I

  Chapter 364 362【It’s still the crooked neck tree】

  Historically, if Chongzhen wanted to move the capital to Nanjing, he had to make preparations at least one month in advance.

  Li Zicheng's capture of Beijing was an extremely exciting battle. First, the troops were divided into two groups, and then the troops were divided again, cutting off the officers and soldiers from the north and the south, and approaching with a pincer offensive, forming a large encirclement strategy for Beijing.

  At the same time, some divisions blocked the canal. Even if Chongzhen fled south, he could only go to sea from Tianjin.

  Now there is no need for that. The imperial court can’t pay the military salary, and the officers and soldiers have surrendered one after another. Li Zicheng can just push it all the way.

   Along the way, Li Zicheng's army did not commit any crimes against the poor people.

   There is nothing wrong with it. The common people are all poor ghosts, and it is difficult for them to survive. How can they have money and food to rob?

  However, the gentry is a bit unlucky.

   Especially the gentry in the city, they often have to be tortured.

  When Li Zicheng attacked Taiyuan, he worked very hard to copy the army, and the Beijing army was just a copy of the Taiyuan army.

   On the eighth day of April, Zhao Han's birthday.

  Li Zicheng's vanguard troops occupied the earthen wall of the northern city of Yuan Dadu. The capital was terrified, all officials turned pale, and the emperor and his concubines feasted and had fun.

  The next day, the vanguard of the Dashun Army arrived at the foot of Beijing.

  Li Zicheng had already proclaimed himself emperor on the way to the army, the country was named "Dashun" and the Jianyuan was "Yongchang".

  Xiangchengbo Li Guozhen commanded the three major battalions of the Beijing soldiers, stationed outside the city, and formed a corner with Beijing.

  When the Dashun soldiers arrived, Li Guozhen fled without a fight. Not only did he lose his armor, food and grass, but he also threw more than a dozen artillery pieces to Li Zicheng.

  The important task of defending the city fell into the hands of the eunuch.

  Many Beijing soldiers who had never practiced were driven to the city wall to defend. Their armaments are sufficient, but unfortunately they have no military rations, so they can only stand guard on the city wall hungry.

   There is still food at home, and relatives carry miscellaneous grain porridge and call their names along the city wall, just asking their sons, brothers, and fathers to have a full meal before they die in battle.

   But the situation is so chaotic, they can't find their family.

  If relatives meet and the soldiers go down the city wall, the whole family will hold their heads in their arms and cry, causing the entire wall to start wailing.

  Suddenly a horse rushed to him, and Gao Chun, the **** guarding the mausoleum who surrendered, shouted loudly: "The king of Chuang has an order. As long as Chongzhen abdicates, the royal family can be saved, and the people of Beijing will not be attacked!"

   "Pull him up!" said Wang Dehua, the **** in charge of guarding the city.

  Gao Chun was hanged to the city in baskets, and the two eunuchs discussed in secret.

  Gao Chun asked: "Who is the commander-in-chief in the city?"

   "It's up to me to make the decision." Wang Dehua said.

  Gao Chun asked again: "Where are the two supervisors, Sun Chuanting and Chen Xinjia?"

Wang Dehua said: "Sun Chuanting has been released from military power and is in prison. Governor Chen does not see any visitors behind closed doors, and seems to have no will to resist." After finishing speaking, Wang Dehua asked, "Brother Gao, can you recommend one or two? We have admired King Chuang for a long time. .”

  Gao Chun smiled and said: "Hey, it should be called the emperor. King Chuang has established himself as emperor, and his country is called Dashun."

  Wang Dehua said: "Brother Gao, please go back and tell Emperor Dashun that Chongzhen has long had the will to die, and has sent the prince and daughter to Nanjing."

   "There is such a thing?" Gao Chun has been guarding the tomb, and the news is very closed.

  Wang Dehua said: "Let's talk about surrendering soldiers, and we will be able to open the city to welcome the new emperor soon."

  Li Zicheng's temporary headquarters was in Changping, and Gao Chun rode all the way there to report the situation in Beijing.

   Li Zicheng said in surprise: "Have the princes and daughters been sent to Nanjing?"

   "Indeed." Gao Chun said.

  Niu Jinxing sighed: "Your Majesty and Zhao Han are the ones who fight for the world. Your Majesty should be diligent in governing and loving the people, treat scholars well, and reorganize the army. Copying salaries is not a long-term solution. You have to grow your own food and collect taxes."

