Chapter 13 The sword is pointed at Annan

"To tell the truth, Brother Li, if you don't come to Yaogang, I am also going to send someone to Lin'an to see you, we shouldn't let the brothers shed any more blood." Zhang Zhimu said, "In the past, there was no food for decades of drought, and the rebellion was just to survive. Now you have also seen that the industrial production of our kiln gang has reached a certain scale, and we can exchange a lot of silver for it, and we can also buy a lot of grain from overseas, and the wasteland we have reclaimed in the Hetao area also produces a large amount of grain, and we have the ability to solve the problem of everyone's food, and I think there is really no need to shed blood and fight for life. ”

Li Zicheng nodded vigorously and said, "Yes! If I had had had had a bite to eat at that post station, I wouldn't have come out to rebel. There's really no way to live. I came out to run for a living. knew that if the rebellion failed, he would be killed, but if he didn't rebel, he would starve to death. If you don't rebel, you can't do it! Which of our Dashun troops didn't come out to survive? ”

Saying this, Li Zicheng's eyes were a little moist. This man who rolled out of the pile of dead people still has such a side, which made Zhang Zhimu a little shocked.

"I've been waiting for Brother Li to talk about this," Zhang Zhimu said slowly, as if he wasn't talking about a major event involving the fate of hundreds of thousands of people, just like two friends chatting, "I think there is one thing, if Brother Li can make a sacrifice, everything else is easy to say." ”

"Oh!" Li Zicheng looked at Zhang Zhimu and said, "Brother Zhang Xian, tell me about it?" The reason why so many brothers follow me is because I can go up the sword mountain and go down to the sea of fire for my brothers! ”

"Haha! It's not that serious," Zhang Zhimu said with a smile, "This matter is easier said than done. That's Brother Li's idea of giving up being the emperor! What do you think? ”

Li Zicheng was stunned when he heard this, and he didn't know what Zhang Zhimu meant for a while, but he immediately said: "As long as the brothers can have a good way out, this is not a problem. But Li Zicheng immediately added, "I will also convince the brothers!" ”

Zhang Zhimu admired Li Zicheng's reaction very much, and he immediately left a way back for himself, and the added sentence meant that it was the brothers' meaning to be the emperor. Whether you are the emperor or not has the brothers to decide.

"Last time I went to the capital to see Emperor Chongzhen, the emperor asked me if I wanted to be the emperor?" Zhang Zhimu said, "I asked him back, 'Is it comfortable to be the emperor?' I have no interest in being the emperor! Emperor Chongzhen laughed, he knew that being an emperor was actually very uncomfortable. The emperor was already full of hair at a young age. ”

"This emperor also has to divide who will do it. Even if I have the heart to be the emperor, with you Yaogang people, I'm afraid it won't be my turn. Li Zicheng said, "Emperor Chongzhen can also be regarded as a good emperor who works hard, but the corrupt officials in the court are in charge, and the people are not happy, and he is not qualified to be the emperor." In my opinion, only you, Brother Zhang Xian, can be the emperor in the whole world. ”

"Since the opening of the Ming Dynasty, the people of the Ming Dynasty have lived some good lives. When it came to Emperor Chongzhen, the problem of the Ming Dynasty was that it was gathering more and more. Coupled with decades of drought, the reason why your post station was abolished was also because the imperial court had no money to raise it anymore. It was a matter of time before the Ming Dynasty got to this point, but natural disasters aggravated man-made disasters, which made the Ming Dynasty unable to support it prematurely. Zhang Zhimu said, "Even if there is no us, your brother Li will sit on the emperor, and the final result will be the same." As for what Brother Li said, the emperor still has to be done by me. I told Brother Li that I never had the idea of being the emperor. I still feel that being the emperor has no freedom and is very uncomfortable. ”

Li Zicheng obviously said to Zhang Zhimu that he would be the emperor and this result, a little unconvinced, "Hmph! How can I be the emperor like the Ming Dynasty, where there are corrupt officials everywhere. There are local tyrants and bullies everywhere who oppress the good! How can it also make the people live a comfortable life. ”

"Huh!" Zhang Zhimu smiled and said, "Regarding the point of corrupt officials, I don't know what good way Brother Li has?" ”

"This, this, can be strict with the law and discipline, and corrupt officials can be severely punished. Let their hearts tremble at the thought of corruption! Li Zicheng said indignantly.

