"Mr. Ge has misunderstood. I'm not here to ask for debt." Luo Xiu Shen said with a wry smile. He really shouldn't have stayed in Beijing. He was a high-ranking official in Jinyi Guard, but now he has turned into a villain who wants to pay the King of Hell.
"Don't pay..." Chen Yan looked at Luo Xiu Shen pitifully, always feeling confused.
He really had no money... He had sold everything he could and asked for everything he could ask for. He and his son were almost out of money for food. Food in Beijing these days is so expensive that the father and son can only eat one meal a day, and they can't survive for more than a few days! Once all the money is gone, he will starve to death in Beijing!
But he would rather starve to death than go to Beizhen Fusi to pick up sticks again! That hurts so much...
"The emperor summoned him," Luo Xiushen said.
"Why did the emperor summon me?" Chen Yan asked in a trembling voice. He is so excited! Being able to see Li Zicheng means that there is still hope for him... there is hope for survival and becoming an official!
Otherwise, what would Li Zicheng do with him? It can't be a bill, right? It would be outrageous for the emperor to ask for the account himself.
"The emperor is going to send out troops to attack the remnants of the Zhu bandits today," Luo Xiu Shen said in a low voice, "all the officials will see him off outside Chengtian Gate, and he will send a message to Mr. Ge to go."
Go to see the emperor? He must be banned! The emperor’s grace is so great!
Chen Yan was so excited that he almost shed tears. If both of his calves were not broken and still recovering, he would have knelt down in the direction of the Forbidden City.
"Son," Chen Yan quickly called his son Chen Shiwen, "go and get your father's official robe."
"Wait a minute," Luo Xiu Shen said hurriedly, "Mr. Ge, where did you get the official robe? Not the Ming Dynasty python robe, right?"
"Of course not." Chen Yan shook his head, "I have a blue silk Confucian robe... I think it is an official robe."
"Oh." Luo Xiu Shen looked at Chen Yan. He was now wearing a tattered, patched cloth. He was in a really miserable state. Unexpectedly, he had left a silk Confucian uniform for himself.
This dress was brought quickly. It was actually brand new and well made. It should have been made by Chen Yan when he was a high official in the Ming Dynasty. Because it is blue, it can be sold for a few dollars now, which can always keep the father and son fed for a few days.
But Chen Yan just couldn't bear it, because the clothes looked very similar to Dashun's official uniform!
Unexpectedly, it actually came in handy!
With the help of the men brought by Chen Shiwen and Luo Xiushen, Chen Yan, who had lost his hands and feet, quickly put on his "official uniform." He couldn't walk by himself. Chen Shiwen hadn't eaten enough for several days and couldn't carry him. Luo Xiushen found a strong subordinate to carry Chen Yan on his back. Chen Yan's son Chen Shiwen also came with him. The young man also had an uncontrollable expression of excitement on his face.
No matter how fierce Emperor Dashun is, as long as he can let Chen Yan become an official, even if it is a sesame official, he will be the emperor and father of the Chen family and his son!
Can a minister be unhappy when he sees his father?
Luo Xiushen and Chen Yan's father and son soon arrived outside Chengtian Gate. Many officials had gathered here, arranged according to civil, military and rank. Among them, the civilian officials were led by Prime Minister Niu Jinxing, and the military attache was led by Li Guo. Historically, Li Guo followed Li Zicheng to the front of Shanhaiguan, but now Li Guo's troops suffered heavy losses in Tianjin, so he was left to guard Beijing. Li Zicheng also transferred Liu Fangliang to lead the army for the expedition.
In addition to these Dashun civil and military officials, there were also some officials from the previous dynasty who had their hands and feet broken. There were about seven or eight of them, grouped together alone, and they were all kneeling behind the smaller team of Dashun military attachés. There were almost a large and thick old Dashun soldier guarding the back. Everyone had their hands on their waist knives, which was quite scary.
Luo Xiushen also took Chen Yan there, smiled and said to Chen Yan: "Mr. Chen Ge, this is it."
"Mr. Ge, are you here too?"
"Quick, quick, quick, move a place for Mr. Ge..."
The kneeling people greeted Chen Yan warmly. Like him, their hands and feet were damaged by the sticks, so they couldn't salute and bow, so everyone could only nod and say hello.
Chen Yan's son also wanted to stay and face the saint with his father. He told Luo Xiushen, but Luo Xiushen couldn't make the decision. He asked another person, Xu, a Dashun officer. The man nodded: "Since he wants to stay, Then let’s go together.”
