On the first day of the new year, Li Zicheng woke up, but Gao Guiying was gone, and he touched the place where she slept last night with his hand, and there was only a trace of warmth, obviously he had been up for a long time.

Li Zicheng had to turn over and get up, finish dressing, go to the kitchen to freshen up, and met Gao Guiying in the kitchen, "Zicheng, it's okay today, why don't you sleep more?" When I got up, I didn't dare to alarm you! ”

"I can't sleep alone," Li Zicheng deliberately yawned and said, "I originally thought that today is the year, and you are the eldest lady......

"Virtue ......" Gao Guiying glanced at Li Zicheng, and shouted at the back kitchen: "Xiaomei, serve the governor to freshen up!" ”

"Hey, it's coming!" Xiaomei quickly prepared hot water for combing, took it out with both hands, served Li Zicheng after freshening up, and made Li Zicheng a cup of hot tea.

Li Zicheng sat alone at the dining table drinking hot tea, eating the braised eggs prepared by Song Yulian, and four dried fruits, but he was thinking about what to do today.

During the New Yuan period, the government and the yamen were all on holiday, and there were few official duties, so they just accompanied their wives and children, even if they went shopping, women did not have to have much clothing and wealth, and it was the most real to be able to accompany them.

He felt more and more that the women of the Ming Dynasty were different from later generations, and they had a strong sense of "family", even if they were servant girls like Xiaomei and Xiaolan, they considered themselves to be members of the family.

It's the Singapore dollar, and the streets must be very lively, so it's time for the children to see it.

After a while, Gao Guiying and Song Yulian prepared breakfast, which was a big bowl of dragon beard noodles, which was in the broth, greasy and smooth, and the roots were continuous, which was called "lucky noodles", indicating that the new year would be full of good luck.

Li Zicheng had just started eating, and He Xiaomi hurriedly came over, "The Governor of the Metropolis, the hundred officials have come to the New Year!" ”

"New Year's greetings?" Li Zicheng was stunned, "What year is it?" ”

"The civil and military officials in Lanzhou City have come to pay New Year's greetings to the Metropolitan Governor, and they have already entered the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion......"

"Ah......" Li Zicheng was taken aback, the civil and military officials gave themselves New Year's greetings, this is something that has never happened before, why this year......

He pondered for a moment and finally understood that he went south to Sichuan last year and won the rich Sichuan and Shu. If it was difficult to pose a huge threat to the imperial court only by relying on the border places of Xining and Lanzhou in the past, then this time taking Sichuan is a big step forward......

Since there is Dujiangyan, the wealth of Sichuan and Shu is famous all over the world, Liu Bang took this as the foundation, and finally established the two Han Dynasty for hundreds of years, Liu Bei with Sichuan, also got half of the country!

Sichuan is not only rich, the terrain is relatively closed, even if Xining and Lanzhou are lost in the future, with the land of Bashu, it can still be invincible......

Is that really what the officials think? Have they seen the general trend of the world?

In this way, the current Mandate of Heaven Governor's Mansion is inseparable from a core figure, and it has its own existence, which can not only unite people's hearts, but also deter civil and military officials from fulfilling their duties.

New Year's greetings are not a big deal, but you can see the hearts of the people in Lanzhou officialdom!

Li Zicheng continued to eat the "lucky noodles" in the bowl, but just waved his hand, "Xiaomi, let them go to the hall and wait, I'll be there later!" ”

"Yes, Grand Duke!"

After He Xiaomi left, Gao Guiying said carefully: "Zicheng, hundreds of officials came to pay New Year's greetings, and you put them in the hall to dry, isn't it okay?" ”

"I'll be over soon," Li Zicheng raised his luck to Gao Guiying and said, "This bowl of lucky noodles represents a year's luck, how can I not finish it?" ”

"Then ......" Gao Guiying said to Xiaomei who was standing aside: "Go, prepare hot water for the governor to rinse his mouth first!" ”

"Yes, Madame!"

Li Zicheng finished eating the lucky noodles unhurriedly, rinsed his mouth and cleaned his face under Xiaomei's service, and then came to the front hall slowly.

