Since the large-scale civil uprising in Shaanxi, the attitude of the Ming Dynasty towards the Pingliukou has always been divided into two factions: "suppression" and "pacification". Emperor Chongzhen had a strong personality, and after his accession to the throne, he has always pursued the strategy of "suppressing and killing", so local officials such as Hong Chengchou, Lu Xiangsheng, Chen Qiyu, Sun Chuanting and other civil and military officials who insisted on tough and thief were successively promoted and reused. In the court, there were also hawkish courtiers represented by Yang Sichang who were favored and trusted.

In April last year, because Zhang Xianzhong, Ma Shouying, Luo Rucai and other rogue criminals in the east and even in the south of Zhili, the court thought that in order to suppress the Liukou, it was necessary to first trap its momentum, just like carrying a pot to draw water, if the pot broke and overflowed, it would be difficult to collect the water. Yang Sichang put forward the policy of "four positives, six corners and ten sides of the net" as the guiding principle of "fighting thieves on a large scale". The general plan is to take Shaanxi, Henan, Huguang, and Jiangbei as the four positives, and the four governors will be divided and suppressed; With Yansui, Shanxi, Shandong, Jiangnan, Jiangxi, and Sichuan as the six corners, the six governors divided the defense and cooperated in suppression, which is a network of ten sides. In addition, there are governors and prime ministers who follow the thieves and specialize in solicitation.

As early as September of the 46th year of Wanli, due to the surge in the cost of the Liaodong army, the imperial court decided to add 3 cents and 5 millimeters on the basis of the original levy quota per mu of land. In October of the following year, another 3.5 cents was distributed. In March of the third year, an additional 2% will be paid. For three years, an additional 9 cents of silver per mu will be paid. In the third year of Chongzhen, Liang Tingdong, then the secretary of the Ministry of War, asked "it is outside nine centimeters, and three centimeters per mu is re-enlisted", so that as of this year, only one liao salary has increased to nine million taels.

Now, the Ming court needs to increase the number of troops by 120,000 because of the policy of "spreading the net on all sides", and the military budget has soared. Therefore, in the tenth year of Chongzhen, the grain was changed to an even loss, and the amount of grain was added to six per mu, and each stone was converted into eight coins of silver, and one cent of silver was levied at four millimeters and nine silks, and the whole country was combined to 3.3 million taels, which was called "extermination".

The Liao and the two salaries were levied in total, more than 1,200 taels, which was harsh and exploited by the people, and the pressure on the Ming court was not small. Forced by the reality, considering that the cost of blindly killing is too large, Chongzhen finally decided on the strategy of "suppressing and appeasing" after discussing and consulting with his ministers and confidants.

In fact, Yang Sichang did not agree with this approach, and he believed that there was only one way to eliminate evil. At first, when Lu Xiangsheng was transferred to the north and recommended candidates, Yang Sichang was ready to recommend the first candidate to be Fu Zonglong, the current governor of Sichuan and known for his fierceness, but he didn't want Xiong Wencan to take the path of eunuchs and set a seat, so he temporarily changed the recommendation.

Although on the surface, Yang and Xiong are in the same breath inside and outside, but their positions on dealing with the rogues are actually very different. Xiong Wencan is not good at planning and is short of conquest, so he was transferred from the southeast to Huguang and Henan, where he was unfamiliar with his life, and his confidence was really not strong. In September of the tenth year of Chongzhen, he passed by Lushan on his way to take office, and had a dialogue with the good monk Kongyin. At that time, the sky was hidden and said bluntly: "The public mistake is also." And "the generals of the public self-degree are enough to control the thief's death", "then the generals have a big matter, face to face, and don't bother to command", Xiong Wencan couldn't answer. In the end, he could only kneel in front of the Buddha statue in front of the empty and pray that the "caressing" strategy would work, and even said that if he finally succeeded, he would be willing to cut his hair and become a monk for the rest of his life. But Kongyin also shook his head and said, "I know that the public policy must be out of fu; Fu Zhi is sincere and kind, Gu Liukou is not Liu Xiangbi, be cautious".