After receiving permission, Chen Shiwen knelt with his father, waiting for Li Zicheng. Luo Xiushen went to the Dashun military attache's team and stood beside his brother Luo Yangxing. After a while, Li Zicheng was seen riding a tall horse and leaving the Chengtian Gate under the protection of a group of imperial soldiers.
All the civil and military officials who greeted him outside Chengtian Gate knelt down and shouted long live the mountain. Li Zicheng took the lead and reached Li Guo's side.
"A tiger, you have experienced hundreds of battles and are my nephew, so I have to stay in Beijing. Be careful and don't make any mistakes. In addition, you must also keep an eye on Tianjin... The Red Lady has a small number of people, only two or three thousand, so she cannot fight a decisive battle. If the red thieves counterattack from the mouth of Dagu, don't go out to fight in the city, just hold on to the city."
"According to the order!" Li Guo responded loudly.
Li Zicheng nodded, "Get up."
Li Guo stood up after hearing this and stood in front of Li Zicheng's horse.
Li Zicheng smiled and asked, "Have you brought all the traitors who sacrificed the flag?"
"Already here." Li Guo replied.
"Okay!" Li Zicheng nodded, "Cut them all!"
"According to the order!" Li Guo raised his arm and waved towards the distance. Then three cannon blasts were heard, and all the Dashun soldiers standing behind Chen Yan, Chen Shiwen and others took action. Some stepped forward to hold down the officials and nobles of the Ming Dynasty, while others drew out their sharp swords.
Chen Yan was also grabbed by the arm and pushed to the ground. At this time, he felt bad and shouted loudly: "What are you doing? What are you doing?"
A person with a Shaanxi accent behind him replied: "Behead! Don't move, don't move. It will be done with one knife. How refreshing would it be?"
Ah... I want to behead!
Chen Yan was so surprised that he couldn't close his mouth. Why was he so unlucky that he was caught and beheaded inexplicably? What kind of world is this? Are you still being unreasonable?
At this moment, a "click" sounded in his ears, and then he saw something rolling under his knees. He looked closely and saw that it was his son Chen Shiwen's head!
"Son..." Just as he was about to cry, a steel knife was swung at his neck!
Chen Yan's head fell to the ground!
The heads of Chen Yan and several other Ming Dynasty officials were nothing more than tools for Li Zicheng to shock people. In order to raise military pay these days, he has completely pushed the Ming Dynasty officials who surrendered to him into opposition. Moreover, businessmen and even ordinary people in Beijing have also suffered varying degrees of damage.
The merchants wanted to help with their wages, while the people fell into poverty due to supply shortages, unemployment and other reasons. Some people were harassed by Dashun officers and soldiers with poor discipline. Their hopes for Dashun turned into disappointment, and some people began to miss the Ming Dynasty.
Just the night before yesterday, someone posted a notice in some places in the outer city of Beijing saying "Drive out the intruders, restore the sacred capital, and welcome back the Ming Emperor"! This made Li Zicheng very angry, so he held today's flag sacrifice.
"Let's drive!"
After a shout. Li Zicheng officially embarked on the journey, and behind him, the Ming Dynasty's Yongwang Zhu Cizhao, the fifth prince Zhu Cihuan, and the eunuchs Wang Cheng'en and Gao Yushun also rode on horseback. Among them, Zhu Cihuan was young and could not ride a horse, so Wang Chengen rode with him.
The reason why Li Zicheng brought the two Chongzhen princes with him was to prevent someone from using their names to cause chaos in Beijing during his expedition.
The target of Li Zicheng's conquest this time was the same as in history: Shanhaiguan, which controlled the shortcut from Northeast China to Beijing!
After several days of repeated brainstorming, Li Zicheng and others were very sure that Wu Sangui had left Shanhaiguan and gone south. From a group of Ming Dynasty officials, they already knew the relationship between Zhu Cihong and Wu Sangui. If Wu Sangui goes south with his elite troops, he will be a tycoon who holds the emperor in power and commands the princes! Is it any better than staying in Shanhaiguan?
In addition, Lao Li sent detailed information to Shanhaiguan and got the exact news. The Tatar army did not appear outside Shanhaiguan!
Therefore, Li Zicheng's final decision was to seize the opportunity to capture Shanhaiguan first, and then rely on Shanhaiguan and Beijing to rely on the mobility of the old camp to fight the Tatars at the entrance to the end!
