After breakfast, Li Zicheng was in the big tent, discussing the next move with Li Guo and Song Wen, and suddenly became noisy outside, and he felt strange, but the soldiers came to report: "Dadu Governor, from the thousand households Zhao Guangrui, according to the instructions of the Dadu Governor, has released all the prisoners of war, but the prisoners of war refuse to leave, they have to join the Mandate of Heaven Army, they are kneeling outside the camp, Lord Zhao asks the Dadu Governor to ......"

"Won't go?" Li Zicheng said secretly, these prisoners of war still have some conscience, do they have to meet themselves and say something grateful? He suspended the military meeting and came out of the camp, outside the tent, and sure enough, the black pressed the prisoners of war who were kneeling on the ground.

"The Metropolitan Governor is here, what do you have to do, tell the Metropolitan Governor quickly," Zhao Guangrui saw Li Zicheng, and immediately seemed to see a savior, and hurriedly trotted over, "The Metropolitan Governor, his subordinates are not doing things well, ask the Metropolitan Governor to punish ......"

"Guangrui, get up and speak," Li Zicheng said, "this...... What's going on? ”

"Back to the Metropolitan Governor, these prisoners of war refuse to go back, and all of them ask to join the Mandate of Heaven Army," Zhao Guangrui got up, glanced at the prisoners of war, and said angrily: "Maybe I think the Mandate of Heaven Army has a free lunch here......"

"Oh?" Li Zicheng smiled faintly, pointed to the prisoners of war in front of him and said, "They all want to join the Heavenly Mandate Army?" ”

"Yes, Metropolitan Governor," Zhao Guangrui said: "My subordinates have checked, and there were originally more than 1,500 prisoners of war, but now there are more than 1,200 ......who stay and refuse to leave."

"So much?" Li Zicheng didn't know whether he was happy or sad, he was ready to release the prisoners of war, originally to reduce the burden, if they were left behind, from the perspective of the Heavenly Mandate Army, not only to supply food, but also to be guarded, the war was still early, how could there be many manpower to take care of them?

"The Governor of the Great Metropolis......" Zhao Guangrui felt disgusted with the prisoners of war, "How can these prisoners of war regard the Heavenly Mandate Army as their home?" Know how to eat and drink, and if you leave them behind, you won't eat up our food? ”

Treat the Manifest Destiny Army as their home......

Li Zicheng's heart moved, he didn't see it that way, since the prisoners of war were sincerely obedient, it was not a matter of food, the Mandate of Heaven army marched south to Bashu, and the cavalry and infantry were only 8,000 people, and if they wanted to control the entire Sichuan, the number of troops was too small, and the expansion of the army was inevitable.

If the prisoners of war join the Mandate of Heaven, it may not be a bad thing, but the planned expansion has been slightly advanced!

The most important thing is that they took the initiative to ask to join, and they did not force themselves to do so, indicating that the Mandate of Heaven went south to Bashu and began to win the hearts of the people.

The people's will is an incomprehensible thing, but the people's will is turned back, but it plays an unexpected role in the future direction.

Maybe they are indeed like Zhao Guangrui said, just for a rich dinner, or maybe they feel their benevolence, such a good opportunity, should they give up in vain?

Li Zicheng already has a new idea in his heart......

He waved his hand at the kneeling prisoners and said, "If you have anything to say, get up first!" ”

Zhao Guangrui shouted: "The Metropolitan Governor asked you to get up, do you hear it, get up first and then talk!" ”

The prisoners of war looked at each other a few times, and finally got up and stood in front of Li Zicheng, not daring to speak for a while, but looking at Li Zicheng with longing eyes.

Li Zicheng said: "I heard, you want to join the Heavenly Mandate Army? ”

"Yes, the villain wants to join the Mandate of Heaven!"

"Ask the Metropolitan Governor to accept the villain!"

"The villain must do his best to serve the Metropolitan Governor!"

……

There are many people, and if they continue like this, they can't speak, Li Zicheng stretched out his hand and pressed down, telling them to shut up temporarily, "Are you really joining the Heavenly Mandate Army?" If it's all sincere, stand on the right! Fearing that the prisoners of war would not be able to tell the difference between left and right, he gestured with his hand.

Someone began to move, but most of the people couldn't tell the left and right, after the reminder, just moved to the right with the crowd, the people who were originally standing on the left, lest the governor misunderstood their meaning, hurriedly squeezed to the right, and I don't know how many steps to walk, just moved the person on the right, and couldn't stand for a while.

There was a commotion in the crowd, this is like an army, it is completely a group of prisoners in prison, not even ordinary people.

Li Zicheng sighed in his heart, he stretched out his hands and motioned for everyone to be quiet.

In front of Li Zicheng, the prisoners of war were very well-behaved, all of them stopped and waited quietly for Li Zicheng's sentence, it seemed that Li Zicheng's every word could determine their life and death, as long as he said a word, he could get them out of the eighteen layers of hell.

Li Zicheng frowned slightly, and said, "I also want to accept you, but the Heavenly Mandate Army has always been strict in military discipline......"

"Don't worry, no matter what kind of military discipline, the villain will abide by it!"

"The villain listens to the governor of everything!"

"If the villain violates military discipline, let the governor punish him......"

……

Li Zicheng waited for the prisoners of war to calm down, and said: "I know that you are all excellent soldiers, but the food of the Heavenly Mandate Army, that is a rationed supply, there is no surplus food at all now, even if you want to accept you, it is impossible to have so much, unless you ......"

"Unless what?"

"As long as the governor accepts it, the villain, the villain can suffer anything, it's better than being hungry before......"

"The villain completely listens to the Metropolitan Governor, and the Metropolitan Governor will do whatever the Metropolitan Governor tells him to do......"

