I

  Chapter 344 342 [Rebellion and Rebellion]

  Imperial City, Xiyuan.

   Zhengde raised leopards here, Jiajing practiced Taoism here, Wanli held parties here, and Tianqi worked as a carpenter here.

   Since Chongzhen ascended the throne, he has hardly set foot in Xiyuan. He determined to be a diligent king, and thought that Xiyuan was a plaything, so Xiyuan became a decoration.

  Now, Chongzhen takes his concubine to visit the lake in Xiyuan every day.

  The sky is high and the air is crisp, the wind is blowing, and life is so beautiful.

  Chongzhen completely let go of the mess in the imperial court. The inner court is handed over to the ceremonial supervisor, and the outer court is handed over to the cabinet. They can do whatever they want. Anyway, it doesn't matter if there is an emperor or not.

  Queens and concubines often cry in private, knowing that their days are numbered.

  But facing Chongzhen, they forcefully smiled. And there is nothing to argue about, the harem has become extremely harmonious, and they even learned how to play mahjong.

   Yes, play mahjong.

  In recent years, Wang Tiaoding not only presented books to Chongzhen, but also presented many novelties from the south.

  At this moment, the queen and concubines are playing cards on Qionghua Island in Nanhaizi. A few hundred meters to the east is Meishan, the place where Chongzhen hanged himself in history. I don’t know if he has chosen the place to die now.

   Chongzhen sat in front of the window, looking at the distant scenery, with the sound of mahjong playing behind him.

  The sun shines in through the shade of the trees, blowing the lake breeze from time to time, Chongzhen is very comfortable leaning on the chair.

  He sometimes thinks that if he was born a hundred years ago, he might be able to live his life in peace like this.

  Chongzhen opened the latest edition of "Datong Collection", which was left by Wang Tiaoding.

  The "Sanyuan Chapter" brought Chongzhen a great shock. He is the "Emperor of Fengtian Chengyun", and Zhao Han will be the "Emperor of Fengmin Chengyun" in the future?

   Putting aside all prejudices, Chongzhen can now read books calmly.

  He finally read "Da Tong Ji" into it, and finally understood why Zhao Han gained power. But it is useless, and it is useless to understand it ten years earlier. "Heaven" is the source of his legal system, and he is not an emperor if he puts the people first.

  Closing the pages of the book, Chongzhen wrote down a central edict, and asked the eunuchs to take it out, handed it over to the ceremonial supervisor and the cabinet for review, and then took it to the imperial edict room to write the real imperial edict.

   Chief Assistant Xue Guo saw the content of the imperial decree. Although he was extremely shocked, he remained calm and even felt a sense of enlightenment.

   No wonder the emperor has ignored the government recently, no wonder the princes and daughters suddenly disappeared.

  It turned out that Chongzhen had already laid down and waited to die, and he married the princess to Zhao Han, and wanted to canonize Zhao Han as King of Wu.

  Xue Guoguan carefully drafted the imperial edict, handed it over to the imperial edict making room and the ceremonial supervisor to make the edict and seal, and then asked the Ministry of Rites to engrave the big seals of "Wu Wang" and "Consort Duwei".

   In a few days, the big seal will be engraved.

  The Ministry of Rites, the Supervisor of Rituals, the Department of Pedestrians, Jinyiwei... These institutions broke their heads and rushed to Nanjing to proclaim Zhao Han.

   Xue Guoguan didn't think about leaving the capital. His floating wealth and property in the capital were worth at least two to three million taels of silver.

  Where can he go after leaving Beijing?

  Go back to Shaanxi to die? Or was it robbed by bandits halfway?

  He can only squat in the capital, waiting for the arrival of the new king, and then he will make a contribution to the city. This is true when Li Zicheng comes, and it is still the same when Zhao Han comes. Anyway, whoever comes to Beijing will be demoted.

  Of course, Xue Guoguan hoped that Zhao Han would come first.

   After all, the imperial court has already spread the word that King Zhao Tianwang of Jiangxi does not want to grab money, but just wants to forcibly divide the land. If Li Zicheng came, he would probably have to spend a fortune, because the rogues are known to be good at looting.