Xiong Wencan originally hoped to use his experience in recruiting Zheng Zhilong in Fujian to appease the Liukou, but even the Liukou who were appeased sneered at such an idea. Zhang Xianzhong smiled and said to his subordinates, "I want Zhilong, I mean", "I want Liu Xiang, too" and so on. He can understand that Yang Sichang and others will not be incomprehensible to Xiong Wencan's thoughts.

Therefore, under the dual pressure of subjective and objective from the imperial court, Xiong Wencan could not treat all the rogues equally, and he had to accept the reality of "fuming" with "suppression". However, this strategy of "suppressing and appeasing at the same time" does not have a unified scale or standard, which also directly leads to the current management of the main "suppression" and the main "pacification" in various places, including Xiong Wencan, the governors of various places basically "suppress" and "appease" according to their own ideas.

In other words, whether a rogue can be accepted by the imperial court does not depend on anything else, but largely depends on personal affairs. This is also the key to Zhao Dangshi's choice to accept Zhang Xianzhong's invitation. After this village, there is no such shop, if you don't accept Zhao'an at that time, it is very likely to miss the opportunity.

On the other hand, if someone is "touched" among the rogues, someone must be "suppressed". With Liu Guoneng, Zhang Xianzhong, Zhao Dangshi and other big robbers being appeased successively, the Ming court gained the initiative in the game between Chu and Henan, and the recent decline of Li Zicheng in Shaanxi, there is no need for the Ming court to continue to spend money and energy to appease those rogues they think are not very important. Furthermore, in the plan of the Ming Court, such as Ma Shouying, Luo Rucai and others, they must be eliminated.

Zhang Xianzhong can surrender, why don't Ma Shouying and others want to surrender? But the truth is brutal.

In February, the mixed 100,000 Ma Jinzhong and other troops were defeated in Yuncheng. In March, Cao Cao, Luo Rucai and more than a dozen others were defeated in Guangshan and Gushi. In April, the old man returned to Ma Shouying and other troops and fled again, and Ma Jinzhong himself was hit by an arrow in the head. In April, Ma Shouying, Ma Jinzhong, and others respectively asked the officials and troops of Huguang and Henan to surrender, but they were all refused. This month, the Henan side resumed its march to suppress, Ma Jinzhong and others fled, and then met with Tang County. Since the beginning of the eleventh year of Chongzhen, especially after the surrender of Liu Guoneng and Zhang Xianzhong, Ma Shouying, Luo Rucai, and even the first-level rogues have gradually understood a truth: it is very likely that they have been abandoned, abandoned by the imperial court, and abandoned by their former comrades-in-arms.

This is also why they once showed a fierce look at Hou Dagui. They are not angry, they are afraid.

Since it can't be lowered for a while, then for now, we can only continue to keep warm. Luo Rucai couldn't surrender by himself, and in order to prevent his subordinates from being seduced by others, dividing the army, and shaking the morale of the army, he issued a military order that everyone except him strictly prohibited from contacting the official army privately. How did He Jin, Lin Yangsheng, Li Wanqing, and Liu Xiyao not know this rule, and they were speechless in the face of the aggressive Chang Guoan.

At that time, Chang Guoan put the knife on the table, as if he had given an order, and the soldiers on the left and right took a step forward, as if to bring the few people present to justice.

Unexpectedly, Hou Dagui suddenly stood up with his hand and shouted: "Wait! ”

Chang Guoan frowned and asked, "What do you want to say?" ”

Hou Dagui replied: "The mountain temple is deserted for dozens of miles, and the situation is all under your control. In that case, why bother to invite me back to the camp. Sit down and talk about it again. ”

Chang Guoan smiled: "I'm not in a hurry, Luo Dazhang is in a hurry." ”

Hou Dagui pursed his lips and exhaled: "He is him, you are you, he is in a hurry, why should you be in a hurry." ”

As soon as he heard this, Chang Guo was shocked and his pupils dilated slightly, but he said calmly: "I don't understand your Excellency's words. ”

Hou Dagui smiled and said: "Xiang Nian is in Sichuan, I heard that you are one of the famous Thirteen Yellow Shakers, regardless of strength and prestige, you are superior, and you have a lot to do." Why did you abandon the foundation of painstaking management and insist on going out of Sichuan? ”