"I said that King Chuang didn't pay the food, so can he go back on his word?" Song Xiance immediately objected, "What's more, the northern provinces are suffering from severe drought, how can they grow food? The eunuchs and officials in Beijing are all dead. If they take away their money and food, they can support the army!"

  Niu Jinxing asked back: "How long can the army be supported by the salary alone? In the future, if our army can't win quickly in the north-south hegemony, what will we use to fight Zhao Han?"

Song Xiance sneered: "Chuang Wang didn't pay the food when he came. This nursery rhyme spread to the south, and the people everywhere will definitely respond. At that time, even Zhao Han's soldiers will turn against His Majesty! Eighteen sons, the main artifact, Your Majesty is the destiny Lord, how can you not win the world?"

   "Okay, let's talk about it later." Li Zicheng didn't want to argue anymore.

  Niu Jinxing's method is too slow to take effect, and as Song Xiance said, the provinces are suffering from severe droughts to grow food. If you really want to farm the land honestly, the Dashun soldiers will all starve to death before the food is grown.

   Li Zicheng and Liu Zongmin immediately led the main force to approach Beijing.

  As soon as Li Zicheng's banner arrived, the city gates of Beijing were opened wide, and all the guards fled back home.

  Wang Dehua led the **** out of the city and knelt down to greet him. Li Zicheng nodded and said, "You have made meritorious service in dedicating the city, so follow me to serve."

   "Thank you, Long Live, for your appreciation!" Wang Dehua immediately hit the snake with a stick.

  The titles of Emperor, Grandpa, and Long Live Lord belonged to the imperial court in the Ming Dynasty, and they had to be close to the emperor.

  In the Qing Dynasty, foreign ministers could also shout like this.

  That’s because some foreign ministers of the Manchu and Qing Dynasties were from the royal family’s coats, and they called the emperor and Long live Lord as domestic slaves.

  If Hanchen didn't have the status of coating, he wouldn't even be qualified to call him Long Live Lord.

  The soldiers cleared the way, Li Zicheng rode ahead on horseback, Liu Zongmin was a horse behind, followed by the two military advisers, and the two eunuchs Wang Dehua and Gao Chun could only trot all the way.

  The team came outside the Meridian Gate, and hundreds of civil and military officials were kneeling and waiting there.

  Wang Dehua rushed up immediately, pointed at the officials and cursed: "Where is the emperor who is a traitor to the country? What are you waiting for here!"

   All the ministers replied: "Kneel to welcome the Son of Heaven."

   "You are all thieves who misled the country. The Ming Dynasty was so corrupted that it was all your fault. How dare you kneel down to welcome the new emperor?" Wang Dehua began to beat and kick all the ministers.

   "Good fight!"

  Dashun soldiers cheered and applauded, they all thought Wang Dehua was a good eunuch.

  Li Zicheng issued an imperial edict on the way, which did not mention not paying grain, and also took the initiative to wash the land for Chongzhen. It is said that Chongzhen was not a faint emperor, but was deceived by his internal and external courtiers, and it was corrupt officials who made people's lives miserable. He also said that Chongzhen was not a faint king and would lose the world, which proved that Ming had lost his destiny, and he should be Li Zicheng to help the community.

   The edict was issued for a full month, and this statement has become a consensus. Therefore, neither the soldiers nor the common people hated Chongzhen, thinking that corrupt officials were doing bad things.

  Wang Dehua’s actions, beating and scolding the Minister of Civil and Military Affairs, one is to show that he has drawn a clear line with the old dynasty, and the other is to support the content of the new emperor’s edict.

  Hundreds of civil and military ministers just knelt in front of the Meridian Gate, allowing a **** to beat and insult them.

  Li Zicheng smiled and said to Liu Zongmin: "The Manchao Gongqing is so cowardly, no wonder Daming will lose his country."

   Liu Zongmin sneered and said: "Your Majesty, don't look at them in distress at this moment. In the past, they searched for people's fat and people's anointing, but each one was more vicious than the other."

   "That's right," Li Zicheng nodded solemnly, "They search for people's fat and people's cream, and I will come to search for their cream. This is called taking from the people and using it for the people!"

  Song Xiance immediately echoed: "Your Majesty is wise!"