  Because Chongzhen ignored the government, the officials also gave up on themselves.

  A large number of officials with little money simply hung their seals and left, dragging their families to Nanjing. They are not going to follow the thieves, but to take refuge in Daming King Wu.

  The meaning of King Wu is clear to everyone.

   Zhu Yuanzhang was King Wu before he ascended the throne!

  …

   Tianjin.

  The city of Tianjin was besieged, and the rebel army blocked the Grand Canal. These people came from Liaodong.

  A large number of Liaodong people followed the guards of various forts and fled to Shanhaiguan to seek refuge.

   Ma Ke, the commander-in-chief of Shanhaiguan, worried about the lack of troops, took the opportunity to recruit these Liaodong soldiers, and expanded his troops by several thousand at once.

  But the fleeing people could not be resettled, Hong Chengchou tried to engage in reclamation. But he was short of food, so he could only arrange for two or three thousand refugees, and the rest were left to fend for themselves.

  These Liaodong refugees spread out and begged in different directions. After staying away from Shanhaiguan, it quickly evolved into two uprising armies in the north and the south.

  In the north, the bandit leader who was not wiped out by Hong Chengchou came out of the mountains with more than 200 remnants to recruit refugees, and once again grew into a force of thousands of people.

  In the south, because there was no food to eat, these refugees rebelled spontaneously.

  A veteran with a broken arm is the leader, claiming that the refugee army is a "begging army". They didn't kill the people, or even the landlords. Every time they went to a place, they surrounded the houses of the big landlords and ordered the landlords to hand over the grain.

   "Sir, the river is blocked by rioters." The scholar Xue Zongzhou anxiously entered the cabin to report.

  Wang Tiaoding smiled and said, "Don't panic, I'll go out and have a look."

  The son-in-law Ran Xingrang was a little panicked, and couldn't help but said, "Why don't you go back to Tongzhou first?"

   "No need." Wang Diaoding was confident.

  Yuan Jixian didn't care about these at all, and sat there reading books with the Pope and Princess.

  The passenger ship moved on and was soon surrounded.

  Wang Tiaoding stood at the bow of the boat, and Fu Shan and Xue Zongzhou stood beside him with swords behind them.

  Wang Tiaoding said loudly: "Call your leader, I will give him a big fortune."

   "Who are you?" a mob asked.

  Wang Tiaoding did not answer, but just shouted: "Put up the flag!"

  The military flag of the Datong Army is planted everywhere on the passenger ship.

The rioters couldn't understand, so they boarded the boat one after another, surrounded Wang Tiaoding and said, "Give me the money and food, and I'll let you go there immediately. Our general said that life is hard, and we won't kill people randomly. If you don't hand over the money and food, I will have to send you to die today!"

  Wang Tiaoding pointed to the Datong military flag and asked, "Do you know whose flag this is?"

   "The flag of the emperor's old son, we have to leave money to buy the road today!" The rioters scolded.

Wang Tiaoding smiled and said: "This is the military flag of King Zhao Tianwang in Jiangxi. King Zhao Tianwang has conquered half of the country, and he will be the emperor in the future. Call your leader, and I will give him a big fortune. You can also do it in the future." Conglong Gongchen. Do you understand Conglong Gongchen? He is a nobleman who followed the emperor to conquer the world!"

  The rioters looked at each other in blank dismay, and finally stopped doing anything.

   Not long after, a one-armed man came over. Although his body was strong, his cheeks were sunken and thin. He came to the boat and asked, "Is this really Zhao Tianwang's boat?"

   "You also know Zhao Tianwang?" Wang Diaoding asked back.

The one-armed man said: "I have never heard of it in Liaodong. After entering the customs, I have long admired the name. I also got a copy of "Datong Ji". The indiscriminate killing is just to go south to defect to Zhao Tianwang."

  Wang Tiaoding was overjoyed, without changing his face, he said: "Follow me to Nanjing, what's your name?"

The one-armed man said: "My name is Wu Huapu. I used to be the deputy officer of the Sanshan Battalion in Liaodong. The forts in Liaodong surrendered or fled. I led the soldiers back to Shanhaiguan, and the commander-in-chief Ma Ke took my soldiers. This guy thinks I am disabled. , lost an arm, and sent me away with only half a catty of rice."