"The Ming Dynasty's punishment of corrupt officials was the most severe in all dynasties. All kinds of cramps and peeling are used, and there are many corrupt officials who are executed every year. This shows that severe punishment cannot solve this problem. Zhang Zhimu said.

"So, isn't there anything you can do about them?" Li Zicheng felt that what Zhang Zhimu said was reasonable, but he was unconvinced.

"The difference between us and you is here, and our goal is to build a fair and reasonable world." After Zhang Zhimu said this, he told Li Zicheng the truth that the peasant uprisings caused by the unreasonable annexation of land in the past dynasties and dynasties were constantly changing dynasties and could not jump out of this reciprocating circle.

Li Zicheng said bluntly after listening: "Yes, yes! Brother Zhang Xiandi is so right, I'm really a little enlightened! How do you say that you can let this world jump out of this circle of sons, and prevent the people of the world from suffering like this? ”

Li Zicheng is from a poor background after all, he knows the suffering of the people at the bottom, and the emotions he reveals are also very real. This is somewhat contradictory to the bad impression that Li Zicheng left on Zhang Zhimu. For example, Li Zicheng slaughtered the city many times, which made Zhang Zhimu unforgivable from his heart no matter what.

"Our idea is that the world is the world of the world. In the future, after the country is unified and the legal system is perfected, the armed forces will be nationalized. The military is not allowed to interfere in domestic politics. Leaders from all localities to countries are elected by the people, and they are elected every four years. If you do a good job as a leader, the people will elect you again, and if you don't do a good job, the people can use their votes to elect you. If you don't do a good job while you're in power, you can just be kicked down. The officials thus elected, their power must operate under the sun and be subject to the supervision of the people. In the past, it was the emperor who supervised the officials below with a pair of eyes, and it was impossible for him to see clearly, but the people of the world looked at these officials with their eyes open, and if they wanted to be corrupt, they had to weigh it. We have already practiced these things in various parts of Shanxi and Shaanxi, and those places in the Central Plains are also starting to do them. ”

"Hmmm! That's where it gets interesting. Li Zicheng said, "I've heard that you're doing this in various places. I didn't understand what you guys were doing? Now I understand, there are still so many ways in it. ”

"We are also experimenting step by step," Mr. Zhang said, "and all of this requires a sound legal system." Not only that, but the people also need to be democratic. If you give him a bowl of noodles and he will give you his votes, you will not be able to elect a really good leader. Also, without perfect laws, the nationalization of the army cannot be done, and the current situation is that whoever controls the army can come out and become the emperor. And the people don't know how to live without the emperor in charge, so it still takes a long way to educate the people. As you can see, there are some discussions in Yaogang, such as the discussion of marriage and love in the movie "Love in the Fen River", and the discussion of increasing farmers' income, which is to encourage everyone to have a sense of participation and cultivate everyone's democratic spirit. We will have more discussions on a larger scale in the future. Slowly, everyone realized that the affairs of the world were their own affairs. ”

Li Zicheng listened to what Zhang Zhimu said, and he couldn't digest it at once, but he could still understand the general meaning.

"Are you really going to give up the opportunity to be the emperor and let the people come to the election?" Li Zicheng asked.

"Yes!" Zhang Zhimu said, "However, at present, our task is to unify the world. Democratic elections require a stable State. We still have a long way to go, to solve the Jiangnan problem, and to turn back, we have to completely solve the Mongols and the Manchus. To the west, we need to open up the original Silk Road, and to the north, we need to open up a passage into the Arctic Ocean. To the east, it is necessary to completely solve the problem of the Japanese invaders, and to the south, there are also Annan and Laos. Overseas Francos still occupy Luzon, and they massacre us Han Chinese in Luzon at will. After these things need to be resolved, the four seas are safe. Only then can political reform be carried out thoroughly. ”

"Listening to Brother Zhang Xiandi's words, I was very shocked. Your mind is really admirable. Li Zicheng said, "I still need to think about some of the things you said." ”

At noon, Xiao Hongyu personally cooked a few dishes, and Zhang Zhimu and Li Zicheng drank less wine. Xiao Hongyu arranged for Li Zicheng to take a lunch break in the guest room, and Li Zicheng was not polite.