There was a black patch standing in the hall, and there were at least fifty people on the look.

Seeing Li Zicheng, the officials bowed down one after another, but Mei Zhihuan, Liang Wencheng, and Shen Dao came over from the crowd, first bowing their hands to Li Zicheng, and then Mei Zhihuan said: "Please take a seat and accept the New Year's greetings from the hundred officials!" ”

Li Zicheng smiled: "New Year's greetings? Which one did you get here? ”

"Zicheng," Liang Wencheng came to Li Zicheng's side and whispered: "We have discussed, the Metropolitan Governor has been working hard for the Mandate of Heaven for more than half a year, and he is happy to get Sichuan, so ...... Therefore, the civil and military forces of Lanzhou took the opportunity of the new yuan to collectively come to pay homage to the governor of the capital......"

"It's just Sichuan, so you don't have to be so popular, right?" Li Zicheng's gaze swept over, and the hundred officials were headed by Mei Zhihuan, Liang Wencheng, and Shen Dao, including the main officials of Gansu Province and Lanzhou Prefecture, as well as the military attachés of the fourth battalion stationed in Lanzhou with more than 1,000 households, and the prefect Tang Ruowang was particularly conspicuous.

"Yes, yes," Shen Dao stepped forward and said: "The Metropolitan Governor is a model for us, we can't wait, today's New Year's greetings are also a piece of our heart!" ”

Li Zicheng likes to listen to this, although he doesn't like to pat the beard and walk the horse, but Shen Dao's words convey the mentality of the subordinate officials of the Heavenly Mandate Governor's Mansion, and really take him as the core, unite and surround him.

In the Mandate of Heaven Governor's Mansion, not all of them were brothers who raised troops with him, and there were also many generals from all over the country who surrendered to him.

Li Zicheng nodded slightly, but he was not in a hurry to take a seat, but said loudly: "Are you all sincere?" ”

"We are sincerely giving New Year's greetings to the Metropolitan Governor!"

This kind of question and answer is almost nonsense, in the face of the general trend, who dares to say that he is coerced by hundreds of officials? However, Li Zicheng needs them to say it in person, and it will be difficult to regret it in the future.

Even if it's a lie, if you say too much, it will become the truth!

Mei Zhihuan was closest to Li Zicheng, he glanced at the hundred officials, and said loudly: "The Metropolitan Governor has the talent to go through the heavens and latitudes, and the old decay and the hundred officials are really convinced of the Metropolitan Governor...... Please take a seat and let me wait! ”

"Please take a seat and let me wait!" Hundreds of officials followed in unison.

Li Zicheng laughed secretly, making it look like the emperor ascending the throne!

The Mandate of Heaven Governor's Mansion was originally decided by him alone, Mei Zhihuan, Liang Wencheng, Shen Dao, and Li Ji...... The positions of these people were all appointed by him personally, and when the officials saw him on weekdays, they all bowed to him.

But it was by coercion, even if some people were not convinced, they didn't dare to say it!

Today's New Year's greetings, although they are manipulated by Mei Zhihuan, Liang Wencheng, and Shen Dao, but from the surface, they are all sincere New Year's greetings, and in the long run, a personality cult will be formed......

When he went south to Chengdu, he preferred to transport long distances rather than set up a firearms bureau in Sichuan, just to control the seventh battalion from the equipment, the bullets might run out, the rifles might be damaged, and if they couldn't be manufactured independently, they could only rely on the Mandate of Heaven Governor's Office.

Chengdu is rich, once the seventh battalion is separated from the Mandate of Heaven and the Governor's Mansion is self-reliant, there is no shortage of silver and food, but firearms cannot be self-sufficient!

Li Zicheng did not distrust Song Wen, who had participated in many large-scale decisive battles, and his loyalty did not need to be doubted.

But now is in the critical period of the change of dynasties, the etiquette is broken, the people's hearts are not ancient, Li Zicheng will not let generals such as Song Wen have any chance of rebellion and self-reliance, once they break away from the Mandate of Heaven Army, without rifles and artillery, the previously established advantage over the Ming army will be reduced to ashes.