"Ugh!"

  Niu Jinxing sighed secretly, let the eunuchs beat and scold officials, and did not train officials himself, who will manage the territory in the future, and how will he compete with Zhao Han in the future?

   Regardless of the fact that Li Zicheng occupied so many territories, many cities are in a state of anarchy, and agricultural taxes and commercial taxes cannot be collected at all.

  Wang Dehua had a grudge against Xue Guoguan. He beat Xue Guoguan severely, and asked, "You are the leader of the country's thieves. Tell me quickly, where is the son of heaven?"

   Xue Guoguan was resentful and angry in his heart, but he didn't dare to show the slightest expression. He wrote down this grudge, and kept it to repay it slowly in the future, and immediately bowed his head and replied, "The emperor of Ming Dynasty may be in the harem."

  Wang Dehua stood straight and shouted: "Open the Meridian Gate!"

  …

   Chongzhen and his concubine had a meal in Xiyuan without any food to accompany the wine, because the cook had gone somewhere.

   "All of you, let's get on the road." With a little drunkenness, Chongzhen supervised the suicide of the empress and concubines.

  He has been extremely strong all his life, and he couldn't bear the shame to take refuge in Zhao Han, so the only way left is for the king to die for his country.

  Since the king is dead, the concubine cannot live. To live is an insult to Daming, and maybe he will be raped and humiliated by the rebels in turn.

  Queen Zhou wept and said: "My husband cherishes it."

   Several concubines also shed tears, and finally cried with their heads in their arms.

   Chongzhen turned around and walked outside the door, staring blankly at the sky, as if life was just a dream.

   Several white silks were hung up, and the sound of stools falling to the ground came one after another, each hitting Chongzhen's chest.

   Chongzhen didn't want to stay here, so he asked Wang Chengen to row him to the other side of the lake.

  Over there is Meishan Mountain, also called Longevity Mountain, which is the highest point of the entire Beijing city.

  Climbing to the top of Longevity Mountain, Chongzhen overlooks the entire Beijing city. It's a pity that he didn't have a telescope, and he couldn't see very far with his naked eyes. He could only see the chaos in the Forbidden City.

   "Should I really be the king of subjugation?" Chongzhen looked up to the sky.

  If Zhao Han were here, he would definitely say: You really are.

   Leaving aside this time and space, Hong Chengchou and Zu Dashou were not responsible for the battle that determined the life and death of Daming in history. Except for the two of them finally surrendering, the whole war was remarkable, and it can even be said that there was no mistake at all.

  At that time, the army rations of the Manchu and Qing were seriously insufficient. As long as the Ming army did not make mistakes, they could win a dull battle.

  One Chen Xinjia and one Zhang Ruoqi kept urging the army to advance quickly, and Hong Chengchou was almost emptied of command.

  So they took a risk and rushed forward, the army ran a long way, and the rations were still left behind. Huang Taiji, who was about to run out of rations, was like a vulture finding rotten meat, and seized the right time to occupy Daming's rations.

   More than 100,000 Ming soldiers lost their food and grass.

   At such a time, Hong Chengchou could still remain calm, and no flaws could be found in all military orders. As a result, on the way to withdraw the troops, the general soldiers rushed to escape, and the retreat turned into a rout in an instant.

  Not to mention Hong Chengchou's warlord, even if Han Xin is replaced as the coach, it is impossible to win such a foolish battle.

  The two chief culprits who led to the defeat—Chen Xinjia and Zhang Ruoqi, after the defeat, nothing happened, and they were still trusted by Emperor Chongzhen.

  To tell the truth, as long as Chongzhen doesn’t randomly send supervisors and throw Zhang Ruoqi out to mess around, it will be really difficult for the Tartars to successfully enter the customs.

  Looking down at his Beijing city for a moment, Chongzhen found a tree with a crooked neck.

  Wang Chengen knelt on the ground and watched Chongzhen hang himself.

   "My country." Chongzhen took a last look at the city of Beijing, feeling infinite nostalgia and reluctance in his heart.

  The city is noisy and chaotic, but Meishan is quiet and lonely.

  The spring breeze blew, the branches and leaves swayed, and the emperor's body also swayed.

  A dynasty ends here.

   (I have something to do today, there are only two updates, so I don’t ask for a monthly ticket.)

  (end of this chapter)