When Xiao Hongyu served Zhang Zhimu to lie down, he said, "When you speak, you can't be quiet. It's like a quarrel! ”

"No! We both thought it was a good conversation. Zhang Zhimu said.

In the afternoon, Zhang Zhimu and Li Zicheng woke up, and Zhang Zhimu told Li Zicheng about Xiao Hongyu's opinion. Li Zicheng laughed and said, "Haha! We didn't even pay attention! It doesn't matter if you're happy, but it's better than if we go to war on the battlefield! ”

Li Zicheng felt that he had a lot to say, but he couldn't remember how to say it all of a sudden. However, there is one thing that Li Zicheng knows that he must say today, so the two of them drank some tea and woke up their minds, Li Zicheng said: "Brother Zhang Xian, these days I have been thinking about what to do with our brothers after we go back. To tell you the truth, when I first came out to rebel, I wanted to live for myself, and then I had more brothers with me, so I thought about taking everyone to live. Later, he had his own territory, and he wanted the brothers to live a better life. But in the end, I couldn't even eat three meals a day, and if my brothers were full, I could be a cow or a horse. Not to mention, let them live like the kiln people. My brothers couldn't have imagined such a day. ”

"Since Brother Li has such a mind, we might as well join hands and unify the world together. When the time comes, we can compete on an equal footing and see who the people of the world choose to be the leader. Zhang Zhimu lost no time in saying.

"It's a way. However, I do have an idea, I don't know how about a good brother? Li Zicheng said, "My brothers, have followed me for many years. It's hard to take command all at once. I've heard you say that you're going to lay out the problem of Annan right away. See if I can leave Jiangnan with my brothers and go directly to Annam. Packed up all the Annan people who were not convinced. So that we can do something about it. To tell the truth, even if we come, you will not dare to hand over the army to us at once. If we don't do something, just like the two princes, it's really not okay to do nothing. ”

In fact, this is exactly what Zhang Zhimu meant, since Li Zhi informed Zhang Zhimu of Liu Jun's words, Zhang Zhimu felt that this was a very feasible thing. Hearing Li Zicheng say this, Zhang Zhimu said with a smile: "Brother Li, if you don't talk about this idea, we will also propose such an option for you." ”

"Oh? So, does Brother Zhang Xian agree with his brother's opinion? Li Zicheng was also very happy to hear Zhang Zhimu say this.

"Not only do we agree, but we will do everything we can to support you in doing so." Zhang Zhimu said, "I have a suggestion. Your hundreds of thousands of troops must be streamlined. Left behind one or two hundred thousand elite soldiers. We will be responsible for the placement of the rest of the reduced soldiers. There are also too many of your various officials, which is a great burden on you, and they must also be cut. Those who come down will come to us for training first, and those who are qualified will be placed in positions. If you are not suitable to be an official, we can also arrange other jobs here. ”

"Oops! It would be nice to be able to do that! Li Zicheng slapped his big hand. Li Zicheng, who was under the pressure of these burdens, was really a little out of breath.

"Also, if you march into Annam, we can provide you with logistical supplies. We will also give you some muskets and ammunition. Zhang Zhimu said, "By the way, there are also anti-inflammatory drugs and heatstroke medicines in the south, and we can meet the supply." Your old, weak, sick and disabled and their families, if you want, you can also send them to the kiln. That way you don't have to worry about the future. ”

Hearing this, Li Zicheng stood up, grabbed Zhang Zhimu's hand and said, "If Brother Zhang Xian says this, we are a family." I promise that after I defeat Annam, I will also obey the arrangement of Yaogang. In the future, the officials of Annan, you will also send them out. As a sign of sincerity, I will have most of our brothers' families come to Yaogang. ”

"Brother Li, we don't need to use our brothers' families as hostages. But if the brothers' family members come to Yaogang, we will treat them as relatives and give them satisfactory arrangements. Zhang Zhimu said.

