At noon on April 26, the first year of Dashun Yongchang, Li Zicheng finally entered the Desheng Gate of Beijing City under the escort of two to three thousand imperial soldiers.
Li Guo, Niu Jinxing, Chen Yongfu, Li Yan who came from Tianjin after receiving the news, and other civil and military officials knelt in Deshengmen to welcome Li Zicheng's return, just as they did when they sent him off to the expedition.
Li Zicheng was still in the same pomp as when he left the capital, with a yellow umbrella clearing the way and knights guarding him. He himself was wearing a blue robe, a white felt hat on his head, and a red cloak on his shoulders. However, his face was dark and covered with dirt, and the war horse under his crotch also looked thin and hairy due to excessive fatigue. It was a mess for one person and one rider.
The soldiers and horses who followed him into the city were not comparable to those when he left the city. That day he went out with an army of 60,000. Now only less than 30,000 people have been brought back, and most of them enter the city through the nearby Dongzhi and Chaoyang gates.
Only Li Zicheng led the imperial camp through Desheng Gate and entered the city at noon. This was calculated by Song Xiance on his fingers. Entering the city through Desheng Gate at noon would be a good luck!
However, Li Zicheng still couldn't cheer up, and he had nothing to say when he saw the ministers who came to pick him up. He just asked them to follow him all the way to Dashun Gate (inside Daming Gate). Subsequently, Emperor Dashun ordered the ministers and ministers of the six governments (equivalent to six ministries) to return to the Yamen to handle matters. Only Liu Zongmin, Tian Jianxiu, Niu Jinxing, Song Xiance, Li Guo, Li Yan and others were ordered to enter the palace to discuss matters at the beginning of Shen Shi.
After returning to the palace, he took a hot bath, had a meal, and took a short nap. His new concubine Dou in Beijing woke him up according to his previous instructions.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty, wake up."
Li Zicheng woke up suddenly and glanced at Dou, who was originally from the Chongzhen Palace. She was a flowery woman with a worried look in her bright eyes. This woman was chosen by Li Zicheng's queen Gao from Chongzhen's palace for the purpose of giving birth to a son for Li Zicheng - Li Zicheng had three wives, but none of them gave birth to a son or a half for Li Zicheng. Among them, the second wife, Xing, had children one after another after she ran away with Gao Jie... How strange! However, in order to have someone to inherit the great fortune, the "sterile" Gao family had to choose a few old girls from Chongzhen's harem to try their luck with Li Zicheng.
Li Zicheng stretched and smiled nonchalantly: "I slept so soundly. Is Shen Shi here yet?"
"There's still a quarter of an hour left."
Li Zicheng sat up and got out of bed while saying: "Get my robe quickly, I have something important to do."
Dou knew that Li Zicheng had sent several ministers and generals to the Wuying Palace to discuss matters, so he did not persuade Li Zicheng to rest for a while, so he took a brand new blue robe and served Li Zicheng to get dressed.
When Li Zicheng arrived at Dongnuang Pavilion of Wuying Hall, Liu Zongmin, Tian Jianxiu, Niu Jinxing, Song Xiance, Li Guo, Li Yan and others had already arrived. Among them, Liu Zongmin was carried in. He had a Tatar chop him several times on a stone battlefield. He was seriously injured and could not walk, and it was impossible to kowtow to Li Zicheng.
After the remaining people kowtowed and saluted, Li Zicheng ordered everyone to sit down, and then asked about Liu Zongmin's injury.
"It's no big deal," Liu Zongmin replied, "He's still alive! I just feel sorry for that kid in Shuangxi."
Shuangxi is Li Shuangxi, Li Zicheng's adopted son. In the Battle of a Stone, he led the imperial cavalry to launch the final assault, repelling the Manchu soldiers surrounding Liu Zongmin, allowing Liu Zongmin and the remnants of Zhongquan's pro-army to escape. But he himself was killed in the battle!
Li Zicheng sighed: "How is the situation in the capital?"
Li Guo replied: "The hearts of the people in the capital are unstable and there are many rumors. I have already made preparations to defend the city."
"How's it going in Tianjin?"
Li Yan replied: "It's quite peaceful, but the Zhu Thief Emperor is staying at Dagokou and has not left. He is still reorganizing his army. I'm afraid he will launch a counterattack soon."
Li Zicheng nodded and said: "That's for sure... The Zhu thieves led the Tatar soldiers to help in the battle, and they are not afraid of attracting wolves into the house. It's really hateful!"
Tian Jianxiu said with a worried look on his face: "I just received a report saying that the allied forces of Zhu bandits and Tatars are chasing after them. There are tens of thousands of people, all cavalry, and they will arrive in Beijing within two days. Either go or defend. , I have to make an idea today..."