Chang Guoan's face darkened, and he was about to say, "It's not thanks to you Zhao Ying", but if he thought about it, he thought that he had lost Zhao Ying for a while and was a head shorter than Zhao Ying, so he said: "The situation has changed, and I just take advantage of the trend." ”

Hou Dagui said "oh", nodded and said: "Good birds choose trees to perch, and virtuous ministers choose their masters." My surname Hou is rough, but I also understand this truth. Yuan Tao is stupid and rigid, and serving him is not your usual pattern. As he spoke, he asked, "You mentioned the words 'the situation has changed' earlier, and I think so." Those who know the times are Junjie, and if our battalion had not seen the opportunity to act back then, it would have been difficult to have today's weather. ”

Chang Guoan sneered: "When it comes to seizing opportunities, there is no one who is on the right side of your camp." ”

He Jin snorted and said, "You're not bad." In Sichuan, it is a big palm plate, and when you come to Huguang, you are also a red person in front of Luo Zhangpan. ”

Hou Dagui knew that He Jin and the others were straight-minded, and he was afraid that the two sides would be anxious after a few words, so he immediately spoke and said, "I am always polite." I have a question here, and I want to hear your opinion. Seeing that Chang Guoan's mood was still stable, he continued, "We don't need to mention the matter of Chen Sesame and Rotten Grain, just look at the current situation between Chu and Henan, what happened to the righteous army of the Yu family?" ”

When Chang Guoan heard this, he looked at He Jin and the others, all of whom tilted their heads sideways, sullen, and thought for a while and said, "It's okay." ”

Hou Dagui said: "Acceptable? However, I just talked to King Zuo Jin, and I heard that the situation is not optimistic. ”

He Jin couldn't help but say, "Don't open your eyes and talk nonsense." From Henan to Huguang, in just a few months, have we won even one battle? Don't say anything else, just say that the cubs under your hands have 10,000 people a year ago, right? How many are left now? Are there three thousand? If these are acceptable, then your mind, I admire. ”

Li Wanqing, Lin Chengcheng, and Liu Xiyao all laughed when they heard this, and Lin Chengcheng even picked up the wine bowl and said: "I can't see that Lao Chang still has this bearing." Just here, I salute you with a bowl and say no to our past disputes. ”

Chang Guoan's face was blue and red for a while, and he didn't say anything for a long time. Hou Dagui said: "Although the identity of my lord has changed temporarily, in fact, he still thinks about the righteous army of all families. Recently, the brothers have had a hard time, and he has seen it in his eyes and is anxious in his heart. Chang, we are all brothers, and Ming people don't say secret words. ”

Chang Guoan silently did not answer.

Hou Dagui said again: "Breaking into the sky, the eight kings, and the generals have all surrendered one after another. Counting the current rebel army, only the three families who still insist on it, Lao Huihui, and Cao Cao. Brothers are not talented, there are some reliable channels, Shaanxi's King Chuang faced Governor Hong, Sun Junmen, etc., internal and external difficulties, quite embarrassed, there are signs of declining mountains. Regarding Li Zicheng's situation, Chang Guoan, He Jin and others all knew more or less about it, knowing that he didn't say anything, so they nodded their heads.

"Looking back at my Chu and Yu, the righteous army has been defeated in a row, and the elders have surrendered in a row, and the vitality is no longer what it used to be. And the official army increased the siege very urgently, in the north there are Zuo Liangyu, Zhang Renxue, etc., in the south there are Xu Chengming, Long Zaitian, etc., all have a long time to fight famous generals, it is not easy to with. As far as our righteous army is concerned, the situation is not only not 'acceptable', but 'critical'! Hou Dagui spat and flew, "As the saying goes, 'good and evil are rewarded, and heaven is reincarnated', and the number of ups and downs is difficult to say." After the death of King Lao Chuang, our righteous army is gradually declining, and it should be silent, dormant, and blindly tough, and you have seen the results of the toss in the past two years. ”

Chang Guoan raised his eyebrows and said, "Your Excellency has something to say?" ”

Hou Dagui said: "Several of them are smart people, and they know what they want to say. Then he swallowed his spit, "Da Ming He deserves to die, but after all, it has been difficult to die for 200 years." The eldest husband can bend and stretch, and if he is strong and fights back, I will wait for a temporary retreat, so that it is wise. Endure for a while, just wait for the change, take advantage of the situation, and see the moon. Many of these words were learned from Zhao Dangshi and Chang Zeyu. Those who are close to Zhu are red and those who are close to ink are black, and they have been with these people for a long time, and their ears and eyes have been imperceptibly touched, and Hou Dagui's own vision and realm have also risen a lot.