"Then I will thank Brother Zhang Xian on behalf of my brothers." Li Zicheng said, "I, Li Zicheng, swear to the sky today that I will obey you from now on." ”

"Don't say thank you. Let's not talk to each other about who listens to whom. Something to discuss. Zhang Zhimu said.

"No, no! Brother Zhang Xian, there are no rules. Li Zicheng said sincerely, "I am willing to obey you because I admire you from the bottom of my heart." In particular, what I have seen and heard in the kiln these days has shocked me. I used to think that I could dominate the world, but I was simply a frog at the bottom of a well. Compared with you, no matter the measure of mind and ability, it is not comparable. Today I can lead my brothers to follow you, that is my creation. I hope that my brothers can live like this in the future, and I am willing to follow you for this day. ”

Zhang Zhimu saw that what Li Zicheng said was still very sincere. He knew that as long as Li Zicheng no longer had the dream of being the emperor, other things would be easier. This is also the reason why Zhang Zhimu asked Li Zicheng to take a closer look at the kiln.

Zhang Zhimu said: "Brother Li, you also saw it. There is a very important reason why there are more and more people in our kiln, that is, the medical level of the kiln is very high. ”

"Yes, yes!" Li Zicheng said, "I've heard that your kind of medicine called sulfonamide is very godly. Last time, Yuan Zongdi's injury was cured with sulfonamides. Many diseases that could not be treated in the past can now be treated. ”

"After Brother Li went back, he asked the old fairy Shang Jiong to bring a group of literate young people to the kiln." Zhang Zhimu said, "Let them go to the kiln to learn how to use sulfonamides." There are also some other medical treatments that we have. In this way, there will be fewer casualties among wounded officers and soldiers. I want to meet this old fairy too! ”

"Good! That's great! Li Zicheng said yes repeatedly.

Zhang Zhimu said again: "Brother Li, there is another news to tell you that we have developed a new drug, which is better than the sulfonamide used now. Human trials are about to be done. There was no problem with animal testing before. ”

"Hey! Can't get enough of two death row inmates? Li Zicheng said.

"Death row inmates are also human beings, and if they don't agree, we can't test them." Zhang Zhimu's words made Li Zicheng a little embarrassed.

Zhang Zhimu hurriedly said: "However, Brother Li reminded me. We can explain to the death row prisoner that as long as they are willing to undergo a drug test, and the test is over, he is not dead, and we can exonerate him from the death penalty. Because after all, he used his body to contribute to all beings in the world, and it can be regarded as a meritorious service. If we had Brother Li's words earlier, our experiment might have been finished long ago. ”

"That's good!" Li Zicheng diverted the topic, "I saw that the children in Yaogang were in school exercises, and I stood outside for a long time and was reluctant to leave, and the tears that didn't come out almost didn't come out." Look at the children here, all of them are ruddy and tall. I thought, after meeting you, I must agree to let our children come to Yaogang to study. ”

"Our children's daily meals are standard, with milk and eggs. There is also a ration of kelp and other things. So they're all big and tall. Zhang Zhimu said, "Some time ago, someone said that if the world does not suffer disasters, then the grain is not valuable, and the grain farmers will suffer." I told them that they could raise pigs and chickens and ducks if they had more food, but the people were still eating too badly, so they were all yellow and thin. We will never run out of food. ”

"Hey! People in the world can't solve the problem of being full, and they can't talk about eating well! Li Zicheng said.

"Hehe, that's what we need to do." Zhang Zhimu said, "We are building fishing boats in Zhenjiang, and there are also large ships with refrigeration. Once they are finished, they can freeze the big fish caught at sea and bring them back to eat. There are so many fish in the sea that it is better to eat fish than to be hungry. Even if you can eat enough, you can also improve your diet by eating some fish. ”

Li Zicheng understood that what Zhang Zhimu said was interesting, but he couldn't fully understand Zhang Zhimu's approach. But Zhang Zhimu knew that the fish in the sea were still inexhaustible, and they were not as soon as they were in his previous life. Or a good source of food.