   "It turned out to be Wu Chaoshou," Wang Tiaoding cupped his hands and said, "Take your people and go to Nanjing with me."

  Wu Huapu said: "There is not enough food, so we have to borrow food in Tianjin first, otherwise we will starve to death halfway."

  Wang Tiaoding smiled and said, "I'll borrow food."

  Wang Tiaoding's scholarly prestige was not enough, so Yuan Jixian was also called in.

  The two came to the city of Tianjin, and Yuan Jixian shouted: "Is the governor of Tianjin here?"

   "Is Brother Ji Tong outside the city?" An official poked his head out of the parapet.

  Yuan Jixian smiled and cupped his hands: "So it's **** like brother, long time no see."

  The governor of Tianjin is called Ding Qirui, and the corrupt official Ding Kuichu is his uncle.

  Ding Qirui asked: "Why is Brother Ji Tong in the bandit army?"

  Yuan Jixian smiled and said: "These rebels are willing to go south to seek refuge with Zhao Tianwang, so I will take them away."

  Ding Qirui said in surprise: "The rioters really want to leave?"

   "Brother Ji Tong, please give me some food, and leave as soon as you get the food." Yuan Jixian said.

  Ding Qirui said: "Okay, I will give one hundred stones!"

  Wu Huapu was furious, and drew his sword out of its sheath: "I have thousands of people under my command, and you only give a hundred stones of grain to send beggars away?"

   "There is not much food in Tianjin, how about two hundred shi?" Ding Qirui bargained.

  Wu Huapu said: "At least a thousand stones!"

  Ding Qirui guessed that there was not much food left, so he scolded: "Three hundred stones, if you think it's too little, just fight!"

   "Eight hundred stones!" Wu Huapu said angrily.

   After some haggling, five hundred stones were sold.

  Ding Qirui asked Wu Huapu to lead his troops back, at least to the other side of the canal before he dared to send people to deliver the grain.

   Just as the soldiers were transporting food, something went wrong.

A Tianjin garrison carried food and complained: "We haven't paid for half a year, and the rations are hungry and full. So much food, we don't give it to our own people, and let us give it to the rebels. What the **** is this?" reason?"

   "That's right, being an honest soldier and being bullied, we might as well follow suit to rebel!"

   "Those rebels outside said they were going to seek refuge with Zhao Tianwang. Why don't they kill the governor and go together?"

   "I dare not go. I heard that Zhao Tianwang wants to eat people. If his soldiers lose the battle, they will be killed for meat."

   "Fart, I heard Zhao Tianwang is very benevolent."

   "In this world, which leader of the army is benevolent and righteous? Zhao Tianwang was able to conquer the south because he relied on cannibalism. The soldiers were afraid of being killed to eat, and they would die in battle."

   "Scholars in Tianjin say that Zhao Tianwang loves the people like a son."

   "Zhao Tianwang cannibalism is also said by scholars."

   "..."

  Whether Zhao Tianwang eats human flesh or not is a topic of debate.

  But to kill the governor and rebel, a consensus has been reached.

  A group of soldiers who don’t get paid for half a year, and don’t even get enough rations, ask them to give the food to the rebels, what do you think the soldiers think?

   "Bah!"

  Liu Mang drew out his waist knife: "Brothers, kill the dog officer and go to the south to seek refuge with Zhao Tianwang!"

  Thirteen years ago, Liu Mang was in charge of the team.

  Thirteen years later, Liu Mang is still in charge of the team.

   Now that he can't even eat enough, he has no more thoughts. Killing officials and rebelling south, regardless of whether Zhao Tianwang eats people or not, anyway, he doesn't have to face the Tartars when he goes to the south.

   "Kill!"

  Hundreds of soldiers responsible for carrying food turned back at the gate of the city.

   First, he hacked to death the general who led the army, then rushed to the tower, and chopped the terrified governor into meat paste.

   (Whether Princess Changping was a posthumous gift from the Manchu Qing Dynasty is still unclear, and we will not argue. The last chapter has been changed to Princess Kunxing.)

  (end of this chapter)