Chang Guoan was silent for a long time, but Lin Cheng was still anxious and shouted: "The eight kings and generals can bend." But if we want to, we can't bend it, so what can I do? Li Wanqing and Liu Xiyao also sighed.

Hou Dagui raised his eyes and looked at Chang Guoan, but the other party didn't speak, so he raised his voice and continued to say what he didn't finish in front of his head: "I was ordered to come to Chengtianfu to meet the brothers, how can I not bring gifts?" After speaking, he gestured to Li Yanlang with his eyes.

Li Yanlang pursed his lips, immediately took off the bag around his waist, and took out a satin package from the bag.

"This is ......" He Jin and the others looked at each other.

Li Yanlang continued to unwrap the satin package, the silk was spread out, and everyone looked over, only to see that what was breaded inside was a pile of hand folds.

Hou Dagui got up at this time, hugged his fists at everyone, and said loudly: "My lord remembers the old friendship and has asked for pardon from the court for you. These are all blank confessions, and they have been stamped with the sigils of all levels of the imperial court. Now you only need to nod your head slightly, fill in your names in the blink of an eye, and you will be the official army of the Ming Dynasty from now on! ”

After that, the audience was shocked.

Hou Dagui turned to Chang Guoan and said, "Old Chang." My father-in-law has a clear distinction between private and private, not a villain who is jealous of the virtuous and capable, nor is he a cautious eye who will repay him. Since you're here, you're destined. The world is unpredictable, everything moves according to your heart, why bother to be stubborn, force yourself to sell your life for Na Luo Rucai, and run for a future where there is no way out! ”

Chang Guoan's mouth was dry, his body trembled slightly, and he wanted to speak several times, but he couldn't speak.

Hou Dagui sighed and said: "Luo Rucai has been crisscrossing the rivers and lakes for more than ten years, and he already has his own brothers. If you work hard, you will inevitably be an outsider. Instead of squeezing your head to fight for that place, it's better to get an idea for yourself. ”

This is really a heart-wrenching statement, thinking that under Yuan Tao, one of the core factors of Chang Guoan's sorrow day and night was that he was not Yuan Tao's descendant. Even if he can achieve status with his strength, Yuan Tao has always found it difficult to trust him completely. Trust or not is not about the surface, but about the feeling. The source of long-term cooperation and even mutual support lies in trust, without trust, just using the relationship, people's hearts are uneasy.

Similarly, Chang Guoan knew very well that the reason why Luo Rucai used him was just because he was thoughtful and good at leading troops. If you want to talk about the core secret and decisive policy, he will never be invited to participate. The taste of being used as a tool is not pleasant, and Chang Guoan is not steady. But if it can be attached to the imperial court, then the situation is completely different. He no longer has to rely on anyone to make a living, and even if he occasionally has to rely on others, it is only cooperation under the premise of having independence.

Outside the temple, I don't know when it rained, the roof of the temple was broken, the drizzle condensed on the tiles, and dripped down the gap to the table where everyone in the temple was sitting. A few drops hit Chang Guoan's knife, Hou Dagui glanced at Chang Guoan, who was standing silently, coughed lightly, and reached out to take the knife, Chang Guoan's face twitched a few times in the afterglow, but he didn't stop it after all.

"A knife is a good knife, but don't get wet and rusted by the rain."

Hou Dagui pretended to be indifferent, and "Bang Bang" picked up the knife from the table and handed it to Chang Guoan. Chang Guoan's eyes were fixed on the knife, he hesitated for a moment, and stretched out his hand.