Li Zicheng and Zhang Zhimu talked about this matter, and they were very happy, "We have decided on this matter of Brother Zhang Xian." I still have to buy some things in Yaogang, and these days, let Mr. Song talk to Chen Yufeng and Mr. Ouyang about some details. ”

"Good! When you go back, I can send you to the edge of the Yangtze River. Because I promised Xiao Hongyu that I would go back to my hometown with her after I got married. I think we'll get down in a boat and go together. Don't panic on the road! Zhang Zhimu suggested.

"Great!" Li Zicheng said again, "Have you been waiting for me?" ”

"Don't hide it from Brother Li, I'm waiting for you, otherwise we would have gone south a long time ago." Zhang Zhimu said, "However, I think it's worth the wait to go back with you." Zhang Zhimu made a pun.

Li Zicheng was not polite, and said, "Yes, yes! Worth! I didn't come to the kiln in vain this time. ”

After talking about this matter with Li Zicheng, Zhang Zhimu was also very happy. In the evening, Zhang Zhimu invited Chen Yufeng, Ouyang He, Li Yan and Li Zhi over for a meal, and at the same time introduced the situation to them.

Everyone was pleased with the result. Li Zhi suddenly asked: "What if Li Zicheng goes against us in Annan?" ”

"At that time, it would be easier to destroy them again." Chen Yufeng said, "In Annam, they still need to rely on our support so that they can stand firm." ”

"As long as Li Zicheng comes into contact with us, they will inevitably understand us up and down. At that time, Li Zicheng had no choice but to oppose us. Zhang Zhimu said, "However, for now, I prefer to believe that Li Zicheng is sincere in cooperating with us." There will be no fake surrender like with the imperial court. ”

"As long as Li Zicheng does this, then he will be in our hands. We are not afraid of him repenting. Ouyang He said.

Li Yan also said: "This is the best result. There is also a group of people around King Chuang who are sitting in the world with King Chuang. They didn't see it as clearly as King Chuang, but it would be best if King Chuang could stay in Yaogang and let others lead troops into Annam. I would like to have time to persuade him again. ”

"Li Gongzi, don't persuade him anymore about the king." Zhang Zhimu said, "Let King Chuang do the rest by himself." He's a brilliant man. In the past few days, Mr. Ouyang and Mr. Song have a lot to do. Tell Li Zicheng that it would be best to march into Annam a year later. We can send them there in two ways, one is from the Yangtze River into the Xiangjiang River and through the Ling Canal into Guangxi. There is also a road, cross Meiling to Xijiang River and take a boat. We need to get the job done within a year. ”

"In this way, within a year, we must deal with Zuo Liangyu and them," Ouyang He said, "and then that Zheng Zhilong." ”

"Zheng Zhilong is not qualified to fight us on land, and they can't fight us at sea. We have two more steel-hulled warships that will be launched at once. The 5,000-ton wooden ship in Zhenjiang is about to be launched, and the two 1,000-ton wooden ships there have already been launched and are undergoing commissioning. Zhang Zhimu said, "We can build a few more warships in a year." Defeating Zheng Zhilong is more certain. However, Zheng Zhilong has a large number of good hands who are good at making ships at sea, and I am very concerned, and it is best to receive them. We are too slow to train people on our own. ”

Zhang Zhimu's words were very explicit, and everyone laughed.

Li Yan said: "Zheng Zhilong's people are easy to accept, but it is difficult to control. As soon as the ship goes to sea, the captain has the final say, and he is afraid that they will be obedient on the surface, and they will turn their faces when they go to sea. ”

"We can do this kind of thing in front of us, and we must be prepared from the personnel arrangement. There must be a way to restrain them. Zhang Zhimu said.

Everyone didn't expect that regarding Li Zicheng and their trip to Annan, Zhang Zhimu also had an amazing move - to inform Emperor Chongzhen.

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Mt. Fuji erupted, Japan was earthquaked. --Progress of "Memories of the Southern Song Dynasty".