Frankly speaking, it was not wrong for the Ming army to focus on Zhang Xianzhong.
After all, the vigorous peasant uprising has been going on for thirteen years.
After wandering about life and death for a long time, the mentality of those famous leaders had already changed.
Some people are determined and fight to the end. He has always had a deep hatred for the Ming Dynasty and will not give up until the Ming Dynasty is overthrown.
Some people are shaken in their thinking and despair. I feel that the Ming Dynasty is consolidated and cannot be overthrown no matter how hard we try.
Some people went from being penniless to becoming the overlords of one party now. After tasting the taste of power, I was never willing to let go.
Some people surrendered to the government and became their minions. Under the influence of fame and wealth, he was so happy that he completely stood on the reactionary side.
Under such circumstances, it is obviously the right choice to avoid the most important and attack the stubborn leaders of the uprising.
Adhering to Chongzhen's wishes, the Ming army just bit Zhang Xianzhong and stalked him. Even for Luo Rucai, who was close to Chi Chi, the officers and soldiers adopted a strategy of appeasement.
Of course Zhang Xianzhong's situation was extremely difficult, but this made Li Zicheng successful.
After learning that the leaders of various ministries were rebelling again, Ming Dynasty had mobilized all its troops to suppress it, leaving the nearby areas empty.
Li Zicheng knew that the opportunity he had been waiting for finally came.
He quickly gathered his troops, rushed out of Shangluo Mountain, and galloped across the land of Henan again.
Although he only has more than a thousand men and horses now, Li Zicheng has no fear and no longer wants to sit in a ravine and wait helplessly to die.
Li Zicheng's original plan was to go to Huguang to join Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai to concentrate on fighting.
But halfway through, Li Zicheng had to give up his plan when he heard that Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai had gone to Sichuan, and that officers and soldiers were gathering around him.
At this time, the scholar made suggestions to Li Zicheng.
"King Chuang, now there is a lot of potential, only in the Central Plains. Countless people are crying for food, and they regard the court as a bandit. Naturally, they regard King Chuang as a kind of rain. As long as Chuang Wang's Yi Banner passes by, thousands of troops will just wait and see."
This scholar came to Li Zicheng when he was living in Shangluo Mountain.
This man's name is Li Yan, who is from Huanglonggang, Qi County, Kaifeng Prefecture, and has a reputation as a civil servant.
Although he is a scholar, Li Yan has a good reputation in his hometown. He is often generous and generous, and speaks for the poor, so he is deeply loved.
In the year of great disaster, the local government still exploited the people and even more demanding payment.
If the people couldn't pay, the government would arrest people and torture them, forcing the people to have their families destroyed.
Li Yan couldn't stand it and spoke uprightly, but he angered the local magistrate, framed him for collaborating with the enemy and bandits, and put him in prison.
There was a chivalrous red lady, who learned of Li Yan's real name, broke into the prison and rescued him.
The two fought and ran away, evading the government's pursuit along the way. When he heard that Li Zicheng was in Shangluo Mountain, he came to seek refuge with him.
Li Zicheng was as meticulous as his hair. On the surface, he was ecstatic about the scholar's surrender, but secretly he asked Li Jin to investigate secretly.
Li Jin disguised himself and rushed to Li Yan's hometown.
However, due to natural disasters, there are not many living people left here.
Li Zicheng felt relieved when he learned that it was true through the mouths of several families.
From then on, he worshiped Li Yan as his military advisor.
The peasant army, which had been fighting on the move and had no fixed residence, finally began to absorb intellectuals this time and had a clear strategic goal.
Li Zicheng attached great importance to Li Yan's suggestions and decisively gave up the idea of joining Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai, and turned around and plunged into Henan.
This move immediately swept the wind and clouds, making it even better than before.
Li Zicheng's success in Henan was first attributed to the unprecedented disaster.
Of course, the Ming Dynasty's reversal of Taoism was the biggest boost.
The disaster in the thirteenth year of Chongzhen was unprecedented, and its impact spread to all parts of the world.
From the beginning of winter until summer, not a drop of rain fell, and all rivers and lakes, large and small, dried up.
In this case
No matter how good the land is, no food can be grown.
After a severe drought, there will inevitably be a locust plague.
Starting in June, overwhelming swarms of locusts began to sweep across the Central Plains.
Wherever the locust swarms pass, not only the vegetation is wiped out, but even the living creatures are in danger.
In some places, there were even good living people standing in the open space. When the locust swarms passed, only a set of bones were left.
Under such a catastrophic disaster, the tragedies everywhere are unbearable to witness.
Not only did the people have no food in the fields, they couldn't even use bark and grass roots to satisfy their hunger. They can only eat Guanyin soil, and they will die of abdominal distension soon after eating it.
And these dead people will become temporary food for the living to survive.
Human cannibalism is common in this troubled world.
Terrifying natural disasters not only ravaged the areas ruled by the Ming Dynasty, but also devastated the Xia Kingdom.
"Your Highness, you are finally back. Nowadays, people everywhere are in panic and are helpless. If this continues, there will probably be chaos."
At the dock in Qingdao, Dang Huanchun personally greeted Zuo Menggeng and his party.
The monarch had been away for more than a year. Although officials at all levels expressed slander, they did not delay official duties.
The Xia Kingdom's system determined that the presence or absence of the monarch would not affect the administrative system.
But that was during normal times.
Once something unexpected happens, without the king in charge, everyone will still be in a hurry and make frequent mistakes.
The biggest impact on Xia Kingdom now is natural disasters.
"Emergency reports are coming in from Luxi and Lianghuai. The locusts there have all become sperm. Wherever they go, they have eaten up all the crops in the fields. I don't know how many people will go hungry this year."
When he came back, there was bad news, which made Zuo Mengeng frown.
"Didn't the local government and officials take measures?"
The party was still drunk and spread its hands, feeling extremely powerless.
"That's a locust plague! How can it be cured by human power?"
Zuo Mengeng's face was extremely serious.
"Nonsense. How can a mere locust turn the world upside down? As long as we treat it with care and dedication, we can definitely eliminate it."
The party was still dumbfounded.
"Since ancient times, no one has been able to control locust plagues. What's more, this is a form of gods and demons descended from heaven to punish the world..."
Zuo Mengeng didn't like this statement the most.
In front of all civil and military officials, his attitude was like a divine sword that created the world.
"Have we, the Chinese nation, suffered too few disasters over the past tens of millions of years? If we all just hunker down and let things go, how can we, the Chinese nation, thrive? Not to mention mere locusts. Even if the sky falls, then we will mend the sky; the mountains will If they are in the way, then move the mountains. Pass my order and have all the officials, people, and garrisons from all over the place go out to hunt and kill the locusts. If the sky is full of locusts, then make the sky clear; if the locusts are all over the ground, then clean the earth. I, the Chinese nation, do not believe in heaven. , If you don’t believe in God, if everyone unites as one, man will definitely defeat heaven!”
This is the role of leadership.
The words of regarding the world as insignificant instantly gave everyone a feeling of invincibility.
Since the founding of the Xia Kingdom, this leader has led all soldiers and civilians to win every battle and move forward step by step. Climb high again and again, never fail.
Just listen to him!
Zuo Mengeng's order was like having wings, spreading throughout the Xia Kingdom in an instant.
Those who were still in panic immediately strengthened their beliefs.
They picked up various tools one after another and rushed towards the locust swarm that blocked the sky and the sun without fear.
Since God will not let us live, then we should fight to the death and ask God for an explanation!
