detour to avenge the Ming Emperor.
Meet the general with swords and swords! Even if the Qing Dynasty defeats the intruders one day, the general will always control Shanhaiguan!"
"Prince Rui will not deceive me!" Wu Sangui looked up to the sky and sighed: "It's a pity that I, Wu Sangui, have become a minister of the Ming Dynasty."
"It's still the same sentence. We Manchus will never change what we said." The messenger's smile did not diminish: "It's just that Prince Rui has only one request, that is, no matter where the general goes in the future, he must never surrender the intruder!"
Seeing Wu Sangui's eyebrows twitching slightly, the messenger continued: "First, the intruder is a regicide. It can be said that he has a sworn feud with the general. Surrendering to the Qing Dynasty is just a slight loss of reputation, and the general is helpless.
If you can surrender the thief, the general will leave an everlasting infamy in history. This is one of the reasons. Second, we also know that the trespassers sent envoys to the general to surrender, but does the general still not know about his family?
What happened in the capital?"
Seeing Wu Sangui slowly shaking his head, the envoy sighed and went over what happened.
As soon as Li Zicheng led the bandit army into Beijing, he took a major action, that is, to pursue the stolen goods and pay salaries to officials at all levels in Beijing, and to attack them mercilessly. Starting from March 20th to the 25th and 26th,
Peasant troops marched through the streets to recruit gentry officials.
Names were also registered in a large register, and each group of one hundred people was escorted by eight cavalrymen to each camp for detention. From morning to night, "the voice of grievances was heard endlessly." The pursuit of stolen goods and subsidies began with the Hanlin officials.
On March 23, when Li Zicheng discovered a huge amount of gold hidden in a Hanlin family, he issued an order: no matter old or new Hanlin officials, each of them should be given a salary of more than ten thousand taels of silver. After that, almost all officials in the Ming Dynasty were tortured.
Pursue stolen silver to help pay the bandit army.
Wu Xiang was the admiral of the imperial camp, so he was naturally not immune. Li Zi became the one who blackmailed Wu Sangui into submission and held Wu Xiang's family as hostages. They were detained in Liu Zongmin's apartment and were also tortured to recover the stolen goods.!!!