As soon as he said this, everyone fell silent.
Defend, you probably can’t defend! Apart from anything else, the lack of food in the city alone does not support the defense of the city. Unless all the people in the city are driven away and rations are left for the Dashun army to eat - but the Dashun Emperor is benevolent and righteous and loves the people, he will definitely not Willing to do this.
But leaving... seems a little inappropriate.
Dashun, known as a million soldiers from heaven, came with great force, but along the way, they were waiting for the wind to fall, and it was completely smooth. Now we just lost a battle at Shanhaiguan and lost more than 20,000 people, and we are about to give away the city of Beijing?
Isn’t this too cowardly? What do you think of the people from all walks of life who have joined Dashun? Can't you look down on Dashun?
"Your Majesty," Li Yan frowned and suddenly broke the silence, "It doesn't matter if the Zhu thieves fight back, I'm afraid the Tatars have invaded Beijing!"
"How do you say this?" Li Zicheng was stunned.
Isn’t this clear? Li Yan sighed. Can a non-resisting emperor who surrendered the land of Yanyun Kingdom to the Tatars still expect the world to return? Don’t say that Beijing can’t hold on! How could Beijing not be able to hold on? The city wall is tall and strong, and there are more than a dozen Hongyi cannons and hundreds of Franco machine guns. There are no less than 50,000 defenders, including nearly 40,000 old soldiers. If Li Zicheng is willing to hand over Beijing to himself and divide the army into half, he is guaranteed to be able to Keep it for a few years! As for the lack of food... robbing the people! Before Zhu Cixi ran away, he distributed all the food to the people in Beijing. Go and grab it! Isn’t it common for the Dashun Army to do this kind of thing? You grabbed it when you shouldn't, so why are you so soft now when you should grab it?
Thinking of this, he sighed again: "Your Majesty, if the Zhu thieves enter Beijing, then the Zhu thieves will continue to stand between us and the Tatars. In order to keep Beijing, the Zhu thieves will have to work hard to deal with the Tatars, and they will not have much spare power to fight against them. Our Dashun. And the Tatars will be entangled by the red thieves and have no time to fight with us for the time being. Our Dashun will have a chance to recuperate, and it will not be difficult to make a comeback.
Now I am afraid that the red thieves will take retreat as an advance and continue to move south, to the south of the Yangtze River. Leave the Central Plains to us and the Tatars, then the Tatars will deal with us in Dashun first, and then go south to Jiangnan..."
Li Yan even doubted that the Tatars would not go south to fight against the Ming Dynasty! Because his wife Hong Niangzi was also good at water warfare, but on the Wei River she was defeated and captured by the Zhu Thief Navy with a gunboat.
The Tatars are powerful on horseback, but not so good on the water. Water warfare is not possible. The Huaihe River and the Yangtze River are both natural dangers. Why go south to attack Ming Dynasty? So according to Li Yan's thoughts, if Li Zicheng is willing to change his mind and stick to Beijing, then Dashun still has something to do, otherwise... he will have to join the Ming Lord!
"It makes some sense." Li Zicheng thought for a while, "But no matter who hands the city of Beijing, they have to go. I can't control the city of Beijing, so the Tatars will take it."
Li Ziguo was really determined to give up Beijing! The reason why he gave up Beijing was not only "lack of hearts and food", but also the reason why he was reluctant to leave behind 20,000 to 30,000 old soldiers - it was impossible for him to defend Beijing by himself. After all, he was the emperor, and he was still like this when he was besieged in the city. rule? But if you want to keep the troops and the generals... I don't want to give it up, and I don't feel relieved!
Li Yan sighed, and then said to Li Zicheng: "Your Majesty, I think the red thieves will probably go south, so we have to prepare for the worst."
"Oh? What are your plans?"
"If Your Majesty feels that Northern Zhili is no longer possible, the army should retreat as soon as possible. However, Shanxi and Henan must have important ministers and generals to run them with full authority, otherwise they will not be able to protect the fundamental land of Shaanxi."
Li Zicheng nodded and looked at Li Yan, "Who can go to Shanxi?"
"Chen Yongfu can go to Shanxi." Li Yan said, "Besides, Jiang Yu in Datong Mansion is unreliable, and the emperor must be careful about his betrayal."
"Where is Henan?" Li Zicheng looked at Li Yan coldly.
Li Yan had something in his heart. When he saw it, he was shocked and didn't know how to answer. He just said: "Zhongzhou is the heart of the world and always needs people to run it, especially Henan Prefecture (Luoyang area) is the most important." , if a marquis can be allowed to take charge, it will be a win-win."
Li Zicheng's expression softened a little, Li Yan was not a Marquis...