As long as you're not an idiot, weigh yourself before making a decision!

Today's New Year's greetings to hundreds of officials just give Li Zicheng an opportunity to accumulate prestige and become a Buddha, if it weren't for his own instructions, such an opportunity is really rare, how could he let it go?

Li Zicheng glanced at the hundred officials again, and saw that the eyes of the hundred officials were all obedient, so he nodded, slowly walked up to the main seat, and sat facing south.

Mei Zhihuan, Liang Wencheng, and Shen Dao gestured to each other, kneeling down with "snap" knees, buttocks facing the sky, and prostrate in front of Li Zicheng, "Subordinates give New Year's greetings to the Metropolitan Governor!" ”

The rest of the officials hurriedly knelt behind the three of them, and they also followed the example of the three of them, bowing to the ground, "Subordinates pay New Year's greetings to the Metropolitan Governor!" ”

Li Zicheng got up from his seat and said, "Everyone, get up!" ”

"Thank you, Governor!"

Li Zicheng did not let the hundred officials sit down, but said loudly: "Heroes don't ask where they come from, from the moment we joined the Mandate of Heaven Governor's Mansion, we have established the only goal: the people!" ”

I don't know who started it, and there was applause in the hall.

Li Zicheng raised his head, waited for the applause to subside, and continued: "The people produce food, pay taxes, produce firearms, and provide soldiers for us...... To protect the people is to protect ourselves and strengthen the strength of the Mandate of Heaven! ”

"Water can carry a boat, and it can also capsize a boat, everyone understands the truth, but how many people have really paid attention to it? The court ignored the needs of the people, causing thieves to rise up in the world and repeatedly extinguished; The Mandate of Heaven conforms to the will of the people, and everywhere he goes, the people welcome him...... In the long run, one trades off the other......"

Li Zicheng saw that all the officials stretched their necks, obviously more interested in such words than "the people", so he said: "...... With your joint efforts, one day, with the support of the people, the Mandate of Heaven Army will be able to defeat the imperial court, annihilate the imperial army, and establish a dynasty where all the people will enjoy themselves......"

If it is recorded and slightly modified, it will be a document to conquer the imperial court, but Li Zicheng is not prepared to announce it to the world.

The current Mandate of Heaven Governor's Mansion must not only expand outwardward, gradually encroaching on the land, population, and economy of the Ming Dynasty, but also seek internal development...... As long as the imperial court does not trouble the Mandate of Heaven Governor's Mansion, he will not take the initiative to start an all-out war with the imperial court for the time being.

All-out war is inevitable, but the later the better!

This oral speech can only be used as a program that must be followed within the Mandate of Heaven......

"The subordinates swear to follow the Metropolitan Governor to the death!"

"The subordinates swear to follow the Metropolitan Governor to the death!"

"The subordinates swear to follow the Metropolitan Governor to the death!"

The hundred officials bowed to the ground again, one by one rushing to express their loyalty......

"Get up," Li Zicheng said: "I know your loyalty, and I also know your determination to follow to the death, the Mandate of Heaven Governor's Mansion adheres to God's will, and takes the salvation of the common people in the world as its own responsibility, and needs to rely on you to practice ......"

According to the custom, after the New Year's greetings, Li Zicheng should take hundreds of officials to worship his ancestors, but Li Zicheng's ancestral tomb is in Mizhi County, and Lanzhou does not even have ancestral tablets, so he suggested: The Mandate of Heaven Governor's Mansion was built in accordance with God's will, and everyone went to the church to worship God.

The largest church in Lanzhou, located in the northeast corner of the new city, that is, a residential area, the pastor in the church saw so many officials coming to worship together, especially Li Zicheng and Tang Ruowang, and immediately panicked.

With John Tong's encouragement, the priest placed an incense table under the shrine of God.

This time, led by Li Zicheng and Ruo Wang, everyone knelt under the Buddha shrine, their hands reached the shape of a cross, and the pastor stood aside to recite the prayer!

After the worship was over, John Tong asked the pastor to invite a prayer mat, and let Li Zicheng sit under the shrine of God, and everyone once again paid homage to the pope.