……

Li Zicheng was speechless, these prisoners of war seemed to be able to eat themselves, but looking at the way they spoke, they had such a half-military demeanor? Are they more noisy than prison inmates? Haven't they been trained?

He pondered for a moment and said, "Which of you lives in Chengdu?" ”

"I, I, I ......"

There were many people who raised their hands, and some people were afraid that Li Zicheng would not see them, so they raised their hands high, although they didn't know Li Zicheng's intentions, they were unwilling to be left behind.

Li Zicheng nodded, and asked He Xiaomi to bring these more than 200 people down, but said to the remaining prisoners of war: "I can accept you, but we don't have enough food now, the food is in Deyang City, only by taking Deyang, we will have enough food!" ”

The prisoners of war looked at each other, and said that the Metropolitan Governor still didn't want his own people?

"Only by defeating Wang Weizhang's army and entering Deyang City can the Heavenly Mandate Army accept you," Li Zicheng looked at the thousands of prisoners of war in front of him, and said slowly: "I need your help, if you help the Heavenly Mandate Army, then you will be the hero of the Heavenly Mandate Army, and when the time comes, the Heavenly Mandate Army will not have any reason to refuse you!" ”

"We are willing to do anything for the Metropolitan Governor......"

"Okay, good, in the mind of the governor of Pontus, you are all qualified soldiers," Li Zicheng's face finally bloomed with a smile, like a spring breeze, which made people very comfortable, "I need you to do something, and after the matter is completed, I will not only accept you, but also give each of you a reward of one or two silver." ”

He asked Zhao Guangrui to pile up two thousand taels of silver in the open space.

The eyes of the prisoners of war suddenly flashed with a snatching light, in the Ming army, they had not received a reward for a long time, and the silver in front of them ......

Everyone's reward is only one or two, but after all, this is the beginning!

Of course, the money won't belong to them yet, and they need to do something for the Grand Duke......

"Please, the Governor!"

"Don't say one, it's ten, the villain is willing to do it!"

"The Metropolitan Governor said it, even if it is a mountain of swords and a sea of fire, the villain will never shirk ......"

……

Although Li Zicheng did not accept these prisoners of war, his words already made them feel that they were already a member of the Heavenly Mandate Army, and in their hearts, they had already made a choice between the Ming Army and the Heavenly Mandate Army.

Li Zicheng said lightly: "I still let you go back today, a few days later, we will go south and confront the Ming army, and when we arrive, you hear the sound of cannons, you will shout in the camp, 'The Mandate of Heaven army has stolen the camp, run ...... quickly', and at the same time put a few fires in the camp......"

"Ah......" The prisoners of war were stunned, they didn't expect the Metropolitan Governor to make such a request!

Li Zicheng looked at the prisoners of war and said with a smile: "It doesn't matter, if you don't want to, the Pontus Governor will never force you, the Pontus Governor will keep his promise and will still let you go, you can go......"

The prisoners of war were stunned, not knowing what to do for a while, Li Zicheng had already turned around, and wanted to return to the camp, he curled his fingers in front of him, and counted them one by one......

"Wait, Governor, the villain is willing to ......" Finally, someone couldn't hold his breath anymore and blurted out in a hurry, although ...... But where can I find such a kind commander as the Metropolitan Governor in the Ming army?

"Yes, the villain is willing!" More people should be along.

"This is a great rebellion, do you really want to?" Li Zicheng had just counted "three", then looked back at the prisoners of war, "Have you thought about it?" ”

"The villain and the others have already thought about it, in this world, they should not starve to death as a soldier, but die of poverty as a soldier...... The villain waited and followed the Metropolitan Governor......"

"Okay, good," Li Zicheng said, "The Heavenly Mandate Army needs decisive soldiers like you!" ”

"Governor, that villain waits ......"

"I'll let you go back in a while, do you remember what you just said?"

"Remember, villain!"

"Remember, once the battle begins, the swords and guns have no eyes, you huddle in a group, although the soldiers of the Heavenly Mandate Army don't know you, as long as you say 'we surrender', they will definitely not hurt you," Li Zicheng said: "We have written down the names of each of you, and after the battle, the Pontus Governor will reward you for your meritorious deeds!" ”

The battle process must have been chaotic, and the Metropolitan Governor could still remember these prisoners of war...... The prisoners of war were moved in their hearts, "The Metropolitan Governor...... Villains, etc...... Memorized ......"

"The last point," Li Zicheng said lightly: "The cavalry of the Ming army is very fast to escape, if someone can open the manger and let the war horse run away while shouting, I will add a tael of silver!" ”

"An increase of one or two?" The prisoners of war rejoiced, "The Grand Governor, it's for the men and horses who open the manger......"

"No, it's for everyone," Li Zicheng said: "It was very chaotic at the time, one person definitely can't do it, you guys total!" ”

Li Zicheng gave another explanation to the prisoners of war, and then let them go back, and he came to another camp, where He Xiaomi and the more than 200 prisoners of war were waiting.

He selected more than 100 people from among them to form a hundred households, "Which of you was originally an officer?" ”

"The villain was originally a hundred household officials!" A soldier stepped out of the ranks.

"What's your name?"

"The villain's name is Wu Qiu!"

"Good!" Li Zicheng whispered a few words at him.

Wu Qiu was stunned for a moment, but his face was pale, "Don't worry, the villain will definitely follow the instructions of the Grand Governor." ”

"I will record all your names, and when the deed is completed, you will be rewarded with ten taels of silver." Li Zicheng nodded, and finally said to Wu Qiu: "As for you, the governor of Pontus will be promoted to the rank of a thousand household officials!" ”

"Thank you, little man!" Wu Qiu hurriedly kowtowed and thanked him.